Reading Challenge for Vacation

Dear 4th Graders,

I hope you have a fabulous vacation!  We have 16 days off!  I hope that you have time to play and be with your families and friends!  But, I hope you also find time to read!

I am challenging you to :

*Read 300 minutes over vacation

or

*Read 3 chapter books over vacation (I've already read one!)

Email me and let me know which challenge you are up for! vmeyette@cssu.org

*Document your minutes by using your log or creating one special for this challenge.

or

*Bring in the 3 books that you read and be ready to talk about them.

Those of you who choose to complete the challenge will have lunch with me on 1/7/2015!  Maybe I'll even have a treat for you!

Happy Holidays,
Vasanthi

PIP's and Skits

On Friday, December 19th Endeavor students shared Personal Interest Projects and Readers Theater Skits!  Students is Vasanthi's class researched and presented creatively about topics ranging from pop singers, athletes, and animals to intriguing places like the Seattle Space Needle.  Mrs. Crowther's class presented to expressive skits, with humorous and engaging dialogue and props.  

Snow Day Update

Good Morning on this snow day!  I am so sad that school is closed, we have been actively engaged in so much learning that I hate to miss a day!  

We jumped into learning about Electricity last week! Here are the standards we are meeting through this unit!  

Students demonstrate their understanding of Electrical Energy

by…

· Building complete. circuits , drawing diagrams of these electric

circuits and explaining why electricity flows or does not

flow through the circuit.

AND

· Using experimental data to classify different materials as

conductors and insulators.

· Science Concepts:

a. A complete loop is needed through which an electric

charge can flow.

b. Batteries are a source of electrical energy.

c. Electric circuits can produce light, run motors and create

sounds.

d. Certain materials are conductors of electricity. Non conductors

of electricity are called insulators. 

We have been reading informational texts about circuits and electricity and taking notes about our discoveries.  We then discovered on our own how to create circuits! Some of us added more batteries to see what would happen to the circuit, some of us added more light bulbs, some of us used the least amount of wires to make a circuit and some of us even used a switch to control the flow of electricity.  We drew diagrams of our circuits, noting our success and failures!  We celebrated our scientific perseverance!  Last Friday was a whole day of science where we acted as teachers and guided our friends in Mrs. Crowther's class to create circuits.  We were students as Mrs. Crowther's class taught us about the Engineering Design Process.  Our knowledge will combine this week as we challenge ourselves to design, and create an Alarm Circuit for our friend Emily from Australia!  Ask your child about it!

We also jumped into a quick Poetry reading and Writing Unit!  We have a poem of the week which we read, illustrate, recite, dramatize and share personal connections with.  Last week's poem was titled "We are Trees".  This week's poems are "April Rain Song" by Langston Hughes and "Dolphin Song" by Georgia Heard.  We have been giggling ourselves silly with poems by Jack Prelutsky and Shel Silverstein!  But most impressive are the poems we are writing!  We have noticed that poems can be short, long, about anything, rhyming, with or without punctuation, in a shape, in a rhythm, in a line and more!  We shared our written poems with our Kindergarten Book Buddies!  Next week we will be publishing a Poetry Anthology!

Unit 3 in Math has begun and we are discovering visual models for fractions!  We are learning vocabulary such as numerator and denominator!  We are discovering equivalent fractions using our fraction strips and egg cartons!  At home, please cook with your child and double or halve a recipe so your child can use some flexible thinking about fractions!  You can also visit these websites to practice your fractions skills and understanding.  A solid understanding of fractions leads to success with more complex math concepts!  

We still have beautiful notecards and necklaces from the craft fair!  Stop by the classroom and get your last minute holiday gifts.  $5 an item or 2 for $8.  We were very successful at this year's craft fair, thanks to all of YOU!!! We made almost $750! $250 will be donated to the Make A Wish Foundation of Vermont and the rest will be used towards our Vermont History Fieldtrips!    

