Post #37

We are almost there. Assembly practice went smoothly. They were attentive and sounded great. The Fourthie party was packed with an extra surprise- The Kona Ice truck made a visit. A HUGE thanks to those parents who chaperoned and brought in treats. I'm typing this post as the girls are watching the movie, First Kid. This fun movie about a president's rebellious son was made in 1996. Part of the movie takes place in a stately brick school. Look familiar?

We worked a little more with perimeter and area that involved decimal calculations. Could you get creative with state names and think about the state as a food? These clever Fourthies did just that. Here's what I am talking about:

The girls presented their country research to each other. They learned some very interesting facts and had fun sharing their information and presentations.

To savor our Fourthie memories the girls created memory posters. They used Google Sheets (Google's version of Excel) and chose pictures from our blog.These will go home on Monday.

We did a final collaborative writing activity. I knew the girls would be talkative this week so I decided not to fight it but rather take advantage of their chatter. The girls used their voices to create abstract art and then summed up the "artwork." 

Class Leadership Week of 6/3

 Carpool Helpers- Lura and Kaylee

Monday, June 3 @ 8:30 – 9:45 (Please note-this is a half day. Dismissal is at noon.) The girls do not need to bring their backpacks.

Tuesday, June 4 @ 1:00 LS Final Assembly – Kenny Center

Post #36

We wrapped up math with a cumulative assessment on Wednesday. The girls have been reviewing for several weeks and were ready to show their mastery. They slapped on an "Empowerment Sticker" (see above) and got to work. We've been chatting about the importance of attention to detail and the girls took it to heart. I conferenced with each student and we reviewed her test together. The assessments will be filed and sent to Middle School but look for your daughter's score in her work folder. We celebrated Girl Power with a few of our own. Check out this EdPuzzle (relevance is always a good thing):

We are in the middle of the 1940's. We talked about Anne Frank and the events that shaped her life. The girls watched a film image (the only one in existence) of Anne and imagined what she was thinking. This decade gave us some great inventions- penicillin, Elmer's Glue, M&M's just to name a few. Commercials are being produced to promote one of the 1940's products/inventions.

Personalized Learning has been a favorite activity for these creative and innovative girls. They have researched and explored a variety of topics. We (myself included) have learned so much from each other. 

The final book project was completed this week. The girls created a dodecahedron ornament that included the literary elements found in their book.

Nuts and Bolts: 

Information needing a parent response is highlighted.

* Please bring a tote bag or paper bag each day. We will pack up a little each day so that June 3rd can be nothing but fun!

* Fourthie yearbook signing on Wednesday. Bring your Quair to school.

* Fifth Grade required math work. You will receive a hard copy from Middle School. Here's a copy just in case your hard copy goes missing.
* Fifth Grade required reading.

* Homework- no homework until 5th grade!
* Fourthie Party! We will celebrate on May 31st. Pool Party (girls will need a swim cap, one piece suit, towel) from 10:30-11:30, Pizza Lunch, Movie Time!! Girls may choose to wear their suit to school. There will be time to change if they would rather not wear the suit under their clothes.

* Final Assembly Information is here! Please be mindful of the rehearsal schedule if you need to make any appointments for your daughter:

Thursday, May 30 @ 1:00 – 2:00

Friday, May 31@ 9:00-10:00

Monday, June 3 @ 8:30 – 9:45 (Please note-this is a half day. Dismissal is at noon.)

Tuesday, June 4 @ 1:00 LS Final Assembly – Kenny Center

Class Leadership Week of 5/27

 Carpool Helpers- Allie

Special Week Girl- Chloe

Ambassadors- Kensie and Ellie

Photographer- Lydia

Closers- Angelina and Sissi

Girls-Your blog question is.......What will we have on June 3rd? Post your answer here.

Post #35

Can you imagine sitting around a radio with your family on October 30, 1938 and listening to the broadcast of the War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells? To conclude our study of the 1930's, the girls listened to the broadcast and drew what they imagined was happening. Here's an example from Lura:

We moved into the '40's and started by taking a quick peek at life in this decade. The girls read a graphic novel about the attack on Pearl Harbor, listened to President Roosevelt's speech about "The day that will live in infamy", and researched the event. Later they learned about the internment of Japanese-Americans. 

