August 26- August 30 News

May 13, 2013- May 17, 2013

Announcements and Reminders:

• Please return the yellow Investigations Student Math Handbook (SMH) to school with your child no later than TOMORROW, Tuesday, May 14^th. If you cannot locate this book, please let me know and I will let you know the replacement cost.
• Field Day is scheduled for THIS Friday, May 17^th. Students will need to dress comfortably in shorts and tennis shoes and bring a water bottle to carry around with them for the day. 
• Several parents have asked about a 4th grade graduation ceremony. We are not having a formal graduation ceremony for fourth grade students. Students will wear special shirts on field day and walk the halls as tradition with the rest of the school cheering them on and celebrating their time at SSC.
• Lost and Found items that are not claimed by Monday, May 20^th will be donated to charity. Please encourage your child to check lost and found for missing items.
• On Wednesday, May 22nd, students will dismiss at 12:45 p.m. Lunch will be served prior to dismissal.
• On Thursday, May 23^rd, students will dismiss at 11:00 a.m. Students will have the opportunity to purchase a sack lunch prior to dismissal. This is the LAST day of school!
• Class photos are still available for sale in the office.  If you would like a copy, send in a check written to SSC in the amount of $7.00.

This week in fourth grade:
Math: We are exploring parts of Unit 7, 3-D Geometry and Measurement, in Investigations. Our objectives include:  recognizing how components of 3-D cube buildings come together to form the whole building, finding the volume of cube buildings, and drawing silhouettes of 3-D cube building from different perspectives. We will have our final computation quiz for the year on Thursday.
Vocab/Spelling: This week is our final week of Vocabulary and Spelling. Students will have nightly homework through Wednesday and the quiz will take place on Thursday.
Language/Reading: We are working on finding nonfiction text features in texts.  We will complete a nonfiction text feature project in class this week.  
Science: Last week we started our unit on Motion and Design. This is a hands-on unit that students love! We will discuss gravity, inertia, and Newton's Laws.

Thanks!
Mrs. Wilkes

May 6- May 10

Announcements and Reminders:

• Thank you all so much for sending in snacks for testing this week!!  The kids are really enjoying them!!
• Tomorrow and Thursday concludes ARMT+ testing. These two days are ARMT+ Math.
• ***Please look around your house for any of the books I have loaned your child to read this year.  My name would be written on the inside cover.  I really enjoy sharing my books with my students each year.  Parents are sometimes surprised with how many of my books they find around their house. 
• Yearbook distribution will take place THIS Friday, May 10! If your child did not purchase a yearbook, extra yearbooks will go on sale on Monday, May 13th for $25.00. This is first come, first serve!
• All SSC library books are due by THIS Friday, May 10!

·         We will be having a small end-of-testing/end-of-year celebration THIS Friday, May 10. We will have popcorn, popsicles, watch a movie, and participate in a few games on this day. The following week will be our last week of homework, tests, and quizzes. ***Due to field day, tests will take place on Thursday instead of Friday next week.

• May 15 Volunteer Breakfast (8:00-10:00a.m.)  This is for parents who have helped volunteer in the classroom this year.
• Field Day is scheduled for Friday, May 17^th.
• On Wednesday, May 22nd, students will dismiss at 12:45 p.m. Lunch will be served prior to dismissal.
• On Thursday, May 23^rd, students will dismiss at 11:00 a.m. Students will have the opportunity to purchase a sack lunch prior to dismissal. This is the LAST day of school!
• Please return the yellow Investigations Student Math Handbook (SMH) to school with your child no later than next Wednesday, May 15^th. If you cannot locate this book, please let me know and I will let you know the replacement cost.
• Class photos are still available for sale in the office.  If you would like a copy, send in a check written to SSC in the amount of $7.00.
• Lost and Found items that are not claimed by Monday, May 20^th will be donated to charity. Please encourage your child to check lost and found for missing items.

April 29- May 3, 2013

Just a heads up for next week's ARMT+ Testing!

Sign-up here http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D4AABA82AA57-armt to bring snacks in by this Friday for ARMT+ testing next week. Thanks so much to our room mom, Mrs. Ballintine for creating this list!!!

I do need your help in reviewing these important testing tips with your child at home:

1. Read the directions carefully and don't forget to answer all parts of the question.
2. Listen carefully to the directions as given by the teacher.
3. Check over your test after you are done with it.
4. Use your scratch paper for math computation.
5. Look for careless mistakes such as making sure the decimal is in the right place, that you read the directions correctly, you are adding when you are supposed to add and subtracting when you are supposed to subtract, that you copied the numbers correctly, and most importantly, all of your math computation is accurate!
6. Write as neat as possible.
7. Be aware of key words that are bolded or italicized. Again, this goes back to reading each question carefully!
8. When asked to "show work" or "justify your answer", don't be lazy.  Write down EVERYTHING about the problem. Include equations and explanations written in complete sentences.  Now is the time to "show off" what you really can do with this problem.
9. Use RASC when responding to open-ended questions during the Reading portion of the test. This means your response should be at least 3 – 5 complete sentences.
10. Always refer back to the reading passage while answering a question. Use details to support your answer.
11. Use your time wisely. If you get stuck on a question, make the best guess and move on.
12. Stay focused on the test, even if other students finish early. There is no prize for finishing first! CHECK YOUR WORK!
13. Remain confident!  Focus on what you DO know, not on what you do not know.  You know a LOT!!

