Newsletter/4-2 Di Marcello Week of 1/13

In Mathematics, students are learning about factors and divisibility. Teaching factors also provides a review of multiplication. Students will use many multiplication facts as they break apart numbers into factors. Divisibility rules help students determine if a number is a factor of another number without having to divide.

In Social Studies, students are working on writing their Explorer Report by using their research notes organizing them into a detailed summary report.

 In English Language Arts, using positive and negative emotions listed on a chart for reference, citing details and quotes from the novel, and completed their final writing task on The One and Only Ivan. Students explained Ivan’s perception to his domain and how his emotions changed throughout the novel and continued to practice questions for The New York state test.

In Science/Stem, students discussed the different types of energy such as Mechanical and Gravitational. Students also continue to discuss and explain the three states of Matter.  

No School tomorrow or on Monday!

Week of 1/6 Newsletter Di Marcello 4-2

Happy New Year! Welcome back. It has been a busy week transitioning into routines again. The students have been working diligently.

This week, students started working with practice questions geared toward the New York State English Language Arts exam in March. Students observed types of questions and practiced using a passage to analyze and answer questions in depth using details. An email was sent home this week discussing some key points, skills, and strategies we are using in class.

An important area of concern is producing written work with effort and quality in mind. Homework is an important part of the day and students should not be rushing through written assignments. The writing process is extremely important in preparing our children for the future in becoming successful writers. One important way to build on vocabulary and fluency is the importance of reading each night.

Students are reminded to write complete sentences, check their spelling, and edit their work with the use of adjectives, details, and transition words.   

In Mathematics, students are continuing working with division using remainders. It is important to review strategies at home and work on practicing the multiplication tables daily.

In Social Studies students will begin reading about various explorers mapping their voyages and determining which Native American people encountered these explorers.

In Science/Stem students started discussing the difference between physical and chemical properties.

In Religion, students discussed the difference between Absolution and Penance. Students wrote stories discussing the advice he/she would give someone in how people should settle their differences to become peaceful people of God.  

4-2/Di Marcello Newsletter Week of 12/ 16

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. It should always be the season of giving and being kind to others. It is the season of loving one another and spending time with our family.

Our Desserts around the World was a success. Thank you to all the parents who continued and assisted. Another huge accomplishment, our students did fabulous in the Christmas show.

This week the students read a narration of the feast of the three Magi. Students discussed the significance of the Epiphany. Students discussed how people in different countries celebrate Christmas. For example, the people of Ukraine enjoy a meal of twelve dishes, representing the twelve Apostles. As a writing activity, students created an ornament, resembling the twelves meals of the twelve apostles. 

In Mathematics, students continued to read and analyzed word problems by using division.

In Science, students discussed the three laws of motion by illustrating a visual concept, giving an example of how Newton’s law of motion works in real life, and by writing a summary.

In Social Studies, students presented their oral presentation on their models of the Native Americans homes.

In English Language Arts, students worked on developing and refining their summaries by using graphic organizers and “jotting down details.” Students read short passages by interpreting and locating details and sorting the information into short summaries.

Have a BLESSED Holiday!

4-2/Di Marcello Newsletter: Week of 12/9

In ELA, students continued make claims and supported those claims with specific evidence from the novel to record details. Students identified various quotes from the novel by identifying figurative language, vivid vocabulary, and made personal connections.

In Writing and students continued to use details and quotes by producing small moment pieces.

Students started analyzing pieces of literature by practicing how to answer questions, underlining key details, and located clues in text questions.

In Mathematics, students continued dividing 3-4 digit numbers with remainders and are worked in solving word problems.

In Social Studies, students created wampum belts and wrote a description how the American Indians used the wampum belt for trading and ceremonial purposes.

In Science/Stem, students engineered cars to observe how height and mass work in using the Three Laws of Motion.