Happy Winter Break!

Hello Families! 

We made it to winter break! The class enjoyed a wonderful party today where students wrote letters to their future 18 year old selves and put them in an ornament for safe-keeping, watched Robin Hood, ate pizza and cookies, and exchanged books. The students all seemed very excited about getting a new book to read over the break! 

I wanted to thank each of you for the gifts Mrs. Baugh and I received today from the 4A families! Thank you for your contribution! And thank you to each family who sent in gifts this week! Your generosity is very touching. THANK YOU!

There is, of course, no homework over the break, but if your child would like to start the third quarter with some extra credit they can work on the winter review packet that went home yesterday. Remember that completed packets earn a pizza party! 

It would also be helpful for students to get some math practice in using Khan Academy and XtraMath over the break! I can track students XtraMath logins, and will give 2 points of homework credit in math for each day they login! I didn't share that with the students today, so that will be a surprise for them! Feel free to reach out to me with any questions you may have over the break.

Most importantly, enjoy this time off with your children! This break is well-earned! I wish each of you a very Happy Holiday Season! 

Quarter 2, Week 10

Hello Families!

The final week of this quarter, and of 2019 is finally here! I can hardly believe we are halfway through this school year. This will be a jam-packed short week!

What's going on in 4A

• We will be having a party to celebrate on Wednesday, December 18th starting at 10:30. You can find the sign up here. We will be doing a book exchange, so beginning Monday your child should bring in a new or gently used wrapped book. We want each child to be able to participate, so please let me know if you will not be able to provide a book for your child. 

• Next week Tuesday and Wednesday are half days. The dismissal schedule is as follows: 11:45 K-2 Dismissal, 12:05 3-5 Dismissal, 12:25 Students with Prep siblings. Wednesday is also a Spirit Wear day. There will be no clubs or tutoring next week. 

• We will celebrate our December birthdays on Tuesday, December 17th. If your child has a December birthday and you would like to bring in a treat for the class, please send that in on Tuesday. 

• We will be cleaning out our desks on Wednesday morning before the party. Please send in a sturdy tote bag with your child on Wednesday. They will empty the contents of their desk into this back and keep it on their backpack hook over the break so the desks can all be sanitized. 

• I will send the students home with an optional Math/ELA packet to work on over the break. If students complete the packet they will start Quarter 3 off with some extra credit and get a pizza party with me! 

Lessons

ELA: 

Students will have a practice test for homework over the weekend. We will review this on Monday and have a cumulative test on Tuesday. 

Math: 

We will spend the remainder of this quarter reviewing and practicing fractions. There will be no math homework. 

Poetry: 

Students will be reciting "A Flag Goes By" on Monday this week. 

Roots: 

There will be a cumulative roots test over all 44 words we have learned so far this year.

Science: 

We started learning about the scientific method this week and will be doing a science experiment on Monday. Students will write a hypothesis and make a prediction about the solution rate of an Alka-Seltzer tablet. 

History: 

We will continue learning about Arizona's ancient people and settlers.

Literature: 

We will continue to enjoy reading Prince Caspian. Students should write a 5-7 sentence chapter summary at the end of each chapter. 

Important Dates

Monday: Poetry Recitations, Roots Test

Tuesday: Grammar Test, HALF DAY

Wednesday: Party! and HALF DAY

Quarter 2, Week 9

Hello Families!

First of all, thank you for all your well wishes while I was out with the flu this week! Mrs. Baugh kept things going Tuesday-Thursday this week and I am very grateful! 

Also, thank you for the birthday wishes! I came back on Friday to homemade cards and gift, and the class mom's brought in a thoughtful gift basket for me from all of you. I am touched by your generosity

What's going on in 4A

• We started with 2 people out sick Friday, and sent 3 more home during the day. We sanitized our classroom pretty thoroughly Friday afternoon! There seems to be something going around! If your child is not feeling well, please keep them home. We may be in the final week of the quarter, but we will get them caught up when they are feeling better. 
• On that same note, we are accepting donations for hand sanitizer, disinfecting wipes, and tissues. We could also use some more packages of lined paper. Thank you for your generosity!

Lessons

ELA: We are moving back into grammar for the remainder of this quarter! We will be learning about predicate adjectives, demonstrative pronouns, state of being verbs, and comparative & superlative adjectives. We will have a cumulative test next week. 

