Behind the Scenes - Week of January 2nd

Weekly Spotlight:
*No school on Monday.
*Return back to school on Tuesday.
*Math test on Thursday.
*Spelling test on Friday.

Coming Attractions:
*MAP Reading Test on Tuesday, Jan. 10
*MAP Math Test on Friday, Jan. 13.
*No school on Monday, Jan. 16 - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
*Early Dismissal on Wednesday, Jan. 25.
*Bingo Night on Friday, Jan. 27, 7:00-8:30.

Thank you!!!
I would like to thank all the families that donated to the wonderful Spa gift certificate. I am looking forward to using it!!! Also, thank you to all the families that sent in items for our winter celebration. We all had a wonderful time!

Homeroom Happenings:
Science - We will begin chapter 4 on the Human Body. This week, the children will learn about the digestive system and respiratory system. Students should review their notes each evening. We will finish this lesson next week. A quiz covering chapter 4, lesson 1 will be on Thursday, December 16.
Links for Human Body Survivor:
http://www.owen.k12.ky.us/trt/resources.htm
http://www.teacherplanet.com/resource/body.php
http://www2.asd.wednet.edu/pioneer/barnard/sites/Science/bodsys/bodysys.htm

Social Studies - We will begin our study of the Midwest Region. Our first lesson focuses on how the Great Lakes were formed and their importance to the Midwest.

English - We will take this week off from normal English lessons. Instead, we will be working on extended response writing. Our writing follows this recipe:
*Turn the question around
*Text proof
*Interpretation (in my own words)
*Text proof
*Interpretation (in my own words)
*What I learned or general statement about the reading passage

Spelling - Our spelling procedure has changed. We will not be taking pretests. Our spelling lists will now include vocabulary. Our class is piloting a wonderful vocabulary program. Ten of the words will be from the regular 4th grade list. Eight of the words will be vocabulary words. Our spelling homework for this week will be:
Tuesday: Practice Sheet (due Friday)
Wednesday: Practice spelling all words (in cursive) and review meanings of vocabulary words.
Thursday: Practice spelling all words (in cursive) and review meanings of vocabulary words.
Friday: Test Day. The first ten words will be like a normal spelling test. The children will also need to know the spelling and definition of each vocabulary word.

Reading - This week we will be working on predicting outcomes. Readers can often guess ahead of time, or predict, what will happen in a story, based on information the author has given. Additionally, readers can change or adjust their predictions as they read.

Mrs. Sulima's Math:
Monday - No school
Tuesday - Fill out "how to study" sheet. Extended Response. HW: Study for Ch. 7 Test.
Wednesday - Review for Chapter 7 Test & Extended Response. HW: Study for Ch. 7 Test.

Thursday - Chapter 7 Test.
Friday - Begin unit on Geometry.



MAP Practice Games:http://www.sowashco.k12.mn.us/ro/pages/studentlinks/map/reading.htm

http://www.sowashco.k12.mn.us/ro/pages/studentlinks/map/

http://www.belleplaine.k12.mn.us/se3bin/clientgenie.cgi?schoolname=school357&statusFlag=goGenie&geniesite=133&myButton=g5plugin&db=g133_b545

Behind the Scenes - Week of December 12

Weekly Spotlight:
*Creature & Planning Sheets due on Monday.
*Matilda test on Tuesday - 4 types of questions, character study, categorize & classify, making generalizations, and plot.
*Creature Feature on Wednesday, 1:30-2:00.
*Unit 5 - Capitalization & Punctuation Test on Friday.
*Winter Holiday Celebration on Friday.
*Winter break, Monday, Dec. 19-Monday, Jan. 2.

Coming Attractions:
*Return back to school on Tuesday, Jan. 3.
*No school on Monday, Jan. 16 - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
*Early Dismissal on Wednesday, Jan. 25.
*Bingo Night on Friday, Jan. 27.

Homeroom Happenings:
Science - Our Prairieview Creatures will arrive to school on Monday. We will be writing descriptions of our creatures on Monday and Tuesday. On Wednesday, we invite you to come and view our Creature Feature from 1:30-2:00. The children will be doing informal presentations. We will begin our study of the Human Body when we return in January.

Social Studies - Table groups have been studying an aspect of the Cherokee life. They will present to the class this week. When we return from break, our study of the Midwest will begin.

Spelling - We are going to take the week off from spelling. This will give us time to write our creature descriptions. Spelling will continue after break.

English - We will finish Unit 5 this week. Our focus for the beginning of the week will be quotations. Proper use of quotations can be tricky. Please review this with your child. We will fill out our "how to study" sheet on Wednesday. Our Unit 5 test will be on Friday. Enrichment projects will be due the day of the test.

Reading - In reading this week the students will evaluate the text. They will think about the author's writing and decide if he/she did a good job of helping them to understand the story. They will also review the strategies used throughout the theme. On Monday, each child will receive a readers' theater script - A Christmas Carol. They will need to practice their part(s) all week. We will present our readers' theater on Friday before our winter holiday celebration. On Friday, we will be watching a few versions of A Christmas Carol. The children will compare and contrast the different versions.

Mrs. Sulima's Math Class:
Monday - Stem-and-Leaf Plots
Tuesday - Working with Coordinates
Wednesday - Chance/Probability
Thursday - Chance/Probability
Friday - Chance/Probability
We will review and finish this unit when we return in January. Our next unit will be geometry.

MAP Practice Games:http://www.sowashco.k12.mn.us/ro/pages/studentlinks/map/reading.htm
http://www.sowashco.k12.mn.us/ro/pages/studentlinks/map/
http://www.belleplaine.k12.mn.us/se3bin/clientgenie.cgi?schoolname=school357&statusFlag=goGenie&geniesite=133&myButton=g5plugin&db=g133_b545

Behind the Scenes - Week of December 5

Wow! It is already December!

Weekly Spotlight:
*Spelling pretest on Monday.
*All-School Concert on Thursday, 9:00 am.
*Matilda Vocabulary quiz on Thursday.
*Chapter 3 Science Test on Thursday.
*Spelling test on Friday.
*Bowling field trip on Friday in the afternoon.
*Movie Night on Friday, 6:30-8:45.

Coming Attractions:
*Matilda Test on Tuesday, Dec. 13 - Review 4 Types of Questions, character study, categorize and classify, and making generalizations.
*Creature Feature on Wednesday, Dec. 14, 1:30-2:00.
*Unit 5 English test on Friday, Dec. 16.
*Winter Break from Monday, December 19 - Monday, January 2.

Bowling Field Trip:
Our bowling field trip to Brunswick Zone is scheduled for the afternoon of Friday, December 9. Students may bring money to purchase snacks at the bowling alley. Brunswick Zone is offering a concession special: 2 slices of cheese pizza & a 16 oz. drink for $3.23 (including tax). Please keep in mind that we will be going bowling after lunch. For more information, please see Mrs. Cushing's BLOG.

