It's hard to believe January is on its way out! This year is just flying by for us.
Last week we began ACCESS testing for our EL students. We should be finishing that by the end of this week for most of our kids.
Math:
We're working on fractions and decimals, while revisiting place value as well. Students will take the unit test on Tuesday of next week. We'll do a review next Monday and send home the review pages for students to study.
Reading:
We're working on expository nonfiction, with particular focus on identifying the main idea and supporting/key details. We're reading a lot about different interesting animals during this unit, and have learned some pretty amazing things about their adaptations.
Writing:
Students are working on their informational essays. They have learned to research, organize their topics into subtopics, and cite their sources. This week they'll write their conclusions, and then we'll begin the editing process.
Science:
We've been learning about energy. We had a fun hands-on activity in which students were able to discover how to light a bulb using only copper wire and a battery.
Preparing for 5th Grade:
Our 4th graders have not been primary students for quite some time, but now that we're in the second half of 4th grade, we're really working on fostering independence and personal accountability to help students be prepared for 5th and middle school, which is just around the corner.
With this in mind, students are reminded that it is their responsibility to take care of their materials, take their Take Home folder home to parents to review their work, and show personal accountability for their daily assignments. Each day, I have students write their assignments onto their weekly work menu, and this helps them track what has been completed and what still needs to be done. Students can also track their progress within Classcraft Quests, where they earn experience points and gold for completing assignments. Of course, Fun Friday is always a favorite for our kids, and those who have completed all assignments and shown respect to others throughout the week get to enjoy a bit of free time on Fridays as a reward for their hard work and good character.
Noses and Hands:
We're almost out of tissues and hand sanitizer. If you're able to donate to our classroom, we'd greatly appreciate it!
Last week we began ACCESS testing for our EL students. We should be finishing that by the end of this week for most of our kids.
Math:
We're working on fractions and decimals, while revisiting place value as well. Students will take the unit test on Tuesday of next week. We'll do a review next Monday and send home the review pages for students to study.
Reading:
We're working on expository nonfiction, with particular focus on identifying the main idea and supporting/key details. We're reading a lot about different interesting animals during this unit, and have learned some pretty amazing things about their adaptations.
Writing:
Students are working on their informational essays. They have learned to research, organize their topics into subtopics, and cite their sources. This week they'll write their conclusions, and then we'll begin the editing process.
Science:
We've been learning about energy. We had a fun hands-on activity in which students were able to discover how to light a bulb using only copper wire and a battery.
Preparing for 5th Grade:
Our 4th graders have not been primary students for quite some time, but now that we're in the second half of 4th grade, we're really working on fostering independence and personal accountability to help students be prepared for 5th and middle school, which is just around the corner.
With this in mind, students are reminded that it is their responsibility to take care of their materials, take their Take Home folder home to parents to review their work, and show personal accountability for their daily assignments. Each day, I have students write their assignments onto their weekly work menu, and this helps them track what has been completed and what still needs to be done. Students can also track their progress within Classcraft Quests, where they earn experience points and gold for completing assignments. Of course, Fun Friday is always a favorite for our kids, and those who have completed all assignments and shown respect to others throughout the week get to enjoy a bit of free time on Fridays as a reward for their hard work and good character.
Noses and Hands:
We're almost out of tissues and hand sanitizer. If you're able to donate to our classroom, we'd greatly appreciate it!