April 15 News

New Homework
Starting today, we have a new homework program to finish out the year. The purpose of homework is to reinforce skills already taught, practice time management, and to build responsibility. Your child has the homework sheet for this week in his/her homework folder. It requires students to read every night, complete a math sheet, and practice grammar. There are also opportunities for extension and to earn bonuses. Please have your child explain the new homework policy to you and ask to see this homework sheet. Homework sheets will be given out each Friday and are due the following Friday.

Hardware Hustle
Information was sent home in this week's Thursday Folders. We will participate in the Hardware Hustle on Thursday, April 21st during our specials time (1-1:40). There are prizes for the most class spirit. I thought it would be fun for our class to have Crazy Hair Day to show some class spirit during the HH.

CMAS Testing
Students have finished their PARCC testing, but fourth graders need to take CMAS this coming week, which tests social studies content. We will be testing on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday first thing each morning.
We'll have a party on Friday to celebrate the completion of the standardized testing. Students will watch a movie (which ties in with what we're doing in literacy next week) and enjoy a sweet treat.

Literacy- Create meaning strategically; Evaluate how authors create meaning; Construct a viable argument.
We begin our final unit of the year, which focuses on traditional literature. This includes: fables, folk tales, myths, legends, fairy tales, and tall tales. This week students will learn the characteristics of each genre. We'll read read many folk tales and fairy tales to compare different stories and genres. We'll also spend some time reading Cinderella stories from cultures around the world to analyze their common traits.

Science- Systems Thinking
This week we will start our study of the solar system. Students will learn about the inner and outer planets, the sun, rotation and revolution, and the seasons. We will focus on the interaction within and between systems.

We're answering the question: "Why does the Sun rise and set?" We’ll talk about the rotation (spin) of the Earth and watch video footage from space that shows the Earth spinning. If you have the chance to watch the sunset or sunrise with your child, be sure to turn around and check out the super long shadow you both cast when the Sun is low in the sky. For a spectacular view of the sunrise, I recommend you and your child watch this time-lapse video of Earth. It was created by putting together photos taken from the International Space Station. You’ll see the yellow lights of human civilization, the flashing white of lightning in the clouds, and in the end, a brilliant sun rising above the curve of our planet.

We're also answering the question: “Who set the first clock?" We’ll make shadow clocks (sundials), learn about telling time by the Sun, and find out how (and why) people first divided the day into hours. When your child brings the sundial home, I suggest you help set it up in the sun with the north-pointing arrow pointing to north. When you and your child watch the shadow move over the course of the day, you might point out that the shadow moves clockwise around the dial. That’s no coincidence. The first clockmakers patterned the movement of the clock hands on what people were used to: the shadow clock. And here’s a fun fact to share with your child: back before there were clocks, people used the word “sunwise” to describe the direction we now call “clockwise.

For this activity, we need flashlights. If you can, please send in a flashlight with your child on Wednesday. 

We're exploring how the sun’s path changes with the time of the year. Students will learn that on summer days the sun comes up earlier, rises higher in the midday sky, and sets later than it does in winter. If you find that your child is curious when the sun rises and sets, Google now provides sunrise and sunset times simply by typing "sunrise" and "sunset" in Google. Many weather apps for smartphones (such as iPhone) also feature this information included with the day's forecast.

Math- Geometry
We begin our last unit of math for the year. This week, students will be learning how to identify, draw, and measure different types of angles.

Social Studies
Click here to see photos of the final social studies projects that the kids completed this week. I am so proud of how focused the kids were as they collaborated with their partners all week. They really took this project seriously and devoted such great effort to it each day.

Specials- Music

Performance Night- Information about this year's Talent Show is in the office for students to pick up if interested.