Homeroom Happenings:
Science - On Monday, the children will be introduced to the Prairieview Creature Feature project. They will need to plan and create a creature that can survive in Prairieview School. The creatures and planning sheets will be due back to school on Monday, December 12. On Monday, Dec. 12 and Tuesday, Dec. 13, the children will work on a written description of their creature in class. On Wednesday, Dec. 14, at 1:30-2:00, we invite you to come visit our classroom to meet the Prairieview Creatures. This week the children will also fill out a "how to study" sheet for the chapter 3 test. Our test will be on Thursday. Review the following concepts to prepare for the test:
*Key vocabulary - basic needs, adaptation, natural selection, instinct, hibernation, migration, learned behavior, fossil, & extinction.
*What basic needs are shared by all living things?
*How do adaptations allow living things to meet their needs? Give examples.
*How do instinctive behaviors help animals meet their needs? Give examples.
*How do learned behaviors help animals meet their needs? Give examples.
*How do living things of long ago compare with those of today? Give examples.
*What can we learn from footprints, bones, impressions, and petrified wood? How are these formed?
*What is a living fossil? Give examples.
*Describe the causes of extinction.

Social Studies - The children will be learning about the Cherokee Tribe.

English - We will continue our study of Capitalization and Punctuation. We will finish this unit during the week of December 12. Our test on this chapter will be on Friday, December 16.

Spelling - Our spelling pretest will be on Monday. The children will take the spelling test on Friday. Spelling tests are now required to e written in cursive. Please have your child practice their letter formations at home.

Reading - Our reading strategies for this week are questioning and categorizing & classifying. Recognizing the question a story may raise is a good way to make sure you understand it. Also, as people read they wonder about the things they are reading and they form questions in their mind. Good readers usually do this without thinking. The students will practice the questioning strategy this week. Classifying involves grouping like items, and categorizing involves naming the group. Grouping the items makes it easier to remember them. Students will also classify and categorize information in the stories they read this week.
Our Matilda vocabulary quiz on Thursday will cover: formidable, resented, seized, vigorous, malicious, & vital. Students should know a definition & synonym for each. They should also be able to use the word correctly in a sentence.

Mrs. Sulima's Math Class:
Monday - Bar Graphs & Double Bar Graphs.
Tuesday - Line Graphs.
Wednesday - Circle Graphs/Pie Charts.
Thursday - Review all concepts covered to this point.
Friday - Open book/notes Checkpoint Review quiz on line plots, frequency tables, median, mode, mean, range, pictographs, bar graphs, line graphs, & circle graphs.

Behind the Scenes - Weeks of November 21 & 28

Weekly Spotlight:
*No school on Wednesday, Thursday, & Friday.
*Conferences on Monday, November 28, Tuesday, November 29, and Wednesday, November 30 (with homeroom teacher).
*Spelling pretest on Monday, November 28.
*Report cards issued online on Tuesday, November 29.
*Spelling test on Thursday, Dec. 1.
*Chapter 6 Social Studies test on Thursday, Dec. 1.
*No school on Friday, Dec. 2.

Coming Attractions:
*Chapter 3 science test on Wednesday, Dec. 7.
*All-school concert on Thursday, Dec. 8.
*Fourth Grade bowling field trip on Friday, Dec. 9.
*Winter Break begins Monday, Dec. 19.

Homeroom Happenings:
Science - We will learn about how living things of long ago compare with living things today. This will be the last lesson in Chapter 3. Our test on chapter 3 will be on Wednesday, Dec. 7. The following week, we will begin our study of the Human Body.

Social Studies - Students are finishing their Southeast farmer projects. They will be due no later than Tuesday. We will finish this lesson by discussing other resources of the southeast - pulp and fossil fuels. The children will take a test on Chapter 6 on Thursday Dec. 1. Our study of the southeast will conclude by exploring the life of a Native American tribe, the Cherokee, from the southeast.
Items to review for the chapter 6 test are:
*Key words: barrier islands, hurricane, wetlands, hurricane season, key, fall line, fossil fuel, Piedmont, Inner Coastal Plains, Outer Coastal Plains, endangered species, extinct, & pulp.
*Why are hurricanes dangerous?
*Name some crops from the Southeast. Why do these crops grow well in the Southeast.
*If you were going on a trip to the Southeast, where would you go and why? All theme parks (Disney World, Epcot Center, Universal Studios, etc.) are closed!!!!

Spelling - Second trimester has begun...that means CURSIVE writing. All final spelling tests will be written in cursive. We will not be doing a spelling unit during the week of Nov. 21. We will take a pretest on Monday, November 28 and have our spelling test on Thursday, Dec. 1. Watch for trimester 2 spelling changes!

English - We will begin our unit on Capitalization and Punctuation during the week of Nov. 28. The lessons we will cover are: correcting sentences, names of people and pets, names of places and things, and abbreviations.

Reading - Over the next couple of weeks we will be reviewing the skills that we have learned and practiced since the beginning of the year. The students will also work on summarizing and making generalizations. In writing summaries, the students will learn to pick out the main points or events of a story or passage and concisely put them in their own words. In making generalizations, the studentswill learn that generalizations are broad statements that are true most of the time, and are based on fact or good reasons, and may include words like always or most.

Mrs. Sulima's Math Spotlight:
Monday - Check your Progress quiz ~ open book/notes.
Tuesday - Extended response assessment. We will not be taking an end of the chapter test on chapter 3.
Wednesday thru Friday - No school ~ Thanksgiving Break.
**I will not be following the order of our textbook for our Data and Statistics unit. Many of the concepts are in our book, but I do go beyond what is in the book.**
Monday, Nov. 28 - We will begin a unit on Data and Statistics. Qualitative and Quantitative.
Tuesday, Nov. 29 - Data Distributions ~ Tally Charts, Frequency Charts, & Line Plots.
Wednesday, Nov. 30 - Summarizing Data ~ Mean, Median, Mode, & Range.
Thursday, Dec. 1 - Graphing Data ~ Bar Graphs & Double Bar Graphs.
Friday, Dec. 2 - No school.

MAP Practice Games:
http://www.sowashco.k12.mn.us/ro/pages/studentlinks/map/reading.htm
http://www.sowashco.k12.mn.us/ro/pages/studentlinks/map/
http://www.belleplaine.k12.mn.us/se3bin/clientgenie.cgi?schoolname=school357&statusFlag=goGenie&geniesite=133&myButton=g5plugin&db=g133_b545

Behind the Scenes - Weeks of November 14 & 21

Weekly Spotlight:
*Spelling pretest on Monday.
*Southeast Map test on Tuesday.
*Spelling test on Friday.
*End of 1st trimester on Friday.
*PBIS & PTO Power Paws Community Service Project on Friday, 6:30-8:00.
*No spelling during week of Nov. 21.
*No school on Wednesday, Nov. 23-Friday, Nov. 25.

Coming Attractions:
*Parent Teacher conferences during the week of November 28.
*Report Cards issued online on Tuesday, November 29.
*No school on Friday, Dec. 2.

Homeroom Happenings:
Science - We will learn about the following concepts: instinct, hibernation, migration, and learned behavior. The children will choose an animal to draw as an example of each concept.

