May 14-June 1

May 14-June 1

This is the last blog update of the school year. It has been a great honor and pleasure being your

children's teachers. We feel very fortunate to have been even a small part of your child's school career,

and we only wish for the very best for each and every child!  

Thank you for supporting us and allowing us to set high expectations for your child.

They have certainly risen to the challenge and exceeded expectations!

Here is what the last three weeks of 4th grade look like:

Language Arts:

Last Friday, we had our final spelling and vocabulary test. We will not be having any further spelling/vocab lists. We will start reading the 1999 Newbery Award Winner--  Holes, by Louis Sachar. This is a riveting novel about the past and the present diverging into one.

Some of the themes of this novel include:

• the impact of fate and history in everyday life,
• the destructive nature of cruelty,
• the benefits of strong family relationships and friendships,
• and the outcast turned hero.

We will incorporate vocabulary, various reading skills, writing and FUN!  Here is a quick summary of this exciting book:

Louis Sachar's novel "Holes" tells the story of Stanley Yelnats, a boy sentenced to juvenile detention facility Camp Green Lake after being unjustly accused of stealing a pair of basketball shoes. Stanley learns that his family history is key to unraveling the mystery at the heart of the camp.

Students are already captivated with the book and can't wait to read more. We are using many of the focus skills we've learned, specifically characterization. Students are learning the traits, actions and motivations of the main character, Stanley. We will finish reading the book and enjoy the movie on the last day of school.

Be looking for a permission slip. Your permission is required for students to watch the movie

(which is very similar to the book).

Poetry Project:

Students will be asked to create three poems (more information will be in the packet that we will hand out on Monday, 5/14). They will be reciting two of these poems, using the presentation skills we've been working on all year. They will be given class time to work on their poems, but some of it may need to be completed at home. The MAY RAH calendar is still required and the poetry book talk project will be due on MAY 31. We thank you for your support throughout these book talks. The students’ growth in presentation skills have helped them develop into confident speakers.

If you need to review expectations, please see rubric below.

Social Science:

Last week we wrapped up our study of the Revolutionary War. Our final social science unit will be on Illinois.

The majority of the lessons will comprise of comparing and contrasting the structure of state and federal government.

We will also discuss Illinois' natural resources and economic growth. On Thursday, May 17th, we will be having a

in-school field trip. Our guest speaker from The Cook County Farm Bureau will cover the following topics:

• Agriculture is the #1 industry in Illinois.
• Corn and Soybeans are the top crops in Illinois.
• How the food we eat gets from the farm to our table.
• Modern machinery and Science have revolutionized crop production.
• Farmers grow the grains & food that make up the USDA My Plate.
• Approximately, 1 in every 4 students, as adults, will have an occupation related to agriculture.  

Science:

Our last science will focus on the different types and forms of energy. The following power standards will be covered:

• Use evidence to construct an explanation relating the speed of an object to the energy of that object.  (4-PS3-1)
• Make observations to provide evidence that energy can be transferred from place to place by sound, light, heat and electric currents. (4-PS3-2)
• Develop a model of waves to describe patterns in terms of amplitude and wavelength and that waves can cause objects to move. (4-PS4-1)

Math:

We are on the final section in math, Unit 8 Fraction Operations and Application. Instead of of a final assessment,
students will complete exit slips to check for comprehension.

To celebrate our hard work, students will create a fun number project (in class).  Students will pick a
number that is meaningful and analyze it in various ways.

Fun and Fitness:

Fun and Fitness day will be on Friday, May 18th.

1. Be sure to send your child with a labeled water bottle.  It is very important, that even if it is cool, our students remain hydrated.
2. Sunscreen may be a good idea as much of the day on Friday will be spent outdoors.
3. Morning reminders (before they leave for school) about good sportsmanship and healthy competition are always welcomed.  We will do lots of this here too, but it definitely helps when they are hearing the same message from home AND school.
4. The students will be given a team color they should wear on Friday (red, white, or blue).  Try to have your student come on Friday in the color they have been assigned.  

Important Dates:

Thursday, 5/17: Agriculture in the Class Presentation in a.m., Discovery Science in p.m.

Friday, 5/18: Fun and Fitness Day

Tuesday, 5/22: Variety Show at 2:00

Friday, 5/25: Institute Day, No School for students

Monday, 5/28: No School, Memorial Day

Thursday, 5/31: Poetry Project due, Discovery Science in p.m.

Friday, 6/1: Last day of school

Check out the last three weeks on our ABC countdown!