Sunday, May 28, 2017

Week of 5/29

I hope everyone enjoyed a great Memorial Day weekend! We had a big talk on Friday about the meaning of this special weekend, so hopefully it resonated with the kids!


Two SOL tests down, one to go!! We will be reviewing this week for the Virginia Studies SOL test, which is on Thursday. The kids have review packets that went home on May 22nd. Students should be reviewing these nightly as there is a lot of information that they have to know!


If you haven't done so yet, please return the picnic form and money (money only if your child and/or a guest(s) are purchasing a lunch - this must be paid for in advance.) The picnic is next Wednesday, June 11th from 11am-1pm.



Monday, April 17, 2017

Week of 4/17

I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter; it sure was beautiful outside!


Many thanks to those who donated cans last week - our class won for 4th grade! We won ten tallies!


We are in need of dry-erase markers - any donations are greatly appreciated - we use these A LOT!!


The yearbook deadline has been extended until Wednesday, so you can still order until then. Order online by visiting 
https://online-pay.memorybook.com/parent and use school code 83977 or send in the order form/payment with child's name and my name on it.


Report cards will come home on Tuesday. Please sign page 2 of your child's agenda to indicate that you've reviewed your child's report card. You will be receiving an email from me to schedule a conference if needed. If you have questions or concerns, you may also request a conference by emailing me.
SOL testing is right around the corner! The reading SOL test is May 19th, and the math SOL test is May 25th. Please avoid appointments on testing days. It's never too early to start reviewing - you can review tests you've saved and  by using the many review sites on our fourth grade Portaportal site: https://www.portaportal.com/. Please email me if you need the access code.

Here's what else is happening this week in room 5:

Language Arts: 
Skills/strategies: We finish our book study on The Perilous Road, which is a story told from a young boy's perspective of the Civil War. We are tying in many reading skills such as making predictions, drawing conclusions, formulating questions, and many more as we read this exciting book.



Please be sure that your child is reading nightly. Studies show that daily reading shows significant growth in vocabulary development and overall achievement. We want our kids to LOVE books and become lifelong readers, so we must work together to foster that love of reading. 

Math:

We are in the midst of our measurement unit. So far, we've covered customary and metric length, customary capacity, and customary weight. Students should be studying nightly because they have to know and be able to apply measurement equivalents - i.e. how many quarts in a gallon, feet in a yard, etc. They also have to be able to identify the best unit of measure to use to measure a given object. There is a measurement test on Friday.

Virginia Studies:
We're finishing up our Westward Expansion letters and also learning about Reconstruction - the time after the Civil War where Virginia was rebuilding after lots of destruction and effects of the war. Notebooks have been coming home each night for review. Be sure to have conversations about what they're learning to help it stick! :) There will be a Reconstruction quiz on  Friday.

Saturday, March 25, 2017

Week of 3/27

We are in the home-stretch before Spring Break! We have a busy week of learning, so let's work together to be sure the kiddos are focused so they can finish the quarter strong! We'll be taking Student Growth Assessments this week. These tests are similar to benchmark tests, and they help inform our instruction in order to meet the needs of all students for the last quarter and for the SOL testing in May. I know they'll rock the tests as long as they use the strategies they've learned! 

Here's what else is happening this week in room 5:

Language Arts: 
Skills/strategies: We are working on a book study on The Perilous Road, which is a story told from a young boy's perspective of the Civil War. We are tying in many reading skills such as making predictions, drawing conclusions, formulating questions, and many more as we read this exciting book.



Please be sure that your child is reading nightly. Studies show that daily reading shows significant growth in vocabulary development and overall achievement. We want our kids to LOVE books and become lifelong readers, so we must work together to foster that love of reading. 

Math:

Students did a great job on our fractions unit - I was so proud of their progress! Now we are on to measurement. We'll be working on customary and metric length and volume this week. There will likely be a length quiz on Friday -stay tuned to the agenda. Students should be studying nightly because they have to know and be able to apply measurement equivalents - i.e. how many quarts in a gallon, feet in a yard, etc. 
The portaportal site has some awesome review activities to review math concepts at home: http://www.portaportal.com/ 
I sent the access code via email in the beginning of the year. If you need it again, just email me: devon.day@nn.k12.va.us

Virginia Studies:
We are working on Westward Expansion - reasons why Virginians moved west through the Cumberland Gap. This is an exciting unit where students will be doing research and completing a fun writing task. Be sure to have conversations about what they're learning to help it stick! :) Stay tuned to the agenda for upcoming assessment dates!