Social Studies - Our Southeast test is on Tuesday. The children need t know the correct spelling and location of all 12 states in the Southeast. They should also correctly identify the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, and Mississippi River. The children can ear bonus points for identifying the capitals of each state in the Southeast. We will also continue our Southeast Farmer project this week. The test on the Southeast land and resources will be after Thanksgiving break.

Spelling - Our pretest will be on Monday. The final test will be on Friday. We will not have a spelling unit during the week of Nov. 21.

English - We have learned about Imagery, Alliterations, and Onomatopoeia. The children will use these concepts to write a Fall poem. These will be due by Friday. Work on this poem should be done at school. If your child does not finish, they will need to bring it home Thursday night to finish for Friday.

Reading - This week, we will once again focus on the reading strategy of making inferences. Authors do not always tell the reader everything. They may give clues instead. The reader must use the clues and their own knowledge to make inferences about people and events.

Mrs. Sulima's Math:
Monday - Divisibility
Tuesday - Estimation: Compatible numbers
Wednesday - Dividing with money (1-digit divisor only)
Thursday - First trimester assessment
Friday - Extended Response...problem solving.

Monday - "Check your Progress" quiz.
Tuesday - Extended Response test question & Thanksgiving Math. We will not take a test on Chapter 3.

MAP Practice: http://www.sowashco.k12.mn.us/ro/pages/studentlinks/map/reading.htm

http://www.sowashco.k12.mn.us/ro/pages/studentlinks/map/

http://www.belleplaine.k12.mn.us/se3bin/clientgenie.cgi?schoolname=school357&statusFlag=goGenie&geniesite=133&myButton=g5plugin&db=g133_b545

Behind the Scenes - Week of November 7

Weekly Spotlight:
Spelling pretest on Monday.
*Roller Skating party on Monday, 3:45-6:30.
*Unit 1 - Sentence Test on Tuesday.
*Spelling test on Thursday.
*No school on Friday - Veterans Day.

Coming Attractions:
*Southeast Map Test on Tuesday, November 15.
*End of first trimester on Friday, November 18.
*PBIS & PTO Power Paws Community Service Project on Friday, November 18, 6:30-8:00.
*Thanksgiving Break, Wednesday, November 23-Friday, November 25.
*Parent Teacher Conferences, week of November 28.
*Report Cards - ONLINE, Tuesday, November 29.
*No school on Friday, December 2.

Homeroom Happenings:
Science - The children will continue to learn about animal adaptations this week.

Social Studies - We will explore the wildlife in the Southeast. The children will also learn about the resources from the Southeast. They will be doing a Southeast Farmer project. They will need to write from the point of view of a Southeast farmer. Students should start studying for the Southeast Map test which will be on Tuesday, November 15. They will need to identify each state in the Southeast, the Mississippi River, the Atlantic Ocean, and the Gulf of Mexico. Spelling counts! The children can earn 1/4 point bonus for each capital correctly identified. A blank map was sent home on Friday for studying purposes.

MRS. SULIMA'S WEBSITE LINK: http://www.sherylsulima.com/

Peanut Farmers:
http://www.nationalpeanutboard.org/classroom-farmingtoday.php
http://www.nationalpeanutboard.org/classroom-funfacts.php
http://www.ehow.com/how_5147989_farm-peanuts.html

Peach Farmers:
http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0781683.html#A0781693
http://www.worldslargestpeachcobbler.com/fuzzfacts.cfm

Orange Farmers:
http://www.fillmorepirucitrus.com/Orange_Facts.htm
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/facts-about-oranges.html
http://floridaoranges.com/unique-facts/

Cotton Farmers:
http://ganyardhillfarm.com/barn_news/teaching-resources/cotton-facts/
http://unctad.org/infocomm/anglais/cotton/crop.htm

Spelling - The children will take a spelling pretest on Monday. Due to the short week, our test will be on Thursday.

English - We will take the Unit 1 - Sentence Test on Tuesday. Enrichment projects will be due on the day of the test. We will spend the rest of the week on a writing project.

Reading - This week, we will focus on the reading comprehension skill known as sequence of events. Recognizing the order of events in a story makes it easier to understand the story. Clue words such as first, later, then, and finally signal sequence.

Mrs. Sulima's Math Class:
Monday -Dividing larger numbers by a 1-digit divisor.
Tuesday - Zeros in the quotient.
Wednesday - Check Your Progress quiz on chapter 3, lessons 1-5.
Thursday -Short division.
Friday - No school, Veterans Day.

MAP Practice:
http://www.sowashco.k12.mn.us/ro/pages/studentlinks/map/reading.htm

http://www.sowashco.k12.mn.us/ro/pages/studentlinks/map/

http://www.belleplaine.k12.mn.us/se3bin/clientgenie.cgi?schoolname=school357&statusFlag=goGenie&geniesite=133&myButton=g5plugin&db=g133_b545

Behind the Scenes - Week of October 31

Weekly Spotlight:
*Spelling pretest on Monday.
*SE Map Due on Wednesday.
*Chapter 1, lesson 3 and chapter 2, lessons 2 & 3 science test on Wednesday.
*Picture Retakes on Thursday.
*Spelling test on Friday.

Coming Attractions:
*Rollerskating Party on Monday, Nov. 7, 3:45-6:30.
*Unit 1 Sentence Test on Tuesday, Nov. 8.
*No school on Friday, Nov. 11 - Veterans Day.
*End of 1st Trimester on Friday, Nov. 18.
*No school on Wednesday, Nov. 23-Friday, Nov. 25.
*Parent-Teacher Conferences during the week of Nov. 28.
*Report Cards Issued online on Tuesday, Nov. 29.

THANK YOU:A big thank you to all the parent volunteers that made our Halloween party a spooktacular event. The kids loved the treats, games, and crafts!

Homeroom Happenings:
Science - The children will take a test on chapter 1, lesson 3 and chapter 2, lessons 2 & 3 on Wednesday. During the rest of the week, we will begin our next unit on Adaptations. Children should review the following concepts for the test:
*Define vertebrate & invertebrate.
*Describe characteristics of vertebrates. Which animals are vertebrates? What are the 5 classifications of vertebrates?
*Describe characteristics of invertebrates. Which animals are invertebrates? What are some of the classifications of invertebrates?
*Define photosynthesis & life cycle.
*Describe the stages of the life cycle of flowering plants. See tomato plant life cycle.
*Describe how plants reproduce using only spores. See fern life cycle.
*Define direct development & metamorphosis.
*Describe and order the stages of an animal's life cycle.
*Describe how some plants grow and develop.
*Describe the stages of the human life cycle.
*Describe the difference between simple and complete metamorphosis.

Social Studies - We will begin our trip through the Southeast region. Our journey will begin by focusing on the land and climate of the Southeast.

Spelling - Our spelling words this week will focus on short and long vowels. Our pretest will be on Monday, and our final test will be on Friday. If your child receives a 95% or higher, they will become a challenge speller. On Friday, they will take a test on their challenge words.

English - We will finish our sentence unit this week. Our final lessons will include: simple predicates and correcting run-on sentences. The children will fill out a "how to study" sheet on Wednesday. The Sentence test will be on Tuesday, Nov. 8. Enrichment will be due the day of the test.