What is your role?

1. Make sure your child gets a good night's sleep before a test.
2. Make sure your child eats properly the day of a test. We will have a granola bar and grapes each morning as a snack before we test.
3. Make sure your child has taken any needed medication.
4. Get your child to school on time the day of the test. We will begin testing each morning by 8:00 a.m.
5. If your child is too ill to attend, please call the school office. 
6. Wish your child good luck each morning of the test. Tell your child that he/she is special and that you believe in him/her!
7. Remind your child the test is important. Encourage him/her to do his/her best.

This week in 4th grade:
Math: We are reviewing for the ARMT+. As a reminder, many of you have asked about extra Math practice you can be doing at home. Hopefully I have a solution that meets your needs and your child will enjoy! Your child will have a 30-day free trial to website called IXL. IXL is a comprehensive math review site with an unlimited number of math practice questions in hundreds of skills — all of which are aligned to state standards. One of the best things about IXL is that your child can access it from home, so you have a chance to see your child's progress! Students were instructed on how to use this program last week in the computer lab, so be sure to check it out!

Vocabulary/Spelling: We will have a Vocabulary/Spelling test this week. We will have one final Vocabulary/Spelling unit the week after testing.

Reading: I will be working to complete all end-of-the-year Reading assessments by Friday. We will also be reviewing for the ARMT+.                                                                                                                                                              Science: We are concluding our study of animals this week and we will begin our study on motion and design next week after the ARMT+.

Thank you for encouraging your children to stay the course and work hard for the remainder of the school year! We can do it!!

Thank you!! 
Mrs. Wilkes

April 22- April 26

Please see below for reminders and announcements, as well as what’s happening in fourth grade this week.

• Parents are invited to attend an informational meeting at Brock’s Gap TONIGHT from 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.
• We are taking a field trip to the Birmingham Zoo on Wednesday, April 24th. Students need to bring a lunch from home or order one from school. The forecast is calling for a chance of rain, so please have your child dress appropriately!
• Thank you for supporting the SSC Family Fun Fair!
• 4^th Nine Weeks Progress Reports are scheduled to come home this Wednesday, April 24^th.
• ARMT+ Testing will begin on Monday, May 6th and conclude on Thursday, May 9th. Monday and Tuesday will be ARMT+ Reading. Wednesday and Thursday will be ARMT+ Math.
• Be on the lookout for a sign-up to send in snacks for testing.
• I am forwarding a separate email from Brock’s Gap PTO regarding supply orders for the 2013-2014 school year.

This week in 4th grade:

Math: We are wrapping up Unit 8 in class practicing our division strategies. All this week, students will have nightly computation practice to prepare for the ARMT+.
Many of you have asked about extra Math practice you can be doing at home. Hopefully I have a solution that meets your needs and your child will enjoy! Your child will have a 30-day free trial to website called IXL. IXL is a comprehensive math review site with an unlimited number of math practice questions in hundreds of skills — all of which are aligned to state standards. One of the best things about IXL is that your child can access it from home, so you have a chance to see your child's progress! Students were instructed on how to use this program last week in the computer lab, so be sure to check it out!

Vocabulary/Spelling: We will NOT have Vocabulary or Spelling this week. We will have additional Reading assignments in preparation for the ARMT+. Enjoy the week off!

Reading: I will continue with end-of-the-year Reading assessments on students this week. This information will be provided to your child’s fifth grade teacher next year. We are also answering ARMT+ style questions which includes open-ended, written responses.

Writing: We are continuing with our expository writing unit.

Language: In combination with ARMT+ review, we will continue to look at multiple meaning words, prefixes, suffixes, and contractions.

Science: We will begin an exciting in-class project this week to conclude our study of animals. Students will be creating a new animal species that can live anywhere on Earth. Students will apply what they have learned about animal behavior, habitats, adaptations, and what every animal needs in order to survive in creating their new species.

Thank you for encouraging your children to stay the course and work hard for the remainder of the school year! We can do it!!!

Have a great week!
Mrs. Wilkes

April 15- April 19

Please see below for reminders and announcements, as well as what’s happening in fourth grade this week.

·         We are taking a field trip to the Birmingham Zoo next Wednesday, April 24th. Student cost is $12.50. Chaperone cost is $9.00. Money is due TOMORROW! You can pay online at www.myschoolfees.com or by check made payable to SSC.

