Newsletter for Nov. 7

Fourth Grade Newsletter We’re Cooking Up Success!
Week of Nov. 7, 2011
Accelerated Reading- New goals were given last week. This week students must reach 40% of the AR goal with 85% average on your child’s individual book level goal.
Basic/ Multiplication Facts- Multiplication Facts 0-9’s; Division 1’s---Test on Thursday
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Subject Summaries
Math- Multiplication and Division Strategies; Mad Minute Daily;
Multiplication facts- 0-9’s review, Division Drills start; Incredible Equations, Number Study---MULITPLICATION REVIEW AND DIVISION 1’S TEST ON THURSDAY
AL. History—Chapter 4: European explorers and settlement
Reading: So You Want to Be President: Main Idea; Summarize—TEST THURSDAY
Grammar-Plural Possessive Nouns
Spelling- words with –ear, ir, our—TEST THURSDAY
Writing- Essay Writing- Writing to Explain
Dates to Remember:
11/7- PTO Meeting
11/8 Fundraiser Orders and Money Due
11/9- Holiday Pictures due : cost-$20.00
11/10- Wear Red, White, and Blue for Veterans’ Observance
11/11—Veterans’ Day—NO School
11/14- Make-up Fall Picture Money Due
Spelling Words- Test on Thursday—ABC order, Sentences, and 3 times each-due Thursday
1. return 2. courage 3. surface 4. purpose 5. first 6. turkey 7. heard
8. early 9. turtle 10. birthday 11. journal 12. courtesy 13. nourish
14. purse 15. furniture 16. search 17. curtain 18. burrow 19. hamburger
20. survey

Newsletter for Sept. 12

Fourth Grade Newsletter
10 for Technology.
September 23: Donations Due. September 26: Announce Results.
Attendance Initiative- Sept. 6-Oct. 3 is our attendance window for AYP. Our goal is to have 100% attendance rate. Please do not schedule doctor’s or dentist’s appointments during these dates. We encourage you to have you children here on time and avoid checking them out prior to 11:30. Students who are present each day will have their names placed in a drawing for a brand NEW bike! They will also attend an attendance celebration! Help us reach our goal.
Accelerated Reading- This week 50% of the AR goal is due with 85% average and your child’s individual book level goal. Please make sure your child reads every night and completes the reading log. One chapter book and one “thin” nonfiction or picture book is recommended for checkout each week. Please encourage your child to stick with a chapter book. It increases the application of reading strategies learned in class as they think about how the author develops the story.
Basic/ Multiplication Facts- It is so important that your child continues to study basic addition and subtraction facts and Multiplication facts. It is our goal that the students know the facts automatically. This helps with computational math fluency. Our math curriculum progresses quickly, so it very important that your child has a strong math foundation. Flash cards can be purchased very inexpensively at dollar stores. They can also be made with index cards.
Work Habits- Please encourage your child to pay attention in class and begin assignments once they have understood directions. Incomplete classwork becomes homework or missing assignments. Homework should be minimal if classwork is completed. Homework includes reading 30 minutes a day.
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Subject Summaries
Math- Ch. 2 test--Tuesday; Multiplication facts-4’s
Alabama History- Geography of AL. Test on Friday
Reading: Horned Toad Prince
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Spelling Words for the Week:
1. prairie 11. rookie
2. calorie 12. hockey
3. honey 13. collie
4. valley 14. breezy
5. money 15. jury
6. finally 16. balcony
7. movie 17. steady
8. country 18. alley
9. empty 19. trolley
10. city 20. misty
Dates to Remember:
9/13- PTO/Open House at 6:30 (Please join PTO for $5.00. Each class is striving for 100%.)
9/15- Selection Test on Horned Toad Prince
9/16- Spelling Test, Multiplication Drill in 5’s, 50% of AR due
9/19-9/23- PACK Week- more information to come
9/22- 6 weeks progress report
9/22- Fall Pictures
10/6-10/13- Scholastic Book Fair

News for Week of Sept. 6

Fourth Grade Newsletter

10 for Technology- Please send in the ten addressed and stamped envelopes. Once returned, your child will receive a Frisbee to participate in PE challenges. Daily prizes are awarded. Do not place anything in the envelopes. Your child will write letters this week.

September 1‐8: Students returning 10 stamped addressed envelopes will receive their very own, one‐of‐a‐kind Harvest Husky Frisbee!

September 9: The entire school will take part in a fun‐filled day of letter writing to request funding for our 10 for Technology Initiative.

