Mrs. Hickson's Class

Welcome Back to School!!!  I hope you all had a wonderful Spring Break.  Now we need to get back to work as we have many classroom level assessments, district common assessments, and state & district required assessments.  Here is a schedule of the assessments coming up.

Math- Unit 7 test on 4/16/15.  A study guide was sent home on 3/31/15.

Science- Test date on 4/17/15.  A study guide was passed out on 3/30/15.

Social Studies-District Common Assessment on 4/22/15.  Study Guide sent home on 4/13.

M-Step testing-

ELA- April 28 and 29

Math- May 5 and 6

Science- May 7

These test dates are for the fourth grade only.  Different grade levels will be testing on different days.

NWEA Testing will take place during the month of May.  Exact dates are not yet available.

Students can get ready for the above assessments by:

**studying classroom materials

**using study guides

**reading the textbook

**practicing on Everyday Math site

**working through levels on Prepdog site

**reading and discussing what is read EVERYDAY with an adult- fiction AND non-fiction

**practicing math facts

**working through goals on Study Island

**working on skills on the abcya site

**watching videos and taking quizzes on Study Jams

AHHHH…Spring is finally here and we are quickly closing in on Spring Break.  Many students are going to exciting places over break and I can’t wait to hear their travel tales.  However, after break we have to shake the sand off of our toes as we have many classroom level assessments, district common assessments, and state & district required assessments.  Here is a schedule of the assessments coming up.

Math- Unit 7 test on 4/16/15.  A study guide was sent home on 3/31/15.

Science- Test date on 4/17/15.  A study guide was passed out on 3/30/15.

Social Studies-District Common Assessment on 4/22/15.  Study Guide will go home on 4/1/15.

M-Step testing-

ELA- April 28 and 29

Math- May 5 and 6

Science- May 7

These test dates are for the fourth grade only.  Different grade levels will be testing on different days.

NWEA Testing will take place during the month of May.  Exact dates are not yet available.

During (and after) Spring Break students can get ready for the above assessments by:

**studying classroom materials

**using study guides

**reading the textbook

**practicing on Everyday Math site

**working through levels on Prepdog site

**reading and discussing what is read EVERYDAY with an adult- fiction AND non-fiction

**practicing math facts

**working through goals on Study Island

**working on skills on the abcya site

**watching videos and taking quizzes on Study Jams

Have a wonderful and safe Spring Break!!

Please see the link in the post below to download the March Is Reading Month calendar.  Students have been given a hard copy of this calendar to take home.

3/5-  Students should wear a shirt with words on it!!

3/6- Science test.

Spring Picture Day.

PBiS Reward–  Students may bring a game to play with friends-Grades 3 – 5 are allowed to bring electronic games.  Please be advised that the school staff is not responsible for these items, the students are.  Students in my class may also bring a special snack.

Math-We have begun a new math chapter.  The whole chapter centers around the concept of fractions.  We will be finding fractions of sets, equivalent fractions, converting fractions to decimals, figuring out probability based on fractions, and solving word problems involving fractions.  Students not solid on their multiplication and/or division facts may have trouble with some of these activities. All students need to practice their facts everyday at home.

Science-We will have a science test on static and current electricity and magnets on Friday March 6.

Social Studies-We will have our long-awaited District Common Assessment on Government on March 11th.  Study guides were given to students in January.

March is reading month..rtf

Re: sign-up:  I hope I have gotten everyone who signed up for something.  If not just bring in the items you were planning on bringing.  When I tried to reply to my messages I got a message at the top of the page saying my message was undeliverable.  However, it didn’t tell me who it couldn’t deliver it to so I don’t know who received their reply from me and who didn’t or if I missed an incoming message.

Thank you to everyone who brought items for the celebration!!

Happy Valentine’s Day to you all and I wish all of you a happy and safe mid-winter break!!

Also, thank you for all the classroom supplies.  It is wonderful to know I teach in a school with such great parent support!

Please sign-up below to help make our celebration a success.

Items should be in school by 2:00 on Feb. 13th.

Juice boxes-  Nayla

Water bottles-

Cookies-  Amneh              Ethan

Cupcakes-  Zakariya

Veggies-  Tess

Fruit-  Sophie    Jake

Jello-  Charlie

Cheese and crackers-  Avery

Plates-  Brenna

Napkins-  Brenna

Other-  cake- Amneh

Welcome back to school!!!  We have a lot going on this month!!

