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The tests are done! We couldn't be more excited to move onward in our units of study.  We'd like to thank you for supporting (and supplementing) our test prep efforts. It helped tremendously! We know, for many, it was a stressful time.

 As we transition back to the normal classroom routines, the 4th grade will also transition back to “normal” homework assignments:

• Students should be reading 45 minutes every night with their Reading Response Notebook by their side. 
• They should be doing short collections nightly because they should be reading actively, having ideas, tracking their characters and their books’ deeply. It is imperative this thinking work be happening as comprehension of higher reading levels relies heavily on it. 
• Extended Reading Responses will be due on Mondays. Students should choose their most thoughtful collection to extend. Predictions and surface-level noticings are not grade-level at this point. 
• Students will have math worksheets to complete nightly.
• Word Study will continue soon!

Social Studies
We are wrapping up our unit on life in the 13 colonies. In this project-based unit, students chose a colonial job, gathered information about it, and then created a "shop" rich with historical detail. It has been a joy to watch 4-316 create their Colonial Day tri-folds! The grade-wide celebration is this coming Friday, May 3 (See flyer below.) and is sure one of our most exciting 4th grade events. We hope you can take a stroll in our colonial town. As we move on in Social Studies, we will be returning to early United States government. This unit will set the stage for our much-anticipated trip to Philadelphia!

Reading and Writing
We are finishing our brief Historical Fiction reading and writing units this week! Together we learned how fiction elements interplay with historical settings, tracking the characteristics of many historical time periods and their effect on characters. In Historical Fiction writing, students are having the opportunity to step into the shoes of African slaves and Native Americans during Colonial times. They are incorporating historical details of how life was for these repressed groups of people. We are looking forward to the completion of their published journal entries, which are sure to be powerful. Our celebration for this unit of writing will coincide with Colonial Day. We hope that you join us in our classroom after checking out the 4th grade's colonial town in the gym. What else is on the horizon? We are very happy to begin reading and writing genre study in Fantasy!

Math 
The show goes on in Math! With the exam out of our hair, we will be spending some time deepening our understanding of fractions. 4-316 grasped fraction concepts quickly during test prep! We will build on these concepts during math workshop. We will then move onward and upward to fractions' best buddies: decimals and percents. Fractions, decimals, and percents all rely on students' success with multiplication and division. Please continue to support your child with mastering these operations. With the summer break on the horizon, multiplication fact recall is vital for success with 5th grade math concepts.

Please check important May dates on the sidebar! And, as always, let us know if you have any concerns or questions. 

Test Prep Kick Off!

Our Math test prep books have been transformed into Mathematical Wizardry Handbooks!

Thanks to the amazing efforts of a slew of lunch helpers, the books were ready to go.

We signed words of encouragement on each other's books to help us stay positive and to do our best!

Math test prep----Let's do this!

Fixed Audio! Extended Day Math Video: The Variables!

Thanks goodness for Apple Support Communities for helping to fix the audio!

{newsletter time}

2013 has been a whirlwind so far! 

Please take a moment to read up on 
all the exciting P.S. 58/4-316 highlights of February and March. 

Class 4-316 is really excited to welcome our new student, Fardin, to the class! And we are so pleased with how welcoming students have been. We hope that you had the opportunity to meet him this past Friday at our Social Studies/Informational Writing celebration.

PS 58's Read-a-thon is winding down, officially ending February 3rd. Please make sure your child is compiling their minutes to submit to us on Monday, February 4. Donations for sponsored reading should be handed in as soon as possible. A big thanks to all who have participated this year! 

On February 5th, the New York Historical Society will be visiting the fourth grade! The workshop will bring New York's history alive. We look forward to supplementing our Social Studies lessons with actual artifacts. Please check back here for a photo recap of the visit.

Break out the pomade, Chuck Taylors... the cat-eye specs and neckerchiefs... Wednesday, February 6th is 50's Dress-up Day! This fundraiser for the 5th grade is a lot of fun. Please send your child in with $1 (or more!) to help show some school spirit. 

Our students are all a-buzz about the Valentine's Dance on Wednesday, February 13 at 5:00 pm in the cafeteria. The dance costs $5.00 is for 4th and 5th graders only.  Please remind your child that they don't need to be "asked" to attend! Please watch for ticket information in the e-blast and posted flyers. 

Though we won't be having a celebration for Valentine's Day, we will be aligning some of our lessons to the theme of the day: appreciation of our loved ones. We know that some 4-316-ers may like to distribute cards. They'll be given some time to distribute them during the day provided they have a complete class set. 

February 15 will be our February Birthday Celebration! We will celebrate the birthdays of David and Stephanie! 

Get those Box Tops in! The deadline is February 15th!

Our mid-winter recess is now a long weekend. We will have off February 18 and 19. 

When we return, the fourth grade will have some workshops with iFish NY, an organization that promotes sport fishing. The workshops will teach students about the diverse variety of fish species in the area. They'll then have the opportunity to catch these native New Yorkers during a fishing trip at Prospect Park in May. Though many will find the iFish workshops and trip enjoyable, we want to acknowledge that some may not.  There will be an alternate activity available at Prospect Park during the trip that your child may elect to participate in or your child may decline to attend the trip.   More information will be available soon. Please email us with any questions or concerns.

{...insert scary music...}

 The Official Test Prep Season is here!

Though we have been unofficially preparing your child for the upcoming state exams since the start of this school year, we will begin direct test prep instruction within the next few weeks.  We realize that for many students (and parents... and teachers) test preparation can be stress-inducing. We do our best to expose your children to the structure and predicted content of the exams (100% Common Core-aligned this year) while equipping them with organizational and test-taking strategies to help reduce anxiety. 

That being said, our instructional units will be dedicated to test prep. Reading and writing units will help hone in on needed skill development, guided by the practice exam results. Math units will continue in Investigations simultaneously with supplemental math. Additionally, the new round of Extended Day groups (starting February 26) will focus on test preparation. Please be on the look-out for invitations from the fourth grade team.

On the topic of math, be sure to check in on the blog for important parent information pages as we move through the units of Investigations. (Unit 4's pages are below.) Suggestions for home activities and samples of our strategies will help you best support your child at home. We hope that you have become familiar with our division strategy and see the value in the deliberate mathematical decision-making embedded in the strategy. 

From Three Worlds converging, to the daily life of colonists, and onward to the catalysts of the Revolutionary War, we're so excited that our social studies work will continue on full speed ahead, offering students a "break" from test subject material and (covertly) a highly engaging way to grapple with informational texts. 

In March, we look forward to celebrating our March birthdays! Sammy, Gabe, and Ms. Penett! The date for our March birthday celebration is to be determined.

We will soon be seeing you for the final round of Parent-teacher conferences on Tuesday, March 12.  Keep an eye on backpack mail to request your slot. Report cards will be distributed prior. 

On Wednesday, March 13, the fourth grade will begin Ballroom Dancing! This fantastic program is highly anticipated by students, teachers, administration, and parents alike! 

Falling March 25 through April 2, our Spring Break is earlier this year! Your child will be receiving homework over the break to help keep their skills sharp. The state exams follow in April (ELA Exam: 4/16-18 and Math Exam: 4/24-26). 

Yowzer, that was a lot. Please let us know if you have any questions. Have a great February & March!

Check Out: Math Unit 4 Parent Pages

Investigations Math, Current Unit Parent Information!

{CLICK TO ENLARGE}

Also look for a sample of our division strategy in backpack mail tonight!

M'Lady Math's Final Project! Somewhere Over the Factor Rainbow

It was an amazing extended day cycle with the M'Lady mathematicians! Enjoy our finale.

Math Strategy Alert: Our Friend 10!

 

   When we multiply we can break apart numbers to  "start with" what we know. 9 out of 10 fourth graders agree that the 10 times table is easy as pie! So why not start there?! Our Good Friend 10 multiplication strategy is an efficient way to work. Try one out yourself!

7 X 17

Gee, I am no good at the 17 times table...

but I know:

7 X 10 = 70!

If I take away 10 from 17, I am left with 7. I just need 7 more sevens!

7 X 7 = 49

I know my square numbers. 

So now I need to do easy addition to get my final answer.

100 + 49 = 149

(7 X 10) + (7 X 7) is the same as 7 X 17

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M'lady Math's First Music Video!

Listen as the M'lady Math team sings their 3x's facts!

Gettin' Ready For 4th Grade!

1.
Practice your multiplication tables. That means factors and products. These are two fun interactive games to help you.

2.
Read everyday. Remember that reading is more than staring at pages; you're using your noodle too. The more real reading you do the better you get at it. Like anything, you can't get better if you don't practice.

3.
Try some writing prompts to build your craft. Here is a website that has hundreds! Some are quite advanced so have a parent help you choose. One of our favorites is: Write a letter to your adult self. We'd love to see what you come up with!

4.
Get a head start on our social studies units! Watching The History Channel's America: The Story of Us will help you in our discussions greatly. A parent can order the dvd here. It's available on Netflix too!

5.
Be a word buff. Notice new words. They're all around you! Some words sound cool, like  scintilla. Look up definitions of new words here... and hear how they are pronounced here. Try using them in sentences, too!

6.
Be aware of bullying. We know that a bully can make a student dread going to school. As your teachers, we need to make sure all of you are comfortable and safe--that is when you learn best! Take a moment to Stopbullying.gov to learn a bit more about bullying through their entertaining "webisodes".

7.
Practice good habits. Being organized, timely, and responsible outside of school will help you do so during the school year. After all, we will be expecting these habits from you during the year. Many of your grades rely on these habits, as well.


8.
Listen. This one word is also a piece of advice. You know a lot--we're sure. Want to know more? Listen. Open your ears and you can let more into your brain.

9.
Stock up on supplies. Supply lists went home with your 4th grade report cards. Make sure you ask a parent to help you prepare your supplies by taking a look at the "preparation/notes" section of the supply list. This will give us more time in class.

1o.
Simply enjoy your summer! A balance of summer activities will help ready you for September.

We'll see you then! Let us know if you have any questions. :-)