Updates

Can you believe that it is already going to be October tomorrow? This year is flying by!  I hope everyone made it to Grant's Farm night and had a wonderful evening.  This week we have Blues/Cardinals day on Thursday.  Your child can choose to wear Cardinals, Blues, or a combination of the two to show their spirit on Thursday.  We also have school store on Thursday.  I am sending home progress reports tonight.  Please sign them and return them with your child tomorrow.  

In math we are reviewing all of unit 1 today, and taking our first unit test on Tuesday.  It will cover everything we have learned so far this year.  It will have questions about the three ways to write numbers, rounding, adding, subtracting, expressions, equations, and input/output boxes.  The study guide will come home tonight.  Then we will begin unit 3, which covers multiplying and dividing.  

In English language arts we are learning how to make predictions based on the information the author gives us in the story.  We will be using this to help us work on our beyond the text thinking skills and making inferences about the text.  In writing we are continuing to learn how writers come up with ideas for realistic fiction stories.  We will also be learning how to create believable characters in our stories and how to give them motivations and struggles.  We will be taking our second spelling test this Friday afternoon.  Tic tac toes are also due on Friday.  

As always let me know any questions or concerns you have!  I hope you all have a wonderful week! 

Math review charts for chapter 4

Work jam!

World jam!

Updates!

We have a lot of exciting events this week!

• The Fundraiser ends Tuesday, please send in your money and order forms by then.  
• This Wednesday is Picture Day, please make sure your child is at school to get their picture taken
• Thursday we have World Jam day at school at 10:00 a.m. Students will be dancing to a chosen song on Thursday morning.  
• Thursday is Grant's Farm night from 5-8.  It should be a beautiful evening! 
• Friday there is no school for your child.  Teachers will be hard at work learning about new technology and safety for their classrooms.  

In our curriculum

This week in math, we are continuing to learn about algebra.  We are learning to write and solve expressions and equations with or without variables, addition properties, and finding a rule for a pattern and writing it in an equation.  We will be taking our quiz over chapter 4 on Thursday.  The study guide will go home on Tuesday, and be due on Thursday.  We are then finished with Unit 1 in math.  We will review and take the Unit 1 test next week.  

This week in English language arts we are finishing up with types of questions, and moving on to visualizing in our reading.  Since we read a lot of chapter books in fourth grade, this is a valuable skill.  We learn to make a movie in our minds as we read.  In writing we are continuing to work on our narrative unit, but getting into writing realistic fiction.  Students are finishing their personal narratives, and beginning to learn the writing process through fictionalizing narrative stories.  

As always, please contact me with any questions you have, and have an amazing week!  

Editing in writing

We learned to edit our writing! We read over our piece four times looking to make our piece ready to be viewed by others! 

Questioning in reading

This week we worked on questioning in reading.  We learned to make I wonder statements, answer questions within the text, beyond the text and about the text.  We also began guided reading groups, and met our goal of 45 minutes of reading stamina as a class!  What a week in reading! When you read with your child chose a question from the chart below to help them continue thinking while reading! 

Math this week

In math this week we learned about expressions and addition properties.  

Revising in writing!

We learned more about revising in writing!  We learned to add in details, take out details, work on word choice, and show feelings and emotions instead of telling! Students writing is coming along tremendously! 

More from buddies!

Getting to know our buddies!

Scholastic books

I am sending home book orders with your child today.  If you want to order, just send in the order form with money by this Friday, September 20.  Do not feel pressure to order.  If you want to order online, let me know and I can message you the code.  Thanks! 

Field trip

Our first field trip will be to Sappington house!  There will be a permission slip and brochure about the trip sent home with your child today.  We will be going on Thursday, October 10 from 8:45-2:00.  We will be bringing our lunch and eating there.  So, we are hoping for good weather! The cost is $4.00 per student.  We love chaperones, so if you would like to join us on the field trip, please make sure to check that on the form as well.  Thanks! 

Revising beginnings and endings

Math

Updates!

Happy Monday! I hope everyone had a nice, relaxing weekend!

We have our first early release day this Wednesday, September 18th.  We will dismiss at 1:40.  You filled out an Early Release form on Meet the teacher night.  If there are any changes to it, please let me know before Wednesday.  Wednesday is also our first Buddy Day!  If your child is in character club, they will also meet Wednesday.  Don't forget to check SIS to stay up to date on your child's grades.  In reading and writing, we have been working on building our stamina and routines, so reading and writing grades may not be an accurate representation.  As we get into guided reading, and teaching skills, you will see more assignments posted.

This week in math, we will be taking our Chapter 3 quiz on Wednesday.  It will cover addition and subtraction up to 4 digit numbers with carrying and borrowing, estimation, and word problems.  They will have to decide whether or not to add or subtract and whether to estimate or find an exact answer.  The study guide will be coming home tonight and will be due on Wednesday.  We will then begin Chapter 4 and learn how to write and solve addition and subtraction equations and expressions.

This week in English Language Arts, we will begin guided reading! Students are very excited to be meeting and reading books in small group.  We will also be working on questioning this week.  In writing we are continuing to learn about revising and beginning to learn about editing our writing. Everyone should be writing for 5 minutes each night in their writer's notebooks or on Kidblog.  It is Week C for turning in writer's notebooks on Friday, and they should have 11 entries by Friday.  I love reading their notebooks each week!  We are going to be getting new spelling words this week.  Your child should have their new words stapled in their planner by the end of the day on Wednesday.  We will not test over these words until Friday, October 4th.