·         The fourth grade will be taking a field trip to tour Brock's Gap Intermediate School next Monday, April 22nd. Please return permission forms for this trip by TOMORROW! Parents are invited to attend an informational meeting later that evening from 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. A letter from Brock’s Gap should be forthcoming.

·         Get excited! The Annual SSC Family Fun Fair is this Friday, April 19th.

·         Spring testing dates have CHANGED! Testing has been condensed into one week. Testing will begin on Monday, May 6th and conclude on Thursday, May 9th. Monday and Tuesday will be ARMT+ Reading. Wednesday and Thursday will be ARMT+ Math.

·         Be on the lookout for a sign-up to send in snacks for testing.

This week in 4th grade:

Math: In Unit 8, we are continuing to work on multiplication problems. All students should have at least one strategy for solving multiplication problems that they are comfortable with. I am seeing students struggle in making simple, careless mistakes in computation (this includes in multiplying numbers and adding numbers). It is important that students learn to recognize these mistakes in their own work, especially as the problems we are solving are growing larger and more complex. I emphasize daily in class about slowing down and checking for accuracy. This is a valuable skill that needs to be nurtured.

By the end of the week, we will once again review division strategies. We will use story problems represented by a division expression to keep track of parts of the problem. We will also use what we know about multiplication to solve division problems. Again, this is a review from our division unit earlier in the year.

We are also continuing with ARMT+ review daily in class. Additional homework assignments to prepare students for ARMT style questions will come home weekly.

Many of you have asked about extra Math practice you can be doing at home. Hopefully I have a solution that meets your needs and your child will enjoy! Your child will have a 30-day free trial to website called IXL. IXL is a comprehensive math review site with an unlimited number of math practice questions in hundreds of skills — all of which are aligned to state standards. One of the best things about IXL is that your child can access it from home, so you have a chance to see your child's progress! I will walk the students through how to log-in during our computer lab time this week.

Vocabulary: Our focus this week is on reading vocabulary. Students WILL NOT be assessed on the spelling of these words. Students will be assessed on Friday. The format for this test will be matching word with definition.

Reading: In Reading, we are continuing to work on exploring expository text and text structure. The non-fiction texts we have been studying have direct correlation to our Science unit on Animals. We are learning to use questioning to make sense of the text. Again, we are combining this with daily ARMT+ review. This is necessary so that students may be prepared in answering ARMT style questions which includes open-ended, written responses. Also, I will begin end-of-the-year Reading assessments on students this week. This information will be provided to your child’s fifth grade teacher next year.

Writing: We also began exploring expository texts in writing.  We will be looking at different ways to organize and present information in nonfiction.   

Language: In combination with ARMT review, we are looking at multiple meaning words and contractions.

Science: We are continuing our study of animals. This week we are learning about types of adaptations and animal defense. We will also examine food chains, food webs, and animal life cycles. We will have a second quiz on Animals this Friday. Much like last week, students will be provided with guidelines as to what to study. 

Have a great week!

Mrs. Wilkes

March 18-22

I wanted to tell you again, I am so proud of every student for how well they took on all parts of the wax museum.  They did such a WONDERFUL job and I was very impressed!!  I also wanted to thank all the parents that came and helped set up for the wax museum and Evan's mom even added her crafty/decorator twist to the display.  The wax museum could not have looked so awesome if not for the parents that helped! THANK YOU!!

Please see below for reminders and announcements, as well as what’s happening in fourth grade this week.

 *   Thank you so much for sending in the playdoh!! We are using it to build our landforms this week.
 *   Graded papers will go home the week we come back from Spring Break.  Report cards will go home on Wednesday, March 20th.
 *   Spring Break for Hoover City Schools is next week, March 25 – 29th.
 *   Save the date...The Annual SSC Family Fun Fair will be Friday, April 19th.
 *   Mark your calendar...Dates for Spring testing will be May 7th, 8th, 14th, and 15th.

This week in 4th grade:

Math: This week we are concluding our unit on fractions and decimals. We will work on identifying decimal and fraction equivalents, representing tenths and hundredths as part of an area, using representations to combine tenths and hundredths, adding decimal numbers that are multiples of 0.1 and 0.25 (Ex: 2.3 + 3.25), and ordering decimals and justifying their order through reasoning about representations and the meaning of the numbers. Thursday will be a day of review. Our end-of-the-unit test will take place on Friday. Unlike our weekly quizzes, this is a major test grade. I highly encourage you to use the Student Math Handbook (pages 64-70) as a resource to help your child with decimals at home. We are also working on additional ARMT+ review.

After Spring Break, we will dive into our final unit on multiplication and division. It is within this unit that I expect students to master solid strategies for both operations. These strategies will continue in fifth grade at Brock’s Gap. Many of you have asked for descriptions of the strategies we are using in class. I will email you a handout and you can look at your child's math journal where these strategies should be written from our work in class. I expect that students be able to use at least one of these four strategies for solving multiplication problems.

