From Mrs. Collins' Desk:

It's difficult to believe that we have only a week of school left!  Next Thursday, we will have our year end party.  Students are able to wear Goodpasture spirit shirts on that day.  Each student should also wear socks, since we will be skating.  Don't forget to pack a sack lunch that day, too!  On Friday, the last day of school, we are asking the students wear their field day shirts.  Many of the students wanted to have their friends "sign" their shirts, so we will do that on the last day.


Reading News:  This week, the students and I celebrated because we have finished reading the last story in our reading textbook. Tomorrow, students will take the last test covering the vocabulary used in this unit.  

I would like to have all my classroom library books turned in tomorrow.  Please look around your cars and home for any of my books.  Most of the books have my name written on the book's top edge.  

Next week, students will be giving their Book Talks.  I am very proud of the progress the students have made this year.  I hope each student has developed a passion to read more.  One way you can encourage that desire is by utilizing the public libraries and book stores. Throughout the summer, I would love for each student to KEEP READING!

A note from Mrs. Drake:  In the few days that are left in fourth grade, we will be working on area and perimeter.  We were able to cover all, but two of the chapters. The students have made tremendous strides with the new curriculum of Go Math.  I am so proud of the way they have used skills they know to be able to figure out the unknown. They are better problem solvers because of this program. I am so proud of their strong effort. This summer, I strongly recommend that you continue working on all math facts. Addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division facts should be committed to their memory for rapid recall. Thank you for all the help you gave to your child and to me with this new program.

From Mrs. Collins' Desk

Yesterday, the students had a special treat.  Woody & Jim from Y107.5, The River came and read Jumanji to us.  Everyone enjoyed the book!  Both, Woody & Jim impressed upon the students the importance of reading.  They gave many examples of how much they must read for their jobs, being radio personalities.  Woody & Jim were kind enough to answer many of the students' questions.  They even mentioned Goodpasture on their show this morning and sent a picture (via email) of the thank you card signed by all students displayed in their studio.

Earlier this week, I sent home a calendar with the dates of tests, quizzes, and scheduled Book Talks.  As you can see, the last two weeks of Reading will be busy.  Next week, we will be reading the short, Time for Kids magazine article titled, "Saving the Everglades".  The skills, which will be reviewed, are cause & effect, vocabulary, context clues, compare/contrast, and antonyms/synonyms.  The story quiz is scheduled for Wednesday (9th), as is Word Wall.  On Thursday (10th), the students will be given the unit test.  Skills assessed on this unit test are cause/effect, judgments/decisions, problem/solution, compare/contrast, context clues, and synonyms/antonyms.  On Friday (11th), the students will be tested on the reading vocabulary words.  Friday will be the last day to earn SR points for rewards.  Also, I would like to have all classroom library books turned in by Friday, too.  Students' Book Talks are scheduled for the last days of class, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday (May 14-16).  

Finally, the last Scholastic book orders (May & June) were sent home today. This is a great way to stock up on books to read during summer. Those orders are due Wednesday, May 9th.  This will allow the books to arrive prior to the last day of school.  

Social Science News from Mrs. Baugh:  It is time to send back to school all science CD's.  Please send them back by Thursday, May 10th.  When your child brings it back, I will check his name off my list.  If lost, there is a replacement fee.  Thank you for your help in getting these turned back in.

Thank You!

Thank you for making Teacher Appreciation Day, so very special today!  The teachers were treated to a wonderful breakfast of waffles and fresh fruit this morning.  We enjoyed a delicious lunch while parents monitored our classes.  The day ended with a plate of delicious, sweet goodies and adorable GCS Cougar flip-flops.  Thank you so very much for not only today, but for making this year such great school year!


Students were given their invitation to the Celebrate Literacy reception which will be held on May 3rd at 5:30 pm.  Goodpasture is pleased to host the event this year.  I hope you are making plans to attend.

Social Studies News from Mrs. Baugh:  The Tennessee reports and posters have been amazing.  We finished up today, and we all learned so much about our great state.  Now that the students have shared their projects, they will be displayed in the hallways.  Come by soon and check out the finished product.  A matching test over this material will be Friday.

From Mrs. Collins' Desk....

Today, students who earned the Games to U and the Kona Ice treat from the magazine sale received those rewards!  All who participated in the rewards had a great time.


Next week is a busy week.  Tuesday will be a half day for students.  On Wednesday, we will be taking the Downtown Walking Tour around the State Capitol and having lunch at the Spaghetti Factory.  If you have volunteered to drive, please be at school by 8:20 to receive important information.  We will be leaving school at 8:30.  This is such a fun learning experience!  My fingers are crossed for fabulous weather.

Mrs. Parrish has selected May 4th for the fourth grade Field Day.  This is another fun-filled day to look forward to.


Reading News:  This week (week #23) students were given 5 new stems for Word Wall.  They will be assessed on week #22 and #23 on Thursday, April 19th.  Also, students in the Black, White, and Yellow Book Clubs will be finishing their book and have a journal due on Thursday, too.  The students in the Orange Book Club will be reading pages 126 through 167, and they will finish their book the following week.  Next week, we will be reading the story, The Malachite Palace.  We will be reviewing the skills of identifying the problem and solution, using context clues, selecting the cause and effect, and antonyms/synonyms.  Lastly, be looking for a Scholastic Book order to be coming home soon.  



Math News From Mrs. Drake: The students did a wonderful job with the decimal chapter in math. I was excited to see so many high test scores! Our next chapter will cover adding and subtracting fractions.  This chapter should seem familiar to them because of all the fraction practice they have had this year. Chapter 10 test will be the week of the 23rd.


Social Science News From Mrs. Baugh:  Hopefully, all students have had an opportunity to take their Tennessee trip and have either completed their poster or are finishing it up.  The posters and reports are due Monday, April 23rd.  After orally presenting the reports in class, the posters will be displayed in the halls for all to enjoy.  After Friday's social studies test, we will be spending the next few weeks studying about Tennessee.  I look forward to teaching about the history of our great state.  In science, we will be concentrating our study on the subject of "Light" as we begin lesson 4 of chapter 6 on Monday.  As you can see, we are busy, busy, busy.

From the Desk of Mrs. Collins'....

This week, the students have finished Unit 5 in the reading series.  Next week, we will begin the last unit by reading Teammates, a story about the friendship between Jackie Robinson and Pee Wee Reese.  We will be reviewing the skills of cause/effect, context clues, and judgments/decisions. Also, the students are currently enjoying Book Clubs.  Their next Book Club assignment is due on Wednesday, April 11th.  Due to the changes is our schedule this week, there will not be any new Word Wall stems introduced this week.  Therefore, students will not have a Word Wall assessment next Wednesday.


Next Tuesday, students will be taking their class pictures.  Be sure to send in the note if you want a copy of that picture.  Also, the Walking Tour field trip note went home this week.  I would love to have you join us for this educational trip, plus we have lots of fun, too!  Get that note back to school by Friday, April 13th.


I hope you and your family enjoy the long weekend and Easter Sunday.

From the Desk of Mrs. Collins'....

Re-enrollment has begun for currently enrolled students for the next school year.  You should have received the information in the mail.  You can save $50 if you turn in the forms by March 10th. 


Social Science News from Mrs. Baugh:  The "Tourin Tennessee" posters are due April 17th. If your child has not visited his historical site, you and your child need to plan on doing this in the near future. (Spring break is a great time to go.)  If any of you need another information sheet for this project, let your child know, and he can pick one up in class.


In science we are finishing up a short study of the water cycle and climate, and on Friday we will have an open book quiz on this information.  Next week in social science I plan on reviewing skills and highlighting additional lessons that we have not yet covered this school year. My objective is to give the students some exposure to concepts that may be on the Stanford Achievement Test. 

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!

From the Mrs. Collins' Desk

We have been busily reviewing for the chapter six social studies test which was today.  All students have a study sheet, and with a little extra effort, all students will do well.  Today, a new science chapter, entitled "Earth's Features and Its Materials," was introduced with an experiment on how running water shapes the land.  Ask your child to explain what happened in this experiment and what was learned.  Here's a little trivia for you.  Did you know that the Mississippi River is the 2nd longest river in the United States?  Do you know which is the longest?


In math, a new chapter began this week. The 8th chapter is on fractions and decimals. The students will be learning about equivalent fractions, tenths and hundredths as decimals, and renaming fractions as decimals. Have you gone to the GO MATH website lately? It is called "Think Central". Please don't forget this valuable tool. The Mega Math games and iTools can help to reinforce the skills being taught. Please continue to look over nightly homework and encourage your child in their efforts. They are doing great! 

From the Desk of Mrs. Collins'

Today was the talent show and we were so proud of Corynne and Marlee.  They did a tremendous job playing "Rocky Top" on their violins and clogging too!  Way to go girls!

There are two upcoming events in February that I wanted to make you aware of so that you can mark your calendar.  On February 10th, the fourth grade will be attending a performance at the Opry House that is entitled "The Freedom Train."  We will be traveling by car, and each class can have up to six adults (who will also be our drivers) to go with us.  Also, on February 14th, the fourth grade will be presenting a program at 1:00 p.m, our Valentine's Day program titled "Friends".  The students are busy practicing for our program. I hope you and other special loved ones will plan on joining us.  Mrs. Matherly always does a wonderful job with these musical productions.  More information will be coming home about both events in the near future.


