Our visit to the park Pointe-aux-Prairies

On Monday October 29th we visited the Parc Pointe-aux-prairies and had a blast.

At first we were worried as they were announcing rain and lots of wind.  Thankfully hurricane Sandy stayed far enough away to let us enjoy our nature outing.
We did some hiking, looked for critters (slimmy and crawly), built some shelters, met a few friends (Onyx the snake, Zebu the toad and Johny the stick bug), and we ate things we never thought we would: BEETLES!  Well the children did, the adults were a little hesitant :)

Here are some of the pictures that captured our fun:





 Special thanks to Mr. Buscio for accompanying us and be part of the fun!

Halloween Activities

Halloween Activities

Hello yet again dear parents,

This is a quick note regarding the activities that will be taking place on Halloween Day at school.

Halloween Idol

We will all be entertained by some of the biggest names in the music industry in our very own gymnasium.  This will take place first thing in the morning.

 Halloween Dance

The children will be allowed to change into their costumes after lunch.  We will be spending part of the afternoon at a dance held in the gym.

Halloween party

When the children are not singing or dancing, we will be celebrating in class.  Since it is a Day 0, the children are allowed to bring in board games and/or electronic games.

*Please note that weapons of any kind and masks that cover the entire face are not allowed in school.

*Please be aware that should you allow your child to bring any type of electronics from home, the teachers are NOT responsible for its loss, damage or theft.

Miss Lopez

Underwater Explorers

UNDERWATER EXPLORERS WRITING COMPETITION.

Announcing the first M& M Writing Contest!

The children of Rooms 401, 402 and 403 are all working very hard on their personal narratives.  They are all recounting a fascinating and thrilling tale of underwater exploration and discovery.  Their stories will culminate in the discovery of a new species of underwater life!

We will be working on completing this tale over the next few weeks.  During the first weeks of November, the personal narrative essays will be collected and presented to a panel of independent judges.  The judges will be asked to select 3 winners per class and 1 overall winner from all of the entries.  Special prizes will be awarded to all of our winners. 

All of the participants will be part of a very special ceremony taking place in November.  Unfortunately, I cannot share any more details for fear of ruining the surprise. 

Please feel free to help inspire our budding novelists by:

•   researching oceanography and underwater habitats.

•   discuss great adjectives to help describe their fantastical discovery.

•   discuss seamless transitions in their narratives through the use of really great phrases. 

•   discuss story elements like a good beginning (introduction), an action-packed middle and well-rounded conclusion.

I am really looking forward to reading all of the wonderful stories that will be coming my way!

Miss Lopez 

Educational Outing Reminder

Educational Outing Reminder

Hello dear parents,

This is a quick note from all of the 4^th grade teachers reminding you that we will be attending a field trip on Monday, October 29^th, 2012.

Dress code:                                                                   Lunch:

-Dress down- wear clothing appropriate for walking     -Please make sure to pack a lunch.

And clambering in a forest, through mud, leaves and     -We will not have access to a cafeteria, so

dirt whether the sun is shining or it starts raining.         sandwiches are the way to go.
                                                                                    -       Plastic only, lots of water & snacks.

Backpacks:

Please store all your child’s belongings in a backpack. 

We are tramping through the woods.

You may also want to include:

-extra socks/shoes (in case of rain)

-rain gear (rain jacket/pants)

-towelettes like Wet Ones

-small towel

-plastic back for storing wet socks, etc.

Parent Volunteers:

Thank you to all of the parents who volunteered.  After random drawing here are the winners:

401: Justin DiMasi’s mom

402: Alexandra Giotsalitis’ dad

403: Giovanni Buscio’s dad

Les potions magiques

La potion magique est un breuvage imaginaire qui donne un pouvoir ou une force surhumaine à quiconque la boit!


La classe 403 a eu la chance d'essayer plusieurs potions aujourd'hui...je me demande quels pouvoirs vont-elles nous donner!

Multiplication Madness

"Uh oh!  I forgot my multiplication facts Miss Lopez."

This is a phrase that I am hearing from the children too often for comfort these days.  The children should be reviewing their basic multiplication facts at home.  We are working on multiplying 2 and 3-digit numbers by 1 and 2-digit numbers.  

Say what?!

We will be calculating equations like:  

• 26 x 9 = _____ 
• 902 x 5 = _____  
• 62 x 29 = _____ 
• 366 x 12 = _____  

We have also been working on multiplying by multiples of 10, 100 and 1000.  

The children have comprehensive notes in the Math Notes and IXL Math would be a fantastic site for them to practice these skills.  All the passwords and log-ins were emailed to you at the beginning of October.  If you have not received it, accidentally deleted it, or had it shunted to junk mail, please email me and I will be more than happy to resend them.

Together, we will create multiplication experts.  Let's do it!
Have a great day,
Miss Lopez

Let's spell it!

Hello everyone!
I came across this website that has amazing ideas on how to practice our spelling lessons and dictées also!  

I know that we have to memorize all of these words and sometimes there is no other way :(  
How about studying in a way that is fun and doesn't seem like work?!  

Here is the link....
http://www.momto2poshlildivas.com/2012/10/75-fun-ways-to-practice-and-learn.html

Have fun!

Une potion magique

Daniel Coutu est un magicien qui te raconte l'histoire d'Halloween du vampire Lord Von Degueu et de sa potion magique. 

Regarde son tour de magie au site:

http://www.lesexplos.com/client/page_article.asp?page=1833&clef=134&clef2=3

J'ai hâte de voir ta potion magique la semaine prochaine!

PLM

We are starting PLM (Programme de lecture à la maison) in class 403 today

Every month the students will have to choose a novel from the PLM novels I have selected.  After they finish reading these novels, the students will have to complete a small booklet of activities made for this novel.  There will be many different activities for the students to complete (ex. Grammar, spelling, etc.) to make sure they understood the novel.  The students will have to return their P. L. M. duo-tang as well as the novel at the end of every month with all the activities completed.  

Research has shown that the more books children read the better writers they become.  Let’s encourage this habit.