September 23: Donations Due.

September 26: Announce Results.

________________________________________________________________________

13 Colonies Poster is due this week on Sept. 7. Information was sent home Friday. All students who participate will have the option of dropping their lowest AL History grade during the 1st nine weeks. Posters will be posted at the Constitution Village.

Muffins and Memories- (Grandparents Day) will be held on Sept. 13. Grandparents are asked to be our guest and share an early childhood or school related memory. Please return the yellow form sent in last week’s Wednesday folder.

Attendance Initiative- Sept. 6-Oct. 3 is our attendance window for AYP. Our goal is to have 100% attendance rate. Please do not schedule doctor’s or dentist’s appointments during these dates. We encourage you to have you children here on time and avoid checking them out prior to 11:30. Students who are present each day will have their names placed in a drawing for a brand NEW bike! They will also attend an attendance celebration! Help us reach our goal.

Accelerated Reading- This week 40% of the AR goal is due with 85% average and your child’s individual book level goal. Please make sure your child reads every night and completes the reading log. One chapter book and one “thin” nonfiction or picture book is recommended for checkout each week. Please encourage your child to stick with a chapter book. It increases the application of reading strategies learned in class as they think about how the author develops the story.

Basic/ Multiplication Facts- It is so important that your child continues to study basic addition and subtraction facts and Multiplication facts. It is our goal that the students know the facts automatically. This helps with computational math fluency. Our math curriculum progresses quickly, so it very important that your child has a strong math foundation. Flash cards can be purchased very inexpensively at dollar stores. They can also be made with index cards.

Work Habits- Please encourage your child to pay attention in class and begin assignments once they have understood directions. Incomplete classwork becomes homework or missing assignments. Homework should be minimal if classwork is completed. Homework includes reading 30 minutes a day.

_____________________________________________________________

Spelling Words

sweet


each


three


least


freedom

below


throat


float


foam


flown

greet


season


croak


shallow


eagle

indeed


rainbow


grown


seaweed


hollow

Subject Summaries

Math- Ordering and Comparing Numbers using Place Value; Multiplication facts-4’s

Alabama History- Geography of AL.

Reading: Genre: Historical Fiction Skill: Sequence Strategy: Graphic Organizers

Grammar- Subject and Predicate

______________________________________________________________________________

Dates to Remember:

9/7- Thirteen Colonies Poster due- see yellow instruction sheet

9/8- Selection Test on Grandfather’s Journey

9/9- Spelling Test, Multiplication Drill in 4’s, 40% of AR due

9/13- PTO/Open House at 6:30 (Please join PTO for $5.00. Each class is striving for 100%.)

9/19-9/23- PACK Week- more information to come

9/22- 6 weeks progress report

9/22- Fall Pictures

10/6-10/13- Scholastic Book Fair

Newsletter for Week of Aug. 29

Fourth Grade News



For the Week Of August 29, 2011





Reading: Lewis and Clark and Me

Math: Place Value, Chapter 1 TEST TUESDAY

Language: Unit #1 Sentences

Spelling: Monday: Define 10 words

Tuesday: 3 x each

Wednesday: Sentences

Thursday: ABC order

Friday: Unit #1 test and turn in activities.

Alabama History/Science: Animal Studies, Chapter 1 TEST FRIDAY





Important Dates to Remember:

August 31st: 10 for Technology Packets sent home

August 31st: Take home folders go home

September 1 – 8th: 10 addressed envelopes are due back

September 1st: 3 week Progress Reports

September 1st: Folders due back signed

September 1st: Reading Test

September 2nd: Spelling Test and Multiplication Quiz 0-3

September 5th: No School – Labor Day

September 13th: PTO meeting

September 22nd: 6 week Progress Reports





Spelling Words for the Week:



1. sigh 11. slight

2. right 12. thigh

3. weigh 13. tight

4. eight 14. raisin

5. detail 15. trait

6. height 16. highway

7. spray 17. frighten

8. braid 18. dismay

9. baked 19. freight

10. grain 20. sleigh

Lady Liberty

We has an assembly this week. Lady Liberty was featured. The students had worked on a song all week to sing during this.

Recipe for Success

The first week of school has been great. I have a sweet class and they worked very hard. Our theme for the year is Cooking Up Success, so yesterday each child wrote a recipe for a successful 4th grade. They loved it especially when they realized that I had a snack prepared for them.

