Friday, September 28, 2012

Current Events Introduced At Last!


Today, being the last Friday of the month, we teamed up with our 7th and 8th grade class for another special activity! A new project called "Current Events" has been introduced to our 3rd and 4th graders. Our 4th graders have been anxiously awaiting the chance to begin Current Events as it is one of their favorite subjects! The students will now be responsible for finding a news article each week, writing a report about it, and then sharing their research with their classmates on Fridays. This is an independent assignment- I do not give them time in class to work on this- so 3rd and 4th graders are learning to be responsible and work towards handling assignments with a longer deadline. Our 7th and 8th grade friends worked with one or two 3rd or 4th graders, reading through either Scholastic magazines or online visiting approved websites searching for interesting articles. Then the 7th and 8th graders helped their younger partners write informative reports describing the major details of the article.  The 3rd and 4th graders will use these reports as a model for writing their own reports before next Friday’s discussion.

This week, we also took our first Social Studies test. It was a tough one, but the students are learning how to study a little bit each night and pick out the most important information in preparation for their tests. Some of the students have even taken me up on our “Map Quiz” extra credit opportunity. This class is determined to work hard and give their best work! On Monday, we will take a science test over Chapter 2. The children plan to study this weekend!

Be sure to check out our ever-growing Writer’s Wall in the hallway outside our classroom. The students are very excited to show off their work and take every opportunity to spice up their writings with “WOW Words” (Wonderful Outstanding Words) as we call them. Most recently, we wrote “How To” papers teaching our audience how to do something. This involved using time words like “first, second, then, next, later, and finally,” and writing directions in the correct sequence. Today we will sketch diagrams to go along with our “How To” writing.

Blessings for a relaxing weekend. Join us for worship Saturday at 6:00pm or Sunday at 8:00am and 10:30am.

Mrs. McLaughlin & Class




Monday, September 24, 2012

Reminders, Memory Work & Spelling Words: Sept. 24-28

Pizza Hut Tonight
Saint Paul's Youth Group is holding a fundraiser tonight at Pizza Hut in Troy from 5:00 - 9:00 p.m. Pizza Hut will donate up to 20% of their sales to help Saint Paul's Youth Group attend the National Lutheran Youth Gathering this summer. Hope to see my students and their families there!

Picture day is Thursday September 27th
A note and envelope were already sent home. Please let me know if you didn't get one (or they didn't make it home with your child). NO UNIFORMS that day, unless you want your child's picture taken in their uniform. Students can wear a dress, jeans, etc. If your child doesn't want to wear their outfit all day they can change into their uniform BUT they don't have to. 


Upcoming Tests
Social Studies: Ch. 1 Test Thursday 9/27
Science: Ch. 2 Test Monday 10/01
Students should study a little bit each night by rereading the lessons in each chapter and answering the questions at the end of the lesson. They should learn all of the vocabulary words and know how to read the maps, charts, and tables.

___________________________________________________Memory Work: Last Week for Books of the Bible

56. Titus (TY-tus)
57. Philemon (fye-LEE-mun)
58. Hebrews (HEE-broos)
59. James
60. 1 Peter
61. 2 Peter
62. 1 John
63. 2 John
64. 3 John
65. Jude (jood)
66. Revelation (rev-uh-LAY-shun)


___________________________________________________
Spelling Words-3rd Grade
Week 6: Celebrating Traditions Reading-Writing Workshop

  1. now
  2. off
  3. for
  4. almost
  5. also
  6. can’t
  7. cannot
  8. about
  9. always
  10. today
  11. until
  12. again
Challenge Words:
  1. February
  2. January
  3. Saturday
  4. Wednesday
___________________________________________________
Spelling Words- 4th Grade
Week 6: Journeys Spelling Review
*4th graders are moving from 15 words to 20 words now that the mid-quarter has passed.