Vocabulary: We will continue to combine Spelling and Vocabulary activities each week. Students will be assessed on Fridays. Nightly homework will be given. Don’t forget to use Spelling City as a resource. Also, students were instructed on how to use the Wordly Wise website as another resource.

Language Arts: This week we are discussing comparing and contrasting in literature and how to write an open-ended response to compare and contrast questions. We will also complete some additional ARMT+ review.

Science: Our landform project will take place in-class this week.  We will review for the quiz on Thursday and take our quiz on Friday.

Have a great week!

Mrs. Wilkes

March 4 - March 8

Happy Tuesday! Please see below for reminders and announcements, as well as what’s happening in fourth grade this week.

• You are invited to visit our Wax Museum of Famous Americans tomorrow from 11:00 a.m. until noon. Our class will be close to the water fountains in the fourth grade hallway in the museum. Be sure to stop by our classroom to check-out our Famous American PowerPoint's. We hope to see you there!
• In preparation for ARMT+ testing in the Spring, I could use some volunteers to help copy test prep material. If you are willing and available to help any time this week, please let me know ASAP! Thank you! 
• We are in need of some supplies for our classroom. Donations of Kleenex, Clorox wipes, and hand sanitizer are still being collected and would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance!
• Next week we will begin our first Science unit of the 4^th nine weeks on landforms. We are in need of playdoh for one of the projects we are doing. If you have any at home that you are no longer using or are willing to donate some new packages, please send them our way. Thanks!
• Our class has partnered with Mrs. Gossett's class for this year’s Spark for Change Project. Together, we are “Helping the Homeless” by collecting items to make hygiene kits for people who are less fortunate than ourselves. Items needed include: bath bar soap, shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrushes, lotion, deodorant, hand sanitizer, and gallon-size Ziploc plastic bags. If you would like to participate, please send in your items now through Friday, March 8^th. These items can be purchased from various local dollar stores, pharmacy, discount or grocery stores, Wal-Mart, etc. We will pack our hygiene kits on Friday, March 8^th.  We will take these items downtown on Sunday, March 10 to deliver them to the homeless. 
• I recognize that all of the announcements mentioned above are asking for your time and/or donations. PLEASE KNOW HOW MUCH I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND HELP IN PROVIDING THESE RESOURCES FOR OUR CLASS!
• The SSC Book Fair is in the library through Friday!
• Save the date...The Annual SSC Family Fun Fair will be Friday, April 19th.
• Mark your calendar...Dates for Spring testing will be May 7th, 8th, 14th, and 15th.

This week in 4th grade:
Math: We are continuing to represent fractions greater than 1, ordering fractions and justifying their order through reasoning about fraction equivalencies and relationships, and comparing fractions to the landmarks 0, ½, 1, and 2. New this week is the introduction of decimals. Our objectives include: identifying everyday uses of fractions and decimals, reading and writing tenths and hundredth, representing tenths and hundredths as parts of an area, and ordering decimals and justifying their order through reasoning about representations and the meaning of the numbers. I highly encourage you to use the Student Math Handbook (pages 53-63) as a resource to help your child with fractions and decimals at home.
Just a note about what’s ahead. After Spring Break, we will dive into our final unit on multiplication and division. It is within this unit that I expect students to master solid strategies for both operations. These strategies will continue in fifth grade at Brock’s Gap. Many of you have asked for descriptions of the strategies we are using in class. Be on the lookout for a handout and continue to use the Student Math Handbook. 
Vocabulary: We will continue to combine Spelling and Vocabulary activities each week. Students will be assessed on Fridays. Nightly homework will be given. Don’t forget to use Spelling City as a resource.  Students may also go to http://wordlywise3000.com/games/book04.cfm and click on the lesson we are on for more activities.
Reading: We are continuing our read aloud, Wonder, and studying different story elements that go along with our Making Meaning reading curriculum. Students are also reading independently in just right chapter books.
Social Studies: Last week we kicked off our final Social Studies unit for this year. This is a mini-unit on Geography where we will discuss the five themes of geography, review the seven continents and four oceans, examine different types of maps (both current and historical), identify land regions in Alabama, and look at migration patterns in Alabama.
Have a great day!

