BOOS NEWS
April 18, 2016
Message from Ms. Boos
I hope each of you enjoyed your Spring Vacation. It was great to see the students on Monday morning! I'd missed them!
We have hit the ground running here in 4th grade, and it's a race to the finish! Last week, our class took the ISTEP+ part 2 Practice Test in preparation for testing this week and the next. Below is our schedule for testing which begins Tuesday, April 19:
*Tuesday, April 19 8:50-9:30am Math Section 1 @ 20 min
*Wednesday, April 20 8:50-9:50am Math Section 2 @ 50 min
*Thursday, April 21 8:50-9:50am Math Section 3 @ 48 min
*Friday, April 22 8:50-9:50am ELA (English Language Arts) Section 1 @ 40 min
*Monday, April 25 8:50-9:55am ELA Section 2 @ 53 min
*Tuesday, April 26 8:50-9:50am ELA Section 3 @ 48 min
*Wednesday, April 27 8:50-9:30am Science Section 1 @ 36 min & 9:45-10:20am Science Section 2 @ 35 min
Good attendance will be very important during testing. Students who are absent will take the tests as make-ups on the days after this schedule. Please try to avoid scheduling appointments or other activities that would take your student out of school during these times.
As you can see, our class will be starting the tests promptly at 8:50 a.m. After we finish testing, we will be taking the computer cart to a third grade class so they may begin their test IMMEDIATELY. It will be VERY important for your student to arrive to school on time so he/she will be in the classroom when we get the testing started. If your student arrives after 8:50, he/she will have to wait in the office until after the test session is completed and will have to take that particular test as a make up.
Don't forget to have your student get plenty of rest and have a hearty breakfast during this testing window. We want to help our students do their very best! Thank you for your help, and please let me know if you have any questions.
Noteworthy Dates
4/22 Father/Daughter Dance, 6-8pm
5/12-13 Camp Tecumseh
5/13 Hawk-A-Mania
5/20 May Pole Celebration
5/27 Field Day
What's Going On?
Reading: Fairy Tales & Poetry
We're focusing on identifying and analyzing theme and literary elements such as figurative language, symbolism, mood, flashback, and imagery. We're practicing our fluency within this unit as well. Controlling our tone and pace are skills we forget about sometimes!
Writing: Fractured Fairy Tales
How does changing one part of a story, such as a character, location, time period, affect a story? Through this unit, we will "play" with story elements, fracturing popular fairy tales and creating our own new, improved tales.
Science: Changes to Earth's Surface
The shape of Earth's land changes over time. Natural resources are limited and humans protect and harm the natural environment.
Better Us Skills (B.U.S): Creativity
Creativity is trying new approaches to get things done which equals innovation and invention!
Math: Units 9 & 10
4th Grade: Unit 10-Reflections & Symmetry
5th Grade/FOCUS: Unit 10-Using Data; Algebra Concepts and Skills
Health: HIV/AIDS & Illness Prevention
We will study the real facts about drugs, their effects on our bodies and our families, and how to just say no!
- Brain disorders
- Hygiene routines for illness prevention
- Relationship between disease and health choices
- Diseases associated with blood
- Immunization
- Effects of HIV on the immune system
- Setting goals
- Refusal skills
- Care of chronically ill
- Respiratory disease
- Empathy
Web/App Recommendations
This site teaches students to master skills. Search by grade level or skill.
http://everydaymath.uchicago.edu/parents/
Choose your child’s grade level (Select 5th Grade for FOCUS Math students!) to access study links, answers to select problems, games, tutorials, and much more.
http://www.relaxationexpert.co.uk/HowToHelpChildrenRelax.html
Anxious child…Here’s a great article on how you can help your child relax.
http://www.doe.in.gov/assessment/istep-grades-3-8
What does ISTEP look like? Find Item Samplers here.