4th Grade Super Sailor Newsletter
Week 19: January 18-22, 2016
Monday is a school holiday for Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Math
We will continue working on our unit on fractions. Students will learn how to find equivalent fractions and how to put fractions in simplest form by using division. On Friday, we will continue our 4th grade STAAR WARS test prep with the class. Students will complete various review stations and take a quiz testing their knowledge on a topic learned previously during the year.
Science
We will finish up our unit on soil by reviewing on Tuesday when we return to school. Students will need to review their vocabulary for this subject before their final assessment on Wednesday. We will then begin discussing changes to the earth’s surface by discussing weathering and erosion. Students will create a flow map illustrating the process and will then write an expository paragraph comparing the two processes. For students involved in Invention Convention, Steps 2 and 3 will be checked in their journal on Friday, January 22nd.
Invention Convention 2016
Invention Convention is designed to promote your child's problem-solving and creative-thinking skills. Your child will be following a step-by-step process to invent a new product or develop a new method for doing something.
The first step in the actual invention process will be finding an idea for an invention. Your child will be encouraged to find a problem that needs to be solved and then invent something to solve that problem. Please keep in mind that simple inventions are often the best!
Once your child has settled on an idea, they should research it to make sure that the idea has not been used before. This can be done by going to www.uspto.gov/kids, or http://patft.uspto.gov/. You can then use keywords to search the Patent Office database.
Reading
Writing
This is a flyer for a Writing Camp in February for 4th and 7th graders. The teachers are fabulous and their focus is Expository.
Social Studies
In social studies we are going to be discussing the Civil War and the role Texas played. Our focus will be more on the economics of Texas during this time, how Texas seceded from the union,. We will explain that the few battles were fought in Texas but they were a major source of revenue for the south due to shipping of cotton through our ports.
STAAR test dates:
March 29: Writing
May 9: Math
May 10: Reading
TRANSPORTATION/DISMISSAL CHANGES
Dear Parents and Guardians,
At Austin Parkway Elementary we strive to provide the best experience possible for our students and their families. We are constantly looking for ways to streamline processes within our building. One of the processes that we are currently working on is that of early dismissal. The policy regarding early dismissal and checkout can be found in the Austin Parkway Elementary Student-Parent Handbook, on our website. Please see below for the excerpt.
In the case of an unforeseen event that causes a change in the way your child goes home please follow these steps.
- Send an email to Ms. Miller before 2:15 p.m., iris.miller@fortbendisd.com
- State in the email:
- Student’s name
- Teacher’s name
- Your name and relationship to student
- Your phone number for verification purposes
- Time of pickup (no dismissals after 2:45 p.m.)
- Reason for last minute change
4th Grade Teachers
Stacey Fessler - Stacey.Fessler@fortbendisd.com
Laurie Grove - Laurie.Grove@fortbendisd.com
Janet Jelinek - Janet.Jelinek@fortbendisd.com
Wakika Newton - Wakika.Newton@fortbendisd.com
Meredith Noe - Meredith.Noe@fortbendisd.com
Holly Rohring - Holly.Rohring@fortbendisd.com
Emily Sanchez - Emily.Sanchez@fortbendisd.com