Recipe for Success
1/4 c Hard work (pretzel sticks)
1/3 c Responsibility (Cheerios)
1/3 c Humor (marshmallows)
1 spoon Kindness (M&M)

August 22 - 26, 2011 Newsletter

Fourth Grade News
For the Week of August 22, 2011:

Thank you for sending in supplies and returning all forms promptly. If you have not returned all forms please send those tomorrow. It is very important to have this information about your child.

Reading: Because of Winn-Dixie”
Math: Place Value, Chapter 1
Language: Unit #1 Sentences
Spelling: Monday: ABC order
Tuesday: Defintions—first 10 words only this week
Wednesday: Sentences
Thursday: 3 times each
Friday: Unit #1 test and turn in activities.
Alabama History/Science: Classifying Plants and Animals, Chapter 1

Important Dates to Remember:
August 24th: Ident-A-Kid forms due
August 24th: Take home folders go home
August 25th: Folders due back signed
August 25th: Reading Test
August 26th: Spelling Test and Multiplication Quiz 0-2
August 31st: 10 for Technology Packets sent home
September 1 – 8th: 10 addressed envelopes are due back
September 1st: 3 week Progress Reports
September 5th: No School – Labor Day
September 13th: PTO meeting
September 22nd: 6 week Progress Reports


Spelling Words for the Week:

1. admire 11. accident
2. magnet 12. mitten
3. contest 13. intend
4. method 14. fabric
5. custom 15. flatten
6. rally 16. rascal
7. soccer 17. gutter
8. engine 18. mammal
9. sudden 19. happen
10. finger 20. cannon

1st Day!

We had a great first day of school. The kids were awesome!! I am looking forward to a great year. I hope to have pictures posted soon.

This week we will review and practice skills. We will also learn rules and procedures for how our classroom and school runs. Parents, please be sure to sign your child's homework planner each night. I will also list behavior on planner too. If you child has a stamp or smiley face, then they had a great day. If they have a note from me on it then it was a mark.

C.H.E.F.S Binder

This year students will be required to keep a CHEFS (Children Having Everything for Success) Binder.

This is the cover that students will put in the clear front.

A homework planner will be given to students on the first day. They will keep this in their binder and be responsible for copying homework from the board into the planner each day.
This is what is needed. (Everything is on the supply list.) A binder, 4 tabs with labels, and the planner that I will provide.
The tabs will be labeled Reading/Language, Math, AL History, and Science. In that order they will be placed in the binder.
All are placed in binder and paper will be added behind each tab. All work and homework will be kept in this binder.

It is most helpful for students to be organized. This binder is designed to add in organization and help students become more responsible.

Ready for a New Year

This was my first week back to school. It has been full of meetings. Here are a few pictures of our room. The theme for 4th grade is Cooking Up Success.

This is the outside of my classroom. I will display student work here.
Writing/Language wall
Science and AL History area.
My reading Focus Wall is behind my small group reading table.
Math wall
This year my students will apply for class jobs.
They also have a behavior chart that they can go up for good behavior or down for wrong choices.
Can't wait to see you on Monday.

Updates!

Well, it is about that time of year again. BACK TO SCHOOL TIME!!! I have been working up at school, and I have our class ready. I am looking forward to this year. I am sure that it will be wonderful.

Here are some dates to remember:
Aug. 9--6:00---Parent Orientation--Please make sure that you save this date. This is a very informative meeting. I have lots of information about our class to share with you at that time.

Aug. 15--1st day of school


You can check out Harvest website to find a list of school supplies.

Cooking Up Success

Welcome to 2011-2012 school year!! I am looking forward to working with you and your child this school year. This year we will be Cooking Up Success.Check back during the summer for updates and dates to remember.

News for the Week of April 18, 2011

Hope you had a wonderful Spring Break~!~~

Reading: My Brother Martin-----50% of AR goal with 85% accuracy this week
Math: Time Ch. 5
Language: adverbs; narrative writing
Spelling: Monday: ABC Order
Tuesday: Definitions
Wednesday: Sentences
Thursday: 3 times each
Friday: Weekly test and turn in activities.
Science: Ch. 17 Space
DIBELS Test will be coming up. Please continue to work with your child each night on the fluency passages. I know that we can have 100% to reach the goal of 118 words per minute.

