Happy Thanksgiving! The fourth graders in Room 17 just completed their first pen pal letter to fourth graders in Somalia, Sierra Leone to be exact. We're hoping to get return letters next month from this troubled spot in the world. Writing isn't easy for anyone, but the fourth graders are motivated knowing that there is an audience for these letters and that subsequent correspondence will likely follow. Later this school year, we'll learn to write business letters, a more complicated format to be sure. For more thirty years, the American Quarterhorse Association in Amarillo, Texas has responded to this class project with packets of information and more for each student sending a letter. Yes, learning to write well has many rewards!

Homework. Let's review what constitutes homework for Room 17. All students should read at home for at least fifteen minutes. Even though we read a lot at school, a large volume of reading is required in order to become an independent reader, which more than anything else, will make future success in school. Any assignments not finished at school can be taken home for finishing or checking over. Assignments are always due the next day before 8:10 AM. Current events or news items, which are short summaries written on cards obtained from the classroom, are encouraged but not required. We discuss them in class each day and the students bringing them in receive a "prize."
Next month the 'Family History Report Project' assignment will be given. It will require some additional homework, mostly in the form of interviews of family members, possibly over the holidays. The students do not need to finish the whole report over the holidays, but often it is a good time to visit (interview) with relatives. Students will receive instruction on conducting the interviews and a sheet with assignment details on December 19th.

 

Parent/Teacher conferences start next week on Thursday and Friday.

Below is the revised draft of our personal narrative with revision and proofreading help from the fourth-graders. We hope you like it!

Jake

His name was Jake. I'm pretty sure that was his name although I didn't know his owners. He was the neighborhood dog from across the street. We had lots of fun together, but there was one adventure I'll never forget.

I used to run a three mile route around the neighborhood about three or four times a week. One day Jake started following me as I left the driveway.  Thinking he would soon turn around and go home, I kept running. Every time I turned, expecting him to be gone, there he was running right behind me.

After a few blocks I noticed we were approaching a dangerous situation. Two boys in Halloween masks glared at us from the street corner. I could tell they were the neighborhood troublemakers, Roscoe and Jed. Jed had a BB gun and demanded I give him two dollars. Meanwhile, Jake let out a deep growl.

As Jake's growl grew louder and more threatening, Roscoe and Jed were so scared they began to shake. Then Jake snarled and bared his large teeth. That caused both Roscoe and Jed to pee their pants and run off screaming in high-pitched voices. In fact, Jed was so terrified that he dropped the BB gun before running off like a scared rabbit. I picked it up and smashed it in two against a telephone pole.

After that, Jake and I went on many more runs together through the neighborhood. I suppose he was my bodyguard as well as my running companion, but I still don’t know who he belonged to. A few years ago he passed away. I will never forget Jake.

 

                                                          Mr. Burnett and Room 17