January 25, 2016

January 25, 2016

Reading:

We really learned a great deal about extreme weather the past two weeks when researching subtopics about weather.  On Friday, everyone present taught others about what they had learned from a poster they created to use as a teaching tool. 

  

                                                     

This week we will begin our Book Clubs.  Students are reading Holes, A View From Saturday,

 Chasing Vermeer and Because of Winn Dixie.  Mrs. Charland and I have assigned the students to a Book Club based on their Lexile reading level from their winter NWEA scores.  We are excited to discuss our books and share our ideas with each other.  In addition, students will focus on Greek and Latin roots for word work this week (corp, pop and art).  When students have independent reading time, they may read their book for Book Club, read self-selected stories on Raz-kids.com and read other books they choose.  

Math:

Today, we finished our chapter in math about tally tables, picture graphs, bar graphs and line graphs. Students will take a chapter assessment this week and we will begin our next math chapter about data.  In chapter 5, students will find the mean, median, mode and range in a set of data, create and read stem and leaf plots and predict outcomes.

Writing:

We are beginning our new unit writing opinion essays.  It is always exciting to write about something you feel passionate about and want to express your opinions.  I have already heard students say they will write stories to their parents to try to convince them to get a pet, to a teacher to stop giving homework, to a principal to change how much time students are given for recess.  It should be a great unit!  I am looking forward to hearing the fourth graders' opinions and reasons that support their ideas. 

WINTER CARNIVAL BASKET

We are collecting items for our fourth grade classroom basket for the silent auction at our Winter Carnival on Friday, February 26th.  The theme for our classroom basket is "Traverse City".  Please send in any items you would like to donate to our basket this week.  

Upcoming Events and Happenings

* Friday, January 29th - field trip to Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore 

 - students must bring a sack lunch and drink

- dress in warm layers

- we will leave the school at 9:15 a.m.

- we will return back to school at 3:00 p.m.

- chaperones should arrive at 9:00 a.m.  -  please plan to follow the bus to the location

2/2/16 Darkness to Light Parent Presentation

2/9 PTO meeting

2/16, 2/18, and 2/24 Parent Teacher Conferences

2/26 Westwoods Winter Carnival

2/29 Kindergarten Roundup Parent Meeting

Homework and Spelling Packets are due back on Thursday! 

January 5, 2016

Welcome Back!  

We had a wonderful time celebrating the holidays!  We would like to thank all the parents who organized and worked so hard to make our holiday party a success!  

NWEA reports and MSTEP reports

This Friday your child will bring home a copy of their fourth grade winter NWEA test results and a copy of their MSTEP test results from third grade.  Please take the time to review these results and keep in mind that these are just one tool that educators use to assess your children and their learning growth.  If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me or discuss the results at our next parent/teacher conference.  

Our classroom is very excited about reading!  Each week, many students finish reading books and share their recommendations and thoughts about the book with their peers through Book Talks.  

MATH - Long Division

We have completed our current study of long division this week.  Many students are using standard algorithm to solve division problems with and without remainders.  This has been a challenging concept for many of us, but we have been determined learners.  We will continue to practice this skill throughout the year until we have mastered this concept.  We will begin our new unit over tables and line graphs this Friday!

Reading

We have been working hard on developing good habits and using strategies to read nonfiction texts.  Students will begin a group nonfiction reading project next week researching a weather topic and teaching their peers about the information they have learned.  

We are in need of items for our classroom basket for the school carnival.  Our theme is "Traverse City".  If you would like to donate an item for our basket, please send it in before the end of January.  We are also in need of a parent to put our donated items in a basket to be put on display at the school carnival.  If you would like to help out, please send me an email.

Important Upcoming Events and Dates 

Monday, January 18th - No School

Thursday, January 21 - Half Day for Students

Friday, January 22 - No School

Have a fantastic week!

Mrs. DePlaunty

November 30, 2015

Monday, November 30, 2015

Winter is upon us.  Please make sure that your child has boots, gloves, snow pants, a coat and a hat with them each day.  Here are a few of our classmates enjoying the winter weather we had before Thanksgiving. 

The class will be completing their NWEA mid-year assessments during our testing window from Dec. 2nd to Dec. 16th.  Please try to make sure your child is in school on our selected testing dates; however, if your child is sick or absent they will be allowed to make-up the test during the school day on another day.

NWEA testing dates for our classroom

Friday, December 4th, NWEA Reading test 9:15 - 10:45 a.m.