      “MEET THE NEED” Food Drive

Next week will kick off the December SCS Food Drive.  Entitled “MEET THE NEED”, the event will help provide meals for SCS Community Families over the holiday break.  There have been thirty families identified as needing help (87 children & 52 adults) for the 16 days of break.  Many of the families are either homeless or expect to be homeless within the next few months.  The food drive expectations are to raise $10,000 (in food or cash) to provide 1000 meals (at $10 per family meal).  A suggested amount of $10. spent for purchased food from the classroom list or a donation of $10 for each family meal  sponsored would be very much appreciated!  A thermometer showing progress made toward the goal will be located in the SCS lobby.

The food drive will last one week, begin next Monday (Dec. 8th) and end on Friday (Dec. 12th).   Boxes will be located in each classroom along with teachers’ envelopes for those that wish to make a cash donation.  All cash/checks donated will be used to buy perishables/food items for distribution to needy families.

Each individual class has been given a suggested list of items to donate which should alleviate receiving too much of any one item!

For families wishing to make a cash donation, the cost of each meal for a family of four is $10.  Please contact Sue Schaefer with any questions at 985-3331 ext. 151 or sschaefer@cssu.org.

Low sugar/low salt items are greatly appreciated!

Adams, Joey Imagine Canned/Dried Vegetables

Baird, Shannon Inspire Canned Tomatoes, Spaghetti Sauce, Tomato Juice

Bennett, Carly Winton Canned/Dried Fruit, Shelf Stable Fruit Cups, Juice

Blair, Haley Firefly Oatmeal, Low Sugar/High Fiber Cereal

Brunvand, Eric Holden Whole Wheat Pasta, Whole Grain Crackers

Cappello, Emma Treehouse Peanut Butter, No Salt Nuts

Crowther, Cara Endeavor Canned Tuna, Salmon, Chicken

Cyr, Pamela Infinity Low Salt Canned Soups, Stew, Chili

Davenport, Laura Infinity Dried/Canned Peas/Beans

Elia, Kimberly Treehouse Oatmeal, Low Sugar/High Fiber Cereal

Garvey, Gretchen Dragonfly Toothpaste, Toothbrushes, Dental Floss

Giles, Adam Wonder Dried/Evaporated Milk

Gurwicz, Bob Enterprise Laundry Detergent

Hallock, Wendy Alpha Tuna, salmon, etc.

Halnon, Robin Holden Canned/Dried Vegetables

Hansen, Diane Kaleidoscope Toilet Tissue, Facial Tissue

Hazen, Amy Journey Canned/Dried Fruit, Shelf Stable Fruit Cups, Juice

Henson, Shelley Pre-K Toilet paper, tissue

Hertz, Christine Believe Rice, Potatoes

James, Joplin Treehouse Whole Wheat Pasta, Whole Grain Crackers

Kendrick, Rue Journey Toilet Paper, Facial Tissue

Killkelley, Deb Firefly Peanut Butter, No Salt Nuts

Maynard, Megan Believe Low Salt Canned Soups, Stew, Chili

Mendl, Kristin Inspire Canned/Dried Peas/Beans

Meyette, Vasanthi Endeavor Dried/Evaporated Milk

Morrill, Devon Alpha Canned Tuna, Salmon, Chicken

Nakhleh, Nancy Firefly Toothpaste, Toothbrushes, Dental Floss

Nelson, Sam Winton Laundry Detergent

Niles, Jen Dragonfly Toilet Tissue, Facial Tissue

O’Donnell, Meg Alpha Laundry Detergent

O’Toole, Maggie Holden Rice, Potatoes

Petrucelli, Leigh Alpha Canned Tuna, Salmon, Chicken

Phelps, Lisa Winton Canned/Dried Vegetables

Southworth, David Holden Canned Tomatoes, Spaghetti Sauce, Tomato Juice

Stansfield, Katie Winton Canned/Dried Fruit, Shelf Stable Fruit Cups, Juice

Stevens, Sally Kaleidoscope Oatmeal, Low Sugar/High Fiber Cereal

Tetreault, Monique Enterprise Whole Wheat Pasta, Whole Grain Crackers

Vigneault, Emily Treehouse Whole Wheat Pasta, Whole Grain Crackers

West, Jess Imagine Peanut Butter, No Salt Nuts

Watson, Natalie Wonder Low Salt Canned Soups, Stew, Chili