Weekly News--March 19th

Benson/Bodrick News

News from the 4th Grade

March 16, 2018

Math News

We have been working hard this week on review for MAP and beginning a new topic.  We started topic 13 in our textbook on multiplying fractions by whole numbers. Next week we will work on comparing fractions to decimals.  Ms. Bodrick’s homeroom will take the Math portion of MAP on Wednesday. (Mrs. Benson’s homeroom is taking the Reading portion on Wednesday.) Please make sure to complete homework for that spiral review of all math concepts we have covered this year.

Congratulations to Brooke, Princess, Courtney, Austin, Jordan M., Kaleb, Heather, Emerson, Eddie, and Aiden!  They all mastered at least 10 topics each of the 3 weeks of our ALEKS Challenge! They earned a popcorn party which was held today!  Collectively, the 10 of them mastered 559 topics over the last 3 weeks!!!!! Three of them earned over 80 topics each during the three weeks.  Two of them even advanced to 6th grade ALEKS where the topics are a lot tougher. I am so proud of everyone giving their best efforts in this challenge!

Please have your child practice their multiplication facts.  There are many games on www.multiplication.com that they would love to play that will help them.  Some of our classmates are competing in Mr. Saxon’s March Madness Multiplication Game.  Congratulations to the Multiplication Tug Strikers for moving on to the semi-finals.  Good luck to The Fast and Furious 4 who will compete early next week to see if they make it to the semi-finals also.  Keep practicing facts on Tug Team!

If you still need to join Seesaw, please click here and follow the directions.

Science News

This week we talked about how our senses help us to survive.  We talked about how plants and animals react to different stimuli--for example, a turtle reacts to touch by retracting into their shells.  We will finish up our animal unit next week by completing an animal project. Details will be given to students on Monday. This project will be due on Friday and will count as a major test grade.  Students will also be completing a Study Island activity that will count as a test grade to finish up our animal unit.

We candled our eggs today and we have many, many baby chicks growing.  We hope to see them hatching on Monday, March 26th.

ELA News

After reading Dr. Seuss’ “Oh the Places You’ll Go” for Read Across America Day, and in light of Career Day at BHE on March 20th, students were told to visualize where they see themselves 10 years from now - whether in college studying for a specific occupation, military, or already in a career - and do research on the careers of their dreams! Students did presentations Wednesday-Friday and they could dress the part if they wanted. It was evident over the course of the week that they had so much fun and were excited to share with their peers what they had learned!!!! AND the work was really good!!! Here are some pictures!!!!

Next week MAP Testing will continue!!!! Benson’s Homeroom will test in Reading on Wednesday, March 21st. We will go over MAP goals Monday and review test-taking tips! Please make sure your child is at school on time as testing will being at 8:30am.

After MAP testing, students will go CAMPING as we continue to learn about/explore informational text structures! (My apologies that this did not happen this week - career presentations took up a vast majority of class time that I didn’t factor into plans)

Special shout out the following Lexia Core 5 Completers!

• Emily Lancaster
• Thomas Bozard

The following students are almost there! Keep pushing:

Otis Barlow, Daija Caldwell, Liana Adams, Caroline Goff, Jake Gonzales, Emerson Ramsdale, Darius Gatewood-White and Libby Lee

Social Studies News

Next Week: A New Nation - students learn about the Articles of Confederation and its apparent weaknesses and the document that replaced it - the U.S. Constitution. Students may use the following resources to learn/explore more about this topic.

Excellent Resource to Review with your Child:

• http://www.ducksters.com/history/us_constitution.php
• https://www.congressforkids.net/index.htm (LOVE THIS RESOURCE)
• https://www.brainpop.com/socialstudies/elections/usconstitution/

Fourth Grade News

Related Arts Schedule for next week

MAP Testing

MAP testing will be taking place next week on Wednesday, March 21st.  Please make sure your child is in attendance and on time. We will be starting around 8:50.  They have each been given their goals that they should be able to meet and pass. Rewards will be given to those students who meet their goals.

Fundraiser Time

Fundraiser money and order forms are due by Tuesday, March 20th.  Thanks to all those who have participated!  We are so grateful that PTO gives us money to spend in our classroom each year and know that we couldn’t do it without the participation in our fundraisers.,

Field Study to Charleston

Our field trip will be on Wednesday, April 11th.  This is the week after Spring Break.  We will be leaving BHE that morning at 6:30am.  Students need to report to school starting at 6:10am.  Please be on time so that we can leave on time.  We will check in at Liberty Square by 9am and taking the boat over to Ft. Sumter.  We do not want to miss our boat. After our tour of Ft. Sumter is over, we will have a picnic lunch on the aquarium lawn.  (Make sure you bring your lunch from home.) We will tour the aquarium until 2:00 and then board the buses to head home. Our arrival time is set to be about 4:15pm.  