Wednesday, December 9th, NWEA Math test 9:15 - 10:45 a.m.

Important Dates 

12/2 Scholastic Holiday book orders are due

12/4 NWEA Reading Testing 9:15 - 10:45 a.m.

12/9 NWEA Math Testing 9:15 - 10:45 a.m.

12/11 TBA student-run credit union 

12/17  Santa gift shop and Santa visit

12/22 Holiday Classroom Party and school-wide sing-a-long 

12/23 to 1/3 NO SCHOOL for students

Math

This week we will continue to practice strategies for solving 2-digit by 2-digit and 3-digit by 2-digit multiplication problems.  Students are using area models, break apart method and standard algorithm methods to solve for products.  

Reading

We began a new nonfiction reading unit today.  Students will read nonfiction books for main idea and details, text structures and more.  We are excited to begin a new reading unit.  Students may read either nonfiction or fiction for nightly reading requirements.  It is encouraged they do a bit of both.

Spelling

Due to the short time frame for new spelling words, the students have a shortened list of number words this week.  They will practice these words in class through our spellingcity.com website. We will take an assessment over these words on Thursday, Dec. 3rd.  

twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, sixty, seventy, eighty, ninety, hundred, thousand, million, billion, trillion

Science

We completed our unit over electricity and magnetism last week. Students built closed and parallel circuits.  We tested objects to determine whether they were conductors or insulators.  We added resistors to our circuits.  The students enjoyed all the hands-on experiments and practice.  

Social Studies

This week we will continue to learn about the Northeast region of the United States.  Students will take a train tour through the region stopping at various locations along the way to study each location in more detail.

Have a wonderful week!

Mrs. DePlaunty

November 13, 2015

November 13, 2015

Math: 

We began our new math chapter this week.  Students will begin by learning and applying strategies to solve multiplication problems (2-digit times 1 digit and up to 4-digits times 1 digit with and without regrouping and 2-digit times 2-digit). Students will be asked to use repeated addition, rectangular arrays, area models and standard algorithm as strategies.

Questions you can ask your child:  

How can you use repeated addition to solve 213 X 4?

How can you use an array to solve 213 X 4?

How can you use an area model to solve 213 X 4?  

Reading:  

This week in reading we continued to dig deeper into our narrative stories.  We began to look beyond the characters in our story looking at other story elements, such as setting, important objects, plot, mood and feelings, and how parts of our story connect together?  

Reading Logs:  

We are now using weekly reading logs that require students to respond to their reading in writing once per week.  All logs and writing requirements are due on Monday each week.

Questions you can ask your child:

Did you enjoy the book Crenshaw?  Why do you think that Jackson created Crenshaw?  What was a reoccurring object in the book? What do you think it would be like to be a child that is homeless?

Science:  

This week we began building electrical circuits.  We learned what a closed circuit is and how to make a light bulb light by creating a closed circuit.  Students learned about the parts of light bulb and wrote an explanation of how Thomas Edison contributed to our scientific world.  

Questions you can ask your child:  

What is a closed circuit?  Where does the power come from that lights the lights in your home? How did Thomas Edison contribute to our scientific understanding.

Social Studies:  

Students began to learn about the geography of the Northeast region of the United States.  They located geographic features on maps.  We will continue to learn more about his region next week.

Questions you can ask your child:

What are the eleven states that make up this region of the United States?  What is the capitol of our nation?  What mountain range runs through this region?

Spelling words:  people, twinkle, noodle, simple, sparkle, bubble, wiggle, whistle, sample, freckles, puddle, little, tickle, middle, castle, bottle, nickel, poodle, apple, able

Important dates/upcoming events

11/19 Picture retake day

11/24 La Senorita gives back fundraiser night

11/26 and 11/27 - No School - Thanksgiving Break

Have a great weekend!  

Mrs. DePlaunty

DePlaunty's Blog - Room 83

October 25, 2015

Hello Families,

Wow!  We had a successful and fun week this week in fourth grade.  We all made pledges to be defenders and take a stand against bullying at Westwoods Elementary.  The children attended an OLWEUS assembly on Friday and created a pledge link for our school chain.  This chain will be on display in our front entrance area.  

We completed our study of mapping skills and an introduction to the regions of the United States this week.  Students worked with partners to locate specific information and locations on specialty maps.  

The students all worked to HELP HARRY on Friday.  Students were given time to plan, build, and test a perch (structure) that would support Harry! Students evaluated themselves on their team skills and engineering accomplishments.  

