Monday, September 21, 2015
Erosion Lab
Fourth graders are learning about weathering and erosion. Today we collected data about the impacts of wind erosion on protected and unprotected sand dunes.
Tuesday, September 15, 2015
Multiplication Pledge-a-thon
Fourth Grade — H.O.C.
Multiplication
Pledge-a-Thon
To help your child’s transition to fourth grade go as
smoothly as possible we’d like to make sure every student has mastery of the multiplication facts up
to the 12s. To inspire the class to memorize their facts, we’re going to build
an incentive into our timed tests. The class will look for friends and family
to pledge a donation for each math fact s/he gets correct in a final timed test
and the money will be put towards our
Hulbert Outdoor Center fundraising effort.
There are seventy-eight math facts fourth graders are
responsible for. Several students know many of these already so we can
eliminate the 1s, 2s, 10s and many of the 5s and 11s. That leaves only a
handful of facts yet to be mastered! Most of these are clustered around the 4s,
6s, 7s, 8s, 9s and 12s.
Each student has a different level of comfort with the times
table. The work of mastering these facts
to automaticity will be done at home over the course of the next month. Please work with your child on this task
for ten minutes per night as an ongoing homework assignment. Target efforts
around facts that are less familiar to your student.
Pledge-a-Thon Schedule
·
Friday, September 11 — Pledge sheets due
·
Friday, September 11 — First practice test
on 1s – 7s
·
Friday, September 18 — Second practice
test on 1s – 7s
·
Friday, September 25 — First practice test
on 8s – 12s
·
Tuesday, September 29 — Second practice test on
8s – 12s
·
Friday, October 9 — First
practice test on 1s – 12s
·
Friday, October 16 — Pledge-a-Thon Test on 1s – 12s! Test
sent home with pledge
sheet
·
Friday, October 30 — PLEDGE MONEY DUE!
Online Resources:
Please remove, sign and return the slip below. Thank you for
your support during this class project!
I have read the above letter and understand our
responsibilities.
Comments:
Parent Signature Student
Name
4th Grade Special Schedule
4th Grade Special Schedule
Our class has been divided into two groups for
specials. Please help your child prepare for each school day by reviewing
his/her special schedule each morning.
Group A Group
B
Monday Spanish
(8:30-9:10) P.E. (8:30-9:10)
Tuesday Art
(8:30-9:30) Spanish (8:30-9:10)
Library
/STEM (1:20-2:00) Music (1:20-2:00)
Wednesday Music
(8:30-9:10) Art (8:30-9:30)
Thursday P.E.
(8:30-9:10) Spanish (8:30-9:10)
Spanish
(2:00-2:40) P.E. (2:00-2:40)
Friday P.E.
(8:30-9:10) Library / STEM (8:30-9:10)
Sculpture Fest
Fourth graders loved visiting and interacting with the sculptures today at Sculpture Fest on Prosper Road. Thank you Ms. Klassen-Landis and our chaperones who made the visit possible!
Sunday, September 13, 2015
Reading Homework News
August 26, 2015
Dear fourth grade students
and parents,
This
year, we will continue to have reading homework Monday – Thursday. Students
will be expected to read for up to 20 minutes per night. We will start the year
by assigning pages of reading from a book group book for homework each night.
Because students are reading in groups, they may have a different book assigned
than a friend or neighbor. For this reason, it will be very important that
students have the routine of putting their book in their backpack before
leaving school each day and placing it back in the backpack each evening or
morning before school to be sure they have the book for discussion the
following day.
We are
going to start by assigning a structured log entry in students’ Signpost Notebook
each night. Students will also need to bring the Signpost Notebook to and from
school each day. The format of the log in the notebook is a bit different from
what we used in third grade. We will look for signposts in our books this year,
which is something fifth and sixth grade students also do.
There
will be an example log entry and directions on the first page of the notebook.
As we learn to look for other signposts in reading, the prompts in the log will
change, and examples will continue to be provided. We will check students’ logs
on a weekly basis and use logs as part of their effort grades in reading. Early
on, we will provide lots of feedback and guidance for students as they learn
this new process.
If a student is unable to do homework one night due to a
family circumstance, parents should write a note in the Signpost Notebook for
that night’s log. Please let us know if you have questions or concerns. (mmills@wcsu.net, jmumford@wcsu.net)
Best,
Jay Mumford and Maggie Mills
Jay Mumford and Maggie Mills
Welcome Back Letter and Supply List
Hello 4th Grade Families
We invite all fourth graders and their parents to join us at some point for Meet Your Teacher Night in our classroom on Monday, August 24, from 5:30 – 6:30. Students who attend can choose a cubby and shelf for their belongings, participate in a short activity, and pick up a Student Planner. You can also show us your summer reading log. We hope you reached your personal goal!
The first day of school is Wednesday, August 26. Each student needs to arrive with some basic school supplies:
- a binder not to exceed 1.5” diameter rings
- sharpened colored pencils and #2 pencils
- a pencil box
- 2 labeled glue sticks
- labeled scissors
- several highlightersWe will provide lined paper, markers, and other school necessities. Each student will be given both a Student Planner in which s/he will write down daily assignments and a homework folder for notes and single homework pages
Our schedule is similar to last year. Specials occur in the early morning and we have the last lunch and recess period from 12:40 – 1:20. So, we have scheduled a midmorning snack when students are encouraged to eat something healthy.
In order to reduce class size, the class will again attend their specials as two separate groups. Students will receive a schedule informing them of when their specials are at Meet Your Teacher Night or on the first day of school.
This is the year we will attend our two-night, overnight trip to the Hulbert Outdoor Center. We will be there from September 30 – October 2. More information regarding the trip will follow upon our return to school. We’ll be looking for three enthusiastic parents to attend the trip for the duration as chaperones. Free accommodations, real camp food, restful evenings recreating in a cabin with fifteen +/- fourth graders! Please deliver the money your child raised during the summer months on Meet Your Teacher Night or the first day of school.
If you have any questions please feel free to contact us at mmills@wcsu.net or jmumford@wcsu.net.
Sincerely,
Maggie Mills & Jay Mumford
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