Math: We will finally be starting our geometry unit this week. Monday students will learn about angles & degrees. We will review this on Tuesday and test on Wednesday. Thursday we will have Khan Academy and Friday we will learn about constructing angles less than 180*. Students should be reviewing their math facts each night either by using flashcards or by using Xtramath. Xtramath is free to use on a computer or web browser. There is an app, but there is a charge. If your child needs their log in information, please reach out. 

 

Poetry: Students should continue to practive "The Flag Goes By". We will recite this next week. 

Spalding: We will learn 30 new words this week. 

History: We will be starting a new unit on Arizona history! Students are finished with their previous history notebook (as long as they have completed the test) and may keep that at home. I will be passing out a new notebook Tuesday.

Science: We will have our Meteorology test Monday. Wednesday we will be starting a new unit on the scientific method. 

Literature: We have started reading Prince Caspian. All students should have a copy of the book in their desk. If your child does not have a book, please let me know and I will help them check one out from the library. 

Important Dates:

Monday: Science Test

Wednesday: Math Test

Friday: Spalding Test

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Quarter 2, Week 8

Hello Families!

I hope that you all have enjoyed a wonderful and relaxing Thanksgiving break! My break did not go quite as planned. Both of my children came down with the Flu, which put a damper on our plans! We did enjoy plenty of rest and Christmas movies, though!

We only have 2 full weeks, plus a few days, and we will be done with this quarter! Wow!

What's happening in 4A

• The Archway Arete Winter Festival is this Saturday, December 7th! Join us for a fun time, and make sure to buy a raffle ticket to support the 4th grade basket! 
• We are running low on hand sanitizer and lined paper. If you'd like to help support our class, you can send these items in with your student! 

Lessons: 

Roots: Student will learn 3 new roots this week. There will be a cumulative roots quiz at the end of the quarter students should be preparing for now by spending a few minutes each day reviewing their flashcards. 

ELA: Students will continue to work on their second expository essay.

Poetry:  We will begin memorizing "The Flag Goes By" by Henry Holcomb Bennett.

Math: We have finished our unit on fractions, and this week we will start a new unit on Geometry! We will begin the week with a cumulative review, then we will move into studying angles and degrees. 

Spalding:  Students will learn 10 new words on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. We will review the 30 words on Thursday, and test on Friday. 

Science:   The extra credit project from page 115 is due Monday! We will be finishing up our Meteorology Unit this week by learning about weather forcast and the differences between weather and climate. Students will be filling out their study guide to prepare for a test next Monday. 

History: We will finish unit and current notebook this week! We will learn about the Black Death and fill in our Study Guide on Tuesday, and have our unit test on Friday. 

Important Dates

Tuesday: Math Test (Cumulative)

Friday: Spalding Test, History Test

Quarter 2, Week 7- Thanksgiving Break!

Hello Families!

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope the upcoming break is restful for each family, filled with lots of friends, family, and great food! The holiday season is officially upon us now! The rest of this quarter will absolutely fly by when we get back! 

What's going on in 4A

• The Bard Competition is back! Students have the opportunity to recite a poem (10-35 lines in length) of their choosing. The first round is December 6 & 9. Interested students were given a registration form that must be turned back into me by Tuesday, November 26. 

• We will enjoy a Thanksgiving party on Tuesday, November 26 before we start the break! We will have pie and cider, and the students will have a chance to practice table manners. You can view the sign-up here. 

• We conducted our class Spelling Bee this week! All scholars worked very hard and should feel proud of their accomplishments in this event. We are proud to announce the winners of our 4A Spelling Bee are Aaron A and Landon A! Aaron will move on to compete in the school Spelling Bee with his 1st-5th grade peers. Landon will serve as runner-up. The school Spelling Bee is Friday, January 10th at 5pm in the MPR. All are welcome to attend the event! The 1st place winners from each section will perform in the school Spelling Bee. 

Lessons

Math: We will finish up our unit on fractions with a test Tuesday.

Science: We will have a quiz Monday over information we have learned so far in our Meteorology unit. We will continue learning about weather fronts and severe weather this week!

History: We will continue learning about Joan of Arc.

