Thank You

I am so blessed! Thank you to all the parents that came and brought in items for our party. I especially want to thank Mrs. Brown for hosting the games, and doing a fabulous job! My cup runs over.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Casto

Spelling Words TEST Dec. 16

1. gingerbread
2. presents
3. ornaments
4. decoration
5. director
6. religions
7. snowman
8. birthday
9. Wise Men
10. celebration
11. mother
12. surprised
13. faith
14. belief
15. wreath
16. garland
17. holiday
18. New Year
19. angel
20. star
21. Bethlehem
22. praise
23. families
24. travel
25. tradition

Christmas Party

This is for all the parents who follow my blog. I am not sure if the Christmas party letter made it home.
I did mention it was in the morning, but not the time. We are going to try to have the party at 9:30. If you like you can sign up for what you would like to bring under comments to ensure it makes it to me. :)
It cut off the part about wishing you all a Blessed Christmas Season. I do hope the spirit of the season touches each of your lives in a real way.
God Bless you,
Marsha Casto

Dear Parents,

            We will be having our Christmas party on Dec. 20^th in the morning. Since this will be a morning party, I think treats like, pastries, juice, hot chocolate, milk, and fruit would be nice.  During the party we will eat, and have a silly gift exchange.  We will do festive activities throughout the day.  

The kids and I discussed the gift exchange, and as a group thought it would be nice to bring a gift for a child that is less fortunate for rather than having a larger gift exchange in class.

 Our gift exchange is meant to be silly, so please bring an inexpensive gag gift for a fun gift game. There are many silly gifts at the Dollar Tree.

Merry Christmas!

Sincerely,

Mrs. Casto

Items we need…

Napkins, plates, cups, forks

Drinks

Morning time treats

The kids say we need… Continued on the back

1.   cookie decorating

2.   juice

3.   hot chocolate

4.   doughnuts

5.   fruit

6.   punch

7.   milk

New from MaKenzee, pizza

32 Traditions Around the World

http://www.the-north-pole.com/around/index.htm

http://www.santas.net/aroundtheworld.htm



These links will take you to a safe sites to find out more information for our Country Christmas Reports. In addition to the report, I want you to bring something to share from their traditions. For example; If you were doing the U.S, (which none of us are), you could bring Christmas cookies to share. Fill out your report handout, and be ready to present on Friday. When you are selecting a country try to choose one that connects to your family. If you are part French, Italian, English, German, Indian, Japanese etc... choose that country.
To recap:

1. Select a country from the web sites above. I will not allow anyone to choose the United States.
2. Research your country.
3. Fill out the handout on the Country Christmas Report.
Remember, you are reporting on how your selected country celebrates Christmas. You are basically summarizing what you research. Do not just write about what you are bringing to share.
4. Make something the class can eat, or a game to share with the class that is traditional for the country you chose.
5. Be ready to read your report, and share a tradition from your country, be it food or game, on Friday Dec. 16. 
6. Have fun with it.  :)

BONUS: If you are ready prior to Friday, you will recieve 5 bonus points in Social Studies or Language.

From Fri. Intro to French and Indian War

http://www.brainpop.com/socialstudies/ushistory/frenchandindianwar/preview.weml

http://www.mrnussbaum.com/french_and_indian_war.htm

Spelling List Dec. 9

Sorry these are up late this week. Lily has been sick and I am not on my normal routine.

1. Christmas
2. pageant
3. garage
4. bracelet
5. sneaky
6. principal
7. factory
8. shepherd
9. manger
10. potatoes
11. weathering
12. process
13. erosion
14. horizon
15. bedrock
16. crumble
17. frontier
18. refuge
19. justice
20. almanac
21. constitution
22. spiritual
23. quotation
24. character
25. solution

Moon Game Site

http://www.bartbonte.com/fullmoon/

Artisans

http://www.mrnussbaum.com/13colonies/13trades.htm
This is the site we looked over in class. Dismiss the instructions on your worksheet. You are to fill out the worksheet with one of the artisan's trades from this site, or another site that relates to colonial times.
On the back of your worksheet I want you to compare the artisan that you chose, with a modern artisan.
Due Wednesday the 7th.

