Math Games

Please check out the Decimal Games Link. It requires a free download of Adobe Shockwave but there are three games worth exploring: Place Value Strategy, Decimal Darts and Concentration. The Decimals Fractions Match up link can also be fun.

In addition, please check out any of the Fractions games in the Shepard Math Link. These games can provide excellent review for some fundamental skills with fractions and decimals.

Week 16

Happy Holidays to all! Thank you all for the presents and warm wishes today.

We will begin 2011 with our second trip to the Brooklyn Museum. We have two confirmed chaperones, so if anyone can volunteer for this trip, it would be greatly appreciated. Please let me know when we come back on Monday.

There will be a Math test on Unit 4. Decimal skills and metric units will be the focus of the test.
We will have First Friday on January 7. If anyone would like to volunteer a craft or presentation to the class, please send a note with your child.

The answer to the poll question "What is another name for 0.70 meters?" is 70 cm. congratulations to the children who solved this correctly.

Have a happy and restful recess. Happy New Year!

Monday Notes

With this being the final week before the Winter Recess, I'd like to wish everyone a lovely holiday season with the best hopes for a spectacular 2011!

Just some reminders for this week:
* We will have a visit to the Armory tomorrow. Please make sure your child is in secure foot gear such as sneakers. 
Whoops! Due to the switches in the Armory schedule, We will have our next Armory visit on January 18th. Sorry for the misunderstanding.

*Our Holiday celebration will be on Thursday. Your child should bring a drink for his/ herself. If you would like to send in an additional treat, it would be fine but please keep in mind that we will have pizza that afternoon.

* An short optional Homework packet will go home tomorrow. It is intended to help your child retain  current learning through the break and onto the next year. It is understood that different families have different engagements during the holidays and not everyone can get to do homework. Whatever can be done would be fine and there are many opportunities during seasonal activities to incorporate fantasy, reading, writing, metric measurements, etc. into the day, so please don't worry if your child doesn't get to it.

* In preparation for an upcoming butter churning activity in January, please keep a lidded 8-14 0z. glass jar handy.  I will let you know when we will need it in class.

Thanks again and have a festive week!

Week 15

The green progress report sheet was filled out for the boys this week. Please review it with your child.

Here are some notable events coming up next week:

* We will visit the Armory on Tuesday. Please remind your child to dress for physical activity.

* Thursday will be our last day of school before the Winter Recess. We will watch a movie, so please provide your child with an extra juice or a soft drink along with the usual snack.

* There will be an optional homework packet for the recess.

* Please make sure your child returns the permission slip for the second Brooklyn Museum trip, which will take place on January 5.

* Please purchase an additional two folders for your child. We were asked to provide one for Music class and for Word Study.

Have a warm and healthy weekend!

Brooklyn Museum

Our thanks go out to our fantastic chaperones, Ms. Catacutan, Mr. Dumais, Mrs. Gurl and Amanda's Aunt, who helped us throughout our trip. We were able to see a lot in the museum and each child received a free pass to return to the museum with his/ her family.

Monday Notes

*We began our new writing unit, Fantasy Short Stories. Each student used a sentence starter to generate a seed idea: (Character/ Hero) wants (an object, a wish) but (obstacle or problem prevents the hero from getting what the hero wants) so (quest) until (solves problem; changes). Then they live happily ever after!
For homework tonight, your child was tasked with creating two more ideas using this pattern. Have fun and don't forget the magical elements!

* This is the second week of book club meetings. Your child has already made a plan to read a specified amount of pages at home and the jot down an important thought about the reading so that they can bring it for discussion at the meetings on Tuesday and Thursday.

* There are four chaperones for the Brooklyn Museum trip this Wednesday. Each chaperone will receive a letter tomorrow with more information about the trip. If you would like to join us and hadn't signed up, please send a note with your child tomorrow.

* Two Scholastic Book orders went home today. If you are interested in purchasing books for your child, please turn in the order form along with the money by Friday.

* POLL ANSWER: Nineteen and eight hundredths is written as 19.08. Great job, voters!

Have a safe and warm week!

Week 14

We were supposed to have a Buddies meeting this Friday but due to the absence of many children, it was postponed to next Friday.
Here are some other notable events for next week:

* On Wednesday, we will be heading to Brooklyn Museum for a guided workshop on the Exploration of the New World. By looking at paintings and artifacts, we will look at the reasons why the Europeans wanted to brave the dangerous journey to the Americas.

* Spelling tests will now be given every two weeks. This upcoming week, we will still work with the words from this past week. Students are continuing their Word Hunts over this weekend.

* Next week's Buddies meeting will be the last one before the holidays.

Have a safe and warm weekend!

Book Clubs

Our fantasy book clubs began with the selection of group texts and now we get to the task of becoming more independent in our reading work.  Each group has set their own pace of reading and made a plan to read a specified number of pages each night with the goal of finishing a book in one week. Some books are much shorter so that club will be expected to read more books that one.

At home, each child has to jot a post it with an important idea from their reading. These post it are to be placed on the Book Club Schedule sheet and brought to each book club meeting. The goal is to take the ideas/ important parts and through talk, engage higher order thinking skills. To help your child, there was a Fantasy Response Menu placed in the homework folder with eight choices for what to focus on as your child reads. The bullet points give ways in which the reader can write about the book. Each child should chose one choice/ bullet point that best match their reading to focus on for their nightly post it.

Town Hall

The trip to see The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe went very well thanks to our chaperones, Mrs. Longo, Mrs. Walsh and Mr. Basse. The kids were a great audience!

Monday News

Thank you to the boys and parents who made sure their green reports were signed. I had forgotten to mention it on Friday's post but many of you were on top of that anyway!

*Tomorrow, we are going to Town Hall. We will leave the school at 9:15 and hopefully get there in time to be seated before the 10:30 show. We will return to have lunch either in the classroom or the lunchroom. The bus ride may be lengthy and if your child gets motion sickness, please supply him/her with a sour hard candy which can alleviate some nausea. While we will make every effort to kept a child comfortable we cannot give any child medication like Dramamine so please plan accordingly.

*Test folders went home today. In it you will find last weeks math test on Unit 3 and today's spelling test. You'll notice that due to the new spelling program, your child was tested on only half of the words on their word list. It is still important to study all the words since it is expected that those words will be used correctly in writing pieces.

* We began our fantasy book clubs by assigning groups and picking books with our clubs to read together. The groups met and set a goal for how many pages they will try to read tonight and wrote the page number on a post it  attached to the front cover. Some children also took home extra books to read because they did not want to exceed the group goal and get ahead in the story.
We also got a brand new reading log and it is suggested that the book club book be used for the response there.

*Finally, a belated thanks to the parents who came in and assisted with First Friday this past week! We also want to thank the families that donated books to the classroom during the Scholastic Book fair. Those books helped add to our nonfiction work and generated much excitement amongst our readers!

Week 13

We made dream catchers today to wrap up our Native American studies. Onward to Explorers of the New World!
Here's what we can look forward to during the week of December 6:

* We will be going to Town Hall this Tuesday to watch a live performance of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. What a fun way to get into the fantasy genre! Due to the unpredictability of Manhattan traffic, your child will need a lunch as we may not get back in time for school lunch.

*We will have our first spelling test under the new Words Their Way program. Your child has a work book with a list of words to study this weekend.

* We will meet with Ms. Hanson's class on Friday for our Buddies workshop!

Have a warm weekend!

Poll Answer

 If 6x-2= 28, then x = 5. Congratulations to everyone that voted !

Monday Notes

Welcome back from the long holiday weekend!

*We started our fantasy unit today with a read aloud of Jumaniji by Chris Van Allsburg. We looked at the  traits of the genre and so far we've decided that fantasy stories have:

• events that can only be explained by magic
• magical creatures and beings such as wizards and dragons
• a hero that starts with a character flaw but becomes better through the quest
• a quest or task the hero must accomplish

While this is going on in class, please note that the class will still work with nonfiction texts throughout this year in social studies. The reading log this week will also stay focused on nonfiction reading. Your child is to continue non fiction texts independently at home while we begin fantasy in class. 

* Three Scholastic Order forms were given out today. If you are interested in ordering, please send in the order form with payment by this Friday.

*Penny Harvest is coming to an end this week. Thanks to the generosity of many families, we are currently in first place (as of last week's count) with our buddy class! 

*Please note that there will be a math test tomorrow wrapping up our work with Number sentences and multiplication / division. We went over the study sheet in class and your child should review it to get a sense of what types of problems there might be tomorrow. It is also helpful to go over the multiplication table especially the 6, 7, 8, 9 and 12 times table.

Week 12

Here's the candy/ cookie turkey we made today. Each child received an instruction sheet and the materials to make a turkey. Alas, like many turkeys this time of year, they were all gobbled up.

Girls received their green report today. Please check your daughter's report and sign the report.

* Next week, we will begin our reading work within the Fantasy genre. In this unit, we will add to the narrative work we've done earlier. We will learn the archetypes of the genre and use them to help us predict how a story may go. By examining characters and their journey, we will develop ideas about themes found in the story.

