HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Enjoy your summer holidays! Remember, it is time for relaxation, quality time with family and friends and connecting with the things you feel passionate about. It is time to do all those things that you don’t normally get to do in your busy, every day routines.

Enjoy the rest, but don’t forget to get also ready for Middle One – it is going to be an exciting, challenging adventure for you! You are all going to do such an amazing job! Remember, I will want to hear all about it!

But before M1, have a restful and relaxing summer!

And then in September – IGNITE YOUR LIGHT and LET IT SHINE!

Useful Websites

The summer is long… Here is some websites that we have been using this year if you want to have a little play around:

Math:

http://www.superteacherworksheets.com/

http://www.nea.org/tools/lessons/47756.htm

http://math4children.com/Grade4/

http://www.mrmyers.org/Math_Mania/ttmult.html

http://www.mathsisfun.com/numbers/

http://www.free-training-tutorial.com/probability-games.html

http://www.multiplication.com/

http: www.education.com/Worksheets

Humanities and Reading:

http://yourhistorysite.com/Geography%20Web%20Quest/index_files/Page1228.htm

http://www.inkthinktank.com/index.html

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/activities/01/crackcode.html

And this one is for parents about reading comprehension:

http://www.readingresource.net/teachingreadingcomprehension.html

SURPRISE LEAVING PARTY!

What a day we had on Monday! First of all, thank you to all the parents for attending the Math Open House – the room was very full (!) of excitement, laughter and learning! We were even more excited to show you our AMAZING Revolutions Projects – so much of incredible learning had been achieved through the projects and we were happy to have a chance to share that learning with you!

The afternoon was full of surprises! I knew something was going on as I had seen Nina, Lucy and Sam whispering about it all day.  But I could not have expected a more fabulous surprise! The students had put together a leaving party for me! They had gotten Mrs. Descamps involved, who had given them a permission to stay inside for the break and hide away in Mrs. Go’s Science Lab. Then they got Mrs. Jenkins to come and pull me away from my class room with a ridiculous little excuse and while I was with Mrs. Jenkins, Nina, Lucy and Sam laid out the party food with the help of Mrs. Descamps.  They had purchased and prepared vegetables, chips and a dip, Finnish chocolate from the delicious  (Swedish) candy store in West Village called Sockerbit, and Melissa’s cupcakes!

So when I had picked up the class from Long Play, there was this amazing party laid out for all of us! Nina had also prepared a great song/dance list on her Youtube account, starting with the Finnish National Anthem with the Finnish flag as a background! I hope Nina will be able to put her list on the open YOUtube so that I can post it later here on the blog.

We had so much fun dancing around the room, singing together and enjoying the treats!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you to Nina, Lucy, and Sam for organising this wonderful surprise!

Thank you to all J4R students for celebrating with me!

Ms. Ruokanen

J4R Picnic in Central Park

Oh, how much fun we had in Central Park last night! Of course it started raining right at 5 p.m. when we were supposed to gather together, but luckily it was just a little shower that went away quickly and for the rest of night the weather was beautiful! The students all played happily together and parents mingled – what a lovely ending for the wonderful year! Warm thanks to the classparents for organising this marvellous family event!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MATH OPEN HOUSE

Dear Parents of J4R,

On Monday June 11, J4’s are hosting a Math Open House at 9.00. You will have an opportunity to see your children work solving problems and finding results both on hands- on and technology enhanced activities. Join us to learn about the different ways the students engage in Math activities. You are welcome to come anytime during 9.00-9.30.

ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITY

At 9.30 we will send you parents out of the classroom to enjoy some refreshements on the hallway. Around 9.40 we will invite you back in to view the amazing work the students have done researching various revolutions. You will have chance to see posters and  power point presentations on American Revolution and French, Russian, Italian, Belgian, Haitian, Chinese revolutions as well more recent events of Arab Spring and occupy Wall St, amongst others. Come and learn about the power of change!

MONDAY JUNE 11 

9. – 9.30 MATH OPEN HOUSE

9.40-10.00 REVOLUTIONS  

The Last EVER Homework for J4R!

