Classroom Updates

Meet the teacher night will be from 5pm-7pm on Thursday, August 3rd.

Meet the teacher night will be from 5pm-7pm on Thursday, August 4th.

Happy Friday fourth grade families! 

Math: In math this week, we continued with Chapter 2: Multiply Whole Numbers. Students worked on their conceptual understanding of multiplication with multi-digit whole numbers and began learning the standard algorithm for multiplying multi-digit whole numbers. Next week, we will continue working on the standard algorithm for multiplying multi-digit whole numbers and complete Chapter 2. I plan for students to take their Chapter 2 Assessment on Thursday, September 30. Students’ scores for this assessment will be included in Quarter 2’s grades, as there will not be sufficient time for retakes before the end of Quarter 1. 

ELA: This week we continued reading Night of the Spadefoot Toads (chapter 11-12). While reading, we focused on analyzing how characters responded to both internal and external conflicts and how these key details can help scenes connect to the overall story. We also focused on analyzing the language within the text, including the author’s use of punctuation and italics. Additionally, we read a haiku and analyzed the meaning of the hyperbole within the poem. Students used their knowledge of spadefoot toads from the novel to understand the poem’s true meaning. 

In writing, students had the opportunity to share their narrative stories with their peers that they worked so hard on last week! Students demonstrated an ability to follow assigned roles, respond to specific questions by making comments that contribute to the discussion, elaborating on the remarks of others, and summarizing a text read aloud.

 

*As a friendly reminder, all definitions and notes for each of the ELA concepts we have covered can be found in student’s ELA notebooks. 

 

Social Studies: 

This week students focused on the architecture and infrastructures of the Aztec Empire. Students discussed the importance of aqueducts, roads, and causeways to the Aztec people. Students then used their knowledge of these characteristics to analyze image sources of the Aztec Empire. 

Science: 

This week students applied their knowledge of electrical circuits by building their own flashlight. Students created a plan and tested their plan. Students had to include a power source, resistor, switch, conductors, and insulator. We will be wrapping up our electrical circuits unit next week and assessing, however, the grade for this assessment will be on 2nd quarter. 

ParentVUE: Friendly reminder to please check ParentVUE regularly for updates on students’ academic progress. Please check assignment descriptions and individual assignment comments for feedback as well. With Quarter 1 ending next week, all redo, missing, and incomplete work needs to be completed and turned in by Wednesday, September 29 so that report card grades can be finalized prior to Fall Break.

DOJO: Reminder to please check Dojo often, as we will be using this to communicate student behaviors throughout each day by giving students positives, warnings, and infractions based on their behavior. Next week, a printed Dojo report for the month of September will be sent home to be signed, so that students can participate in ROAR recess next Friday.

Face Coverings at School: Friendly reminder that masks will continue to be mandatory next week, unless you have completed and turned the Opt-Out form into the front office. 

Curriculum Night: There will be three 30 minute sessions that you have the option of attending in your student’s homeroom teacher’s classroom. The session times begin at 5, 5:30, and 6. 

Looking Ahead:

September 28 – Curriculum Night from 5 – 6:30 pm

October 4-8 – Fall Break

October 13 – early release

 

Have a great weekend!

Happy Friday fourth grade families! 

Math: This week we completed Chapter 5 – Adding and Subtracting Decimals and took our Chapter Assessment. We ended the week with beginning Chapter 2 – Multiply Whole Numbers. We will continue with multiplying whole numbers next week. 

ELA: This week we continued reading Night of the Spadefoot Toads (chapter 10). While reading, we focused on using the text as a model for our own narrative writing. Students analyzed how the author clearly established a situation, developed characters and setting, and sequenced events logically. Students then brainstormed to establish their own situation, develop their characters and setting, and sequence events logically with the purpose of entertaining their reader. We then used our brainstorming ideas to draft a story. We will be finalizing our stories next week.

As a friendly reminder, all definitions and notes for each of the ELA concepts we have covered can be found in student’s ELA notebooks. 

Social Studies: This week students examined multiple maps of the Aztec Empire to analyze its growth over time. Students also explored the characteristics of economic trade and systems of tribute of the Aztec Empire. Students began sorting through details of the Aztec economy and deciding if it discussed the Aztec markets, tribute systems, or job specialization and how these were important to Aztec society.

Science: This week we began taking a closer look at electric circuits. Students have learned about the flow of electric current through a circuit from the negative terminal of the power source. We wrapped up the week learning about the differences in series and parallel circuits. Students will use this knowledge next week to construct their own electric circuits!

ParentVUE: Friendly reminder to please check ParentVUE regularly for updates on students’ academic progress. Please check assignment descriptions and individual assignment comments for feedback as well.

DOJO: Reminder to please check Dojo often, as we will be using this to communicate student behaviors throughout each day by giving students positives, warnings, and infractions based on their behavior. 

Face Coverings at School: Friendly reminder that masks will continue to be mandatory next week, unless you have completed and turned the Opt-Out form into the front office. 

Looking Ahead:

September 22 – Early Release at 12:00pm

September 28 – Curriculum Night (more information forthcoming)

October 4-8 – Fall Break

 

Have a great weekend!

Happy Friday fourth grade families! 

Math: We started this week with a 3-Act Task. A 3-Act Task is a whole-group mathematics task consisting of three distinct parts: an engaging and perplexing Act One, an information and solution seeking Act Two, and a solution discussion and solution revealing Act Three. The students used their knowledge of comparing decimals to complete the task. We then began working in Chapter 5. We worked on rounding decimals and using models to add decimals. We will continue working with decimals next week with addition and subtraction. 

ELA: This week we continued reading Night of the Spadefoot Toads (chapters 6-7) and explored the ways that our impressions of characters and actions described in the book are influenced by the narrator’s point of view. We also discussed how the plot centers on the main character as they are engaged in a conflict, and how this  conflict is part of the rising action, which builds to the climax, or most exciting part of a story. In writing, we focused on narrative writing by rewriting a portion of the text in a third person limited point of view from a character’s perspective other than Ben. We discussed the importance of rereading what we worte, revising, and editing before submitting our work. 

Social Studies: This week students began analyzing the Aztec Empire. Students learned about the government structure, social classes, arts, and their written language. Students used multiple sources to identify details about each characteristic and complete a written response question about the Aztecs. We will continue learning about the Aztec Empire next week. 

Science: This week students continued our unit on energy. Students explored how energy is neither created nor destroyed but constantly changing forms. Students then learned how to write a scientific explanation with a claim, evidence, and reasoning to explain how energy is converted into different forms in their everyday lives. Next week, we will conclude our concept on energy and begin talking about electricity. 

ParentVUE: Friendly reminder to please check ParentVUE regularly for updates on students’ academic progress. Please check assignment descriptions and individual assignment comments for feedback as well.

DOJO: Reminder to please check Dojo often, as we will be using this to communicate student behaviors throughout each day by giving students positives, warnings, and infractions based on their behavior. 

Face Coverings at School: Friendly reminder that masks will continue to be mandatory next week, unless you have completed and turned the Opt-Out form into the front office. 

Virtual Book Fair:The Scholastic book fair is ongoing and  runs through September 5th. It is virtual only.  The Vista Book Fair website is here. Books can be purchased online and then shipped directly to the student’s home. There is free shipping with $25 in book purchases, but other items are shipped separately and don’t count toward the shipping minimum. eWallet money that is unused at the end of the fair will stay in their Scholastic account and can still be used to purchase items, though the school will receive fewer or none of the proceeds after September 5th.

Looking Ahead:

August 30 – September 5 virtual Scholastic Book Fair

August 31: optional Scholastic book orders due (Class Code: Q98FV)

September 6- No school- Labor Day

September 8– Progress Reports

 

September 8– Early Release at 12:00pm

September 10– Student of the Month

 

Enjoy the long weekend!

Happy Friday fourth grade families! 

 

Math:We completed Chapter 1 this week! Great job, 4th grade! After completing all lessons, we spent time reviewing the concepts we learned and took our Chapter 1 assessment on Friday. Next week, we will begin Chapter 5, adding and subtracting decimals.

 

ELA: This week we continued reading Night of the Spadefoot Toads (chapters 4-5) and analyzing the author’s craft by focusing on sensory details and vivid descriptions. We took a closer look at the author’s use of figurative language within the text, specifically focusing on similes, metaphors, and idioms, and how they contribute to the reader’s understanding of the story. We wrapped up the week learning about the different points of view (first person, second person, third person limited, third person omniscient). Next we will continue reading with an emphasis on point of view. 

