Welcome Back to School!

Dear 4th grade friends and families,

Mr. Steffens, Ms. Adimoolah and I would like to welcome you to 4th grade!  Be prepared for a wonderful year of learning and growing together as a community.  We look forward to seeing you Friday, August 19th, between the hours of 11am to 1pm, for our "Meet the Teachers" event.

Our first day of school is Monday, August 22nd.  The first bell begins at 8:00am, and students are considered tardy after the 8:05 bell.  Don't forget to bring your school supplies with you, too!  You can find a copy of our school supply list on our 4th grade PK Yonge webpage.  Please let us know if you have any questions.

Warmly,
Ms. Geiger, Ms. A., and Mr. Steffens

4th Grade Community Service Project Presentations

Dear Families,

We'd like to invite you to our 4th Grade Community Service Project Presentations on Monday, June 6th, from 10:00-10:50am. Please come to view the students’ presentations, and feel free to stay and have lunch with your child afterwards (at 11am).  

Space Camp Checklist

Hello, Families!

Here’s a list of items that students and chaperones should pack for our galactic adventure! Remember to pack light because YOU have to carry everything you bring with you until we are able to set it down by our sleeping area:

*NO ELECTRONIC DEVICES ALLOWED! - THIS INCLUDES MP3 PLAYERS, WALKMANS, NINTENDO DS, GAMEBOYS, ETC…

1. Sleeping bag and/or air mattress (air mattress recommended)
2. Warm pajamas (it gets very cold where we sleep!)
3. Blanket
4. Pillow
5. Toothbrush
6. Toothpaste
7. Any other necessary toiletries (NO SHOWERS)
8. Money for souvenirs
9. MONEY for LUNCH on FRIDAY
10. Camera
11. chapter book (for the bus)
12. deck of cards (for the bus)
13. comfortable shoes!
14. Change of clothes for Friday morning
15. A stellar PK attitude! (most important!)

DEPARTURE: We will be leaving promptly at 1:oopm on THURSDAY, 5/26. So chaperones must be here between 12:20-12:30pm! NO EXCEPTIONS!!!

RETURN: We expect to be back at PK on FRIDAY, 5/27 at 5:30pm. Please be prompt to pick your student up on Friday, May 27.

Update for May 13th

Dear Parents,

Here are a few reminders/announcements for 4th grade:

Community Service Essays

      All students should have completed the rough draft of their Community Service Essay by today, Friday, May 13th.   Final versions should be finished by the end of next week (May 20th) at the latest. 

      Next week, we will begin our Powerpoint Presentation lessons.  Students will not be able to begin working on their presentations until they are finished with their essays.  If your child took photos of his/her Community Service experience and would like to possibly include them in his/her presentation, please help your child add them to his/her flashdrive so that they'll be available to use.

Math Unit 11 Progress Check:

This end-of-unit test will be held this Tuesday, May 17^th.  FYI - Unit 12 will be our last Math Unit for this year.

T-shirts: 

Please don't forget to get a blue PK Yonge t-shirt for Space Camp from Mr.

Steffens.  They are $12 and we have adult and youth sizes available.  Our field trip is scheduled for May 26 and May 27.

Space Camp:

We'll be departing school at 1pm on Thurs., May 26.  Students should not worry about bringing their backpacks, planners, etc. to school. However, they do need to bring their overnight items (air mattress/pillow/etc…). 

If you are attending as a chaperone, your students does not need to bring their items that morning to school, since you'll be following our bus, later.  I would put all items in a roller bag/duffel/suitcase, as it will make it easier for the students to transport.  Remember, no coolers will be allowed, so please leave those at home.   More information will be coming out next week, but in the meantime, if you have any questions, please email Ms. A. @ aadimoolah@pky.ufl.edu.

We were informed yesterday that there will be NO background check emails sent out.  Apparently they've changed their security requirements for the Overnight Adventure.

Thank you for your continued support!  We hope you have a great weekend!