Reading - Mysteries will be the focus in reading for all fourth grade students next week. We will begin by learning vocabulary words that are typically associated with mysteries, such as “suspect”, “evidence” and “suspense”. Students may practice the definitions of the vocabulary words by completing a crossword puzzle at the following website: http://www.eduplace.com/kids/hmr06/gr4/activities/pdf/gr4th _xword.pdf. All students will read & study “The Case of the Purloined Pachyderm”. While reading this mystery and other mystery stories, students will be studying the format of a mystery and using the reading strategies of monitoring and clarifying.

Mrs. Sulima's Math Spotlight:
Monday - Pretest on next chapter. Mini-lesson on division, fact families, and rules of division.
Tuesday - Order of Operations.
Wednesday - Division Patterns.
Thursday - Three-digit Quotients.
Friday - Zeros in the Quotient.

Behind the Scenes - Week of October 24th

Weekly Spotlight:
*Tuesday Schedule on Monday - bring library books.
*Math quiz on Monday - Chapter 2, lessons 5-8.
*Monday Schedule on Tuesday - bring your recorder, if you haven't already.
*John Lynn Assembly on Wednesday.
*Early Dismissal on Thursday, 11:00.
*Chapter 2 Math Test on Friday.
*Halloween Parade on Friday, 1:00.
*Halloween Party on Friday, 1:30.
*Bingo Night on Friday, 7:00-8:30 - Join Mrs. Sulima!

HALLOWEEN PARTY:
On Friday, we will have our Halloween Parade and Party. Please keep in mind the following guidelines when helping your child pick out a Halloween costume for our Halloween party and parade (parents may come at 1:00 pm to watch our school parade) on Friday, October 28th:
*We only have 10 minutes for costume changes. Please make sure your child can change into his/her costume easily and by themselves. If the costume can be worn over their clothes, then both the time to change and the chances of losing any clothes is minimized. Children will not be allowed to use the washroom to change. Girls will change in one room and boys will change in another.
*If you send your child in with make-up, your child will need to be able to apply it themselves (within the 10 minute time limit).
*Please do not send any weapons (guns, swords, etc.) as part of the costume. Save those for trick-or-treating.
*We will not have time to change back into our clothes for dismissal. Your child will wear their costume home.

Coming Attractions:
*Chapter 1, lesson 3 & Chapter 2, lessons 2 & 3 Test on Wednesday, Nov. 2.
*Picture Retake Day on Thursday, November 3.
*Roller Skating Party on Monday, November 7, 3:45-6:30.
*No School on Friday, November 11 - Veteran's Day.
*End of first trimester on Friday, November 18.
*No school on Wednesday, November 23-Friday, November 25 - Thanksgiving Break.

Homeroom Happenings:
Science - We will finish chapter 2, lesson 3 on life cycles of animals. The children will fill out a "how to study" sheet on Thursday. Due to Halloween, our test will not be until Wednesday, November 2.

Social Studies - The children are working on a Narragansett village project. They had the choice of drawing an illustration of the village or writing a detailed story about the life of the Narragansett. Both projects need to include evidence of the following: wigwam(s), Sachem, fishing, hunting, farming, cooperation, and tools used.

Spelling - Our spelling words this week will be Halloween themed. We will not take a pretest or test. Your child will have 3 activities, using the words, that will be due on Friday. All three activities will be grades - 10 points each.

English - We will continue our study of sentences. On Monday, everyone will stay with me to learn about the 4 types of sentences - declarative, interrogative, imperative, and exclamatory. Throughout the rest of the week, we will focus on subjects and predicates, simple subjects, and simple predicates. We will also be doing an activity using alliteration.

Reading - This week in reading, students will be reviewing the strategies and skills that we have studied so far this year, with particular emphasis on predicting and making inferences.

Mrs. Sulima's Math:
Monday - Check your Progress quiz on chapter 2, lessons 5-8. HW: None.
Tuesday - Fill out "how to study" & Extended response. HW: Study for test on Friday.
Wednesday - Extended Response & review for test. HW: Study for test on Friday.
Thursday - No math due to early dismissal.
Friday - Chapter 2 Test. HW: None.

Behind the Scenes - Week of October 17

Weekly Spotlight:
*Spelling pretest on Monday.
*Chapter 4 Social Studies test on Tuesday.
*Quiz on Text Organization on Thursday.
*Spelling test on Friday.

Coming Attractions:
*Book Fair on Thursday, October 20, 6:30-8:00.
*John Lynn Presentation on Wednesday, October 26.
*Early Dismissal on Thursday, October 27, 11:00.
*Parade and Halloween Party on Friday, October 28, 1:15.
*Bingo Night on Friday, October 28, 7:00-8:30. Mrs. Sulima will be there!! Join me!!

Homeroom Happenings:
Science - We will discuss plants that reproduce by spores and other ways plants grow. The students will do a lesson review on Wednesday. We will also begin our next lesson on animal life cycles.

Social Studies - On Tuesday the children will take the chapter 4 test. A review quest and vocabulary assignment will come home on Monday to help your child review. Students should bring their signed "how to study" sheet on Tuesday to earn 2 points on their test. We will also begin a mini-unit on a Native American tribe from the Northeast, The Narragansett.

English - The children took a pretest on Sentences on Friday. On Monday, I will return the pretests with learning contracts. The children will then need to pick their enrichment project for this unit. We will begin our sentence unit on Wednesday. This week we will focus on the following lessons: What is a sentence? Statements & Questions, and Commands & Exclamations.

Reading - In reading this week, the students will focus on noting details in a story. They will learn that details may give information, explain ideas, and reveal characters' feelings. They will also work on the Question comprehension strategy. Good readers ask themselves questions about important ideas as they read. The students will practice asking questions about the text that can be answered as they read the text and finish the story.

Mrs. Sulima's Math Class:

Monday - Zeros in the Multiplicand (Multiplying by 1-digit)

Tuesday - Multiplying by 2-digits

Wednesday - Multiplying by 3-digits

Thursday - Zeros in the Multiplier

Friday - Multiplication with Money. HW: Quiz on Monday.

Behind the Scenes - Week of October 10

Weekly Spotlight:
*No school on Monday - Columbus Day.
*No school on Tuesday - Institute Day.
*Verb test on Thursday.
*A Family Apart quiz on Thursday.
*Mario Kart Assembly on Thursday.
*Math Quiz on Friday.

Coming Attractions:
*Movie Night on Friday, October 14, 6:30-8:45.
*Book Fair on Thursday, October 20, 6:30-8:00.
*Halloween Parade and Party on Friday, October 28.
*Bingo Night on Friday, October 28, 7:00-8:30 - Mrs. Sulima will be there!!!

Homeroom Happenings:
Science - We will begin our study of plant life cycles. The children will also test their airplanes on Wednesday. Directions for the paper airplanes are in your child's science pocket.