  1. safe
  2. kept
  3. gray
  4. grown
  5. wrote
  6. blind
  7. suit
  8. crumb
  9. wait
  10. creak
  11. steep
  12. gain
  13. still
  14. gold
  15. crime
  16. few
  17. trunk
  18. steal
  19. weight
  20. meat

Challenge Words:
  1. descent
  2. graceful
  3. rigid
  4. newscast
  5. knead
  6. remind
  7. continue
  8. pour
  9. slumber
  10. pore






Monday, September 17, 2012

Memory Work & Spelling Words: Sept. 17-21

Memory-Books of the Bible 44. Acts
45. Romans
46. 1 Corinthians (kor-IN-thee-unz)
47. 2 Corinthians (kor-IN-thee-unz)
48. Galatians (guh-LAY-shunz)
49. Ephesians (ee-FEE-zhunz)
50. Philippians (fil-LIP-pee-unz)
51. Colossians (kuh-LOSH-unz)
52. 1 Thessalonians (THES-uh-LO-nee-unz)
53. 2 Thessalonians (THES-uh-LO-nee-unz)
54. 1 Timothy (TIM-o-thee)
55. 2 Timothy (TIM-o-thee)
______________________________________________________________________________
Spelling Words-3rd Grade
Week 5: The Keeping Quilt

  1. paint
  2. clay
  3. feel
  4. leave
  5. neighbor
  6. eight
  7. seem
  8. speak
  9. paid
  10. lay
  11. need
  12. weigh
Challenge Words:
  1. needle
  2. crayon
___________________________________________________________________________
Spelling Words- 4th Grade
Week 5: By the Shores of Silver Lake

  1. steel
  2. steal
  3. lead
  4. led
  5. wait
  6. weight
  7. wear
  8. ware
  9. creak
  10. creek
  11. beet
  12. beat
  13. meet
  14. meat
  15. peek
  16. peak
  17. deer
  18. dear
  19. ring
  20. wring

Challenge Words:
  1. pour
  2. pore
  3. vain
  4. vein
  5. vane

REMINDER: MELHS FIELD DAY TRIP TOMORROW

Dear Families of 3rd & 4th Grade, 

Our class will be attending the annual Field Day for 3rd & 4th graders at Metro-East Lutheran High School in Edwardsville tomorrow, Tuesday, September 18, with a rain date scheduled for the following Tuesday, September 25. Registration begins at 9 a.m. so we will leave the school at 8:45 a.m. and our day will wrap up at 1:30 p.m. The children will participate on teams of four in various competitions throughout the day. Heather DiRosa, Dana Proffitt, and Katie Milano have volunteered to chaperone the field trip and transport the students. As far as lunch goes, only Jayden and Claire have turned in money for a prepaid lunch ($3). Jack has ordered a prepaid lunch, and Logan and Brayden have signed up to buy concessions. Please send this money with your child tomorrow. Cayla and Emily have signed up to bring their own sack lunch. Please have your child wear a red shirt uniform for the day. They may wear athletic shorts or pants instead of their uniform bottoms. We’re looking forward to our trip!
Thank you!

Friday, September 7, 2012

Upcoming Week: Sept. 10-14

Reminders:

  • Saturday: Tomorrow is Fall Fest up at the park. Stop by Saint Paul's booth, say hello, and grab a "walking taco"! Tomorrow is also our annual Golf Scramble.
  • Sunday: First day to drop off items at the park for the Rummage Sale from 1-3pm. Please make a point to stop by and help out at some point throughout the week if possible. It's a HUGE fundraiser for our school and takes LOTS of volunteers!
  • Monday: Goshen Rotary visits to deliver dictionaries to our class
  • Tuesday is September 11: We will be remembering the events of that tragic day with various activities
  • Thursday: Mid-quarter. Reports will go home the following Thursday.
  • Friday & Saturday: Saint Paul's Rummage Sale. Hope you can stop by and help out. You might find a treasure!
__________________________________________

Memory Work: Books of the Bible

33. Micah (MY-kuh)
34. Nahum (NAY-hum)
35. Habakkuk (huh-BAK-kuk)
36. Zephaniah (zef-uh-NYE-uh)
37. Haggai (HAG-ee-eye)
38. Zechariah (zek-er-EYE-uh)
39. Malachi (MAL-uh-kye)
New Testament
40. Matthew (MATH-yew)
41. Mark
42. Luke
43. John

__________________________________________

Spelling Words-3rd Grade
Week 4: The Waterfall

  1. smoke
  2. huge
  3. save
  4. life
  5. wide
  6. come
  7. mine
  8. grade
  9. smile
  10. note
  11. cube
  12. love
Challenge Words:
  1. escape
  2. slope


__________________________________________

Spelling Words- 4th Grade
Week 4: Finding the Titanic

  1. brush
  2. juice
  3. fruit
  4. tube
  5. lunch
  6. crumb
  7. few
  8. true
  9. truth
  10. done
  11. suit
  12. pump
  13. due
  14. dull
  15. tune
Challenge Words:
  1. newscast
  2. commute
  3. continue
  4. attitude
  5. slumber