Mrs. D's 4th Grade Blog

Science Alliance Presentation

2012-02-17T05:50:00.001-06:00

On Thursday, the Science Alliance
presented Close Encounters of the Chemical Kind. The presentation
incorporated a lot of student volunteers and displayed exciting
chemical reactions showing color changes, a mysterious Genie, gooey
Gak, springy Superballs, and liquid nitrogen. Safety was emphasized.

Week of 2/13

2012-02-15T15:58:00.004-06:00

Science/Research - We will continue to research ecosystems. Students are finishing their rough drafts. They will begin working on making an energy cycle in Kidspiration, their presentations, and their bibliography.

Reading - Our unit 5 theme is "What makes a habitat unique?"
This week, we will be reading "Adelina's Whales"and we will focus on the following skills:
- Genre - Expository
- Vocabulary - Homophones
- Comprehension Skill- Sequence
- Comprehension Strategy - Analyze Text Structure
- Grammar - Comparing with Good and Bad
Students will be taking the weekly assessment on Friday.

Spelling - The test will be on Friday and sentences are due on Thursday.

Mrs. D's math class - We will continue to work on unit 6, "Division; Map Reference Frames; Measures of Angles"

Global Virtual Classroom - We will be putting together the content for the website and exploring the wiki that our team created.

Author Visit

2012-02-08T12:44:00.001-06:00

Today we had an author visit from Adam Rex, author of "Cold Cereal" and "The Meaning of Smekday".

Week of 2/5

2012-02-06T07:49:00.000-06:00

Science/Research - We will continue to research our ecosystems. Students will be working on their rough drafts, peer editing and their final drafts.

Reading - Our unit 5 theme is "What makes a habitat unique?"
This week, we will be reading "At Home in the Coral Reef"and we will focus on the following skills:
- Genre - Expository
- Vocabulary - Context Clues: Multiple Meaning Words
- Comprehension Skill- Compare and Contrast
- Comprehension Strategy - Analyze Text Structure
- Grammar - Comparing with More and Most
There will be taking the weekly assessment on Friday.

Writing - We will be working on summarizing stories and concrete poems.

Spelling - The test will be on Friday and sentences are due on Thursday.

Mrs. D's math class - We will continue to work on unit 6, "Division; Map Reference Frames; Measures of Angles"

Global Virtual Classroom - We choose a name for our website and now we will begin adding content.

Partial Quotients Division

2012-01-30T18:12:00.003-06:00

In math this week, we are learning to divide big numbers! Today we learned about the partial quotients method. If your child is still having trouble, here is a brief tutorial:

Partial Quotients

Week of January 23rd

2012-01-20T10:15:00.001-06:00

We have our MAP Reading test on Monday afternoon.

Science/Research - We will continue to research our ecosystems. The goal this week is to finish the notecards and begin the rough draft. In Science, we will begin to discuss the ecocolumn that we will build in class.

Reading - Our unit 5 theme is "What makes a habitat unique?"
This week, we will be reading "Roadrunner's Dance"and we will focus on the following skills:
- Genre - Folktales
- Vocabulary - Synonyms
- Comprehension Skill- Problem and Solution
- Comprehension Strategy - Summarize
- Grammar - Adjectives that Compare

Writing - We will work on writing with dialogue.

Spelling - The test will be on Friday and sentences are due on Thursday.

Mrs. D's math class - We will complete our unit 5 assessment. We will then begin unit 6: Division; Map Reference Frames; Measures of Angles"

Global Virtual Classroom - We will begin researching our topic for the web site.

Week of January 17th

2012-01-17T10:03:00.002-06:00

We have our MAP math test this week on Thursday. Please make sure your child has a good breakfast and brings a healthy snack.

Science - We will discuss what we know and what we would like to know about ecosystems

Reading - Our unit 5 theme is "What makes a habitat unique?"
This week, we will be reading "A Walk in the Desert"and we will focus on the following skills:
- Genre - Expository
- Vocabulary - Context Clues
- Comprehension - Main Idea and Details
- Grammar - Adjectives

Writing - We will work on source cards for the research project.

Spelling - The test will be on Friday and sentences are due on Thursday.

Mrs. D's math class - The review packet is due on Wednesday, the unit assessment is on Friday.

Global Virtual Classroom - We will begin researching our topic for the web site.

2011 Diviacchi Mall Photos

2012-01-11T12:49:00.001-06:00

Click here to view the pictures from the Diviaccchi Mall

Week of 1/9

2012-01-06T16:04:00.000-06:00

Welcome back! I hope that everyone had a wonderful winter break and was able to enjoy some of the unseasonably nice weather.

