Nov.17, 2017

Parents,

The students have homework over the weekend on pg. 161 - 162. They learned about multiplying area models with lesson 3.3. The video below demonstrates the algorithm to multiply the numbers.

Have a good weekend.

Nov.16, 2017

Parents,

The students estimated and multiplied a two-digit number by a two-digit number during today's math lesson on 3.2. The homework is pg. 155 - 156. They basically need to either round or find a compatible number to multiply. For example, if the problem has them multiplying 43 X 68 they will round the numbers to 40 X 70, multiply 4 and 7 to get 28 and add two zeros to get 2,800. They could have also found a compatible number for 43 like 45 and rounded 68 to 70 and multiplied 45 X 70. This goes back to yesterday's lesson of multiplying 45 X 7 to get 315 and add the zero to get 3,150. You can also watch the video below.

Have a good night.

Nov. 14, 2017

Parents,

The students began chapter three with multiplying by tens. The homework is for students to complete pg. 149 - 150. They needed to find a strategy to multiply the numbers. A strategy that we used was to multiply the numbers and then add the zeros. We also split the number up, multiplied them, and then added them. For example, 52 X 40 can be written as: 40 X 50 + 40 X 2 = 2,000 + 80 = 2,080. Another strategy had students multiplying 52 X 4 and then adding a zero to the product which would be 208 + 0 = 2,080. Another strategy we used had students split the number in half and then multiply it twice. For example, lets say we are multiplying 12 X 30. We can split 12 in half to multiply 6 X 30 = 180. Then we double this since we originally split it in half to get 360. You can also watch the video on lesson 3.1 below, as well.

If you didn't get the G Force Gazette this week, check out what is happening on yesterday's post. 

Have a good night.

Nov. 13, 2017

Parents,

Since we finished up the chapter 2 test today, we did not complete a regular math lesson. Thus the homework tonight is to have students practice their times three multiplication facts. They should be reading at least 20 minutes every night, as well. 

The following is this week's G Force Gazette.

Neighborhood News

• Our SMART goal this year is to increase multiplication fluency so that every student has mastered their multiplication facts. This week we will be targeting threes. We will be monitoring their daily progress.
• Please encourage students to take reading counts tests as they complete their books throughout the year. Reading counts points are being calculated for neighborhood recognition.
• The Scholastic Reading Inventory (SRI) is a test that students will take each quarter to measure your child’s reading level. SRI growth is usually related to continual reading.  The more a student reads, the better reader they will become.  
• If you need to contact any of us, the quickest way is probably through email. Our emails are as follows: charles.utter@am.dodea.edu; kali.hamill@am.dodea.edu and judith.ward@am.dodea.edu.
• If your child will be absent from school, please let the office know with a call, email, or note. You can email the school at CESattendance@am.dodea.edu
• New DODEA rules prohibit food for birthdays so please do not send in cupcakes or other food for your child.

Weekly Homework:

Monday:

• Math homework is to practice your multiplication facts with 3’s
• Read for at least 20 minutes

Tuesday:

• Math homework on pg.149 - 150 to practice concepts learned in class
• Read for at least 20 minutes
• Practice your multiplication facts

Wednesday:

• Read for at least 20 minutes.
• Practice your multiplication facts with 3’s

Thursday:

• Math homework on pg. 155 - 156 to practice concepts learned in class
• Read for at least 20 minutes

Friday:

• Math homework is to practice your multiplication facts with 3’s
• Read for at least 20 minutes

Important Dates

Nov. 16th

Picture retake day for students who need one

Nov.22 - Nov.26

Thanksgiving Break

Educational Targets:

Math:

Students are beginning chapter 3 on multiplying by tens, estimating products, and investigating two digit by two digit multiplication using area models and partial products.

Science/ Social Studies:

Students are starting a new unit on energy and electricity where students will start with prior knowledge, build vocabulary, and be able to build a simple circuit.

Language Arts:

Students are continuing to learn about main idea and supporting details. Students will have a test on Friday on main idea and supporting details. They will read short passages and identify them. Our grammar skill this week is common, proper, and plural nouns.  We will use a graphic organizer with specific criteria to back up our evidence to write and publish our persuasive writing.

Nov. 6, 2017

Parents,

The homework tonight is on pg. 135 - 136 on solving multi-step problems using equations. They have to solve the problems using the order of operations. They need to solve the multiplication problems first from left to right and then addition and subtraction problems from left to right. The following is a video demonstrating the math.

Neighborhood News

• If you have not signed and confirmed a conference time, please do so and send it back to school with your child. Or you can email us to confirm or let us know you need a different time.
• Please encourage students to take reading counts tests as they complete their books throughout the year. Reading counts points are being calculated for neighborhood recognition.
• The Scholastic Reading Inventory (SRI) is a test that students will take each quarter to measure your child’s reading level. SRI growth is usually related to continual reading.  The more a student reads, the better reader they will become.  
• If you need to contact any of us, the quickest way is probably through email. Our emails are as follows: charles.utter@am.dodea.edu; kali.hamill@am.dodea.edu and judith.ward@am.dodea.edu.
• If your child will be absent from school, please let the office know with a call, email, or note. You can email the school at CESattendance@am.dodea.edu
• New DODEA rules prohibit food for birthdays so please do not send in cupcakes or other food for your child.

