We are GOAL busters!!  As a class, we have met our magazine sale goal!  Thank you for all of your hard work and support!  Mrs. Merritt will reward the students with a movie soon.  We are still trying to win the fourth grade "Big Dog".  


We wrapped up our Book Clubs this week.  The students' comments were very positive about their Book Club book and they are eager to have Book Club again, soon!  As I told them, I would like to have Book Club after Spring Break.  Next week,  the students will be reading "Mom's Best Friend".  I will introduce some new reading skills such as determining important/unimportant information in a story and identifying figurative language.  Additional skills that will be reviewed are vocabulary, using context clues, reading a newspaper article, and making inferences.  In this week's graded papers, students brought home their Unit 4 Reading Test.  Some students are still struggling with drawing conclusions based on story clues.  Next week, I will reteach this skills and give the students additional practice with drawing conclusions.  


Math news from Mrs. Drake: We are finishing chapter 8 on fractions and decimals this week. For the next two weeks, I plan on reviewing skills and highlighting additional concepts that we have not yet covered this school year. My objective of these mini quick lessons is to give the students some exposure to concepts that may be on the Stanford Achievement Test. The homework will reflect the skills we work on that particular day. After the test, I will continue teaching, in detail, the remaining chapters of the Go Math curriculum.


Next we will be celebrating Dr. Seuss & Read Me Week!  Mrs. Merritt has designated each day as a special "dress up"  day.  While it is optional, the following information gives details about each day:


     Monday:  "Whoville Hair Day"  Students may wear wigs, have hair paint, or 
                  wear goofy hairdos.  No face paint on any day.
    
     Tuesday:  "Thing 1 & Thing 2/Red Fish, Blue Fish Day"  Students may    wear 
                   Thing wigs, Thing shirts, or all red or all blue.  No face paint.


    Wednesday:  "Wednesday Wacky Sock Day!"  Students wear crazy socks 
                        only with uniform shirts.


    Thursday:  "Reading is Cool!"  Wear sunglasses day!  Students wear uniform 
                    clothes.


    Friday:  "Black & White with Red Cat in the Hat Day!"  Students wear black 
                and white with a red accent or any combination of the 3 colors.  If
                students have Cat in the Hat outfits or hats, they may wear those,
                too!

From Mrs. Collins' Desk

The students gave a tremendous performance on Valentine's Day!  Each one delivered their lines perfectly and the soloists sang beautifully.  I am so proud of them all!  Thank you for coming and seeing the result of all their hard work and practices.  Mrs. Matherley does such a wonderful job with our students.  


Thank you for supporting the school's magazine fundraiser.  The students are earning many cool prizes and our class has won the "Big Dog"  several days!


In reading, students are finishing their Book Clubs books and writing a journal response, which are due next Wednesday.  They have thoroughly enjoyed the Book Clubs and are wanting to begin a new Book Club soon.  Next week, we will begin Unit 5 in our reading textbook.  We will be reading The Fox and Guinea Pig.  The reading skills that will be covered are sequencing of events, vocabulary, making inferences, and using context clues.
Word Wall will be assessed on Wednesday and the story quiz will be on Friday.

Science News from Mrs. Baugh:  In science, today, the students had the best time getting their hands on my mineral collection.  They found out that the mineral, graphite, is what we use in pencils as they used large pieces of it to sketch pictures, and that talc, which is the softest mineral, could easily be scratched with their fingernails and is the main ingredient in baby powder.  We studied many more minerals, and the students were fascinated by the facts.  This study is coming to a close, and the students received a study sheet today for the Chapter 5 Lessons 1-3 test which will be this Tuesday, February 21.

From the Desk of Mrs. Collins'

Students are thoroughly enjoying the books that we are reading for our Book Clubs.  It is always fun to talk about the books that we read with others who are reading the same book.  Because of the Book Clubs and play practices, I have decided not to introduce new word stems this week for Word Wall.  So next Wednesday, the students will not be assessed on Word Wall.  This will allow students to focus on their Book Clubs and prepare for the Valentine program.  Remember, the reading unit test will be next Friday, the 24th.


Earlier this week, the students were given information about the Celebrate Literacy contest.  Every fourth grader must participate and their book will be entered in the contest and graded as a Grammar project, too.  Read and follow the guidelines and the rubric carefully.  The students will be able to share their books with class.


Yesterday, we began the magazine sale which is a big fundraiser for us.  During the kick-off assembly, the students were so eager to begin selling.  

Tomorrow, the students need to wear their blue Goodpasture shirt for the field trip.  When we return, we will be eating our lunch in the classroom.  Everyone needs to bring a lunch from home that doesn't need warming in the microwave.  Also include plasticware, if needed, as we will not be going to the cafeteria at all.



Thank you to those of you who volunteered to send doughnuts and milk on Valentine's Day.  The students may bring individual cards/treats to pass out that morning while we enjoy our snack.  We look forward to seeing you at 1:00 p.m. for "Friends Forever", the fourth grade program.  After the performance and reception, you may sign your child out and take him/her with you.


  

Book Clubs Are Here!

For the next two weeks in Reading, the students will be participating in Book Clubs.  Today, we briefly discussed Book Clubs in class and the students are so eager to get started!  I have divided the students into four groups and selected a different book for each group.  In trying to find "good fit" books for each group, I considered interest, reading level, and strength in reading skills.  These groups are not permanent.  Students can move between groups throughout the year.  Each group will meet at least twice a week to discuss what they read.  Students will be assigned to read a certain number of pages and they will have a writing assignment too.  One thing to remember is the students cannot read ahead.  I know that will be difficult for some.  

I was able to meet with two groups in each class today and handout their novels.  They were so EXCITED!  I even saw a few students reading their books during dismissal.  (Needless to say, that made my day!)  I will meet with the other two groups tomorrow and give out their novels.  

In addition, we are wrapping up Unit 4 in our textbook.  The students will be tested over the unit's vocabulary next Thursday, February 9th. The vocabulary words and definitions are located in their reading section of their notebook.  Also, the students will take the reading unit test Friday, February 17th, which will test them on the skills we have learned.  While they can't study for this test, they can practice using those skills with their Book Club novel.  The skills to be tests are comparing/contrasting, drawing conclusions, fact/nonfact, steps in a process, prefixes, root words, and using graphic aids (graphs, charts, etc.).

We have been studying about weathering and erosion in science this week.  We have one more lesson in this section about "Earth's Features," before we have a test.  I know the class will be excited when I take out my collection of rocks and minerals next week when we study the lesson entitled, "Earth Materials in Tennessee."  Several have already mentioned to me that they have a special rock collection at home.

Last week in connection with the graph chapter, we took a survey in Math class about our prediction of the 46th Super Bowl winner. It was fun hearing all the many reasons why they voted for the particular team. Ask your child who their class had the highest vote for, or come see the graphs in our hallway. Go team!

On Friday, we will have a special Spirit Day. The students may wear their favorite NFL /College/GCS Football Team jersey. Wear your jeans and jersey!