We are moving across America in math, solving riddles and practicing rounding. The girls reviewed area and perimeter with a fairly creepy introduction. They were so intrigued with the make-up artist that they asked for the video clip to appear in Three Word Thursday.

I mentioned the girls' love of Reader's Theaters last week. So what do you do when you are a Fourthie and your teacher doesn't assign enough Reader's Theaters? You write your own, of course! Kaylee took matters into her own hands and wrote a Reader's Theater about a St. Catherine's math class in room M02. The girls did an excellent job reading and reinforced some math skills too. 

We enjoyed some snacks after the immigrants arrived at Ellis island. We had digestives, dried turkey, Swiss rolls, aged cheese, water crackers, and a tiny bit of fruit. Many girls came dressed in clever outfits to showcase their country of origin.

I just realized that this is our last full week in fourth grade. YIKES!! We will keep "The Lamps of Learning Burning!"

Nuts and Bolts: 

Information needing a parent response is highlighted.

* Fifth Grade required math work. You will receive a hard copy from Middle School. Here's a copy just in case your hard copy goes missing.

* Homework- no homework until 5th grade!
* Fourthie Party! We will celebrate on May 31st. Pool Party (girls will need a swim cap, one piece suit, towel) from 10:30-11:30, Pizza lunch, Movie Time!!

* Final Assembly Information is here! Please be mindful of the rehearsal schedule if you need to make any appointments for your daughter:

Thursday, May 30 @ 1:00 – 2:00

Friday, May 31@ 9:00-10:00

Monday, June 3 @ 8:30 – 9:45 (Please note-this is a half day. Dismissal is at noon.)

Tuesday, June 4 @ 1:00 LS Final Assembly – Kenny Center

Class Leadership Week of 5/20

 Carpool Helpers- No one from M02

Special Week Girl- Chloe

Ambassadors- Kensie and Ellie

Photographer- Lydia

Closers- Angelina and Sissi

Girls-Your blog question is.......How many full weeks of school do we have left in fourth grade? Post your answer here.

Post # 34

Math can be funny, right? It is if you are in the fourth grade. We are wrapping up Unit Seven in math. The girls are adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing decimals. Their accuracy is impressive. So, I don't think they need a formal assessment. Instead the girls are moving through skill checks involving the four properties. One skill check is to create a meme that teaches a decimal/fraction fact. Here are a few examples from Ellie and Kensie:

The dining hall staff has asked the girls not to use the coffee stryrofoam cups. To keep "things real" the girls completed an Edpuzzle about the environmental cost of disposable cups. After solving the math problems, they dabbled with an augmented reality activity. Ask your daughter about the 3D Starbucks cup she designed for her cubby mate. For a girl who started teaching in the '70's, this augmented reality stuff is science fiction magic!

The girls had a taste of Middle School on Wednesday. And boy were they tired when they returned. They are excited about the freedom and some confessed they are a little afraid of the added responsibility. These girls will finish fourth grade strong and that will ensure a strong start in fifth grade. Do you have an Instagram account? Our girls were featured in the Big Sister Lunch date on Thursday. Angelina and Margaret went all out:

The girls love when we have a reader's theater during History4Fourthies. They "performed" a theater about The Great Depression. Later we focused on the Dust Bowl that devastated the mid-western states and explored more about Amelia Earhart. 

Most all of our creative writing is collaborative now. The girls love reading and commenting on each other's writing. I love the gentle way they offer feedback and encourage one another. Here's this week's 3WT- naturally it had a Mother's Day Connection.

The girls had fun preparing for Mother's Day. Be sure to ask your daughter for the treats she made for you at school. The girls all agreed that their moms would be perfect for this "Director of Operations" job. They wrote you a note about your qualifications for the Director job using Wordly Wise words.

Nuts and Bolts: 

Information needing a parent response is highlighted.

* Homework for family planning purposes.

* Lower School Book Fair (5/15 and 5/16)- Our class is going on Wednesday @3:10.

* Immigration Day- 5/17 - The girls may come dressed in humble outfits and bring a meager snack. They will share information about the country they emigrated from.