*There will be a math test on Tuesday. It will feature questions on Number sentences, multplication, division and "What's My Rule" Boxes. We will review in class and have a study sheet on Monday.

* I will be out at a planning meeting for the Brooklyn Museum on Wednesday. The fourth grade has been invited back to participate in workshops with a museum educator focusing on Exploration, our new Social Studies unit. The class' substitute will have plans to review previous learning that day.

* This upcoming Friday will be a First Friday. Please send a note with your child if you would like to lead an activity. A parent presenter would be most welcomed!

*With the change in the Word Study program, the type of homework given will be different. Today, children were introduced to the Word Hunt activity, which is basically having the children look around their environment and in their reading for words that follow the spelling rules that are studying. The purpose of this activity is to encourage children to transfer their learning to many words, not just the ones on the spelling list. The class started their Word Hunt today and have until next Thursday to finish it.

Have a happy holiday weekend!

Poll Answer

A polygon that has four congruent sides is a rhombus. A square is also a shape with four congruent sides but it wasn't a choice in our poll. Congratulations to everyone who voted, since everyone got it right!:)

Monday Addendum

Thanks for your swift response to the green reports! Almost all the boys returned the report signed.

* Our words study program will be different now than it has been in the beginning of the year. We are using the Words Their Way program. This program provides instruction based on the needs of your child. In the beginning of the year, we had each child take a spelling inventory and through that, was able to sort the class into groups. Each group will study words that match a particular area in need of instruction.
Due to this, our homework will look different. We will no longer have the word sheets. Each group will have different tasks assigned to them and a workbook. Some possible homework activities might be to have a word hunt (to find words not on the spelling list that follow the same rule) or to find the meaning of the words.

* Just a reminder: we will head to the Armory tomorrow and have double gym on Wednesday. Please have your child in the appropriate clothes for physical activity on both days.

* With Thanksgiving this weekend, there will not be additional homework other than the weekly reading response. If you are anticipating that you will be extra busy this weekend, please encourage your child to start working on the response tonight by reading for an extra 15 minutes or by starting to record on the sheet if possible.

Week 11

We end week ten with our boys receiving their Green reports today. Please review and sign the report.
Here's what to expect for the upcoming week:

* We will have our second visit to the Armory this Tuesday. Please make sure your child wears the appropriate clothes and shoes for physical activity.

*We will have Buddy PE this Wednesday with our buddies from Ms. Hanson. We read books to our buddies this Friday. We have some great young reading teachers!

*Wednesday is the last day before the Thanksgiving holiday. We will have an activity around a Thanksgiving symbol and our celebration will be in the afternoon. Each child will be asked once again to bring in a drink. That plan is to make some popcorn (the Native American treat!) and watch a movie (in preparation for the upcoming fantasy unit) How to Train Your Dragon. Additional treats are not necessary but they will not be refused if you'd like to send them :)
Have a great weekend!

Amazing Chaperones!

Our thanks go out to the ladies who made our trip to the Museum a success. Mrs. Longo, Mrs. Darneilles, Mrs. Basse, Mrs. Gurl and Ms. Julia made us feel well taken care of. These ladies helped us navigate a crowded subway and museum, creating a fun learning experience. The kids had a great time exploring the museum and it wouldn't have been possible without such fabulous helpers!

Monday Updates

*Our visit from Jacqueline Woodson was memorable. Who knew she was able to recite her books word for word from memory? We want to thank the PTA for bringing Meet the Authors to our classroom.

* I was able to finish grading the spelling test but was not able to get them into the test folders in time. Sorry for the delay and the folders will head home tomorrow.

* Chaperones for the field trip will receive a letter tomorrow. There will be instructions about Wednesday's trip. Thanks go out to our voluteers!

* If you have not returned your child's report card, please do so this week.

*Thank you for signing your daughter's progress report! Every girl had her report reviewed and signed today!

*The answer to the poll questions is that 3*(2*9)= (3*2)*9 is an example of the associative property, which means that the grouping of the factors in a multiplication equation does not matter since the product will be the same.

Week Ten

Progress reports went home this Friday for our girls. Please check the back of your daughter's green homework sheet.
Here's what coming up next week:

*Author's visit!!! Jacqueline Woodson, author of books such as The Other Side and Coming Home Soon, will be in our classroom at 10:20 on Monday.

* On Wednesday, we will have our second field trip to the American Museum of Natural History. Our class will travel by train in order to give us more time at the museum. Parent chaperones will receive a letter prior to the trip detailing our travel route and what to expect.

*Our Music program will begin on Thursday. Fourth graders will learn to play the ukulele :) The instruments will not be brought home.

*We will see our Kindergarten buddies again this Friday!
Have a lovely weekend!

Parent Teacher Conferences

It was a whirlwind but we've had our first Parent Teacher Conferences. I want to thank everyone for their feedback and support throughout the past months. It is great to know we are all working together to help our children be as successful as possible.

If you still have your child's report card, please sign and return it by Friday. If you need a copy, we can provide one for you.

Thanks! Have a relaxing Veterans Day.

Grammar Links

Please note the three new links in the Useful Websites Links ELA Links. For children who might need some extra practice in spelling and homphones, you can play with the games for both topics. The Grammar Games link will bring you to a menu of games on a variety of topics. The Idiom Game is a great way to challenge some of the higher readers. Have fun!

***** Please note that the links are now listed by subjects. I hope this makes it easier to use.

Monday notes

*Report Cards were given out today. Please look it over and if there are any questions or comments, we'll discuss it during the conferences that are scheduled tomorrow. By now every child that has requested a conference has received a note with your time on it.
You'll notice that the report cards have a new look to them. It is to better reflect the work we do in the classroom as we begin to move towards the Core Curriculum being adopted nationwide.

*Our next visit to the book fair will be on Wednesday at 2:10.

*Green progress reports were given out on Friday for the boys. Please make sure you check your son's homework folder.

*Your child should be reading nonfiction books for the majority of their independent reading time. If your child finishes a book cover to cover before the forty five minutes, it would be fine to allow time to read a just right book in fiction.

*The answer to the poll question is the key is not a part of a bar graph. Good job to the kids who answered correctly! Check out the new poll question.

Week Nine

Our thanks go to the parents who came in for First Friday today. The Native American figures were started nicely and it'll fun to see the finished product on Monday.

Some noteworthy events for next week:

* Report cards will be given out on Monday.

* We will begin our writing unit on Personal Essay. The goals of this unit is to have students write well using the five paragraph essay format. Students will produce essays with an introduction, three body paragrpahs and a conclusion. Each essay is centered around a thesis (an idea about the writer) and the proofs that support the thesis.

*There will also be an Math ITA, which is a practice standardized math test, on Monday. The results will be posted on the ARIS website. Each child received a letter on Thursday with the student id and password for log in. This test does not affect your child's testing history; it is given strictly as an assessment of your child's math skills so that we can gather data on a student's math needs.

* Parent Teacher conferences will start at 1 pm on Tuesday. That means your child will be dismissed at noon. Please make sure your child is picked up from the yard then. By 12:05, your child will be brought to the office for pick up.

*School will be closed Thursday due to Veterans Day.

* The School Book fair will be opened throughout the week. Feel free to stop by before or after Parent Teacher Conferences. The class will return to the fair on Wednesday.

Have a great weekend!

November Notes

*Please check your child's test folder today. Each child received their spelling and Unit 2 math test and placed it in the folder.

*We will be at the book fair this Friday at 11:10 am instead of the 10:40 time previously given.

*School is closed this Tuesday for Election Day. The class was given homework, the major assignment being the publishing of the Realistic Fiction piece. Most kids just need to fix their spelling and paragraphs. Some kids needed to change parts of their story so that it is more in line with what would happen in real life. Please look over the story and help your child do their best.

* We have begun a new unit in reading, Nonfiction. You'll notice that the reading log has been changed to reflect this. The focus is to look at the way we read to learn. We worked on summarizing what we are reading from page to page. Children were asked to avoid saying vague statements like "this is about how they live". Instead they are encouraged to say "This section is mostly about the Iroquois being farmers and the way they farmed" which is more specific and names who or what the text is mostly about.

*We have also begun a new Math unit. Unit 3 focuses on Multiplication; Division; Number sentences and Algebra. Please make sure your child has mastery of the multiplication facts. If you can spare two minutes each day and have your child recite a set of facts (the 7 and 8 facts are most challenging) it would be very helpful.

Thanks for your time and help. Have a great Tuesday!

Week Eight

We end this week with the girls receiving their green progress reports on the back of the homework sheet. Please go over your daughter's report. All old homework from the past week should be emptied from the folder.

Please note the following events that are in store for us in the upcoming week:

*Students will not be in attendance on Tuesday due to Election Day.

*We will meet our Kindergarten Buddies when we see them for Buddies PE on Wednesday. We will also get to spend some time with them when we meet with Ms. Hanson's class on Friday afternoon.

* We will have First Friday once again. If you are interested in presenting to the class, please let me know.

* The Scholastic Book fair will begin next week. We will visit on Friday at 10:40 and again on next Wednesday (Nov. 10) at 2:10.

