IN FULL SWING!

 

We are in full swing! The students have really been working hard and I am pleased that they have adjusted so well to fourth grade and our classroom! The only problem we have is that we all LOVE TO TALK!  Some of us are still working on knowing when it is and is not a good time to talk to our classmates.  We have a very busy week ahead. Below, you will find a list of important upcoming dates and information to help you keep track of what we are learning in class.

This Thursday, August 23      Open House for Parents       6:00

Friday, August 30                  Field trip to Cobb Safety Village  

Monday, September 2           Labor Day                        No School!

Tuesday, September 10       School Picture Day    PREPAY ORDERS

"GATOR SNAPS!" IS A NEW PAGE ON THIS BLOG DESIGNED TO SHARE SNAPSHOTS OF OUR LEARNING.  CHECK "GATOR SNAPS" OFTEN AND ENJOY!

Math:  We will have our first test, assessing what we have learned about place value and our base ten number system. This week we will review addition and subtraction of large numbers. We will continue to round, estimate, and practice reading large numbers with fluency.  In our next unit, students will be learning some new and exciting math strategies. They will:

● solve multi-step problems using the four operations

● use estimation to solve multiplication and division problems

● find factors and multiples

● identify prime and composite numbers

● generate patterns

If your child has not mastered the multiplication facts, daily practice at home is crucial.

Science:  We are learning about the water cycle and will be applying those concepts to our study of weather.  Check out the page on this blog titled "Water Cycle and Weather on the Web" for a wide variety of information sources, activities, and games.

Social Studies:  We will continue to explore the United States as we review map skills. We are creating maps showing some major major physical features of the United States including the Atlantic Coastal Plain, the Great Plains, the Continental Divide, the Great Basin, Death Valley, the Gulf of Mexico, the St. Lawrence River, and the Great Lakes.  We will have a test next week to show what we know!

Health: Safety has been our focus.  Last Friday we were instructed by a Cobb County police officer. Students learned the importance of having a home escape plan. Thank you, parents, for helping your children draw floor plans and determine escape routes in their workbooks. Students will have Fire Safety homework this week:  reading passages and quizzes in preparation for our field trip on Friday to the Cobb Safety Village.  We are excited about all the fun activities we will experience while we learn to put safety first!  Students will be tested on what they learn. 

Spelling:  Sort 3.  Learning where and why words are divided into syllables is helping us become better spellers. 

Reading:  We will finish reading The Lemonade War by Jacqueline Davies. We have enjoyed an entertaining and relateable story while learning some economic concepts and examining the writer's craft. She uses lots of idioms and is so descriptive that we are able to "see a movie in our heads" as we read.  Several students are looking for other books by this author! Students know that S.Q.U.I.R.T. in our classroom means Sustained Quiet Uninterrupted Independent Reading Time.  So far, your children have been able to choose their own chapter books and we are getting better at following the expectations of this time.

Thank you for supporting your child and signing his/her agenda each night.  I look forward to seeing you all at Open House Thursday night.  I have much to share with you!