Spelling List TEST DEC. 2

1. watched
2. watching
3. danced
4. dancing
5. studied
6. studying
7. stopped
8. stopping
9. dried
10. drying
11. happened
12. happening
13. noticed
14. noticing
15. robbed
16. robbing
17. slipped
18. slipping
19. hurried
20. hurrying

EARTH

This site has games, and info. on Earth, the rock cycle, etc...
http://www.amnh.org/education/resources/rfl/web/earthmag/peek/index.htm

S.S Colonies

The following site is everything you need to do any research I expect for the 13 colonies.

http://www.mrnussbaum.com/13.htm


This site is from Brain Pop we will do the activities in class, along with the video.

http://www.brainpop.com/socialstudies/ushistory/thirteencolonies/

Virtual Field Trip in class today

There are many more activities and information for Thanksgiving on this site. Share what you know, and your knowledge will grow.   http://www.scholastic.com/scholastic_thanksgiving/webcast.htm

Awesome Interactive Ecology Games

http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/10-environmental-games-teach-kids-earth-ecology-conservation/

Check out Aidain

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvk5eoz_PrE

Aidain at five. :)

Ordering Books

Online Ordering Information
Web address: scholastic.com/bookclubs
Class Activation Code: GRY7J

Dear Parent,

Now it's easier than ever to find the perfect books for your child -- shop our NEW online Book Clubs Web site. 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 to pay.

Best of all, we earn a FREE book for the classroom library every time a parent places an order online.*

It's so simple! Here's how it works:

• SIGN UP at www.scholastic.com/bookclubs. On the parent page, click the "Register" button in the "First Time Here?" section. Register for your own user name and password. When prompted, enter the one-time Class Activation Code shown above. This unique code ensures that your order is sent to me.
  
• SELECT the books you'd like to order -- choose from thousands of titles -- many more than in our monthly flyers.
  
• SEND your order to me online by the due date and your child's books will be delivered directly to my classroom.

Ordering online is fast, easy, and secure.

Of course, you can still order using the form from the printed flyer. But why not see for yourself how convenient it is to order online?


Thank you,
Marsha Casto

*Excludes eBooks.

Spelling Words TEST November 18th

1. example
2. learned
3. heavy
4. finally
5. although
6. question
7. friend
8. special
9. hundred
10. instead
11. notice
12. almost
13. answer
14. remember
15. power
16. weather
17. field
18. follow
19. distance
20. build
21. bottom
22. quiet
23. floor
24. itself
25. number

Brain Pop

Here is the link to Brain Pop http://www.brainpop.com/   The username is stjoe2011 and the password is irish

Subject Predicate Quiz

http://www.brainpop.com//english/grammar/subjectandpredicate/quiz/

Please take the quiz and email your score to me. You may need to sign in.

Spelling Words TEST November 10

1. planet
2. challenge
3. project
4. environment
5. resource
6. compitition
7. conversation
8. imagine
9. photograph
10. video
11. program
12. change
13. community
14. project
15. design
16. manage
17. grant
18. structure
19. discover
20. research
21. technology
22. advertise
23. presentation
24. rubric
25. survey

Disney Eco Project

Our whole fourth grade will be participating in this project.
http://disney.go.com/planetchallenge/index.html

A Few Math Facts Sites

Here are just a few. There are millions of sites to practice. If you want to find more google math facts practice.