*The first marking period will end this week. Report cards will be distributed the next Monday.
Have a safe and happy Halloween!

The Math Poll Answer is...

The range in this set of numbers {9, 12, 6, 4, 28} is 24. Subtract the minimum from the maximum number in the set to get the range!

Useful Weblinks

There are some weblinks of note under the Useful Websites section. Please encourage your child to play with the multiplication game and to look at the two Native American sites when they have some free time.

Kindergarten Buddies

In addition to Class Meeting and Home Activities, we will begin the Buddies portion of the Caring School Community Program. Our class will be paired up with Ms. Hanson's kindergarten class and through the experience, we will explore good community behavior as we become mentors to the younger children.

Salt Dough Revisited

We have begun some of our work on our Iroquois Longhouses! The kids are enjoying learning about the different aspects of Iroquois culture.
Some students took home their salt dough because the dough has become runny or too loose to mold. To fix this, please just add some more flour until the dough can hold its own shape. This will help our budding artists greatly! Thanks!

Some Notes for Week 7

Test folders went home today with a spelling test and last week's Place Value quiz. Please review both and sign the spelling test if there are any corrections that need to be made.

* With the math test, please go over any questions that were incorrect. These questions will reappear in the upcoming math test we are having this Thursday. The numbers will be changed but the skills will be the same. We will have addition & subtraction problems; a bar graph will have to be drawn based on a chart of data, and students must recognize terms like median, mode, maximum, minimum and range. Please be on the look out for the review sheet coming home soon.

* Penny Harvest has begun! We are collecting pennies, but will also take other coins. We need some fun containers to help hold the coins and I proposed that we can use the Happy Meal containers that are part of McDonald's Halloween giveaway. Any child who brings one in will have two dollars contributed on his/her behalf to the Penny Harvest in exchange. Penny Harvest will last till Thanksgiving (so your child can still go trick or treating with the container and then turn it in for a good cause).
Thank you for your support.

Week 7

We end this week with progress reports for the boys were sent out this Friday. Please make sure you check the back of your boy's green homework sheet and sign it.

With the weather sporadically getting colder, please dress your child in layers.

Scholastic Book orders are due this Monday.

We will have our second unit Math test on Thursday. Topics on the test include graphs, addition, subtraction and place value.

Thank You!

Our trip to Prospect Park was an educational event. Our thanks go to Tori's mom and Ha eun's mom for chaperoning!

Poll Answer

The answer to last week's math question is 7. The median is the middle number after all the numbers in the set are arranged in order.

Penny Harvest

P.S. 154 will continue its participation in the Penny Harvest. We will collect pennies and donate them to a well deserving charity. Tis year, we will work with a buddy class and combine our collections. The classes with the most pennies collected will receive a pizza party.

Salt Dough and Shoe Boxes

Just a reminder that our longhouse project will get underway on Thursday! Please make sure your child has the shoe box (with the alterations on the roof), two paper bags and the salt dough in blue, red, green , yellow, white and brown.
Thank you for your help!

Our First Field Trips!

We had a great time at the Armory today. There was a little snafu with the bus and we had to walk home but we were able to enjoy the neighborhood. The children were great sports about it!

Tomorrow's trip is to Prospect Park. We will walk over to meet the Park Ranger at Wollman Rink and from there explore the trails, looking at the resources used by New York's Native American tribes.
The forecast for tomorrow is sunny but with a slight chill. Please make sure your child is dressed comfortably.

Monday Notes

Tuesday and Wednesday will be very active days for us! We have the Armory visit tomorrow and The Native American Nature Walk on Wednesday. Please make sure your child wears comfortable walking shoes. We also hope that the rain predicted for Tuesday will not last till Wednesday. If it rains lightly we will still proceed with our trips.

Test folders with our latest spelling test went home today. Please look through it and review any misspelled words with your child or commend your child for a job well done!

Our place value quiz will have 10 questions. Students will have to change numbers to expanded form to standard form and vice versa. They will also need to tell what is thousands more or less than a given number.

On a different math note, we are focusing on different strategies for adding and subtracting multi-digit numbers. We've done the column addition method, which is traditional and the partial sums method. The partial sums method invites the student to add each place value up then add the total of those parts up to get a whole sum. For example: 367+ 45 would be rewritten as 7+5=12, 60+40= 100 and 300+0= 300. Then 300+100+12 would total 412. The advantage to this method is that children would not need to carry any numbers. All students are told to pick the method that works best for them.

Week 6

We are going on trips next week!

On Tuesday, we will go to the Armory for an addition to our Physical Education program. We will take the bus over to the Prospect Park Armory. There, we will participate in a few group activities. Please make sure your child is dressed for gym.

We will also have a Place Value Quiz on Tuesday.

On Wednesday, we'll take our walk to through Prospect Park and examine the natural resources used by the Lenape Indians. As of now, we have two chaperones and would greatly appreciate more helpers.

The Longhouse project that went home with your child today is due Thursday. Hopefully, the directions are clear but if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to send a note. The goal is to build a model of an Iroquois longhouse after the children have done some basic research into how the Native Americans lived pre-colonial times.

Thanks again for your time and help. Have a great weekend!

Volunteers Needed!

We still need chaperones for the October 20th Nature Hike. If you are able, please let me know that you would join us :) Thanks!

Green HW sheets

Thank you to the parents who signed the green progress reports over the weekend. Please don't feel pressured to write in the parent's comment box. Most parents just say "Thanks" or add a compliment for their child. It is important that you sign it so that I know you child has shown this to you. Last week, the boys received their first; this Friday it's the girls' turn. Please make it a habit to sign the bottom of the HW sheet each week. If your child has missed a homework assignment, it would be noted there.

Homeside Activities

Your child has received an activity for the Homeside Activities portion of the Caring Classroom Community program. These activities are designed to include members of the home in the class community. The first one we have concerns homework. Your child is to interview you about homework after reading a poem about homework with you. This assignment has three questions and should be turned in on Friday. Thanks for your participation!

Poll Answer

The expanded form of 67,038 is 60,000 +7,000 +30 +8. This was the third choice on the poll. The second choice is mathematically correct but the 0 in the hundreds place was not necessary :)

Tuesday's Notes

Thank you for attending the curriculum conference! We know that the change in time made it difficult for some to attend this meeting so we hoped that it was informative for you. There was a packet given out during the meeting with information and strategies. If you did not get one or was unable to attend, we can send it home with your child at your request.

Test folders were sent home today with the spelling test corrected. Many children were able to complete the test flawlessly or do better this time. Congratulations!

There was a letter sent home today regarding a case of mumps in our school. We are making you aware of the situation and are asking families to check their children's immunization records for the MMR shot. If your child has been immunized, he/ she should be okay.

Thank you for your time and effort.

Upcoming Trips

Thank you for the quick response in returning the trip slips and money. We have almost everyone covered.
We have more chaperones than we can take on the Town Hall trip. We were alloted three spots for family members. Chaperones will be chosen randomly and money will be returned if we are unable to take you. Sorry if you are not chosen. We do not have any chaperones for the Prospect Park Trip on October 20th so if you'd like to come you are most welcome! Please let me know if you can volunteer for the October 20th nature hike.

Week 5

Here are some notable events for next week:
* Have a Great three day weekend! Schools are closed on Monday.

*The Fourth Grade Curriculum Conference will take place on Tuesday from 8-8:30 in the morning.

*Wednesday will be Picture Day! We are scheduled for 11:30 am.

*Please continue holding onto that shoe box. We will use it to build an Iroquois long house in the upcoming weeks. More details soon!

4th Grade Curriculum Meeting

We will have our Curriculum Meeting from 8:00 to 8:30 am in Room 303. During this meeting we will discuss the upcoming year and what to expect in terms of what your child will learn. Please join us.

Since the meeting will take place during our Extended Day Morning Session, children who have to report early that day are excused. If you child comes in during that time, they will be asked to report to the Art Room.

ELA Test Results

The 3rd ELA test Score Reports went home today. Please look for it in your child's book bag.

Third Grade Math tests

Each child has received their score report for last year's State math exam. Please check your child's Homework folder if you have not already been given it.

Tests, Grades, etc.

Just a few notes:

* Test folders have gone home today. Each child has the Math test from last Tuesday and today's spelling test in the folder. There is also the first 50 Facts Test in Multiplication. This test indicates your child's current memory of multiplication facts. Each child was given a minute to complete as many facts as possible, a score above 40 shows mastery of facts. The test will be repeated several times throughout the month. To help your child, please review a few facts a day, especially those in the six, seven and eight times table. Try the Multiplication Game link under the Useful Websites list.

* Please be aware that assignments must be turned in on time. Occasionally, if an assignment is excessively late (over 2 days),it may affect the overall grade.

* The answer to last week's math question is that a kite cannot be called a square.

* We will have another Social Studies project soon. Your child will need an average sized shoe box for this. More details will follow.

Correction to Week Four

Regarding the Writing unit for the upcoming month, it is actually Realistic Fiction instead of Personal Essay, which will take place later on in the year. Sorry for the mix up.
In Realistic Fiction, students will build on the narrative skills reviewed in the September unit and develop pieces that follow a more tradition story structure.

