Spring Creek Cardinals
4th Grade Newsletter
MARCH 2017 EDITION
MATH Update
Math in March
After finishing off Financial Literacy, we will be starting to learn about finding area and perimeter. Soon after, the focus will move to measurement, including customary and metric units of length, volume of liquids and mass. We will not only look at different units of measurement, but the students will learn how to convert between those units. For example, how many quarts will be contained in 7 gallons of milk? Or, how many inches are found in 3 yards of ribbon. The conversion of units of time and money will also be part of our lessons. Once we have a good grasp on finding measurements, we will begin learning about geometry. Our study of geometry includes learning the difference between a parallel line and a perpendicular line. Another important area in geometry includes knowing the difference between acute angles, obtuse angles and right angles. Then the students will apply the understanding of the lines and angles to help to identify and classify various 2D shapes based on their parallel or perpendicular sides and the angles in each corner. These topics will continue on into April.
READING/WRITING Update
STAAR Writing Test is Tuesday, March 28th. Your student has been working hard in writing all year. Their essay skills are solid already. We will continue to write, revise, and edit just like we have done all year. Ask them about the "I" structure and "CAFE" for writing. The week of March 20th, Mrs. Dungan will have a writing camp, complete with a faux campfire, tent, sleeping bags, etc. I would love to have s'mores on our last day of camp, so if you are interested in providing some sort of snack that is sort of like a s'more, but does not require any roasting or cooking, send me an email.
We are reading traditional literature and biographies. With each of these genres we will explore the characteristics of each.
Homework will continue to be reading 100 minutes a week for the month of March.
Poetry Fridays are a favorite this year. Students have really begun to branch out and write insightful poems. The weekly challenge is exciting to hear what each challenger has written. If you are interested in participating in the poetry challenge, send me an email. Following is one of the recent poetry challenge participants. Read more of your students poetry at http://mrsdungansclass.weebly.com/poetry-challenge
Pink Dresses
By Charlie Farrell
Pink dresses
so curly, so twirly, so fansy too
Sometimes in life do you
ever think about blue?
I guess that is ok
I will let it fly
but only this once
and don't you dare lie.
Pink dresses
girls are obsessed
oh just give it a rest
there are many different colors to
There is red, orange, yellow, green and blue.
Oh just five me a break.
All those pink dresses make me want to
jump in the lake.
We will continue to work on grammar and word study on Fridays. March 1, students will be C.S.I. (Comma Splice Investigators). With their detectives notebook, students will examine the "crime" scene in order to detect the comma errors in sentences.
SCIENCE/SOCIAL STUDIES Update
In Social Studies:
During the next three weeks we will look at Texas during the Civil war. How the Texas frontier developed with ranching cattle and the impact railroads had on life in Texas. Students will also begin looking at the free enterprise system in Texas.
**WEEKLY QUIZZES** - encourage your student to participate in class and review the key vocabulary that is on the webpage. If you see that your student is scoring below an 80 each week on their weekly quiz, please check with me and see when they can come in for tutorials so we can make sure they are understanding what we are covering in class.
In Science,
We will finish up looking at the patterns of the moon and sun and move on to the water cycle and the weather.
As a reminder, Encourage your child to review the vocabulary on the website.
http://mann4thgradeclass.weebly.com/
.....CONTAINER GARDEN after SPRING BREAK.....
Your student can start bringing a container for them to put soil in and plant seeds.
The idea is to grow plants that each student can then take home with them in May.
Looking Ahead...
March 1 - Writing STAAR Practice
March 2- Dr. Seuss's Birthday
March 6- PTO meeting @ 6:00 p.m.
March13-17 - Spring Break
March 24- Awards Assembly
March 28- Fourth Grade Writing STAAR Test
Coming up - Mark your calendar
APRIL 19 - Field trip to Austin
Spring Creek Elementary
Website: http://sc.csisd.org/
Location: 2450 Brewster, College Station, TX
Phone: 979-694-5838
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CSISDSpringCreek
Twitter: @sc_elementary