Writing: Students will begin writing a new expositional essay this week, to be continued after Thanksgiving break. 

Roots: Check over the last three roots learned.

Spalding: No Spalding this week!

Important Dates

Tuesday: Math Test

Wednesday, Thursday, Friday: NO SCHOOL- Enjoy the break! 

Quarter 2, Week 6

Hello Families! 

What a fun week it was getting to see all the hard work you and your child put into their presentations. I love watching each student face their nerves and deliver a speech about their country that they have been studying for so long. We admired 2 amazing architectural structures, feasted on treats from various countries all day, and saw different outfits representing the countries. Thank you for supporting your child through this process! 

What's Happening in 4A

• The Spelling Bee is this week! While this is optional, I would love to have the whole class participate. Each student brought home a list of words to study if they would like to prepare. We will be completing the Spelling Bee in class on Friday. 

• The Winter Concert is Wednesday, November 20th! Concert time starts at 6:45. Please see the previous post for details. You can email myself or Mrs. Kaye with questions. 

Lessons

Poetry:  Students will recite the poem "Sin of Omission" this week. 

Writing:  Students will continue to work through their first expository essay on water. We will be typing the final draft this week. 

Math: We will review dividing fractions on Monday, and test on Tuesday. Wednesday students will work on Khan Academy. We will continue working with fractions by looking at the fraction of a set and multiplying a whole number by a fraction. 

Spalding:  Students will learn 10 words on Monday, Tuesday, & Wednesday. We will review Thursday, and Test Friday.

History: We will discuss the 100 Years' War and Joan of Arc this week. We will have a quiz on Tuesday. 

Science: We will have our Life Science Test on Monday. This is a large test and students should use the study guide in their science notebooks over the weekend to study. The next unit we will learn about is meteorology. We will be learning about the water of the earth and types of clouds this week

.Important Dates

Monday: Science Test

Tuesday: Math Test

Wednesday: Winter Concert

Friday: Spalding Test, Spelling Bee

 

Quarter 2, Week 5

Hello Families! 

It is hard to believe we are half-way through the 2nd quarter already! Wow! This year is just flying by.

I found such a lovely surprise on my desk when I walked into school Monday morning. This beautiful stack of books bought and donated by YOU! Thank you so much to the families that bought a book (or book set) for our classroom library. The kids were all so excited to see the new books! Thank you so much for blessing our class and stoking the love of reading in these kids.

On that note, one book I received, "I Am A Seal Team Six Warrior", is aimed towards an older audience than I realized. It is a youth adaptation of a memoir, but after getting the book in my hands and skimming it, I did a little research. Amazon shows that the intended audience is ages 12 and up. Please let me know if you do not want your child to read this book. You can find more details on its Amazon page, here. 

What's going on in 4A

• Presentations are here! I am very much looking forward to seeing each students hard work. For your reference, you can find the presentation times here: Europe Project Presentation Schedule. Please let me know if you have any questions over the weekend!

• If you are planning on bringing food to share with the class as a part of the presentation, please remember to bring a complete list of ingredients. There should be enough to share with all 30 students and 2 teachers. Plan on bringing whatever you will need to serve the food as well: napkins, bowls, forks or spoons, etc. 

• There is NO SCHOOL Monday, November 11 in observance of Veterans Day.

•  It is my pleasure to announce that Spelling Bee season is upon us! Your child will be participating in a class spelling bee during the week of November 18. Please use the word list sent home with them Friday to study and make sure to read over the Spelling Bee letter for important dates and details. It is not mandatory for your child to study at home, however we recommend that all students participate in the class Spelling Bee. Please reach out to me anytime with questions. 

Lessons

Math: Tuesday we will review and practice working with fraction. Wednesday we will have a test over improper fractions. Thursday students will work with Khan Academy, and on Friday we will begin fractions and division. 

Writing: Students will continue working through writing an expository essay.

History: Presentations on Tuesday and Wednesday! Friday we will begin learning about the Magna Carta

Science: We will finish this unit Wednesday with learning about Arizona specific plants, mammals, birds, and fish. Students will be completing the remainder of their study guide to be graded and review in class Thursday. The science test will be the following Monday.

Important Dates

Monday: NO SCHOOL

Tuesday & Wednesday: Europe Project Presentations

Wednesday: Math Test