Week Four

So long September!
Here are some events to look out for this first full week of October:

* Behavior sheets will be completed for boys this Friday. These reports are on the back of the green sheets in the homework folders. Please continue to sign the homework sheets and check off assignments as they are done.

* We will begin new literacy units. In Reading, we will continue to read fiction with an eye towards Character Study. By examining a character's arc, we hope to create a deeper understanding of the themes in a book. The weekly reading log will reflect the shift in focus. In Writing, we will begin writing Personal Essays. The goal is to develop better paragraph writing and familiarity with the five paragraph essay structure. Children will also learn how to make thesis statements and use appropriate supporting evidence.

Have a sunny weekend! :)

1st First Friday

We had a lovely writing celebration this morning. It was great to see so many families come and support our writers. From the feedback we got on our compliments sheets, it seems like our narratives were enjoyed.
Thank you!

First Friday

Unfortunately, no one is able to come and present for our First Friday tomorrow. If you are interested in sharing a talent with the class at any time during the year please let me know.

Our plan for tomorrow is to have a Writer's share. Most students are publishing their first story for Homework tonight (many are near finished since they worked on this in class today).

Some Thanks...

Thank you's go out to the families that sent in gently used board Games for our class to play with during indoor recess. They were really appreciated these past days.

We have also turned in all our lunch forms! This helps our school get a more accurate funding for our student body.

Kudos to all!

Class Parent

Diana Plunkett has asked that each class send the name of a volunteer for class parent. The duties of a class parent include making a class directory, coordinating events with the PTA and our class, etc. If you are interested, please contact myself or Ms. Plunkett. It might also be possible for two parents to take on the task. Thank you!

Spelling Test corrections

The second spelling test was returned to the class and as part of their homework they must show it to you. For children who have words incorrect, they also have a correction sheet where they must write each misspelled word twelve times in the short boxes and use the word correctly in a sentence. The sheet is organized so that there is space for ten misspelled words to be corrected, one word in each grid. Most children have one to three words to work on so they will not need to use the whole sheet given.

Music Program

This morning, we were asked to participate in a audition as our school tries out some music programs. Tomorrow, there will be a music teacher coming to our room to see if the teacher is a good fit for our school. The class has been asked to bring in their recorders for this. Please help your child to locate this instrument. Thank you

The Math Answer is...

The shape that has only one pair of parallel sides is the trapezoid. Everyone who voted chose this correct answer! Good job!

Unit 1 Math Test

We will have our first Math test on Tuesday. Polygons, lines, addition and subtraction are amoung the topics featured. There will be a study sheet containing questions similar to the test questions sent home on Monday.

If your child has brought home the math notebook this weekend, help them review the vocabulary and attributes of the figure. You can play "I spy" (for example: I spy a shape with four right angles and congruent sides = Square) or create flash cards. You can also use the links for the Polygon Game and/or the Shepard Math games:Pop Up Math in the Useful Website list for some extra practice. A word of warning about the Polygon Game site: there are some shapes not discussed in the fourth grade yet but were covered in the third grade (ex. octagons, hexagons and pentagons) so it can be an extra challenge!

Week 3

Here are some notable events coming up the week of September 27.

* First Friday will occur at 8:50-9:25 am on October 1. This event was formerly know as Parents as Enrichment Partners. We do not have a parent volunteer who will lead this workshop as of yet so feel free to contact me if you are interested in sharing your talents with the class.

* We will begin our work in the Caring School Community program. This is the second year of a school wide initiative. The goal of the program is to create conflict resolution skills that children can implement on their own.

* The class will begin to work with rubrics in order to become better judges of their own work. The reading log rubric was introduced this week and we've discussed in class how we can best complete the assignment. One suggestion was to write a paragraph for each bullet point. Another was to use evidence from the book to support their answers. While Rubrics are not an exact science, this gives a general outline of what to expect for grades.

Score of 4 (demonstrates a thorough reading and interpretation of the story)
• Answers all bullet points with important details. Clear explanations.
• Shows thoughtful interpretation of reading.

Score of 3 (demonstrates a good recall of major events)
• Answers the bullet points. Not much detail or explanation.
• Recalls most of the story with little interpretation.

Score of 2 (demonstrates a recall of most events but not always the significant ones)
• Answers most of the bullet points.
• Retells some of the events in the story but doesn’t seem to be important to the plot.

Score of 1 (Shows confusion about reading)
• Doesn’t answer most of the bullet points.
• Doesn’t show evidence of careful reading or comprehension.

In some cases, plus or minus grade swill be given
+
• Exceptionally well written in clear sentences and paragraphs.
• Very few or no spelling mistakes.

-
• Many spelling mistakes that make reading difficult.
• Sentences are not clear. No paragraphs.
• Sloppy handwriting

Please encourage your child to put in his/her best effort.
Thank you and have a great weekend!

Tests

Your child has received his/her graded spelling test from Monday. Each child has been asked to bring it home to show their family. You might wish to go over any mispelled words with your child or to commend the good spelling work. Please return the test by Monday.
Thank you.

Reading Logs and Post its

After reviewing the reading logs from last week, it became apparent that many children needed more clarification. Some points to be mindful of:
*The summary in the back should answer all the bullet points listed. A good way to approach it is to write a paragraph for each point.

*Children can use post-its to jot down important events as they read throughout the week. This can be helpful when your child gets ready to write the summary by the end of the week. We've reviewed this strategy in class, and encouraged children to use it when they have trouble remembering all of the story.

*Please be mindful of reading pace. Children should be reading about 30-40 pages, with comprehension, in their just right book over the forty-five minute session. Any less might indicate that the book is not right for your child.

Please continue writing your initials in the log daily. Thank you!

Homework Folders

Please sign the bottom of the homework sheet after reviewing it. In instances where a child has not turned in an assignment it is noted on the page by me. Many thanks to the parents and children who have been diligently recording the assignments and checking off the work as it is completed.

On another note, it is best to remove old homework at the end of each week. Any assignments that are potentially going to be referred to again will be attached to notebooks. School notices should be removed daily. Please make it a part of your child's homework routine to show you any notices/forms from the school.

Unfortunately, we do not have enough extra copies of the Student Reference books to give each child a copy to keep at home. In an effort to address this need and with the knowledge that the Reference book can be difficult to read, the class is given math notes that are hopefully more helpful.The children have permission to take home their math notebooks to help them with their math work if needed.

Finally, I would like to thank the families who have made the effort to log in and read the blog consistently. As a "Green" school, this blog will cut down on extra paper use as well as eliminate any lost letters. With this being the beginning of the year there have been many posts, so thank you for making that extra effort!

Week Two

Our first full week of school has flown by! Week two will start will a few new routines:

*Starting Monday, the class will walk up to the room by themselves in the morning.

*Extended Day sessions will also start at 8:00 am. Children who were invited to participate in the program will be picked up from the school lunchroom.
(As of Tuesday, kids were sent up from the lunchroom. Children are now expected to walk upstairs by themselves.)

*We will have our first Spelling test. It will include the twenty words in the homophones list.

*The first reading log will be due for collection on Monday.

In addition to this, our first social studies unit will be launched with our Landform Map project. Your child was asked to give you a letter explaining the materials needed in class for this project. We read the directions for making salt dough and I demonstrated the steps. Each child was given a piece of the dough made in class so that they would know what consistency the dough should be. Everyone was captivated so this should be a fun weekend project!
Have a great weekend!

Scholastic Orders

The children were delighted to receive their first book order forms today! Please be aware that the deadline for ordering is next Friday, September 24.

Rainy Days

On rainy days, when the class has to stay in during recess, it helps to have some fun games to play with. We are looking for donations of card games or board games to create a Games box for these occasions. If you have any old card games or board games (non electronic) in useable condition that you no longer want, we will gladly take them. Thank you for your consideration!

Reading Logs, Homework Sheets and Snacks

Yesterday, we began our homework routine with the introduction of the reading log/ weekly response. Each child is responsible for keeping track of his/ her reading pace. The response on the rest of the page is intended to help the student practice writing about their reading (a key skill for test taking). Please help your child by initialing the log and reviewing their response when it is completed. The assignment will be collected on Mondays.

Homework sheets were placed in the homework folders. It is a place for your child to record the assignments for each night. If your child has missed an assignment, it will be marked on the bottom of the page. Please look over the sheet before Mondays to see how your child is keeping up with his/ her assignments and sign the bottom.

On a different note, we are trying a new routine in our class, the mid morning break. This is an opportunity for kids to refresh themselves by going to the bathroom, getting a drink or having a snack. Please keep in mind that if your child has a snack, it should be healthy. Try to avoid sugary foods or chips as these foods tend to become a distraction. For the sake of keeping our classroom clean, children were asked to bring only water to drink.

Thank you again for your help and support.

Wednesday Gym

Just a reminder: Please remind your child to wear sneakers tomorrow for gym class. Ms. Ussery will pick up the class from the yard for our first period session.

Math Games Link

For those children looking for some extra fun practice in math, please click on the Shepard Math Games Link under the Useful Websites Links section. On the top of the page, you will see a section called Basic Operations. All the games there will help you practice fast addition facts. I recommend Pop Up Math and Math Madness!

First Day

Wow! What a unusual start to our school year. I'm glad to have met the kids and families today. Thank you for your cooperation and patience as we ease into the routines of fourth grade.

Students familiarized themselves with their new classroom by going on a scavenger hunt. There was a lot of fun and questions! We spent most of today labelling and organizing the notebooks and folders. Class rules were determined by the group,with a focus on productive listening habits. Please continue to encourage and support your child as he/she gets back into the habit of listening with open eyes and ears; with a calm body. Most students have responded to occasional reminders and praise. This is a good start.

Next week, we will review these routines as we add on/ refine previous ideas. Starting Monday, homework and reading routines will become a focus. Please refer to the class newsletter that was sent home today for more details. There were also quite a few forms sent home with it. Please make sure you go through them and fill in any tear offs that are needed back in class. There should be a lunch form, a permission slip for Armory trips, two blue cards, and the dismissal tearoff in the newsletter.

Thank you so much for your attention to these matters. If you have any questions please feel free to send a note with your child and I will get in touch with you as soon as possible. This looks like a promising year! Please enjoy the long weekend and see you next Monday!

Supplies

Please bring the following supplies on these days. These portions will make it much easier to bring to our third floor classroom.
Wednesday, September 9
8 Composition Notebooks
7 sturdy two pocket folders with inside pockets
6 dozen pencils
1 Ultra Fine point Sharpie, black


Monday, September 13
4 Large Glue sticks
2 Large Erasers
2 packs of 8 Crayola Markers, Classic Colors Wide Tip
1 24 count Crayola Colored pencils
4 Post it note pads, 3x3 lined
6 boxes of Facial Tissues


Tuesday, September 14
1 5” Fiskar scissors, blunt tip
4 Rolls Bounty towels
2 hand sanitizers
1 box hand wipes
2 yellow legal pads
2 box legal sized envelopes


Wednesday, September 15
1 box Storage bags, zipper, Gallon size
1 box Storage bags, 2.5 gallons
1 box Storage bags, Quart size
$5.00 for National Geographic subscription

Art Supplies
1 Sanford Pen EX-2 Gel ink, Uni ball Medium, Black
2 Roaring Composition Notebooks, Blue, Blank (unlined) 100 sheet

Science Supplies
1 Box Crayons

Wednesday Gym

Just got the cluster schedule: our gym class is scheduled for Wednesdays. Though it is the first day of school, Ms. Ussery is planning to have the class do some physical activities. Please encourage your child to wear sneakers.

A New School Year

Hello to Class 4-303 (2010-2011 edition)! If you are reading this blog, you've received my letter and the most recent supply list. Thank you for taking the time to read this.
We are fortunate to have Ms. Gamboi return as our science teacher. The supplies list we sent out in June may have omitted supplies she had requested but the list you've just received includes science supplies as well as the supplies for the other cluster classes.
See you on Wednesday!

The final answer is...

Eight weeks and two days equals fifty eight days.

The answer is

5.5 pounds is also known as ...all of the above: 5.5 lbs,88 ounces, 1650 grams.

Onward

Hoped everyone had a good first day of the summer recess. The break in the humidity was most welcomed! It was great to have seen so many of you at dismissal yesterday to exchange best wishes. Thank you for all the gifts!

Mrs. Greller will be the teacher of class 5-306 and Ms. Fought, the teacher of 5-307. Both are smart,talented and experienced teachers and the kids are in for a great year. I'm pretty sure the teachers will be delighted, too.

Have a happy and healthy summer!

Last Day :(

Monday will be a half day. Dismissal will be at 12 noon.

Report cards will be distributed shortly before then. If your child is not attending school on Monday, please pick up the report card from the main office after 12:15. If you are unable to pick it up yourself, please send a stamped self addressed envelope to the office so that it can be mailed to your home or call ahead to authorize another person to pick it up for you. The school number is 718 768 0057.

A DVD recording of the Shakespeare play will be given to your child on Monday.

This blog will still be up throughout the summer if you would like to use the math games links.

Have a happy and healthy summer recess!

Class Gift :)

Wow! Thank you all for the extravangant class gift and the touching sentiment expressed in the card! It was a bit sad to think of the school year ending, especially having to move on from this talented and fun class. It has been a great year and I feel lucky to have had this time with this group.
Thank you for a terrific year!

If you like the Percy Jackson series...

For all you Percy Jackson fans, there is a sneak preview of the new spin off series The Lost Heroes. The first two chapters are posted on http://www.camphalfblood.com/. The Password is newhero.

The Answer is...

7.8 kilo meters is equal to 7800 meters. Well done!

This Final Week

Hard to believe but we're down to the last handful of days in the school year. Here are the some note worthy events for the following days:
Tuesday:
Final visit from Scott, the Shakespeare teacher.
Wednesday:
Library assembly
Buddies Celebration. There was a short note that went home with directions to bring in a snack that is special to your families culture.This snack will be shared with your child's buddy so a small portion is all that is necessary.
Grade level PE
Friday:
End Of the Year Celebration. Please send a treat in with your child to share with the whole class.
Monday:
Last day of school= Early dismissal. Please be aware that report cards will be given out at 12 noon. If your child will not be present that day, please come and pick up the report card at the main office or send in a stamped self addressed envelope prior to the day so the report card can be sent to you.

A Few Notes

There was only reading homework today (without the regular writing entry) due to the short day and lack of class time.

We are having a Shakespeare celebration tomorrow. The children will get to view their performance, which was beautifully shot by Mr. Carmody. Each child was asked to bring in a drink. Pizza is being served.

Today was the last day for Extended Day students. Those children will no longer have to report for school at 8 am. Everyone will now report at 8:40am for the remaining days of the week.

Thursday Events

We are having our last half day of the year. Dismissal will be at 12 noon.
There will be a couple of exciting events scheduled for the day. Here is the information that was sent via email through the PTA and the class parents:

5th Grade against Teachers KICKBALL GAME
When: Thursday, June 17, 2010
Time: 9:30 AM
Where: School Yard
The 5th graders will be playing against the teachers this Thursday morning in celebration of their final year at PS 154. All grades will attend throughout the morning to join in on the fun as spectators. Parents are welcome to come and cheer as well.
Snacks (muffins, hotdogs, chips, granola bars, drinks) will be sold as part of the festivities and PTA fundraiser. Note that each snack item will be sold for $1, if you would like your child to buy a snack.
Thank you!

Spring Harvest Tasting!
What better way to introduce our children to the source of some of their food than to have them pick it and taste it!

Join us this Thursday June 17th, after 12:00 dismissal in the school yard. We will harvest and taste food grown from our PS 154 garden! The garden committee will supervise children to harvest some of the food grown in their garden beds and will serve pesto on bread, salad, and mint tea.

Come taste what we've grown!
Thanks,
The Garden Committee

Super Show!

Wow! It seemed like just yesterday when we started this Shakespeare project and now it's come to a spectacular finish. The kids were phenomenal and we couldn't have asked for a better audience! I could not be more proud of everyone.
A project like this cannot have happened without the support of all parents and families. Thank you for your unwavering generosity and patience throughout this process.

Second to the Last Week

On Wednesday,we will have the Shakespeare performance. Please join us in the MMR at 1:30. Thursday will be a half day, plus the Staff vs. Fifth Grade Kickball Game will take place. There will be refreshments on sale so please provide your child with cash if you'd like your child to have a snack.

Your child will start bringing home workbooks, notebooks and personal supplies later in the week. While most work can be discarded, it is recommended that your child keep the workbooks if he/ she needs some light practice to keep up for next year. You might also want to keep some writing pieces for Middle School applications next year as some schools request a portfolio.

The answer is...

Three children would have to run 68.5 yards each leg if they are to complete a 205.5 yard race. Good work for those children who answered correctly!

Field Day

Field Day will take place this Friday. It is an all day event but our class will start to make our way to the park at about 9:45. Prior to that we will have a Shakespeare rehearsal then use the bathroom, etc. We will leave the park at 2:30 pm.

Please make sure your child comes prepared to spend the day outdoors. Sunscreen and bug repellent should be applied to your child, and your child should know how to reapply (how much? when?) on their own. No one has requested a school lunch so you must make sure your child has food and drinks. No glass bottles, please. A towel to sit on and a pack to carry it all in is a good idea.

Some children will want to bring their own toys. As a rule, each child is responsible for their own property and anything that is lost on field day will probably stay lost, so please don't bring anything valuable.

The school has permission to use some fields near the 10th Ave. entrance of Prospect Park. We hope to see many families there!

Shakespeare Performance

The performance will be on June 16th at 1:30 pm. We hope to see you there!

Clerical Half Day on Tuesday

Tomorrow, we'll have lunch at 11:30 and dismissal at 12 noon.

Bracelets

The school administartion is asking that children leave their rubber bracelets at home. There will be a notice about this policy coming home tomorrow. Thank you for your compliance.