Field Day Help

If you would like to volunteer to help with Field Day on Thursday, May 29th, please use this link. You can also sign up online at:  http://signup.com/go/QpbQbmd.

Ending Thoughts

Thank you for sharing your children with us!  Please feel free to email us with any questions.  For those who signed up for Remind 101 with Ms. Bodrick, feel free to shoot a text if necessary.  Click on our name below for a direct link to our email.

Thanks for sharing your children with us each day!

Mrs. Shannon Benson and Ms. Aubriaunna Bodrick

Weekly News--March 12th

Benson/Bodrick News

News from the 4th Grade

March 9, 2018

Math News

We took our Topic 12 test today.  Next week, we will be doing some review work getting ready for the MAP test.  Mrs. Benson’s homeroom will take Math MAP on Tuesday and Ms. Bodrick’s homeroom will take Math MAP on Wednesday, March 21st.  After we do some reviewing, we will move on to Topic 13 in our textbook--multiplying fractions & decimal and fraction relationships.  I will again, keep up with a running checklist on Google classroom so that if anyone misses class, they will know what we are working on.

This is the last weekend of our great ALEKS Challenge.  I will count topics earned from Monday to Sunday each week.  Not only will this give them extra points for ALEKS if they meet the challenge, it will also help prepare them greatly for the MAP tests which start next week.

Please have your child practice their multiplication facts.  There are many games on www.multiplication.com that they would love to play that will help them.  Some of our classmates are competing in Mr. Saxon’s March Madness Multiplication Game.  Congratulations to the following groups for moving into Round 2 of the tournament:

Super Smartest 4, Multiplication Allstars, The Fast and Furious 4, and Multiplication Tug Strikers.  They will face some fierce competition next week and hopefully move onto the semi-finals. Keep practicing facts on Tug Team!

If you still need to join Seesaw, please click here and follow the directions.

Science News

We took a quiz on inherited traits vs. learned behaviors this past week.  Students did a great job distinguishing between the two. We will continue talking about adaptations that plants and animals use for survival next week.  Our beans are growing very quickly in our classroom and our eggs have been incubating for almost a week. The students love coming into class and seeing how much the beans are growing and checking on the eggs.  Spring is a fun time to celebrate growth and life. If you see any creatures growing around your house, please use that as an opportunity for your child to teach you what they know about life cycles and adaptations.  They can even help you plant your garden this spring and talk to you about the types of plants you may be planting.

ELA News

Next week MAP Testing will begin!!!! Bodrick Homeroom will test in Reading on Tuesday, March 13th. We will go over MAP goals Monday and review test-taking tips! Please make sure your child is at school on time as testing will being at 8:30am.

After MAP testing, students will go CAMPING as we continue to learn about/explore informational text structures! By mid week, students will begin presenting their Career Reports!  Please refer to the guideline attachement and rubric that will be sent via email. Projects are due on March 13th - must be shared via email to get full credit for time mangaement, although everyone will not present this day. Career Day at BHE is March 20th!

Special shout out the following Lexia Core 5 Completers!

• Emily Lancaster
• Thomas Bozard

The following students are almost there! Keep pushing:

Daija Caldwell, Liana Adams, Caroline Goff, Jake Gonzales, Emerson Ramsdale, Darius Gatewood-White and Libby Lee

Social Studies News

This Week: Students reviewed the Causes of the American (including the French and Indian War, the Stamp Act, the Tea Act, and Intolerable Acts as well as American resistance to these acts through boycotts, petitions, and congresses), The Declaration of Independence and Course of the American Revolution (major battles and their significance to the overall outcome of the war). Throughout the week, students completed a scavenger hunt and on Thursday, we reviewed using Quizizz. Students that scored an 80% or better DID NOT have to complete test on Friday (another Quizziz with same questions), although some chose to. A large number of students were not prepapred as they should be.

(Liberty’s Kids Videos are available for students to view at home any time! I would strongly suggest having your child view them during down time as many have had questions about other important events of the war that were not necessary for them to learn.)

Next Week: A New Nation - students learn about the Articles of Confederation and its apparent weaknesses and the document that replaced it - the U.S. Constitution. Students may use the following resources to learn/explore more about this topic.

