Final Post

The final Fourthie post! Where did the time go??  It was a great year with an incredible group of girls.   Have a fun and safe summer.

Take Two!

Post #35

What if Disney princesses were real life heroines? The girls are writing fairy tales about real life princesses. They are using the elements of a fairy tale but also including historical facts. We'll have
"Story Time" next week when the girls present their fairy tales to the class.


We wrapped up the 1940's and took a look at the many inventions and products introduced during this decade. The girls watched the only film image of Anne Frank. Their reflections and conversation about Anne Frank were tender. They had many questions about Anne Frank and the Holocaust. I explained to the girls that we don't go into great detail in fourth grade and that they would explore in greater detail in MS and US.

The girls created an equation bingo game. I love this version because it's eco-friendly. We didn't have to spend 15 minutes picking up little squares of paper:) Problem solving took us to the Magic Kingdom- nothing like a virtual math field trip to Disney World during the last couple of weeks of school. They practiced large number calculation with a variety of Musical Moments (music was student choice). I made these problems very difficult and was delighted that so many girls were successful on their first try. Great attention to details!

Excel isn't just for accountants. The girls created a Fourthie memory poster in Excel. They used a few formatting tricks and created a 20" x 20" poster. Each girl included a precept that resonated with her. 

The girls put the finishing touches on their Stickman writing lab. They made a dramatic recording of the adventure. Take a listen. We read Ray Bradbury's science fiction short story, All Summer in a Day. It's the story of a colony on Venus and the sun shines for only an hour every 7-9 years. It was the perfect story for the month of May. I don't know about you but we were soo happy to finally see the sun!

The Fourthie Party was a huge hit. Many thanks to the parents who brought in treats and chaperoned. It truly takes a village. I hope everyone received their assembly tickets??? They were in the work folders that went home on Monday. Practice for the assembly begins on Tuesday:

Final Assembly Rehearsals:

Tuesday 5/31- 1:00-2:00

Wednesday 6/1- 1:00-2:00

Thursday 6/2- 8:30-9:45

Assembly Friday, June 3rd @ 9:00

There is a page on the blog that has activities to reinforce skills over the summer. Have a great Memorial Day Weekend!

Girls- your final blog question........ Who wrote the short story, All Summer in a Day?

Post #34

We love Mr. Demery and the example he sets for the girls each day. He is a hard working and kind man who is a gift to St. Catherine's. The girls celebrated his birthday by making hats, cards, and surprising him with doughnuts. Ms. Adkins crashed the party:)
The girls worked with math terms and Wordly Wise words and made creative talking avatars using Voki. Here's a sample from Grace S. You can check out your daughter's creation here.

The final writing lab was started and is in full swing. The girls are writing a news article about the trial and tribulations of the Stickman or Stickwoman. They are turning their articles into drama filled radio broadcasts. I'll post the broadcasts next week when all are finished. Editing practice is more fun when the girls create the sentences. They are using sound bites from movies and writing sentences packed with errors that will be carefully corrected next week. This is a complicated process that requires the girls to use many tools which results in a movie that can be shared with all. Once they master the steps they turn around and teach a classmate. You can take a look at this example by Lauren:

We've made many memories in fourth grade and will preserve them in a variety of ways. This week the girls created a dodecahedron (a 12 sided polygon) and decorated  it with memories of their last year in Lower School. Area of triangles and parallelograms extended the math unit. Problem solving featured the 1971 Coke commercial with a catchy tune. We were singing it all day:) 

The girls are reading and writing about World War ll and the role and contributions of women at home and abroad. They were especially interested in Internment Camps following the bombing of Pearl Harbor. I love listening to them discuss history. They can be very insightful.

Friday was a fun day for all! The choir girls spent a perfect day at Busch Gardens and the rest of us walked to Boyers and Pearls for a treat. Fun!

Important Information:

* Fourthie Party- Thursday, May 26th (12:00-3:00 swimming and a movie). Girls will need a one piece bathing suit, swim cap, towel, and goggles (optional).

