Welcome to Mrs. Gardner's Fourth Grade Class:
(formerly Ms. Hirmer)
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 «««« Look at the LEFT menu to find:
-Useful Links: links to websites that connect to our curriculum. 
-Files and Documents: download printable documents (study guides, supplemental activities that align with our math curriculum)
                                                                
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Please see below for Classroom Updates:
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Classroom Update – November 9^th   

Dear Class,

I cannot tell you how excited I was to come back from my wedding weekend and share the pictures with you!  Thank you for all the love and excitement you’ve shared with me as Tyler and I celebrate this wonderful time. Here are a few pictures of our big day:

TIMED MULTIPLICATION QUIZZES (3 minutes): I have moved the date for the popcorn party, because of my wedding absence! Students who have mastered their 0’s – 6’s by Nov. 16^th will earn a popcorn party.  Students who have mastered 0’s – 12’s by Dec. 20^th will earn an ice-cream party.  The parties are unrelated and if you miss the first party you are still eligible to work toward party #2! Students can retake them as many times as needed in order to demonstrate mastery (earning an A), because they are timed. *Students who are studying NIGHTLY are beginning to see the positive difference it makes each day.  Please encourage your child to have flash cards (or any other method) on hand to practice nightly!

Happy Fall!
Ms. Hirmer

Announcements/Upcoming Events:  
*11/12 – Veteran’s Day Holiday – NO SCHOOL 
*11/14 – Report Cards Go Home
*11/16 – Multiplication Masters POPCORN Party (0’s – 6’s)
* 11/16 – Final Jamestown Payment DUE
*11/30 – Jamestown Field Trip

Math – UNIT 2: FOUNDATIONS OF MULTIPLICATION & DIVISION
Multiplication & Division skills include the following:

4.4 The student will... 

a) demonstrate fluency with multiplication facts through 12 x 12, and the corresponding division facts;

b) estimate and determine sums, differences, and products of whole numbers;

c) estimate and determine quotients of whole numbers, with and without remainders; and

d) create and solve single-step and multi-step practical problems involving addition, subtraction, and multiplication, and single-step practical problems involving division with whole numbers.

4.5 The student will... 

a) determine common multiples and factors, including least common multiple and greatest common factor;

4.16 The student will recognize and demonstrate the meaning of equality in an equation. 

**There are extra resources located on my class page in the files and documents section they are labeled Reteach, HW Practice, and Enrich for different levels of student need. Please feel free to take a look and utilize those resources to aid the study guides in preparation for the unit test.

SCIENCE – UNIT 3: Scientific Method

SOL 4.1 The student will demonstrate an understanding of scientific reasoning, logic, and the nature of science by planning and conducting investigations in which…

a) distinctions are made among observations, conclusions, inferences, and predictions;

b) objects or events are classified and arranged according to characteristics or properties;

c) appropriate instruments are selected and used to measure length, mass, volume, and temperature in metric units;

d) appropriate instruments are selected and used to measure elapsed time;

e) predictions and inferences are made, and conclusions are drawn based on data from a variety of sources;

f) independent and dependent variables are identified;

g) constants in an experimental situation are identified;

h) hypotheses are developed as cause and effect relationships; i) data are collected, recorded, analyzed, and displayed using bar and basic line graphs;

j) numerical data that are contradictory or unusual in experimental results are recognized;

k) data are communicated with simple graphs, pictures, written statements, and numbers;

l) models are constructed to clarify explanations, demonstrate relationships, and solve needs; and m) current applications are used to reinforce science concepts.

For additional copies to study at home so you don’t forget to bring it to class, please visit Ms. Hirmer’s class page under “Files and Documents”.

UPCOMING:
Quiz: 11/16
Unit Test: 11/29 (entire unit)

Please contact Mrs. Shields with all Science questions/comments: ShieldME1@pwcs.edu

VA STUDIES – UNIT 2: Jamestown  
- study guides are given in advance to promote healthy study habits!

Each student was given a Packet/Study Guide in class.  If yours is lost or you’d like to print an additional copy to study at home so you don’t forget to bring it to class, please visit Mrs. Shield’s class page under “Files and Documents”. 

UPCOMING:
Jamestown Quiz #2 on SOL 4.3 B – Friday, 11/16
JAMESTOWN FIELD TRIP – Friday, 11/30

Lang. Arts/Reading – UNIT 3: Making Inferences; Focus on the HISTORICAL FICTION genre.  

Teacher Read Aloud: I Am Malala

AR: Students are expected to take a quiz on 1 chapter book and 1 story book per week.  
I provide story books in the classroom that are related to our genre focus (This week: historical fiction).  We have begun to learn how to set reasonable goals for our chapter books by looking at the total pages, making an estimate of how many page we read each day, and dividing it out.  