February 25- March 1

Hello Parents! 
Our field trip to American Village is TOMORROW! We will be outside most of the day so please have your child dress for the weather. Your child may bring a sack lunch in disposable containers from home or purchase one from the lunchroom.  There is a gift shop at American Village. We ask that students bring no more than $20 cash. Students are responsible for keeping up with their own money.
**I want to say a BIG THANK YOU for my cards, goodies, and classroom supplies we needed that you sent in for Teacher Appreciation Week!!  THANK YOU so much for your love, support, and encouragement.  Every bit means so much!!   
**In preparation for the Wax Museum next week, I could use some volunteers to laminate and hang portraits. If you are willing and available to help any time on Thursday or Friday, please let me know! Thanks in advance!
This week in 4th grade:
Math: We are continuing to interpret the meaning of the numerator and denominator of a fraction, as well as finding fractional parts of a rectangular area, and identifying equivalent fractions. New this week: Representing fractions greater than 1, ordering fractions and justifying their order through reasoning about fraction equivalencies and relationships, and comparing fractions to the landmarks 0, ½, 1, and 2. I highly encourage you to use the Student Math Handbook (pages 53-63) as a resource to help your child with fractions at home. We will continue with weekly quizzes on Friday.
Vocabulary: We will continue to combine Spelling and Vocabulary activities each week. Students will be assessed on Fridays. Nightly homework will be given. Don’t forget to use Spelling City as a resource. 
Reading: This week we are continuing to read Wonder and discussing different story elements. Students are also reading independently in just right chapter books.
Grammar: This week our focus is on quotation marks. We learned that a quotation is the exact words a person says. Students are expected to place quotation marks before and after a speaker’s exact words, capitalize the first word in the quotation marks, and use a comma to separate the quotation from the rest of the sentence.
Writing: This week we will be exploring functional writing in "Being A Writer."  We will practice writing with an audience and purpose in mind, writing directions for recipes, cartoon drawings, and games.  We will also practice checking our writing directions for sequence, completeness, accuracy, and clarity.   
Social Studies: On Wednesday, we will begin a short unit on Geography. This will be our last Social Studies unit for the year.

Don’t forget that the Fourth Grade Wax Museum is coming up NEXT Wednesday, March 6^th. 
Important information to remember:

• Student speeches are being approved and I will finish giving them back on Wednesday.  Speeches are to be memorized by Monday, March 4^th. This does count for a grade!
• Students will need a costume representing their Famous American. I sent home a green sheet of paper a few weeks ago with ideas for costumes.  Please let me know if you have questions about the costume. Students need to bring their costumes to school on Monday, March 4^th.
• Powerpoints are being completed at school. We have our final computer lab time this Wednesday for students to complete.
• You are invited to attend the Wax Museum on Wednesday, March 6^th from 11:00 a.m. until noon.

Other Reminders:

• Our classroom book order is due this Thursday, February 28.  Our classroom code to order online is JT2TW.  Ordering online is SUPER easy and it helps us get more points!
• Please send in Spark for Change items; bath bar soap, shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrushes, lotion, deodorant, hand sanitizer, and gallon-size Ziploc-type plastic bags.
• February 25, (Monday)—4th grade Beef-O-Brady’s night, 5:00-8:00
• February 26, (Tuesday)—American Village field trip
• March 4, (Monday)—American History PowerPoint and speeches due
• March 4, (Monday)—Dress Rehearsal for Wax Museum—students only, BRING costumes to school
• March 4- SSC Dr.Seuss P.J. Day, all students can wear pajamas to school
• March 6, (Wednesday)—Wax Museum from 11:00-12:00—Parents invited-Come to school with make-up and hair READY
• March 4-8 The Scholastic Book Fair returns to the SSC Library
• March 8, (Friday)—"Spark for Change" items are due
• March 10, (Sunday)—Meet  to go downtown to hand out
• March 25-29—Spring Break—schools closed
• April 19, (Friday)—SSC Family Fun Fair, more information to come

Have a great day!
Mrs. Wilkes

February 11- February 15, 2013

Hello Parents!!
I hope you are having a great week!  We need this rain to go away so the kids can run and play outside!!  We have already had students bring in hygiene items for our "Spark for Change" project.  PLEASE send those in with your child.  Hotel shampoo and soaps are wonderful also if you have some around the house.  Please make sure to mark Sunday, March 10 on your calendar, our date that we will be going downtown to hand out the hygiene kits to the homeless.
Math:  We started the week off by reviewing over our subtraction stratgies for more practice.  We are continuing to find fractional parts, fractions of an area, and fractions of groups of things.  We have been adding fractions, finding fractions that equal a whole, and finding equilvalent fractions in order to have like denominators.  We are also finding equlivalent fractions to be able to add fractions  We will learn how to play "Adding Up to a Whole."  This unit is challenging so please review over material with your child.  Please continue to work with your child on multiplication and division facts through 12X12.
Quizzes- Thursday, Minute Math Quiz (#37-40)
                 Friday, regular Computation quizzes (review over what we have done throughout the week from workbook pages and notes)   
Reading and Writing:  We are continuing to work from Making Meaning on inferencing and we started author's purpose this week.  We are continuing to read Just Right books during D.E.A.R. time each day.  As your child is reading each night, please take a few moments to ask them about what they are reading.  We will begin our read aloud Wonder on Monday.  We will work on DOL week 11 and have a quiz on Friday.  The students have been enjoying writing creative poems through our "Being a Writer" unit on poetry.  Please ask them to share some of their poems with you.  They have impressed me with their creative thinking!!      
Content: We have continued to learn more about The Constitution and the Branches of Government.  We are looking in more detail at the Admendments in the Constitution.  We will have a quiz on Friday on what we learned throughout the week.  Students need to study their study guide we completed in class.  Please make sure you are working on your wax museum person.  It is very important that students are starting to memorize their speeches.        
**Please continue to have your child turn in the math homework, reading log, and spelling/vocabulary homework each Friday.