Final Assembly Rehearsals:

Tuesday 5/31- 1:00-2:00

Wednesday 6/1- 1:00-2:00

Thursday 6/2- 8:30-9:45

Assembly Friday, June 3rd @ 9:00

Look for your assembly tickets in your daughter's work folder (it will go home on Monday)

Girls- Your blog question......

What is Monday's homework? 

Post #33

All is cool in M02! We dimmed the lights, opened windows, and stayed hydrated. A little outdoor learning was helpful too. Continue to send the girls in layers. We are all hopeful that the AC will return by Monday:)

The girls celebrated their compliment achievement with fun treats, a movie, and lovies all while wearing relaxed clothes. We also celebrated the final Fact Contract with an icy treat. Homework shouldn't be too taxing during the next two weeks. The last Wordly Wise and spelling quizzes will be next Friday.

The girls made a great impression on Wednesday during Middle School Orientation. They returned tired but excited about the opportunities and independence that they will experience next year. 

We wrapped up the 1930's with some editing practice using clips from the 1939 film sensation- The Wizard of Oz. We are now in the 1940's discussing, reading, and writing about World War ll and the impact this war had on American families. 

A great deal of time was spent on the bedroom design project. Most have finished their scale drawings and are now making their artist rendition using a variety of mediums. Finding perimeter and area of rectangles was reinforced this week. The girls are able to explain the difference between the two and understand the formulas. Problem solving took us across the USA. 

Creative writing featured hydrated and energetic babies. The girls read and presented their creative writing to the class. I love their confidence and poise during these kinds of activities. 

Important Information:

* Reserve your tickets for the final assembly. Fourthie parents are seated up front. Here's the link.

* Fourthie Party- Thursday, May 26th (12:00-3:00 swimming and a movie). More details next week.

* Robotics applications are due by 5/20/16.

Final Assembly Rehearsals:

Tuesday 5/31- 1:00-2:00

Wednesday 6/1- 1:00-2:00

Thursday 6/2- 8:30-9:45

Assembly Friday, June 3rd @ 9:00

Girls- Your mystery blog question is..... What year was The Wizard of Oz shown to American children?

Post #32

It was a week packed with projects and multi-media galore! The girls are working with area and perimeter and scale drawings. Their learning is authentic. Map skills, states, and capitals were integrated into math this week. The girls calculated distances between the state capitals, practiced rounding and writing large numbers. They are in the process of a project we have called "Dream Bedroom." The girls are calculating paint amounts, collecting paint schemes, creating a scale drawing while designing their dream bedroom. An artist rendition is in the works during next week's math activities. A final "Fact Contract" and 'Pick 8" will go home on Monday. I talked with the girls about keeping their focus and maintaining their keen attention to detail in all that they do- especially math. NO slacking allowed in room M02!

Writing Lab #19 brought out the creativity in these Fourthies. This week's writing lab reinforced strong topic sentences while composing a "How To" or process essay. Each girl wrote about a scarf tying technique and of course added their own personal flare! They videotaped each other demonstrating the technique. There was the Sassy Sash, Bird Wing, Infinite Spin, and Francais Echarpe just to name a few. Writing samples are plentiful in your daughter's Google Drive so ask your daughter for a tour through her G- Drive. Here they are demonstrating their techniques:

We partnered with Mrs. Roberts' Fourthies and together the girls created thoughtful Haikus and Animotos.  Wordly Wise creative writing went in all different directions this week. Their work can be  seen in this shared folder.

History4Fourthies has us stuck in the Great Depression. The girls read about the Dust Bowl while listening to music from the decade. They imagined what Americans were thinking and experiencing on October 30, 1938 as they listened to the radio broadcast of The War of the Worlds. It's interesting to watch the girls sit and listen to a radio broadcast. Our world has become so visual that sometimes I think it's just nice to listen:) The girls are in the process of drawing what they imagine was going through the minds of families who gathered around their radios on October 30, 1938.

The girls earned 100 COMPLIMENTS! And we are ready to celebrate on Tuesday. We are going to enjoy a comfy clothes day, stuffed animals, indoor recess (not my idea of fun, but.....), and a movie.

