Math Chapter 4 Notes

Here's what we've been learning in Chapter 4 of Math!

Estimating Division with Compatible Numbers:

Using the Distributive Property to Divide

Using Repeated Subtraction to Divide

Communication Survey Feedback

THANK YOU to the parents that filled out and returned our Communication Survey on time!  (It's not too late to send it in.  We want to hear from you!)  We want to do our best to give you all of the information you need to help your child in a clear and easy way.  We want to answer some of your feedback:

Social Studies/Florida Studies Weekly:

• Sent home each Thursday. 
• Assignments are due back the following Thursday.
• Required assignments: All "Think and Review Questions" answered in complete sentences.  Crossword puzzle completed.  (Worth 300 points in the grade book)
• On a week that there isn't a crossword puzzle on the newspaper, check your child's agenda-book for that week's assignment. 
• A quiz will be given in class on the Thursday the work is due.
• Students may use their answers to the "Think and Review Questions" and crossword puzzle, as well as the newspaper to answer the quiz questions.
• We do not have extra copies of the newspaper. 

Reading Log:

• Students choose an AR book from the Media Center.
• Students may check out books from the Media Center once a day.
• Students must log a minimum of 100 minutes each week and have 5 entries completed.
• Parents should sign after each reading session. 
• Reading Logs are due on Thursday each week.  
• New Reading Logs are given out on Thursdays. 

Emails vs the blog:

• We do not send regular emails.  Information is posted to the blog, often many times a week.
• You can sign up to have the blog send you emails when we post.  There is a delay and you may not receive it until later that day.  We cannot control this.
• We use the blog instead of emails because it provides one place for everything and it's easy to look back at past information.
• The blog can be accessed from a phone!
• We are happy to respond to parent questions via email.  Please note that we cannot always respond immediately. 

Text Messages:

• These are sent using an app called Remind 101.  You cannot respond back to the messages we send.
• We send reminders of things such as report cards, project due dates and field trips.  It is not used for communication about daily homework assignments.

Conferences:

• You may request a conference at any time.  Please send us an email or a note (please tell your child about the note, sometimes they don't give it to us).
• Our typical availability for conference is as follows.  Please always confirm with us, as we may already have something scheduled.
• 8:00am  Monday, Thursday and Friday
• 12:50pm  Monday-Friday
• We can also do a phone conference if that fits your schedule better.  Just ask!  

Pinpoint (our gradebooks):

• This is the fastest way to know how your child is doing!  If you have misplaced your child's log-in information, just ask us.

Agenda-books:

• Students should be using their agenda-books to keep track of assignments.  We both have our own agenda-books and display the assignments on the board for the students to copy.  
• Please check them nightly.

Internet Access:

• If you're struggling with internet access, we have a Parent Resource Room in the Media Center that is open during school hours for you!
• Also, the new Public Library on Fred George Road is a beautiful facility.

Going on a Field Trip

We will be going on a district sponsored field trip on Monday.  We will tour the Old Capitol and visit the Riley House Museum.  This is a free field trip!  Please be sure you have signed and returned the form.  Students will need to wear comfortable shoes (we'll be doing a lot of walking) and will need to bring a sack lunch (disposable containers are preferred).

If you wish to chaperone this, or any other field trips this year please be sure you have filled out the volunteer form.  It can be found here.

Tropicana Speeches

It is time to get geared up for the Tropicana Public Speaking Contest (speech contest)!  You may want to visit www.florida4h.org for more information, sample comments from judges and other great speech information!  Speeches will be given on Friday, November 7th.  Each student is required to give a speech.  Students will not be invited to the FSU Women's Basketball field trip (on November 18th) if they do not have a speech prepared.  

We suggest using 3x5 index cards to write pointers on.  Students may not have any other assistance.  Remember to practice so you're not reading off of your notecards!

Speech Examples

http://www.cleanvideosearch.com/media/action/yt/watch?videoId=Y2p5SOD1zA0

Check out the winners from last year's district competition.  Your child will watch these at school this week to see examples of great speeches! 

Weekly Update 11/3

Happy November!

• We have a busy month ahead!  Keep these dates in mind:
• Tuesday, November 4th - Election Day, students will do kids voting at school
• Tuesday, November 4th - Picture Retake Day
• Wednesday, November 5th - Grandparent's Day
• Friday, November 7th - Tropicana Speeches will be given (Bring your judging sheet!)
• Monday, November 10th - Blended Lives Field Trip (form coming home today)
• Monday, November 10th - WATCH DOG breakfast at 7:45am
• Tuesday, November 11th - Veteran's Day, No School
• Wednesday, November 13th - Spelling Bee
• Thursday, November 13th - Spirit Night at McDonalds
• Tuesday, November 18th - FSU Women's Basketball Field Trip
• Wednesday, November 19th - Progress Alerts go home
• We understand that there is a delay in when the email is received from our blog.  Unfortunately, we do not have control over this so we suggest that you check the blog at least 3 times a week.  
• Thank you for all of your donations to the party we had on Friday.  The students had a great time!
• Please make sure you're logging into Pinpoint regularly.  It is the fastest way to see how your child is doing in school.
• Check agenda books nightly for homework assignments. 

Example of written response

Here is an example of what we are looking for on the written portion of the test:

Unit 2, Week 1-

Explain the messages that are presented in these passages.  Support your answer with clear text evidence from the passages.

Example of student response:

         There was a different message presented in each passage.  In Help, Please! the message was you can’t expect a reward if you do not help.  An example from the passage that supports this is found on page 61 in the fifth paragraph.  The Raccoon, who is trying to pick apples for a baked apple dessert, asks Bear to help her pick a juicy apple from the apple tree.  The Bear says, “I’d be glad to, Raccoon, but I need to save my energy for my long winter nap.”  Later, Bear watched hungrily as Raccoon and Bee ate the delicious baked apple with honey. Bear and the other animals made excuses for not helping, but they still wanted to eat the apple dessert.  If you are not willing to help, you should not expect to get anything. 

         In Visitors in the Woods, the message was people should resect the animals that live in nature.  In this passage, people were walking on a nature path, enjoying watching a deer and her fawn when a loud family came along.  An example from the text that supports the theme is found on page 67, in the last paragraph.  After telling the loud family to be quiet, Gwen’s father tells the father and son that they are the visitors because it’s the animals that live there.  They should walk quietly to be respectful of the animals.