EXAMPLE: 
So, if the book is 250 pages and I read approximately 20 pages per day (during class reading time + homework reading time), I can estimate that it will take me about 12-13 total days to read this book.  (250 ÷ 20 = 12.50) 

UPCOMING: 
Unit 2 Test - Sequencing Events/Personal Narrative - Thursday 11/15

Writing – FOCUS: 
- The Writing Process (Brainstorm, Draft, Revise, Edit, Publish). 
We are becoming published authors!  Our "Best Part Of Me" personal narratives are nearly finished. Be on the lookout for information coming home on how to order your own book of our class' writing! 

-Identifying & composing: Complete sentences/Run-on sentences/Sentence fragments & answering short-answer questions with complete sentences using text evidence. 

-Genre: Personal Narrative 

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Classroom Update – October 19^th  

Please begin practicing multiplication facts 0-12 daily!  Being fluent with multiplication fact mastery will be incredibly helpful as we tackle multi-step problem solving. We have begun our multiplication timed quizzes in class.  Because these quizzes are TIMED (3 minutes), students can retake them as many times as needed in order to fully master 0-12’s.  Students who have mastered their 0’s – 6’s by Nov. 8^th will earn a popcorn party.  Students who have mastered 0’s – 12’s by Dec. 14^th will earn an ice-cream party.  The two parties are unrelated and if you miss the first party you are still eligible to work toward party #2! HAPPY STUDYING!

We have a lot of FUN events coming in the near future: Fall Fest, Popcorn Party, and Jamestown Field Trip. 😊 Please keep an eye out for flyers/information coming home. 

Sincerely, 
Ms. Hirmer 

Sign up to donate supplies for FALL FEST 2018: https://tinyurl.com/HirmerFallFest2018 All donations are needed by October 24^th

Announcements/Upcoming Events:  
*10/30 – JW Alvey Science Night 6:00-8:00 (Cafeteria)
*10/31 – 4^th Grade Fall Fest – SUPPLIES NEEDED 😊 
*11/1 – Safe at Home, Safe Alone Program (during school hours)
*11/5 – Teacher Work Day – NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS
*11/6 – Parent/Teacher Conferences 12:00-8:00
*11/08 – Multiplication Masters POPCORN Party (0’s – 6’s)
*11/12 – Veteran’s Day Holiday – NO SCHOOL 
*11/30 – Jamestown Field Trip *Info sheet coming home today (10/19)

Math – UNIT 2: FOUNDATIONS OF MULTIPLICATION & DIVISION
Multiplication & Division skills include the following:

The student will 

• demonstrate fluency with multiplication facts through 12 x 12, and the corresponding division facts; SOL 4.4 A
  
  
•  estimate and determine sums, differences, and products of whole numbers; SOL 4.4 B
  
  
• estimate and determine quotients of whole numbers, with and without remainders; and SOL 4.4 C
  
  
• create and solve single-step and multi-step practical problems involving addition, subtraction, and multiplication, and single-step practical problems involving division with whole numbers. SOL 4.4 D
  
  
• determine common multiples and factors, including least common multiple and greatest common factor; SOL 4.5 A
  
  
• The student will recognize and demonstrate the meaning of equality in an equation. SOL 4.16

**There are extra resources located on my class page in the files and documents section they are labeled Reteach, HW Practice, and Enrich for different levels of student need. Please feel free to take a look and utilize those resources to aid the study guides in preparation for the unit test.

SCIENCE – UNIT 2: WEATHER

• Weather phenomena
• Air pressure
• Air masses
• Cloud types
• Precipitation types
• Meteorological tools
• Science process skills (a.k.a. applying and using the Scientific Method)

For additional copies to study at home so you don’t forget to bring it to class, please visit Ms. Hirmer’s class page under “Files and Documents”.

UPCOMING:
Quiz 3 (4.6 C) – Oct. 25
Unit Test (4.6 A,B,C) – Nov. 1

Please contact Mrs. Shields with all Science questions/comments: ShieldME1@pwcs.edu

VA Studies – UNIT 2: Jamestown: First Permanent English Settlement - study guides are given in advance to promote healthy study habits!


Each student was given a Packet/Study Guide in class.  If yours is lost or you’d like to print an additional copy to study at home so you don’t forget to bring it to class, please visit Mrs. Shield’s class page under “Files and Documents”. 


Lang. Arts/Reading – UNIT 2: Sequencing Events (Big Ideas); Focus on the PERSONAL NARRATIVE genre.  

AR: After reading for 20 minutes each night for homework & reading for 20+ minutes in class each day, students are expected to take a quiz on 1 chapter book and 1 story book per week.  I provide story books in the classroom that are related to our genre focus (This week: personal narratives).  We have begun to learn how to set reasonable goals for our chapter books by looking at the total pages, making an estimate of how many page we read each day, and dividing it out.  

EXAMPLE: 
So, if the book is 250 pages and I read approximately 20 pages per day (during class reading time + homework reading time), I can estimate that it will take me about 12-13 total days to read this book.  (250 ÷ 20 = 12.50) 

Writing – FOCUS:
- The Writing Process (Brainstorm, Draft, Revise, Edit, Publish). 

-Identifying & composing: Complete sentences/Run-on sentences/Sentence fragments & answering short-answer questions with complete sentences using text evidence. 

-Genre: Personal Narrative 

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