April 23-May 11
It feels like Spring is finally here! I hope you got to enjoy some sunshine and fresh air today! If you would like your child to receive a free summer skills packet please be sure you return the yellow 1/2 page that was sent home a week ago. Order are due this Friday!
Language Arts
Our next lesson will cover words related to our Social Studies curriculum (Revolutionary War). The test will be in 3 weeks on May 11, 2018. Meaningful sentences and spelling city activities will also be due on May 11th. I have posted the spelling list below.
Our next focus skill will be determining the main idea and identifying supporting details. The main idea is the most important or central thought of a passage. Supporting details clarify, explain, and describe the main idea of a passage. Our assessment on main idea and details will be on Friday, May 11, 2018.
During the next week, we hope to edit and revise our realistic fiction rough drafts. One of the next steps in our writing is the editing process. Not only will we be editing in the classroom but we will also be pairing up with an honors literacy class at Cooper Middle School. Each 4th grade students will be paired up with a student in the honors literacy class at Cooper Middle School. The 7th graders will be sharing their thoughts on their 4th grade partner’s writing. The Cooper students will be sharing their ideas via flipgrid too.
Book Talks
The students will be completing and presenting their ‘no notes’ book talk on April 30. The genre is biography and specific directions were given to students in class. The students will be completing the graphic organizer, however to present, they are only allowed to use a slideshow with pictures only. No words/notes are allowed. We are extending the time limit to 4 minutes this time. Please let me know if you have any questions. This is the last formal book talk, as the final reading project will mostly be done in school (poetry project). I am very excited to watch the no notes Booktalk presentations! Thank you for your continued support with the Booktalks!
Social Studies
We are continuing to learn about the Revolutionary War. In Chapter 12, we are learning about The Declaration of Independence. In Chapter 13, we will learn about some of the battles that took place during the Revolutionary War, tactics that were used during the war, and The Treaty of Paris. Then we will learn about the Constitution and the American government. We will pick up Science again in May.
Math
We continue Unit 7 in Math which focuses on multiplying fractions. The students are learning how to multiply fractions in word problems by using pictures, equations, and repeated addition. Students will also focus on multi-step division problems and identifying patterns. Here is the link if your child forgets their home link of math homework: Everyday Math Unit 7
SEL
We will continue to use the Second Steps program to teach SEL skills. During the next 2 weeks the students will learn how to make a plan and how to solve playground problems. They will learn the important steps to go through when handling or encountering an issue on the playground.
Important Dates:
Book talk Due: April 30
Book Fair- Tuesday, April 24
Discovery Science Wednesday, April 25
Early Release- dismissal at 12pm- Friday, May 4th
Art Awareness- Tuesday, May 8
Spelling and Vocabulary test: May 11
April 3- April 20
Hope you all had a wonderful spring break. Happy Easter and Happy Passover to all.
This blog update will cover the next three weeks. Because of PARCC testing, our schedule will be slightly different. Fourth graders will take 7 tests: 3 ELA (English Language Arts) and 4 Math. We will be taking one test daily, starting with Wednesday, April 4th and ending on Thursday, April 12th. As always, eating a well balanced breakfast and getting a good night's sleep will ensure your child is rested and ready to do his/her best! If possible, avoid doctor appointments and other absences (unless ill). The tests will need to be made up, which means missing curriculum. We understand if emergencies come up. Homework will be lighter during this testing window.
Language Arts
Our next lesson will cover words related to our Social Studies curriculum (Revolutionary War). The test will be in THREE weeks, on Friday, April 20. Meaningful sentences and Spelling City activities will also be due on April 20th.
Our next focus skill will be figurative language. Figurative language is language that uses words or expressions with a meaning that is different from the literal interpretation. It allows an author to have more of an imagination and creativity to the usual literal text. Some examples include: simile, metaphor, onomatopoeia, idiom, alliteration, etc. We hope to see students using more figurative language in their own writing! We will also connect this skill to Social Studies by reading the novel, I Survived The Revolutionary War. This novel is full of many wonderful examples of figurative language and takes place during the Revolutionary War which is our current topic of study in Social Studies. Thank you to the Fitzsimmons Family for donating a class set of this novel. The assessment for figurative language will be on Friday, April 20.
During these three weeks, we hope to make progress on our Realistic Fiction stories and eventually finish our rough drafts.
Social Studies
Before break, students were assessed on the events that led up to the American Revolutionary War. After break, the focus will be on the colonists' decision to declare independence from Great Britain. We will learn about famous Loyalists and Patriots. We will also learn about some of the battles that took place during the Revolutionary War. Our next unit will be about the Constitution and the American government. We will pick up Science again in late April/early May.
