Converse's Twitchell Auditorium, Here We Come!

Imagine the entire auditorium filled with fourth graders playing their recorders with a symphony orchestra accompanying THEM!  What an experience!  

 

Sometimes the music stirred us

 
 

and sometimes the music totally relaxed us!

 

 

Book Clubs Have Arrived in 4th Grade for the First Time EVER!

 

Book Clubs have arrived for the first time ever, but by the reaction of our 4th graders they will be here to stay!  Motivation to read is at an all time high as we save 30 minutes of our reading time for student driven and directed independent reading. The teacher takes a back seat as all activities are planned by the student directors and each member has a very important but specific responsibility such as "Word Wizard," "Stellar Summarizer," "Artful Artist," and "Literary Luminary!"

Most parents also volunteered to take their turn catering healthy snacks for every Friday's meeting when the clubs share their specific work for the week. Believe me, book clubs are the highlight of every day, but especially FRIDAYS! Check out our hallway display to see who signed up for which book across the grade level.

  Reading is so much more fun when you can share what you think of the characters and the plot with your friends!

Fourth grade friends don't always agree, but knowing how to accept different opinions is a lifelong skill.

Sometimes levels don't matter when the interest is high!

Thanks, mom, for sending snacks for our book club meeting! Book Clubs are the most delicious on Fridays. 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                            Catch of the Week

Social Studies–Review Bill of Rights, Citizenship and continue Early Leaders during Westward Expansion

Reading-Book Clubs (work on sheets in folder, always due Friday, and do daily reading assignments)

Language– timed expository writing

Math–continue reviewing geometry and measurement equivalencies with conversions

Science– review types of clouds and understand the water cycle 
 

 

 

 

                                                                 Catch the Wave!

                                                                    (Tests & Projects)

Wed/Science CLOUD QUIZ (description & picture)

Cumulus, Cirrus, Stratus

Thurs/ Math MAP TEST!

Re-study packet this week, if you need to and go to bed by 8:30! 

       Remember to eat a healthy breakfast.

Fri/Reading Vocab TEST and Soc.St./Bill of Rights & Citizenship Test

 

 

 

                                                        Important Dates to Remember:

March 24-Book Fair for our class …  10:05-10:30

March 24-PTA 6:30 pm (PE Performance)

March 25– Orchestra Trip to Converse College (no chaperones needed)

March 26/Thurs.– MAP Math Test and Report Cards!

March 31– Awards Day 8:30

April 1– Moon Phases Calendar Log due

  April 4-12 Spring Break!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pamphlet of Protection

This is the SITUATION...It's the year 2056 and the world has been invaded by aliens.  It was a tough battle, but we were the victors.  Unfortunately, we suffered many losses one being the destruction of our Constitution including our precious BILL OF RIGHTS. It is left to us to rebuild our nation starting with this document. We managed to snap some photos of our citizens working on the new Bill of Rights, renamed the "Pamphlet of Protection."

Carson, Brooklyn, Donnell, Erika, and Pierce discussing which rights are important for the new nation.

 

Reaching a consensus is not always easy.  Here's Connor, Sarah Reilly, Keira, Kaleb, and Hannah making important decisions for their future.

 

Jayden trying his best to convince his team that it is okay to "enslave citizens" if those citizens are criminals and you are having them work for the community.

 

Emily making a point trying to convince her group to include a certain right.

At the conclusion of our simulation, we reached consensus on 10 necessary "rights" that were 80% in agreement with the original amendments in our Bill of Rights! This was quite interesting considering our class was not familiar with the original amendments before doing this activity.

Catch of the Week for March 16th:

Social Studies–Review "Bill of Rights," citizenship and begin Early Leaders

Reading-Begin novel, SHILOH, study and review story elements vocab...and BOOK CLUBS start

Language– Review punctuation and TMED WRITING

Math–Geometry and measurement equivalencies

Science– Clouds and water cycle

 

 

 

Surf's Up!

(Tests & Projects)

TUES/READING MAP TEST!

Re-study packet on Monday, if you need to and go to bed by 8:30!  : )

Remember to eat a healthy

breakfast.

THURS/Math– Measurement Equivalencies Test #2

 

 

 

Important Dates to Remember:

March 17/Tues.--MAP Reading Test

March 25– Orchestra Trip to Converse College (no chaperones needed)

March 26/Thurs.– MAP Math Test

March 31– Awards Day 8:30

Report Cards come home!

April 1– Moon Phases Calendar Log due

April 4-12 Spring Break!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Many Joys of Teaching!

Erika being a little camera shy!

 Love these Kids!

Good buddies just hanging out.

Some of the boys taking in the character parade.



Olivia, S.R., Kara, and Chloe moments before the parade started.                 S.R. and her mom.

Keira, Hannah, and Emily showing off their Book picks.

Cowboy Connor posing with a couple more of our "characters".

Thanks, class, for getting the most donations on the last weekend.
Dr, Patterson didn't see this one coming!

 

 

Catch of the Week:

Social Studies–Review Bill of Rights and  being a good citizen.

Reading-focus on math vocabulary for MAP testing and continue cold passages

Language– finding main idea and being able to write concluding statements

Math–geometry and measurement equivalencies

Science– earth’s rotation and how that affects shadows ...retest moon phases if necessary

 

Surf's Up!

 

 

 

(Tests & Projects)

Wed: Re-test Moon Phases for those that need it AND Math

measurement equivalencies Test 1

Thurs: Science/Astronomy 2 (moon, tides, shadows)

Fri: Math vocab Test

 

 

 

 

March Madness Has Arrived!

  Are you ready for our Boosterthon Run? 

We aren't taking any chances with the weather and will be holding our run in the gym at 1:10.  Parents are welcome to come and cheer as our students try for 30+ laps for those promised donations. Teachers and Boosterthon coaches will be keeping track by marking the laps on the backs of students' t-shirts.  Don't forget to wear your fastest sneakers!


This will be our week to celebrate   "Read Across America" and "SC Walk to School Day"...so we will pick  Wednesday, March 4 to do both! At 1:15 PM we will walk around the outside of the school in our favorite book character costume! On Tuesday morning, Mrs. Kanipe, has invited children's author, Chris Rumble to speak in the cafeteria. 

Chris Rumble

Catch of the Week

Social Studies–Review branches of  government and Bill of Rights.

 

Reading-Understanding morals and themes in works of literature.  Practice matching correct morals with fables.

Language– Review capitalization rules and continue practicing timed

expository writing

Math–Practice converting fractions to decimals and review geometry.

Science– Build models of  moon phases and  begin keeping a lunar log, discover how moon phases affect tides

 

 

 

 

 

 

Surf's Up!

(Tests & Projects This Week)

Wed: Science/Astronomy I (This test has been postponed from last week...review sheets in Science composition book)

Thurs: Quiz on Moon Phases

Fri: Branches of Government Test

* Moon Phases /”Lunar Log”- keep log for month of March

 

 

 

 

Valentines and Snow Days

 

 

 

Our Valentine's Day Party was SO much fun!  Mrs. Bruce brought us cupcakes and juice packs and then we played several "Minute-to-Win-It" games.  We stacked Conversation Hearts, put Skittles on our foreheads, transferred a Lifesaver with sticks in our lips and worked to pick up M&Ms with chopsticks.  Erika's team won three of the competitions and Olivia's team scored on the last one.  Check out Donnell and Joseph focused on getting the lifesaver to transfer from one stick to the other without dropping.




Last week was the first time we studied Greek & Latin root words.  We memorized lots of number roots and saw how that root was present in many words we already knew. 

When we get back from our SNOW days we will be introduced to our NEW Greek & Latin Roots.  If you want to get a head start you could start making 11 flashcards.  Include the roots "aqua" and "hydra" with the definition "water" too.

Aqua/Hydra=water

aquarelle-watercolor painting
aqueduct-a pipe or channel for moving water to a lower level, often across a great distance
aqueous-watery
aquamarine-turquoise color
aquatic-in or of the water
Aquarius-constellation pictured as a man carrying two buckets of water and a zodiac sign 
hydrophobia-fear of the water or rabies
hydraulic-powered by water
hydrant-a water source in the street
hydroponic-growing plants in water

In case you are wondering, all our tests for this week will be pushed ahead to next week!  So, have fun with your families in the snow, ice or puddles!  See you Thursday, maybe...

  

Beatnik Poetry Cafe...Can You Dig It, Man?

Everyone agreed that the "Beatnik Poetry Café" needs to be an annual event!  Our performers were out-of-this-world!  Not only did we look way cool, but our performances were unbelievably impressive. Edgar Allan Poe, William Shakespeare, Walt Whitman, Lewis Carroll, and many more poets were honored.  Special thanks goes to Olivia's and Zachary's moms for setting up our café and making the delicious hot chocolate and Chloe's, Sarah Reilly's, and Emily's moms for agreeing to bake desserts. Now here are some of our performers:

 

Donnell and Zachary
 



Maddox



Brooklyn



Max

Keira



Hannah



Joseph



Erika

Jonathan

 

Emily



Special thanks to Connor! Not only did he recite a poem, he entertained us in-between performances with his bongo playing!!

Surf's Up! 

This is what's planned for the week:

Wednesday-Math/multiplication of fractions

2 x 1/4 = 2/4=1/2          1/3 x 2/7=2/21

Remember!  Reduce it for full credit! 

 

Thursday-Language/Homophones

(too, to, two)  

(there, their, they're)

(your, you're)

(here, hear) 

 

Friday-Reading/Greek & Latin "Number" Roots...students will memorize the root and the number and be able to give one example for each.  Example: 1....uni....unicycle

                  3....tri....tricycle(this practice sheet is already in our notebooks)

 

By Friday Social Studies- Be able to recite the "Preamble" to the Constitution and understand the meaning of specific words that we annotated on the copy in our notebook (example: union, establish justice, domestic, tranquility, defense, welfare, liberty, posterity)

 

 

 

We will be decorating our Valentine bags on Monday...so you can deliver your valentines Tuesday-Friday.

Look for names of classmates on the back of this week's newsletter.