Social Studies - Our trip through the Northeast will continue this week. We will explore the Chesapeake Bay. This is our last lesson in the Northeast Region, chapter 4. We will fill out a "how to study" sheet on Friday. Our chapter 4 test will be on Tuesday, October 18. Your child should review the following concepts for the test:
*Key words: glacier, gorge, hydropower, hydroelectricity, lighthouse, peninsula, vineyard, bog, sap, mineral, quarry, bay, inlet, watermen, & crab pot.
*Identify the two Great Lakes between which Niagara Falls is located.
*Identify the two main features for which Niagara Falls is known.
*Identify the three mountain ranges in the northeastern part of the Appalachian Mountains.
*Identify the two states in the Northeast that do not border the Atlantic Ocean.
*Identify key steps in the production of maple syrup.
*Explain why grapes grow well in certain areas of the Northeast.
*Identify the largest of the Finger Lakes.
*Explain why water is essential to the production and growth of cranberries.
*Define the name of the people who fish Chesapeake Bay.
*Explain how pollution from a factory gets into Chesapeake Bay.
*Explain why Chesapeake Bay is important to the Northeast.
*Describe actions a resident of the Chesapeake Bay area could take to help preserve the bay.

Spelling - We will not have a spelling lesson this week.

English - Our Verb Test will be on Thursday. Enrichment projects are due the day of the test. The children will take our next English pretest on Friday. Pretests and contracts will be returned to your child the following week.

Reading - We will continue focusing on the reading strategy of text organization. Many non-fiction authors organize their selections in time order. They also use features such as headings, pictures, captions, and charts to help the reader better understand the information. These skills will be practiced through the use of our Science and Social Studies textbooks.
Our class will also finish A Family Apart by reviewing character traits and taking a final comprehension, vocabulary, and character traits quiz on Thursday The children will be allowed to use the novel during the quiz. No other notes or handouts will be allowed.

Mrs. Sulima's Math:
Monday - No school.
Tuesday - No school.
Wednesday - Properties of Multiplication.
Thursday - Mental Math & Patterns in Multiplication.
Friday - Check your Progress quiz over lessons 1-4. Estimating Products.

Behind the Scenes - Week of October 3

Worm Race Results:

All the children did a wonderful job creating their race tracks and choosing variables to encourage their worms to travel as fast as possible to the finish line. We had some close races!


1st Place - Samantha
2nd Place - Alex
3rd Place - Serena
4th Place - Justin
5th Place - Fernanda
6th Place - Reese

We had an exciting race day! Congratulations to all students for their hard work, great sportsmanship, and creativity!

Weekly Spotlight:
*Spelling pretest on Monday.
*Cheer Clinic after school on Monday.
*Cheer Clinic after school on Wednesday.
*Chapter 8 math test on Thursday.
*Cheer Clinic after school on Thursday.
*Northeast Map test on Thursday.
*Spelling test on Friday.

Coming Attractions:
*No school on Monday, October 10 - Columbus Day.
*No school on Tuesday, October 11 - Teacher Institute.
*Unit 3 Verb test on Thursday, October 13.
*Movie Night on Friday, October 14, 6:30-8:45.
*Book Fair on Thursday, October 20, 6:30-8:00.
*Early Dismissal on Thursday, October 27, 11:00.
*Halloween Parade and Classroom Party on Friday, October 28.
*Bingo Night on Friday, October 28. (Mrs. Sulima will be there!)

Magazine Drive:
Our class won first place in the magazine drive by 1 magazine. Wow! Thank you all for making this magazine drive a success!

Homeroom Happenings:
Science - This week, we will focus on how animals are classified. The children will be filling out notes in class. They should review these notes each day. The children will take a chapter 1, lesson 3 review on Friday. They will be able to use their notes and textbook during the review.

Social Studies - The children will take the Northeast Map test on Thursday. They will need to know the correct location and spelling of all the states in the Northeast. Capitals can be labeled for 1/4 point bonus each. The children will also need to label the 2 Great Lakes and the Ocean on the Northeast Map.

Spelling - We will continue with our new procedure this week. Children that get 95% or higher will become challenge spellers. They will choose words to work with all week. On Friday, they will take a test on their words. If they get 100% on their Friday test, they will earn 2 points on their pretest score.

English - Our verb unit will continue. This week our lessons will focus on writing past tense with helping verbs, irregular verbs, the verb be, and contractions with not. The children will fill out a "how to study" sheet on Friday. Our test will be on Thursday, October 13. Enrichment projects will be due on the day of the test.

Reading - The reading strategy that we will focus on is text organization. Many non-fiction authors organize their selections in time order. They also use features such as headings, pictures, captions, and charts to help the reader better understand the information.
Our class will also continue reading A Family Apart. This (historically accurate) heroic tale follows the adventures of six children who are sent out west on the Orphan Train by their impoverished mother in hope that they will find a better life. Frances Mary, the eldest of the Kelly children, shepherds her siblings through the Orphan Train trip and struggles to find them good homes. Frances Mary and Petey are adopted by the Cummings' and find themsleves involved in the Underground Railroad movement. This book, as well as the accompanying activities, will challenge your child in various ways. Be sure to ask your child about this story. Find out more about the Orphan Train and other historical events that we will encounter while reading A Family Apart. Visit this website: http://www.bgcs.k12.oh.us/reinhart/apart/default.htm

Mrs. Sulima's Math Spotlight:
Monday - "Check your Progress" quiz on lessons 4-8. HW: Daily Practice Sheet.
Tuesday - We will fill out our "how to study" sheet for our test on Thursday. Decimal problem solving. HW: Daily Practice Sheet & study for chapter 8 test.
Wednesday - Continue decimal problem solving & review for test. HW: Daily Practice Sheet & study for chapter 8 test tomorrow.
Thursday - Chapter 8 test. Bring your "how to study" sheet. HW: Daily Practice Sheet due tomorrow.
Friday - Begin chapter 2 - Multiplication. HW: Enjoy your long weekend!!!

Behind the Scenes - Week of September 26th

Weekly Spotlight:
*Spelling pretest on Monday.
*Magazine turn in on Tuesday. Our class is in 2nd place!!!
*Tracks and Worms are due on Tuesday.
*Math quiz on Tuesday over lessons 1-3.
*Magazine turn in on Thursday.
*Picture Day on Thursday.
*Spelling test on Friday.
*Early Dismissal on Friday, 11:00.
*PTO Dine-out at Cozzie Corner, Sept. 29-Oct. 2.

Coming Attractions:
*Monday, October 3 - 4th grade cheer clinic.
*Wednesday, October 5 - 4th grade cheer clinic.
*Friday, October 7 - 4th grade cheer clinic.
*Tuesday, October 11 - Teacher Institute. No school.
*Thursday, October 20 - Book Fair, 6:30 - 8:00 p.m.
*Thursday, October 27 - Early Dismissal.
*Friday, October 28 - Bingo Night, 7:00-8:30 (Mrs. Sulima will be there!!!)
*Friday, October 28 - Halloween parade and classroom party.

Homeroom Happenings:
Science - Your child needs to make a wormy race track for Tuesday. They will choose the surface of the track, width of the track, and 2 other variables (possibly variables that we tested during our worm investigations). Directions, variable planning sheet, and grading checklist are in your child's binder. Your child's track, variable planning sheet, grading checklist, and worm are due on Tuesday. We will be having a "Worm Race" in our classroom on Tuesday. May the best worm win!!!

