January 30

I do apologize for being a week behind on getting this newsletter out.  Thank you for understanding. 

Let me update you on the happenings up the classroom.

Language Arts:  We are finishing up our studies of adjectives this week.  The kids will take a short test on Friday.  There is not a study guide for this test.  Students also learned adjectives in 3rd grade.  The quiz will require student to underline adjectives in a sentence, choose correct adjectives to complete sentences, choose the correct article (an, an, the) to complete sentences, write the comparative form of adjectives (er, est) and use more and most to compare adjectives. We have been doing activities last week and will continue this week on the listed topics.

Math: We are finishing up our unit on fractions.  The students will complete a study guide in class tomorrow and they will test on Thursday of THIS week.  The test will include applying all of the fraction skills we have learned about, which would include reading word problems with fractions and solving them.  Fraction skills include:  finding equivalent fractions with and without using pictures, writing mixed numbers and improper fractions using pictures, converting mixed numbers to improper fractions (no pictures), converting  improper fractions to mixed numbers (no pictures),  reducing fractions to simplest form after adding and subtracting fractions, comparing fractions using greatest to least or least to greatest, and mixed review questions from any topic we have learned about in the past. 

We will be moving on to the topic of decimals next week.  This will include skills such as adding and subtracting decimals, converting decimals to fractions using hundredths and thousandths, dividing and mulitplying decimals, and more.

Social Studies:    We have finished our studies on the American Revolution, and now we are on to chapter 10, which discusses the formation of the Constitution and our government.  I do not know the test date yet.  It will be at least a week and a half away.

Reading:  We are studying figurative language.  We started this last week working on similes and metaphors.  This week we are focusing on imagery, personification, and alliteration. 

CRCT online log in:  I know that this has not yet been sent home.  The newsletter mentioned it was available to go home last week.  I was out on that Friday and they did not go home in that Friday's folder.  I needed to get the log in information copied down, and now they will be going home.  Your child will have the information starting today.

Conference information will be headed your way soon, so please be on the look out.  Remember, we do the best we can to schedule times with sibling teachers, but it is not always guaranteed.  Unfortunately, conferences have to be kept short in order to get all students in during this two day period.  If you feel the need for more time, we will need to set up a conference for a different day.   Thank you for understanding.

I believe I covered everything, but if not, I will be back to add more if something comes to mind. :-)



January 16

I hope you enjoyed the long weekend.  Having an extra day to sleep in is always nice.

I am a tad late getting this out, but hopefully it will find you by Monday morning.

As you probably saw, report cards went home Friday.  Thank you for returning those in the weekly folder on Monday.

We will not test in SS on The Revolution until next Monday.  We will be finishing up in class this week, and the kids will hopefully bring home their study on on Wed. of this week.  They are welcome to bring home their SS book (there is one online too), and read over chapter 9.  The test is straight from the material in chapter 9.  I would recommend looking over it for about 15 minutes each night.  It is a lot of material, so small amounts of review at a time will be helpful.

We have started out unit on Fractions.  The division tests have been posted on the parent portal, but I can not send them home yet due to test make ups.  They will be sent home when all students in the 4th grade have tested.  I am going to try and break the fractions test into two parts, so the first part will probably be early next week, probably on Tuesday.  This is an indepth unit, as students will be comparing fractions with unlike denominators, reducing fractions, converting from mixed number to improper fractions, and lots more.

In writing we have been working on persuasive writing, which has carried over to our reading lessons on author's purpose.  We will be working on adjectives this week.

Don't forget to check the school's website for important school related events.

Have a great week!

New Year

Happy New Year

I hope you had a splendid holiday break.  I sure enjoyed mine!

Thank you so much for all of the wonderful gifts given to me for Christmas.  I really appreciate them.  I sent home thank you cards with kids on Monday, so if you didn't get one, please ask your child.  I asked them to please share them you parents.

I would like to welcome our new student Sean.