And finally... Happy Mother's Day (your daughter has a poster for you). These posters are outside the classroom and folks have been commenting on them all week.

Important Info:
Book Fair is Monday- Wednesday. Our class visit is on Wednesday from 2:30-2:50. 
Middle School Orientation is Wednesday from 9:00-1:00.
Robotics letters went home today.

Girls-your mystery question is......
How many Fact contracts are left for you to complete this year? Bring your answer to class on Monday.

Post #31

The last lunch assignments are made, our last seat change is happening Monday, Middle School Orientation is less than two weeks away.....our year is moving way tooooo quickly!  The girls did an excellent job on the Unit 7 math assessment which focused on fractions and a little bit of everything else including an audio component. Unit 8 explores area and perimeter and will involve several fun projects that the girls will complete in class. Ask your daughter about some amazing soccer tricks and the EdPuzzle they worked on that also reinforced fraction concepts.

The girls love sharing their ideas and projects with each other. We looked at a few book reports and will see the rest on Monday. Back by popular demand.... collaborative 3 Word Thursday.

The Great Depression is rolling along. The girls read about FDR's New Deal and his efforts to help Americans. They wrote an essay about Roosevelt's administration and focused on strong topic and conclusion sentences. We will be breathing dust next week- The Dust Bowl is coming.

Newsela articles were read and included the death of a pop culture icon and an Amelia Earhart's speech about a woman's place in science. I love that many girls are reading additional articles in their Newsela account to stay informed and on top of national and world news. It's never too early to become an informed citizen.

The girls wrote haikus as a final activity during National Poetry Month. The haikus expressed ideas about our school virtues. A multi-media activity will be completed next week using the haikus.

It's a good thing birthdays only come around once a year. The girls were so spirited and dear on my birthday. The hydrangea is beautiful and the birthday wishes sweet. Thank-you so much!

Important Info:

* Last book check-out day is 5/4

* Book Fair is May 9th- May 11th (class visit on 5/11 @ 2:30) Look for a flyer on Monday.

* Final Assembly Friday, June 3rd @ 9:00. Fourthies need to wear a dress, skirt or nice slacks and flat shoes/sandals. The girls love sprucing up for this event so I thought you might appreciate the advance notice:)

Girls- Your blog question......

What will we be breathing next week? Post your answer here.

Post #30

Here's to GIRL POWER and Harriet Tubman!

The Fourthies in room M02 sure did cheer when we learned that Harriet Tubman will be on the twenty dollar bill. That decision sparked some lively discussion!

Our trip to the Federal District Court was a wonderful opportunity for the girls. They learned about our judicial system, toured the court room, holding cells, and Judge Lauck's chambers. The Naturalization Ceremony is one of my favorite Fourthie events. It is something every American should experience. The girls were polite, curious, and respectful throughout the trip- perfect St. Catherine's ambassadors. We continue to focus on immigration in History4Fourthies. The girls spent time researching immigration and the contributions of many naturalized citizens. 

Most girls have finished their book report. Each chose a way to report on the novel she read. We will share these next week and the girls will present their project to the class. You can see their work here.   

Several of the girls asked if Three Word Thursday could be in a Google Slideshow. They get a kick out of reading each other's work and the broader audience makes the learning authentic. The three words were important, hike, and smooth and the challenge was to include four multiples of seven. Creative doesn't come close to describing these girls. See for yourself:

The Jungle Book is over but we just can't get enough of it. The girls used the pictures to practice writing with quotes, using transitions, and incorporating Wordly Wise words. Some are pretty funny!

Fractions don't scare these Fourthies. They are mastering adding and subtracting with unlike denominators and are now reducing to lowest terms. They have a few cool tools that they can use to check their work including a fraction conversion calculator. The girls also learned the "magic" of a multiplication chart when it comes to reducing fractions. Ask your daughter for a demonstration. The math challenges are getting tough. Several girls solved the challenge this week which was very impressive. The girls will have a cumulative math assessment on Wednesday and a detailed review on Tuesday.

A few reminders....