Dates to Remember
April 21—Reading test over My Brother Martin
April 8—Ch. 17 vocab. quiz
April 8—division test all facts
May 20—Field Day
May 25—Awards Day
May 26—last day of school

Spelling words
1. stomach 11. gravel
2. memory 12. difficult
3. Canada 13. fortune
4. element 14. giant
5. mystery 15. architect
6. science 16. normal
7. remember 17. notify
8. forget 18. privilege
9. suppose 19. cement
10. iron 20. yesterday

Book Reports

Recently, our class completed a Book Report in a Can project. Each student selected one chapter book in their AR reading range to read. After reading the book, they created the setting in a box, can, etc and a puppet for the main character. They also shared a summary of the book with the class. I think that they did an awesome job and enjoyed reading the book. We displayed the projects in the "central park"area of the school for everyone to enjoy.

Newsletter for Feb. 21

Don't forget to dress up for the Symphony trip on Friday.

Reading Projects are due Friday.

Reading: Seeker of Knowledge-skill—graphic sources—ARMT/SAT
Math: ARMT/SAT skills
We are continuing Mad Math this week. This is a daily math drill.
Language: Possessive Pronouns; descriptive writing
Spelling: Monday: ABC Order Tuesday: Definitions
Wednesday: Sentences Thursday: 3 x each
Friday: Unit test and turn in activities.
Alabama History—Research historical African Americans

Important Dates to Remember:
Feb. 22—Bowling Field Trip 8-11
Feb. 25- Symphony Field Trip- DRESS UP
Feb. 24—Reading Test
Feb.25--Spelling Test
Feb. 25—division 8’s

Students should have at least 70% of AR point goal with 85% accuracy by the end of this week. Please make sure that your child is reading AR books each night for at least 30 minutes.

Spelling Words

1. village 11. excited
2. except 12. expect
3. explain 13. Texas
4. quick 14. fudge
5. charge 15. excellent
6. bridge 16. exercise
7. knowledge 17. quart
8. question 18. liquid
9. equal 19. quilt
10. queen 20. expert

Mystery Math Monday

Solve the problem below and return it to school by Friday of this week.

Katie had 0.2 of a pizza. Donnie had 0.4 and I ate 0.2 of the pizza. How much did we eat in all? How much pizza was left over?

Book Report in a Can Project

Due Date: February 25, 2011

Here are the steps to have a successful:

1. Choose a chapter book that is in your AR book level from the library while we have library time today, Feb. 8th. Be sure that it is one that you haven’t read and tested on before.

2. Read the book and take an AR test on it.

3. Decorate a large coffee can, shoebox, or container of your choice with something that represents the setting of the story. For example, the setting may be the beach, colonial times, a school, etc. You can paint the container, or cover it with paper or fabric. The more 3D, the better. THERE ARE NO LIMITS.

4. Inside the container you should have something like a puppet to represent one of the main characters. This can be made of paper, wood, a pre-made doll, anything. THERE ARE NO LIMITS.

5. Also in the container there should be a 5x7 index card with a summary neatly written in cursive or typed, telling the main idea of the story. The summary should make me want to read this book right away. It is a summary, we are not retelling the story. It should be like a summary found on the back or inside the cover of a book.

6. The last component is for the student to somehow portray a scene from the story. This can be by telling, singing, acting out, a student-made video. THERE ARE NO LIMITS.

How will this be graded.

Neatness (20points)—The project should show that time was taken to complete it. This is not something that should be done at the last minute.

Imagination/creativity/hard work (20points)—The more this presentation makes us want to read the book, the better. There are no limits. Included in these points is the presentation of a scene from the book.

Index card with summary(20 points) of the main characters, setting, and basic idea of the story.

Decorated container (20 points)—represent the setting of the story.

Puppets to represent the main character (20 points)—choose one or more characters and form something to look like those characters.

Remember to get full credit this presentation should make us want to read this story right away! THERE ARE NO LIMITS!! The extravagancy, imagination, creativity, hard work, and thought that is put into this project will definitely result in a high grade.
HAPPY READING!!!

Thanks,
Mrs. Helums

Mystery Math Monday

Solve the problem below and return it to school by Friday of this week. Be sure to show all of your work and explain your answer.

A group of 17 friends buy tickets for the amusement park. Each friend buys 48 tickets. How many tickets does the group of friends buy in all?