Science - We will wrap up "Light" and be introduced to the "Ecosystems" unit.

Reading - Our unit 4 theme is "Working Together"
This week, we will be reading "My Brother's Flying Machine"and we will focus on the following skills:
- Genre - Literary Nonfiction/Biography
- Vocabulary - Word Parts: Suffixes
- Comprehension - Visualize & Author's Purpose
- Grammar - Pronouns and Homophones
- Literary Skill - Repetition and Personification

Writing - We will write a tribute poem using the 6+1 Writing Traits.

Spelling - The test will be on Friday and sentences are due on Thursday.

Mrs. D's math class - We will continue to work on unit 5, "Big Numbers, Estimation and Computation". The unit assessment is scheduled for early next week.

Global Virtual Classroom - We will begin researching our topic for the web site.

Week of 12/19

2011-12-19T21:17:00.001-06:00

Its finally here! This is the week of the highly anticipated 4th Grade Mall! To prepare, students have written persuasive letters to their investor (Mrs. D), filmed commercials, created a PowerPoint slide as an advertisement, began a spreadsheet to track their expenses and profits, designed logos and slogans, strategically choose products and prices with their market in mind, and made posters for their stores. Parents are invited to shop on Thursday morning, please check your email for the specific details.Our class prepared this commercial to advertise their products:

Week of 12/12

2011-12-11T19:46:00.003-06:00

Science - We are learning all about light.

Reading - Our unit 4 theme is "Working Together"

This week, we will be reading "Ima and the Great Texas Ostrich Race" and focusing on the following skills:
- Genre - Literary Text/Fiction
- Vocabulary - Analogies: synonyms and antonyms
- Comprehension - Visualize & Draw Conclusions
- Grammar - Possesive Pronouns

Writing - Persuasive Writing: The students will continue to work on their persuasive business letter to Mrs. D., convincing her to invest money in their business for the 4th grade mall. Students will type their final draft.

Spelling - The test will be on Friday and sentences are due on Thursday.

Mrs. D's math class - We will continue to work on unit 5, "Big Numbers, Estimation and Computation".

Global Virtual Classroom - We will be narrowing down subtopics for our web site. We had a Skype session with the class from Florida last week and hope to Skype with the class from the Ivory Coast this week.

4th Grade Mall - Students have written their business plans, created logos, slogans and began their persuasive letters for investment. This week, we will work on commercials and other advertisements. The mall will be taking place next week, the students should be working on their products this week as well.

Frank Lloyd Wright Frobel Blocks Workshop

2011-12-07T09:37:00.002-06:00

Click here to see the pictures from our in class Frobel Blocks Workshop

Week of 12/5

2011-12-05T12:08:00.002-06:00

Here is a snapshot of what we will be working on this week:

Science - We will build a long distance telegraph and then will begin discussing light.

Reading - Our unit 4 theme is "Working Together"

This week, we will be reading "The Power of Oil" and focusing on the following skills:
- Genre - Informational Text/Expository
- Vocabulary - Context Clues: Definitions
- Comprehension - Generate Questions and Author's Purpose
- Grammar - Pronoun-Verb Agreement

Writing - Persuasive Writing: The students will write a persuasive business letter to Mrs. D., convincing her to invest money in their business for the 4th grade mall.

Spelling - The test will be on Friday and sentences are due on Thursday.

Mrs. D's math class - We will begin unit 5, "Big Numbers, Estimation and Computation".

Global Virtual Classroom - We will be narrowing down subtopics for our web site.

We will be splitting into groups for the 4th Grade Mall. Students will write a business plan and put together a time line this week. Students will also need to begin work on their products.

Please continue to review and sign your child's assignment notebook nightly. Assignments and important notes are written in their assignment notebooks each day.

If you have any questions, please let me know.

2011-11-28T19:08:00.002-06:00

This parallel circuit in the picture above was made by Sophia, Vivian, Katharine, Catherine and Levi. The first time we lit the lightbulbs, we could only light nine. Then we had to take it apart for science class. We tried again the next morning and got twelve bulbs to light. I hope we will be able to light even more next time!

- Written by Sophia

Week of 11/28

2011-11-27T20:19:00.002-06:00

Here is a snapshot of what we will be working on this week:

Science - We will wrap up our unit on Magnetism and Electricity with one final activity - we will be build a telegraph in class.

Reading - Our unit 4 theme is "Working Together"

This week, we will be focusing on the following skills:

- Genre - Fantasy

- Vocabulary - Using Context Clues

- Comprehension - Visualize and Theme

- Phonics/Word Study - Inflectional Endings

- Grammar - Pronouns and Antecedents

Writing - We will be focusing on descriptive writing.