A Very Full Next Week

It'll be an eventful week starting with the NYS Science Written Test on Monday. Tuesday will be a clerical 1/2 day with dismissal at 12 noon. Our first dress rehearsal will take place on Wednesday. School will be closed on Thursday due to Brooklyn Queens Day. We will come back on Friday for Field Day.

So Many Thanks

It was a great day for "Daydream", the adaptation of A Midsummers Night's Dream our Shakespeare teaching artist, Scott Lilly is performing in. If you have some free time these June weekends, check out this show. It plays on Saturdays at 11 am and Sundays at 3pm in the Imagination Playground at Prospect Park.

Thanks go out to Mrs. Carmody, Mrs. Rao Herel, Ms. DeCoteau, Mrs. Klot and Mrs. Castillo for escorting the class through the park. We hoped you enjoy our impromptu recital! We had no idea that the kids would be asked to perform but they were amazing!!!

We also would like to thank all the parents who have donated supplies and time to our Shakespeare project. There are so many families who have given generously and it is deeply appreciated. We can't wait to show you how much your support has helped the class.

June Units of Study

Literacy
We will soon perform A Midsummer Night's Dream. June 16th is the day of the performance and there will be two shows. Times will be announced once we have determined the length of the show.
Our Reading and Writing work with center on independent projects. Each child has the choice of adapting a fiction book into a graphic novel or a script.

Math
We will move onto Symmetry and determining the Volume of Geometric shapes. If time permits, we will look at ratios and rates.

Social Studies
Last month we looked at the Revolutionary War. This month we will continue this study and look at the effects of the war including the establishment of the United States.

Imagination Playground= No PAEP this Friday :(

Due to the travel time to the Imagination Playground this Friday, we will not be able to have a Parents as Enrichment Partners session. For parents who are interested in coming to the field trip we will meet in front of the school at 9:15 and walk over to the site. Please wear comfortable shoes and bring a towel to sit on. Thank you for understanding!!

And the Answer is...

The poll question asked how much would a person for groceries valued at $180 if there was a 25% discount and the answer is $135. Good work!

Parents as Enrichment Partners

We are down to our last Enrichment Partners session :( Please join us as we work on creating posters for our up coming play this Friday.

Next Week

We have Monday off due to Memorial Day.
On Tuesday, students will have a math quiz on multiplying and dividing decimals. Many of the problems will be in story form.
We are getting closer to performing our play and will have two visits from Scott, the teaching artist, along with an excursion to the Imagination Playground to watch a rehearsal of A Midsummer Night's Dream. The workshops will be on Tuesday and Wednesday and the excursion will be on Friday.
We will also visit the school garden on Tuesday to check in on the plants growing there. This is part of our school wide green initiative.
We will also have grade level PE, tentatively scheduled for Wednesday.

Poetry Night

Please note that Poetry Night is Thursday, June 3 at 6 pm. A notice went out yesterday that said it was on June 4 but that should have been changed. If your child is interested in reading a poem that night please return the tear off at the bottom of that notice.

Green Progress Report

I apologize for not writing out the progress reports today for children with names L to R. With the trip and Shakespeare, there wasn't any time, but I will have them done on Monday. Thank you for your understanding.

Next Week

The class will take the NYS Science Manipulatives test on Tuesday and Wednesday of next week. This test is a series of tasks tests your child's ability to conduct a science experiment. They will be asked to read directions, measure and record data. Each child will be tested on a rotating basis and some children will be tested on Tuesday while the rest are tested on Wednesday. This test does not factor into promotional criteria but is included in your child's testing history. The written exam is scheduled for Monday, June 7.

On Tuesday evening, there will also be a recorder concert at 5:45 pm. If your child has not sent in the tear off indicating whether s/he will be attending, please send a note in by Monday.

Wyckoff Farmhouse!

The trip to the oldest house in Brooklyn was wonderful! The children learned a lot about colonial Brooklyn and interacted with some interesting artifacts. Each child also received a free pass to return to the Farmhouse with up to six family members!
We want to thank our chaperones Mrs. Klot, Mrs. Carmody, Mrs. Spezio, Mrs. Tortorelli, Mrs. Manzano, Ms. Beirne and Ms. Decoteau for their assistance.

Percent Quiz!

We will have a quiz on our work with percentages from Unit 9 this Thursday. As usual, there will be a study sheet for review given tomorrow.

The Answer is...

Fifty percent of 40 questions would be 20 questions! Nice work!

Coming this week...

Tuesday will be the day of our last excursion to the Armory. Please make sure your child comes prepared with sneakers. Friday will be the day we finally visit Wyckoff Farmhouse. Our class is scheduled for a session of colonial toys and writing with quills :) Should be fun!

Shakespeare Costumes

Today's Parents as Enrichment Partners was fantastic! It was great seeing the turnout with so many parents, along with an aunt and a grandmother! The kids had a memorable time making the costumes.

The costumes are almost dried and some children will work further to decorate them. By next Friday, we will send some costumes to our volunteers for additional sewing.

Our talented volunteers are Mrs. Mc Clintock, Mrs. Rao- Herel, Mrs. Klot, Mrs. Chinchilla, Mrs. Tunitsky, Ms. Johnson, Mrs. Richardson, Mrs. Carmody, Mrs. Manzano, Mrs. Wojno and Mrs. Noda, who also brought in some beautiful fabrics to use. There are also many volunteers who were unable to attend the meetings but have offered to help finish the costumes. Thank you all for contributing your time, money. materials and support in this project!

On another note, we have four volunteers in the Set Dressing Committee and it would be great to have more helpers. Please let me know if you are interested as the teachers are compiling a list of volunteers.

Shakespeare Volunteers

So far we have eight parents coming in on Parents as Enrichment Partners to help the children sew togas. Four parents have volunteered to work on the committees to help support the play and one parent has offered to be an usher. Again, we are grateful for any help and look forward to sharing this experience with you!

Golden Trash Can Award

We are the proud recipients of the Golden Trash Can award! This honors the children's efforts in recycling at the classroom. Kudos to all!

Parents as Enrichment Partners

This Friday's session will be focused on creating costumes for our play. There are a few volunteers for the Enrichment session and three parents who have volunteered to join the committees outlined in the Shakespeare letter.
We appreciate any help you can offer if you can take on any of the tasks listed on the May 10th letter. Please return the tear off on that letter by May 12th. Thank you!

Field Test

Due to the changes made for next years ELA and State Math test, there will be a field test tomorrow. This wiil not count towards your child's academic standing but will serve as a way for the State to gather information to further enhance future tests.

Shakespeare Session 1

We had a great time with Scott, the teaching artist from the American Globe Theater. Today's lesson focused on the tools of an actor: body, voice and face. Children were asked to consider the way their characters might say their lines: staccato (short, choppy) or legato (smooth). For homework tonight, each child was asked to look over his/her lines and decide how s/he will say it. Please keep this in mind if you are rehearsing with your child. Encourage your child to use the two techniques and avoid "reading" the text in a flat monotone voice. Thank you!

The Answer is...

When asked who ran the most, Lia with 3/4 of a mile definitely went further than Harry with 1/3 of a mile and Josie with 4/6 of a mile. Good job to those who voted for Lia!

Happy Mother's Day

Best wishes and a wonderful weekend to all the important ladies in our lives!

Shakespeare Starts!

Monday will be our first Shakespeare session with our teaching artist Scott Lilly. We have been reading the play and most children have been cast in roles. Other children have been told to rehearse for a few available roles (some kids are so good it's hard to cast them in one role).By Monday, each child will know who they are playing.
Please make sure you have return your Shakespeare form and the $7.00 for costumes and supplies. Thank you!

Whew!

We finished with the two major tests and the class performed admirably. There is still the Science test during the week of May 24 and June 7.

May Units of Study

Literacy
We have started reading and writing Poetry during the last days of April. We will continue that work in May as well as publish a number of poems. Each child will submit their favorite poem to the school's poetry anthology.
We are also reading and learning our lines from A Midsummer Night's Dream. Hopefully by May 7th, every child will be cast in a part. It is important to remember that every one has an important part in the play despite the number of lines given and our goal is to really have fun with Shakespeare's story.
We will resume Word Study, starting with regular and irregular plurals.

Math

In class, we will continue working with fractions, decimals and percents, focusing on how these concepts are a part of our daily lives. Multiplying and dividing decimal amounts will be introduced. Finally, we will finish the month looking at properties of shapes.

Social Studies

Last month we began reading about Revolutionary New York and learning about the War for Independence. This month we will continue this study and look at key moments and people in the American Revolution outside of New York.

The Answer is ...

The area of a rectangle that is 13 ft long and 4 feet wide is 52 square feet. Great job to those children who still got the correct answer despite the fact that there was a choice of 52 feet as a distractor!

Here's a sample costume for our play! It was made from a large t shirt. The sleeves were removed and there are a few pleats at the shoulder to create the draping of a toga.

Shakespeare Starts!

The fourth grade has begun its PTA enrichment for this year. Your child has a letter for you with more information and ways you can get involved. Our class is responsible for performing an abbreviated version of the first half of A Midsummers Night's Dream. Each child has a copy of the script and we have done some work on reading the first two pages. We are in the process of auditioning and casting, so it might be helpful to go over some lines with your child if s/he requests it.

