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