Manning's Message

Welcome Back!

I hope that everyone had a fun and relaxing February break!  We are getting back into the swing of school, and I am looking forward to a solid eight weeks of learning and growing!  This week we will review our expectations for behavior and learning, and I hope to move quickly back to where we were before vacation.  The students are developing their skills and many are able to take on more independent activities.  Students are completing many learning tasks using the iPads and they are learning to manage their assignments and time.  In the upcoming weeks ask your student to see what they are working on using the iPad.  We will continue to develop responsible independent learning practices as our year progresses.

Donations
Thank you to everyone who sent in donations of tissues, soft soap, and wipes! We are all set for a good while.

MCAS

Dates for our class MCAS testing will be:

ELA  - Grade 4 – April 8 & 9

Math - Grade 4 - May 13 & 14 

Language Arts

During reading, we are  focusing on the text structure of compare and contrast. Students are reading a variety of texts based on this structure and are learning how to take notes while reading this type of text in order to write a summary.  Later this week, they will be writing summaries of compare and contrast texts.

During writing,  we are learning to use our narrative writing skills to write text-based narrative essays. This type of essay is written in response to a prompt based on a narrative text.  Students wrote one narrative response before vacation and you can view this response entitled “Wacky Shoes” in their Google Drive.  This week the students have read a text entitled “Enemy Pie” and will be learning how to write a narrative from a different character’s point of view. 

Math

We are beginning Chapter Eight, Adding and Subtracting Decimals where the students will learn that the algorithms for adding and subtracting decimals are the same as for whole numbers.  The students will learn to take care to line-up the decimals points correctly so all the digits are in their proper places.  We will also focus on drawing bar models for two-step real-world problems involving decimals. 

Chapter Seven test came home the Friday before vacation.  Please review the test with your student, sign and return the test and “Glow and Grow.”  You may keep the Ban document for your records.

Social Studies

We are beginning our study of the rights of citizens of our country.  Students will be making a “Rights of Citizens” pyramid and will be researching the the Bill of Rights.  

Manning's Message

February Fitness Challenge

As you have heard from the PTO we need to raise money to make repairs on our playground.  Starting today and for the next two weeks all Floral classes will be participating in the classroom fitness challenge.  Each day, we will be choosing a fitness activity to complete.  The PTO is asking you to pledge support to our classroom. All funds raised will go directly for the playground repairs.  Yellow pledge sheets went home today.  I will be posting pictures and/or videos of our class fitness routine on Seesaw each day.

Language Arts

Students continue to focus on the non-fiction text structures of compare and contrast, cause and effect, problem solution, sequence, and description.  They have learned how to identify the structures by paying attention to key words and to use specific organizers for each type to take notes when reading.  

Students have also been reading two articles “Annie Smith Peck” and “America’s Best Girl” and have discussed the main characters’ traits and the themes of each selection.  In the coming week, we will be using the two selections to write a detailed text-based response.

Students are writing a narrative essay based on a text entitled “Wacky Shoes” about a pair of shoes that take over their owner’s ability to control where they are going.  I am looking forward to reading how the students take this fun story and make it their own.  We are also practicing composing and typing in their Google Drive on the iPads when writing this piece.  

Math

We continue to work on Chapter Seven, Decimals. The past week, we have learned to identify and read tenths and hundredths.  They have also learned the connection between fractions and decimals.  This week students will learn to compare and round decimals in tenths and hundredths.

Social Studies

We continue to learn about the southern region of our country.  They are learning about the physical features, climate, and natural resources and people of the south.   We also continue our study of immigration.  We are learning about the different peoples who came to the United States.  Last week, we had an in-class field trip.  The Lowell National Historic Museum visited our classrooms to give an interactive presentation on the Immigration Experience.  

Science

Last week, students used their knowledge from previous investigations to build their own chain reaction machine.  They needed to use the science practices of asking questions and predicting outcomes about the changes in energy when object collide, and explain how energy can be transferred from one object to another, and demonstrate how energy can be transferred from one object to another.  Check out their video or pictures on Seesaw to see/hear their explanations of their machine.