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