Post #17

It truly is the most wonderful time of the year! I hope you all enjoyed the Gift Service as much as I did. The girls were poised, graceful, articulate, and sounded like angels. I have to compliment this group of Fourthies for maintaining focus and staying engaged in all of our academics this week. They transitioned beautifully and went with the flow with schedule changes and rehearsals.

We wrapped up the decimal math unit. The girls did a great job on the cumulative assessment (test was sent home in work packets on Thursday) and even aced balancing a checkbook. We discussed the importance of absolute attention to detail when working with money and decimals. The girls completed several difficult EdPuzzles that involved multiple steps and large digit multiplication. Ask your daughter about Monty the Penguin, West Jet Christmas Miracle, Canadian Tire Company, and Coke's Random Act of Kindness campaign.

The girls wrote Christmas cards to eight-year-old Sa'fyre Terry of Schenectady, NY. Sa'fyre lost her family in a house fire and suffered severe burns. We talked about the struggles this little girls has and will have in her life. The girls' messages to Sa'fyre were so sweet. There was no formal Writing Lab this week but the girls managed to practice some editing skills with sound bites from The Grinch and "texted" Santa using Wordly Wise words. You can see their faux texts in this collaborative slideshow. Here's a sample:


We reviewed literary elements, particularly the difference between static and dynamic characters. After watching an animated A Christmas Carol, the girls reflected on the literary elements and even wrote an alternate ending to the famous story.

The holiday fun continued this week! The girls had a little green adventure and made candy Christmas trees with a following direction activity. Some did get a little carried away and ended up with mustaches:) But really, shouldn't green mustaches be allowed the week before Christmas??


The girls made mini nativity scenes and we all enjoyed watching the Abstract Noun Animotos. Be sure to check them out. They will definitely put you in the Christmas spirit! And finally here is the best rendition of Jingle Bells that you will ever hear. Enjoy!

I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas and a fun filled relaxing vacation. See you in 2016!