Weekly Homework:

Monday:

• Math homework on pg.135 - 136 to be completed on concepts learned in class.
• Read for at least 20 minutes
• Practice your multiplication facts

Tuesday:

• Math homework on pg.137 - 142 even numbers to be completed for practice for the test.
• Read for at least 20 minutes
• Practice your multiplication facts

Wednesday:

• Read for at least 20 minutes.
• Practice your multiplication facts

Thursday:

• Parent-Teacher Conferences

Friday:

• Veteran’s Day - No School

Educational Targets:

Math:

Students are finishing chapter 2 on the multiplication of one-digit numbers. We are reviewing multiplication using 2-digit, 3-digit, and 4-digit  numbers with regrouping, solving multistep problems using equations and applying problem solving skills with multiplication. Test is on Wednesday.

Science/ Social Studies:

Students are continuing a PBL project on the regions.

Students are learning about different types of maps and gathering information about the significant landforms in each region.

Language Arts:

Students are learning about main idea and supporting details. Students will have a test on Letters Home From Yosemite, which is nonfiction text that reinforces main idea and supporting details along with other valuable comprehension skills on Tuesday. Our grammar skill that we are working on is clauses and complex sentences. We will soon be writing a persuasive narrative. This week they will continue to use a graphic organizer with specific criteria to back up their evidence.

Important Dates

Nov.7th

USMC Birthday Assembly

Nov.8th

Ch.2 Math Test,

11:30 Early Dismissal - Conferences in the afternoon

Nov.9th

Conferences all day

Nov.10th

Veteran’s Day - No School

Oct.31, 2017

Parents,

Students continued multiplication with regrouping today but with larger numbers. This strategy is the normal algorithm you learned and practiced when you were their age so you should be able to assist them, if needed. The homework was pg. 129 - 130. Thank you and have a good night.

Oct. 30, 2017

Parents,

The students need to complete pg.123 - 124 on multiplication with regrouping. The strategy for today's multiplication is using regrouping which is the normal algorithm you most likely used when you learned multiplication. For example, if you are multiplying 45 X 5 you multiply 5 X 5 first which is 25. The 5 goes in the ones column while the 2 tens will be regrouped above the 4 in the tens place. Then multiply 5 X 4 which is 20 plus 2 to get 225. 

The following is what was sent home today in the G Force Gazette.

Neighborhood News

Dear Parent(s),

• Mrs. Hamill now has email so you may email her when needed. It is listed below with the fourth grade team.
• Students should know all of their multiplication tables 1- 12 upon leaving 3rd grade.  Please work with your child as much as possible as we still have a very high number of students who do not know them with speed or accuracy and confidence. A suggestion would be practicing flash cards with your child.
• Please encourage students to take reading counts tests as they complete their books throughout the year. Reading counts points are being calculated for neighborhood recognition.
• The Scholastic Reading Inventory (SRI) is a test that students will take each quarter to measure your child’s reading level. SRI growth is usually related to continual reading.  The more a student reads, the better reader they will become.  
• If you need to contact any of us, the quickest way is probably through email. Our emails are as follows: charles.utter@am.dodea.edu; kali.hamill@am.dodea.edu and judith.ward@am.dodea.edu.
• If your child will be absent from school, please let the office know with a call, email, or note. You can email the school at CESattendance@am.dodea.edu
• New DODEA rules prohibit food for birthdays so please do not send in cupcakes or other food for your child.

Weekly Homework:

Monday:

• Math homework on pg.123 - 124 to be completed on concepts learned in class.
• Read for at least 20 minutes
• Practice your multiplication facts

Tuesday:

• Math homework on pg.129 - 130 to be completed on concepts learned in class.
• Read for at least 20 minutes
• Practice your multiplication facts

Wednesday:

• Read for at least 20 minutes.
• Practice your multiplication facts

Thursday:

• Math homework on pg.103-104 to be completed on concepts learned in class.

• Read for at least 20 minutes.
• Practice your multiplication facts

Friday:

No School For Students

Educational Targets:

Math:

Students are continuing unit 2, chapter 2 on the multiplication of one-digit numbers. We are specifically working on multiplication using 2-digit, 3-digit, and 4-digit  numbers with regrouping, solving multistep problems using equations and applying problem solving skills with multiplication.

Science/ Social Studies:

Students are continuing a PBL project on the regions.

Students are learning about different types of maps and gathering information about the significant landforms in each region. They will complete a map of the U.S. using play-doh.

