Quarter 3, Week 9

Hello Families!

Oh my goodness, I cannot believe we are already at the end of the third quarter! This last week is sure to go by fast! I hope that you all will enjoy the time off during spring break.

What's going on in 4A

• We will be celebrating all the hard work the students put in this quarter with a party on Friday. Look for an email with details and a sign-up coming soon!
• Wednesday is the last day to turn in late/missing work from Q3. This ensures that we will have enough time to get everything graded and recorded before the break. Students should know what they are missing, as missing work reports were handed out this past week, but if you have any questions, feel free to reach out!
• Spring Break is nearly here! We are out of school March 9-16. We will return to school on Tuesday, March 17.

Lessons

Roots: Wednesday students will take the cumulative roots test over all 75 roots learned so far this year. This test will be in the format of multiple choice. They will be given the language and root (for example: Latin- centum) and then students will choose from four definition/derivative choices. 

Writing: This week students will practice their creative writing with writing prompts that are tied in with what we have been learning about in history. Students will continue working on paragraph editing worksheets. 

Math: Monday students will take the test over adding and subtracting decimals. Students will then learn how to multiply using decimals, with the test over that material on Thursday. 

Poetry: It is finally time to recite! Monday and Tuesday students will recite their stanzas from Paul Reveres Ride. 

Spalding: Monday: approval, approve, available, avoid, banana, biscuits, bottle, bottom, bruised, bruise, changeable, change, chapter, chimney, choir, chorus Tuesday: compete, deceive, determination, determined, determine, discoveries, discovery, discover, electricity, electrician, electrical, electric, entered, error, err.

History: We will be finishing up this unit on the Revolutionary War and having the test on Thursday. As a reminder, history is open-notes for tests and quizzes. Students should work to ensure their notebooks are complete and accurate.

Science: We will be spending the next few weeks of school reviewing in preparation for the AIMES testing (AZ standardized science test) which will take place in the second week of quarter 4. To review, students will take an AIMES practice test, and we will grade and review the answers together. These practice tests do count as a grade for the students, but will be entered as a homework grade, not a test grade. This week we will be grading and reviewing a practice test from last week. 

Important Dates

Monday & Tuesday: Poetry Recitations

Monday: Adding & Subtracting Decimals Test

Wednesday: Cumulative Roots Test

Thursday: Multiplying Decimals Test; Revolutionary War Test

Quarter 3, Week 8

What's going on in 4A

• This week we will have Galileo Testing on Wednesday, February 26 for math and Thursday, February 27 for ELA. Please make sure your students are well rested and eat a healthy breakfast on these days! 

• I have implemented a rewards drawing in our class where students have the opportunity to win things like eating a snack during class, sit anywhere for the rest of the day, and 5 minutes extra recess. One reward that you may notice or hear about is a homework pass. These are signed by me when given out, and students are able to use them on a homework assignment of their choice. They cannot be used on things like study guides or poetry recitations. Let me know if you have any questions. 

Lessons

Roots: We will have a larger roots check this week in preparation for the cumulative test coming in week 9. This week students will have a check over the 4 new roots learned last week, as well as 11 older roots, for a total of 15 words. Students should be reviewing their roots cards for a few minutes each night. 

Writing: Students will have get to work on various creative writing exercises this week in lieu of writing a three paragraph essay. We will not have a writing workshop day this week. I am very pleased with the growth our students have shown in their writing skills over the past few weeks!

Math: Students will test over rounding on Monday. Monday night students will have a cumulative review for homework, and we will have a cumulative review test on Tuesday. We will not have math on Wednesday (since students will be taking the Galileo math test). We will begin learning how to add and subtract decimals on Thursday. 

Spalding: Monday: conference, conferred, confer, Wednesday, really, real, celebration, folks, folk, aches, ache, amusement, angrily, angry, anger Tuesday: approval, approve, available, avoid, banana, biscuits, bottle, bottom, bruised, bruise, changeable, change, chapter, chimney

Poetry: This is the last week students have to memorize their stanza of Paul Revere's Ride. Half of the class will recite the poem on Monday, March 2 and the rest will recite on Tuesday, March 3rd. 

Science: There will be a geology test on Monday! Next we will begin a broad science review in preparation for the AIMES science testing during quarter 4. 

History: There will be a Revolutionary War test on Tuesday. We will continue learning about American Revolution this week. 

Quarter 3, Week 7

Hello Families! 

I sure missed our Great Hearts Day celebrations on Friday! I am so thankful for parents that helped Mrs. Baugh with our class party and helped our kiddos have a great day! I spent the day caring for my daughter who was sick with strep throat. I am looking forward to getting back in the classroom with your scholars this week!

Lessons

Roots: We will have a roots check over #65, 66. & 67, along with 2 review roots. We will learn 3 new roots this week. Student should be reviewing their roots regularly in preparation for the cumulative review quiz at the end of this quarter.

Writing: We will be having another writing workshop on Thursday. This gives the students practice working through the writing process beginning to end in one day.

Math: We will review hundredths on Tuesday, and test over that material Wednesday. After that we will continue learning about decimals by learning about the thousandths place.

Poetry: Students should be practicing their stanza of Paul Revere's Ride. They will recite this during week 9.

Spalding: Tuesday: estimate, accident, invitation, invite, accept, except, impossible, concern, automobile, association, associate, various, vary, very. Wednesday: decision, decide, entitle, political, national, nation, recent, business, busy, refer, minute, minute, ought, absence, absent. We will test over these 29 words on Friday.

