Happy May, everyone!

With 4 weeks to go, the 4th graders press on.  They never cease to put full effort into their learning, no matter what!

Science & Math
After our States of Matter unit, we explored concepts of Forces and Motion last month. Using many hands-on investigations, we could experience and describe gravity, inertia, momentum, and friction.  Simultaneously, our unit in Math explored mass, volume and capacity.  These units really complimented each other, helping the students to understand the true intersection of math and science.

Currently, we are exploring weather and the tools, technology and vocabulary used to describe it.  Students built weather instruments and worked in pairs to create posters on the major elements of weather such as air pressure, humidity, precipitation etc. In math, we just completed Area and Perimeter and will be moving into reinforcement of multiplication facts and learning how multiplication and division help us to find Rates.

Fact fluency is crucial!  Every student needs personal practice.  Even when fact practice is not assigned, 5 minutes a will make such a difference!

Literacy Workshop
Students are reading books in trios/partners right now to improve comprehension conversations and expand vocabulary.  Using Edmodo, we are learning how, (though our network is closed) social media can help begin, continue, and extend conversations about our learning.  Students are posting discussion points from books, posting new vocabulary phrases, and helping each other to make meaning of these in an asynchronus (timeless) learning environment. Students also meet in class to either read portions as a group or to discuss comprehension from the book.  They are doing a tremendous job in this very student-directed format of reading.

Writer's Workshop and Word Study
We have continued expanding our knowledge and use of prefixes and suffixes as we add to our "Nifty Thrifty Fifty" Word Wall.  After another Word Journey assessment, we rearranged our "Word Study Teams" to reflect the new patterns we are now ready to master.  In writing, we wrapped up our focus of poetry by publishing and sharing in many ways.  We had a class poetry reading and even went to 5th grade as they invited us to a Writer's Cafe to share writing.  Currently, students have planned a choice writing piece to showcase their abilities to independently follow the writing process with 100% choice, accompanied by teacher guidance.  I cannot wait to see the finished products!

          Altered Books
            Our almost 2-year exploration of nature/art/writing with our altered books was such as journey.  Altered books, while they contain marvelous art, writing, and creativity, are all about problem solving!  Watching the students plan a vision for a page, setting out to make it happen, and having obstacles along the way was such an experience for them to problem solve.  I have seen them transfer this flexibility to other areas of learning and am so thankful that the experience was not only what I thought it would be for them, but even more.
           Even more, though, I need to thank all of YOU, parents.  In so many schools and in so many places, I would have been questioned about the amount of time spent on something like the Altered Books.  No one here ever did, (not that I expected that :) ) and it reminds me how lucky I am to teach in a community that has professional trust in me with their children.  Thank you so much for believing in me. It was a rich learning experience on so many levels for the students.

Testing....
And of course, there is the inevitable.  We take our first NECAP Science next week, and in a few weeks will take the NWEA Reading and Math.  I believe that we will see wonderful growth in the students as they  have worked hard on their individual needs in these subjects. I will also post the dates on the IMPORTANT DATES tab.

NECAP SCIENCE-next week.  Attendance and rest, attendance and rest...!
Tuesday, 5/15 from 10:30-12
Wednesday, 5/16 from 8:30-10
Friday, 5/18 from 8:30-10:30

NWEA Math-Wednesday, May 30 @ 8:30-10
NWEA Reading- Monday, June 4 @ 10:30-12