Spelling - The test will be on Friday. For our spelling words, please visit the 4th grade blog

My math class - We will be wrapping up Unit 4 (Decimals and Their Uses), there will be a test at the end of this week. Please see your child's assignment notebook for more information.

Global Virtual Classroom - We will be narrowing down a topic for our web site.

We will also begin to discuss the much anticipated 4th Grade Mall! The mall will take place the week of 12/19 and will tie into our Treasures Unit of "Working Together". Work will begin next week. More details to follow...

Thank you Mrs. Smith!!

2011-11-14T21:29:00.002-06:00

We want to give Mrs. Smith a HUGE thank you for getting the school year off to a wonderful start!

Spelling Words for this Week

2011-11-14T19:37:00.002-06:00

This week, we will be reading "Making a Splash". Our spelling words are listed below:

Treasures Spelling Words

shred
through
sprout
sprawl
split
throb
throat
shrink
screw
shrimp
screech
straighten
sprang
shriek
splashing
straps
throne
strand
script
thrill

Challenge Words

threaten
strictly
similar
challenges
designed
achieved
varied
Paralympics
triathlon
Olympics
disabilities
champion
function
athletes
research

November 14th

2011-11-08T22:09:00.004-06:00

I will be returning from my maternity leave this Monday, 11/14.

I'm looking forward to getting back to school and seeing my students!

- Mrs. D

Weekly Update

2011-09-06T15:15:00.002-05:00

1. Study your spelling words ,it is a short week.
2.Read each evening at least 20+ minutes.
3.Practice your first and last name in cursive.
4.Practice your math facts.
5. We will complete our first story in Treasures!

PTO Potluck Dinner

2011-09-06T15:14:00.001-05:00

New Family Potluck

Mann School PTO invites all families to:

New Family Night

Thursday, September 15th

6:30 pm Mann School Cafeteria

Please join us for pizza and an opportunity to meet the principal, members of the PTO board and some Mann “veteran” families!

Bring the whole family, your questions & if your last name begins with:

A-L: Please bring an appetizer

M-Z: Please bring a dessert

Please contact Kyla Lombardo at 708.763.9339 or kylalou@yahoo.com to R.S.V.P. on or before September 14th.

Volunteers needed too!

Welcome To Fourth Grade

2011-08-10T12:07:00.000-05:00

I am looking forward to meeting you on the first day of school. I will be subbing for Mrs. D while she is on maternity leave. She and I have worked together to plan a very exciting start to your fourth grade adventure. See you soon!
- Mrs. Smith

Olympic Day 2011

2011-06-02T20:19:00.000-05:00

A link to the pictures on Picasa:

Olympic Day 2011

The Grove Field Trip - Log Cabin and School House

2011-05-13T12:14:00.000-05:00

The Grove Field Trip - Log Cabin and Schoolhouse

2011-05-11T20:29:00.000-05:00

Click here to see all of the pictures on Picasa

We are in the News!

2011-05-06T14:28:00.000-05:00

Here is an article in the Triblocal about the GVC Contest:

Click here to read the News Story

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

2011-05-03T21:13:00.000-05:00

I just wanted to thank the class for the beautiful orchid plant that I received today!

I also wanted to thank the class for the very memorable birthday gift. With the help of our fabulous room parents, the kids created a wonderful scrapbook for me to share with Luca and baby #2. Luca is already enjoying the book and can't wait to show it to his future brother or sister!

Agriculture in the Classroom

2011-05-02T11:14:00.000-05:00

Today we had a presenter from "Agriculture in the Classroom". We learned all about agriculture, agribusiness, the crops grown in Illinois, and the farm animals raised in Illinois.

Some websites to explore further:
www.agintheclassroom.org
www.hydrosorb.com
www.MyPyramid.gov
www.EsthersPlaceFibers.com

May Novel Studies

2011-04-29T14:09:00.000-05:00

Next week the entire fourth grade will be starting grade wide novel studies. Each fourth grade teacher will be leading a book study in their own homeroom. Every fourth grader was given an interest form to rank their novel preferences 1-4. Because of class size restrictions, each student was given their first or second choice.

Starting Tuesday, May 2 students will be switching daily for novel studies with final projects and assignments finishing on or around May 27. Book assignments and grades will be assigned by individual teachers. Students will be responsible for writing assignments down in their planners and turning them into their novel study teacher.