News for Feb. 7th

Fourth Grade News
For the Week of February 7, 2011
Reading: Encantado; Compare and Contrast; Visualize
Math: Fractions Ch. 21 and 22
Beginning this week we will participate in a school-wide emphasis on mastery of Math facts. It is called Mad Math. This is a daily math drill.
Language: subject and object pronouns; descriptive writing
Spelling: Monday: ABC Order Tuesday: Definitions
Wednesday: Sentences Thursday: 3 x each
Friday: Unit test and turn in activities.
Science--- Chapter 11: States of Matter

Important Dates to Remember:
Feb. 8- PTO Meeting
Feb. 19- Mr. and Ms. Harvest Elementary Pageant
Feb. 25- Symphony Field Trip- Permission Slips are coming
Feb. 10—Reading Test
Feb. 11--Spelling Test
Feb. 11—division 7’s
Students should have at least 50% of AR point goal with 85% accuracy by the end of this week. Please make sure that your child is reading AR books each night for at least 30 minutes.

Spelling Words
1. chicken 11. threaten
2. eleven 12. diagonal
3. given 13. paddle
4. jungle 14. animal
5. national 15. spiral
6. several 16. marble
7. natural 17. oval
8. needle 18. mumble
9. single 19. tangle
citizen 20. frighten

Newsletter for Jan. 31, 2011

Fourth Grade News
For the Week of January31, 2011
Reading: Houdini Box
Math: Fractions Ch. 21
Language: singular and plural pronouns
Spelling: Monday: ABC Order Tuesday: Definitions
Wednesday: Sentences Thursday: 3 x each
Friday: Unit test and turn in activities.
Alabama History- Ch. 6 Civil War

Important Dates to Remember:
Feb. 3—Reading Test
Feb. 4—Math Ch. 21 Test
Feb. 4—Spelling Test
Feb. 4—division 6’s

Spelling Words for the Week:

1. don’t 11. shouldn’t
2. won’t 12. couldn’t
3. wouldn’t 13. where’s
4. there’s 14. hadn’t
5. we’re 15. aren’t
6. you’re 16. they’re
7. doesn’t 17. it’s
8. I’ve 18. we’ve
9. here’s 19. when’s
10. wasn’t 20. haven’t

Mystery Math Monday

A group of 12 friends visits the carnival. They each have 35 coins to spend at the carnival arcafe. How amnay coins do the friends have to spend altogther?

Solve and return to school by Friday, Feb. 4, 2011.

Mystery Math Monday

Solve the problem below and return the answer and showing your work to school by Friday.


The stadium has 480 seats. There are exactly 60 seats in each row. How many rows are in all?

Mystery Math Monday

A carnival is in town for 7 days. Each day, 366 caramel apples and 252 candy apples are sold. How many apples are sold during the 7 days of the carnival?


Be sure to show all of your work, bring it to school by the 21st of Jan. for extra point in math this week.

News for Week of Jan. 17-21

Reading: The Great Kapok Tree
Math: polygons, ordered pairs, probability, and multiplication and division
Language: irregular Verbs
Spelling: Monday: 3 x each Tuesday: Sentences
Wednesday: ABC order Thursday: Definitions
Friday: Unit test and turn in activities.
Science- Ch, 16
Important Dates to Remember:
Jan. 20—Reading test
Jan. 21—Science Ch. 16
Jan. 21—Spelling test, multiplication quiz all, and division 5’s quiz
Jan. 21—Simple Machine Project due—guidelines sent home Jan. 7

Spelling Words
1. its 11. hers
2. ours 12. theirs
3. mine 13. brother’s
4. yours 14. brothers’
5. family’s 15. teacher’s
6. families’ 16. teachers’
7. man’s 17. aunt’s
8. men’s 18. aunts’
9. girl’s 19. boy’s
10. girls’ 20. boys’

Snow Days

Hope that you have had as much fun playing in the snow as we have.




Don't forget to take some time and read. You may also want to work on your simple machine. It is due Friday, Jan. 21st.

Martin Luther King

Monday, Jan. 17 is Matin Luther King Day.
Research about Martin Luther King. Find out at least three ways he helped the people of Alabama. List this information and return it to school for 5 points on our next Alabama History Test.

Monday Math Mystery

Please read the word problem and solve it. Bring the solved problem back to school by Friday for extra point on an assignment in math this week. Be sure to show all of your work.

The Swinging Airplanes is one of the most popular rides at the carnival. It runs 48 times a day. The maximum number of people the ride can hold at a time is 9. How many people ride the Swinging Airplanes on a day if it is full each time it runs?

Math test

http://assessment.discoveryeducation.com/pas/schools/pz_test.php?GET_start=1&GET_instancekey=1928247