Community Service Essay NEWS

Dear Families,

We've included a copy of the revision and editing checklists that the students have been using to review their community service essays under the PARENT FILES section of our 4th grade website.  For this essay, students are required to self revise/edit, and then get a peer to do the same before coming to conference with their teacher.  

You can be the “peer revisor" and "peer editor" for your child, too!  This is a great way to assist your student with his/her essay at home.

Here are some important upcoming deadlines:

·         The Community Service portion of this project should be completed in full by Monday, May 9^th.

·         All five paragraphs (rough draft version) of the essay are due by Friday, May 13^th.

April 25th Update

Greetings to all!

Spring is in the air, and we have definitely been enjoying the wonderful weather here at PK Yonge!  Thank you to all the parents who donated snacks and drinks for FCAT testing.  Our students truly benefited from the extra energy boost!  It made them go into testing feeling satiated and confident. 

We have some important announcements for upcoming events:

• This Weds., April 27th, is our last Wacky Wednesday of the year.  Please make sure your child comes to school dressed comfortably and  in sneakers, since PE is one of the possible rotations.

•  All Kennedy Space Center field trip forms and money (for both students and chaperones) are due by Friday, April 29th.  This is an awesome trip and we hope to see you all there!  If you are planning on not attending, please notify your child's teacher so that our field trip coordinator can make the appropriate arrangements. All parents and students attending the Space Center field trip must wear a blue PK Yonge t-shirt, which can be purchased for $12 from 4th grade - Mr. Steffens.

•  PK Yonge Elementary's annual Z to A countdown will begin on Monday, May 2nd.  This is a fun tradition which the students enjoy, as we count down the last 26 days of school.  We start with the letter Z (doing activities that start with Z) and end our last day with activities that start with A.  Look for a letter home in Friday Folders with more information.

•  Teacher Appreciation Week is Monday, May 2nd through Friday, May 6th. 

• Our Everyday Math Unit 10 Progress Check is scheduled for Tuesday, May 3rd.  This is short Unit (six lessons long) which covers concepts of reflections, rotations, and translations and the skill of adding negative and positive numbers together.

• Students have until Monday, May 9th to complete the Community Service Project portion of their Government Project.  After May 9th, students will then work on finishing their reflective essay, and create their powerpoint presentations afterwards.

  Thank you for your continued support!  We will keep you updated with the latest here in fourth grade.  We hope you have a great week!

April News

Spring is in the air and there are many new happenings in 4th grade!  First of all, we hope that everyone enjoyed their Spring Break.  The students came back refreshed and ready to learn!  Our Scholastic Spring Book Fair was also a great success, thanks to our lead parent coordinator - Donna Moore - and the many parent volunteers who donated their time to make it all possible.  We thank you for your support!

This week has kicked off with FCAT testing.  Fourth grade has Reading Comprehension for the first 2 days (Monday and Tuesday), and then tests in Mathematics for the next two days (Wednesday and Thursday).  This Friday, April 15th, is reserved for any make-up testing.  Please make sure your child comes to school on time, well rested, and having eaten a healthy breakfast this week.  We've also set up a Doodle survey for parents to volunteer to bring in snack items for before FCAT testing.  The students really enjoy getting that extra "boost" before they delve into those challenging questions.  Whatever snack item for which you sign up, you may bring in for that specific day (we ideally need three of each item - one for each class of 22 students).  Here is the direct link: http://doodle.com/7f4nxxdktp8b7ub4 .

Due to FCAT testing this week, there will be no homework - no Study Links or Home Reading Logs to be due the following week.  We would like for students to continue reading just-right books at home, but they do not need to record them.  We will progress forward on our Government Unit, and move closer into "project mode."  Last week, students found an issue which was important to them (homelessness, poverty, sickness, pet overpopulation, senior citizens in need; etc...) and chose/designed a community service project which could help address their issue.  Some fourth graders have chosen to do out-of-school activities with local organizations, which will require parental approval and assistance.  Some students have opted for service projects which can be done in-school and at home.  A Government Project Folder has been created as a resource for parents on the 4th grade PK Yonge Website, which can be accessed in the Parent Files section.  Due to the nature of this project, students are required to complete a Proposal describing the plan for their community service activity, which must then be signed and approved by their teacher and parents this week.  It is important that you talk to your child about his/her project and ask about the Proposal (which you should see coming home sometime this week).  Please contact your child's teacher if you have any questions - we'll be more than happy to assist you.  Thank you for your continued support!