 

Additionally, I have passed back tests from last week. Student grades are written on their test, as well as posted on ParentVUE. To retest, a student must correct their incorrect test questions, fill out the Request to Retest form (attached), and complete 2 additional activities to show that they have reviewed and understand the skill of Comparing & Contrasting Characters, Settings, and Events. 

 

Social Studies: 

This week we began our unit discussing the Aztec Empire. We began by taking a look at the capital city of Tenochtitlan. Students examined the physical features and natural resources that gave the Aztecs a geographical advantage. Students used multiple sources to complete this activity including text, images, and maps.

 

Science: 

In Science, we dug into our unit on energy. Students were able to explain that energy is the ability to do work and without it no movement or change could occur. We also discussed the seven forms of energy and how they differ from one another. Students were able to identify mechanical (both kinetic and potential), electrical, radiant/electromagnetic, thermal, sound, chemical, and nuclear forms of energy. Students also determined how human senses can detect the different forms of energy.

 

ParentVUE: Friendly reminder to please check ParentVUE regularly for updates on students’ academic progress. Please check assignment descriptions and individual assignment comments for feedback as well.

 

Face Coverings at School: Friendly reminder that masks will continue to be mandatory next week, unless you have completed and turned the Opt-Out form into the front office. 

 

Virtual Book Fair:The Scholastic book fair is ongoing and  runs through September 5th. It is virtual only.  The Vista Book Fair website is here. Books can be purchased online and then shipped directly to the student’s home. There is free shipping with $25 in book purchases, but other items are shipped separately and don’t count toward the shipping minimum. eWallet money that is unused at the end of the fair will stay in their Scholastic account and can still be used to purchase items, though the school will receive fewer or none of the proceeds after September 5th.

 

DOJO: Reminder to please check Dojo often, as we will be using this to communicate student behaviors throughout each day by giving students positives, warnings, and infractions based on their behavior. 

 

Looking Ahead:

August 30 – September 5 virtual Scholastic Book Fair

August 31: optional Scholastic book orders due (Class Code: Q98FV)

September 8– Progress Reports

 

Have a great weekend!

Request to Retest 2021-22

Happy Friday fourth grade families! 

 

Math: This week we began working on understanding decimal place value and writing decimals through thousandths in standard form and word form. Next week we will continue with comparing and ordering decimals. We will also be finishing Chapter 1 next week and will be taking our Chapter 1 test on Friday, August 27th.  

 

ELA: This week we continued reading Night of the Spadefoot Toads and focused on comparing and contrasting characters, settings, and events within the text. While comparing and contrasting, students worked towards making complex inferences and supporting these inferences with quoted text evidence. We also analyzed the author’s craft by focusing on sensory details. Next we will continue reading with an emphasis on point of view. 

 

Social Studies: In Social Studies students determined if the United States is considered a civilization based on the characteristics that are present in all civilizations. Students read four sources and analyzed the text to find what characteristics of civilizations were described in the source. Students then identified two examples of how the United States demonstrates the characteristics of a civilization.Next week, we will begin learning about the Aztec Empire.

 

Science: This week we discussed the importance of safety in the science classroom as well as the steps in the scientific method. We then practiced working through the scientific method by asking the question: “Do skittles dissolve faster in warm water or cold water?”. Students made a hypothesis and collected data during an experiment. We then analyzed the data and drew conclusions based on the results. Finally, students were introduced to the concept that we will be studying over the next week, “What is Energy?”. Students went on a scavenger hunt looking for different forms and sources of energy around the classroom. 

 

ParentVUE: Friendly reminder to check ParentVUE regularly for updates on students’ academic progress. Please check assignment descriptions and individual assignment comments for feedback as well.

 

Face Coverings at School: The Arizona legislature recently passed a law that prohibits schools from requiring students and staff from wearing face-coverings. However, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Arizona Department of Health Services, Maricopa County Department of Public Health, and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend all individuals, regardless of vaccination status, wear face-coverings while indoors at school during times of substantial or high transmission.

 

With the number of positive cases increasing at schools in our district, the district is encouraging the use of masks inside.  We cannot mandate students wear masks, but if it is important to you that your child wears a mask, please let us know so we can remind them to wear it throughout the day.

 

Virtual Book Fair:The Scholastic book fair begins next week on Monday and runs through September 5th. It is virtual only.  The Vista Book Fair website is here. Books can be purchased online and then shipped directly to the student’s home. There is free shipping with $25 in book purchases, but other items are shipped separately and don’t count toward the shipping minimum. eWallet money that is unused at the end of the fair will stay in their Scholastic account and can still be used to purchase items, though the school will receive fewer or none of the proceeds after September 5th.

 

DOJO: Thank you for connecting with your student’s account on Class Dojo! We will be using this to communicate student behaviors throughout each day by giving students positives, warnings, and infractions based on their behavior. Please check this often so 

If you have not yet had an opportunity to connect, please do so here: https://www.classdojo.com/invite/?c=CZSB3K6

 

Looking Ahead:

August 30 – September 5 virtual Scholastic Book Fair

August 31: optional Scholastic book orders due (Class Code: Q98FV)

September 8– Progress Reports

 

Have a great weekend!

Happy Friday fourth grade families! 

 

Math: This week we worked on understanding place value through millions with whole numbers and began reviewing how to compare and order whole numbers through millions. Next week we will transfer that knowledge into understanding place value through thousandths with decimals as well as comparing and ordering decimals. 

 

ELA: This week we read Chapter 2 of Night of the Spadefoot Toads. We practiced taking the time to stop when we come across challenging words and working through determining their meaning. The process we are working through is: determining if the word has a prefix/suffix, identifying part of speech, using context clues, replacing the challenging word with a synonym, and predicting the meaning prior to looking up the true meaning of the word in the dictionary. Additionally, we began analyzing the main character of the text, Ben, by taking a closer look at his thoughts, feelings, actions, and dialogue and making inferences based on these details. Next week we will continue reading and begin comparing and contrasting characters, events, and settings within the text.

 

Science/Social Studies:

This week in Science and Social Studies students defined a civilization as an advanced group of people who have key characteristics. Students identified and began describing the characteristics of a civilization which include: government and social classes, religion, economy/trade/job specialization, systems of tribute, surplus food, city/architecture/infrastructure, written language and learning, technology, and arts.

 

Next week in Social Studies, we will use these characteristics to determine if a group is considered a civilization as well as use multiple sources to explain what it means to be civilized. This will be an important building block for students as we begin to discuss ancient civilizations such as the Aztec and Maya. In Science we will begin by discussing science safety and the inquiry process. Students will be applying this process through a scientific demonstration. We then will have an introduction to our first unit What is Energy?  

 

DOJO: Thank you for connecting with your student’s account on Class Dojo! We will be using this to communicate student behaviors throughout each day by giving students positives, warnings, and infractions based on their behavior. Please check this often so 

If you have not yet had an opportunity to connect, please do so here: https://www.classdojo.com/invite/?c=CZSB3K6

 

Face Coverings at School: The Arizona legislature recently passed a law that prohibits schools from requiring students and staff from wearing face-coverings. However, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Arizona Department of Health Services, Maricopa County Department of Public Health, and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend all individuals, regardless of vaccination status, wear face-coverings while indoors at school during times of substantial or high transmission.

 

Looking Ahead:

August 18: half day

August 31: Scholastic book orders due (Class Code: Q98FV)

 

Have a great weekend!

Happy Friday fourth grade families!

NWEA: We will begin NWEA testing on Monday and continue through the week until Thursday. If your student has their own headphones, we highly encourage students to bring them on Monday. Students are also permitted to bring and use a mouse with the chromebooks. Please make sure that students arrive on time and have a good breakfast before testing. Free cafeteria breakfast will continue to be provided.  

Math: We have had a great week in math! I am so impressed with all the 4th graders and their eagerness to learn. We spent time getting to know each other and preparing for a great year of math learning. We are starting the year with understanding place value through millions with whole numbers, and place value through thousandths with decimals. We will also be working on our multiplication fact fluency daily. It is essential that students continue practicing/learning their multiplication facts as we move to more difficult concepts throughout the year. I am looking forward to a great year in math!