* Please email me a family picture when you get a chance. The picture need not be recent and should include mother and daughter (other family members are fine too). We are going to create a project for the holiday that is coming up in early May:)

* Please remind your daughter to check the carpool schedule. Ellie L. and Alice are on next week.

* Late opening on Thursday.

Girls- your mystery question is.........
Which Fourthie chose to make an iMovie for her book report? Type your answer here.

Post #29

The girls had a blast on "Bike Day!" They came back totally exhausted but were enthusiastic about the beautiful Goochland campus and the fun they had. 

Many thanks to our great physical education staff for planning the event. 

Several of you have asked if the Fourthie play was videotaped and they answer is yes and no. The girls are watching the play in music class but because of copyright laws we are unable to post it online.

History4fourthies has us in The Great Depression. The girls are experiencing this unfortunate time in American history by listening to music from the decade, watching film clips, and journaling in their diary. In addition to the 1930's we are delving into immigration. The girls experienced a virtual trip to America, created a passport, and sent postcards explaining life in their new countries. They used an immigration map as part of a math problem solving activity while reinforcing geography skills. I love the discussions the girls are having about why people came and come to America. Our Immigration Unit will include a field trip downtown to the Federal Court. On Wednesday, April 20th the girls will have the opportunity to witness a Naturalization Ceremony.

We continue to celebrate National Poetry Month by reading and creating poems using both free verse and rhyme schemes. These clever girls wrote poems using their Wordly Wise words. It never ceases to amaze me how they can jump into a creative whirl of expression! Many girls extended their work with quotation marks and created multimedia projects. You can take a look here. On the topic of extending learning.... my apologies to the girls (and their families) who worked on the math challenge this week. I hit publish before checking my work. That's what happens when you don't carefully edit. Kudos to them for their perseverance.

In other math news...... The girls are making great strides in working with fractions. They are finding lowest common denominations, adding and subtracting, and reducing to lowest terms. Impressive work for fourth graders. 

Book reports were started today. This book report is about personal choice. Everyone is doing something a little different but all are including the literary elements.

Information for parents:

* Wednesday, April 20th Naturalization Ceremony field trip

* Friday, April 22nd Pizza Lunch (no need to pack a lunch unless your daughter has dietary restrictions or doesn't like pizza)

* Please add your daughter's name as you would like it to appear on her "Promotion Certificate"

* Please email me a family picture for a project we are going to work on in the coming weeks. The picture needs to include daughter and Mom but can include other family members too. It need not be a recent picture.

Girls- your blog question is......

What is in Bart Simpson's back pocket? Be ready to submit your answer first thing Monday morning.

Post #29 The Jungle Book!!

What a great show!

Well,  the show is over and it was a fantastic one. The seniors were impressed with the heartfelt performance put on by these fantastic Fourthies! Our week was full of rehearsals but we still managed to "Keep the Lamp of Learning Burning." Our grammar focus was on using quotation marks correctly. The girls practiced writing dialog from the perspective of several animals. They are in the process of creating a multi-media presentation as a follow-up activity. 

The girls worked with probability terms in math and problem solved using fractions and multiplication. They were introduced to several interactive sites that reinforce fraction concepts. Ask your daughter about the pirates and their vessels and giant rays. Math was part of our final stay in the 1920's. The girls calculated the cost of groceries and analyzed the difference in annual income. They even compared the cost of cars and houses in the 1920's to the cost when you were born. Sadly, our journey in the 1920's has come to a devastating end and we are now entering the Great Depression. 

April is National Poetry Month. Rhyme schemes were introduced and put to use in the form of song writing and karaoke singing. Too funny!

A few very important reminders! 
The girls will be bike riding in Goochland on Monday. Please review the letter from the p.e. department. I've asked the girls to write a reminder and place it out in the open to help remember to bring their helmet on Monday.

Don't forget to sign-up for a spring conference so we can talk about your daughter and her transition to middle school.

Girls- your mystery blog question.......
Which Fourthie was phoning for help in the slideshow? Post your answer here.