http://www.reasoningmind.org/index.php?mv=8&elm=3&tab_id=2&gclid=CLay3IOXmKwCFYuC5QodP1J9Ow#

http://www.wildmath.com/playset.htm


http://www.funbrain.com/cgi-bin/getskill.cgi?A1=gba&A2=9&A7=0

http://www.kidport.com/grade4/math/mathindex.htm

Spelling TEST Words for 11-4-11

Spelling List

TEST 11-4-11

1.       mechanical

2.       miracle

3.       aboard

4.       capable

5.       chant

6.       vehicle

7.       atlas

8.       advertisement

9.       apartment

10.   sport

11.   force

12.   forward

13.   sharp

14.   garden

15.   frontier

16.   wilderness

17.   diversity

18.   ecosystem

19.   population

20.   abiotic

Book Report: The Best Halloween EVER

http://teachnet.com/lessonplans/language-arts/more-ideas-than-ever-book-reports/

Use this site to find creative ideas for your project book report on The Best Halloween Ever. Make sure that whatever you do, you take your time, and make it look good. These will be displayed. It is worth 100 points. We will not take a test on this book...this is your test! It is due on Halloween, Monday.


Also, your project book report must show that you understand the main themes of the book.

Bear Catch

http://www.learningbox.com/base10/CatchTen.html

This is the math game we played in class today. Remember to try to catch only 3 to make ten.

Halloween Party

Hi Everyone,
I hope the Halloween party letter made it to your house. Here is the site I mentioned. Thanks again for all you do!
Games:  http://familyfun.go.com/halloween/halloween-games/  
Treats:  http://familyfun.go.com/halloween/best-halloween-snacks-793734/ 

Spelling TEST Oct. 21st

1. Halloween
2. expect
3. blame
4. introduced
5. guppies
6. mayor
7. morning
8. forest
9. garbage
10. form
11. alarm
12. story
13. argue
14. strategies
15. shipment
16. activity
17. analyze
18. organize
19. record
20. allergic
21. descendants
22. captured
23. servant
24. captain
25. starving

Adaption Creation Project

To recap, you are to create a living thing that is adapted with behavior and physical traits to survive in the biome you chose. You may not use a living thing that already exists, but you can get ideas from other living things in the same biome. Your creation can be drawn on paper or a three dimensional model. Whatever you chose to create is up to you. It can be a plant, insect, animal, etc...but either way you need to describe the traits and behaviors that help it survive when you present your living thing on Monday, the 24th of October.
This project requires you to know the conditions in your biome, so you will need to research. What I showed in class was just an introduction. You will need to research to know what your living thing will need to survive the conditions in your environment.

Here is more information on different biomes. Find your biome, and get busy. :) I suggest using http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page , and typing in your biome in the search box first.

http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/world_biomes.htm

http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/glossary/gloss5/biome/

Jamestown

This site is AWESOME! It is an interactive map of Jamestown and the Powhatan village.

Jamestown - Interactive - National Geographic Magazine

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2007/05/jamestown/jamestown-standalone

A Safe Search

This site is a safe site to search for your ghost or monster.
http://www.wikipedia.org/

Food Chains, Webs, Basic Needs

These are great sites to practice food chains, and webs. These sites also include activities to learn about how behaviors, and adaptations help living things meet their basic needs. We will be playing these games tomorrow in class as well.

http://www.ecokids.ca/pub/eco_info/topics/frogs/chain_reaction/index.cfm


http://www.ecokids.ca/pub/eco_info/topics/climate/adaptations/index.


http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/content/animals/kidscorner/games/producersconsumersgame.htm

Religion Game

Here is the game you played in Religion today.
http://pbskids.org/itsmylife/games/bullies_flash.html

The BEST Halloween Ever

For the next two weeks we will be reading The Best Halloween Ever by Barbara Robinson. The kids will still have homework, and assignments that correlate to the chapter we read in class. Students are not required to have a book, however if you want your child to have a copy of their own there are some on hand at Empire, Wal-Mart, Target, Libraries, or you can order one for as little as one cent at Amazon.
http://www.amazon.com/Best-Halloween-Ever-Barbara-Robinson/dp/0060278625