Math:
We will be starting Unit 7 Multiplication of a Fraction by a Whole Number and Measurement. The students will learn how to multiply fractions in word problems. They will use pictures, equations, and repeated addition to solve these problems. Students will also focus on multi step division problems and generating and identifying patterns. Here is the link if your child forgets their home link for homework:
Everyday Math Unit 7
*Please note during PARCC testing, we will not have our usual daily math routine. Days that we have Math PARCC tests, we most likely will not have math instruction, which means no math homework on those days.
SEL
We have continued to focus on Growth Mindset. I love hearing the students tell others that they hear Growth Mindset statements. We will continue with Second Steps, our SEL program after PARCC testing is over.
Important Dates
April 3: Classes resume
April 4- April 12: PARCC testing window
April 17: 4th and 5th grade musical 9:30 am (school performance) and 6:30 pm (for families)
April 19: Mid Trimester 3 (reports go home the following week)
April 20: Vocab/Spelling Assessments
April 24: Book Fair
Let us know if you have any questions! Thanks for the support.
This blog update will cover the next three weeks. Because of PARCC testing, our schedule will be slightly different. Fourth graders will take 7 tests: 3 ELA (English Language Arts) and 4 Math. We will be taking one test daily, starting with Wednesday, April 4th and ending on Thursday, April 12th. As always, eating a well balanced breakfast and getting a good night's sleep will ensure your child is rested and ready to do his/her best! If possible, avoid doctor appointments and other absences (unless ill). The tests will need to be made up, which means missing curriculum. We understand if emergencies come up. Homework will be lighter during this testing window.
Language Arts
Our next lesson will cover words related to our Social Studies curriculum (Revolutionary War). The test will be in THREE weeks, on Friday, April 20. Meaningful sentences and Spelling City activities will also be due on April 20th.
Our next focus skill will be figurative language. Figurative language is language that uses words or expressions with a meaning that is different from the literal interpretation. It allows an author to have more of an imagination and creativity to the usual literal text. Some examples include: simile, metaphor, onomatopoeia, idiom, alliteration, etc. We hope to see students using more figurative language in their own writing! We will also connect this skill to Social Studies by reading the novel, I Survived The Revolutionary War. This novel is full of many wonderful examples of figurative language and takes place during the Revolutionary War which is our current topic of study in Social Studies. Thank you to the Fitzsimmons Family for donating a class set of this novel. The assessment for figurative language will be on Friday, April 20.
During these three weeks, we hope to make progress on our Realistic Fiction stories and eventually finish our rough drafts.
Book Talks
As explained in class, students are completing a 'no notes' book talk due April 30. The genre is biography and specific directions were given to students. They will be completing the graphic organizer as usual, however to present, they are only allowed to use a slideshow with pictures only. No words/notes are allowed. We are extending the time limit to 2:00-3:30 minutes this time. Let me know if you have any questions. This is the last formal book talk, as the final reading project will mostly be done in school (poetry project). Thanks for your continued support with these book talks. Students' overall confidence, presentation skills and enthusiasm have soared since the beginning of the year. Please see the following two resources that will help your child prepare for the book talk. 
Here is the No Notes Biography Book Talk Organizer.
Social Studies
Before break, students were assessed on the events that led up to the American Revolutionary War. After break, the focus will be on the colonists' decision to declare independence from Great Britain. We will learn about famous Loyalists and Patriots. We will also learn about some of the battles that took place during the Revolutionary War. Our next unit will be about the Constitution and the American government. We will pick up Science again in late April/early May.
Math:
We will be starting Unit 7 Multiplication of a Fraction by a Whole Number and Measurement. The students will learn how to multiply fractions in word problems. They will use pictures, equations, and repeated addition to solve these problems. Students will also focus on multi step division problems and generating and identifying patterns. Here is the link if your child forgets their home link for homework:
Everyday Math Unit 7
*Please note during PARCC testing, we will not have our usual daily math routine. Days that we have Math PARCC tests, we most likely will not have math instruction, which means no math homework on those days.
SEL
We have continued to focus on Growth Mindset. I love hearing the students tell others that they hear Growth Mindset statements. We will continue with Second Steps, our SEL program after PARCC testing is over.
Important Dates
April 3: Classes resume
April 4- April 12: PARCC testing window
April 17: 4th and 5th grade musical 9:30 am (school performance) and 6:30 pm (for families)
April 19: Mid Trimester 3 (reports go home the following week)
April 20: Vocab/Spelling Assessments
April 24: Book Fair
Let us know if you have any questions! Thanks for the support.
