Weekly Update - March 23

Happy Friday!  I hope everyone is ready and excited for Spring Break.  If you would like to send pictures of your adventures, I would love to put them on the blog!  Please send them to cnagy@parkwayschools.net.

Math
This week we wrapped up our Ration Numbers unit.  We spent time reviewing major concepts, and students looked at their data in order to make responsible choices for their math workshop time.  We assessed our learning, and we will be beginning our Patterns and Measurement unit coming back from break.

Please remember to practice math facts nightly!

Geometry
This week ends our flipped geometry lessons.  Thank you so much for your support and helping your child.  We will be reviewing geometry concepts after break and leading up to the MAP test.

Science
The Ninjas are loving the Electricity unit!  This week we investigated how to make a light bulb light with just one wire, one battery, and one light bulb.  Not only are they practicing and learning electricity concepts, but they are also learning how to cooperate and problem solve with others.

Reading
It was all about theme this week in our Historical Fiction unit.  We focused on how we can find big ideas within small details (ex. the Star of David impression in Annemarie's hand in Number the Stars).  We also talked about how to deepen our ideas about theme and characters.

Please remember to continue to read 30 minutes nightly, even over break!

Writing
The Ninjas worked to test their claims for their literary essays this week.  Many students have claims about their books, and they began to find, cite, and collect evidence from their books in order to develop reasons to support their claims.  When we come back from break, we will be reviewing the essay structure and begin to draft essays.

Upcoming Dates

• 3/26-3/30: Spring Break
• 4/3: Spring Pictures
• 4/4: Late start; 11:05 start
• 4/10: Mrs. Nagy out
• 4/27: No School
• 5/4: Fishing Day
• Volunteers are needed!  Please consider signing up here!

Weekly Update - March 16

Good morning!  Thank you all for the birthday wishes and generous gifts.  The Ninjas helped to make be feel special and appreciated today!  Check out what we've been up to this week...

Rational Numbers
This week in our Rational Numbers unit, we focused on solving word problems involving money, decimals, and fractions.  We will be assessing our Rational Numbers unit on Wednesday, March 21 of next week.

Geometry
This week in Geometry we focused on identifying lines of symmetry and symmetric shapes.  Week 10 is now assigned in your child's Google Classroom.  Next week we will focus on drawing shapes with line symmetry.

Science
We began our Electricity unit this week!  This time the Ninjas will stay with me for science!  This week we reviewed safety rules for electricity and discussed static electricity.

Reading
Our historical fiction book clubs are well underway! This week students focused on understanding how the setting can impact characters and plot.  We also started to think about how we can determine themes of a text.

Writing
In our Literary Essay unit, writers focused on reading a text "like a writer" to pull out evidence and state claims about a character.  We then wrote to grow our ideas about the characters in our texts.  Be sure to ask your child which book they chose to write their first literary essay over!

Upcoming Dates

• 3/19: Library Checkout
• 3/26-3/30: Spring Break
• 4/4: Late Start; 11:05 start
• 4/10: Mrs. Nagy out
• 4/27: No school
• 5/4: Fishing Day

Weekly Update - March 9

Good morning!  Take a look at what we've been up to this week...

Rational Numbers
In our Rational Numbers unit, mathematicians focused on...

• fractions written as decimals
• decimals on a number line
• comparing decimals
• adding fractions with denominators of 100 and 10

Please remember to practice math facts nightly!

Geometry
In our Geometry unit, students worked on classifying quadrilaterals based on their attributes.  Week 9 is now assigned in Google Classroom.  Next week students will learn about line symmetry.

Reading
Our Historical Fiction unit began this week!  Students were eager to get started in their book clubs based in a time period they had researched.  This week we focused on how to read intensely at the start of a text and read closely for details about the characters and setting.

Please remember to read 30 minutes nightly!

Writing
We began our Literary Essay unit this week!  Students will be writing an essay about a favorite book of theirs by stating a claim and supporting their claim with reasons and evidence.  This week we reviewed how to structure an essay and practiced pulling claims for texts.

Fishing Day Note

Hello Fourth Grade Parents,
Our fourth grade students will be enjoying a Fishing Day Field trip on Friday, May 4th.

We will be going to the August A. Busch Memorial Conservation Area in St. Charles, MO. 

The students will leave Barrett’s shortly after school starts and return around 2pm that afternoon.  

Please look for more information in the coming weeks including an email with plenty of volunteer opportunities.  

This is going to be a fun event but will take lots of folks lending a hand to make the day a huge success.

Thanks and look forward to getting out and enjoying Missouri’s outdoors together.

Regards,
Dusty Wright

Upcoming Dates

• 3/12-3/15: Book Fair
• 3/13: Mrs. Nagy out
• 3/13 & 3/15: Student-led conferences
• sign up here
• 3/26-3/30: Spring Break

Weekly Update - March 2

Welcome to March!  Here is what The Ninjas have been up to this week...

Rational Numbers
This week was all about line plots!  Mathematicians learned how to...

• read line plots
• make line plots
• solve problems involving line plots

Please remember to practice math facts nightly!

Geometry
This week in geometry, mathematicians learned how to classify triangles.
Week 8 is now assigned in Google Classroom.  This next week students will be learning how to classify quadrilaterals.

Conference Prep
All this week the Ninjas have been working hard to prepare for their student-led conferences.  If you have not yet had a chance to sign up, please sign up here.

Reading
This week we are wrapping up our nonfiction writing unit and focused heavily on identifying the main idea of a text.  Students also learned how to interact with a text by annotating it.  Be sure to ask them about their new skill!

Next week will mark the start of our next reading unit, Historical Fiction.

Please remember to read 30 minutes nightly!

Writing
This week we also wrapped up our informational writing unit.  We spent time practicing our note taking skills and organization.

Next week we will begin our next writing unit, Literary Essay.

Upcoming Dates

• 3/7: Late start; 11:05 start
• 3/8 & 3/13: Mrs. Nagy out
• 3/13 & 3/15: Student-led Conferences
• sign up here
• 3/12-3/15: Book Fair
• 3/26-3/30: Spring Break

Weekly Update - February 23

Take a look at what we've been up to this short week!

Rational Numbers

This week in our rational numbers unit, students focused on rational numbers skills such as...

• comparing fractions
• finding equivalent fractions
• adding and subtracting fractions
• multiplying fractions

Please remember to practice math facts nightly!  Online Practice Buddies are also assigned as optional homework!

Geometry

Week 7 is now assigned in your child's Google Classroom.  Week 7 will focus on classifying triangles.

Science

The Ninjas wrapped up their Weather and Water unit with Ms. Hof!

Social Studies

This week we discussed Black History Month and why we celebrate it!

Reading

This week in reading we continued to research a new time period that our next book club books will be set in.  Readers reviewed how to identify main idea and how to preview a text.

Remember to read 30 minutes nightly!

Writing

As we are researching our new time periods, writers are focusing on their note taking skills.  I have taught how to take notes using the boxes and bullets strategy.

Upcoming Dates

• 2/28: Progress Reports go live
• 2/28: Six Flags Read to Succeed forms due
• 3/7: Late Start
• 3/8: Mrs. Nagy out
• 3/13: Mrs. Nagy out
• 3/13 & 3/15: Student led conferences
• sign up here

Weekly Update - February 16

There was a lot of love this week, especially on Valentine's Day (pictures to come)!  Take a look at what we've been up to in the classroom...

Rational Numbers

This week in our Rational Numbers unit, mathematicians focused on...

• multiplying a whole number by a fraction and a whole number by a mixed number
• solving problems involving time

Please remember to practice math facts nightly!

Geometry

This week students learned how to find unknown angle measures using addition and subtraction.  In Week 6, students will be learning concepts involving lines (parallel, perpendicular, etc).  The assignment is now open on the Math Google Classroom and in Pearson.

Science

The Ninjas will wrap up their Weather and Water unit with Ms. Hof on February 22 with the end of unit assessment.  Their study guides have been completed, and students should have brought them home to prepare for the assessment.

Reading

Students have continued to practice nonfiction reading concepts such as previewing texts, identifying main idea, and researching.  Our next reading unit is based in historical fiction.  Your child will prepare by researching a specific time period in order to gain background knowledge.

Read 30 minutes nightly!

Writing

We wrapped up our current writing pieces this week by...

• revising our conclusions
• adding purposeful text features
• editing and celebrating

Upcoming Dates

• 2/19: No School
• 2/23: Abilities Awareness Day & Hat Day
• 2/28: Progress reports are live
• 3/13 & 3/15: Student Led Conferences
• Sign-up Here

Weekly Update - February 9

Happy Friday!  Here is what the Ninjas have been up to this week...

Rational Numbers
This week in our rational numbers unit, mathematicians focused on...

• adding mixed numbers
• subtracting mixed numbers
• solve word problems involving fractions

Please remember to keep practicing math facts!  Also, Online Practice Buddies are assigned as optional homework!

Geometry
This week mathematicians focused on measuring and creating angles using a protractor.  Many students borrowed protractors.  Please have them return them when they are finished!

Week 5 Assignment is now available in Google Classroom.  This upcoming week, you will help your child use addition and subtraction to solve problems with unknown angle measures.

Social Studies
We wrapped up our Westward Expansion unit by reviewing concepts taught and assessing our understanding.  You should see their reflection come home this weekend.

Science
The Ninjas are currently in their Weather and Water unit with Ms. Hof.

Reading
This week readers worked to tackle complex texts by chunking and paraphrasing.  Students also worked to determine the main idea of a text.

Please remember to read 30 minutes nightly!

Writing
Writers are currently wrapping up their American Revolution history books by revising for introductions, chapter leads, and topic sentences.

Wonder Note

Parents,

The fourth grade team will be showing the movie Wonder to our students on Valentines Day.  Most fourth graders have read this inspiring book about acceptance independently or as a read aloud.  This movie is rated PG, so if you would prefer that your child NOT watch this movie, please let me know.

Upcoming Dates

• 2/14: Library Checkout
• 2/14: Valentine Parties; 2:40-3:40
• 2/16: No School; Records Day
• 2/19: No School
• 2/23: Abilities Awareness Day
• 3/13 & 3/15: Student Led Conferences
• Sign-up Here