Monthly Archives: November 2019

Mitten Tree

Dear Families,
Our annual Mitten Tree will be set up in the Hambright lobby. Let’s synergize and fill our tree with mittens, hats, scarves, and gloves that will be donated to families in need. All sizes from infant to adult will be accepted. Donations must be new and are due by Thursday, December 19. Thank you for helping to keep Penn Manor families warm this winter!  

While you are Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, or Cyber Monday shopping, please keep this in mind.  

What a week!

We had a very busy, productive, learning week.

We ended the week with a great All-School Closing. One kiddo reminded me to take a photo of the “Great Outdoors” in my classroom, but it was too late. So sorry!

During the assembly, Szentesy Squad’s very own Adaliah R. was recognized as the Leader of the Month. Way to go! The excitement and cheers from other classmates was the best part. Hearing the congratulations and pride from other members of the Szentesy Squad show the true pride they have in one another. Keep it up!

Morgan M. was also a participant in the Thanksgiving Trivia Contest. While we were not the #1 winners, all contestants displayed good sportsmanship. She even nailed the last question (which came down to the last participant….the teachers didn’t even know the answers. Fantastic!)

Math: The students may have “test corrections” in their planners. Please note….the test will not be returned to the students until Monday. They can work on Test Corrections then! We will also review the Math Benchmark test from Chapters 4-6. The bulk of chapter 7 will be covered in December.

We are continuing the Unit 3 in Reading. Understanding non-fiction and learning the different text structures (like the way a house is built). We will continue this next week.

There will be no spelling words given until December.

If students have/wear glasses, would you please have them for Monday? The nurses will administer the height/weight/VISION screening and we need to ensure that they receive an accurate reading. Thank you!

Next Wednesday is the mid-point of this marking period! How did that happen??

Thank you for all of the donations for the Thanksgiving families!

Reminder that next Wednesday is an early dismissal. Students are dismissed at 1:30. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving break!

November Updates

Thank you to the families who came to school last week. It was uplifting to share your child’s progress and discuss goals for the rest of fourth grade. Together, as a team, the children will succeed!

This week:
Reading: Unit Two focused on Main Idea/Supporting Details of a non-fiction text. The students seemed to enjoy reading some more realistic texts and learning as they read. The practice test seemed to help them culminate the work this week. The assessment will be given on Thursday and Friday. There IS a TDA section and I think the students are prepared to tackle this task!

Math: Wow! “Long Division is tough!” That phrase was heard last week. But if you were in class on Wednesday, you heard “Whoa, this makes sense now!” What a joy. Some students are making use of manipulatives (using base ten rods and blocks to build the numbers and separate them into groups), other classmates are using the algorithm (which many parents remember using to learn long division). The Long Division family helps to remember the steps. They are working very hard on this difficult skill. We are looking to give the test next Thursday, Nov. 21.

Spelling: We are back to regular spelling, with the review Lesson 10 this week. Testing will take place on Friday, as normally occurs.

Special activities:
Monday was a special treat when Mr. Howe shared his experiences in the military, and taught us about the history of the Marines.

Wednesday we had a great Crime Scene Science assembly. Ask your child how to find evidence in solving a case like the one at the Animal Hospital in today’s assembly with Mr. Jeff! (footprints, DNA, fingerprints, etc.).

Friday is the Hambright Family Fun Night – Movie Night!!!

Content: Looking at next week for the Social Studies test (possibly Thursday, the 21st).

Reminder: Thank you for the many donations of Canned Yams (sweet potatoes?). The final day to accept any will be this Friday. Many families in the community are grateful for helping to make their holiday season a bit better.

Kindness: Today we celebrated World Kindness Day. After reading One Smile, the boys and girls on the Szentesy Squad brainstormed many simple ways to show kindness. This is truly a special bunch of fourth graders!

Heads Up: A few items have gone missing from our classroom. Thank you for being on the look-out at home for them!

Weather: We try to get outside as often as possible. Thank you for sending your child dressed appropriately for the weather (layers are best, as it can get warm inside). If you need any assistance in cold-weather gear, we have many resources available who are more than happy to help, sharing kindness in multiple ways.





Conference Reminders

Parents: Thank you in advance for your time this week. I look forward to sharing more about your student’s progress this marking period. Thank you for being prompt, as our 15 minutes together will pass quickly!

See you on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday this week!

Thank you,
~Miss Szentesy

(Students have an Early Dismissal Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday)