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.