In math we will test on long division with two digit divisors on Tuesday of next week.  We will review on Monday and a study packet with go home Monday night.  I would encourage you to work with your child this weekend.  There are some review sheets you can find from the free website  www.superteacherworksheets.com

In social studies, we are continuing our studies of The American Revolution.  We tested on the events leading up to The American Revolution, and now we are studying the events of the war.  We will most likely test a week from next Monday. 

Report cards will be issued next Friday.

I have a new behavior incentive for the new year.  Students work to earn credit towards movie Friday, which will be the last Friday of the month.  If a child has their choice card marked more than 2 times in a given week, they lost out on the movie. Warnings are over as far as behavior goes.  Example:  Students know they are not to talk in the hall, therefore their card will automatically marked.

We did not have an action for December because we did not have enough donations.  If you can, please send in any trinkets, candy, small toys, etc. that you think kids might like to bid on.  They enjoy this, but it simply can't happen without items. We basically have to stock up after each auction.  Thanks so much.

Please excuse any typos.  Thanks!



December 8

Can you believe there are just 5 more school days until we get out for Christmas break?  WOW!

This last week is a busy one.

For starters, we have benchmark testing next week.  We will take one test per day.  We will be testing from 10-11:00 each day.  These tests will cover all fourth grade material up to this point. These tests are issued by the county, and no study guides are provided.

My math group will take their first division test on Wednesday.  Please work with your child before the test. Some students had not really mastered basic division, which of course is causing a delay in learning long division.  If your child is struggling with basic division or with the steps of long division, I would suggest you practice multiple problems this weekend.  We will continue with with division after the break.

Students will test on The Road to the Revolution/Colonies Unite next Thursday. A study guide has already gone home and should be studied each night.  Students are also coming home with a weekend social studies assignment.  They are to reread chapter 8 and complete two workbook pages.  Thiis is due Monday.

Our holiday party is Friday from 1-2:15.  If you would like to check your child out after the party, I will have a sign out sheet in the classroom.  A huge thanks to Savannah's mom (room mom )for planning all of the festivities.  A thanks also to parents for sending in the items that were requested via email.  Your help is always appreciated. 

There will not be a spelling test next week, so there is no homework in spelling.  Please do look for homework in other subject areas.

Enjoy the weekend.

Please excuse any typos.  Thanks!



Math Test Moved

In my latest blog, I stated that our math test would be Thursday of this week for my math group.  This is being moved to Friday, as I failed to realize that our Colonial speaker would interfere with our math time.

Multiplication Test #3 is on Friday.

Week of Nov. 28

I hope each of you had a very happy Thanksgiving break.  The time between now and Christmas break will go by very quickly.  With that said, there is a great deal of curriculum to cover between now and the end of this nine weeks.

What's happening this week?

We will have a pronoun quiz on Thursday We are reviewing in class Wednesday.  Students will be bringing home a couple of workbook pages to use as a study guide this evening.  Pronouns are also taught in third grade, so hopefully each of the kids will do well.

In social studies, we are starting with the French and Indian War and will learn about the "Road to the Revolution" before we get out for Christmas break.  This is a LOT of information, so you will see more homework coming home in social studies in order to review and reinforce what we have talked about in class.  Most students find this very interesting.  We will not test on this until the middle of the week the last week before we break.  

This week on Wednesday we will have a guest speaker in the media center.  He will be speaking on Colonial America. 

In reading we are studying steps in a process.  A fun project at home would be to bake something with your child.  Let them follow the steps.  Talk about why we follow the designated order.

Our Christmas party the last day before we break (Friday).  More information will come from our room mom.  I know the kids will have lots of fun.

In math we are  finishing up our studies of two and three digit multiplication.  We will test on Thursday of this week.  This will be our third multiplication test.  We will then move onto long division.  We will not be spending a lot of time on basic division, as kids are supposed to have mastered that in third grade.  If you know your child struggles, please spend extra time at home working on basic facts.

Benchmark tests will be the last week before break.  We will take one test each day just like we have done in the past. 

Have a super week!

Please excuse any typos.  Thanks!