Social Studies - We will begin our trip around the 5 regions of the United States by visiting the Northeast. This week, we will focus on the environment of the Northeast including major landforms. Children should begin studying for our first map test on the Northeast states. They will need to know the location and spelling of all the states in the Northeast. Spelling does count and a word bank will not be included. If they know the capitals, they can earn 1/4 point bonus per capital. Students should spell the capitals as best as they can. The test will be on Thursday, October 6.

Spelling - NEW SPELLING PROCEDURE!!! Our spelling pretest will be on Monday. If your child gets 95% or higher, they will become a challenge speller. They will need to choose challenge words and do challenge activities in their spelling journal throughout the week. If your child misses 2 or more, they will continue to work with the weekly list of spelling words. Workbook pages will need to be done throughout the week. Challenge activities and workbooks pages will be due on Friday before we take the test. Challenge spellers will now take a test on their challenge words. If they get 100% on their challenge test, they will earn 2 points on their pretest score. If they do not get 100% on their challenge test, they will keep their pretest score.

English - We will continue our verb unit this week. Our focus will be on subject-verb agreement, spelling present tense verbs, spelling past tense verbs, and verbs with helping verbs. The children will also continue working on enrichment projects according to their learning contract.

Reading - Students will focus on the reading strategy to determine author's viewpoint. Author's viewpoint refers to the author's opinion, ideas of what is important or attitude. The author might give their opinion directly or you might have to infer the information by reading clues or other information that the author provides. Here is a great link to practice author’s viewpoint:
http://www.studyzone.org/testprep/ela4/o/authorsviewpointp.cfm.
**Last week we did mini-lessons on Protagonist & Antagonist. We also learned about first person, second person, and third person point of view. Ask your child to explain these concepts to you.**

Mrs. Sulima's Math:
Monday - Adding Decimals. HW: Daily Practice Sheet & WB pg. 93 (#1-15) & pg. 95 (#1-17 no rounding). Quiz tomorrow.
Tuesday - "Check your Progress" open book/notes quiz over chapter 8, lessons 1-3. Estimating Decimal Sums. HW: Daily Practice Sheet & WB pg. 94 (#1-8).
Wednesday - Subtracting Decimals. HW: Daily Practice Sheet & WB pg. 96 (#1-15) & pg. 98 (#11-20 no rounding).
Thursday - Estimating Decimal Differences. HW: Daily Practice Sheet & WB pg. 97 (#1-8) Quiz on Monday.
Friday - No math due to early dismissal. "Check your Progress" Quiz on Monday over lessons 4-6.

Behind the Scenes - Week of September 19

Weekly Spotlight:
*Bring in worms & habitat on Monday.
*Chapter 2, lesson 2 & 3 Social Studies Test on Tuesday.
*Chapter 1 Math Test on Wednesday.

Coming Attractions:
*Worm Race Tracks due on Tuesday, September 20.
*First magazine turn-in on Tuesday, September 20.
*Second magazine turn-in on Tuesday, September 27.
*Third magazine turn-in on Thursday, September 29.
*Early Dismissal on Friday, September 30, 11:00.

Homeroom Happenings:
Science - Our Worm Study will begin on Monday. Please have your child bring in their worm habitat on Monday. This unit will allow the children to learn more about and go through the steps of the Scientific Method. We will ask questions, make our hypothesis, form a plan, test our hypothesis, collect data, and draw conclusions based on our results. The children will also learn about variables and the need to control variables during this study.

Social Studies - We filled out our "how to study" sheet on Thursday. The children will need to write at least 2 ways they studied and get a parent's signature. If they attach this to the back of their test, they will earn 2 bonus points. The test will be on Tuesday. It will cover chapter 2, lessons 2 and 3 only.
Items to know for test:
*Explain what the Constitution is and why it is important.
*Identify three levels of Government.
*Describe the responsibilities of each of the three branches of Government (study your Patriotic Quest).
*Explain how the Constitution can be changed.
*Identify two ways that a person can become a citizen of the U.S.
*Identify three types of services that are paid for by taxes.
*Identify at least three responsibilities of U.S. citizens.
*Explain why voting is an important responsibility in the U.S.

Here are some links to help your child prepare for the test:
http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/usa_game/government/index.htm
http://bensguide.gpo.gov/3-5/games/interactive.html
http://www.kids.gov/
http://www.congressforkids.net/games/threebranches/2_threebranches.htm

Spelling - We are going to take this week off of spelling. Instead, we will focus on vocabulary from our science and social studies units.

English - The students took the Noun test on Friday. They will receive their Noun tests back on Monday. We will go over the answers at this time. Also on Monday, the children will take their next pretest. They will receive their pretests & contracts on Tuesday. On Thursday, we will begin our first lesson.

Reading - This week, we will continue to focus on story structure. The children will also explore character and setting in depth. When your child is reading at home, you can practice and review story structure by asking them to identify characters, setting, and plot (which includes the problem, sequenced events, and the solution).

Mrs. Sulima's Math Class:
Monday - We will fill out our "how to study" sheet for the chapter 1 test which will be on Wednesday. Our focus for the day will be on extended responses. HW: Focus for Chapter 1 Test on Wednesday.

Tuesday - We will continue reviewing extended response. The class will also review for the chapter 1 test. HW: Study for Chapter 1 Test.

Wednesday - Chapter 1 Test. There will be an extended response on the test. Bring you signed "how to study" sheet to class today!

Thursday - We will take a pretest on chapter 8 - Adding and Subtracting Decimals. The lesson for the day will be on Decimal Sense. HW: WB 93.

Friday - Decimals and Place Value. HW: Finish WB pg. 92, if not finished in class.

Behind the Scenes - Week of September 12

Weekly Spotlight:
*Wear Red, White, & Blue on Monday.
*Spelling pretest on Monday.
*Magazine Kick-off on Monday.
*Beginner Band Sign-up on Tuesday and Wednesday, 3:00-8:00 in Band Room
*Recruitment Band Concert on Thursday, 12:45.
*Magazine Reach-out Postcards due on Friday.
*Spelling test on Friday.
*Unit 2 Nouns Test on Friday.

Coming Attractions:
Monday, September 19, 2011 - Bring worm in habitat today
Tuesday, September 20, 2011 - Magazine Turn-In Day
Tuesday, September 20, 2011 - Social Studies test on Chapter 2, lessons 2 & 3
Tuesday, September 27, 2011 - Magazine Turn-In Day
Thursday, September 29, 2011 - MagazineTurn-In Day & Picture Day
Friday, September 30, 2011 - Early Dismissal - 11:00 a.m.

Homeroom Happenings:
Science - We will learn about the scientific method. These are the steps we will follow as scientists.

Social Studies - This week, we will finish our governmental study. On Thursday, the children will fill out a "how to study" sheet for the test which will be on Tuesday, September 21.

Spelling - Our spelling list will practice words with short and long a and e words. If your child misses 2 or less, they will be a "challenge speller". They will choose words from a pre-made list and will complete 3 challenge activities in their spelling spiral. If they miss 3 or more, they will study the regular spelling list and complete 3 pages from the reading/spelling workbook.