Mr. Hayward – Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko
Mrs. Diviacchi – Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
Ms. Pryor – The Library Card by Jerry Spinelli
Mr. Reynolds – SCHOOLED by Gordan Korman

Argonne National Lab

2011-04-13T09:48:00.000-05:00

We had a wonderful time at Argonne National Lab!

Please view our pictures: https://picasaweb.google.com/bdiviacchi/Argonne#

Ask your child to explain what happens when you put a ball in liquid nitrogen:

TV Tune Out Week

2011-04-08T11:18:00.000-05:00

The week of April 11th - April 15th is TV Tune out week. Families are encouraged to turn off their television sets and other screens, such as video and computer games, for seven days and, together, experience the adventure of a week with no screens.

If your child takes the challenge and does not watch any TV or play any video games this week, they can bring in a signed note and their name will be added to a display in the lobby.

As a class, we came up with some things to do this week instead of watching TV or playing video games:
- invite a friend over
- play with Legos
- play a board game
- read
- make a movie
- ride your bike
- play basketball
- play soccer
- go to a museum
- play hide & seek
- play cops & robbers
- shop
- play a card game
- play baseball
- make up a game to play outside
- go watch a game (baseball, hockey, soccer, etc)
- listen to music
- play lacrosse
- practice instrument
- play football
- cook and bake
- play tag
- play with siblings
- play volleyball
- play HORSE or PIG

Heartbeat by Sharon Creech

2011-04-04T11:22:00.000-05:00

In honor of National Poetry Month, we will be reading Heartbeat by Sharon Creech.

"A tenderhearted story told in spare, free-verse poems. Annie, 12, takes great pleasure in running, but has no interest in racing or becoming a member of a team. For her, the pure joy comes from feeling the earth beneath her bare feet and the wind in her face. The experience is totally different for her moody friend and running partner, Max. For him, running is a way to escape his personal problems. Annie's comfortable, tightly knit world begins to unravel when she learns that her mother is pregnant and she becomes increasingly aware that her beloved Grandpa, a former champion racer, is slipping into dementia. She is a resourceful, self-possessed kid who takes comfort in the familiar but is able to face change and take it in stride. She marvels at the new life taking shape in her midst (her father provides month-by-month summations of the baby's development) and mourns the loss of her grandfather's strong and nurturing wisdom. School, art class, and chores appear throughout the verses, creating an everyday rhythm that matches the footfalls of this engaging heroine who loves to move, but who is willing to stop and smell the roses. Readers will enjoy meeting Annie, her family, and friends and will appreciate her resilience and spirit. This is vintage Creech, and its richness lies in its sheer simplicity."--Luann Toth, School Library Journal

Frank Lloyd Wright Field Trip

2011-03-23T20:35:00.000-05:00

Our class took a walking field trip to the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio. During our visit, we learned about Frank Lloyd Wright's design concepts, as well as his family. Prior to our trip, we had a Froebel block workshop in our classroom. During the workshop, the students were able to experiment with the same blocks that inspired Wright's architecture.

Art Appreciation Project - Amedeo Modigliani

2011-03-14T08:23:00.000-05:00

Amedeo Modigliani (1884 - 1920) was famous for his elongated and elegant portraits, painted in Paris, back in the early 1900's. Heads and necks were long and narrow, giving a graceful look.

Our class used oil pastels to make self-portraits using Modigliani's techniques. Please be sure to check these out, they are hanging outside of Mr. Arensdorff's office.

Our Classroom Glog

2011-03-13T16:17:00.000-05:00

Tonight's Homework 3/10/11

2011-03-10T14:44:00.001-06:00

Tonight, each student should visit the website that we are working on for GVC. Each student should go to the "gallery" add a comment either in voicethread and/or wallwisher.

The link to the gallery:

http://gvc1029.gvc10.virtualclassroom.org/galery.html

Pack Week

2011-03-09T13:35:00.000-06:00

P.A.C.K. Week is coming 3/14 - 18, it stands for Pack Assorted Colors for Kids.

Pack Week is intended to help introduce children to new fruits and vegetables that they might enjoy. The food service here is participating and we're hoping that the kids that bring their lunch will participate too.

Monday, March 14 - Pack Purple / Blue

Plums
Blueberries
Blackberries
Raisins
Purple
Grapes

Tuesday, March 15 - Pack White / Tan / Brown

Pears
White peaches
Dates
Cauliflower florets

Wednesday, March 16 - Pack Red

Cherries
Strawberries
Red pepper slices
Tomato wedges

Thursday, March 17 - St. Patrick's Day - Pack Green

Celery sticks
Green pepper slices
Snow peas
Sugar snap peas
Broccoli florets
Kiwi slices

Friday, March 18 - Pack Yellow/Orange Day

Baby carrots
Nectarines
Peaches
Yellow pears
Dried apricots
Pineapple chunks

GVC

2011-03-06T20:20:00.001-06:00

Great news, we have been partnered up with two new schools for the Global Virtual Classroom contest! For more information, please go to the "GVC" tab above.

