Quarter 4 Week 5

Hello!

It is an exciting time to be a fourth grader! We are so close to fifth grade, I can almost see the finish line! That means expectations are still on the rise. I am always expecting more from my students. I am asking them to be even more responsible and self-sufficient in the weeks to come. Their study-skills and behavior should be exemplary as they embark on their last year of elementary school. Next year, they will truly be the leaders and the examples for younger scholars to aspire toward. I hope they are excited about that responsibility and humbled by it as well.

Assessments this week:
Oz Quiz Monday
Math Test Tuesday
Cumulative Grammar Assessment Thursday
Spelling Test Thursday

Language Arts
We are starting a poetry unit in class so that the students can be familiar with prose as away to express human thought. We have learned all of the grammatical concepts required for a fourth grader to know. Therefore, we will be taking a cumulative assessment on Thursday. Students should study their red LA notebooks every night to make sure they know the definitions of all the parts of speech, can diagram them all, and will be able to correct grammar mistakes in a sentence.
Math
Our class has been studying units of measurement such that they can use them effectively in real world mathematical situations. We will venture toward volume and capacity at the end of the week.
History
We are studying the U.S. Constitution and the events that lead up it's writing. There will be a test at the end of next week. Students should be studying their study guides frequently to stay current on the material.
Science
We are still studying the circulatory system. Today, we dissected a heart! It was a very fun demo and the children were surprised by it's real life form. Soon we will start talking about the blood in detail.

Last Friday, out class had a special guest, Sarah Rowse, from CitC speak to our class about the Constitution. It was very interesting and informative. We even memorized the Preamble together!

Ms. Rowse brought in an interesting timeline that showed how most of the world's technological innovation appeared after the writing of the Constitution. This links the popularity of free enterprise with the establishment of a Democracy. 

Typing

Just a reminder that the students have access to our typing program at home!

I would love to see everyone using this program at home once a week. Touch typing from the home keys is a really important skill!!

The link is: http://online3.typingmaster.com/login?id=pp8gsu2q7

Their username is firstinitiallastname

ex. lprestipino

The password is socrates

Quarter 4 Week 4

Hello!

We are AZ Merit testing this week! Because of this, there will be no after school tutoring or Spelling words. 

Science: We are studying the heart. There will be a quiz on Monday, next week!

History: We are studying the Constitution! 

Math: We are working with units of measure. Students must have the conversions memorized. I recommend flash cards!

LA: We are not doing spelling this week! We are, however, reading OZ and keeping up with vocabulary words. You might hear of a writing project as well.

Quarter 4 Week 3

Hello Everyone!

It should be a great week. Don't forget that Friday is a Half Day! Remember that April is state testing month. Please make sure your fourth grader is in school on April 18th and 19th!

Assessments:
History on Monday
Spelling on Friday

Language Arts
This week in language arts we are practicing our classification and diagramming skills. We will be reading OZ and there will be tests periodically as we finish chapter sections. These will be "pop". Your child can prepare for them by keeping up with the vocabulary and re-reading chapters for fun (or for the reading log). Furthermore, there will an assessment on roots #65-85 on April 20th.
Math
We are studying ways to display and interpret data, like tally charts, line plots, and graphs. The children should make sure to memorize the meaning of the words "median" and "mode" especially. There will be an assessment early next week on Chapter 10 material.
Science
We are studying the cardiovascular system. If you work in that field and have anything interesting to share please let me know!
History
We will be starting our Constitution unit this week! Remember, that the Signers projects are being presented on Thursday and Friday. I expect all of them to be brought in complete on Thursday.

Quarter 4 Week 2

Hello!

Just a reminder, there are 2 Arizona state tests this week (April 5th and 8th). Please make sure that your children make it to school those days.

Additionally, there will be no math tutoring this week. I apologize for canceling, but I have been advising a Senior Thesis this year and their defense is Thursday afternoon. I must be there early to set up and get ready.

This week in fourth grade:

LA: We are studying new grammar concepts, reading OZ and learning new spelling words. There will be a "pop" quiz on Oz this week as well. We will have a grammar quiz on Thursday.

Math: We are studying concepts that may seem like algebra. At this level, they are simply identifying trends, patterns, or relationships in data while learning how to write an equation and graph for them. There will be a quiz this week on the material.

History: We are still learning about the Revolutionary War. We will learn about Benedict Arnold, the traitor, too. There will be a cumulative test on Monday, the 11th.

Science: We are reviewing the year's toughest topics. Please make sure your child is studying their science notes every night!