Science: Students will be finishing up the geology unit this week by learning about soil and beginning to fill out the study guide for the upcoming test. 

History: This week students will be learning about how the colonies were preparing for war, the Battle of Bunker Hill, and the Declaration of Independence. Students will begin filling out the study guide for the upcoming test. 

Quarter 3, Week 6

Hello Families!

I hope you all enjoyed the 3-day weekend! Here's a look at what we have going on in week 6!

What's going on in 4A:

• This Friday, February 14th we will be celebrating Great Hearts Day. We have reserved this special day as a day to focus on the virtue of friendship and celebrate the traits that make a great-hearted student. We are planning interactive and fun activities centered around these topics. Archway Arete strives to cultivate a rich academic environment rooted in the classical tradition. Many times this requires popular culture be left at the door. On that note, students will not be permitted to bring in store bought valentines, candy, or gifts to school. Thank you for partnering with us. 

• You can sign up here to help with our Great Hearts Day party by volunteering or sending in supplies. 

• As always, dates given in this update are approximate and subject to change. Sometimes students grasp material quicker than I anticipate, and the dates are moved up, or we need more time to practice and learn, so the dates are moved back. The information in your students planner will be the most accurate and up to date. Feel free to email if you have any questions. 

Lessons

Roots: There will be a comprehension check on roots #62-64 Monday. This week we will learn three new roots.

Writing: We will hold a writing workshop on Thursday. Starting first thing in the morning, the students will spend the entire day working on their writing project. We will start at the beginning, by reading the articles, and work through the entire process until they type their final draft. The only other subject we will have on Thursday will be math. We will not have an ELA block on the other days this week. 

Math: This week students will start learning about decimals! We will start with tenths, and continue to hundredths by the end of the week. There will be a test on tenths on Wednesday.

Poetry: Students should continue to work on memorizing their stanza of Paul Revere's Ride. We will recite these the week of March 2, week 9. 

Spalding: Students will learn 15 words Monday: solution, source, speech, steak, successful, tails, tales, tear, tear, telephone, throughout, traffic, United States, unite, unit; and 15 words Tuesday: valuable, value, wore, worn, circular, circle, argument, argue, volume, organize. We will review the words on Wednesday. There will be no Spalding on Thursday, and we will test on Friday. 

Science: Students will learn about mountains and rocks. On Tuesday students will take a life science review quiz. 

History: Students will take the unit test Monday. This unit begins with the early colonists and covers up to the Boston Tea Party. Next, students will learn about how the colonies resisted the Intolerable Acts and how the Revolutionary War began. We will read Patrick Henry's "Give Me Liberty, or Give Me Death" speech.

Literature: We will continue reading Carry On, Mr. Bowditch. We have had many students without books. Please remind your child to bring their book in. If your child does not have a book, please let me know and I can check one out of the library for them. 

Important Dates

Monday: history test, roots check

Wednesday: math test

Thursday: Writing Workshop

Friday: Spalding test, Great Hearts Day

Quarter 3, Week 5

Hello Families! 

What a fun week we had! On Thursday afternoon we were able to go out and explode some volcanoes! The students had so much fun! They had freedom repeat the experiment multiple times and to see what would happen if they varied the amount of baking soda or vinegar, or see how adding dish soap would change it. 

Friday we represented Thebes in Arete's Field Day! Thank you so much to our parent volunteers who came out to cheer us on and those of you who sent in snacks and drinks. Our class played their hearts out, and we came in second place! They cheered as I hung that silver crown up in our classroom. I was so proud of them and I think they felt proud of themselves as well. What a great way to end the week! 

What's going on in 4A

There is no school this Friday, February 7. 

Lessons

Roots: Students will take a roots check over the 4 roots learned last week, as well as 2 older roots. Students will learn 3 new roots this week. 

Writing: Students will be peer editing the rough drafts of their writing projects and typing their final drafts. We will continue our focus on writing three paragraph essays throughout this quarter in preparation for the upcoming AZ Merit tests. 

Math: This week students will study area and perimeter. We will learn about area on Monday, perimeter on Tuesday, and test over both concepts on Wednesday. Students will work on Khan Academy on Thursday. 

Poetry: Last week students were assigned their stanza of Paul Revere's Ride to memorize. We will be reciting this the week of March 2nd. Please encourage your child to spend 5 minutes practicing each night. This may count towards their 20 minutes of nightly reading. 

Spalding: Monday's words are: group, health, listened, listen, nickel, niece, northern, southern, eastern, western, poet, poetic, poetry, poem. Tuesday's words are: potatoes, potato, pressure, produce, product, purchased, purchse, quarrel, radio, recess, saucer, secret, similar, sleigh, society, social. We will review all 30 words on Wednesday and test on Thursday. 

History: This week students will learn about the Townshend Act and the Boston Tea Party. Students will fill out their study guides and will have the unit test next week. 

Science: Students will complete the study guide in class on Monday, and will have the geology test on Wednesday. The weekly notebook pages are: p. 215, p.221, p.222, & p.224.

Literature: We will continue reading Carry On, Mr. Bowditch. 

Important Dates

Wednesday: Science Test (geology), Math Test (area and perimeter)

Thursday: Spalding Test

Friday: NO SCHOOL