December 10th, 2017

Good afternoon,

Today in Math, our Grade 5 students reviewed adding larger numbers. This is a concept that students have worked on in other years, however, many of our Grade 5 students are struggling to properly add larger numbers. Mainly, students are not properly lining up their place value places. It is important that students slow down and make sure that all the ones places are lined up, all the tens places are lined up, etc. Check out the video below: 
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We will be moving on to subtraction next, so make sure you are practicing Grade 5. 

Our Grade 4 students are also working on multi-digit addition. Today we focused on two main strategies that students can use. The first is adding from right to left, as seen in the above video. This is the strategy that most students are familiar with either from previous years, parents, etc. 

In this strategy, students line up their place value places. The begin by adding the ones place. In the example above, students would add 3 + 1 + 2 = 6. They would then add the tens place. In the example above, students would add 8 + 2 + 2 = 12. Since 12 is too large for the answer place (number 10 and up are too big!), we keep the 2 and carry the 1 to the next place value place - the hundreds place. They would then add the hundreds place. In the example above, students would add 3 + 4 + 1 = 8 + 1 = 9. We have to add the extra one that we carried, remember! So the sum to 383 + 421 + 122 would be 926. You can watch the above video for more examples of this strategy. 

You can also add from left to right. This strategy requires carefully considering each place value place you are using:

In this above example, students begin by adding the thousands place (from left to right). Students would add 4000 + 3000 = 7000. Next students move on to add the hundreds place. Students would add 300 + 200 = 500. Next students move on to add the tens place. Students would add 50 + 10 = 60. Finally, students would add the ones place. Students would ad 7 + 2 = 9. Finally, students need to add the partial sums together to get the final sum. Students would add 7000 + 5000 + 60 + 9 = 7569. 

Remember Grade 4's, you are free to use the strategy that works best for you. If you prefer to add from right to left, add from right to left. If you prefer to add from left to right, add from left to right. Just make sure that whatever strategy you use, you carefully line up your place value places. 

We started to decorate our door for our annual door decorating contest today. We are using recyclables (thank you parents for any donations). We are working on an Arctic theme for our door. We are inspired by some of the artwork created by Inuit artists in Cape Dorset, Nunavut. You can see some examples of traditional Inuit artwork in the following video: 
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​I am excited to see what our finished product looks like and to share it with all of you. Students are off to a great start and we have some great things underway already. 

In Language Arts today, we started to look at letter writing. Specifically, today we talked about the differences between writing a business letter and a friendly letter. Many of these differences have to do with the different purposes and audiences of these letters. For example, you might write a business letter to the head of a company when applying for a job. You might write a friendly letter to a close friend to invite them to dinner. The different purposes and audiences of these intended letters mean that we have to make some changes to the form of the letters we write. 
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​We will be getting to practice writing friendly letters in more detail this week, as we are going to begin writing to our penpals from Sexsmith, Alberta. 

Agenda
Language Arts:
- Read 20 minutes
- Book Talk (Dec. 20th)

Math:
- Grade 4: pgs. 19-20
- Grade 5: pg. 51 #4, 5

Science:
- Toilet paper rolls
- Wrapping/Scrapbook Paper

Other:
- Tech & Trades: Done until January
- Choir: Done until January
- Guitar Club: Thursdays until 4:15 pm 
- Art Club: Wednesdays until 4:15 pm
- CG Recyclers: Day 2, Lunch/Recess
- Chess Club: Day 3, Lunch Recess
- Hot Lunches, order at christinagordon.hotlunches.net 
​- Winter Concert, December 14th
- Fri-yay Popcorn, Friday (bring $2)