ISAT Testing This Week

2011-03-01T10:01:00.000-06:00

We are taking the ISAT's (Illinois Standards Achievement Test) this week. To prepare for the tests, the students should get a good night sleep and have a healthy breakfast. We will not have a spelling test or homework this week. The wonderful PTO is providing snacks this week, but your child may bring an extra snack if they would like.

The test schedule for the week:
Monday
Reading 1 - 8:30 to 9:30
Reading 2 - 1:30 to 2:30

Tuesday
Reading 3 - 8:20 to 9:30
Math 1 - 1:30 to 2:30

Wednesday
Math 2 - 8:20 to 9:30

Thursday
Math 3 - 8:30 to 9:30
Science 1 - 1:30 to 2:30

Friday
Science 2 - 8:20 to 9:30

If a student misses a test, they will be able to make it up next week.

Simlies vs. Metaphors

2011-02-23T13:27:00.001-06:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opTmtWZhxfg&feature=related

Research Project

2011-02-22T12:14:00.000-06:00

Due to the snow days and MAP testing, our timeline for the research project has been pushed back. Most of the students are now typing their final paper. If a student wants to work on it at home, that is fine. However, we are trying to finish all of this in school. The final, typed draft of their paper will be due on Friday, February 22nd. If a student is behind, they may be required to spend some time on it at home next week.

Once we finish our papers, we will begin working on the presentation portion of the research project in class.

Many of the students have brought in their own thumbdrive (also know as a USB flash drive), which has been very helpful. If you have a thumb drive at home that you are not using, it would be great if you could send it in with your son or daughter. It will be very useful for the projects we will be completing during the remainder of the year.

Research Project

2011-02-04T13:32:00.000-06:00

Due to the blizzard and snow days, beginning our rough drafts for the research project has been postponed. We will begin our rough drafts early next week.

Ecosystems

2011-02-02T14:20:00.000-06:00

We have been very busy putting our aquariums and terrariums together while learning about how the organisms within each rely on each other. We have added snails, mosquito fish, elodea, duckweed and algae to our aquariums. Our terrariums are in full bloom, the seeds that we planted are finally sprouting. Now that our plants are growing, we will be adding the crickets and the isopods.

Be sure to check these out during your child's conference.

Visit from a Scientist

2011-01-20T12:19:00.000-06:00

Our classroom, along with Mr. Reynolds' class, is participating in Global Village, a program made possible by the Oak Park Education Foundation. April Keller, a marine mammal trainer, from the Shedd Aquarium came to our classroom to discuss her job. She showed the class a video about a day in the life as a marine mammal trainer at the Shedd and she then took the time to answer all of the students' questions about her job. Ms. Keller also demonstrated how she trains dolphins with a student volunteer (see the picture above).

Classroom Happenings

2011-01-15T12:56:00.000-06:00

As 2011 begins, I look forward to continuing to create an exciting learning environment for our 4th grade students. Some of the things that we are working on in class currently:

Reading: We are reading Number the Stars, by Lois Lowry. Number the Stars is a historical fiction novel about courage. It is set in Copenhagen, Denmark in 1943, during World War II. The story focuses on two ten-year old girls and the hardships they face while their country is being occupied by German Nazis.

Writing: The students are working on their autobiography. They are concentrating on organizing details in time order, using transition words, beginning their writing with a bright beginning and wrapping up with a conclusion.

Science: We are building our ecosystems that we will study this trimester. We will begin with the terrarium this week and then start on our aquarium next week.

Research: The second trimester research project focuses on ecosystems. The students will be writing a report, citing their references, and presenting their topics. The handouts detailing the research project can be found on the right side of the blog.

Math: We are working on fractions, decimals, and percents.

As always, feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Pictures from Ice Skating and The Diviacchi Mall

2010-12-17T13:34:00.000-06:00

Please click on the photo to be linked to the photo album. You can view and order pictures on Picasa.

Diviacchi Mall Commercials

2010-12-13T07:51:00.000-06:00

Business Slides

2010-12-12T07:54:00.000-06:00

Going into Business

2010-12-10T07:52:00.000-06:00

The 4th grade mall will be taking place next week on Monday, December 14th and Tuesday, December 15th.