English - We will finish our noun unit this week. The children will fill out a "how to study" sheet on Wednesday. The test will be on Friday.

Reading - This week, our focus will be on story structure. We will use a story map to look at how a problem and its solution affect the story’s plot and characters. When your child is reading at home, you can practice and review story structure by asking them to identify characters, setting, and plot (which includes the problem, sequenced events, and the solution).


Mrs. Sulima's Math Spotlight:
Monday - Rounding Numbers & Decimals. HW: Daily Practice Sheet & WB pg. 6
Tuesday - Addition Properties/Subtraction Rules and Addition with 3 or more addends. HW: Daily Practice Sheet & WB pgs. 7 & 9.
Wednesday - Subtraction with Zeros & Larger Sums and Differences. HW: Daily Practice Sheet & WB pgs. 10 & 11.
Thursday - Estimating Sums and Differences. HW: Daily Practice sheet due tomorrow. WB pg. 8. Quiz tomorrow on lessons 6-12.
Friday - "Check your progress" quiz. Mini lesson on Roman Numerals. HW: None.

Behind the Scenes - Week of September 5

Weekly Spotlight:
*No school on Monday - Labor Day.
*Spelling pretest on Tuesday.
*Curriculum Night on Tuesday, 6:30-7:30. Parents only, please.
*Reading MAP test on Wednesday, 1:00-2:00.
*Beginning Band Parent Meeting on Wednesday, 7:00.
*Spelling test on Friday.
*Math "Check Your Progress" quiz on Friday - Chapter 1, lessons 2-5.

Coming Attractions:
*Monday, September 12, 2011 - Magazine Kick-Off - 1:15 p.m. gym
Tuesday, September 13, 2011 - Beginning Band Sign-Up - 3:00 to 8:00 p.m. - Band Room
Wednesday, September 14, 2011 - Beginning Band Sign-Up - 3:00 to 8:00 p.m. - Band Room
Thursday, September 15, 2011 - Recruitment Band Concert -12:45 to 1:30 p.m - Gym
Tuesday, September 20, 2011 - Magazine Turn-In Day
Tuesday, September 27, 2011 - Magazine Turn-In Day
Thursday, September 29, 2011 - Magazine Turn-In Day & Picture Day
Friday, September 30, 2011 - Early Dismissal - 11:00 a.m.

Homeroom Happenings:
English - We will continue our unit on Nouns. The lessons we will focus on include: singular & plural nouns, and singular possessive nouns.

Reading - Next week in reading your child will learn to use skimming and scanning skills to locate answers. During science,social studies, and reading, the class will be given tasks where they will have to locate answers in the text. They will practice highlighting key words in the questions or clues, and then skim the headlines, subtitles,captions, and passages to help them find the answers to those questions.

Spelling - The children will be working with a second list of commonly misspelled words. The pretest will be on Tuesday. If your child receives a 90% or higher on the pretest, they will become a challenge speller. They will choose challenge words to use throughout the week. Any word they missed on the pretest should be on their challenge list. The challenge list should be found in your child's spelling pocket. On Friday, challenge spellers will have the choice of keeping their pretest score or retaking the regular spelling test for a higher grade.

Science - Our focus for the week will be on scientific tools and inquiry skills.

Social Studies - We will continue our study of Government. At this point, we will be focusing on the National Government. The children will explore the three branches of government and their roles. Students should be reviewing their vocabulary and notes each night. There will be a test on chapter 2, lesson 2 & 3.

Mrs. Sulima's Math Class:
Monday - No School.
Tuesday - Decimals to the thousandths & Decimals greater than one. HW: Daily Practice sheet due Friday. Master X10, X11, & X12 by Friday. WB pgs. 3 & 4 due Friday.
Wednesday - No math due to MAP testing.
Thursday - No math due to MAP testing.
Friday - "Check your Progress" quiz on lessons 2-5. Comparing and ordering numbers and decimals. HW: WB pg. 5.

Behind the Scenes - Week of August 29th

Wow! What a wonderful group of children! The first two days of school went by smoothly and quickly. We are now ready to start all areas of the fourth grade curriculum on Monday. I can already tell it is going to be an AWARD WINNING year!


Weekly Spotlight:
*Spelling pretest on Monday.
*English pretest on Monday.
*First music class on Monday.
*Math MAP testing on Tuesday, 1:00-2:00.
*First library class on Tuesday.
*No math on Tuesday or Wednesday due to MAP testing.
*First art class on Wednesday.
*Spelling test on Friday.

Coming Attractions:
*Monday, September 5, 2011 - No School/Labor Day
*Tuesday, September 6, 2011 - Fourth and Fifth Grade Curriculum Night - 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.
*Wednesday, September 7, 2011 - Reading MAP testing, 1:00-2:00. Beginning Band Parent Meeting -7:00 p.m., Multi-Purpose Room
*Monday, September 12, 2011 - Magazine Kick-Off
*Tuesday, September 13, 2011 - Beginning Band Sign-Up - 3:00 to 8:00 p.m., Band Room

Homeroom Happenings:
English - We will take our first English pretest on Monday. The children will receive their pretest and a contract back on Tuesday. I will review my contract procedures with the children at that time. Children will be choosing enrichment options to complete, at school, on days that they have passed out of the English lesson. I will explain this further during my presentation on Curriculum night. We will begin our first lesson on Wednesday.

Reading - This week in reading the students will review and practice their reading strategies as they read the story The Pumpkin Runner by Marsha Diane Arnold. The reading strategies that we will focus on are: preview/infer, phonics/decoding, questioning/ monitor/clarify, summarize, and evaluate.

Spelling - We will take our first spelling pretest on Monday. This week's list is words commonly misspelled by fourth graders. The pretest will consist of 20 words. Children who pass with a 90% or higher will have a challenge list for the week. All students will be doing activities with their spelling words throughout the week. Activities are due on Friday. Our test, on all 20 words, will also be on Friday. Students who had a 90% or higher can retake the regular spelling test to raise their grade or they can keep their pretest score.

Science - Our focus for this week will be on science safety and tools.

Social Studies - We will begin the year by studying government. The children will be completing a Patriotic Quest. We will also explore the three branches of government.

Mrs. Sulima's Math:
Monday: Students will be taking a pretest on Chapter 1 - Place Value. This will not be entered into the gradebook. I will be using the information I receive from the pretests to guide my teaching and need for enrichment activities for some students. HW: Daily Math Practice sheet due Friday. Practice X1, X2, X3, X4, & X5 by Thursday.

Thursday: Place Value to the Billions. HW: Daily Math Practice sheet due tomorrow. Practice X6, X7, X8, & X9 by 9/6. WB pg. 1.

Friday: Expanded Form. HW: Daily Math Practice sheet due Friday. Practice X6, X7, X8, & X9 by 9/6. WB pg. 2 (if not finished in class).

Lights, Camera, Action...

Another school year is quickly approaching. Check back here often for Mrs. Sulima's "Behind the Scenes."

