4th Grade News
Mrs. Crain's Class
Spring Break is Almost Here!
Assessment Time!
Next week we will take the Guilford County post - assessments for reading and math. We took the pre - assessments in September. The results will be used to see how much growth students have made since September, and to pinpoint areas of weakness. These assessments are a "dress rehearsal" for the EOGs, so all official testing procedures will be observed. Although lunch will take place at the regular time Monday - Wednesday, there will be no specials until Wednesday for fourth grade.
Please make sure your child is on time these two days; students who arrive after testing may not be admitted to class and mayhave to make up the test after spring break (resulting in lost instructional time).
Monday, March 21: Reading benchmark
Tuesday, March 22: Math benchmark
It is important to note that although not all objectives have been taught, all objectives will be assessed.
Exciting Events This Week!
- Monday 3/21: Book Fair open for families, musical performances at 6:00 and 7:00
- Wednesday 3/23: Book Fair for fourth grade classes
- Wednesday 3/23: Fun Wednesday!
- Thursday 3/24: Field Day
Fun Wednesday!
For reading, we are looking for students who:
- stay focused and work consistently (no daydreaming)
- use close reading strategies
- mark key words in the questions/answers and "Order Up!"
- show text evidence
- provide PROOF of correct answers
In math, we are looking for students who:
- stay focused and work consistently (no daydreaming)
- use CUBES for every problem
- draw models
- show work for every problem (even when using a calculator)
Students who need extra practice on these strategies will be invited to an intense remediation session instead of attending Fun Wednesday.
Field Day is Coming!
Please dress appropriately for outdoor activities - APPROPRIATE FOOTWEAR (TENNIS SHOES) MUST BE WORN. No students will be allowed to participate while wearing sandals, flip flops, or boots.
If you would like to volunteer at Field Day, please contact Mrs. Berg - bergk2@gcsnc.com
Click on the title above to read the entire article.
American children must be ready to learn from the first day of school. And of course, preparing children for school is a historic responsibility of parents.
Test. It's a loaded word. Important...something to care about...something that can mean so much we get apprehensive thinking about it. Tests are important, especially to school children. A test may measure a basic skill. It can affect a year's grade. Or, if it measures the ability to learn, it can affect a child's placement in school. So it's important to do well on tests.
Besides, the ability to do well on tests can help throughout life in such things as getting a driver's license, trying out for sports, or getting a job. Without this ability, a person can be severely handicapped.
Your child can develop this ability. And you can help the child do it. Just try the simple techniques developed through Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI) research.
3. Avoid Test Anxiety
It's good to be concerned about taking a test. It's not good to get "test anxiety." This is excessive worry about doing well on a test and it can mean disaster for a student.
Students who suffer from test anxiety tend to worry about success in school, especially doing well on tests. They worry about the future, and are extremely self-critical. Instead of feeling challenged by the prospect of success, they become afraid of failure. This makes them anxious about tests and their own abilities. Ultimately, they become so worked up that they feel incompetent about the subject matter or the test.
It does not help to tell the child to relax, to think about something else, or stop worrying. But there are ways to reduce test anxiety. Encourage your child to do these things:
- Space studying over days or weeks. (Real learning occurs through studying that takes place over a period of time.) Understand the information and relate it to what is already known. Review it more than once. (By doing this, the student should feel prepared at exam time.)
- Don't "cram" the night before--cramming increases anxiety which interferes with clear thinking. Get a good night's sleep. Rest, exercise, and eating well are as important to test-taking as they are to other schoolwork.
- Read the directions carefully when the teacher hands out the test. If you don't understand them, ask the teacher to explain.
- Look quickly at the entire examination to see what types of questions are included (multiple choice, matching, true/ false, essay) and, if possible, the number of points for each. This will help you pace yourself.
- If you don't know the answer to a question, skip it and go on. Don't waste time worrying about it. Mark it so you can identify it as unanswered. If you have time at the end of the exam, return to the unanswered question(s).
From: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION OFFICE OF EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH AND IMPROVEMENT
"Keep calm and get ready for spring break."