To prepare, the students have worked with their business partners on the following:
- developed a business plan
- developed a budget
- created products to sell with their business market in mind
- priced their products according to the market
- written and recorded commercials
- created a Powerpoint slide advertising their business
- designed a logo for their business
- created a catchy slogan
- written persuasive letters to Mrs. D to persuade her invest Diviacchi Dollars in their businesses
- designed a sign for their business

Be sure to check back for pictures from our mall!

Ice Skating Holiday Party

2010-12-05T11:28:00.001-06:00

In lieu of the classroom holiday party, we will be going ice skating!

The permission slip went home on 12/2 and is due on Wednesday, 12/15. The cost is $5 per student for the bus and admission. If your child would like to rent skates, they should bring in an additional $2.

The party will take place the morning of Friday, 12/7 at Ridgeland Commons.

All parents are welcome to join us!

Board Game Bonanza!

2010-11-22T07:47:00.001-06:00

To celebrate our good behavior for the month of November, we are having an all-school Board Game Bonanza! The fourth graders can bring in their favorite board game on Tuesday, November 23rd.

Xtra Math

2010-11-16T20:56:00.000-06:00

We are using a web-based program called XtraMath to increase our accuracy with addition, subtraction, multiplication and division facts. A flier was sent home this week with login information for your child. You can visit http://xtramath.org/ to login and enter your child's code, which can be found on the flier. Please let me know if you have any questions.

'Read to Feed' Fundraiser

2010-11-10T20:59:00.001-06:00

Our 'Read to Feed' Benefit was a success! We raised $153 for Heifer International. Please see the pictures below

Click here to view photos from our fundraiser

Heifer 'Read to Feed' Benefit

2010-11-01T13:49:00.000-05:00

The fourth graders in Ms. Pryor and Mrs. Diviacchi's classrooms will be volunteering their time to raise money for 'Read to Feed'. The fourth graders will be reading their favorite stories to the primary students at Mann. This will take place on Wednesday, November 3rd from 2:00 pm - 2:55 pm in Mann's library. If your child would like to participate, please complete the permission slip and send in by Wednesday morning.

Thank you!

A Message from our Star Student of the Week

2010-11-01T09:25:00.000-05:00

Hi guys and gals this is the star student of the week Brody B. This week we just finished reading a book called the Landry News. Then we took a test on it. I have to say the test was really fun. We did three sections a summary, editorial and interview. We could also do bonus sections like sports, weather and comics. A couple of days later it was Thursday but it wasn't some regular Thursday it was mustang motto day! This one was a special we got to play all school bingo. Lots of kids won including me.

Rules

2010-10-27T16:13:00.001-05:00

Next week, we will begin reading the novel "Rules".
"Rules" Review From School Library Journal:
Grade 4-7-Twelve-year-old Catherine has conflicting feelings about her younger brother, David, who is autistic. While she loves him, she is also embarrassed by his behavior and feels neglected by their parents. In an effort to keep life on an even keel, Catherine creates rules for him (It's okay to hug Mom but not the clerk at the video store). Each chapter title is also a rule, and lots more are interspersed throughout the book. When Kristi moves in next door, Catherine hopes that the girl will become a friend, but is anxious about her reaction to David. Then Catherine meets and befriends Jason, a nonverbal paraplegic who uses a book of pictures to communicate, she begins to understand that normal is difficult, and perhaps unnecessary, to define. Rules of behavior are less important than acceptance of others. Catherine is an endearing narrator who tells her story with both humor and heartbreak. Her love for her brother is as real as are her frustrations with him. Lord has candidly captured the delicate dynamics in a family that revolves around a child's disability. Set in coastal Maine, this sensitive story is about being different, feeling different, and finding acceptance. A lovely, warm read, and a great discussion starter.-Connie Tyrrell Burns, Mahoney Middle School, South Portland, ME
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Heifer Read to Feed

2010-10-27T15:21:00.000-05:00

The Heifer International Read to Feed campaign deadline has been extended to November 12th. We have been so impressed with the kids and their enthusiasm for this cause! Thanks to all that have already submitted contributions and we look forward to hearing from those making a final push to read, read, read...to feed! If you have any questions, please contact Molly Meierhoff or Kathy Rolfes.

Conference Time

2010-10-14T23:01:00.001-05:00

Time is flying this school year, I can't believe it's already time for conferences! A reminder note with your scheduled time was sent home with your child this week. The students are expected to attend the conference. If you have any questions, please let me know.

A Message from our Star Student of the Week.

2010-10-08T12:05:00.000-05:00

This was a awesome week for star student! I did a lot of fun things. This guy from the Olympics came to Mann school! He could spin on one hand for five minutes! The guy very inspirational and brave to make it to the Olympics.I really had fun.And that was my week of star student.

