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!