FOURTH GRADE NEWS
MAY 19th, 2016
What's Up in 4th Grade!
We will continue MAP Testing in our homeroom classes through the 26th of May. We are finishing up with Reading and Language Usage this week. Please let your homeroom teacher know if your child is going to be absent, or you are planning a trip.
End of Year details for library books: All books are due by Friday, May 20th.
Please encourage your children to bring their own device to school. We will need them during Language Arts during the next few weeks for our Project Based Learning and Social Studies for the Texas Presidents project.
Thank you so very much to those who have donated items for the parachute project.
Please scroll down to find a flyer for the seventeenth annual basketball clinic for boys and girls entering 1st–9th grades in the fall of 2016. Clinics are designed to include competitive drills, various competitions for prizes, and plenty of scrimmaging. The Plano West basketball staff is focused on building a strong foundation for future development of all athletes. Teams are welcome, but players must sign up individually. Fun! Fun! Fun!
Make sure that your child is reading 20 minutes every night and recording it in their planner. A parent signature is also required to ensure this process.
Language Arts
"How Ben Franklin Stole The Lightning" is our main selection for next week. This biography explores literary language or devices, as well as how the author presents major events to determine author's perspective. One literary device that is used is idioms, or expressions that are not intended to be taken literally.
Students are also working on their Creative Problem Solving where they create a plan to solve a problem. They determine the best sequence of action and write a detailed, step-by-step plan for their oral presentation.
The spelling pattern for next week focuses on prefixes and suffixes.
Math
Next week, students will continue with our Step Up to Grade 5 Lessons. These lessons will preview important content and help prepare our students for the next grade level. Students will learn how to divide a whole number by a fraction by multiplying by the reciprocal. Then, students will evaluate the meaning of word phrases and translate them into algebraic expressions and will use the formula for the area of a rectangle to find the area of a composite figure.
MATH MAP testing begins on Tuesday, May 24th.
Science and Social Studies
Our students are learning about the importance of developing leadership traits. While researching and learning about a President of the United States who lived in Texas, our students will be making connections between their presidency and the leadership skills they exhibited.
Science MAP Testing Begins May 24th
From the Teachers
- Reading Logs: 4th grade participates in our Skaggs reading program, The Skaggs Scribe. We require that every student read at least 20 minutes per night and record their time in their planner. Please sign your child's agenda every Friday and students will enter their time on a Google Form where they could win prizes. They may enter this information at school or at home. This is the website students will use to record their minutes: http://tinyurl.com/SkaggsReadingLog
- We would like to encourage your child to bring their electronic devices. Electronic devices are being used in all subject areas every day, along with music and art.
- Be a star for our students and write a check to our PTA. See the information below regarding the Skaggs PTA Check Writing Campaign.
- A fourth grade website just for parents! You will find links, important information, and much more. https://sites.google.com/a/pisd.edu/fabulous-fourth-grade-friends/
Important Dates
5/17- End of Year MAP Test begins
5/20- Library books due