Weekly Update

We have had a great week! The girls have enjoyed starting their day with swimming. Due to schedule conflicts next week, the girls will only have swimming on Tuesday and Thursday. I am sorry about this change but this is a busy time of year with Halloween on Monday and the St. Catherine's Day chapel on Wednesday!

The grade level has just finished our second week of Book Clubs. On our class blog, there is a page on the top called Book Clubs and each reading teacher has a link to a page. The reading teachers will update this page monthly with updates about what has been happening in their Book Club. Feel free to take a look!

This week, the girls practiced narrative writing by creating a story about a witch casting a spell on them. They took a before and after picture using Photo Booth and the after picture included some sort of effect. Their creativity is shining in their writing and I look forward to sending this home in the next few weeks.

For practice applying their spelling words, the girls completed another round of Spelling and Me with their current word list. They are writing so much that they need numerous slides. Here it is:

 

I am sending home Friday Folders today and it includes lots of work, including their chapter 2 math assessment. We have jumped into the next chapter that focuses on multiplication, division, factors, multiples, and prime and composite numbers.

Many specials teachers have updated their page on SeeSaw with their monthly update so I hope you will take a few minutes to see what your daughters have been working on in those classes.

Reminders:

• Carpool helper next week: Wallis
• Special week next week: Anna
• Halloween and Other Dress Up Opportunities!
  
• Chat and Chew meetings with Mrs. Sterling
  
• Homelink for chapter 3 in math 
• Swimming information - They will swim Tuesday, 11/1, and Thursday, 11/3 next week ONLY!
  
• Remember to check SeeSaw for updates from Specials teacher
• Scavenger hunt question - answer this!

Weekly Update

I have enjoyed meeting with so many of you already and look forward to the rest of the conferences tomorrow and next week. Because I have been conducting conferences, this will be a brief blog post.

The main thing to note is that swimming starts Monday! The letter from the PE department is here. Please send extra snack because the girls are going to be extra hungry! Please note, the girls will NOT swim on Halloween.

Due to the short week, I will not be sing home Friday folders but will have lots to send home next Friday.

Reminders:

• Carpool helper next week: Holloway
• Special week next week: Eleanor
  
• Chat and Chew meetings with Mrs. Sterling
  
• Homelink for chapter 3 in math 
• Swimming information - We start MONDAY!
  
• Remember to check SeeSaw for updates from Specials teacher
• Scavenger hunt question - answer this!

Weekly Update

This has been another great week. We are in full Halloween mode in our class and doing different activities to celebrate this fun time of year. On the actual day, the girls may wear a costume to school and Dr. Kapetanis will be sending an email with the details. We have our grade level Halloween Party on that Monday from 1:40 - 2:40. The girls will travel through each fourth grade classroom for a different activity or a snack. Thank you to the parent volunteers for helping to make this happen.

Math: Speaking of Halloween, I have offered all of the class a Halloween challenge that is due by November 2. There is a link on the blog and I am also sending a hard copy of the game board home. I look forward to seeing which students will take advantage of this opportunity! We have finished chapter 2 in math and will have a brief quiz on the material on Wednesday. Our next unit is on multiplication and division and you can see the homelink here. I am also sending a hard copy of the homelink in today's Friday Folder.

Reading: We finished James and the Giant Peach and it was a fabulous class novel. As a culmination project, the girls are designing a front page of a newspaper showing their favorite scene. We started these today and will continue them next week. 

On Monday, we are beginning Book Club Literacy Groups in the fourth grade. In today's Friday Folder, there is a letter with more details and it also lists who their teacher will be. We look forward to starting this next week.

I look forward to meeting with you for Parent Teacher Conferences next week!

Reminders:

• Carpool helper next week: Vivian
• Chat and Chew meetings with Mrs. Sterling
  
• Homelink for chapter 2 in math 
• Swimming from 8:00 - 8:45 on the following days: October 24, 25, 26, 27, 31 and November 1, 2, and 3  
• Remember to check SeeSaw for updates from Specials teacher
• Scavenger hunt question - answer this!