The fourth grade hallways are full of colorful artwork and wonderful writings completed by our students.  If you have an opportunity, come and look at your child's work.  It's impressive!

Happy New Year and Welcome Back!

Students have chosen their Book Talk books and are eagerly reading them.  They were given about 30 minutes in class today to read and will be given time tomorrow to read, as well.  Earlier this week, the Book Talk calendar was given to students to show when each student would give their Book Talk.  They are scheduled for the end of January and beginning of February.  The students did such a great job last time that I am looking forward to hearing their talks!  Next week, the students will be assessed on Word Wall on Wednesday.   Students will be learning about fact/nonfact, comparing/contrasting, and identifying root words. Also, we will be reading Gluskabe and the Snow Bird and the story quiz will be on Friday.  

Social Studies/Science News from Mrs. Baugh:  Today, in social studies, we devoted the entire class period to honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.  Dr. King made such a powerful impact on American history, and I want fourth graders to be aware of the contribution that Dr. King made.  We watched a short film clip of one of his speeches, read a biography of Dr. King, did some role playing and creative writing, and also discussed how fourth graders can make a difference in making this country a better place.

Math News from Mrs. Drake:  The students are working diligently as we end the chapter on division. A quiz was given on Wednesday and will be in this week's signed papers. Most students did very well. I encourage you to take a couple of minutes over the weekend to check on their progress with dividing two and three digit numbers by a 1- digit number.  A test will be given on Tuesday.

Here are a few of the pictures from our winter celebration day when we returned back to school from the holidays.

From Mrs. Collins' Desk....

Thank you for your generosity!  Our fourth grade mitten tree is full of a variety of mittens and gloves!  ALso, the fourth grade hallway is stacked with can foods!  

In class, students have been busy reading their books for book reports that are due next Wednesday, December 14th.  Because the book reports are due on Wednesday, there will be no Word Wall next week.  This will enable the students to focus on the reports.  It is important for us to wrap this reading unit up prior to leaving for the holidays.  So, we will begin reading the short story "Twisted Trails" on Friday and the story quiz will be next Tuesday the 13th..  Finally, students will have their Reading Vocabulary Test next Thursday, December 15th.

Upcoming Dates in Reading:

Tuesday, Dec. 13th: "Twisted Trails" story quiz

Wednesday, Dec. 14th:          Book report with illustration due

Thursday, Dec. 15th:  Reading Vocabulary Test

Math News from Mrs. Drake:  In math the students are learning to use a variety of strategies and models to divide whole numbers up to 3 digits by 1-digit divisors both with and without remainders. The students are discovering the relationship between multiplying and dividing. I am so glad they have conquered the multiplication facts so well, as it has made the dividing of numbers so much easier on them. This Tuesday the students will have a division fact quiz. The format will be the same as the multiplication fact quiz. We will be unable to finish chapter 6 before the holidays. We will continue division after Christmas Break. 

Our class Christmas party will be on Friday, December 16th at 9:30 and it will last about an hour.  Mrs. Parrish has volunteered to organized this for the children.  If you can help in any way, please let her know.  

From Mrs. Collins' Desk....

This week I read a picture book to the students called The Mitten Tree. In the story, an elderly woman knits mittens and hangs them on a blue spruce tree for the needy children in her neighborhood. It is a very sweet story with a touching lesson. The fourth grade students will have their own mitten tree to help the needy. If your child would like to participate, please send mittens or gloves to school the week we return from Thanksgiving Break. The mittens or gloves can be any size, color or design. This will be a special project for our students to share many mittens and gloves with needy children this winter season. Thanks for your help.

I have been so impressed with the Book Talks given by the students during the past weeks!  Students have shown such enthusiasm for the books that they have read.  Their excitement is contagious.  Other students are wanting to read the books they are hearing about or read other books from the same author that they have enjoyed.  

Speaking of books, the Scholastic book order has been shipped and will be given out tomorrow.  Thank you for ordering from Scholastic, because of our order I was able to receive close to 100 free books for our class library!  Many of the free books were presented in the Book Talks.  I have asked students to return all of my classroom library books by today.  During Thanksgiving, I want to reorganize it to make it more user friendly.  Please look around your home and ask your child to look in their backpack and school desk for my books.  

