October is Here!

The end of the summer is not the end of the world. Here's to October...
 - A.A. Milne

Hello, Parents,

I know the rain was a bit dreary today, but I still loved the weather this weekend. I love the start of each season! Fall makes me appreciate Ohio, though. I love the smells, the colors, and the feel of excitement that comes with Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Yes, I said it. I am already thinking about Christmas. 😄

In our classroom last week, we wrapped up our first two weeks in the STEM lab. That gave us time to revisit some passion projects the children decided to work on in September. If you aren't familiar with what your fourth grader is working on, please ask them! We are building planets, coding, researching guinea pigs, and more! As they finish those projects, the kids have a chance to work on a choice board of fun math and language arts activities. This is part of our IE block (intervention/enrichment), so it is not for grades, but it is still highly valuable! 

In language arts, we finished Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing and started a writing project. That concludes this week with the final copy and a fun craft. I cannot wait to hang them in the hall and include a picture of it here next week. Our next book will be Sign of the Beaver. The children enjoy it; there is a lot of adventure in that book!

In math, I have fifteen children that are working hard through multiplication strategies. It has been amazing watching them use my teaching videos and the practice pages to master Topic 3 (1-digit by multi-digit multiplication). We had plenty of small group time and learned how the lessons build on one another. Now everyone is on to 2-digit by multi-digit multiplication. I am confident they will do well!

This is a four-day week. There is no school Friday. Please continue to keep your children home if they are not feeling well. We had a cold run through some of the kids last week. Thank you for emailing me for work. Between sending items home and modifying work when they return, we will keep everyone caught up! 

Upcoming Dates to Know:
October 4 - 1st Day of Orchestra and Band
October 7 - Girls' STEM Club after school
   * Sign up was required; please send your child with a note if they are staying for this.
October 8 - No School / NEOEA Day
October 25 - Red Ribbon Week