March Updates

Dear Families,
We have some important upcoming events this week and next:

• On Thursday evening, March 17th, from 5:30-7pm, we have a Family Math Night in the PK Yonge Gym.  There will be math games, food and prizes for the whole family. 

• On Friday, March 18th, students will take the EM Unit 8 Checking Progress Test.  This test will cover finding area of rectangles and triangles, probability of spinners, finding perimeter of shapes, adding and subtracting fractions, etc.

• Monday-Thursday of next week, March 21-24, we will be administering the SAT-10 standardized tests in the mornings.  It is important that your child come to school on time, well rested, and having eaten a healthy breakfast.  
• If you would like to donate water bottles, juice boxes, cheez-it crackers, or granola bars for the children to snack on during test breaks, you can drop them off with your child's teacher later this week.  
• You may also bring in fresh fruit (non-messy), such as bananas, grapes, apples, etc. next week before school begins in the morning.

• Friday, March 25 is PK Yonge's annual Family Picnic!  It will be held on the grassy area in the middle of the front circle between the hours of 12-1pm. There will not be any parking on the front circle.   Teachers will bring the 4th graders down to the front circle at 12 noon to meet up with parents.  
• If you plan on checking out your student for the rest of the day after the picnic, you will sign your child out with his/her teacher at that time.  If your child will be checked out by another family, make sure the teacher has a note and is aware of the arrangements.  
• Any students staying at school after the picnic ends at 1pm will need to go back to their teachers on the front circle to return to class.

• Tuesday - Friday,  April 5-8th:  Scholastic Spring Book Fair   
• Ms. Moore is our gracious parent coordinator for our 4th grade Spring Book Fair, and is already getting together a list of parent volunteers for this important fundraising event.  If you have not already done so, please turn in your volunteer form soon so that she can organize the volunteer schedule for the Book Fair.  If you are interested, please email: mdonnal@bellsouth.net or mgeiger@pky.ufl.edu.

Important Events this Week - Please Read!

Attention Parents - Important Dates this Week:

FCAT Florida Writes exam on Tuesday, March 1st

• We will begin administering the test first thing in the morning, so please make sure that your child comes to school on time, well-rested, and having eaten a good breakfast.
• Just in case: if you'd like to donate a box of graham crackers, cheez-its, granola bars, water bottles, juice boxes, or a bag of fresh fruit (simple- nothing messy, like grapes or strawberries) to 4th grade for the day of Florida Writes, you can drop it off tomorrow afternoon or early Tuesday morning.  Sometimes there are students who forget to eat breakfast, or need that extra "boost" of energy before we test, and so it is nice to have some options available for them.
• With that said - please remember to bring a fresh water bottle to school with your child, labeled with your child's name.  Our new classrooms do not have a water source, and the nearest one is quite a ways away.  This will cut down on the need for students to leave class to "go get water."

Westward Expansion Project Presentations on Thursday, March 3rd

• We are welcoming friends and family members to our 4th grade portables for a gallery style presentation of the students' Westward Expansionism diaries.  
• This event will occur from 11:45am to 12:15pm (right after our lunch).  Please take advantage of this opportunity to spend some time with your fourth grader and view the variety of projects.  We hope to see you there! 

Everyday Math Unit 7 Progress Check on Thursday, March 3rd (corrected date)

• Unit 7, which featured fractions and probability, will culminate with the final test on Thursday.  Working with fractions can be tricky for many students, so we definitely feel that it is important to review the Unit 7 Study Guide and other resources at home to assist your child.  
• We will also be sending home a review practice page on Tues. or Weds, but in the meantime, use the fraction websites from our 4th grade page and resources from Everyday Math Online.
• Students are expected to know previously learned concepts and skills (which appear as questions on these Unit tests).  For instance, since Unit 6 covered long division, I would expect to see some possible division questions on this Unit test, revisiting that concept.