Weekly Update

The girls worked hard this week and we covered a lot of material. I hope everyone has a great, three day weekend. Here are some curriculum updates and reminders:

Math:  We have moved quickly through the second chapter in math since the girls have a strong understanding of adding and subtracting larger numbers. Next week, we will work through a few more skills before assessing. 

This week, I introduced a fun activity called a Musical Moment. In this activity, the girls listen to a song and every time they hear a selected word, they make a tally mark. They then take the tally count as work through different calculations. Here is the one we completed this week.

Language Arts: While continuing to read James and the Giant Peach, the girls searched for common and proper nouns as well as powerful verbs. This activity was harder for them than I anticipated so we will continue working with these parts of speech as well additional ones. 

The girls completed their first Spelling and Me activity, which they loved. This is a creative writing activity that can be used with any spelling list. Here is a slideshow of their great writing.  

 

For our writing lab this week, we did another activity that the girls loved called eyebombing. Their job was to place two googly eyes on an inanimate object around the school. Then, they took a picture of it and wrote from the perspective of their object. They were incredibly enthusiastic over this and their writing reflected this.

 

Social Studies: We discussed the three branches of the government and why they exist. Next, they will make their own diagram and then we will move into researching a president.

Reminders:

• Carpool helper next week: Ashby
• Fall 2022 Conference Sign Up Form
• Chat and Chew meetings with Mrs. Sterling
  
• Homelink for chapter 2 in math 
• Swimming from 8:00 - 8:45 on the following days: October 24, 25, 26, 27, 31 and November 1, 2, and 3  
• Remember to check SeeSaw for updates from Specials teacher
• Scavenger hunt question - answer this!

Weekly Update

We had another great week in fourth grade. The girls are really working hard and figuring out the routine and expectations. They did well with the two ERB Milestone tests we took in the middle of the week. As I reminded them, the purpose of these tests is to gain some experience taking a standardized test. It also shows me areas in which I can focus my instruction. We will take them two more times this year, in the winter and the spring. Thank you to Dabney Morris for supplying the girls with some yummy snacks. Here are some curriculum updates and reminders:

Reading: The girls finished their collaborative project on examining the story elements from Because of Winn Dixie. This was an interesting project because they really needed guidance on working totgether. I guess with the way things have been in school the last few years, they have lacked more collaborative opportunities. Their slideshows look good and here they are. Please ask your daughter to share her groups' slideshow with you.

Characters

Setting

Plot

Problem and Solution

Theme

Math: The class completed their first chapter test and I am pleased with their results. The tests are coming home in today's Friday Folder. Out next unit focuses on adding and subtracting large numbers. This is a strong skill for most girls so we may move quickly through this chapter. The chapter Home Link is listed below in the reminders section.

Social Studies: We started discussing how our government works by watching a catchy, but dated, video about Washington DC. They loved it! We will continue next week with focusing on the three branches of government.

Next Friday, October 7, will be the Blessing of the Animals chapel. Here are the details:

Blessing of the Animals

Oct. 7, 8:15-8:45 a.m., the Green

One of our favorite Fall events is happening next week! During the Blessing of the Animals, pets will receive a special blessing from our School chaplains. 

Parents must have their animals on a leash or in a carrier and are responsible for their pet during the service. Girls can bring in a stuffed animal or picture of their pet to be blessed in lieu of bringing their pet on campus.

Reminders:

• Carpool helper next week: Anna
• Special Week: Meriwether
• Fall 2022 Conference Sign Up Form
  
• School pictures: order form in Friday Folders
  
• Scholastic Book Order due by October 3 
• All School Pink Out on Thursday, October 6 - wear pink to support breast cancer awareness
  
• Homelink for chapter 2 in math 
• Swimming from 8:00 - 8:45 on the following days: October 24, 25, 26, 27, 31 and November 1, 2, and 3  
• Remember to check SeeSaw for updates from Specials teacher
• Scavenger hunt question - answer this!

Weekly Update

Bravo to the girls on a fabulous chapel! Thank you for attending if you were able. They read so well and didn't seem nervous at all. Well done to the girls!

