Weekend News 12-7-18

Hello Fourth Grade Families,

I hope you had a nice week! On Tuesday we will welcome our long term sub Kevin Juntunen into our classroom. He is excited to get to know the class, as well as the routines and procedures at Wealthy. The kids are excited just to meet him! And to have a male teacher. Look for a note of introduction to come from Mr. Juntunen next week. Join us for our class holiday party to meet him and introduce yourself. He will be with the class until spring break.

Next week is a busy week for the fourth graders. Here are the upcoming events:

• Flea Market, Wednesday 12:30-2
• Holiday Party, Thursday 12:20-1:20
• Holiday Concert, Thursday 2:00

We took two pages of the math test today, we will complete the rest of the test on Monday. Use those study guides and chapter reviews over the weekend to prepare for the rest of the test!

This week in fourth grade:

• We learned about earthquakes and mapped the location of the most recent earthquakes using the USGS data. It is a very cool website if you have time to peruse. 
• We noticed that most earthquakes take place in the Ring of Fire.
• We learned that there are "mm" many multiples and "ff" few factors. If a given number is smaller, it cannot be a multiple. If a given number is bigger, it cannot be a factor.
• We worked on individual research project presentations. We will be presenting our knowledge to the class next week. 

Factors, Multiples, and Patterns Math Test

Hello Fourth Grade Families,

I hope you're having a great week! We are finishing our short Chapter 5 math unit on factors, multiples, and patterns. A study guide for this test is coming home today. 

This was a fun and short unit that all students are easily understanding (such a relief after long division). Because of this, we are already preparing for the assessment! Please go over the study guide tonight and the chapter review tomorrow. We will plan to begin the test on Friday morning and take time on Monday as needed. 

Thank you!

Weekend News 11-30-18

Hello Fourth Grade Families,
Next week we will be swimming on Tuesday (December 4) from 2:10-3:10 pm. If you are available to help in the locker rooms during this time, please send me an email. Thank you!

We have gone through massive amounts of paper towels this school year. I'm sure having 3 sections of (messy) science class in our room are contributing to the use. If you have an extra roll that you are willing and able to send to school with your student, it would be greatly appreciated! 

Thanks to all who have sent in items for Kids Food Basket. If you haven't yet, please do so by next Wednesday. The Wealthy Staff is eagerly looking forward to making our own contribution next week when we will volunteer at KFB.

• A through C- Quart size plastic Ziploc bags
• D through H – Fruit Strip
• K through M – Pudding Cup
• P through S- Pretzel or Cheese-It bag (1.5oz or smaller)
• T through W- .28 oz meat stick

The fourth graders are looking forward to the annual Flea Market. It will be December 12th at 12:30. Please join us to shop and support our hard-working students!

We will have our class holiday party on December 13th from 12:20-1:20. All are welcome to join the fun, thanks to all who are volunteering!
The annual Wealthy Holiday Concert will follow the party at 2 pm. Please join us for this fun afternoon!

This week in fourth grade:

• We learned about the layers of the Grand Canyon and created our own models. We included layers of earth with gravel and modeling clay. We made sediment with soil and sand. We created fossils to hide in our models.
• We began our final research project with a self-selected nonfiction topic. Ask your child which topic they picked. We will use all of the skills we've learned about researching a topic and apply them to this project.
• We began to learn about factors. Expect your fourth grader to come home with a homework page each night. 

Ways to practice division before our test!

Our Chapter 4 test on Division is coming up soon! It is very important that you are checking homework each night with your fourth grader. If your child is struggling or just needs more practice, please check out some of these links. 

Visit the Quotient Cafe for some fun practice!
https://www.nctm.org/Classroom-Resources/Illuminations/Interactives/The-Quotient-Cafe/

Tutorials for each lesson in Chapter 4
https://mr-saunders.com/math-4/

Math on the Spot videos for each lesson in Chapter 4
https://www-k6.thinkcentral.com/content/hsp/math/gomath2015/na/grk-6/mots_videos_9780544400023_/index.html

Utilize the study guide that comes home with your student today. Go through each lesson, practice the different strategies. Complete a problem or two from each lesson that your student was unable to complete in class.