Please note that Parents as Enrichment Partners on May 14 will center around costumes for the play. It is the goal to involve every child in creating a simple toga with some basic sewing stitches. Please join us that day to assist. Very little sewing experience is required for this project. Many thanks to all!

NYS Math

Next Wednesday will be the start of the NYS math test. We will be testing over the course of three days. To help your child please take time to review the multiplication tables for 4, 6, 7 and 8. Thanks!

Buddy PE

On Thursday, we will have an extra PE session with our buddy class. Please make sure your child is dressed appropriately.

Day 3 ELA

So far so good! We are at the last day of ELA testing tomorrow and everyone has been working methodically through the testing. Anyone who has missed a day of testing will have a makeup test.
After the testing we will resume our normal routines and we will have math homework again starting tomorrow. Thanks for your support!

Monday ELA=No Homework :)

Monday's portion of the NYS ELA will contain 28 multiple choice questions to be taken during a 45 minute session. Children with special testing criteria will have extended time.

The class was quite delighted to hear that there was to be no homework other than reading log this weekend! Enjoy!

The Answer

6/18 and 7/21 are equivalent to 1/3. Good job!

ELA Test is Here!

Monday will be our first day of English Language Arts Testing. We've worked relentlessly towards improving our test taking skills and most students have shown an improvement over several practice tests.
Please make sure your child is well rested this and gets about eight hours sleep Sunday night. Some light exercise before hand can help calm any jitters. A nutritious breakfast should be eaten, with sugary foods avoided.
There has been a cold going around, so if your child is sick, please use your best judgement in deciding whether to send in your child. There is always an opportunity to make up the test later in the week.
If you have any questions please send a note. Thanks!

Armory Visit

We will visit the Armory once again with Ms. Ussery. Please make sure your child is dressed for physical activity on Tuesday. We will also have grade level PE this Wednesday :)

Earth Day

On Thursday, we will have our second annual parade around the school block in honor of Earth Day. All classes have been asked to make crafts from recyclable items. We are planning to create pompoms and chant an Earth day cheer. We would greatly appreciate any donations of old magazines to make the pompoms. Please check to make sure the magazines do not have any age inappropriate content. Thank you!

Thanks!

We had a great time visiting the grounds of Greenwood Cemetery. Our thanks to the parent chaperones Mr. Carmody, Mrs. Richardson, Mr. Beirne, Mrs. Noda, Mrs. Rodriguez, Mrs. Leon,Mrs. McGouran, Mrs. Chinchilla, Mrs. Klot and Mrs. Mc Clintock who took the long hike through the hilly site.

Greenwood Cemetery

We will tour the sites in Greenwood Cemetery tomorrow. Please have your child wear comfortable walking shoes. We have eleven chaperones coming on this trip. If you are a chaperone, please meet us at the security desk at 9:35. We will be back by 12:15 so your child will have lunch in school.

Warm Weather Wear

As the temperature rises, we need to dress more comfortably. Often this means less clothing, but please keeping in mind that your child will be in a group setting and often sitting on a rug. If your daughter is wearing a skirt, please make sure it is at least knee length or that she has tights on underneath. Tank tops need to be well fitting and should be worn with another layer (in air-conditioned rooms) that can be removed (when your child is outdoors). Shoes also need to be secure enough for your child to run and move without accident. Most sandals fit the bill but some flip flops may not. Please use your judgement and if you have any questions, please let me know. Thank you!

Unit 7 Math test

We are finishing our work with fractions and probablity this week. The unit test will be on Tuesday. We will review the test topics on Monday. If you would like to get in some extra studying with your child, please encourage him/ her to look over the mixed review sheets given for homework in the past weeks. There will also be a study sheet sent home this Monday.

PAEP

Thanks to all the parents who came by this morning during our read alouds, especially Ms. Johnson and Mrs. McClintock who fearlessly read and conducted the book talks!

Parents as Enrichment Partners

Tomorrow's PAEP will focus on read alouds. If you are joining us, please be prepared to read a historical fiction story to a small group. Thank you for your time!

Getting Ready for the Tests

We are in the final weeks leading up to the state tests. While the children have been working on improving their reading, writing and math skills, it is also important to remember that perseverance and concentration plays a role in test performance. Please continue to encourage your child to work carefully and with focus on all assignments/ homework and to keep reading for at least 45 minutes a day.

The poll answer is...

3/5 0f 25 students will be 15! Good thinking by those kids who figured it out!

April Units of Study

Literacy
We have a busy month ahead of us as we prepare for the ELA test at the end of this month. Later this month, students are expected to publish a poem in the school’s Annual Poetry Anthology.
We are preparing for the ELA test by working on reading and writing strategies that will help us navigate the test. It is important that during this time, children keep up their stamina in reading and writing. Children must be able to work thoughtfully on the test for almost an hour.
To support this work, please make sure your child keeps up their independent reading time at home.

Math
In class, we will be working with shapes again and we explore ways of finding the Area and Volume of a shape. We will also work on Capacity and Mass measurements.
We will also prepare for The New York State Math Test by reviewing past math topics. The test will take place the first week of May on the 5th, 6th and 7th.

Social Studies
The students are now studying the beginning of the American Revolution and what New York’s role was during the war.

Phys. Ed Test

Ms. Ussery will continue the Fitness Tests on Thursday Morning. Please make sure your child is dressed for exercise on Thursday.

Reminder: Wyckoff Farmhouse

Please be reminded that the trip that was scheduled for Monday is cancelled.

Thank you!

Thank you for sending your child in with the supplies needed to churn butter this Friday! The kids LOVED the activity and seemed to have an endless appetite for the bread and corn muffins sent in. Despite the short notice, there was just the perfect amount of materials. Sorry for any last minute scrambles to get heavy cream, etc. and thank you once again!

New Links

Please check out the new website links. One site supports our equivalent fraction work, the other contains many simple math games in many other topics. The Math Reference website is an interactive resource that helps explain some fraction concepts. Have fun!

Book Fair on Friday

We will have our final visit to the book fair on Friday at 1:25-1:50. If your child is still interested in purchasing books, please make sure s/he has the appropriate amount of money.

Butter Churning

Due to the cancellation of the Wyckoff trip on this upcoming Monday, we will try to do one of the activities that was scheduled for the trip. We will try our hand at churning butter. In order to do this we will need about twelve 8-16 oz glass jars with screw top lids that have been cleaned. If you have any jars you can donate please send them in with your child by Friday. Thank you!

PTC

Thank you for your patience and attention through the conferences this night! Sorry that the length of the meetings were somewhat restricted. The conversations were important and provide me with some more directions to take our students in.
As we finish up the rest of the year, it's good to keep an eye on staying consistent or improving on the current results. Thank you for your show of support!

Parent Teacher Conferences

Each child has received his/ her report card today. Please review the report card and bring it with the envelop to our conference tomorrow. Each meeting will be approximately ten minutes long so as to avoid any prolong waiting. Thank you for your cooperation.

Due to the afternoon conferences, there will be an early dismissal at 12:00 noon.

Book Fair

The Scholastic book Fair will be taking place in the multi media room next week. As a class we are scheduled to go on Monday 11:10-12:15 and Friday at 1:20-2:10. Prices for most books range from $5 to $20, though there will be vintage books for as little as $1.

Parent Teacher Conferences

If you have not returned your appointment request for Tuesday's PTCs, please do so before this Friday. As of now, there are two ten-minutes slots for the evening and four slots for the afternoon remaining. If you have returned your slip, you will recieve your time slot by Friday. Thank you for your cooperation.

Friday

We will have another Phys. Ed class with Mrs. Ussery. The children will complete their fitness gram, a series of activities that test the fitness level of individual children. Please make sure your child is dressed in sneakers and comfortable clothes.

Armory

We will make our second visit to the Armory tomorrow for physical activities designed by Ms. Ussery. Please make sure your child dresses appropriately for the weather and wears gym gym shoes.

The name of a five sided polygon is...

...a pentagon! Congratulations to the children who remembered that the prefix penta-means five.

Last Week's Poll Answer

A snowboarder who does a 1080, does three rotations. Good job!

March Grade Level PE

Grade level Pe will be cancelled for March. Instead the classes will be taken for Physical Fitness Testing by Ms. Ussery. We will also travel to the Armory on March 9th (next Tuesday).

Unit 6 Math test

The Unit Six Math Test will take place on Tuesday. The main topic on this test will be division. The class will recieve a study sheet to help review on Monday.

March Units of Study

Literacy
We will continue working on Nonfiction units in Literacy: Social Studies Content in Reading; Feature Articles for our Writing.
In Reading, we will return to some tried and true skills for reading Nonfiction including determining important ideas/facts, summarizing and putting together those facts to make larger ideas that may connect to other subjects. We will also focus on vocabulary strategies that help us read texts that are challenging to us. Nonfiction is the genre where we read to learn and we will use this as an opportunity to learn more in Social Studies.
In Writing, our work will center on Journalism, particularly Feature Articles. These are similar to the pieces in magazines. Students will research a highly focused topic such as colonial medicine and write an article with the intention of teaching a reader about the topic.