ELA: We had a fantastic first week of school! This week in ELA students spent time getting to know one another through various classbuilding activities. Students were introduced to our partner reading strategy and practiced it with a text about Olympic skateboarder Sky Brown. After reading, we reviewed Depth of Knowledge levels and discussed using the strategy of R.A.C.E. (Restate, Answer the question, Cite evidence, and Explain your answer/evidence) when responding to text-based questions. We wrapped up the week by beginning our first text Night of the Spadefoot Toads. We will be reading 1-2 chapters of the text during class each day.

Science/Social Studies:

This week in Science and Social Studies students prepared  for learning content by setting up their notebooks for each subject. If your student has not brought in a composition notebook for each of the two subjects please send them with one by Monday or reach out to me via email. We will be using these notebooks on a weekly basis. We have spent a lot of time this week building our class community and finished off with an escape room activity to review the rules we have learned over this past week. 

Next week in Social Studies, we will begin looking at what makes a civilization. This will be an important building block for students as we begin to discuss ancient civilizations such as the Aztec and Mayan civilizations. In Science we will begin by discussing science safety and the inquiry process. Students will be applying this process through a scientific demonstration towards the end of the week. 

DOJO: Thank you for connecting with your student’s account on Class Dojo! We will be using this to communicate student behaviors throughout each day by giving students positives, warnings, and infractions based on their behavior. Please check this often so 

If you have not yet had an opportunity to connect, please do so here: https://www.classdojo.com/invite/?c=CZSB3K6

 

Looking Ahead:

August 9-12: NWEA testing

August 18: half day

 

We look forward to working together this school year! Have a great weekend!

Happy Friday families!!

We want to first and foremost say thank you so much for your support and patience while we navigated distance testing together. We are so proud of the effort our students put in to showing their personal best. This will greatly support us as we continue to plan and teach.

Math: With a short week of live lessons due to NWEA testing, we did not have much time in math class, but we still made the most of it! After testing on Wednesday, students completed a student-paced Nearpod lesson reviewing how to round multi-digit whole numbers. This review helped them with our live lessons Thursday and Friday on rounding decimals to any place. Students are well on their way to mastering this skill! Next week, we will continue in Chapter 5 with estimating sums and differences with decimals and adding decimals.

ELA: Due to NWEA testing this week, students did not have ELA class on Monday and Wednesday. On Tuesday, students completed a student-paced ELA Nearpod with a video, informational slides, and interactive tasks based on the conventions lesson. The lesson included information and activities involving: personal pronouns, indefinite pronouns, possessive pronouns, and relative pronouns. Within the lesson, I also reviewed the concepts of subjects and objects of a sentence. On Thursday and Friday, we continued reading our novel Night of the Spadefoot Toads. We will be reading the final chapter on Monday. Throughout Thursday and Friday’s lessons, students practiced the skill of going back into the text to find evidence to support their answer, analyzing the meaning of figurative language and the author’s purpose for it, and explaining the significance of events within each chapter. Next week we will be focusing on plot and theme. 

Social Studies/Science:

Due to testing this week we really did not have a lot of time in Social Studies. Students completed a self paced nearpod on Monday about Mayan religion. We will continue working on our unit about the Mayan civilization next week. Students will continue to investigate this civilization’s government structure, religious culture, economics, art and architecture, science and technology, environment, and social and cultural values.

In Science we began a new chapter where we will focus on the physical features of plants and animals. This unit will help students be able to understand that living things have 5 essential characteristics in common but that each of these characteristics may look different for each species. Students will gain an understanding that each of these structures has a specific function that help it to survive, grow, and reproduce.

 

Science Retake Information:

Students’ science tests have been released to them on Edulastic. Students may now go back into the assignment and see their score and the questions that they missed. If students received below a 70% they are required to retest. In order to retake the test students will need to correct their incorrect answers on a Google Doc and explain why their answer choice was wrong. They will then need to complete an additional activity to prepare for the retake. They may choose from the following activities:

• Write a paragraph about their misconceptions from the original assessment
• Create a thinking map to show the concepts from the assessment
• Use Quizizz to create digital flashcards
• Create a slides presentation about the growth and development of plants and animals

Students will then be able to join a live meet session on Tuesday 9/1 or Wednesday 9/2 at 2:30pm after specials to retake their test. The link will be assigned to them in their Science classroom under “Redo Work”