Estimate with Multiples: Estimate 68÷6 (lesson 4.1) 10x6=60 11x6=66 68 is closest to 66, so 11 would be the closest estimate	Draw a quick picture to show your work: (lesson 4.2)	Basic Fact Mental Math: (lesson 4.4) 120÷4 12÷4= 3, so 120÷4= 30 1,200÷4 120÷4=30, so 1,200÷4= 300
Model with Base Ten Blocks (lesson 4.6) 1.   Model the dividend with base ten blocks 2.   Split into equal groups according to the divisor 3.   The quotient will be the amount of blocks in each group 4.   The remainder will be whatever doesn’t fit into an equal group	Divide with Repeated Subtraction: (lesson 4.7) 72÷6 72 - 6 66 -6 60 -6 54 (continue to subtract until you get to zero, count how many times you subtracted 6 for the quotient)	Partial Quotient (lesson 4.8) 125÷5 5)125 -50 75 -50 25 -25 0 10+10+5= 25 So, 125÷5= 25

Weekend News 11-15-18

Hello Fourth Grade Families,
A day early this week! I will be submitting the Scholastic Book Order tomorrow. If you'd like to place an online order our class code is HB4N7. 

Next week we will only have school on Monday and Tuesday. Students have the rest of the week off for the Thanksgiving holiday. I hope you and your family enjoy the extra time together!

We will have our class holiday party on December 13th from 12:20-1:20. We will save some time after the party to clean up and allow you to find a good seat in Pioneer Auditorium for the Holiday Concert at 2 pm. 

Kids' Food Basket update:

   

Our Student Leadership Team has organized a school-wide service learning project. Together as a school, we are creating Supper Sacks for Kids' Food Basket. These packs are passed out to area schools to ensure that every child goes home to a nutritious dinner. In addition to the Supper Sack we will assemble, a fresh fruit, vegetable and protein source are included in each bag. We are asking each child to donate one of the following items:  individual fruit cups/strips, or pouches, pudding cup, pretzel or cheese-it bag, meat sticks, or plastic bags. There will be a designated spot in our classroom to collect these items, so feel free to send them in anytime.

Our last collection day will be Wednesday,December 5. Thank you for your support!

If your last name begins with…

• A through C- Quart size plastic Ziploc bags
• D through H – Fruit Strip
• K through M – Pudding Cup
• P through S- Pretzel or Cheese-It bag (1.5oz or smaller)
• T through W- .28 oz meat stick

This week in fourth grade:

• We are close to finishing our division unit. We will take the test on Tuesday. Look for a study guide to come home tomorrow.
• We did a fun science lab where we tested the reaction different rocks have to acids. We are learning about chemical weathering and erosion.
• We presented our research on natural disasters to the class.

Have a fantastic weekend!

SG

Weekend News 11-9-18

Hello Fourth Grade Families,
Today we celebrated Veterans Day with a whole school assembly. Our Student Leadership reps and Choir members did a fantastic job representing our class, and Wealthy Elementary.

On Wednesday 11/14 the Wreaths will arrive! If you'd like to help with sorting, please meet in Pioneer from 11:45-1:00. If you'd like to help with pick up, please meet at 2:30. Sign up or just show up! 

Division help links:
Homework tutorials
Interactive Student Edition (Chapter 4, select our lesson)
4th Grade Math ebook

This week in fourth grade:

• We voted on Election Day for the Movie Night selection.
• We learned strategies for division. Please check in with your student on homework. This is a challenging topic and is not coming easily for everyone. A few moments per evening could make a huge difference in your child's confidence!
• We continued to research and gather information on natural disasters with our research teams. We will present our findings to the class next week.
• We did a cool inquiry lesson on erosion in science.