Monday, March 13, 2017

Week of 3/13

Students are excited for the field trip to Williamsburg on Thursday! Please be sure your child dresses warmly and has comfortable clothes, as we will be outside for part of the trip. If your child is bringing lunch from home, please bring it in a disposable bag with student name clearly marked. No glass containers, please!


Here's what is happening this week in room 5:

Language Arts: 
Skills/strategies: We are investigating media messages (visual, auditory, and written). The kids are encouraged to bring in or write down examples of as many media messages as they can find. We will be studying the intended audience and purpose for the media messages shared.



Please be sure that your child is reading nightly. Studies show that daily reading shows significant growth in vocabulary development and overall achievement. We want our kids to LOVE books and become lifelong readers, so we must work together to foster that love of reading. 

Math:

We'll be working on solving word problems that involve adding and subtracting fractions and decimals. We'll go over strategies that will help students break down the problem and think about the reasonableness of their answers. There will be a test on this next Tuesday.
The portaportal site has some awesome review activities to review math concepts at home: http://www.portaportal.com/ 
I sent the login information via email in the beginning of the year. If you need it again, just email me: devon.day@nn.k12.va.us

Virginia Studies:
We are studying the battles of the Civil War. We did a gallery walk of the battles last week and interactive notebook pages were distributed today so that students can review this information each night this week. We will go into more details about the battles in class this week. As noted last week, the test on the battles (Civil War Part 2) will be on Thursday. I will send home the notebook daily so students can continue to review notes since it's a lot of information to learn. Be sure to have conversations about what they're learning to help it stick! :) Stay tuned to the agenda for upcoming assessment dates!

Tuesday, March 7, 2017

Week of 3/6

Mid-week blog posts are ok, too, right?! ✌

See side-bar to the right for some important upcoming dates!

Here's what is happening this week in room 5:

Language Arts: 
Skills/strategies: We'll continue to integrate science and reading/writing by reading planet poetrty, researching planets, and creating a model of each group's planet. All of this work will be done in class. :)


Please be sure that your child is reading nightly. Studies show that daily reading shows significant growth in vocabulary development and overall achievement. We want our kids to LOVE books and become lifelong readers, so we must work together to foster that love of reading. 

Math:

We'll wrap up our fraction unit on Friday with an assessment which will include equivalent fractions, comparing and ordering fractions, common factors and multiples, and fractions on a number line. 
The portaportal site has some awesome review activities to review math concepts at home: http://www.portaportal.com/ 
I sent the login information via email in the beginning of the year. If you need it again, just email me: devon.day@nn.k12.va.us

Virginia Studies:
We are currently studying the Civil War; we have the part 1 test Wednesday. Then we'll study the major battles of the Civil War and have the Civil War part 2 test next week. I will send home the notebook daily so students can continue to review notes since it's a lot of information to learn. Be sure to have conversations about what they're learning to help it stick! :) Stay tuned to the agenda for upcoming assessment dates!

Monday, February 27, 2017

Week of 2/27

Read Across America Week is here, so it's sure to be a fun week! See below for the fun ways to participate:


Remember that Literacy Night is Thursday - we hope to see everyone there. It will be an awesome night filled with great family and reading activities, and Sliders will be there with some great dinner options and prices! Flier went home last week with rsvp slip that was due last Friday. If you haven't turned yours in, please turn it in ASAP!! 

We are looking forward to the Book Float parade that's on Friday afternoon at 2:30 in the front bus loop. Our class is doing Blood on the River since we read it together and loved it so much!

See side-bar to the right for some important upcoming dates!

Here's what else is happening this week in room 5:

Language Arts: 
Skills/strategies: we'll be integrating science and reading/writing by reading planet poetrty, researching planets, and creating a model of each group's planet. All of this work will be done in class. :)


Please be sure that your child is reading nightly. Studies show that daily reading shows significant growth in vocabulary development and overall achievement. We want our kids to LOVE books and become lifelong readers, so we must work together to foster that love of reading. 

Math:

We're continuing our exploration of fractions. We've worked on equivalent fractions and will start comparing and adding/subtracting fractions this week. Remember that I always send home the math notebook when there is math homework so that students have a reference to use when completing homework. We often make anchor charts in class that include the steps for whatever we are working on. 
The portaportal site has some awesome review activities to review math concepts at home: http://www.portaportal.com/ 
I sent the login information via email in the beginning of the year. If you need it again, just email me: devon.day@nn.k12.va.us

Virginia Studies:
We are currently studying the Civil War. So far we've learned about the differences between the two sides -the north and the south, and what caused the war to begin. We will continue to explore and review these topics this week. I will send home the notebook daily so students can continue to review notes since it's a lot of information to learn. Be sure to have conversations about what they're learning to help it stick! :) Stay tuned to the agenda for upcoming assessment dates!