Updates from SPTG: Great American Fundraiser: The fundraiser is in full swing, and we thank you for your participation!  Remember, that there are 2 more days to turn in Lucky Monkey coupons--Tuesday, September 17 and Friday, September 20.  Final turn-in days for orders is September 24, but feel free to turn your orders in anytime you feel your order is complete. 

Want to order online?  The code for Sappington is on the blue information sheet in your packet, but also here:  2235919.  Online orders count toward prize earnings for the kids, too, so feel free to let your out-of-town friends and family know!

The Great American Fundraiser is our one, large-scale fundraiser of the year where we make up the most of our operating budget--we are not selling Entertainment books or EFG (Major Saver) Cards anymore.  We will have smaller fundraisers, and we certainly appreciate any help you can give. 

Coming Soon: Grant's Farm Night September 26th from 5:00-8:00.  

I hope everyone has a great week!  Let me know if you have any questions! 

Talking with our writing partners

Stories we used for connections

Text to world (pollution) 

Text to text and text to self (sibling rivalry) 

Text to self (sibling rivalry) 

Making connections!

We have been working on making deep connections during our reading.  This week we read and made connections to our own lives, other books we have read and the world!  Ask your child to tell you the connections they are making while reading.  

More fuel up to play 60!

Strategies for solving addition and subtraction

Tracking our thinking in reading!

Updates!

I hope you all had a nice, relaxing weekend!  Here is what is going on in fourth grade this week!

This week in math we will be learning about addition and subtraction strategies and key words.  Look for anchor charts that show what we learned later this week.  We will begin with estimating answers to addition and subtraction problems, then actual adding and subtracting problems.  We will work on borrowing across numbers as well as zeros.  We will also be using our knowledge of addition and subtraction to solve word problems.

In reading we are continuing to write about our thinking when reading.  Your child will be writing their first reading response letter this week.  This will include one paragraph summarizing what they have read during independent reading time, and one paragraph that shows what they were thinking during independent reading time.  We worked on tracking our thinking last week to get ready to turn our thoughts into letters.  I will conference with students about their letters this week, and then we will begin to read in small, guided reading groups by the end of the week!  We have been working on our reading stamina as a class and we are up to 35 minutes of reading as of today!  They have been working so hard!

In writing we are continuing to work on our personal narrative writing.  Last week, we worked on coming up with small, crystal clear moments we had with people, places, objects, and pets.  This week we are going to narrow our topic down, and begin the drafting process. I am very excited to see their ideas grow into stories!

We will be taking our first spelling test this Friday.  Every student should have their individual spelling list stapled in their planner.  They each have 12 words to study.  There will be two additional words added to their test to show application of their individual spelling skill.  We have been working in small group to learn and practice these skills.  Their tic-tac-toe projects are due on Friday as well.  They work on these at school to practice their words.  Any student may bring them home to work on as well, if they don't think they will finish them on time.

As always please message me with any questions you have!  Have a great week!

Fuel up to play 60!

Football day!

Hat day!

Science (Mrs. Pride)

Hi parents,

We would like to do a science investigation on Thursday, and are in need of a variety of flowers.  If you have any flowers at your homes that you are willing to part with, please send them to school with your child tomorrow.  Any and all flowers are appreciated. 

Thanks for your donations!

Mrs. Pride

Math quiz

We will be taking our chapter 2 quiz on Thursday.  Please go over the study guide with your child.  They will have two nights to complete it.  We will continue to practice rounding today and tomorrow at school.  Remind your child when making a table to solve problems, we put all data in order from greatest to least.  Let me know any questions you have! 

Updates!

I hope you all had a nice, long Labor Day weekend!  We have a short week, with quite a bit going on!  

Curriculum: 
In math we are continuing to learn about comparing, ordering, and rounding numbers.  Your child will be taking their chapter 2 quiz over these skills on Thursday.  Study guides will come home tonight, but they will have two nights to complete them to get ready for the quiz.  

In reading we are learning to write about our thinking during reading.  We will use post-its to track our thinking, and then begin to learn to turn our post-its into letters about our reading.  

In writing we are beginning our personal narrative unit in writing.  We will be generating ideas this week for our personal narrative thinking about small important moments from our lives.  

In spelling we are going to be working on each group's spelling skill.  Your child will also be practicing their spelling words using a tic tac toe board with choices such as, writing their words in cursive, or finding the vowels in their words.  We will have our first spelling test next Friday, September 13.  All words should be stapled in their planners.  

Others News and Events:
Tuesday Night is our first Sptg meeting of the year in the cafeteria at 6:45.  There will be teachers on the playground to watch your children if needed!  

Bus Driver's Day - Friday we celebrate our school bus drivers.  These folks have the task of getting our students to school and home safely each day.  Feel free to make cards thanking them if your child rides the bus! 

Back to Football Friday - Please wear Rams gear or blue/gold on Friday.  You can also feel free to add a Fisher mustache or any football gear you have laying around at home.  We will have an assembly Friday morning to celebrate the NFL Play 60 program.  

M and M's for Mia and Maci and BBQ are next Friday and Saturday.  Sperreng will be partnering with the Mehlville Fire Dept by hosting a BBQ in the front parking lot of their campus. Saturday, Sept 7 Sperreng will have  M and M's for Mia and Maci. We can donate our time or M&M's for this event, or just stop by with your family.  

We are also having a hat day on Wednesday.  Students can wear a hat to school for a $1 contribution to the Gapsch fund. 

  Also mark your calendar for Friday, Sept 20, 6-9 pm for Mixer for Maci - a family night of food, fun, and fellowship  at Sperreng.

Please feel free to contact me for more information!  Have a great week!