Off with the Old, In with the New!

Our time in G-wing is over and a new dawn has arrived!  Ms. A, Mr. Steffens, and I (along with Mrs. Robertson, Dr. Vandiver and the 5th grade team) spent more hours together this weekend than apart making the mass exodus to the portables.  It has been quite a productive, yet exhausting experience!  We know that the students are going to enjoy their time here!

That said, there are some specifics which you should know:  

• 4th grade pick-up and drop-off bench locations will remain the same.  We will assist the students in walking to their new classrooms for the first few days in the morning, and will continue bringing students down to the benches by the office at 2:30pm dismissal time.  That said, if students forget personal materials or homework in the portables during dismissal, they will NOT be able to retrieve them until the following day.
• Parents should NOT drop off or pick up students by the portables.  All of these should continue to happen on the front circle.
• There are no sinks in the portables, so we highly recommend that you send your child to school with a water bottle.  This is extremely important!  Your child needs to stay hydrated!  

Here are this weeks announcements:

• Jump Rope for Heart, lead by Coach Zazo, will be held for all 4th graders this Monday.  Make sure your child comes to school in comforable clothing and tennis shoes.
• 4th and 5th grade has Wacky Wednesday this week.  
• This Friday, February 18th, will be PK Young's Black History performance (with the Elementary Chorus performing) 

 Here are some pictures of our recent move:

**EXTRA, EXTRA! READ ALL ABOUT IT!**

Greetings to all!


Fourth grade has been quite a busy place, lately!  We wrapped up our Unit 6 in Math (which mostly focused on long division and measuring angles), and have launched into Unit 7, which focuses on the many features of fractions.  Even though division won't be in the spotlight for this unit, it still needs to be practiced and not forgotten (as well as other learned math skills from previous units: such as using parentheses in equations, rounding whole numbers to a specific place value, etc.).  Students have an opportunity to revisit some of these in class through their daily "Math Box" activities.  At home, they can visit EM Games, and replay a game to review certain skills and concepts, too.  I've also created a Math website files resource down at the bottom of our PKY 4th grade webpage.  There are links organized into categories such as - division, fractions, etc. - which can also help your child reinforce those particular skills and concepts.

In Reading/S.S., we are in are final phase of our Westward Expansion diary projects.  Your child should have already completed his/her 3 diary entries, and this week will be revising and polishing those entries so that they will be ready to publish next week.  We try to have everyone do as much as they can in class, but if your child is behind the deadline, then he/she will need to take his/her diary entries home to work on them.  Our Westward Expansion project pacing calendar and the rubric is available for you to see in the Parent Files section of our 4th grade page.

The move to the portables is approaching quickly, as well!  Our tentative 1st day with the students in our new classrooms will be next Monday, February 14th.  There is a Parent Open House scheduled for this Tuesday, Februrary 8th, from 6-7pm in the PAC which will provide you with information about our learning communities and the to-be new building.  We look forward to seeing you there!

Also, we have some important dates to announce:

1. Our 4th grade Spring Scholastic Book Fair will be held April 5-8 (Tuesday-Friday, the week after Spring Break).  The money raised at this book fair will help pay for your child's Kennedy Space Center field trip costs.
2. Our overnight Kennedy Space Center field trip will be May 26-27 (Thursday-Friday).  FYI - This is a trip which does not have a specific chaperone limit.  More information will come in the weeks to follow.  If you have any questions, please contact Ms. A at aadimoolah@pky.ufl.edu .

Fourth grade is interested in obtaining a parent coordinator for the Scholastic Spring Book Fair.  Duties would include signing up parent volunteers on a master schedule and contacting them before book fair begins; sorting and sending book fair flyers (ready-made) to K-5 classrooms; helping set-up book fair each morning and helping close each afternoon; etc.  As a "thank you" for the time and service rendered, fourth grade will pay for this parent coordinator's Space Camp Admission.  If you are interested in serving in this capacity, please contact Ms. Geiger at mgeiger@pky.ufl.edu .

