I cannot believe that tomorrow is December!  Where has the time gone?  We have been busy in class learning about theme, progressive verb tenses, and how to answer an essay question using text evidence this week.  We have also been looking forward to seeing what our mischievous elf is up to every day.  So far, he has been seen holding hands with Minnie Mouse and today he was napping in the library!  (Who doesn't like to nap after reading a good book?) I wonder what he will be up to for the rest of the month!

We have so many things going on in the month of December. The arrival of Santa is always a highlight, and I look forward to our traditional viewing of the Polar Express in the gym with the entire school. Our PTO makes THE BEST popcorn and hot chocolate!  :) (Not to mention it is always fun to wear pajamas to school!)

The 4th graders have been keeping a log of their AR books read and tests taken.  So far, we are leading the school in points.  We talk a lot about how to choose the right book, taking care to use our strategies when we struggle with a text, and always trying our best.  Please keep encouraging your student(s) to keep reading and allow them to find and read books they love.  That makes it more fun!

I like to highlight a student author when they bring me something phenomenal.  It is quite fun to see the  creativity in how they use their words.  This month, I am sharing two poems from Jaylyn.  I think you will love them as much as I did when I first read them.

Gloomy
Gloomy days, gloomy rains
Gloomy can be every ways
Gloomy is the sadness in all
of our drains.

The Rocky Road

The rock lined road is the way to freedom.

The rock lined road takes the freedom away.

The rock lined road is the way to take.

If you take that road away
you'll always take that way back home.

Take you there and take you home
there's nothing but the rocky road.

~Jaylyn

Back to school time has been a huge success in our room!  I have three awesome groups of fourth graders, and they are all so very talented in many different ways!  DEAR time (drop everything and read) is going very well, and the fourth grade is currently leading the school in AR points!  Let's keep the momentum going! 

Fall/Fair break is next week.  Even though school is out, you should be reading every day.  I can't wait to dig into a few books on my list during our time off!  Remember, you don't have to be at school to take those AR tests! 

Below I would like to share an essay one of my stellar students wrote:

This is my personal opinion about the world.  Starting with the pollution and people destroying animals habitats.  I think that people should not cut down as many trees.  We should respect animals and their land.  We do not realize that animals were here first and they protect us.  Bee's make food for us.  Bat's collect bugs and mosquitoes.  The citizens mistake them and think they are very dangerous.  One thing we can do to know more about them is to get outside and help.

Another problem is unfairness.  Sometimes people are treated unfairly just because they are different.  Like Martin Luther King, JR was black and he tried really hard to change segregation.  Now blacks and whites still need to encourage each other.  I believe that our skin and hair is just the outside.  What matters most is your inside. 

My third opinion is that you shouldn't have to pay for life needs.  Some homeless people don't have money for food and water.  A lot of people suffer and lose family members because they don't have needs.  My family has that problem of not enough money for bills.  People have to pay around 200 dollars for a car.  I think we should lower prices a lot for the homeless and poor. 

My fourth problem is drugs and crime.  People should not have access to drugs unless the doctor gives them some.  When people are drugged, they sometimes go crazy.  They will kill people, injure them and get themselves in trouble.  Sometimes they steal without drugs.  When they just steal because they want it they break the commandments.  If people would be thankful for what they have, they would be a better person.

I want to help donate to people who lost things in the natural disasters.
                                  -K.D.