Mrs. Rosalie Hnatick Grade 4/5

Dear Parents,   I don't know about you but the March Break went too quickly for me!  Spring is finally here and we are into the last term of the year.    Please read this post to see what we are working on in our class this month. Language Arts  We began our Poetry unit last week.  Last year, the students with me from grade 4 learned about various types of poems (Acrostic, Diamante, Haiku, Couplets, etc.).  We will still touch on that this year but will learn more about analyzing a poem.  We read a poem and study it using the S.M.I.L.E.(Structure, Meaning, Imagery, Language and Emotion) method.  This helps your child to appreciate poetry by learning to find a deeper meaning in the words that they read. Please continue to ensure that your child is working on their LCWC (look, copy, write, check) each night for our spelling program. Math Our Measurement unit is halfway through.  We are learning about Perimeter (outside distance of a shape), Area (inside measurement of 2D spa

The Spring Solstice is in three weeks but it sure isn't looking much like Spring.  I'm not sure about you, but I have had enough snow!  Please take a look to see what we are working on next. Language Arts The novel study, Owls In The Family, has been funny and enjoyable.  We are learning a lot about animals and the themes that the author is using in his story. We continue to work on Spelling, Reading and Writing in class.  Soon we will begin an Expository writing (non-fiction) unit.  Math Our unit on Fractions will be starting next week. We have already begun working on some of the skills needed in this unit when we practice our Reducing in Mad Minutes and in homework questions.  Please feel free to help your child with the questions sent home.  This helps him/her to see how you solve a questions even if it is different from the way it is taught in class.  However, they must still write the questions themselves.  Science The unit we are currently working on is Chemistry

Welcome to the halfway point of the school year!  The new year has been off to a great start and I am excited to fill you in on what is taking place in the grade 5 class. Language Arts We are finishing our Narrative stories (Fiction) and will begin our Novel Study on Owls in the Family.  The stories take a long time as we work to improve our writing through editing and rereading.  We use rote memorization to help us study our spelling words.  Please encourage your child to use the words in a sentence.  This will help with their comprehension and will build their vocabulary for reading and writing.  Math We are at the mid point of our Multiplication and Division unit.  Some of you may be confused by the 'new' math.  This is not 'new' math but merely different strategies that help us to find other ways to find an answer to a problem.  Most of the time we use an algorithm (place one number on top of the other) to find the product.  It is okay to help your child as th

I hope you had a restful and enjoyable Christmas.  It is always nice to spend time with family and to appreciate our blessings during the Christmas season.  The first week back always feels long as it takes all of us (students and  teachers) a while to get back into routines.  Please continue reading to find out what is taking place in our classroom.  Language Arts Our Creative Writing unit is coming to an end.  We will soon begin a novel study called Owls in the Family.  As a class, we group read a novel and learn to use prior knowledge (what we already know) and discover new information to help with our reading comprehension (understanding).  We will continue on with Spelling and Guided Reading.  Please ensure that your child continues to read each night.  I strongly recommend at least 30 minutes each night.  This week, the students will have to complete a reading log that will be checked every Friday.  This will help me to track whether the students are reading books that are

Dear Parents,  Winter is here!  I am often asked if I would like to be back in Australia.  The answer may surprise you, but no.  Being away for the year made me realize how Canadian I am.  However, if you were to offer me a free trip to someplace warm, I would definitely take you up on the offer. Please say a little prayer for my Roughriders as they enter into the CFL playoffs this month.  Read on to find out what is taking place in our classroom.  Language Arts We completed our Monster Menus.  The students had fun completing this assignment as they were allowed to gross me out.  We are continuing on with our Narrative writing unit and are now focusing on developing Suspense which leads up to the Main Event of our story writing.  Reading and writing are so closely linked.  The students who read each night, often have good writing and spelling skills and find it easier to develop original ideas for his or her writing.  I strongly encourage you to make reading a part of your child

Dear Parents,      We are well under way to another great year!  I am really enjoying this class and I hope your child is having just as much fun as I am.  Please read on to find out what is taking place in our class. Language Arts We have been working hard at our spelling words and Guided Reading groups.  We began the year with our unit on Narrative Writing and have started our first assignment, Monster Menu' s.  This project will help your child develop his/her descriptive writing abilities.  They are to compose a menu for monsters that would make us humans sick to our stomachs!  The due date for this assignment is October 31st.  Your child will draft the rough copy at school and will then be able to spend some time at home working on the good copy if they choose.  I do provide ample class time to work on the assignment.  Math Our unit on Patterns and Equations is nearing the end.  I anticipate that we will have our unit test the last week of October.  Some students are fi