A note from Mrs. D: Lloyd Bachrach is a para-Olympian. He is an inspirational speaker who spoke with the students about reaching their dreams.

A Message From Our Star Student of the Week

2010-10-05T09:24:00.000-05:00

HI my name is Abby. I am the star student of the week. We had a very exciting week especially on Friday. When you are star student, on Friday (of the week before), you get a huge poster that looks like a newspaper. You fill it out over the weekend and bring it in on Monday. You get to do all the jobs and be like the teacher's assistant. Let's get back to the subject here! On Friday we left school at 8:45. We drove to the Prairie Air Station and went on a prairie hike. There was one plant that smelled like cough drops and another that smelled like chocolate chips! We paired up and we did a scavenger hunt. After the hunt we ate lunch. We ate outside and we were with Mr.R's class. Later after lunch we got back on the bus and drove to the Grove. The grove was a real live nature hike! There was an animal house! When you walk in there is this HUGE tank and inside it was the biggest turtle ever!! It was 140 years old. It's name was Big Al. I got to pet two turtles and one snake. I got to take lots of pictures on Mrs.D's camera! After the animal house we all loaded on the bus and drove home. It was an awesome field trip! I had a great time as star student and being semi in charge. Bye!

The Grove 10/1/10

2010-10-04T12:49:00.001-05:00

Classroom Happenings

2010-09-27T10:40:00.001-05:00

Hello families,

We have an exciting week ahead of us! On Friday, we will be going on our first field trip to the Grove in Glenview. We will be outside most of the day, so please make sure to check the forecast so your child is dressed appropriately. It was quite chilly last year, so I'm hoping for warmer weather. Also, please make sure that your child packs a bagged lunch. Thank you to all the parents that offered to chaperone, Henry's mom will be joining us for this field trip.

Our first novel study will begin this week. We will be reading "Landry News" by Andrew Clements.

We will be wrapping up our first narrative entiled "My Summer Vacation" and we will begin working on a creative writing piece that focuses on a theme.

In Science, we are wrapping up our unit on Magnetism and will begin studying Electricity next week. We will have a quiz on Magnetism this Thursday. A study guide will go home prior to the quiz.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Thank you,
Mrs. D

A Message from our Star Student of the Week

2010-09-24T13:49:00.000-05:00

Hello boys and girls, my name is Mateo. I am the star student for this week and I am going to talk about what Mrs.D's class did this week. We did lots of stuff but I am going to tell you what I think was most interesting to me. We had an awesome super cool fruit party on Wednesday. We ate fruit, while reading Mae Jemison. The story was about a woman whose name was Mae Jemison. She did lots of stuff but in the end she worked in the N.A.S.A, which i think is super duper cool. And now we are reading a book called Landry News. IT LOOKS SO COOL. That is it, bye bye.

Melt into the Mustang Motto

2010-09-22T08:35:00.000-05:00

On Thursday, September 23rd, we will celebrating our first Mustang Motto Day this year. The theme will be "Melt into the Mustang Motto". Students are encouraged to wear their Mann-wear. We will be celebrating good behavior with popsicles on the blacktop. The students will also have an opportunity to "cash" in all the Horseshoe Hoorays that they have been earning this year as well.

A message from our Star Student of the Week

2010-09-21T08:09:00.000-05:00

Hello people! This is Nico,a student in Mrs.Diviacchi's class. 4th grade is very fun! We had a mustang motto poster contest and Fiona won! So congratulations Fiona! The other poster winners will be voted on and whoever gets the most votes will get their poster hung in the other fourth grade classrooms so go Fiona!!! I will vote for you! Also soon we will go on a field trip to the grove! We also have book orders that are due on Friday and if you do it online the class gets a free book for are classroom library! So do your book orders online! We also just had a author visit and her name is Marianne Malone and she has a website called Marianne Malone.com! And if you did not get the book you can still turn in a check for $13.50 and give it to ms.Rolfes and she will give you the book!Thats all for now! This was Nico G. from Mrs.Diviacchi's class!

Author Visit - Monday, September 20th!

2010-09-15T15:21:00.000-05:00

Author Marianne Malone will be coming to Mann School at 9:00 a.m. on Monday, September 20th to talk to us about writing and her new book, The Sixty-Eight Rooms.

Books will be available for purchase at this event. If you would like to buy a book, please send a check on Monday morning, made out to Mann PTO for $13.60 (sold by Magic Tree at a 20% discount). Your child should bring the check directly to the assembly to purchase the book .

