December 12 - 15th, 2016

• No take home note or reaction sheet for winter break! The only homework over winter break required from student's is the Reading Log. Enjoy your holiday break!

• Santa's Wishlist
• Genius Hour, News from Mrs. Curran:
  It's getting fun!  We learned how to do screen casting!  After the kids have finished animating, imaging, and choosing their layouts, they can screen cast - record their presentation.  This is the final part before presenting.
• Dates to Remember:

• December 21 - Last day of school before winter break
• January 9th - Students return from break.

Literacy - Weekly Reading Log (150+ minutes)

Math - As always, continue to practice your multiplication facts! IXL is an amazing resource to reinforce all of the math we have been learning this year!  See the "Classroom Resources" on the left hand side for math games and videos.

We have been working very hard this year, and been very good, learning and growing as fourth graders (aka fifth-graders-in-training). Unfortunately, our supplies are dwindling! If you need some ideas for stocking stuffers, we are running low on spiral notebooks, PENCILS, composition books, and dry erase markers.

December 5th - 9th, 2016

• Students continue to impress me with their writing and the way they take time to brainstorm, plan, edit and revise their in class writing and any at home writing! Thank you for having conversations with your son/daughter regarding the writing they have completed in the classroom and at home. I'm so pleased to see  many students  using strong descriptive words, beautiful language, and graphic organizers in the power paragraphs we've been working on in class. 

• Please be practicing your math facts. There are math games linked in the "Classroom Resources" as well as multiplication videos.

Dates to Remember:

• December 9 - Geo Bee
• December 21 - Last day of school before winter break
• January 9th - Students return from break.
  
  Literacy - 
• Weekly Reading Log (150+ minutes)
• Work on President's Piece  
• Remember to be using rich vocab, details and beautiful descriptive language! Please see the rubric listed as "Writing Rubric" under Classroom Resources.
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• Math - 
• • Practice your multiplication facts! See the "Classroom Resources" on the left hand side for math games and videos.

November 14th - 18th, 2016

• No Blog post next week!  Happy Thanksgiving Break!

• Still Needed:  Nine volt batteries. 

• Free Park Passes: President Obama enacted this program to get all 4th graders a free pass to the parks for them and their families. It is a great program:

        https://www.everykidinapark.gov/get-your-pass

• Grandparents Day: Friday, November 18th from 1:35 to 2:30. Students are encouraged to dress up on this day in order to represent our school and show respect to our guests. Also, we are looking for someone willing to contribute some snacks for our guests on Grandparent's Day. Nothing too elaborate, just something for the grandparents to snack on while visiting the class.  Some ideas include finger foods like banana bread, brownies, mini muffins, cheese and cracker trays, fruit or veggie trays, cookies, etc.  Also needed are plates, napkins, and forks 

• No President writing this week. Please be working on your Turkey Piece. Dress your Turkey is due on Thurs
  day!

• Please be working on your multiplication facts for our weekly fluency tests! You may miss a maximum of 4 problems to move on to the next level.

Dates to Remember:

• November 18 - Grandparents Day (1:35 - 2:30)
• November 21st-  25th - Thanksgiving Break

• Weekly Reading Log (150+ minutes)

• "Dress This Turkey!" Writing: 
• This Turkey Needs Dressing! Students received a turkey copied on card stock. Cut out the turkey, and use scraps of cloth, paper, foil, glitter, and your imagination to dress up a spiffy he or she turkey. Be sure to name him or her and then, write a story about your terrific turkey. Your dressed turkey, and turkey story are due Thursday, November 17th. See the rubric above.
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November 7 - 11th, 2016

• Needed:  For our science energy unit,  each student needs to bring in a nine volt battery....

          Student name should be attached on masking tape. 

Students have been doing very well  making sure they have their president's pieces well written and turned in. For better writing, the rubric has been attached below and is also linked in the link menu.

• Students complete a  multiplication fluency test each week! Please be practicing your math facts. There are math games linked in the "Classroom Resources" as well as multiplication videos, and IXL.COM is a wonderful support in practicing these facts. 
• Thank you to all the parent helpers and contributors to our fall party. A special thank you to Mrs. Roberts for planning the party! We had a wonderful afternoon of games, crafts, parade, and food! Thank you for spoiling us! 

• Social Studies Update from Mrs. Russ: This week in SS we have been exploring maps!  We created a map of Africa showing the 3 major regions: Desert, Savannah, and Rain Forest. We also added some major geographic features: Lake Victoria, Nile River, Mt. Kilimanjaro, and the Great Rift Valley.  We are also exploring different maps and asking the question, "What is the purpose of this map, what is it trying to tell or show me?"  This all ties back to the essential learning:  The Geography of where we live affects how we live. Next week we will be talking about the unifying characteristics of region: Landscape, climate, plants and animals, rainfall, and natural resources.  A fun and educational at home connection would be to let your child explore the continent using google earth.  Really zoom in on those important geographic areas, the banks of the Nile, the Nile Delta, the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, landscape around the equator, and the differences between the Kalahari and the Sahara Deserts.  

Dates to Remember:

• November 4 - Early Release
• November 10-18 - Book Fair
• November 11 - Report cards and awards assembly

1.  Social Studies:  On Google Earth explore the continent!  Zoom in on those important geographic areas..... the banks of the Nile, the Nile Delta, the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, landscape around the equator, and the differences between the Kalahari and the Sahara Deserts.  

2.  No President's report this week!

3.  Math IXL.COM  on division....... E.4, E.5, E.6, E.7, E.8, E.9. 

4.  Turkey Project! 

• "Dress This Turkey!" Writing: 
• This Turkey Needs Dressing! Students received a turkey copied on card stock. Cut out the turkey, and use scraps of cloth, paper, foil, glitter, and your imagination to dress up a spiffy he or she turkey. Be sure to name him or her and then, write a story about your terrific turkey. Your dressed turkey, and turkey story are due Thursday, November 18th. See the rubric below.

October 31st - November 4th, 2016

• Multiplication Facts:  A large number of students continue to struggle with their multiplication facts!  Not knowing their facts puts them behind in understanding knew math concepts!  We started long division on Friday.  Please have your son/daughter practice their facts and build this basic math foundation.  IXL is a great tool for this! The markers are: D1 and D2

• Fall parties are this week! On Monday, students may bring a costume to school on the morning of the 31st and will be given 15 minutes to change before the school-wide parade begins. Please no masks. This is a school rule.

• Banana Costume and writing are due October 31st. Please make sure to have completed both the writing portion and bring your banana on Monday!
• Genius Hour Update from Mrs. Curran:  

  Our focus has been on taking copious notes on our slides as well as keeping our audience in mind so that engagement will be high when we get to the presentation piece of our project.

Dates to Remember:

• October 31 - Morning assembly, afternoon Fall Parade and Parties
• November 4 - Early Release
• November 10-18 - Book Fair
• November 11 - Report cards and awards assembly

1.  Writing:  President Piece will be due on Friday.

2.  Writing:  Banana Project Due Monday!   

3.  MATH:   In addition to a few homework assignments given throughout the week, students should login and work on  IXL:  E1, E2, E3, E4, E5, E6