Post #28

The Fourthies have been hard at work this week getting ready for their performance of The Jungle Book. I hope everyone can join us Wednesday afternoon for the 2:30 show in McVey. Please let Ms. Merrick know if your daughter needs ballet slippers for the show. A few girls were unsure about their "shoe situation."
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry is our new novel. The girls are really getting into this historical fiction novel set in Denmark during the Nazi occupation. The best part about reading a historical fiction novel with 10-year-old girls is watching the way they experience the characters and the empathy they show for their struggles. Non-fiction reading included the launch of a black women's caucus and the not-so-fastest snake. The girls explored Newsela and read an article of interest. They shared a quick summary of the article in TodaysMeet.

Who wants to be an April Fool? The Fourthie teachers earned that title today when the girls cleverly switched classes. We had a little "April Fool" fun with Three Word Thursday too. The girls watched this clip and used it as inspiration for their writing.

I am so pleased with the girls' focus and progress in our fraction unit. They are comparing fractions and were introduced to adding fractions with unlike denominators using manipulatives. We will continue this next week. The girls practiced rounding large numbers and extended the activity to include map skills with the states and capitals. Each week there will be a listening activity in math followed by states and capitals riddles. We'll be solving riddles in math class as an alternative to memorizing the states and capitals. These girls can handle the challenge!

Our grammar focus was on using quotation marks correctly. The girls will have a formal writing lab next week and practice some real world application. 

Don't forget to sign up for a Spring Conference and please let me know if you don't see a convenient time.

Girls- Your blog mystery question.......

Name one character and the Fourthie who plays the character on the billboard at the top of the blog post. Put your question here.

Post #27

Shalom Farms Service Project

Wow! What a busy week we have had. The girls had a blast at Shalom Farms (of course we missed Audrey and Grace and are glad they are feeling better) and learned the true meaning of community. They planted potatoes and experienced first hand how everyone can make a difference. Be sure to see the the farm pics in our Class Photos (scroll to the bottom). The girls packed the lunches for our CARITAS visitors and embraced our school motto: "What we keep we lose, and only what we give remains our own."

Wednesday was National Puppy Day. Not sure how others celebrated this day but we went all out. The girls completed the Wordly Wise creative writing in a collaborative document and of course the inspiration was adorable puppies. Using a collaborative document allows for a broader audience and encourages editing and revision. The girls commented on each other's writing, offering suggestions and compliments. Your can see your daughter's writing here:

It's all about fractions, division, and multiplication. The girls practiced finding the fraction of a set using manipulatives, interactive websites, and even emojis. I loved hearing them say, "This is easy!" Quite a change from last week. Problem solving featured Peeps- what else would problem solving feature the week before Easter?

The girls experienced pop culture from the 1920's. They listened to music, designed a paper doll, wrote letters using slang from the decade. The letters and paper dolls are outside our classroom being enjoyed by the younger girls. Don't be surprised if they ask you about your handcuff or if you are hard-boiled. The girls learned about the Harlem Renaissance, rewrote captions from Rin-Tin-Tin and even expanded on the Winnie-the Pooh theme song. All to experience life in the roaring twenties. The fun of the twenties is about to come to an end.... we will be in the throes of The Great Depression next week.

The girls showed off their creative thinking and writing in Three Word Thursday (3WT). We kept with the potato theme (the three words were fraction, multiple, and denominator):

Several important parent letters are in the girls' work folders. Please be on the look-out for the PE bike field trip information and permission slip. There is also a letter about our 3D project and a sign-up to help out on April 16th. Both letters need to be returned. I've attached them just in case you need an extra copy:)

Info for Parents:

Bike Field Trip Information

Bike Field Trip Permission Slip

3D Design Project Information

Spring Conference Sign-up

Girls- Your mystery question is:
What color jacket is Cailyn wearing? Who is the 1920's paper doll? Type your answer here.