HUMANITIES

You have done a great report/presentation on a revolution you chose. At school we have focused on American Revolution. Compare now the events, causes and outcomes of your revolution and the American Revolution using the Venn Diagram provided. If you researched American Revolution, then make a comparison between Patriot America and Loyalist America.

LITERACY – Writing

The year is coming to an end and it is time to look back and reflect on the year. What were some of the highlights of the year for you? Were there some surprises, disappointments, challenges, learning moments that have really stuck in your mind? Think about your year and tell about the moments that were important to you. Please write this in letter format. You can use a computer or just write it by hand.

MATH

Problem-Solving Skill: Choose a Computation Method. Start with Reteach and then do the Practice.

J4 End of the Year Musical Performance

Dear Parents of J4R,

Just a reminder that the most anticipated event of the year, the J4 End of Year Musical Performance, is soon approaching! The event will take place on Tuesday, June 5 at 9 a.m. in the UNIS theatre. Invitations to this event were sent in the beginning of the month, so hopefully you all have reserved this morning for song and dance! Parents are also welcome to join us in our classroom afterwards for a festive brunch and invited to bring little refreshments for the brunch. This is our official End of the Year celebration, so I am hoping to see many of you there!

Costumes needed for the Performance!

Dear Parents of J4R,

You have received an invitation to our End of the Year Performance that takes place on Tuesday June 5^th at 9 o’clock. We are busy getting ready for the performances but we still have one piece of the puzzle missing: the costumes. Without giving out too much of the details of the performance, I can tell you that we need three different outfits: jungle vines, insects and snakes. The outfits for each character are:

Jungle Vines                                       Insects                                  Snakes

Colorful (orange, green, yellow)   colorful clothing       green, brown, or black tops and

Clothing                                               wings                                    pants

(even red and brown will work)      Antennae                            bathing cap

Find out from your child which part s/he is playing. If you happen to have extras for others in the class as well, and you don’t mind lending them out, please have your child bring them to school. We are especially in need of bathing caps, insect wings and antennae. If you have anything that could be used for these purposes, please send them in. The bathing caps will be drawn on, so think carefully if you want to have Sharpe snake patterns on yours! Please mark each item with your child’s name so that we don’t lose them. Thank you so much for your collaboration and help!

Homework for the Week of May 29 – June 1

HUMANITIES

Explorer Scratch projects – Ms Zammarano has now put all the projects in one. Take some time to look through your friends’ projects and learn about their explorer. Share your own Scratch project with your parents. Find them in here: http://scratch.mit.edu/galleries/view/161183

LITERACY – Writing

At school you have started a piece of writing about your explorer. It is now time to get that piece finished. Remember the genre is historic fiction – you may invent some events in your explorer’s life but they have to fall along the lines of his/her life. Use the facts that you know about his/her life and fill in the gaps with events that could have happened to him/her according to all the knowledge you have gained.

First finish your draft. You may write it on computer straight away if it helps you. Then edit it and share it with your parents. If they give you ideas how to revise your writing, please do that. Then finally type up a nice copy of your final piece. Bring the nice copy to school on Friday.

Dedicate about two nights for the draft and one night for the final nice copy.

MATH

Problem-Solving Skill: Analyze Visual problems – Start with the page 420 and then go to p. 419.

Have a great Memorial Day Weekend!

I’d like to take this opportunity to promote a book that Tal’s dad, Geoff Rodkey has written:

The Cronicles of Egg: Deadweather and Sunrise

I have not read it yet (but it is arriving in the mail next week) but here are some reviews from people who have:

http://medinger.wordpress.com/2012/04/19/coming-soon-geoff-rodkeys-deadweather-and-sunset/

and another:

http://rickriordan.blogspot.com/2012/04/deadweather-and-sunrise-avast-ye.html

It might not make it to this holiday weekend’s reading, but maybe to the summer holiday reading list! I know J4r students are fans of this genre, so I’m looking forward to hearing how they like the book.

Have a lovely long weekend with hopefully many opportunities to read as well!