Quick reminders: 
      ·      February 14, (Thursday)—Valentine Exchange/Valentine Box competition

·      February 15, (Friday)—deadline for yearbook picture submissions

·      February 25, (Monday)—4th grade Beef-O-Brady’s night, 5:00-8:00

·      February 26, (Tuesday)—American Village field trip

·      March 4, (Monday)—American History PowerPoint and speeches due

·      March 4, (Monday)—Dress Rehearsal for Wax Museum—students only, WITH costumes, but no make-up or hair design

·      March 6, (Wednesday)—Wax Museum from 11:00-12:00—Parents invited-Come to school with make-up and hair READY

·      March 8, (Friday)—"Spark for Change" items are due

·      March 10, (Sunday)—Meet  to go downtown to hand out

·      March 25-29—Spring Break—schools closed

·      April 19, (Friday)—SSC Family Fun Fair, more information to come

·      Box Tops—Send in as soon as possible, as often as you would like

February 4 - February 8, 2013

February 4, 2013

 

Hello Parents!
I hope you all had a wonderful Friday!!  Our schedule continues to stay busy as our week went by quickly.  I know the kids along with myself enjoyed getting a little extra rest on Wednesday morning.  I am thankful the weather was not to bad.  Please make sure to check the homework blog to help your child keep up with assignments.  PLEASE make sure your child is researching their wax museum person.  It is very important that the children have some of their research done for when we visit the computer lab this week.  We will begin on our PowerPoint projects this week.  Also students came home today with instructions on their Arbor Day writing piece.  We have been working on these pieces in class, however they need your help with editing them over the weekend.  They may need to add more writing or just editing.   They are supposed to type their piece, print it out, and illustrate the background.  We have gone over this in class and I have shown them examples.  These are due on Monday.  Thank you for your help!  Please look at the last blog post for more details on the "quick reminders" below.  

Math:  We will begin our next unit in Investigations on Monday, Unit 6.  During this unit we will be learning about fractions.  I will send a parent letter home, Monday from the Investigations book with ideas of activities to help with at home.  We will be finding fractional parts, fractions of an area, and fractions of groups of things.  This unit will be challenging so please review over material with your child.  Please continue to work with your child on multiplication and division facts through 12X12.
Quizzes- Thursday, Minute Math Quiz (#33-36)
                 Friday, regular Computation quizzes (review over what we have done throughout the week from workbook pages and notes)   
Reading and Writing:  We will continue to work from Making Meaning on inferencing and summarizing.  We are continuing to read Just Right books during D.E.A.R. time each day.  As your child is reading each night, please take a few moments to ask them about what they are reading.  We will begin our read aloud Wonder.  We will work on DOL week 10 and have a quiz on Friday.   
Content: We will be learning about The Constitution and the Branches of Government.  We will have a quiz on Friday on what we learned throughout the week.  Please make sure you are working on your wax museum person.  It is very important that students have their research so they can begin on their PowerPoint projects this week.      
**Please continue to have your child turn in the math homework, reading log, and spelling/vocabulary homework each Friday.

Quick reminders:
      ·      February 4— Graded papers are due

·      TUESDAY, February 5—Deadline for permission form and money for American Village field trip 
·      February 7— Scholastic Book s due for February (The read aloud, Wonder, we are about to start reading is in this book order for a great price.) Our online code is JT2TW.

·      February 14—Valentine Exchange/Valentine Box competition

·      February 15—deadline for yearbook picture submissions

·      February 26—American Village field trip

·      February 28—4th grade Beef-O-Brady’s night, 5:00-8:00

·      March 4—American History PowerPoint and speeches due

·      March 4—Dress Rehearsal for Wax Museum—students only, WITH costumes, but no make-up or hair design

·       March 6—Wax Museum from 11:00-12:00—Parents invited-Come to school with make-up and hair READY

·      March 25-29—Spring Break—schools closed

·      April 19—SSC Family Fun Fair, more information to come

·      Box Tops—Send in as soon as possible, as often as you would like

January 28- February 1

Wow!  The year is moving along so rapidly I can hardly keep up with myself, let alone 24 students! ☺  The good news is that we are having a fantastic time in 4th grade learning all I have scheduled for our amazing kiddos.  We were able to Skype with Deason last week, who is in Africa.  The students were very excited and enjoyed talking with him.  We all look forward to when Deason comes back.  This will be a very detailed Newsletter because we have so many upcoming assignments, events, plans, and a field trip to American Village.  Please take note of all dates.  I included a quick reminder of dates with easy listings in order at the bottom of the Newsletter.