Post # 26

We love making mistakes in room M02! Ask your daughter how often we celebrate our mistakes. I love how the girls are comfortable with setbacks and stumbles and thrive while learning from their mistakes. It's reason #3 that it is good to be us! Take a look at a few girls explaining the power of mistakes:

March is Women in History Month. We spent a good deal of time talking about the contributions made by women and how fortunate we are to be women in America in 2016. The girls chose a woman of interest who they felt deserves a spot on Mt. Rushmore. They researched and worked on writing assertion statements and supporting details that highlighted the woman's accomplishments. Of course we had to have a little fun and reworked the historic monument. Here's an example from Adriana:

We worked with prepositions this week and how to use them to strengthen their writing. Our writing lab further reinforced prepositions usage. This week's lab took the girls around the world. They listened to birds from all continents and wrote descriptive and very creative paragraphs about a particular bird.

Fractions will be our next BIG push in math. Several girls expressed some angst regarding fractions. I assured them that they will be proficient in no time! I was impressed with their problem solving this week. Our EdPuzzles were tricky and included division with 2 digit divisors. They were not stumped. Remember that you can also get a more detailed look at our math stations on the Fourthie site. Coordinates, latitude, longitude, and plotting points were practiced and reviewed this week. The girls worked through many interactive practices and were able to write detailed explanations on plotting and labeling points in all four quadrants. If you can write about a math procedure then you definitely understand the concept. And our girls can do just that!

We are moving through the 1920's. The girls learned about prohibition, danced the Charleston, and explored American culture in the '20's. More living in the 1920's next week.

Many girls have chosen to work on the math challenge which involves a variety of math games and challenges at both the fourth and fifth grade level. Ask your daughter if she is participating in Greg Tang's March Madness Challenge?

A few informational details:

* Spring Conference Sign-up

* Field Trip to Shalom Farms on Tuesday- wear comfortable clothes and sneakers (bag lunches will be packed for girls who buy lunch in the dining room).

* Be sure to look at the Maypole practice schedule. A few girls were confused about pick-up details. I'll have the participating girls glue the practice schedule in their agendas on Monday.

* Encourage your daughter to practice the Jungle Book songs on our Fourthie site.

Girls- What famous woman is featured on Mt. Rushmore? What Fourthie created the picture? Answer  here.

One more thing... I sure had fun over Spring Break! Go Rams!

Women!

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Post #25

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Post #24

Celebrating 75 compliments!

The girls worked together and earned seventy-five compliments just by being their best selves. Such a great group. We enjoyed some corn (of the popped variety as we say in fourth grade), watched an episode of The Jungle Book, and snuggled with lovies. Speaking of The Jungle Book, you've probably heard by now that the Fourthies will be preforming the play in April as a tribute to the seniors. All parts are equally important regardless of the amount of lines spoken or lyrics sung- that's the message I hope the girls brought home. The parent show is on Wednesday, April 6th at 2:30. I'll share more details abut the play in next week's post.

The Jungle Book  will be popping up throughout our curriculum for the next several weeks. The girls used a clip from the movie to solve division and multiplication word problems. Long division and multiple digit multiplication continue to be reinforced in math. Additionally the girls practiced decimal computation with an audio activity. We will do more of these kinds of math activities in the coming weeks.

Our grammar activities focused on using compound sentences to strengthen written expression. Ask your daughter about her emoji writing lab.

We are leaving the 1910's in history4fourthies. To sum up this decade, the girls worked collaboratively to create a poster of key events of World War 1. They also learned that the first crossword puzzle was introduced in the 1910's and created their own puzzle using Wordly Wise words. We will roar into the '20's next week.

Historical fiction books were finished and the culminating activity was a newspaper article of a key event. Here's a sample:


We are about to finish up A Song for Harlem by Patricia McKissak. The setting is in 1928 in Harlem, NY. The girls will learn even more about this time in our history when we enter the 1920's next week.

I want to brag a little about the girls' Wordly Wise quizzes. Their mean score was 97% and these were some tough words! Our next quiz isn't until after SPRING BREAK.

