AR homework grades

Each Monday, students will receive a homework grade for getting their AR tracking sheet initialed for the previous week.  They will also receive a homework grade for meeting their weekly AR goal.  A grade of 0 will be entered if the sheet was not initialed and/or if the weekly goal was not met.

FSA Testing Next Week

Students will take the state assessment (FSA) next week!  Please be sure your child is well rested, at school and on time every day!

Monday and Tuesday – ELA Testing

Wednesday and Thursday – Math Testing

4th Quarter AR Contract/Tracking Sheet

We have a new system for tracking AR progress this quarter.  Today you will see your child's AR contract and tracking sheet stapled inside his/her agenda book.  Each Friday your child will record their AR progress.  For homework over the weekend, they will need to get the form initialed by a parent.  Two homework grades will be given:  100%  for getting the form initialed by Monday, and 100%  for being "on track."  Being "on track" weekly with AR means that your child met the weekly percentage of their goal AND they have an average percent correct of 85 or higher.  Students will receive a grade of 0% for each criteria that was not met. Please help to support our efforts by asking your child about what they're reading, monitoring the time that they spend reading, initialing the paper weekly, discussing their progress with them, and last but not least, by providing a reward or consequence weekly for their AR performance.  Better readers equals better students and we want ALL of our students to be successful!!  Please let Mrs. Rodriguez know if you have any questions!!

Weekly Update

Hello!  Hope everyone had a restful Spring Break.  We're back in the swing of things here.

• Welcome to the 4th 9 weeks!  
• Florida Studies is back on schedule.  Students have been given some time in class to help make up for the lost time to complete it. 
• AR Goals have started over.  Ask your child what their new goal is and what book they're currently reading.  
• FSA Testing is next week!  Students will take the ELA portion on Monday and Tuesday, March 30th- 31st.  The Math portion will be taken on Wednesday and Thursday, April 1st-2nd.  We cannot stress enough the importance of attendance this and next week!  "Be here and be on time!"
• Be on the lookout for Spring Festival information. 
• 3rd 9 weeks Report Cards will be coming home soon.  For a detailed report of your child's grades please check  Pinpoint.  Misplaced your child's log-in information?  Just send us an email and we'll get that information to you.  lyncht@leonschools.net or rodriguez@leonschools.net

Kidney Disease Awareness Project

Attendance

Attendance is taken at 8:30.  Please ensure that your child arrives on time each day.  Also, if your child plans on eating breakfast at school, they must be on campus early enough to eat it before the bell rings at 8:25.  

Thanks in advance for your support, and let's have a great last 9 weeks!

Climate Survey

In an effort to improve system practices, Leon County School District is conducting a Parent Survey. We value your opinion and ask that you take the time to complete this survey. In order to complete the survey, please go to: http://www.advanc-ed.org/survey/public/6617029

 

Please be assured that your responses to this survey will be anonymous. Your opinion is appreciated. Thank you for your time and attention to this matter.

 

A few reminders

Birthdays – We love to recognize birthdays.  If you would like to send in a treat for the class, items must be in the office by 10:45am.  Please only send in easily distributed items such as cupcakes or cookies (no sheet cakes.)  Make sure to notify the homeroom teacher at least a day in advance.  Also, please don't send in treat bags, party hats, or other birthday party items.   

Work Completion after an absence- There was an extraordinary number of student absences this 9 week grading period, as well as students arriving late and leaving early.  Please be reminded that if your child misses a test or a quiz due to an absence, it is their responsibility to ask for their work and complete upon their return.  If the work is not made up in a timely manner, it may result in a zero. 

The last 9 weeks- Please help your child to organize their backpack and binder before returning to school after the break.  Please remove school letters/information, trash, graded papers, etc. and replace ripped or lost folders.  Your child also needs to have sharpened pencils and notebook paper in their binder. 

Chapter 11 Math Notes

Angles, Turns and Degrees

When in a fraction, the denominator must be 360!  If it is, the numerator is the measure of the angle in degrees. 

Using a Protractor

Remember, it's important to identify the angle as acute or obtuse before measuring.

Join and Separate Angles 

Finding missing angles is easy if you use what you know: circles are 360 degrees, straight angles are 180 degrees and right angles are 90 degress

One test down, two to go!

FSA prep for tonight

Tonight I suggest that students review their 2 pages of FSA writing notes, as well as their essays.   I have posted on this blog examples of both kinds of writing. I would like for them to compare their essays to the essays that are posted and look for things that may be lacking from their papers.  With both types of writing students need to divide their 90 minutes to include 30 minutes for reading the directions, reading the text set and for planning their essays.  The next 45 minutes should be spent on writing their essays.  The last 15 minutes should be spent on revising and editing.

Good luck fourth graders on the test tomorrow!!

FSA Writing Test is Tuesday!

It's almost time for the FSA Writing test. Your child has been working hard to prepare for the test on Tuesday, March 10th. Please continue to make sure that your child is at school and on time each day. Also, please ensure that your child has been getting enough sleep every night, and a healthy breakfast every day. We want to make sure that they are ready for the test on Tuesday, March 10th! Thanks for all of your help and support!!