Social Studies-  We begin the study of our federal government.  This week our discussions and lesson focus on the reasons we have government, the purposes of government, and the Preamble to the Constitution.  This unit will culminate in a district common assessment on March 11th.  Students have already received the study guide so they can study as we go through the unit.

Science- A test on forms of energy, simple machines, and temperature will be given on Jan. 14th.  Students have received the study guide and should be bringing materials home to study each day.

Math- Unit 5 covers extended multiple facts, double digit times double digit numbers and measurement using customary units.  If your child does not yet know their multiplication facts this unit will probably be difficult.  Daily practice of facts is vital.

ELA-  We will be doing a genre study of fantasy.  We will continue working on correct and complete responses to literature.

We continue working on writing complete and correct opinion pieces with an emphasis on social studies topics.

Our language study topics include figurative language, commas, quotation marks,  transitional words, and correct paragraphing.

Spelling 1/5 – 1/9

total, final, medal, vocal, royal, government, community, laws, rules, constitution

PBiS –  The Habit of the month is Habit #3- Put first things first.  Work first, then play.  Please try to reinforce this habit at home!!

**This month some students will take the DRA.  To prepare for this test students should continue to read 20 minutes every night!!

** We will also have the district writing assessment in January.  We will be writing an opinion piece.

The end of the first semester is January 23rd.  Grades are due on that date.  Report cards will come out the following week.

Students have no school on January 19th and 23rd.

Students have a half day of school on January 22nd.  Students attend school from 8:35 – 11:45 on that day.

Our holiday celebration will take place on Thursday Dec. 18th.

Holiday Celebration Sign-up: 

Cheese pizza will be served.

Plates: Brenna

Cupcakes: Ethan

Cookies:  Nayla          Charlie

Candy:  Alex    _____________   ______________

Chips:  ______________   ______________

Veggies and dip:  _________________   ______________

Jello: __________________

Fruit: Owen      _______________

Juice boxes:  Rema    ______________

Water bottles:  Avery    _____________

Crackers:  Amneh

Other:  _________________   _________________   ___________________

Spelling Words

Nouns made plural with more than an s:

geese, sheep, people, wolves, mice, volcanoes, potatoes, halves, lives, teeth

The test is on Friday 12/19.

IMPORTANT DATES:

**Dec. 17– The District Common Assessment for the Human Geography in the U.S. unit will be given at 2:25.

**Dec. 18–

*The Math Unit Four test will be given at 9:00.

*Final library book check-out of 2014!  Our library checkout time is at 1:15.

     *Class holiday celebration.  The celebration will begin about 2:00.

******If you do not wish for your child to participate please contact me as soon as possible.

**Dec. 19–

*PBiS reward.  Students should bring a junkie snack and an electronic game (or non-electronic game) of their choosing.

The reward time will begin at 1:15

*We will clean lockers and desks.  Please have students bring a bag.

*Students will be bringing home books to read over the break.  There will be a reading log to be filled out.

This will be a required ongoing weekly homework item beginning in January.

*Students will be bringing home a multiplication facts practice log.  This will be a required ongoing weekly homework item      beginning in January.

*****If you do not wish for your child to participate in reading and multiplication practice during break, please send me a signed note for my records.

Spelling

/on/ /en/ words

bison, vision, citizen, chicken. broken

Science content words

heat, light, sound, waves, spectrum

Math–  We are studying decimals.  It would be great if decimal/money problems came up at home that needed to be solved.  Please look for almost daily Study Links.  These are ALWAYS due the next school day.

****Also….multiplication facts need to be worked on each night!!!!  This is vital!!!!  Unit 5 is multi-digit multiplication!!  We will be spending very little class time on memorizing facts at this point.

Science–  The various types of energy are being explored.

Social Studies- We complete our discussions on cultural diversity and immigration this week.  We then move on to discussing how people adapt to different environments in the US and how people have used and impacted their environments.  Don’t forget to study each night.  The test day is approaching!!  Our District Common Assessment is on Dec. 17th!!!!!!!!

ELA-We will be looking at Point of View in our reading.  The correct placement of quotation marks will be reviewed.

We will be writing various opinion pieces in preparation for our district writing prompt.  The students will also add to their growing collection of haikus.

This week’s spelling words:

fountain

again

captain

dolphin

pumpkin

region

culture

diversity

immigrate

tradition

Social Studies:

We continue our study of the movement of people.  We will be focusing this week on immigration into the U.S. and as a result our country’s diversity.  We will also look at cultural influences of different immigrant groups.

Math:

Students will be converting fractions to decimals and vice versa.  The test will be before we leave for break.