Finally, but most importantly, the FCAT Florida Writes exam is just around the corner - Tuesday, March 1st.  Several students still need much practice with their writing, including - responding to narrative and expository prompts (especially given the limited 45 minute time frame), organizing their writing into a clear beginning, middle and ending (in paragraph formation), keeping their writing focused on the topic; and using details and rich language (strong verbs, adjectives, specific nouns, etc.) to enhance their writing.  I have attached some writing resources into the Parent files section which you can use to help your child at home.  I also recommend taking a look at some of the specific prompts used in years past, and simply talking about them with your child about how they could respond to them.  4th grade will be sending home a sample writing resource packet by the end of the week for you, as well. 

As always, if you have any questions, feel free to contact one of us.  Thank you for your continued support!

The Fourth Grade Team

PARTIAL QUOTIENTS DIVISION - not traditional, please!

Dear Parents,

The past few days we have been learning the partial quotients algorithm to divide large numbers.  This is a completely different method than the way we adults were taught in school.  Even though it might be easier to just show your child to solve (homework) division problems the traditional way, it is extremely important that you try and help them use the partial quotients method. Otherwise, it can become even more confusing for your child, right now!  Remember that Everyday Math Online - www.everydaymathonline.com - is your support during this process!  There is a plethora of both online and printable information on all of the various algorithms which are taught. 

First, log onto the Everyday Math website with your child's student login, and click on the Family Resources launch button (see below).

Next, you'll be taken to a page titled "Free Family Resources."  Select the button "Algorithms in Everyday Mathematics," and you will then be lead through a list of other options (see below).  For a video tutorial on the partial quotients method, choose from any of the online resources.

I hope this information helps you.  We will be learning the traditional division method later on this week.  As for now, students need to practice division using the partial quotients method.  Thank you for your continued support!

Welcome Back!

It's so nice to see everyone after the winter break!  Our fourth graders stepped right back into routines last week and didn't miss a beat! 

These next two weeks (Jan. 10th - 20th) will be busy with Winter CBM testing.  Therefore, please ensure that your child has a healthy breakfast, comes to school on time and is well rested.  It makes such a difference!  We will send the data results from these CBM's along with report cards in the beginning of February.  I will contact you to schedule a parent-teacher conference, if necessary.  Otherwise, feel free to let me know if you have any questions and I will be happy to answer them.

We are in the midst of our Westward Expansionism unit, and all students are now meeting with their "content" teacher, based on the specific topic (i.e. Gold Rush, Transcontinental Railroad, Trail of Tears, Oregon Trail, Lewis and Clark, Industrial Revolution, etc.) they have chosen for their research.  Fourth and fifth grade teachers are guiding students in their research through the week of Jan. 18th.  The following week, students will begin drafting their project with teacher assistance - writing at least 3 diary entries from the perspective of someone who experienced their chosen topic (such as the Gold Rush, per say). 

In Math, we've begun Unit 6, which explores long division through the partial quotients algorithm.  Students will also work with protractors and measure angles.  Remember to utilize the wonderful algorithm resources available through Everyday Math online when helping your child with this type of division (it is not like the traditional way we learned in school).  As always, it is imperative that students be knowledgeable and quick with their multiplication (they use this while dividing), and division facts.  I will be sending home extra practice sheets to those students needing that additional boost.

Our 4th grade home reading format will be changing.  Please look for a letter with more information coming in your child's take-home folder in the next few days.  This week's Home Reading Journals are postponed.

I'm sure you've seen the new portables coming to life at the top of the hill over these past couple of months!  Those will be the new homes to both 4th and 5th grade until the new building is completed.  We are estimated to move in to the portables some time between the end of January and the beginning of February.  I will let you know more specifics once we are told.

As always, thank you for your continued support.  Please let me know if you have any questions.  Have a wonderful week!