Questions you can ask your child this week?

How hard was it to work with your group to build a perch for Harry?

Did all group members participate equally?

If you were to design your perch again, would you do it differently?

What is the narrative story you are writing about? 

How are Rob and Sistine complicated characters?  What evidence do you have from the story to support your theory?

What is the difference between a factor and a multiple?

Classroom Halloween Celebration

When:  Friday, October 30th, 8:45 a.m. - 9:45 a.m.

Where:   Room 83

What:  Children will wear costumes (follow school guidelines), eat a yummy breakfast and watch a     Halloween video 

Who:  Everyone in our class and parents are welcome to join!

If you would like to help out with our party, please email me a deplauntsh@tcaps.net.  

Important Upcoming Events and Dates

10/27 and 10/29 Parent/Teacher Conferences

10/29 Spelling Assessment and spelling packets are due

10/30 HALLOWEEN CELEBRATION 8:45 a.m. - 9:45 a.m. (please send in your child's donated item on or before October 30th)

11/4 Incredible Moe's Family Night - see link below for more information

https://tinyurl.com/tcwwfamily

11/19 Picture Retakes

11/24  La Senorita Gives Back - Westwoods fundraising event

Math

This week in math we will focus on multiplying a 2-digit number by a 1-digit number using an array model and an area model.  We will review information presented in Chapter 2 and take an assessment over Chapter 2 late in the week.  Students should continue to practice multiplication and division facts to improve their speed and accuracy (snap fast)!  

Reading

We will discuss how different readers have different viewpoints about books.  Students will develop evidence-based arguments for or against theories in The Tiger Rising.  We will begin to look beyond the characters in our stories and focus on other story elements such as setting, recurring objects and images and plot.  

Writing

This week students will work on drafting the heart of their narrative stories.  We will review and study published texts to write strong leads, work on showing the place and time for our story settings, and continue to weave together actions, thoughts and dialogue throughout our stories.  

Spelling:

Spelling words:  zebra, chose, tease, buzz, zero, cheese, wise, crazy, lazy, fuzzy, prize, froze, freeze, zoo, puzzle, sneeze, surprise, lizard, zipper, size

Halloween challenge words:   frightful, scary, Halloween, skeleton, jack-o'-lantern, costume, pirate, ghoul, cauldron, haunted

Have a fantastic week!  

Mrs. DePlaunty

Mrs. DePlaunty's 4th Grade - October, 16, 2015

Math: 

Our focus in math this week was using estimation to check sums, differences and products for reasonableness.  Students did many hands-on activities in groups using basic multiplication facts to find factors and multiples.  They broke down whole numbers into factors or multiplied them to get multiples.  Students used this information to determine whether a number was a prime or composite number.  Next week, we will revisit these math concepts and multiply larger numbers using array models.  

Questions you can ask your child?

What are the factors of 18?  Is this a prime or composite number?  How do you know?  What are the first 12 multiples of 5?  

  

Language Arts:

This week in reading, students practice ways to help grow their ideas about characters in the stories they are reading.  

* The learned to read intensely to notice patterns in the characters actions and use them to      form ideas about them.  

* While reading think about how a character's new actions fit or change with those ideas.  

* While reading think about why the character might be acting this way.  

* Think about the characters desires and how they are trying to achieve them.

Next week, students will be reading intensely and paying close attention to details in their stories. 

Questions you can ask your child:

What inner strengths does Rob have in The Tiger Rising.

How are his inner strengths different from Sistine's inner strengths?

Why do you think Rob and Sistine have become friends?

What is your prediction about what Rob and Sistine will do with the tiger?  Will they let him go or what else do you think could happen in the story?

Why doesn't Rob cry in the story?  

Social Studies:

This week students worked to locate specific locations and information using specialty maps. Next week, our class will review the information and notes presented in Chapter 2.  Students will take an open book/note chapter assessment over Chapter 2 on Wednesday.  

Questions you can ask your child?

What is a specialty map? 

What is the name of the major river that runs from Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico?

 Why are the Great Lakes in the Midwest region so important?  

Halloween Celebration

Our classroom Halloween celebration will take place on Friday, October 30th from 8:45 a.m. to 9:45 a.m.  We will be having a "Spooky" breakfast in our classroom.  Students may wear costumes to school.  Costumes must be friendly, so that they are appropriate for all age groups. Children may not wear masks of any kind or have any pretend weapons that go with their costume (swords, guns etc.)  Your child may bring a change of clothes to put on after our party. Children should bring in a bag to take their costume home in.  We are still in need of 2 more party helpers.  If you would like to join us and help serve breakfast, please send me an email or a note.  Helpers will need to arrive in the classroom at 8:15 a.m.  Your child will bring home a note next week notifying you of the item that they have chosen to contribute to our party.  If you cannot donate the item for our party, please let me know and I will make other 

arrangements.  