Sulima's LAST Scoop - Weeks of May 30 & June 6

Weekly Reminders:

*No school on Monday.

*50 State Test on Tuesday.

*"We're Bowling" Wednesday - Fourth grade bowling trip in afternoon.

*"Take it Easy" Thursday - Bring a board game to school.

*"Film Festival" Friday - We will sit back and enjoy a film.

*Last day of math and reading on Friday.

*"We Made It" Monday, June 6 - All-school picnic & Sky Dogz assembly.

*"That's All Folks" Tuesday, June 7 - Report cards and yearbooks issued.

American Red Cross for Japan:

The raffle for Japan has just begun. A letter was sent home on Wednesday, with the list of raffle items and raffle tickets. If you wish to participate, just fill in the tickets, put them in an envelope with the money, and return it to your classroom teacher. All tickets must be turned in by June 3rd. We will have the raffle at the all school assembly on June 6th. Thank you so much for your support.

Homeroom Happenings:

Science - We will finish our Earth Science unit with a study of Earth's landforms. The children will be exploring mountains, valleys, canyons, plains, plateaus, deltas, dunes, and islands. In their notes, the children will be drawing pictures of each landform.

Social Studies - Our study of the West will continue. We will compare and contrast the climates of Hawaii and Alaska. The children will also name the different climates in the West and learn about rain shadows. The 50 state test will be on Tuesday. They children will be given a word bank of capitals and state names. The capitals are bonus.

English - We have finished all our English units.

Spelling - We have completed all our spelling units.

Reading - As we wrap up reading class for the 2010-2011 school year, we will review all the strategies we have covered. Friday will be our last day of reading.

Accelerated Math Menu:

Monday - No school.

Tuesday - Dividing decimals by a whole number and Zeros in division. HW: WB pgs. 107 & 108.

Wednesday - Dividing decimals by decimals. HW: None.

Thursday - Estimating decimals quotients. HW: None.

Friday - Last Day of Math ~ TBD. HW: None.

Sulima's Scoop - Week of May 23

Weekly Reminders:

*Math quiz on Monday.

*Spelling pretest on Monday.

*"Walk for Japan" at 3:30 on Tuesday.

*Adverb & Preposition test on Thursday.

*Spelling test on Friday.

*Science quiz on Friday (not open notes/book).

Plan Ahead:

*No school on Monday, May 30.

*50 State test on Tuesday, May 31.

*Fourth Grade Bowling trip on Wednesday, June 1 (after lunch).

*All-school picnic and Sky Dogz assembly on Monday, June 6.

*Last Day of school on Tuesday, June 7. Report cards and yearbooks will be issued.

Homeroom Happenings:

Science - We will continue our study of rocks by exploring the rock cycle. The children will take a quiz on the rock cycle diagram on Friday. This will not be open notes/book.

Social Studies - Our trip around the regions of the United States will wrap up with a study of the West. On May 26, we will have "Take a Hike Thursday". We will learn about the mountain ranges in the West and National Parks. Wear your hiking gear! On Tuesday, May 31, the children will be taking the 50 state test. There will be a word bank of state and capital names. Capitals will be counted as bonus - every 10 correctly identified capitals will be worth one point.

English - We will finish our study of adverbs and prepositions. The test on Chapter 7 will be on Thursday. Enrichment projects will be due the day of the test.

Reading -This week, in addition to reviewing all reading strategies, students will be focusing on identifying the elements of fantasy and realism. Students will learn that fantasy involves events that could not happen in real life, and that realism involves events that could happen or that have happened in the past.

Advanced Math Menu (for rest of school year):

Monday - Quiz on algebra concepts. HW: None.

Tuesday - Adding Integers. HW: Workbook pgs. 163 & 164.

Wednesday - Multiplying and Dividing Decimals by 10, 100, and 1000. HW: Workbook pgs. 101 & 106.

Thursday - Multiplying Decimals by Whole Numbers and by Decimals . HW: Workbook pgs. 103 & 104.

Friday - Zeros in the Product and Estimating decimal products. HW: Workbook pgs. 102 & 105.

Monday, May 30 - No school.

Tuesday, May 31 - Dividing Decimals by a Whole Number & Zeros in Division. HW: Workbook pgs. 107 & 108.

Wednesday, June 1 - Dividing Decimals by Decimals. HW: None

Thursday, June 2 - Estimating Decimal Quotients. HW: None.

Friday, June 3 - Last Day of Math - TBD.

Sulima's Scoop - Week of May 16

Weekly Reminders:

*Spelling pretest on Monday.

*All-School Concert at 9:00 on Monday.

*Math quiz on ratio, proportion, and percent on Tuesday.

*Fourth Grade Beginning Band Concert on Tuesday at 7:00.

*Homeroom Party on Wednesday.

*Final Jr. Achievement session on Thursday.

*Math quiz on chapter 14, lessons 1-4 on Friday.

*Science quiz on chapter 7, lesson 1 on Friday.

*Spelling test on Friday.

Plan Ahead:

*No school on Monday, May 30.

*Bowling trip on Wednesday, June 1.

*All-school picnic and Sky Dogz assembly on Monday, June 6.

*Last Day of school on Tuesday, June 7. Report cards and yearbooks will be issued.

Walk for Japan:

Don’t forget to sign up for the 2 mile Walk Day on Tuesday, May 24^th at Prairieview School. All proceeds from the event will go to the American Red Cross to help the victims of the earthquake in Japan. There will also be a raffle to help raise money for the cause, and any donations would be appreciated. (gift cards, sport items, games, services, small goodies). Anyone who would like to volunteer on May 24^th, please e-mail Mrs. Cavoto ccavot@ccsd66.org or Mrs. Sulima Ssulima@ccsd66.org to let them know.

Homeroom Happenings:

Science: We will learn about Igneous, Sedimentary, and Metamorphic rocks. The children will take an open-book/notes quiz on chapter 7, lesson 1 on Friday.

Social Studies: The students will finish a postage stamp project about the Navajo. Next week, we travel to the West. Our 50 state test (word banks with state and capital names will be provided) will be on Tuesday, May 31. Start studying NOW!

English: We will finish our lessons on Adverbs and Prepositions this week. The test will be on Thursday, May 26.

Spelling: It is a review week. The children will be given a pretest on 30 words on Monday. If they spell them all correctly, they will be done with spelling for the week. If your child misses any words, they will need to complete the workbook pages and take the test in cursive on Friday.

Reading: This week we will focus on the reading target skill of comparing and contrasting. Comparing means showing similarities. Contrasting means showing differences. By comparing and contrasting one thing with another, readers can remember more of the information.

Accelerated Math:

Monday: Finding the percent of a number. HW: WB pg. 152 & quiz tomorrow.

Tuesday: Quiz on ratio, proportion, and percent. Using percents. HW: WB pg. 153.

Wednesday: Algebraic Expressions and Equations & Properties of Equality. HW: WB pgs. 156-157.

Thursday: Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, and Division Equations. HW: WB pgs. 158-159.

Friday: Quiz on Chapter 13, lessons 1-4. Introduction to Integers & Comparing and ordering integers. HW: WB pgs. 161-162.