* Final Assembly Information is here! Please be mindful of the rehearsal schedule if you need to make any appointments for your daughter:

Thursday, May 30 @ 1:00 – 2:00 – Kenny Center

Friday, May 31@ 9:00-10:00 – Kenny Center

Monday, June 3 @ 8:30 – 9:45 – Kenny Center

Tuesday, June 4 @ 1:00 LS Final Assembly – Kenny Center

* Last Outreach Project:

Class Leadership Week of 5/13

 Carpool Helpers- No one from M02

Special Week Girl- Angelina

Ambassadors- Izzy and Lydia

Photographer- Lo

Closers- Allie and Ginny

Girls-Your blog question is.......When do we go to the Book Fair? Post your answer here.

Post #33

100 Class Compliments- something to celebrate!!

Back on campus after our trip to Zazoli's. We brought Officer Snead with us as a special treat:) 

A good time was had by all (almost all, we missed Lucy but are happy she's felling better). I love being in public with these girls. They represent who we are as a school in the most beautiful way.

On the topic of celebrations....WOW! The girls went all out for my birthday. We had balloons, cupcakes, donuts, streamers, flowers and tons of fun. I feel so fortunate to be their teacher.

But really, the week including LEARNING! 

Most girls finished their decimal shopping project. They found some great sale items and learned how to work with "percentage off" kinds of questions. We are moving quickly through Unit Seven in math. They are using their tools and their calculations are ACCURATE! Decimal multiplication was introduced this week. The girls know the importance of estimating first and are having no problem determining decimal placement. On to dividing decimals next week.

We moved into the 1930's in History4Fourthies with a brief and somewhat complicated/confusing explanation of what caused The Great Depression. I assured the girls that they would delve deeper into this topic in later years. To help the girls have an understanding of key events, we began with an EdPuzzle about the Dust Bowl and worked in some math problem solving at the same time. Our next novel study will be The Home-Run King by Patricia McKissack. This is a great story about the superstars of the Negro Baseball League in the 1930's. 

There will be one more book project. The girls will create a dodecahedron ornament about their book of choice. Most of the project will be completed in class (including the assembly), but a few sides will be assigned as homework. 

We have a few more Wordly Wise lists to conquer before the end of the year. Wordly Wise has been in our fourth grade curriculum for many years. Every now again Wordly Wise comes up in conversation with a parent or faculty alum. Sometimes the comments are not very positive. A few have even described our Wordly Wise program as dull. Yes, Wordly Wise is a workbook but we kick it up, 21st century style: Flip grids, picture match-up, collaborative creative writing, digital flashcards, Kahoot- just to name a few. This week we played Quizlet Live. Dull? Hardly, take a look for yourself.

Nuts and Bolts: 

Information needing a parent response is highlighted.

* Homework for family planning purposes.

* Middle School visit (5/8 from 9:00-1:00) The girls will get a bird's eye view of fifth grade.  
*Big Sister Lunch on the Green- 5/9 (A bag lunch will be provided for your daughter if she usually eats dining room food.)

* Lower School Book Fair (5/15 and 5/16)- Our class is going on Wednesday @3:10.

* Immigration Day- 5/17 (The girls will receive more details as the day approaches.)

* Final Assembly Information is here! Please be mindful of the rehearsal schedule if you need to make any appointments for your daughter:

Thursday, May 30 – Kenny Center

1:00 – 2:00

Friday, May 31 – Kenny Center

9:00-10:00

Monday, June 3 – Kenny Center

8:30 – 9:45

Tuesday, June 4 – Kenny Center

1:00 PM – LS Final Assembly

New York Times Best-selling author, Jessica Day George is coming to St. Catherine’s School on Wednesday, May 15 to speak to our 3rd and 4th grade students. She is the author of the new series, The Rose Legacy and the best-selling Tuesdays at the Castle series. She will be sharing her behind-the-scenes experiences with writing books, as well as the questions she asks to get her ideas.

We are offering the opportunity to purchase an autographed book for your child through our local children’s bookshop, bbgb books.   Orders are being handled online through their website,bbgbbooks.com/book-buzz. There you’ll find all of the books available along with prices. We are receiving a 15% discount on the books, so when ordering online, please use coupon code cats15. 

Please place your order by Monday, May 6^th. You may call bbgb with any questions at 804.353.5675.

Class Leadership Week of 5/6

 Carpool Helpers- No one from M02

Special Week Girl- Angelina

Ambassadors- Chloe and Angelina

Photographer-Lucy

Closers- Lo and Ellie

Girls-Your blog question is.......What day do you visit Middle School? Post your answer here.