Class Newsletter- March 25, 2013

Mr. Hauptmann’s Class Newsletter

Unit 4, Week 3 (continued)- March 25, 2013

Everyone worked extremely hard on the MCAS Long Composition today! I am so proud of everyone’s focus and ability to write so much! We will be taking the MCAS English Language Arts (Session 2) on Wednesday, March 27. It is very important that your children are well rested and come to school on time on Wednesday. The school will be providing a morning snack on Wednesday, and I will be providing gum for during the testing session. Please send in an additional healthy snack for later in the morning. Since we want everyone to be well rested and ready to do their absolute very best, I will not be assigning homework tonight or tomorrow.

This week we are reading “The King in the Kitchen”, a play by Margaret Slattery.  We will focus on some vocabulary words in this story.  It would be helpful if you will reinforce the meaning of these words at home with your child.  Also, on this newsletter you will find our spelling words for the week.  Please practice these words at home as well. Let’s have a great week!

Vocabulary Word	Meaning
duke	nobleman of the highest title, ranking just below a prince
dungeon	a dark underground room or cell to hold prisoners
furiously	with unrestrained energy, speed, etc.
genius	person having very great natural power of mind
majesty	title used in speaking to or of a king, queen, emperor, empress, etc.
noble	high or great by birth, rank, or title
peasant	farmer of the working class in Europe, Asia, and Latin America
porridge	food made of oatmeal or other grain boiled in water or milk until it thickens

Spelling Words: brother, together, dinner, popular, center, calendar, similar, regular, summer, clever, supper, pitcher, filter, hangar, never, shelter, cellar, caterpillar, theater, deliver

Reminder: No school on Friday. I hope everyone has a nice long weekend with their families.

Have you seen our classroom website? You can access the site by going to “Teacher Sites” on the school’s website, or you can type www.mrhauptmanngrade4.blogspot.com in your browser’s window. I will be updating the site each week.

Please sign, cut on the dotted line, and return on Tuesday:

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Mr. Hauptmann’s Class Newsletter

Unit 4, Week 3- March 25, 2013

Student’s Name: _______________________________________________

Parent Signature: _____________________________­­­­­__________­­­­­

Important MCAS Notice

The Grade 4 Long Composition is being rescheduled by the DESE from tomorrow, March 19 to Monday, March 25 for the entire state due to the weather forecast. 

We will give ELA Session I to the fourth graders tomorrow in order to minimize testing three days in a row the following week.

Class Newsletter- March 18, 2013

Mr. Hauptmann’s Class Newsletter

Unit 4, Week 3- March 18, 2013

The first day of Spring is on Wednesday! We will be taking the MCAS Long Composition tomorrow. It is very important that your children are well rested and come to school on time. We will begin testing promptly at 9:15am. I will be providing sugar free gum for during the testing sessions (research shows that chewing on spearmint gum during a test increases focus and concentration). The school will also be providing a small morning snack tomorrow, but you may wish to send in an additional healthy snack for later in the morning. Since we want everyone to be well rested and ready to do their absolute very best, I will not be assigning homework tonight, other than silent reading. Next week, we will be taking the MCAS (ELA) on Tuesday and Wednesday, March 26-27.

Later this week we will be reading “The King in the Kitchen” by Margaret Slattery. Also, on this newsletter you will find our spelling words for the next two weeks.  Please practice these words at home as well.  No spelling test this week, it will be on Thursday, March 29.  Let’s have a great week!

Vocabulary Word	Meaning
duke	nobleman of the highest title, ranking just below a prince
dungeon	a dark underground room or cell to hold prisoners
furiously	with unrestrained energy, speed, etc.
genius	person having very great natural power of mind
majesty	title used in speaking to or of a king, queen, emperor, empress, etc.
noble	high or great by birth, rank, or title
peasant	farmer of the working class in Europe, Asia, and Latin America
porridge	food made of oatmeal or other grain boiled in water or milk until it thickens

Spelling Words: brother, together, dinner, popular, center, calendar, similar, regular, summer, clever, supper, pitcher, filter, hangar, never, shelter, cellar, caterpillar, theater, deliver

Have you seen our classroom website? You can access the site by going to “Teacher Sites” on the school’s website, or you can type www.mrhauptmanngrade4.blogspot.com in your browser’s window. I will be updating the site each week.