Math
We will begin work on measuring the Area, Volume and Capacity of shapes and developing mathematical formulas for the Areas of Regular Polygons. We will also look at Fractions and its relation to the topic of Probability.

Social Studies
We will continue our work our work on the New York as an English Colony and begin to examine our state’s role in the American Revolution by the end of this month.

Saturday Test Prep

Saturday Test Prep will begin this week, on the 27th at 9 am. Your child has received a reminder regarding the days for Saturday program. The note also asks that you send your child with a light snack each Saturday. Ms, Pattison, the computer teacher will be instructing the group.

I will be at a Teachers College Workshop tomorrow. The children are aware of my absence and have been instructed on what to expect tomorrow, especially with the excursion to the Armory. Have a great day!

The Answer is

The Answer to the math question from two weeks ago is $141.25! If each student pays the admission, then 25 times $5.65 equals $141.25. Good job to the children who picked the first choice!

Readathon

The third annual PS 154 Readathon is set to start when we return in Monday. Please look over the sponsor sheet/ time log your child has in his/her homework binder. The class has been instructed to keep the sheet in their binder since they are also to log in their reading time from class.
Thanks for your support!

Mid-Winter Break

A homework packet was given for the Winter Break. Please use this as an opportunity for review and to prepare for upcoming units of study. While it is practical to do some academic work during this break, please enjoy the days and all the special events that are coming. If for any reason your child is unable to complete any part of the three main assignments, just send a note to let me know. The optional math review pages are intended for anyone who would like extra practice with math topics we haven't touched on in class recently.
Have a great recess!

And the answer is...

If there was a bill of $135 split between four of your friends and you, the bill would come out to $27.00 each person. Congratulations to all the children who voted!

Snow Day Feb. 10th!

Due to the potentially large snowfall expected tomorrow, the Chancellor has decided to close schools this Wednesday. Your child has a letter explaining the procedure for tomorrow and for any other days when there is a possible school closing. Please make sure you look at it tonight! Be safe and keep warm!

February Parents as Enrichment Partners

We do not have a presenter for tomorrow's PAEP so we will most likely work in Writing clubs during the session. The children will share parts of their fantasy story with writing partners in the hopes of getting feedback that helps their writing. Please feel free to drop by!

Long Division

Please check out the Math Games link. There is a game to practice the traditional long division algorithm. Click on Division on the left side of the screen and then on Snork's Long Division game in the right hand list.

Parents as Enrichment Partners

If you are interested in presenting a workshop for this months (or any up coming months) Parents as Enrichment Partners, please let me know by sending a note in with your child. Thank You!

Poll Answer

The answer to 13.75 minus 8.9 is 4.85. We had 100% of our voters get that right! Great job!

February Units of Study

In Reader’s Workshop, we have worked on reading Fantasy with attention to the writer’s craft and story elements such as heroic characters, quest, symbolism and fantasy as a metaphor/ allegory for real life. We will continue this unit through the first week of February before moving onto Reading for Research. In this unit, students will practice simple research skills while reading nonfiction texts.

In Writer’s Workshop, we will publish our own short Fantasy pieces by the second week of the month. Afterwards, we will move on to Feature Articles. Students will be asked to write a short article about a topic we are studying in Social Studies.

In Math, we have begun to look at long division using the Partial Quotients algorithm. In addition to that, we will start the unit on fractions, probability, coordinate geometry, area and perimeter.

In Social Studies, we've concluded our unit on the Dutch of New Amsterdam and will now focus on the English takeover of New York. We will examine the influences of the British as well as the reasons we went to war to become an independent country.

Thank You!

On this especially frigid day, our thanks go out to Mr. Carmody, Mrs. Spezio, Ms. Decoteau and Mrs. Tortorelli for chaperoning our trip to the Prospect Park Zoo. We had a great time and got to see many friendly animals!

Grade Level P.E has Been Moved.

Due to a mid year change in schedules to accommodate CCD , the fourth grade level Phys. Ed class has been moved to Wednesday instead of our usual Friday slot. That means we will have two periods of gym on alternating weeks starting with next week :)

January book order

Scholastic book orders are due tomorrow if you and your child are interested in purchasing books.

Prospect Park Zoo

Tomorrow is our trip to the Prospect Park Zoo. The weather forecast indicates that it will be very cold so please dress your child warmly. We will be in a classroom at the zoo most of the time but we will also take a tour around the outdoors.
We have six chaperones coming. We will leave the school at 9:30 and arrive back by 12:15 so the class will have lunch at school.

Last Week's Poll Answer

The answer to last week's poll is all of the above.

Math Test

We have finished the work in Unit 5 in Everyday Math and the unit test will take place on Wednesday. It will contain questions on multiplication and decimals. There will be a study sheet and review session in tomorrow's math class.

Birthday Celebrations

If your child has a birthday coming up and you would like to share a treat with the class, please send a note a couple of days in advance so that we can find a time when this can take place. It is not always possible find even five minutes in our academic/ enrichment schedule to do so and often requires planning. This is a fun event to share and we want to acknowledge the occasion, Thank you for your cooperation.

First Place!

Congratulations to our entire class for finishing first in the Physical Education Aerobic Stair Challenge! This was a school wide activity for the 3rd, 4th and 5th graders. They were challenged by Ms. Ussery to run up to the top floor twice (without skipping steps) as quickly as possible. Our class finished with a time of 2 minutes and 30 seconds.

Thank You!

Thank you to Mrs. McGouran, Mrs. Carmody, Mrs. McClintock and Ms. Johnson for their help on today's trip to the Brooklyn Museum. The children got to explore a Colonial House in groups and imagine what life was like back in the early days of our city.

Looking Ahead this Week

Our second visit to the Brooklyn Museum is coming this Thursday. We have six chaperones set for the trip. Please remember that the trip will take place from 9:35-12:00. Our class will be back in time for lunch.

We will also have grade level PE this Friday.

The answer is...

In order from greatest to least, the second series of numbers (9.1; 1.9; .19; .019) is correct!

Final Call for Test Prep

Tomorrow is the deadline for test prep permission slips. If you are interested in having your child attend the Saturday program and have not yet returned the slip, please do so tomorrow. If you do not have the slip, you may write a note giving your child permission to attend. The eight sessions are Feb. 27; March 6, 13, and 20; April 10, 17 and 24; and May 1. Please indicate on your note whether your child will be picked up or if your child may walk home. Also include a phone number where you may be reached on Saturdays. Please disregard this if you have already turned in the form.

The answer is...

63,000 divided by 90 is equal to 700 :)

Saturday Test Prep

Your child received a letter yesterday with a sign up form for Saturday test prep. Please review the letter and turn in your responses at your earliest convenience. There are eight sessions starting on February 27th.

New Website

Please check out the new addition to the our Websites list. This website contains many games designed in a series to help kids with a variety of math skills such as Multiplication, Division and Fractions. Some games are more challenging than others. It is a free site and does not require any downloads. Please enjoy!

Parents as Enrichment Partners

We will have Enrichments Partners this Friday @ 8:45. There are no scheduled presenters, so if anyone is interested in leading an activity, please send a note in with your child tomorrow. Thank you!

Welcome Back!

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you've had an excellent recess. Thanks to the generosity of our families, we were able to add some exciting new books to our Fantasy book club sets.

This week, we will have Grade level Phys. Ed this Friday. Please make sure to consider the temperature and dress your child accordingly.

January Units of Study

Reading Workshop
Our class will dive into the Fantasy reading unit that was introduced right before the holidays. Fantasy stories are narratives that contain events that can only be explained by magic. In this exciting unit, students will read several fantasy books and they will build on previous reading work done in the beginning of the year to make generalizations about how fantasy books tend to go and what fantasy has to say about our real world. Students will be reading and discussing fantasy books in partnerships and in book clubs.

Writing Workshop
After finishing up essays, 4th graders will begin a new writing unit. They will study and emulate writing craft and structure in a short fantasy. This study builds upon the narrative work that students did in the fall. At the end of the unit, your child will create a fantasy story including common archetypes of the genres, such as a hero going on a quest, and magical elements.

Math Workshop
Fourth graders will work on Estimation and computations with large numbers and Multiplication and Division Algorithms. The objectives for the month include the following: to practice estimating products; to review, learn and practice various multiplication methods such as the partial-products algorithm and lattice multiplication; and to practice reading, writing and comparing large numbers.
Decimals were a challenging subject to learn and you may want your child to continue practicing comparing decimals and identifying how decimals are used in give many names in metric measurements (for example: 65 cm = 0.65m or 650 mm). Many children have played the interactive games on the website www.decimalsquares.com and have been very positive in their response.


Social Studies
This month 4th graders will continue to learn about early New Amsterdam, the Dutch, English and French influences on New York, and the interactions between Native Americans, Europeans, and Africans. Students will explore what daily life was like in colonial New York. Our second visit to the Brooklyn Museum will enhance the learning we are doing in class.