Excellent Resource to Review with your Child:

• http://www.ducksters.com/history/us_constitution.php
• https://www.congressforkids.net/index.htm (LOVE THIS RESOURCE)
• https://www.brainpop.com/socialstudies/elections/usconstitution/

Fourth Grade News

Related Arts Schedule for next week

MAP Testing

MAP testing will be taking place on Tuesday, March 13th and Wednesday, March 21st.  Please make sure your child is in attendance on those days and on time. We will be starting around 8:30 each morning.  They have each been given their goals that they should be able to meet and pass. Rewards will be given to those students who meet their goals.

Fundraiser Time

We kicked off our Spring Fundraiser this past Tuesday.  Students were sent home with a packet that included a catalog, order form, and information on the prizes.  Students have about 2 weeks to sell items. Money must be collected and turned in at the end of the 2 weeks.  Please check your child’s fundraiser packet for important dates.

Field Study to Charleston

We will be going on our last field study of the year on Wednesday, April 11th.  We are going to visit Charleston to tour Fort Sumter and the Charleston Aquarium.  We will be leaving at 6:30am and returning at 4:15pm. The cost of this trip is $55 per student and $62 for chaperones.  We are limited to 5 chaperones per class. If you would like to chaperone, please fill out the permission form with the accompanying $62 asap.  The first 5 chaperones that follow this requirement will be the chaperones for the trip. Forms were sent home last week. We look forward to a great educational experience.  The deadline for the money and forms is Thursday, March 15th.

Field Day Help

If you would like to volunteer to help with Field Day on Thursday, May 29th, please use this link. You can also sign up online at:  http://signup.com/go/QpbQbmd.

Ending Thoughts

Thank you for sharing your children with us!  Please feel free to email us with any questions.  For those who signed up for Remind 101 with Ms. Bodrick, feel free to shoot a text if necessary.  Click on our name below for a direct link to our email.

Thanks for sharing your children with us each day!

Mrs. Shannon Benson and Ms. Aubriaunna Bodrick

Math and Science News--March 2nd

Benson/Bodrick News

News from the 4th Grade

March 2, 2018

Math News

We have worked very hard this week adding and subtracting fractions with like denominators.  We have also started adding and subtracting mixed numbers.  The topic 12 checklist is in Google classroom and contains what we do each day in class with video links.  We will be finishing up this topic next week and taking a test on Friday.  This is Topic 12 in our Envisions textbook.  This can be accessed online at www.pearsonsuccessnet.com.

I strongly encourage students to practice adding and subtracting mixed numbers this weekend.  They have a worksheet that we completed in class--we only did the even numbers.  They can practice with the odd numbers.  The homework packet next week will not only include some spiral review questions, but I will also include some fraction and mixed number questions as well.

I have given students an ALEKS challenge.  I will still be giving a grade for topics completed in ALEKS each week.  However, if students complete at least 10 topics each week, for the next 2 weeks, they will also receive a great reward on Mondays.  I will count topics earned from Monday to Sunday each week.  Not only will this give them extra points for ALEKS if they meet the challenge, it will also help prepare them greatly for the MAP tests which will take place the first couple of weeks of March.  (Last week there was 19 students out of 46 who met the challenge.  As of Friday afternoon there were 25 students who have met the challenge--I hope by Monday that number increases.)

Please have your child practice their multiplication facts.  There are many games on www.multiplication.com that they would love to play that will help them.

If you still need to join Seesaw, please click here and follow the directions.

Science News

We talked a lot about inherited traits vs. learned or acquired behaviors.  We will continue with some activities next week and take a test on this part of our unit on Thursday.  I will be creating a quizlet that students will have access to by Tuesday that they can use to review.  Once it is created, I will add it to Google classroom.

Fourth Grade News

Related Arts Schedule for next week

MAP Testing

MAP testing will be taking place on Tuesday, March 13th and Wednesday, March 21st.  Please make sure your child is in attendance on those days and on time.  We will be starting around 8:30 each morning.  They have each been given their goals that they should be able to meet and pass.  Rewards will be given to those students who meet their goals.

Field Study to Charleston

We will be going on our last field study of the year on Wednesday, April 11th.  We are going to visit Charleston to tour Fort Sumter and the Charleston Aquarium.  We will be leaving at 6:30am and returning at 4:15pm.  The cost of this trip is $55 per student and $62 for chaperones.  We are limited to 5 chaperones per class.  If you would like to chaperone, please fill out the permission form with the accompanying $62 asap.  The first 5 chaperones that follow this requirement will be the chaperones for the trip.  Forms were sent home last week.  We look forward to a great educational experience.  The deadline for the money and forms is Thursday, March 15th.