And now the second installment of "It's Good To Be Us!"
The girls worked on a collaborative writing activity. As you might imagine, this can be tough for 9 and 10 year olds. The girls spent some time reflecting on their role in the assignment and filled out a self-assessment rubric (look for this in next week's papers). They were thoughtful and honest in their responses. Here they are, hard at work:

A few FYIs:
* Don't forget that we are collecting non-perishable lunch items for CARITAS. Fourthies will assemble the lunches.
* Spring Conference sign-up
* Please encourage your daughter to check the carpool helper calendar.
* Please ask your daughter if she has working headphones/ear buds. We use them almost everyday and it creates a hardship when the girls are without them.

Girls- Your blog question.......
Which two Fourthies are in the front row in the compliment celebration picture?
NO jump start on Monday- I'll be on playground duty.

Post #23

A belated happy Valentine's Day! Sorry about not posting last week- things got a little crazy in the McCallum household. All is going well now and I appreciate your support and kindness. The girls had so much fun celebrating with each other and modeling their Wordly Wise creativity.

I talk often about how special St. Catherine's is and how blessed I am to teach at such an incredible school and spend my day with this special group of Fourthies. So for the next couple of weeks I'm going to post a short video demonstrating what makes this school such a great place to teach and learn. I'll call these clips- IGTBU! (short for "It's good to be us!") Imagine 18 highly excited 9 and 10 year olds in crazy outfits, enjoying a little morning sugar, running from class to class with cards and treats. You get the picture. One minute later they are engrossed in math problem solving. Take a look:

On to the week's highlights.... We are celebrating mistakes and staying the course with difficult math. The girls are learning long division. They have turned up their focus and determination dials. I loved when one student remarked, "This is a lot easier than it was yesterday." It's all about having a growth mind-set- valuing learning and thriving in the face of challenge. The girls problem solved with Lady GaGa and our national anthem using long division and large digit multiplication. Fact 

Has your daughter mentioned her friendship machine and her company/product that fosters friendship? The girls imagined a machine or product whose sole purpose was to encourage friendship. They wrote about their machine, explained how it works and how it benefits society. They even created business cards:

The girls created abstract art with their voices. They wrote a descriptive paragraph describing their "art" and what it represents to them. Later they isolated specific parts of speech in their writing. Editing practice included Charlie Brown's valentine angst.  Wordly Wise creative writing involved unique pancakes.  Be sure to ask your daughter to show you her creative writing book. The girls are so very clever and imaginative when they work with their vocabulary.

This week's 3Word Thursday required the girls to use the words:branch, rocking chair, and head-band and include something about this image. 

They read about emojis and a young entrepreneur in their Newsela accounts. I visited the Newsela headquarters when I was in New York last week. It was great to see the organization that is opening up the world for our girls-one current event at a time.

Girls- Your blog mystery question is....... What does IGTBU stand for?

Post #22

So much to talk about after a full five days of school!

The girls are multiplying large numbers with great accuracy. We are sticking to the traditional method from now on as that will be the expectation next year. The girls practiced rounding large numbers and have been watching the world's population grow- one person at a time. Your daughter can fill you in on this. We took a look at the powers of ten and working with exponents. February is the month of chocolate and valentines and Fourthies will be celebrating as they learn. The girls started an equation problem solving activity. I love watching them work together and the excitement when equations are solved. Their number sense is impressive. Problem solving involved an 800 pound best friend. The Osmond Brothers were featured in Boy Band Friday. There was no consensus regarding our favorite Osmond brother. Boy Band Friday is just a silly way to practice solving equations and why not be silly on Fridays?!

Newsela articles were read with great accuracy and attention to detail. The girls read about Rosa Parks and some of the myths surrounding that important day in 1955. They discussed Mattel's new Barbie Doll and why the changes were long overdue and then went outside of our world to learn about the drought in South Africa. Many of the girls are extending their reading by exploring independently in Newsela. 

Hilarious! That's the only way to describe their Wordly Wise writing this week. They were so clever retelling the story of a family's adventure when the mom goes on a trip. Could you spin a tale using this week's words after watching this clip?

History4Fourthies is moving along in the 1910's The girls learned that Oreos were introduced in this decade. We watched a few commercials and that prompted the girls to write a process paper explaining their method of eating the popular cookie. 