Earth Science! A message from Cereal City Science

Dear Parents,
Your child is beginning the Fourth Grade Earth Science unit developed by the Battle Creek Area Mathematics and Science Center. This unit was designed to promote science and engineering literacy and integrate reading and writing skills into high-interest science content. During the next twelve weeks, your child will be actively involved with the Processes that Shape Earth unit. This unit is geared for fourth graders and focuses on the following big ideas:

1. Obtain information through research, models, and investigations to discover how local, regional, and global patterns of rock formations reveal changes over time due to earth forces.
2. Generate and evaluate a plan to reduce the impact of natural hazards.
3. Research topographical maps to analyze how plate tectonics and large-scale interactions are evident, based on their geographical location. 
4. Investigate how living things affect the physical characteristics of their regions. 
5. Use research to understand how water, ice, wind, living organisms, and gravity break rocks, soil, and sediments into smaller particles and then more them around. 
6. Determine how the use of fossil fuels affects the shape of the land and the environment. 

In this unit the activities are geared to build on students' inherent knowledge and provide experience in which they can use and apply their knowledge in a wider range of tasks. Students will be given the opportunity to examine, measure, reflect upon, describe, and discuss how geological events change the land.

Suggestions for activities to do at home with your student:

• start a rock or fossil collection
• keep a record of earthquakes around the world on a map
• visit the library to check out books about weathering and erosion, volcanoes, glaciers, landslides, earthquakes, fossils, natural resources, and fossil fuels.
• visit a museum with a dinosaur/fossil exhibit https://www.grpm.org/dinos/

Weekend News 11-2-18

Happy Weekend!

What a week! A huge thank you goes to all who helped plan, organize, volunteer, and provide supplies for our Halloween party! It was a fun and relaxing afternoon. Our kids are lucky that so many of you were able to join us. I have uploaded pictures of the party and parade to the Wealthy 4th Grade Facebook Page.

Upcoming Events:
Nov 9- Veteran's Day assembly
Nov 21 through 23- No School, Thanksgiving Holiday
Dec 4- Swimming @ 2:10 pm

This week in fourth grade:

• We completed our Life Science unit! We will begin Earth Science next week!
• We split into research teams to collect information about natural disasters. Ask your student to tell you which topic they're researching and about their role in the group.
• We learned to match our note taking style to the specific structure of our text.
• In math we are learning all about division. The strategies we've learned so far are to use counters/draw a picture, use a multiplication/division chart, or use multiples. This is a change from the multiplication practice we've worked on the past month. Make sure to keep up with the homework each night!

Have a fantastic weekend!

SG

Weekend News 10-25-18

Hello Fourth Grade Families,

You are getting this update today because there is no school tomorrow! Enjoy the extra day this weekend! Your students worked hard this week and took two tests today. They need the extra day off to recover!

We will still be collecting wreath sales next week! Thanks to all who've sent one in! Mrs. Allen has announced that the items currently in the lost and found will be donated this weekend. If you think your child is missing something, check before the end of the day today!

Our class will swim on Tuesday October 30 from 12:20-1:20 pm. I am all set with parent volunteers. Please send a bathing suit and towel in a labeled bag. 

Thank you for meeting with me during fall conferences. I love being able to share the awesome things I get to see your children do each day. I feel fortunate to get to spend time with these amazing kids each day! 

To recap some of the things that came up during conferences with many families:

• Math homework can be a challenge, especially since we teach things differently than the way many parents learned. PLEASE utilize Mr. Saunders Math Homework Tutorials any time you need them! He has created a video example of how to do each homework sheet. You could even use this as a way for your child to check independently. 
• Mrs. Allen has posted the long term sub position for my maternity leave. She will begin to interview soon to ensure that we have the best candidate for the job. My rough estimate is that I will be out of the classroom from Winter Break until Spring Break. I look forward to popping in periodically during that time since I also have a student in the building.
• We will begin an in-class spelling program next week! This will be suited to your child's independent spelling needs.
• You are all doing an amazing job supporting your student. This is a special class and we have had so much fun learning together in the first few months of school. Keep doing all of the wonderful things you're doing!

