September 8-12, 2014

Thank you for helping your son/daughter study their multiplication facts!

Help Needed!  We need a mom or dad that can donate time to our class to file on Fridays for Friday Folders.  Please let me know if you can help, even  one or two times a month would be greatly appreciated.

• Most students have done an awesome job keeping up with the weekly blog and completing the homework assigned. Included in this week’s blog is a rubric for at home writing prompts (under the important forms link, under Classroom Resources on the left). Please encourage your son/daughter to read the rubric and edit and revise their writing before turning it in.
• The minutes required for Weekly Reading Logs has been changed to 100 minutes to keep everything fair between all fourth graders, between all three fourth grade classrooms.

Dates to Remember:

• Wednesday, September 10th: Cookie dough orders due
• Thursday, September 11th: Picture Retakes
• Friday, September 26th: Early release at 1:00 and Carnival

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• Please read below and complete the web on a piece of paper:

If the images do not load, please click here.

• Writing Prompt: If you found $20 on the ground, explain what you would do with it.

Notice that below we have attached the rubric for your writing prompt. Please share with your parents the discussions we had in class about following the prompt! This will also remain as a link under "Classroom Resources" on the top left side of the blog.

September 2-5, 2014

Thank you for helping your son/daughter study their multiplication facts!

• Students are working on getting their class work and homework in on time. Students are responsible for bringing a late assignment note home for any missing homework.  This is a fourth grade expectation and a sign of responsibility.
• Students are doing an amazing job completing their homework and getting it in on time.  Thank you for your continued at home support with this.

Dates to Remember:

• Friday, September 26^th:  Early release at 1:00
• Wednesday, September 10th: Cookie dough orders due
• Thursday, September 11^th: Picture Retakes

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• Please read the following text. Complete the graphic organizer on a sheet of notebook paper writing the main idea and supporting details.

If the images do not load, please click here for the text, and here for the organizer.

• In math, we are focusing on determining place value. It is so important that we understand how to determine place value before moving on to new concepts in math (such as division). Mrs. Nisely had fun watching and playing this game about place values. Tell us what YOU think!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks2/maths/number/place_value_headings/play/

May 19th - 23rd, 2014

• Thank you parents for attending our student conference celebration!  What a delight it was to hear students sharing this goals, growth, and successes from our fourth grade year! Our kids have worked hard this and are ready for fifth grade.  Thank you also for supporting our class this year with your help, kind words, and donations.  
• End of the year party:  Wednesday, May 28th.  Students will bring a sack lunch, beach towel, and out door equipment (Frisbee, soccer balls, footballs, etc.) Please no bats. We will have a picnic in the park gazebo. 
• Field Day: This coming Tuesday, May 20th. We will be outside all day.  Students need a good nights sleep, eat a healthy breakfast, bring and water bottle, and sun block and hat.
• Solar Ovens:  Friday, May 23rd.  If you volunteered to donate an item or help assemble ovens, we will combine all three science classes together in the library at 10:30.
• Report Cards:  will come home in Friday, May 23rd's Friday folder.

Social Studies:  DUE MONDAY, May 19th

History Assessment                                           Name_____________

                                                                     Teacher_____________

Directions:  Use the information in your notebook, what you remember from class discussion and videos, and apply your schema to the task below.  I will be looking for specific details and strong description in your response.

Scenario:  While on a field trip to the History Museum you 'accidentally' wander away from your group and discover an old, dusty door tucked away at the end of a long, dark hallway.  Of course you are curious and open it to have a look, despite the clearly printed sign that says KEEP OUT.  Little do you know it’s actually a time machine portal and now you are hurtling through time!  After tumbling and twirling back in time, you land with a thud and discover you have landed in historic Colorado in the 1880s.  You are the oldest child in a pioneer family that has recently homesteaded in one of the three regions of Colorado. Write a diary entry, describing in detail, your day from sun up to bedtime.  You will receive extra credit for mentioning what other family members are doing during the day as well. This is your opportunity to apply what you’ve learned and use your amazing writing skills to ‘knock my socks off!’  I can’t wait to read your diary entries.

Use the back of this page to plan you diary entry.  What thinking map would work well for this task?

Lastly, on a separate sheet of paper, write two-four sentences describing how your life is similar and different from an 1800s pioneer child settling in Colorado.

Note:  You may hand write your diary entry and reflection sentences on notebook paper and staple them to this page, or you may type and print your diary entry and attach it to this page.

May 12 - 16th, 2014

Student Led Conferences/celebration:  May 14th. Between 4:00-5:30 p.m. A Student-led conference is a time for your child to be in charge!  These conferences highlight the most important person in the assessment process – the student. What should a parent expect at a Student-Led Conference?

1.  Your child will do most of the talking.
2.  Your child will tell you the goals he or she is working on in class.
3.  Your child will discuss his or her progress.
4.  Your child will share and explain different types of work that he or   she performs throughout the day.
5.    This conference is a celebration of learning.
We look forward to seeing you!


An invitation to this celebration was sent home with your son/daughter on Wednesday.
• Wax Museum was a huge success!  Thank you to all who could attend and also the time and effort from parents  to help prepare costumes, and final biographies.
• Owl Pellet dissection:  Friday, May 16th.  We still need parent helpers during dissection from 10:30 - 12:00.  

Field Day for Fourth Grade:  Tuesday, May 20th.  Hot dogs, hamburgers and other snacks will be sold again this year for a small fee for those students staying on campus during lunch. Please check with me if you plan on taking your son/daughter off campus for lunch.

• Solar Ovens: Friday, May 23rd from 10:30 - 12:00, students will be building solar ovens as part of our energy science unit.  We still need parent help on this day, if you are free. 

1.  For Science:  Please watch the following video on food chains and food webs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TE6wqG4nb3M

2.  Also, watch this movie on Carnivores, Herbivores, and Omnivores:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VejLXTsJrJc

3. Practice 3 digit by 3 digit multiplication. (Example:  284 x 398 = ?)Make-up 6 problems and solve them.  Check your work with a calculator. Due Friday.

4.  Study for your bone quiz. Study sheets will be given out in Friday Folders.

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May 5th - May 9th, 2014

Wax Museum, this Friday, May 9th!!! Students will come to school this Friday dressed as their notable person.  Please join us for our wax museum production from 9:00-9:45 a.m. on Friday, May 9th.  Students will change out of their costumes before specials that day.

Final Notable Person Biography due this Friday, May 9th.  Students writing is saved as a google document so your son/daughter can access their writing at home.

Student conference or celebrations are Wednesday, May 14th from 4:00-5:30.  

• Student Led Conferences/celebration:  May 14th. Between 4:00-5:30 p.m. A Student-led conference is a time for your child to be in charge!  These conferences highlight the most important person in the assessment process – the student. What should a parent expect at a Student-Led Conference?

1.  Your child will do most of the talking.

2.  Your child will tell you the goals he or she is working on in class.

3.  Your child will discuss his or her progress.

4.  Your child will share and explain different types of work that he or   she performs throughout the day.

5.    This conference is a celebration of learning.

We look forward to seeing you!

• Owl Pellets:  We will be dissecting owl pellets on Friday, May 16th from 10:30 - 12:10.  We still need parent helpers if you are free to come into our class and help.
• Field Day:  Tuesday, May 20th.

• 1.  Students are asked to reuse and create something from trash!  Our current science ecosystem discussions have keyed on creating less waste for our environment.  Students are challenged to turn trash to treasure and design something different from trash.  A few picture examples are given below. Each treasure should be no more then 8 x 8.  These treasures will be displayed in the library once completed and turned in on Friday, May 9th.

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