A few informational items:

* Maypole letter went home this week. I hope your daughter is interested in participating in the tradition. 

* Wordly Wise Dress-Up Day is Friday.

* Valentine's Day Party is Friday. The girls should bring a container to hold their valentines.

* Health class begins next week. Mrs. Blanton did a fabulous job creating a web site with all of the resources.

* I will be away on Monday and Tuesday. Sloan Hiscock and I are presenting at the Global Forum on Girls' Education in New York. I know the girls will do a great job while I'm away.

Girls-

Blog question......What is the name of the web site Mrs. Blanton made? Type your answer here. Be on the lookout for a Padlet (like we used during the snow days). I'll put it on the blog and we can keep in touch. Remember to always show more kindness than is necessary. I'll miss you all.

Post # 21

A mini week packed with big learning! We did our best to keep on schedule and accomplished quite a bit in spite of Mother Nature's cruel joke. I loved how these Fourthies kept up with homework, fact practice, creative writing, non-fiction reading, Wordly Wise and spelling review. I enjoyed their posts and pictures about their snow day frolics!

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The girls had fun celebrating spirit week. Be sure to check out the pictures that our class photographer took. You'll have to scroll to the bottom to see the most recent pics.

The girls are just about finished with their iMovies about the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. We'll have a movie day next week and watch the documentaries on the big screen. I love how they worked together- researching, writing, and creating the movies. Here they are if you want a sneak peek. Moving into the 1910's next week.

We stayed on course and the girls completed the unit 5 assessment in math. Ask your daughter about the power of mistakes. We talked often this week about growing from mistakes and how mistakes are essential to learning. It's all about the growth mind set. The tests are in their work folders. I reminded the girls to work carefully on their "Pick 8" problems. Next week's "Pick 8" are adding and subtracting decimals. Everyone can benefit from a little reminding regarding lining up decimals and maintaining a keen focus. "Pick 8" is a graded homework assignment.

All of a Kind Family was finished independently. The story ends with the birth of a long anticipated baby boy. So we decided to have a little fun for the culminating activity. The girls are in the process of making a birth announcement for this baby boy. Their announcement is keeping to the time period (turn of the twentieth century) and includes clever rhymes and images. I was able to locate the birth announcement for my older daughter to show as an example. Strange what you can find on a snow day:)

Girls- Your mystery blog question.......

How old will Annie be on her next birthday?

Post # 20 Snow Day #2

Snow Day Summary- What to do:
1) Review weekly homework. Make a plan.
2) Study WW words and spelling.
3) Practice division facts and "Pick 8."
4) Read the assigned Newsela article: "New Planet in the Solar System."
5) Jonas Brothers- Musical Moment. Do it by yourself or with your family and friends.
6) Read your historical fiction book.
7) Post your snow day adventures here.

Stay Safe

Have fun

And always be kind.

Post #19

Happy Snow Day!

I hope that no one will read this blog post until much later in the day while relaxing in toasty PJs. The girls brought home all of their books in preparation of a snow day (s). They should take their fact check at home, if possible. I totally understand if they can't. The girls have a small jewel pouch in their agenda. What's in the pouch? Precious jewels- Wordly Wise flashcards! We talk often about the power of words and how precious they are, both in writing and speaking. The Wordly Wise quizzes will become more difficult during the second semester. No worries- girls know how to prepare.

Jewel Pouch for Wordly Wise- Words are JEWELS!

The girls are becoming multiplication wizards! They now have 3 algorithms for solving multiple digit  multiplication- wrestling, lattice, and the traditional method we all learned. Problem solving activities will be packed with multiplication from here on. Speaking of wizards.... Our writing lab was created by Madison. The girls threw themselves into the fantasy world and are in the process of writing their Daily Prophets. Our grammar focus was on pronouns and using them correctly.  Newsela is the primary source for our non-fiction reading. I am proud of the girls' determination and the improvement they are making. 

We have been talking about the power of having a growth mindset:

 

Girls-

Let's share our SNOW DAY! Remember you can add pictures, comments, even movies. Click here.