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.