Language Arts:

Students are learning about main idea and supporting details. We are reading a story called, Letters Home From Yosemite, which is nonfiction text that reinforces main idea and supporting details along with other valuable comprehension skills. Our grammar skill that we are working on is clauses and complex sentences. We will soon be writing a persuasive narrative. This week they will use a graphic organizer with specific criteria to back up their evidence.

Important Dates

Oct.30th - Nov.2nd

SRI Will Be Taken

Nov.2nd

End of 1st Quarter

Nov.3rd

No School For Students/Teacher Workday

Oct. 26, 2017

Parents,

The students have to complete pg. 103 - 104. The math concept today had students using place value and partial products to multiply by a 1-digit number. It is similar to the expanded form strategy with the exception of placing the numbers underneath the multiplication problem instead of putting them in boxes. Click on the link below to watch a video on it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yq8vs0sp4hM

Have a good night.

Oct.24, 2017

Parents,

The students need to complete pg.97 - 98 for homework tonight. Today's lesson had them multiplying a two-digit number by a one-digit number using expanded form. For a quick review of the lesson, click on the link below to see a video on how it is done.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGsnQ8gis28

If you misplaced the G Force Gazette for this week's news, please check out yesterday's blog.

Have a good night.

Oct. 23, 2017

Parents,

Tonight's homework is on pg.91 - 92 in their math book. Students learned about multiplication using the distributive property. For example, lets say the problem is 5 X 14. They will need to break apart 14 into more manageable numbers to multiply. I tell students the easiest number pair is always 10 and the rest of the factor. Since the factor is 14, you break it into 10 and 4. I will multiply 5 X 10 to get 50. Then I multiply 5 X 4 to get 20. Finally, 50 + 20 = 70. So 5 X 14 = 70. I didn't have to break 14 up into 10 and 4. I could have split it into 9 and 5, 8 and 6, etc. 

The following is what was sent home today in the G Force Gazette.

Neighborhood News

• Mrs. Hamill now has email so you may email her when needed. It is listed below with the fourth grade team.
• Think Central is working but some students are having trouble logging in. We are working to fix the problem with resetting the passwords.
• Students should know all of their multiplication tables 1- 12 upon leaving 3rd grade.  Please work with your child as much as possible as we still have a very high number of students who do not know them with speed or accuracy and confidence. A suggestion would be practicing flash cards with your child.
• Please encourage students to take reading counts tests as they complete their books throughout the year. Reading counts points are being calculated for neighborhood recognition.
• The Scholastic Reading Inventory (SRI) is a test that students will take each quarter to measure your child’s reading level. SRI growth is usually related to continual reading.  The more a student reads, the better reader they will become.  
• If you need to contact any of us, the quickest way is probably through email. Our emails are as follows: charles.utter@am.dodea.edu; kali.hamill@am.dodea.edu and judith.ward@am.dodea.edu.
• If your child will be absent from school, please let the office know with a call, email, or note. You can email the school at CESattendance@am.dodea.edu
• New DODEA rules prohibit food for birthdays so please do not send in cupcakes or other food for your child.

Educational Targets:

Math:

Students are continuing unit 2, chapter 2 on the multiplication of one-digit numbers. We are specifically working on multiplication using the distributive property, expanded form, partial products, and mental math.

Science/ Social Studies:

Students are beginning a PBL project on the regions.

Students are being introduced to the five regions of the United States, learning about different types of maps, and gathering information about the significant landforms in each region.

Language Arts:

Students are learning about author’s purpose. We are reading a story called, The Horned Toad Prince, which reinforces author’s purpose along with other valuable comprehension skills. Our grammar skill that we are working on is simple and compound sentences. We will soon be writing a persuasive narrative. This week they will become familiar with what persuasive writing is and what it encompasses.

Important Dates

Oct.23 - Oct.27

Red Ribbon Week

Monday - Wear a jersey

Tuesday - Patriotic Day - wear red, white, and blue

Wednesday - Wear orange for Unity Day

Thursday - Crazy Hair Day

Friday - Wear your favorite super hero outfit (no masks or face paint)

Oct.24th

Reptile Assembly

Weekly Homework:

Monday:

• Math homework on pg.91-92 to be completed on concepts learned in class.
• Read for at least 20 minutes
• Practice your multiplication facts

Tuesday:

• Math homework on pg.97-98 to be completed on concepts learned in class.
• Read for at least 20 minutes
• Practice your multiplication facts

Wednesday:

• Read for at least 20 minutes.
• Practice your multiplication facts

Thursday:

• Math homework on pg.103-104 to be completed on concepts learned in class.

• Read for at least 20 minutes
• Practice your multiplication facts

Friday:

• Read for at least 20 minutes
• Practice your multiplication facts

Oct. 17, 2017

Parents,

The students have to complete pg. 73 in their math book on multiplicative comparisons where they have to solve for the variable. If you need assistance on this lesson concept, please look back in their book on lesson 2.2 or your child can log into Think Central.

If you missed receiving the G Force Gazette, please check out yesterday's blog post for it.

Have a good night.