April 4th, 2010 News from Portable 4

L’équipe P4
M m e . T o m s

IS SPRING IN THE AIR?

The snow is finally ingly. Here’s to hoping units, and a look at our
HOT TOPICS starting to melt, hoo- that spring is just nation. Looks like a
ray! However the rain around the corner. great time in Portable 4.
Is Spring in the air? 1 and the puddles have April should be a quick
arrived. The weather and fun month in the
Homework Discussion 1 seems to be a little classroom with many Mme. Toms
funny with sightings of new things brought to
What’s going on in P4 2
snow from time to the table. Presentations,
time. Students are re- painting, new forms of
Dates to remember 3
minded to dress accord- writing, new math

H O M E WO R K D IS C U S S IO N !

We are now almost (due every Thurs- ture.

two months into term day) Absences:
2 and homework Reading log
Contact with the teacher…
completion is still a If a student is away, it
If at any time throughout the
(started in Febru- is their responsibility
year you need to speak with me
big problem in the ary and due every
or would like to book a teacher/ classroom. Students to ensure that they
parent conference regarding a Friday) catch up on work that
concern or a question, I encour- are responsible for 3
age parents/guardians to let me pieces of homework Please continue to was missed and hand
know ahead of time in order to
weekly: read your child’s in any work that was
get your child’s file ready. We can
schedule conferences before or agenda and sign it due upon their return
right after school. You can use Mots de la se- daily. If homework to school.
your child’s agenda for communi- maine (words of has not been handed
cation purposes as I will be sign-
ing them daily. You can also call the week- due in there will be a note
at convenient hours such as be-
fore or after school (905) 665-
every Tuesday) written in the agenda,
2001.
Journal de Math this requires a signa-
Page 2 L’équipe P4

WHAT’ S GOING ON THIS MONTH IN P ORTABLE 4

Math: and create some great scen- a minimum of 10 seconds.
Just after our March ery to enhance their produc- We have also been learning
Break return, we com- tion. We are now focusing how to serve both forehand
pleted out short addition on procedural writing, spe- and backhand.
and subtraction unit where cifically recipes. Students Health: We learned a lot
students learned a variety will be learning verb tense, about growth and develop-
of strategies that can help new vocabulary and struc- ment and the characteristics
them mentally add and ture of a procedural piece of of a good friend. We will
subtract. We are now writing. now be looking at good prob-
working on measurement, Science: Light and sound lem solving techniques as
using decimeters, centime- are our first areas of study well as influences that shape
ters and millimeters. Stu- this term. Students com- and affect our lives.
dents will learn how to pleted the sound component Art: April will have the stu-
measure lines using all prior to March Break, leav- dents learning to paint. We
three of these units as well ing us now to concentrate will be looking at mixing col-
as how to make conver- on light. We have been do- ours, creating colour hues
sions between units. Our ing several experiments in and using tools to create dot
next unit will be multipli- class to learn the different art.
cation and division. Stu- properties of light.
dents will be successful Music: We have continued to
Social Studies: By then end work on beat and rhythm
with this unit if they prac- of April, students will be
tice their multiplication ta- diving into our Social stud- and the 4/4 count. Students
bles nightly. Cue cards, have just begun to create a
ies unit on Canada. Stu- song to accompany their
questioning, mental math dents will learn mapping
activities are all good ways skills, how to create a map, fairy tale using a well known
to learn our multiplication what symbols represent on a song or nursery rhyme tune
tables. In class, students such as Twinkle twinkle little
map and why they are used. star. We will then begin
will be completing mental We will then look into Can-
math activities daily. learning the recorder.
ada’s natural resources.
Language: Our fairy tale ** Just a reminder that stu-
Physical Education: Fitness dents have been asked to
unit presentations were was our focus in February
wonderful, with a lot of bring in their own recorder
and March. We have also by April 11th**
effort put forth throughout begun a unit on Badminton,
the unit. Students worked where students are learning
hard to learn their lines how to keep a rally going for
 KEY DATES TO REMEMBER:
April 6th: Author’s Showcase
April 13th : Crazy Hair/ Crazy hat day
April 19th: Pizza Day
April 22nd: Good Friday (No school)
April 25th: Easter Monday (No school)
April 27th: Popcorn Day
April 29th: Dance-a-thon

Be sure to take a look at the school website calendar for other relevant information
and important dates.

SCHOLASTIC
Scholastic orders will continue to be handed out monthly to students. Due dates for
forms and money will be written in the agenda as well as on the school website.
Please make cheques payable to Scholastic Canada.