Science Fossil Fun

Check out this site for the fun interactive games we will play in class.
http://www.abc.net.au/beasts/fossilfun/

GET ORGANIZED

I am looking over grades, and I am finding that many grades would be higher if students were more organized. I found a very helpful site that may get your child organized. Please take a look and leave any feedback under comments.
http://life.familyeducation.com/parenting/organization/36373.html

Spelling Words for TEST on Oct. 14th

 1.bawling
2.coyote
3. dudes
4.roundup
5.spurs
6.mesquite
7.promoted
8.tortilla
9.tamales
10.inverse
11.estimate
12.colony
13.explorer
14.peninsula
15.charter
16.apprentice
17.plural
18.singular
19.persuasive
20.narrative
21.fiction
22.adaptation
23. two
24. to
25. too

Writing a GREAT Paragraph

Here is the link that takes you to the great paragraph cheeseburger that we discussed in school today. Whenever you have a writing assignment refer back to this page to remember how to write a great paragraph.
http://eev2.liu.edu/cwp2005/hp/Developmental/ClassroomIntegration/HOWTOWRITEAPARAGRAPH.htm

Weekend Fun!

http://www.wsaz.com/entertainment/headlines/Your_Weekend_Ahead_131327464.html

Check out WSAZ news for events in our area. The POw Wow is still going on today if you want to take your parents. Have a great weekend.

The Hidden One Reader's Theater

Reader's Theater
Click on the following link to read the play several times to be ready for your part.
http://www.aaronshep.com/rt/RTE12.html

Life Cycle

http://www.fossweb.com/modules3-6/StructuresofLife/activities/lifecycles.html

Click on the link above to play the life cycle sorting game. You can change the difficulty level on the top right hand side. You can also choose what living thing you want.

Spelling List

Test on Sept.

1. unbelievable
2. rim
3. swatted
4. hoop
5. fouled
6. jersey
7. marveled
8. speechless
9. hobbies
10. companies
11. memories
12. counties
13. scratches
14. ambulances
15. teammates
16. potatoes
17. sprout
18. amphibian
19. development
20. metamorphosis
21. there
22. their
23. subject
24. predicate
25. sequence

Science Review Ch. 1

The following sites are a fun way to study for the test. Please also re-read ch. 1 and know your vocabulary.

http://www.cellsalive.com/  This is an awesome site with real cells.

http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/content/animals/kidscorner/classification/kc_classification_main.htm  This site has information as well as games. It is really fun!

http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/interactives/class.html  This is a fun game site to classify organisms.

Grave Creek Mound

If you have a free weekend and want to do something interesting, check out the Grave Creek Mound in Moundsville, W.V. http://www.wvculture.org/museum/GraveCreekmod.html

Spellingcity

This site should take you to to spellingcity.com. Be sure to use the teach me button before you play the games.
http://www.spellingcity.com/

Scholastic Site

This is the site we watched the Presidental interview on today. There are many fun links under "kids" on the top tabs. Check it out. :)

http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/collection.jsp?id=843

Math Practice

Click on the link below to practice multiplication and division. You can come back to this sight to practice all the other math games as well.
http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/math.htm

W.V Tourism

http://www.zinio.com/reader.jsp?issue=416159659&RF=miles_WV&o=ext

Click on the link above. Use the interactive map to research the various regions in West Virginia. Please keep in mind that this interactive map is separated into more places, BUT there are only four regions in W.V.

Carnival On The Block!

Don't forget to come to the carnival. It will be here at St. Joe on Sept. 23! A packet was sent home with all the information that you need.
Fourth grade's raffle basket this year is, "Mr. Clean". Please show your support by sending in anything that would be useful in a day of house cleaning. What would be most useful is for someone else to do it! Ha!
Thank you in advance for helping the fourth grade out.

Mrs. Casto

Thank You

I want to thank you all for the overwhelming amount of supplies that came in. You are all so very generous. I sincerely appreciate all the extras that add up in a year's time.