Whether or not you choose to purchase a book will have no impact on your child’s experience with this author.

If you have any questions, please contact Kathy Rolfes at krolfes@op97.org.

Almost everybody who has grown up in Chicago knows about the Thorne Rooms. Housed in the Children’s Galleries of the Chicago Art Institute, they are a collection of 68 exquisitely crafted miniature rooms made in the 1930s by Mrs. James Ward Thorne. Each of the 68 rooms is designed in the style of a different historic period, and every detail is perfect, from the knobs on the doors to the candles in the candlesticks. Some might even say, the rooms are magic.

Imagine—what if you discovered a key that allowed you to shrink so that you were small enough to sneak inside and explore the rooms’ secrets? What if you discovered that others had done so before you? And that someone had left something important behind?

Fans of Chasing Vermeer, The Doll People, and From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler will be swept up in the magic of this exciting art adventure!

A message from our Star Student of the Week

2010-09-14T09:28:00.000-05:00

Hola, amigos! I'm Ella, a student in Mrs. Diviacchi's class. We've been having so much fun. Right

now there's a lot going on.The science unit is magnetism and one time we got to use fizzle magnets.
In fourth grade we go on a bunch of cool field trips, or at least that's what I've heard.There's also a mustang motto poster contest going on (be respectful, be responsible, be compassionate).That's all for now!

A message from our Star Student of the Week about 4th Grade

2010-09-08T22:03:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone, I am Sophia in Mrs. Diviacchi's class. I am going to tell you about the first week of school and some things we do in 4th grade. One thing we do is peer nominations. You can nominate a peer when you see someone doing a good thing. You also get a chance to do Safety Patrol, play an instrument, and get book buddies with a kid younger than you in 4th grade. The first week of school has been great for me. You get to do something really fun and it's called Star Student! You get to do all the classroom jobs for one week. There's a poster that you fill out, you can color it and post a picture of yourself. You write all about your hero, your favorite event, and you draw a little cartoon. These are some of the things you do in 4th grade.

Scholastic Book Orders

2010-09-07T14:00:00.000-05:00

Online Ordering Information
Web address: www.scholastic.com/bookclubs
Class Activation Code: GTXC4

Dear Parent,
Now it's easier than ever to find the right books for your child — and help us earn FREE books for our classroom
library at the same time!
With new online ordering from Scholastic Book Clubs, you can choose from a much wider selection of books than in
the printed flyer. Plus, you can send your orders directly to me online and use your credit card.
Best of all, our class earns a FREE book every time a parent places their order online.
It's so simple! Here's how it works:
SIGN UP at www.Scholastic.com/bookclubs. On the parent page, click the "Don't have a User Name and
Password?" link, then register for your own username and password. When prompted, enter the one-time Class
Activation Code shown above. This code ensures that your order is sent to me.
SELECT the books you'd like to order from over 500 titles available online...and take advantage of online-only
specials and discounts.
SEND your order to me online by the due date. Books will be delivered directly to our classroom, as always.
Ordering online is fast, easy, and secure. Plus our whole class benefits thanks to the FREE books
we'll earn with every parent online order.
Go to www.Scholastic.com/bookclubs now to get started.
Thank you,
Mrs. Diviacchi

Welcome Back!

2010-08-02T15:49:00.001-05:00

Welcome to the 2010 – 2011 school year! I am looking forward to meeting each of you at Curriculum Night on Thursday, September 2nd at 6:00 pm where I will provide more in-depth information about the upcoming school year. Until we meet, here are a few things that you should know:

- All fourth grade students will enter and dismiss form the 7 West Door.

- Each day, the students will record all of their assignments in their assignment notebook. At the end of the day, I will initial every student’s assignment notebook to be sure that all assignments were recorded. It is important that the home folder and assignment notebook are checked nightly for assignments and important notes. Also, a parent or guardian must sign the assignment notebook each night.

- I allow snack time while we work in the morning, so please send a healthy snack. Also, it is recommended that each student have a water bottle at school.

- Spelling pretests will be taken each Monday. If we do not have school on Monday, then the pretest will be given on Tuesday. Spelling tests will always take place on Friday. Any student that successfully completes the pretest with 100% accuracy will be given a set of challenge words for that week. Students will be assessed through written application. Spelling tests will begin on Friday, September 3rd.

- We are asking each fourth grade student to bring a crate to school by Friday, September 3rd. The crates will help the students organize their cubbies.

I am looking forward to working with your children and to a very successful school year! If you have any questions, feel free to contact me via email at ediviacchi@op97.org.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Diviacchi