Please sign, cut on the dotted line, and return on Tuesday:

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Mr. Hauptmann’s Class Newsletter

Unit 4, Week 3- March 18, 2013

Student’s Name: _______________________________________________

Parent Signature: _____________________________­­­­­__________________­­­­­

Class Newsletter- March 11, 2013

Mr. Hauptmann’s Class Newsletter

Unit 4, Week 2- March 11, 2013

This week we are reading “Encantado: Pink Dolphin of the Amazon” by Sy Montgomery.  We will focus on some vocabulary words in this story.  It would be helpful if you will reinforce the meaning of these words at home with your child.  Also, on this newsletter you will find our spelling words for the week.  Please practice these words at home as well.  The words in italics are our challenge spelling words.  Let’s have a great week!

Vocabulary Word	Meaning
aquarium	building used for showing collections of live fish, water animals, and water plants
dolphins	any of numerous sea mammals related to the whale, but smaller.  Dolphins have beaklike snouts and remarkable intelligence.
enchanted	delighted greatly; charmed
flexible	easily bent; not stiff; bending without breaking
glimpses	short, quick views or looks
pulses	regular, measured beats
surface	the top of the ground or soil, or of a body of water or other liquid

Spelling Words: chicken, eleven, jungle, national, several, natural, needle, single, citizen, threaten, diagonal, paddle, marble, mumble, frighten, strengthen, knuckle, individual, cubicle, three-dimensional

Note: Tomorrow is an early-release day, dismissal will be at 12:40pm.

Looking ahead, we will be taking the MCAS on March 19 (Long Comp.) and March 26-27 (ELA).

Please sign, cut on the dotted line, and return on Tuesday:

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Mr. Hauptmann’s Class Newsletter

Unit 4, Week 2- March 11, 2013

Student’s Name: _______________________________________________

Parent Signature: _____________________________­­­­­__________­­­­­

Class Newsletter- March 4, 2013

Mr. Hauptmann’s Class Newsletter

Unit 4, Week 1- March 4, 2013

This week we are reading “The Houdini Box” by Brian Selznick.  We will focus on some vocabulary words in this story.  It would be helpful if you will reinforce the meaning of these words at home with your child.  Also, on this newsletter you will find our spelling words for the week.  Please practice these words at home as well.  The words in italics are our challenge spelling words.  Today we practiced an MCAS Long Composition.  Looking ahead, we will be taking the MCAS on March 19 (Long Comp.) and March 26-27 (ELA). Let’s have a great week!

Vocabulary Word	Meaning
appeared	was seen; came in sight
bustling	being noisily busy and in a hurry
crumbled	fell to pieces; decayed
escape	to get out and away; to get free
magician	person who entertains by art or skill of creating illusions, especially a sleight of hand
monument	something set up to honor a person or an event.  A monument may be a building, pillar, arch, statue, tomb, or stone
vanished	disappeared, especially suddenly

Spelling Words: don’t, won’t, wouldn’t, there’s, we’re, you’re, doesn’t, I’ve, here’s, wasn’t, shouldn’t, couldn’t, where’s, hadn’t, aren’t, they’re, it’s, we’ve, when’s, haven’t, it’ll, who’ll, might’ve, mustn’t, we’d

Our classroom website is a great tool for communication and is full of useful information about our class. The address is www.mrhauptmanngrade4.blogspot.com. I will be updating the site each week.

Important upcoming events:

Tuesday, March 12- Early Release @ 12:40pm

Tuesday, March 19- MCAS Long Composition

Friday, March 22- Report Cards go home & PTO Game Night @ 6:00pm

Please sign, cut on the dotted line, and return on Tuesday:

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Mr. Hauptmann’s Class Newsletter

Unit 4, Week 1- March 4, 2013

Student’s Name: _______________________________________________

Parent Signature: _______________________________________