Class Newsletter- March 26, 2012

Mr. Hauptmann’s Class Newsletter

Unit 4, Week 3- March 26, 2012

We will be taking the MCAS English Language Arts on Tuesday and Wednesday, March 27-28. It is very important that your children are well rested and come to school on time. The school will be providing a morning snack both days, and I will be providing mints and 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 the night before, and during the test.

This week we are reading “The King in the Kitchen” 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.  The words in italics are our challenge spelling words.  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, character, singular, receiver, spectacular, binocular

I have created a website for our classroom. 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 26, 2012

Student’s Name: _______________________________________________

Parent Signature: _____________________________­­­­­__________­­­­­

Class Newsletter- March 12, 2012

Mr. Hauptmann’s Class Newsletter

Unit 4, Week 2- March 12, 2012

This week we are reading “Encantado: Pink Dolphin of the Amazon” by Sy Mongomery.  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, given, jungle, national, several, natural, needle, single, citizen, threaten, diagonal, paddle, animal, spiral, marble, oval, mumble, tangle, frighten, strengthen, knuckle, individual, cubicle, three-dimensional

Looking ahead, we will be taking the MCAS on March 20 (Long Comp.) and March 27-28 (ELA).

I have created a website for our classroom. 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 2- March 12, 2012

Student’s Name: _______________________________________________

Parent Signature: _____________________________­­­­­__________­­­­­

Class Newsletter- March 5, 2012

Mr. Hauptmann's Class Newsletter

Unit 4, Week 1 (March 5, 2012)

  

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.  Let’s have a great week!

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

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

Let's All Be Learning Ninjas

One day a student in my class says to me, “Why do we have to learn this stuff, Mr. H?” 
“Because we’re trying to become Learning Ninjas,” I say. 
“Oh, I see.” 
“Don’t you want to be a Ninja?” 
“Ya,” as eyes and mouth widen in revelation, “I do want to be a ninja.”

PuzzleMaker.com

I added a link for the puzzle maker website. Click on "PuzzleMaker" under "Links". This site can be used for tonight's Spelling homework.

Class Newsletter- February 27, 2012

Mr. Hauptmann's Class Newsletter

Unit 3, Week 6- February 27, 2012

This week we will listen to, read, and write, various forms of poetry. If you have a favorite poem or book of poetry from home, you may bring it in to share with the class.  We will focus on reviewing some of the vocabulary words from Unit 3.  It would be helpful if you will reinforce the meaning of these words at home with your child.  Our spelling words for the week are 4^th grade level science words, as well as previous vocabulary words.  Please practice these words at home as well.  Let’s have a great week!

Spelling Words:  fragile, natural, mountain, adaptation, camouflage, hibernate, predator, terror, fascinated, biologist, massive, tropical, brilliant, chorus, destruction, forecasts, canopy, fragrant, pollen, wondrous

Spelling Homework: These are your spelling words for the week. Do one assignment each night and bring it to school the following day. On Friday, you will be quizzed on the words.

Monday: Look at all of your spelling words and try to come up with different ways to group the words by their similarities and differences (example: nouns/verbs, or double vowels/consonants). Be creative! Write your lists on a piece of paper.

Tuesday: Write a short story (no more than one page, try to use at least 10 of your spelling words).

Wednesday: Create a word search or crossword puzzle (using definitions), using all of your spelling words. Use the graph paper in this packet, or you can create your own using an online puzzle maker (ask an adult for permission first of course!)

Thursday:  Have an adult give you a practice spelling quiz on your own lined paper. Then correct the quiz and score it. Practice any words that were incorrect. Then put the words in ABC order.

 Things going on this week in 4^th Grade:

Saturday, March 3- Falmouth Science Fair @ FHS Field House. Elementary projects can be set up as early as Friday, March 2, between 4:00-6:00 PM and will be informally judged on Saturday, March 3 from 10:00 AM-Noon.

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

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Mr. Hauptmann’s Class Newsletter

Unit 3, Week 6- February 27, 2012

Student’s Name: _______________________________________________

Parent Signature: _______________________________________________