Next week we will celebrate Halloween on the 31st with a class party and parade. The party will begin at 1:30 and end around 2:15. The parade will begin at 2:30. If the weather cooperates, join us on the outside path to see all of the adorable costumes!

Halloween Reminders:

• Bring costume to school, we will change into them around 1:15.
• Nothing gory and no violent props, please.
• You are welcome to join us for the party!

This week in fourth grade:

• We mapped the tracking path of loggerhead sea turtles to learn about their migration and behaviors.
• We will take the Life Science Unit Test on Friday November 2.
• We read challenging nonfiction and noticed text structure. We also learned strategies to figure out the meaning of unknown words.
• We completed our unit on multiplication and will begin to learn about division next week.

Have a fantastic weekend,

SG

Weekend News 10-19-18

Hello Fourth Grade Families,

Thank you to all who met with me last night at conferences. I look forward to meeting with the rest of you next week. This fourth grade class is on fire and I have so many wonderful things to share! 

Mrs. Allen has requested that all snacks on the 3-5 playground be nut free. Students have not been doing a great job cleaning up snacks on the playground and in the stairwells, and we need to ensure the safety of our students with allergies. Thank you for making this adjustment. 

Please continue to work on your Wreath Sales, the orders are due on October 25th! Remember, all money raised goes towards the Mackinac trip!

No school on October 26th! Enjoy the long weekend!

We will celebrate Halloween on the 31st with a school-wide parade and class party! The party will be in our classroom (311) from 1:30-2:15. Students will have a few minutes to change into their costumes before the party. The parade will begin at 2:30. We will do a quiet activity in the classroom at the end of the day. Look for a sign up genius to help with the party... coming soon from Gloriana Zimdar! 

Upcoming Assessments:
October 25- Math Chapter 3
October 25- Social Studies, Unit 1 (use study guide!)
October 30- Life Science Unit 1

This week in fourth grade:

• We researched invasive species that are a threat to Michigan. We worked on a presentation to teach the class about the invasive species. Students made posters, slideshows, news broadcasts, and live action skits. Look for these to come to Seesaw soon!

• We launched our nonfiction reading unit! We will be learning about text features and how they can help us read to learn! Please remind your fourth grader to do their nightly reading. They are welcome to read fiction or nonfiction!

• In math we worked hard on solving 2 digit multiplication problems using the area model, partial products, and the bow tie method. Look for a Chapter 3 study guide to come home on Monday. We will take the test on Thursday.

Weekend News 9-12-18

Happy Weekend!
I hope you all had a nice week! We have been busy getting ready to show you all of the hard work we've been up to in fourth grade. I look forward to meeting with you all during conferences on the 18th and 23rd! 

Hopefully your child has shown you the forms for our wreath sale. Orders are due October 25th! All funds raised go towards our Mackinac Island trip in June!

Congratulations to our Variety Show cast and crew members. We were so proud to see you up on stage!

There will be No School on October 26th.

This week in fourth grade:

• We finished our first Reading Workshop unit (realistic fiction) and had a celebration! Our book from this unit, The Tiger Rising featured Rob, a boy who liked to whittle as a way to reduce stress. We celebrated by whittling our own creations out of Ivory Soap to channel our inner Rob. Your student is bringing home their creation today!
• We did our second Kids Have Rights lesson about safe adults. Talk to your child about who they have selected as a safe adult.
• We took our Chapter 2 math assessment and the class ROCKED it! Woo hoo!! Thank you for all of the work you're doing at home to help support your student in math!

Have a wonderful weekend, stay warm!

SG

Whittle Pics:

Weekend News 10-5-18

Hello Fourth Grade Families,

I hope you had a nice week! We had a great field trip to Michigan Heritage Park on Tuesday. Thank you to all of the parents who took time from your day to join us. Check out the Wealthy 4th Grade Facebook Group for pictures of our fun day.

We will take our Chapter 2 math assessment next week on Thursday. Look for a study guide in today's folder. Work on this over the weekend and next week to help your child prepare!