Monday, February 6, 2017

Week of 2/6

Happy February! We've got a busy week coming up! Report cards come home tomorrow, and we'll also take our math quarterly benchmark test. Students will take the social studies benchmark test on Thursday; a study guide came home last week. I am confident that students will do a great job if they use strategies that we've learned and if they show their thinking (math)! 

Here is an overview of our week:

Language Arts: 
Skills/strategies: We will continue to explore various types of functional texts such as recipes, brochures, fliers, project instructions, etc. Students will learn to use text features to help evaluate and comprehend the text. 


Please be sure that your child is reading nightly. Studies show that daily reading shows significant growth in vocabulary development and overall achievement. We want our kids to LOVE books and become lifelong readers, so we must work together to foster that love of reading. 

Math:

After benchmark testing is complete, we will continue to explore fractions. So far, we've reviewed fraction basics and learned about improper fractions and mixed numbers. We will explore fractions further by finding equivalent fractions, comparing fractions, finding fractions on a number line, and identifying decimal/fraction equivalents. Remember that I always send home the math notebook when there is math homework so that students have a reference to use when completing homework. We often make anchor charts in class that include the steps for whatever we are working on. 
Remember to use the portaportal site to review math concepts at home: http://www.portaportal.com/ 
I sent the login information via email in the beginning of the year. If you need it again, just email me: devon.day@nn.k12.va.us

Virginia Studies:
We are studying the "New Nation" - things that were happening after the American Revolution. This week we will be delving more into Westward Expansion. I will send home the notebook daily so students can continue to review notes since it's a lot of information to learn. Be sure to have conversations about what they're learning to help it stick! :) Stay tuned to the agenda for upcoming assessment dates!

Tuesday, January 31, 2017

Week of 1/30

Hopefully everyone enjoyed the student break from school! I am excited to return to work now that everyone in my house is better. I'm the only one in my house that was spared the wrath of the stomach bug! Let's hope it stays that way! 

As noted in a recent email, benchmark testing begins tomorrow. The schedule is as follows:
Wed. 2/1: Reading

Tues. 2/7: Math


Thurs. 2/9: Social Studies

Students can review for math and social studies by reviewing their respective notebooks and/or practicing online via https://portaportal.com/
The username and passwords are both RES4th. There are reading games/practice sites on there as well. 

It's a new quarter, so let's make it a great one. Continue to practice math facts daily. Mastery of all basic facts (+,-, x, /) is critical for success with all math concepts. Daily reading is also important for increased fluency, comprehension, and overall vocabulary development. I'm excited for a fresh start for all, and I know it will be a fantastic quarter! 

Tomorrow (Wednesday) is last day to order a t-shirt for Read Across America Week! N
o late orders will be accepted. For the class with highest participation, each student gets a free dinner coupon for the Literacy Night on March 2nd!! Order form is shown below:

Here's what's happening this week:
Language Arts: 
Skills/strategies: We will be working with functional texts like fliers, recipes, menus, ads, etc. Students will be examining text features like headings, directions, bold words, and graphics to gain understanding of the text. In case you missed it last week...below are some great ideas to help your child with reading at home:


 

Math:
We will begin our fractions unit! We'll review identifying and writing fractions, and gain a deeper understanding of improper fractions, mixed numbers, and decimal/fraction equivalents.
Students should be bringing home their math notebook any time they have math homework and should be using notes as a guide.
Remember to use the portaportal site to review math concepts at home: http://www.portaportal.com/ 

Virginia Studies:
Students will be learning about leadership in the new nation after the Revolutionary War. We'll be learning about George Washington, James Madison, George Mason, and Thomas Jefferson. We'll also be discussing why people started moving west (Westward Expansion). I will send home the VA Studies notebook daily so students can continue to review notes since it's a lot of information to learn. Be sure to have conversations about what they're learning to help it stick! :) Stay tuned to the agenda for upcoming assessment dates!

Tuesday, January 17, 2017

Week of 1/16

It's hard to believe we are almost half-way through the school year already! We've got benchmark testing coming up, so stay tuned to the agenda and email for more information. Report cards come home February 7th! Remember that you can check your child's grades at your convenience online anytime via ParentVue.


Awesome job with Beary Blue/Purple/Gold last Friday... our class WON for most participation in the 4th grade! :)


Last week, order forms went home for Read Across America Week shirts. Proceeds go towards activities for that week. It would be awesome to have great participation from our class again - there may be contest for the most participation with this fundraiser - I'll keep you posted! All orders are due February 1st  - no late orders will be accepted.


Here's what's coming up this week:
Language Arts: 
Skills/strategies: We are working on being able to differentiate between fact and opinion, while also reviewing main idea in small groups. Below are some great ideas to help your child with reading at home:

 

Math:
We'll continue to work on equality in an equation (balancing equations) and the associative property of addition.  We are also reviewing estimation with addition and subtraction and will also learn to estimate products/quotients and solve multi-step word problems. There is a quiz on Thursday on equality (balancing equations) and estimation! It is critical that students are practicing their facts daily (all basic facts: addition/subtraction/multiplication/division). Lack of fact fluency really slows them down in their computation of larger numbers. 
Students should be bringing home their math notebook any time they have math homework and should be using notes as a guide for the steps.
Remember to use the portaportal site to review math concepts at home: http://www.portaportal.com/ 
I sent the login information via email in the beginning of the year. If you need it again, just email me: devon.day@nn.k12.va.us

Virginia Studies:
We'll continue to learn about the American Revolution - this week we'll learn about the roles that Virginians played in the war, as well as the Battle of Great Bridge and the victory at Yorktown. We started a booklet today that we'll finish tomorrow and should be reviewed daily before the test next Wednesday. I will send home the notebook daily so students can continue to review notes since it's a lot of information to learn. Be sure to have conversations about what they're learning to help it stick! :) Stay tuned to the agenda for upcoming assessment dates!

Wednesday, January 11, 2017

Week of 1/9

Who's ready to come back to school?! I'm sure at least parents are cheering! :) Hopefully everyone enjoyed the snow - it's not often that we get a great snow like that!


Here's what's coming up this week:
Language Arts: 
Skills/strategies: We will be focusing on predicting, but will also be reviewing main idea and summarizing by reading books, passages, and doing practice activities during Reading Jam.

Please be sure that your child is reading nightly. Studies show that daily reading shows significant growth in vocabulary development and overall achievement. We want our kids to LOVE books and become lifelong readers, so we must work together to foster that love of reading.

Math:
We'll continue to work on equality in an equation (balancing equations) and the associative property of addition.  Stay tuned to the agenda for an assessment date. It is critical that students are practicing their facts daily (all basic facts: addition/subtraction/multiplication/division). Lack of fact fluency really slows them down in their computation of larger numbers. 
Students should be bringing home their math notebook any time they have math homework and should be using notes as a guide for the steps.
Remember to use the portaportal site to review math concepts at home: http://www.portaportal.com/ 
I sent the login information via email in the beginning of the year. If you need it again, just email me: devon.day@nn.k12.va.us

Virginia Studies:
We'll continue to learn about the American Revolution - this week we'll review what caused the war and the roles of important Virginians in the war. I will send home the notebook daily so students can continue to review notes since it's a lot of information to learn. Be sure to have conversations about what they're learning to help it stick! :) Stay tuned to the agenda for upcoming assessment dates!

Tuesday, January 3, 2017

Week of 1/3

Welcome back and Happy New Year! Hopefully everyone had a relaxing break with some extra family time and you are ready to get back into the swing of things at school!


Here's what's coming up this week:
Language Arts: 
Skills/strategies: We will be reviewing main idea and summarizing by reading books, passages, and doing practice activities during Reading Jam.



Please be sure that your child is reading nightly. Studies show that daily reading shows significant growth in vocabulary development and overall achievement. We want our kids to LOVE books and become lifelong readers, so we must work together to foster that love of reading.


Math:
We will continue to work on multiplication and division, but will be starting equality in an equation (balancing equations) and the associative property of addition. It is critical that students are practicing their facts daily (all basic facts: addition/subtraction/multiplication/division). Lack of fact fluency really slows them down in their computation of larger numbers. 
Students should be bringing home their math notebook any time they have math homework and should be using notes as a guide for the steps.
Remember to use the portaportal site to review math concepts at home: http://www.portaportal.com/ 
I sent the login information via email in the beginning of the year. If you need it again, just email me: devon.day@nn.k12.va.us

Virginia Studies:
We started our unit on the American Revolution today. I will send home the notebook daily so students can continue to review notes since it's a lot of information to learn. Be sure to have conversations about what they're learning to help it stick! :) Stay tuned to the agenda for upcoming assessment dates!