Spelling List Week of April 1

Name:__________________________      Date:___________________________

Spelling Lesson 10– Test on Friday, April 4, 2014

Short Vowels:  a, i, o, u

1.     instead

2.     trouble

3.     young

4.     January

5.     blanket

6.     backpack

7.     figure

8.     closet

9.     caught

10.  cot

11.  cloth

12.  clothes

13.  cousin

14.  couple

15.  tough

16.  rough

17.  enough

18.  won’t

19.  didn’t

20.  couldn’t

Challenge: (We will discuss the meanings of these words this week.)

21.  temporary

22.  permanent

23.  recreation

24.  adjacent

25.  indifferent

Spelling Routine:

Monday:

___Write each spelling word you missed five times correctly.

___Look up the 5 challenge words in the dictionary – include part of speech.

Tuesday:

___Write 8 sentences using 8 spelling words – including the ones you missed in the pre-test.

Wednesday:

___Finish your Savvy paragraph essay.

Thursday:

___Study for test on Friday morning. Good Luck! 

WRITING CHECKLIST:

___Each sentence begins with a capital letter.

___Each sentence ends with the appropriate punctuation mark (period, question mark, exclamation point).

___I checked all punctuation marks – apostrophes, commas, colons, semicolons.

___I indented the first line of my paragraph/story.

___I proofread for simple spelling mistakes (esp. your, you’re, to, too, two, it’s, its, there, their, they’re).

___My writing makes sense and says what I want it to say.

___MY WRITING IS NEAT AND LEGIBLE.

Savvy Paragraph Brainstorming Worksheet

What’s Your Savvy?

Name:____________________

1)     In the novel what is a “savvy” within the Beaumont family?  Include three examples from the different characters.

2)     In Chapter 13 Mibs finally begins to cry, and Samson comforts her.  For a moment, she wonders if Samson’s savvy is comforting people and giving them courage.  Then she reflects to herself, “Perhaps Samson’s strengthening touch was just an ordinary sort of human magic, the kind of magic that exists in the honest, heartfelt concern of one person for another” (113).   Do you think there is such thing as ordinary human magic? Give one example.

3)      In Chapter 14 Mibs explains, “Momma said that lots and lots of ordinary folk have a savvy, but most simply don’t recognize it for what it is.  One person might make strawberry jam so good that no one can get enough of it.  Another might know just the right time to plant corn so that it’s juicy and sweet as sugar on the hottest day of summer…There are even those folk who never get splashed by mud after a rainstorm or bit by a single mosquito in the summertime” (122).

Grandpa also explains to Mibs that  “A savvy’s not a sickness or a disease…it’s not magic or sorcery, either.  Your savvy’s in your blood.  It’s an inheritance, like our brown eyes or your grandma’s long toes or her talent for dancing to polka music” (Law 121).  What do you think “savvies” actually symbolize?

4)     What do you think Ingrid Law is telling us about ourselves?

What are some of your savvies?  Be as specific as possible.  Include an example in life or the time you first discovered this special power or quality.

Shining Stars Template Letter

Letter to a Local Business

Requesting a Donation for Shining Stars

Name: ______________________

Business: __________________________________

Address:____________________________

              ____________________________

              ____________________________

Phone: ______________________________

Contact person (or manager):____________________

Information about Shining Stars:

I am writing to you on behalf of The Shining Stars. The Shining Stars is an organization that sponsors kids with cancer come to Aspen for a week to ski while taking a break from the hospital. 

One of the events the kids do is Bingo Night. I would like to request a donation item that could be used for prizes. Prizes. Items might include t-shirts, sweat shirts, caps, hats, mittens, and toys for children ages 8-18.

If you have a donation, please call or write Annie Garrett at the following number or address: 970-379-1616 or anniegarrett@aspencountryday.net.

Thank you so much for your thoughtful generosity!  It means so much to these kids.

                                                                        Sincerely,

Your Address:

                                                                                                DATE:

Aspen Country Day School

3 Music School Road

Aspen, Colorado 81611

Business Address:

Dear_________________ , 

(Indent) Paragraph I.  TELL THE PURPOSE OF YOUR LETTER. AND TELL ABOUT SHINING STARS:

(Indent) Paragraph II.  ASK FOR DONANTION AND SUGGEST TYPES OF DONATIONS:

(Indent) Paragraph III. WHO TO CONTACT WITH DONATION:

(Indent) Paragraph IV. THANK THEM:

                                                                                      Sincerely,

Egypt!

Dear Fourth Grade Parents,

Please find attached the calendar of deadlines for the Egypt project.

The final Egypt presentation will be at 10:15 in the Lower School Commons on Thursday, March 6, 2014.

Almost all elements of the research, writing, planning, and execution of this project will be accomplished at school.  Just to keep you filled in to the process, however, here is some information about the project.  I have highlighted in bold the areas where direct parental involvement is needed.

There are essentially two different elements of this presentation:

·       Part I is the god/goddess/pharaoh/queen speeches

·       Part II is the group exhibits and posters displaying research on different topics of Egypt, such as the Nile, Mummification, and Pyramids. (We are calling this portion Egypt II.) 

In the final presentation, the students will first give their speeches in costume to the audience.  Then the students will disperse to their group exhibits, and the audience members will visit different booths at their leisure.

Costumes and Headdresses: The only part of this project that is specifically a homework assignment is the costumes for gods/goddesses/pharaohs/queens.  Our goal is authentic, inexpensive, kid-made projects and costumes.  Although I want to encourage as much independence on this project as possible, any support you can offer with art supplies, costume advice, or hot-glue-gun supervision, however, would be greatly appreciated.   (That being said, I am also more than happy to help any families with costumes after school or during recess. I have a lot of extra fabric, etc.!)

Group Research and Posters: The Egypt II research and poster design will all occur at school, so that I can teach them the process of group research, layout, and visual design.  All that is needed from parents is a 3-way folding poster board (foam-core or cardboard) from one member of each group.

Three-Dimensional Projects: We will be working in class on the Egypt II research and posters.  Depending on their vision, the kids may choose to plan play-dates to construct their three-dimensional creations.  The kids will also be able to use class time to work their 3-D projects if it is too difficult to meet after school.  If students do not use their class time wisely, however, they will need to complete their 3-D projects at home.  

As always, thank you so much for all of your support.  Please feel free to contact me at any time with any questions.

Sincerely,

Annie

970-379-1616