Week ending Oct. 28

To all students and families celebrating Diwali this weekend, I wish you Happy Diwali! May this Festival of Lights bring you peace, joy and happiness.

Reminder for October 28th: Tomorrow is a PA Day. There is no school for students. 


The note below was sent home today regarding Halloween activities on Monday:

Dear Parents/Guardians,

On Monday, October 31st our class will be participating in various Halloween activities. Students are welcome to wear their costumes or fall spirit clothes to school however, please make sure that weapons and masks are not a part of their costume. Due to recent events, we are also asking that no clown costumes be worn on this day.

In the morning, we will be participating in Halloween themed math probability games created by our grade 7 and 8 students. In the afternoon, our class will be having a party with healthy treats and board games. The students have come up with ideas of food items that they can bring to school. Some options include: fresh fruits, vegetables, hummus and crackers. Please make sure that all foods are peanut/nut free and do not contain any shellfish due to allergies in our class.

Thank you for your support!

Sincerely,

Mrs. McIntosh

Week ending October 21

Reminder!

Picture Day: Tuesday, October 25th

Our class and individual photos will be taken around 12:00 on this day.

Next week Wednesday, we will be having a summative assessment of our study on Whole Numbers in Math. Until then, we will be reviewing on a daily basis, with a focus on problem solving. Please help your child to practise identifying the important information, determining the operation(or strategy), and framing their answers in a sentence. They should also be able to answer the question, "How do you know?"

In Science, we are finishing up our unit on Habitats and Communities with a research project on Endangered Animals. The students will be choosing an endangered animal to research, and investigating the impact humans have on them and their habitat. Please look out for more details later in the week. 


This week in Drama, we are continuing to focus on Role and Character with a specific focus on varying voice. You child will be bringing home a paired/choral reading piece that allows for rhyme, rhythm and repetition. Please listen to them as they read and practise their section for an upcoming performance. Remind them to take on the role of their character and use their voice to convey their feelings. 




Every Friday, I have been assigning a Math question on the Google Classroom. When possible, please give your child the opportunity to log on to respond and submit their thinking. If this is not possible, please let me know and they will have time to complete this in class.
 



Thank you all for signing your child's rubrics and evaluations promptly. I am also asking that you sign their Agendas on a daily basis. This is to be done when you know they have completed all their homework. This way your child knows they are accountable to both you and me, and that we are all partners in their learning. They need to understand that they are accountable for their actions as they learn to be responsible young learners in grade 4. Thank you again for your support!

Week ending October 14

Although a short school week, it was jam packed with lots of learning inside and outside of our school.

Habitat Walk - Today our class went on a walk around our school property in search of plant and animal life.

We found many interesting living things! Ask your son or daughter about the many things they observed. Did they see any mammals? Insects? Spiders? Trees? Small plants?

Can you spot the caterpillar in this picture?

We are still trying to identify this interesting looking insect!

Camouflaged! This grasshopper was caught resting, but not for long!

Mathematics

Inside, the students collaborated in math groups to use four 4's to come up with answers from 1 to 20. Ask your child what strategies they used to come up with their solutions. For homework this weekend, they should continue this thinking and try to come up with as many possibilities as they can for each number. For example, 4 + 4 - 4 x 4 = 16. That means 16 is completed. 1-15 and 17-20 are left! Here are your children hard at work and some of their brilliant solutions:

 

Picture Day is coming!

Individual and class photos will be taken on Oct. 25th. I will send out another reminder as the day approaches closer. 

Phys. Ed.

In Physical Education class, our students have been working hard on volleying and bumping using trainer volleyballs. To start each class, the children have begun to work on building strength and stamina.

Please continue to support your child by checking and signing their agenda each day. It is important they learn to be responsible and accountable for their actions. 

As the cold season approaches, we are discovering that our classroom is in need of lots of tissues! There are many sneezes and runny noses abound. A donation of a tissue box would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Enjoy the weekend with your families!

Mrs. McIntosh

Have a wonderful weekend!

To all families who celebrate Thanksgiving, I wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving. See you on Tuesday!

Our brains can grow!

Here is a quick read about "growing" our brains:

https://www.mindsetworks.com/websitemedia/youcangrowyourintelligence.pdf

Welcome!

Dear Parents/Guardians,

Welcome to our Grade 4 blog!  My name is Mrs. McIntosh and I am so happy to be your child's Grade 4 teacher this year. This blog will update you on what is happening in our classroom and school with notes from me. It will also keep you posted of important dates, as well as provide you a quick link to websites that will be useful for you and your child. Please see "Follow by Email" at the side of this blog and enter your email address. This will give you instant updates when information has been posted on our blog without having to log onto this site to read it. Please do visit the blog when you are able.  If English is not your first language, there is a drop down menu through Google Translate that will provide translations in numerous languages. Please let any other parent/family know about this feature if needed. 


The students will also be using Google Classroom to check homework assignments and important information they will need to continue their success at school. This is a private forum that allows only YRDSB staff and students to access and post information.  Some homework assignments may also be required to be completed and submitted through their Google drive with their student "gapps" account. 

Your child should be able to gain access as we have been using our Google drive these past few weeks.
To gain access to the Google drive, Google classroom and Blogger:
1. Log on to the Google page.
2. Look for the set of 9 small squares in the top right hand corner and click on it. 
3. You will see various icons.  Select which path you wish to access. If you do not see the icon you are searching for, click "More" or "Even More".  Your child will need their student number and password.  Their email address for the google drive is
student number@gapps.yrdsb.ca

As always, please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns at paula.mcintosh@yrdsb.ca , 289 746-3276 ext. 233 or through the Agenda.

Sincerely,

Paula McIntosh