They have earned 25 class compliments and we celebrated Friday afternoon with a tea party. Thanks so much to Allison Spiller and Aly Croft for making this happen. After today's chapel, they have earned many more class compliments and are well on their way to the next class goal of 50 class compliments.

Much of this week was practicing for chapel but here are some things we worked on as well.

Math: We spent time reviewing and practicing rounding to finish up the place value unit. We will review the skills from our unit early next week, and have our unit 1 test on Thursday, September 29.

Reading: The groups have almost finished their story element project on Because of Winn-Dixie. Our current class novel is James and the Giant Peach, which always is a fun book read. Roald Dahl was a fabulous author who wrote with such amazing descriptive language as well as wicked sense of humor.

Last Friday, the girls took their first Wordly Wise (vocabulary) quiz and first spelling quiz. These are coming home in today's Friday folders so you can see what these assessments look like.

The girls have designed their dresses as a culmination to reading The Hundred Dresses. They turned out fantastic! Here they are...

Reminders:

• Carpool helper next week: Eleanor
• Special Week: Ashby 
• School pictures: order form in Friday Folders
  
• Scholastic Book Order due by October 3 
• Homelink for chapter 1 in math 
• Swimming from 8:00 - 8:45 on the following days: October 24, 25, 26, 27, 31 and November 1, 2, and 3  
• ERB Milestone Testing: next week on Tuesday and Wednesday - please limit appointments
• Remember to check SeeSaw for updates from Specials teacher
• Scavenger hunt question - answer this!

Weekly Update

 

Wednesday was a special day because the girls officially became Fourthies. As a grade level, we discussed what it means to be the leaders of the Lower School, they signed a contract, and received their hats. We will keep the hats here so they may use them when we have field trips or they are a carpool helper. They may bring the caps home at the end of the year! It was a fun day.

Along the lines of leadership, our class will be leading chapel on Friday, September 23, at 8:15 in the Lower School Assembly Room. You are invited to attend if your schedule allows.

Today I am sending home Friday Folders. It includes some written work the girls have completed over the last several weeks. Please take a look through it, empty the folder, sign the form, and send it back in with your daughter by Tuesday.

Here are some curriculum updates.

Math: We are working through our place value unit and will be wrapping it up next week. We did a fun activity this week called 2 Truths, 1 Lie, but mathematics style. This activity requires the girls to respond to maths in written form, which a great skill. Here is an example of one we did as a group.

 

 

 

 

Reading: To follow up from summer reading, the girls have been working in groups to explain an assigned story element from Because of Winn-Dixie. It has been interesting to watch them work collaboratively, which is a skill in itself. Each group is making a Google Slide and I will share them on next week's blog post. 

In addition, we started a new routine where the girls read a brief article of the day based on a central theme. They then write something they learned on a BOK (book of knowledge.) Their first BOK will come home in their Friday folder. 

Lastly, we finished a class read aloud of The Hundred Dresses. This a timeless story that shares messages about of bullying and discrimination in a straight forward manner. Children can learn about dealing with tough decisions like standing up for friends, fitting in, and ultimately how to show forgiveness. It is a fabulous story and encourages great class discussions. After completing the last chapter, the girls will create their own dress design with a special message of compassion hidden somewhere within the design. They are very excited about designing the dresses!

Writing: For this week's 3WT (Three Word Thursday), the girls worked in pairs to write a script using the words and the challenge and they then recorded themselves on Flip. Making videos is always a favorite activity. Here are the videos if you want to watch them.

Anna and Sanaa

Queen and Wallis

Virginia M. and Holloway

Virginia H. and Ashby

Meriwether and Eleanor

Amelia and Hampton

Anela and Vivian

Jane Randolph and Gabby

Reminders:

• Carpool helper next week: Jane Randolph
• Picture Day - Tuesday, September 20 at 8:00 am!
  
• Homelink for chapter 1 in math 
• Swimming from 8:00 - 8:45 on the following days: October 24, 25, 26, 27, 31 and November 1, 2, and 3  
• ERB Milestone Testing: Week of September 26 - please limit appointments
  
• Remember to check SeeSaw for updates from Specials teachers
  
• Scavenger hunt question - answer this!