I will submit the next Scholastic book order on October 11th. 
Class code: HB4N7 

This week in fourth grade:

• We learned about different parts of Michigan history on our field trip. This was a great preview for our big Mackinac trip at the end of the year!
• We are wrapping up our first reading unit of study. We will be practicing writing about reading next week and take the post assessment on Friday. I can't wait to share all of your child's hard work with you at conferences!
• We are continuing to learn and practice ways to multiply in math. 
• We observed our Ecocolums and learned about the role each organism plays to help the ecosystem survive. 

Weekend News 9-28-18

Hello Fourth Grade Families,
Happy Hearts of Gold day! Thank you to all who helped raise money for the Children's Advocacy Center. This is a worthy cause and your efforts are appreciated! This week in class we did our first Kids Have Rights follow up lesson. A handout from our classroom work is coming home today.

EGR Homecoming Spirit Week is next week! A list of the dress up days below...
Monday: beach day
Tuesday: pj day (we will be going on our field trip, save pj's for Wednesday)
Wednesday: crazy hair/4th grade pjs
Thursday: famous person
Friday: East pride!

On Tuesday October 2 we will take our first field trip to Heritage Park. We will leave Wealthy at 8:30 am and will return around 2 pm. The bus leaves promptly at 8:30 so please make sure your student is on time on Tuesday!!  Thank you to the parents who've said they'll meet us there. We appreciate your help. 
Please remind your fourth grader to dress for the weather! No pj's please, we will do our pj's on Wednesday along with crazy hair day. No devices on the bus but feel free to bring a book or lap activity! Please pack a lunch (and drink) from home for your child on field trip day. Thank you!

If you have not send your $25 activity fee to the office, please do this by Monday! Thank you!

Conference sign up via Skyward went out this week. Conferences will be held on October 18th and 23rd. Please let me know if you need help with scheduling.

This week in fourth grade:

In science we built our Ecocolumns! Thank you to all of the amazing parent helpers! All fourth graders are so excited about this engaging project. It has been fun to observe the Ecocolumns and see how they change. Expect your child's Ecocolumn to come home on Thursday October 4th. If your child bikes or scooters to school, they will need a ride home on Thursday in order to transport the Ecocolumn.

In math we continued to learn different strategies for multiplication.  We worked through many multi-step problems and are learning so much!  Keep practicing those basic facts at home! Keep working on the nightly homework too, you are all doing a great job with turning in math homework. A study guide for the Chapter 2 multiplication test will come home NEXT Friday. The test will be the following week. 

In reading we worked to make an interpretation about the book we're reading. We used the characters, setting, mood, feelings, recurring objects, and important events to come to an understanding about the book. We will be finishing The Tiger Rising next week. I continue to be amazed by the way these students can intensely read and think. 

 Have a great weekend! Go East!
SG

Weekend News 9-21-18

Hello Fourth Grade Families,
 Next week Wednesday at 8:30 am we will create Ecocolumns with the other 4th grade classes. Thank you to all who've signed up to help with this fun project. Volunteers- please arrive at 8 am. We should finish before 10 am. 

On Thursday the 27th we will collect all brown paper bags with funds raised for Hearts of Gold. You are welcome to send your child's money in before if you'd like. 

We will take our first field trip to Michigan Heritage Park in Muskegon on October 2nd. We will take students on the school bus but would like a few parents from each class to car pool and meet us there to help chaperone.  More information and a sign up will be coming soon.

Parent/teacher conferences will be held on October 18 and 23rd. You will receive information soon on how to sign up via Skyward. 

This week in fourth grade:

• We observed and got to know our class pet, Pete. Things we discovered: he likes arugula, he prefers kids to adults, he doesn't move very much, and he likes the heat lamp!
• We learned how to debate our opinions of a book with a partner. We looked to find text evidence about characters in the books we're reading. 
• We began multiplication using algebra. If homework is tricky use this resource: Mr. Saunders math tutorials
• We worked with a partner in science to create a Google Slideshow about animal coloring and markings. We will present these next week!

Enjoy some pictures from our visit to the library this week: