4th Grade Parents,

This week, we are celebrating Read Across America/Literacy Week. On Friday, we sent home a letter about what we’ll be doing this week. Each day will have a theme and the chance for a classroom to win a prize each day.

Monday – Hat day/Wear your favorite hat
Tuesday – Twin Day/dress alike with a buddy
Wednesday – Wacky Tacky Day
Thursday – Favorite Team/wear your favorite jersey or team gear
Friday – Character Day/dress up like your favorite book character

A few notes about folders:
This week, the fluency passage students will practice at home is about Thomas Jefferson. In addition to practicing their fluency with an adult and getting their reading log signed, students will have a three (3) question worksheet with comprehension questions. While we want to make sure they are fluent, we also want to ensure they’re understanding what they read. Students should complete this for homework. I will collect the comprehension questions on Friday, March 1st.

Inside each folder, you will find a “Good Readers…” strategy card (picture below). These are strategies we are using when reading texts and will help students not only on the EOG, but help them become better readers. As students read their fluency passages, have them follow these strategies (highlighting title, thinking after each paragraph about the main point and then circling key words about the main point in the paragraph, etc.). If you don’t have a highlighter at home, students can use crayons or colored pencils. You will also find a March specials calendar in this week’s folder.

It is also important that students provide parents will all papers in folders. I have a lot of students who aren’t having their reading logs signed and still have papers in their folders from weeks ago. Please also remind students to return folders daily. Thank you for your help with this!

Spelling Words
In lieu of vocabulary words, this week we will have spelling words. Occasionally, Core Knowledge/CKLA (our curriculum) will have students tested on spelling vs. vocabulary. This doesn’t happen often, but the lesson we will be studying this week does have us working on spelling words. Students will not be required to know defintions- just how to spell the words. There also will be no extra credit on this test. Please see below for spelling words:

1. hierarchy
2. matriarch
3. archrival
4. anarchy
5. autograph
6. biographer
7. calligraphy
8. paragraph
9. eruption
10. uninterrupted
11. rupture
12. abrupt

What are we doing this week?

ELA – We are continuing to read informational texts and work our way through the Geology unit. Students are reading informational texts about volcanoes, earthquakes, tsunamis, and different types of rocks. We are also working with words that have the root word rupt. Last week, all students were tested by Mrs. Gray in corrective reading so that we can work more closely with a new cirruculum with students who are multiple grade-levels behind in reading.

Math – We have mastered equivalent fractions, comparing fractions, and adding/subtracting fractions with common denominators. We will be moving on to working with mixed fractions this week. Look for a family letter in folders from iReady about specific problems we’ll be looking at.

Science – Since our ELA unit is on Geology, we’re working on complimenting that with different geological activities. Last week, we took a closer look at the different layers of Earth and took a closer look at volcanoes/what causes them/effects of volcanoes.

Social Studies  – Students are finishing up BHM projects.

During remediation, we continue to work on EOG passages and breaking down different types of texts.

Have a great week!

Mrs. Keech

Parents,

Thanks for all you did last week to make our Valentine’s Exchange Party a success! We had a lot of fun (and a lot of sugar)!

Monday (2/18/19) is a half-day. Students will release at 12:00 right after lunch.

What are we up to this week?

ELA – This week, we’ll begin an informational text unit on Geology. We have touched on many of these topics earlier in the year in science, but we’ll be looking at it from an English Language perspective this time. The textbook we’ll be reading from will help students strengthen their informational text skills. In addition, we will be working with words that have the suffix -ly and words with the root “rupt.” Learning root words, suffixes, and prefixes will help students decipher meanings of words for which they don’t already know the meaning. This is an important skill in building vocabulary and preparing for the EOG. Students will have vocabulary words this week related to our content for this unit and their test will be on Friday. See below for vocabulary words that will be sent home on Monday.

Here is this week’s Quizlet for vocabulary practice. https://quizlet.com/_64xv7l

Math – We have been studying equivalent fractions for the past week and this week, we’ll be comparing fractions using multiple strategies (drawing charts, using number lines, finding common denominators, etc.).

Science – We’re brushing up on our geology skills and also discussing fossils this week.

Social Studies – Students continue to work on their Black History Month projects.

Just a reminder that students should be showing you their folders each night. They should take out any graded work to keep and be giving you any letters from me/the school. I’m recieving many folders returned with papers still in there from early February/January. Please remind your student to show you their folder, practice reading their fluency/getting fluency log signed, and practicing vocabulary words as needed. Thank you for being involved and working with your child!

Parents,

I want to make a correction to last week’s blog. On Monday, 2/18/19 (President’s Day), there IS school, but it is a half day. Unfortunately, I was looking at an old calendar. My apologies for the confusions. Students will have an early release that day.

Just a reminder that on Thursday, 2/14/18, we will have a Valentine’s Exchange Party. Students are encouraged to bring Valentine’s Cards for the class if they choose. We will make Valentine’s Bags this week for them for their Valentines. In addition, if you would like to bring a sweet treat of some sort to the party, let me know. We have enough chips and juice.We will probably celebrate after lunch (but before remediation, so as not to take away from that important time).

Here’s what we’re doing this week:

ELA – We finished our poetry unit this past week.  Most students were assessed on Friday for poetry, but we will spend Monday finishing those assessments. Our next unit is an informational text unit on Geology, which we will begin this week. Students will have a vocabulary test on Friday. The words provided are EOG review words related to English Language Arts – just some key terms we want to brush up on when thinking about different texts. You can find the quizlet here for students to practice words: Vocabulary Words Quizlet 2/15/19

In addition, I will be testing all students this week using a corrective reading assessment. This will help give us more data about students that need daily corrective reading.

Math – We began equivalent fractions last week. We looked at different ways to think about fractions (using pie charts, number lines, etc.,). On Friday, we “made pizza.” Each student was given a pizza cut into either halves, thirds, fourths, fifths, or sixths, and had to create a pizza with different toppings. Then they had to label their pizza by fractions (1/4 pepperoni, 1/4 sausage, 1/2 cheese, etc.). Students really enjoyed this activity. We continue equivalent fractions this week.

Science – we’ll be focusing on different geological concepts this week to help support the informational texts we’ll be reading in Geology.

Social Studies – Students are working on their Black History month projects.

In remediation, we’ll be doing ELA EOG review. We’ll be reading different types of passages and answering questions in preparation for the EOG.

 

Parents,

Hope you had a restful weekend. Report cards went home on Friday. If you have any questions or would like to meet, please let me know.

Reminder – 2/18 (Monday) – NO SCHOOL/Teacher Workday

Here’s what we’re doing this week:

ELA – iReady assessments took a large part of our week, so we’ll finish up poetry this week. Last week, we discussed extended metaphors and created our own comparing weather to animals. In addition, students wrote their own biography poems and shared with the class. There will be no vocabulary words this week, as we’re still ending a unit and (I believe) completing NC Checkins.

Math – We’re focusing on equivalent fractions this week. We’ll also be doing a few activities to review fractions.

Update on multiplication facts: we have been going back through all the multiplication facts for the past several weeks to help build those skills. I’m happy to report it has really, really helped. Students are doing so much better (and I hope you have seen a huge improvement at home when practicing).

Science – We are finishing up erosion and deposition.

Social Studies – Students have begun working on their Black History projects. We conducted research on our historical person and colored maps which detailed where they were born and states they resided in. At the end of this projects, students will compile all these pages into a small brown-bag book.

On Thursday, February 14th, 4th grade will have a Valentines Exchange Party. Students can exchange valentines with their classmates. If you would like to bring some treats, please let me know (we already have juice and chips from last time). I will be sending home a letter this week in folders that will include students’ names for filling out valentines. Theses can be store bought or home made.

Folders – Just a reminder that folders go home every day Monday – Thursday. They stay with me on Fridays so that passages can be changed out. Please gently remind your student to bring them back each day. There are a few folders I haven’t seen in a while, but for the most part, I’m getting all of them back daily! Thank you for your help with this! Please also remember to practice fluency with your child daily and sign their log.