**Valentine’s Day Exchange/Creative Card Holder Competition: We will be exchanging Valentines’ with our classmates on Thursday, February 14th.  Please help your child make a Valentine card for each student in the class.  These can be store bought or homemade.  It is fine if they would like to attach a piece of candy to each card.  We will have a small creativity competition with making a mailbox to receive the cards.  Each student who is interested in participating needs to use a shoebox no larger than a boot sized shoebox and decorate it at home, making sure there is a place for the cards to be placed.  The decorating of the boxes is completely optional and is certainly not for a grade; however it is a fun part of our day of swapping Valentines.  I will have a small prize for all who participate, as well as an overall prize for the most creative box as is voted by the class.  (If your child does not create their own box, I will provide a white lunch bag for them to decorate the morning we swap.)  I will send a class list out with all the names of each student. 

 **Wax Museum: As part of our American history unit, each student will independently research a specific famous person from the Revolutionary time period. Each of these famous people played some part in the birth of our nation.  Each student was given a name of a person to research last week.  Letters and assignment information was sent home last week.  Research should be conducted at home.  We will have little time during class for research.  (The Public Library has lots of books on this topic.) From conducting this research, the students will learn about the different personalities and lives of unique individuals who helped in creating our nation.  As research is conducted, students will be expected to take notes to help in organizing all information collected. Students will create a PowerPoint presentation during computer lab time on their famous person (the instructions and grading rubric were sent home last week) They were given a sample form last week that tells them specifically what they need to research.  After the research has been completed, the students will then begin working on their Wax Museum presentation. In class, each student will have to draw & paint their famous person’s face as best they can at school.  They will also begin working on a short speech to say about their person. Their speech should only be about 20-30 seconds and should explain who they are and why they are important.  Please help your child compile and memorize the final speech.  Students will need to dress up as their person might have dressed.  These attires should be created from clothing found at home and are not expected to be elaborate. The costumes are in addition to the presentation and will make the Wax Museum seem realistic and authentic.  I will send home an idea costume page on Wednesday.  Creativity is very important and encouraged in this project. Your child will need to act as though they are their person.  Each student will present his or her speech to the class for a dress rehearsal, in their costumes, on March 4th. All speeches are to be completely memorized.  On this day they are NOT to have make-up or hair designs specific to their person.  This is to be saved for the main event on Wednesday, March 6th.   The entire fourth grade will do a Wax Museum on famous people from Pre-Colonial times all the way through Westward Expansion time periods Wednesday, March 6th from 11:00-12:00. Our SSC friends, Parents, Grandparents, and friends will be invited to come and walk through our museum and learn about each person. This is an event you will not want to miss! Students should arrive to school with their hair and make-up ready on the morning of the 6th.  I will keep the costumes at school from the dress rehearsal and will allow students time to change before the Wax Museum.  If you would like to stay and eat lunch with your child after the Wax Museum, feel free to join them!  If there are any questions or problems, please do not hesitate to ask.. Thank you for your continued support!!

YOU ARE INVITED!!

**Wednesday, March 6, 2013**

**11:00-12:00**

 **American Village Field Trip:  Tuesday permission forms went home with your child regarding the upcoming American Village field trip on February 26th.  There is not a limit of the number of chaperones to travel with us, however we need to have all permission forms and money sent in by February 5th.  The cost for students is $14.00 and chaperones are $9.00.  Students will have the chance to visit the gift shop.  Please do not send more than $20.00 cash with your child because they are responsible for keeping up with their money throughout the day.  Watch the weather reports and dress appropriately.  We will be outside most of the day.  Bring a sack lunch in disposable containers.

 **Box Tops:  Please continue to send in any and all Box Tops you can find.  All proceeds go directly to SSC for enriching your child’s educational goals.  A fun way to include grandparents is to ask them to also start saving Box Tops and sending them to your child.  Neighbors and friends are also a great resource!

 **Book Orders: Book orders are due next Thursday, February 7th.  We will only have a few more orders throughout the year, so take advantage of the amazing prices Scholastic Books offers!  Plus, any time you place an online order using our class code, JT2TW, you and I both get a free book!

**4th Grade Beef-O-Brady’s Night:  You are invited to be a part of our 1st annual 4th grade night at Beef-O-Brady’s Night.  A portion of the proceeds from the evening comes directly back to SSC.  The 4th grade teachers will be there and would love to have you join us!  This will take place February 25th from 5:00-8:00.  Be sure to write SSC 4th grade on the back of your receipt to get credit.  Invite friends, family, and neighbors.  Feel free to add it as your Facebook status as well.  The more, the merrier!! ☺ (The date was listed incorrectly in the January Dolphin Echo.  Please disregard this date, and come join us February 25th.)