Lastly, students are reading the story "Pat Cummings:  My Story".  The skills taught this week are fact/opinion, summarizing, and suffixes.  The story quiz will be on Friday.  There will be no new word wall stems, definitions, and words given out this week.  We will pick back up on the Wednesday we return from break.  

I wish everyone a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday with lots of family, fellowship, and food!

From Mrs. Collins' Desk....

The students are doing a fabulous job on their Book Talks!  The students are really getting interested in many different books.  We will be finishing them up next week.


Social Science News from Mrs. Baugh:  This week, in science, we had a fun time as we tried to simulate different bird beaks using spoons, forks, straws, and toothpicks.  The students worked in pairs as they tried to pick up rice, foam packing peanuts, and water.  It was an interesting way to introduce a lesson on animal adaptations.  Ask your child about the "Blubber Glove," and why we did that experiment.  Science is so much fun!

Keep clipping out those Box Tops for our Box Top Bonanza in November!  The grade level who has collected the most Box Tops receives a pizza party.  Plus we are earning money for our school.

From the Mrs. Collins' Desk

Students will begin presenting their Book Talks next week.  For the past two weeks, they have been given a large part of their reading class to read their book.  Many have finished their books and preparing for their Book Talk.  Each student knows what is to be expected and the calendar of when they will present.  It is key that students practice their Book Talk several times, preferably in front of someone.  Here is the schedule of who is presenting next week:

Monday:                No school

Tuesday:              Hannah & Dorian

Wednesday:        Caleb & Lydia

Thursday:            Corynne & Westin

Friday:                 Eli & Harrison

Next week, we will be starting a new unit by reading The Hatmaker's Sign.  The skills we will be working on are making judgments/decisions, using context clues, summarizing, and learning suffixes.The new unit's theme is how we can use our talents to communicate ideas.  

Even though we won't have school on Monday, Word Wall will still be on Wednesday and the story quiz will be on Friday.

On Tuesday, I sent home November's Scholastic book order.  If you would like to order books for gifts and keep them secret from your child, you can send me an email to hold those books and I will keep them in my classroom for you to pick up.   Book orders are due Friday, November 11th.

From the desk of Mrs. Collins'....

We have had a busy week!  We had the flashmob promoting anti-bullying which aired on Channel 2 news. Students also, enjoy foods from Biblical times at our Bible tasting.  Many of the students tried foods that were unfamiliar to them.   Today, students who earned the reward of the Games-to-You were able to enjoy time playing video games.   


On Monday,  we will have a Halloween snack.  I only needed two parents and Mrs. Tomlinson and Mrs. Burkeen were the first to reply. I appreciate all the parents who volunteered to send items. Students may bring individually wrapped candy or other trinkets to place in the goody bags.


Social Science News from Mrs. Baugh:  We concluded our study of Tennessee Indians with a chapter 3 test yesterday.  Next week we will begin the "Age of Exploration," with the Europeans arriving in the Americas.  It's a great study that I know the classes will love.  In science we are talking about life cycles and metamorphosis.  In class, each student will be partnering up as they research and draw either a complete or incomplete metamorphosis.

From Mrs. Collins' Desk....

If you haven't returned your child's pictures for the yearbook, tomorrow is the last day.  Also tomorrow, students who sold 3 or more books will have an ice cream party after lunch.  Any students who sold 5 or more books will get to enter and enjoy the "Game Trailer" on Friday, October 28th.  Thank you for making this fund raiser such a wonderful success.


Reading News:  On Monday, October 31st the elementary will be having a Book Character dress up day.  Students may choose their favorite book character (picture or chapter book) to dress up as.  The Book Character dress up day is an alternative to the traditional Halloween dress up.  Mrs. Merritt wanted to implement this as an elementary activity.  However, it is an optional activity.  Students do not have to participate.  There will be no grades given in any academic subject area on the student's participation.  Please be mindful that is will be a regular school day, so students must be able to sit and pay attention through out the day.  Any costume that is uncomfortable or distracting may need to be left for trick-or-treating.

The students will be preparing a Book Talk in the month of November.  Details will be sent home next week, but a Book Talk is similar to a oral book report.  Students should be choosing a book that is fiction, included in SR, on grade level, and they have't read before.  I will be approving the books through next week.  Once their book is approved by me, they can begin to read it.

Next week, the students will be reading "Will Her Native Language Disappear" which is a short magazine article.  Therefore, the word wall assessment and the story quiz will both be given on Wednesday.  Also, the Unit 2 Reading Vocabulary test will be given next Friday, October 28th.  Students have the list of words and definitions in their reading section of their three ring notebook.  Students should not only know the words and definitions but how to use them.  For example, can they write an original sentence with the word, list a synonym/antonym, or draw an illustration of the word, etc.?