13 Colonies Study Material

Yesterday, we went over a lot of study material in class.  Your child is also bringing home a 'parent signature' sheet for you to sign each night showing that your child studied. I will be checking this daily on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.  Please have them bring their study packet back each day to school and we will be adding to it.  They will then bring it back home in order to study for that night. Below is some more study information that will go along with a sheet we will be working on in class today.  You can print this off and work with your child.  Also, this will be good incase your child leaves their study materials at school.

Study Material:

You need to know what state makes up each colony!

The reasons Europeans migrated to North America:

1. Religious Freedom- They wanted to be able to practice their own beliefs

2.  To search for a better life, job, and own land- Life was hard in Europe, and many people wanted new opportunities

3.  The King of England wanted to control the new land in North America- He wanted to have more power

The following examples helped model our government today:

1. The Iroquois League

2.    The Mayflower Compact

3.    House of Burgesses

Things to know about the colonies:

New England (Colonies: Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Rhode Island)

• Tried to remain a part of the Church of England
• They followed the Mayflower Compact and celebrated Thanksgiving
• Poor, rocky soil not good for farming
• Long cold winters and short summers
• The economy included whaling and fishing because they lived near the ocean.
• Had many forests, so they had shipbuilding in order to be able to fish in the ocean.
• Produced wood from the forest & furs from many of the animals with thick coats for the harsh winters
• The Puritans’ first settlement in North America was the Massachusetts Bay Colony

Middle (Colonies: New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania)

• Were known as the “Breadbasket Colonies” because they grew a lot of grains.
• Had the best climate and soil that was perfect for farming
• The Delaware River and Philadelphia were very important to this colony. They had good harbors.
• Religious Toleration and cultural borrowing were celebrated in this colony
• Mostly grew staple crops for them and their communities to eat.
• Trading was very important and they had many shops

Southern (Colonies: Georgia, South Carolina, Virginia, North Carolina, Maryland)

• Had large farms or plantations where they grew tobacco as well as food. Had mostly cash crops that they sold for profit.
• Had “buffer zones” to protect the other colonies from the Spanish in Florida.  
• This colony was made for debtors who could not pay their taxes in England.
• The Virginia Company of London helped create the House of Burgesses. Only white free men who owned property were allowed to vote for representatives in the House of Burgesses.
• Had the longest growing season, mild winters and fertile soil for growing crops
• Economy included cash crops like wheat, tobacco, rice & cotton
• Rural life (opposite of living in the city) was most common in the southern colonist
• The first permanent settlement in Georgia was Savannah

James Oglethorpe was the man that started the Georgia colony.  He brought debtors (people that owed a lot of money and were in jail for it) from England to begin the Georgia colony.

William Penn was a Quaker who started the Pennsylvania colony.

The Mayflower Compact was a list of rules made by the first colonist to help them get along.  It helped the Puritans and strangers establish rules. This helped lead to American self-government.

Jamestown was the first successful English settlement in America.

Squanto was a Native American that helped the fist colonists survive.

The colonist stole the Native Americans’ land and gave them many diseases.

The Iroquois League was when 5 Native American tribes gathered together to solve disputes among the tribes without violence.

The Toleration Act gave religious freedom to all Christians in Maryland.

The Plantation System was a large farm broken into many pieces. Slaves worked and farmed the land.

The Halfway Covenant provided limited membership in the Puritan Church.

The House of Burgesses was the legislature in Virginia where colonists elected members to represent them

Penn’s idea for government was called the Frame of Government It said all citizens are to be treated fairly. It also gave people freedom of speech and freedom of religion.

Since many colonists moved to the colonies for religious freedom, many of the things they created had to do with religious issues. Some of these are:

1.       Toleration Act in which all Christians in Maryland were given religious freedom.

2.       Frame of Government which was written by Penn and gave citizens freedom of religion.

3.       Halfway Covenant that provided limited membership in the Puritan Church.

You also need to be able to tell:

• The similarities and differences between Jamestown and Plymouth Colonies in terms of location, government, and economy.
• How the lives of Native Americans changed as people moved to the 13 colonies

 Thank you!