 **Spark for Change 2013:  SSC is dedicated to teaching students that they can make a difference in the world no matter how small they may be. This year we decided to celebrate the differences our students have made by having our second annual “Spark for Change” Expo. Every class will choose to seek out a problem or need in our school, our community, or our world and try to find a solution and act upon it. Some of the projects in the past included creating a brochure for new students, making blankets for kids with cancer, collecting new playground equipment for our school’s playground, conducting random acts of kindness, giving plants to elderly people in a nursing home, caring for the environment and sprucing up the school’s eco-site, and more. The Expo was a great way to teach others that they can “spark” a change in the world too!   By the end of this week, we will make a final decision on what we will “spark for change” as a class.  My husband and I help serve lunch to the homeless on Sundays so I am leaning toward this idea.  I would love for the children to come out and participate.  We would collect items for “care bags” and get those ready to hand out on a Sunday.  Care bags would include different hygiene items such as deodorant, soap, toothpaste, etc.  I want it to be as hands on as possible for the students.  Please let me know what you think about the care bags.  

**Yearbook picture requests: The yearbook committee needs pictures. They are asking for any pictures you have already taken this year or any you will be taking in the next few weeks. The deadline to submit pictures for the year book is February 15th.

**4th grade baby pictures for yearbook: In years past, we have done baby pages for fourth graders ONLY.  We plan to do the same this year, but it depends on the participation.  You can begin to submit your photos.  I forwarded an email out from Mrs. Honeycutt in the front office on Tuesday on how to upload the pictures. Please let me know if I need to resend the email with instructions out.  We ask that it be scanned and saved in jpeg format.  You can use the same e-share website to upload it.  Please put teacher and name on website (website will prompt you) so we can make sure not to mismatch pictures with children.  Deadline for baby pictures will be February 1st. 

**SSC Family Fun Fair:  April 19, 2013, 3 - 8 PM--Last year, our spring carnival, Family Fun Fair, was the biggest one ever and we expect more growth this year. To continue to make this event a huge success, we need your help!  IF YOU:  Have a business and would like to be a sponsor, Would like to be a vendor, Would like to get involved, or Have an item you would like to donate to our auction please contact either Tina Lindsey (tina@lindseyfamily.org<mailto:tina@lindseyfamily.org>;

or Tracie Gerstenberg Adkins (tradkins@tyco.com<mailto:tradkins@tyco.com>).

**Attendance: Attendance is important every day.  We are getting into some prime time instruction and it is important that your child is at school.  As you know, I keep the kids busy every minute of the day engaged in conversations, hands on activities, and lessons they need to be a part of the experience the full effects of what I have planned.  If there is any way to schedule doctor appointments before or after school, please consider this time first.  I understand it is very difficult to do this, but any time it is an option, please do so.  Thank you!

**Spring Break—schools closed-- March 25-29, 2013

***Please make sure to continue to check the homework blog.  The students are still required to write down their homework everyday in their agenda.  The homework blog is for students who have missed school and they are able to check the assignments.  This will also give information on tests that will be during the week besides the newsletters.

 **In the classroom:  Please continue to work with your child on multiplication and division facts through 12X12.  As you have noticed, we are now working with 4-5 digit numbers.  Although the process is the same with smaller numbers, at times students get confused with place value if they aren’t solid with their facts.  At this time, students are expected to begin all sentences with capital letters, use neat handwriting, end all sentences with correct punctuation, and have correct sentence structure.  This week we will have our American History Test on Thursday.  This is a challenging test, so make sure to use the study guide. Monday we began to memorize the Preamble in class. Next week we will learn about The Constitution and the Branches of Government.  We are continuing to read Just Right books during D.E.A.R. time each day.  We are also focusing on inferencing and various story elements. Please continue to sign the agenda nightly, and have your child turn in the math homework, reading log, and spelling/vocabulary homework each Friday.  As your child is reading each night, please take a few moments to ask them about what they are reading.

Quick reminders:

·      February 1—Deadline to submit a baby picture of your child for the yearbook (THIS IS A VERY SPECIAL, PRECIOUS PAGE.)

·      February 5—Deadline for permission form and money for American Village field trip

·      February 14—Valentine Exchange/Valentine Box competition

·      February 15—deadline for yearbook picture submissions

·      February 26—American Village field trip

·      February 28—4th grade Beef-O-Brady’s night, 5:00-8:00

·      March 4—American History PowerPoint and speeches due

·      March 4—Dress Rehearsal for Wax Museum—students only, WITH costumes, but no make-up or hair design

·       March 6—Wax Museum from 11:00-12:00—Parents invited-Come to school with make-up and hair READY

·      March 25-29—Spring Break—schools closed

·      April 19—SSC Family Fun Fair, more information to come

·      Box Tops—Send in as soon as possible, as often as you would like