Mr. Johnson's Jargon
February 2010

Comments
We are coming to the end of the second trimester. Report cards will be coming home in about a month. We also have Parent-Teacher Conferences during the first week of February.

Don't forget to visit our class website: http://my.uen.org/myuen/77050, where you will find the most up-to-date information.

Writing
We are just finishing our poetry unit. Each student wrote and published five amazing poems.

Next, we will begin work on our second persuasive paper of the year. For this one, the students will choose their own topic. These are always fun to read. The students' personalities really come out.

Reading
February's Book Report Genre is Humor. Look for a note with more details.

Our Book Clubs are going well in class. Each group is progressing to harder books. The students are very self-sufficient, which allows me to work with groups and individuals. We also will be reading Sign of the Beaver as a class this month.

I'll be working with groups on their skills with non-fiction texts this month.

I have finished with our second DRA Assessment of the year. I was impressed with our class's improvements in both comprehension and fluency.

Science
We have spent January talking about the water cycle and weather. We have now moved on to the rock cycle. We will also be periodically reviewing our previous science units.

Math
We are continuing our geometry unit. In this unit, we will discuss angles, symmetry, parallel and perpendicular lines, as well as continuing to study measurement, area, and perimeter.

We are also working on our multiplication facts. Please help your student practice these at home.

Important Dates

Parent-Teacher Conference Feb. 3-4
Professional Improvement Feb. 5

Valentine's Day Feb. 14
President's Day Feb. 15
End of Trimester Feb. 26
Report Cards Mar. 3

Contact Information:
Phone: 785-8714 ext. 114
E-mail: johnc166@alpine.k12.ut.us
(Include the phrase "parent of" in the subject line)

How Can I Help?

Items needed in the Classroom

We can always use more tissues, hand sanitizer, and hand soap. Right now, we have plenty of everything else that we need.

In the Classroom

We have Independent Reading time at 2:15 each day. We can always use someone to read with the students at that time. We have a schedule in place for volunteers, but if you'd like to be added, let me know and I will contact our Room Mothers.

I keep meaning to find a time to have parents work with students on their multiplication facts. It's hard to find a spot in the day where it won't be distracting to other students and won't take away from learning time.

At Home

At home, the best thing you can do for your child is to read with them. Sometimes, when they get to 4th grade, we feel like they should spend all their time reading independently. While that independent reading time is important, it is still vital that they spend time reading with an adult at home. As you know, I ask that my students spend 20 minutes reading each night, and that at least 10 of those minutes are read aloud. It makes a huge difference if they have that read aloud time, and an even bigger difference if it is with an adult. (Someone once asked, "At what ages should I start and stop reading with my child?" The answer is that you should start reading with them the moment they are born, and don't stop until they make you. It is okay to read with your child well into their teens, and I've even known some to read with their grown children.)

4th Grade is a time when we are trying to get our kids to memorize their Multiplication Facts. One thing you can do is to obtain a set of flashcards with which to practice these facts. (Each student has made a set at school and will be bringing them home later this month to practice.) They can also always use practice with their addition and subtraction facts.

Finally, it is always helpful if you can check over your child's homework. This extra few minutes of one-on-one time helps to reinforce what we have done in class. I often have kids come to me and say, "My dad showed me this way to do it!" Many times, it is a method that we learned in class, but that extra few minutes helped to solidify it in the child's mind.