Spelling Words:  

knee, knight, quilt, question, knot, knuckles, quite, square, knock, quack, quiet, squeeze, know, quick, queen, squeak, knife, quit, quarter, squirrel

Important Upcoming Events/Dates

October 21st - Social Studies - Ch. 2 TEST and Parent/Teacher Conferences 5 - 8 p.m.

October 22nd - Spelling Packet due and Spelling Assessment over KN and QU words

October 23rd - Wear blue - BULLY Prevention Awareness and Popcorn Day

October 27th - Parent/Teacher Conferences 5 - 8 p.m.

October 29th - Parent/Teacher Conferences 5 - 8 p.m.

October 30th - Halloween Celebration 8:45 a.m. - 9:45 a.m.

November 4th - Family Night at Incredible Moe's

November 19th - Picture retakes 

November 24th - La Senorita Gives Back night

Have a wonderful weekend and stay warm!  

Mrs. DePlaunty

deplauntsh@tcaps.net

October 9, 2015

Mrs. DePlaunty's Classroom

October 9, 2015

Math:  This week in math we began chapter 2 about using estimates to check to see that the sums, differences, products and quotients we find as answers are reasonable.  We reviewed rounding to the nearest 10 and 100 before learning about rounding using front-end estimation.  Your child received a family newsletter this week explaining the concepts and skills your child will develop throughout the unit.  Our multiplication fact review next week will focus on 5's, 10's and 3's.  Please encourage your child to practice facts to be able to recall them "snap" fast. 

Questions you can ask your child:  What is the difference between traditional rounding and front-end estimation?  Show me how you round a number to the nearest 10 or 100. 
What is Frontrow.com?  

Reading:  This week we continued to learn strategies strong readers use to read intensely.  Students began to practice synthesizing as a form of retelling.  We have currently increased our class independent reading time stamina to 35 minutes.  After reading, students are responding about the books they read in their reading notebooks and sharing their thoughts about the books they read with partners.  Our new book order was delivered and the class is enjoying all the great books we were able to purchase.  We received over 40 books for our own classroom library.  Some of the books were the entire series of Harry Potter, Percy Jackson's mythology collection, the I Funny series, Fourth Grade Angels and many more.  The kids have immersed themselves in these great books!  It is so exciting to see them sharing their opinions and recommendations with each other. 

Questions you can ask your child:  What is the difference in a chronological retelling and a synthesis?  Which is easier for you to do after reading?  What book are you currently reading?  What are some strategies you are using as reader to read intensely? Have you been recording your reading time at home in your new reading log?  What are some ideas you can think of to help you get more reading time in at home? 

Social Studies and Science:
This week we have begun our study of the regions of the United States of America.  Students are learning mapping skills that are needed to locate important information on various types of specialty maps.  We will begin our new science unit next week about heat, electricity and magnetism. 

Questions you can ask your child: 

What are cardinal and intermediate directions?  What is a compass rose?  What geographical features make Traverse City special? 

Spelling word list:  doubt, enough, county, country, brought, thorough, dough, tough, through, fought, bought, trouble, ought, thought, double, though, drought, cough, rough, throughout


Important Upcoming Events and Happenings

Thursday, October 15th - spelling packet due and spelling assessment
Friday, October 16th - Popcorn Day
October 21, 27 and 29th (4:00 - 8:00 p.m.) - Parent/Teacher Conferences
October 30th - classroom Halloween celebration 8:50 a.m. - 9:50 a.m.


Classroom Halloween celebration will be held on October 30th at 8:50 a.m. - 9:50 a.m.  Children may wear their costumes to school.  Students may not wear masks, violent costumes of any sort or carry pretend weapons to accompany their outfit.  We will begin our day with a spooky breakfast.  We are looking for parent volunteers who will help cook pancakes and serve breakfast.  If you are willing to volunteer, please email me or send me a note in your child's planner. 

We are still in need of a PTO representative for our classroom.  If you would be willing to help our class by being our representative, please email or call me.

Have a wonderful weekend,
Mrs. DePlaunty

deplauntsh@tcaps.net