Ms. VandenBosch’s 4th Grade

Recently we have completed two art projects to help us with our math.  We created “Factor Flakes” similar to factor fireworks to show how a product can be broken down into prime numbers. We also are studying lines of symmetry and made beautiful art projects using symmetrical writings of our names.

Pictures will follow – having technical difficulty with blog

P.S. Mr. Overway’s wife had a baby!  Maya Ann was born December 9!  Congratulations, Mr. O!

4th graders were roaming the halls on a quadrilateral quest today.  Armed with clipboards and a list of shapes to find we searched for examples of squares, rectangles, rhombuses, parallelograms, trapezoids, and isosceles trapezoids.  We found them everywhere – on the smoke alarm, on the drinking fountain, in the tiles, and more.  Geometry is all around us!

From now through December 15, the Student Council is organizing the collection of pj’s, slippers, hats and mittens!  Please help your child demonstrate kindness and caring this holiday season by donating any item.  They are being put on or near the tree in the entryway.  Any donation is appreciated.

Thank you and Happy Holidays!

Today we were ”transported back in time” by a miner from Fayette, Michigan, to the year 1880.  We learned what it was like to smelt iron in Fayette as an immigrant from Poland, England, Ireland and more.  We sang, danced and  acted as we learned about pasties, iron ore, bagpipes, and life in a company town.

fayette-miner

If you have been wondering why there has not been many posts lately it’s becuase we have been very busy in room 14!  We are working very hard all morning every morning on reading and writing.  We study how words work, we are finishing our second personal narrative writing piece, and we are spending an hour each day in “Reader’s Workshop.”  All week in Reader’s Workshop students rotate between reading a picture book with a partner, listening to a story read on the computer, reading their “just right” level book and writing me a letter of their thoughts, and working with me in a small group and learning reading strategies and how to notice literary elements in a book that is their “instructioanl” level (one level up from their independent reading level). 

Sometimes finding a “just right” book can be difficult so I have attached a website for you to check out about our Reader’s Workshop. Our wonderful Mrs. Mikesell added some guided reading information to the Holmes Website that you may want to check out.  There is a conversion chart for finding the Guided Reading level of an AR level book too.

http://www.springlakeschools.org/holmes/reading%20levels.htm

Our new math program has many new aspects such as homework almost every day, but I feel it is challenging students to think mathematically and has been a great learning experience.  We are working on everything from multi-step word problems to “factor fireworks” with prime numbers.  There will be a test next Monday that will cover some of the topics we have been studying so far.

We have been studying Michigan history these past few weeks, and we will continue for a few more.  Everyone did a great job on the test over the European Explorers.  Our latest time period we call “the wars,” and we learned about the French and Indian War all the way to the War of 1812.  On Thursday we will have a special guest.  Mike Derin brings the iron mining era of Michigan as it was in Fayette to life.  We will learn a lot about the life of these immigrants who came to Michigan and the culture they brought with them.

In science we are learning about the sun, moon,and earth and focusing on their similarities and differences.  There will be a test next Tuesday.

Thank you to everyone who has  donated 4th grade store items!  Our next store is Tuesday, November 25.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!  Enjoy your break!

On Monday we had the opportunity to vote in an election for president right here at school.  We all “registered” to vote, checked in and had our names crossed off, filled out our ballots, turned it in, and received an “I voted” sticker.  John McCain won for our school by 27 votes.

There was good weather and good times at the annual Halloween parade and party.  Thank you to Mrs. Mierendorf and all the parents who put on such a great party and donated the goodies!  Everyone looked great!

We have had some great guest to visit us recently.  Last week before the game members of the Spring Lake Lakers football team came to visit us and read to us.  We even had a chance to get some autographs!

Today we were visited by Spring Lake firefighters who talked to us about fire prevention, and we toured the trucks.  Don’t forget to change the batteries in your smoke detectors this weekend when you turn back your clocks!

We had such a beautiful day last Friday to learn about the Native Americans and the French fur traders from Michigan.  We played a Native American game, listened to Madame LaFraboise and a voyaguer talk about trading along these shores, we looked a real furs, learned about Native American life and tools, sat in a real wigwam, and paddled down the Grand River in a canoe.  We learned so much!

Did you see us in the Grand Haven Tribune on Satrday?

Our class has a box of “cool tools” that we use to remind ourselves about ways to interact with our peers.  We discussed the power of compliments, using the right tone of voice, knowing when to get out of a situation, calming down when we are angry, how words can be impossible to take back, and more. Have your child explain what each tool reminds us to do.  Thank you photographers Josh and Devin!