Math Chapter 11

Heads up....This is a SHORT chapter.  With just 5 lessons, we will take the Mid-Chapter Quiz on Monday and our Chapter Test on Wednesday of next week.

Opinion essay notes

FSA opinion essay example

Opinion Essay Example

How much homework should kids get?

This is an example of an FSA style opinion essay’s format

            Many teachers feel that homework helps support learning that takes place in the classroom, but others feel that too much homework is a bad thing.  It is my opinion that less homework is better so that I have time for after school activities and so that I don’t learn to hate school.

            To begin with, I feel that I should have a smaller amount of homework because I need time to participate in after school activities like playing softball.  In the article, “The Homework Hubbub,” the author states that homework keeps kids from participating in sport and after school programs.  I agree!  Although, I have never missed a game because of homework, I have stayed up until midnight getting work done after a big game.  This caused me to sleepily fall asleep the next day during an important chapter test.  My homework the night before did not help me, but hurt me.  If only I had been assigned a realistic 30 minutes instead of two hours like the author Gabby Sands says is all that is needed.  I am in complete agreement with Ms. Sands when she says that kids need time to exercise and be kids!  Less homework is definitely better.

           

            Another reason that I believe less homework is better is because I don’t want to hate school.  Right now, I love school.  I love reading, I love math, and I most definitely love science.  Pile on the homework, and I may just start to hate school like the daughter of “Too Much Homework: Bad for Kids” author, Nancy Kalish.  The article said that her daughter was an enthusiastic middle-schooler- until homework took over her life.  The article went on to say that she worked every night and all weekend and began to dread school!  This makes me sad to know that homework caused this problem and could have been prevented with less homework.  I do not want the same experience for myself.  As of this moment I love school and I want to keep it that way!

            In conclusion, the article, “Homework Hubbub” stated that, “No study shows that students benefit in any way from homework before high school.”  I definitely agree with this statement and believe less is more.  Less is better so all kids have time for after school sports and clubs, and so that they never come to dread school.  I want kids to have fun and love school and less homework would certainly help. 

Exploring Symmetry with Pattern Blocks

In the midst of us WORKING, we've tried to have a little fun with symmetry.  Check out the symmetrical creations that students made.  (All creations were named by the students who created them.)

Optimus Prime

Man with Afro Doing Yoga

Native American Dance Mask

Cheerleader

The Amazing Bumblebee

Bella the Crab

Rocket

Cinderella's Castle

Finish the grading period strong!!

                                                       

Dear Parents,

To celebrate good behavior, good work/study skills, and students’ completion of their 9 weeks AR goal, we will have an afternoon of fun on Friday, March 13^th.  Encourage your child to work hard to finish the 3^rd 9 weeks strong by being good citizens, hard workers and by meeting their AR goal!! Only students with an E or S in behavior, work/study, and who meet their AR goal will be able to participate. 

If you can send in a snack to share, please let us know. 

Sincerely,

Fourth Grade Teachers

Tumbler Fundraiser

We will be selling themed tumblers for $16 in order to raise more money for technology at our school. There is a large variety of tumblers to choose from including a special one with the Springwood logo. 

They will not be collecting daily, but instead will only be collecting on certain days. 
Those days are:

• TOMORROW - students will be receive bonus prizes if they sell some tonight and turn in their order tomorrow
• Friday, March 6
• Monday, March 9
• Wednesday, March 11
• Friday, March 13 - LAST DAY

SAC will be collecting orders and money in the cafeteria on those days from 8:00 - 8:30. The last day to collect money and orders is on Friday, March 13 before we leave for spring break.

Math Vocabulary

Chapter 10 is all about VOCABULARY!  Students have started creating flash cards for the 23 terms they will learn in this chapter.  The test is scheduled for Thursday.   Help them study by using these flash cards and using their Math Composition Notebooks.

Points, Lines, Angles, etc.

Types of Lines: Intersecting, Parallel and Perpendicular

Line Symmetry

Classify (name) Triangles and Quadrilaterals

On Facebook?

Parents,

If you are on Facebook, we need your help! We are in a competition to see which school can get the most Facebook likes on their WeatherSTEM page.

If you are on Facebook, please search for Springwood Elementary School Weatherstem and click "like". Then share with all your friends to get them to like our page, as well. The school with the most likes will win a new piece of technology! (Still yet to be determined, but we will keep you posted!)

Springwood also has a school Facebook page.  Search for "Springwood Owls."

Thanks for your help!

Mark That Calendar

We have A LOT of things on our calendar's right now.  Please mark down these important dates.

• Tues. March 3rd. FSA Practice Writing Test
• Thurs. March 5th Math Chapter 10 Test
• Sun. March 8th  Daylight Savings Time - "Spring forward"
• Tues. March 10th.  FSA Writing Test (The REAL DEAL!)
• Mon.-Fri.  March 16th-20th  Spring Break
• Mon. March 23rd Teacher Planning Day
• Mon-Thurs  March 30-April 2nd  FSA ELA and Math Testing (The REAL DEAL!)
• Mon & Tues. - ELA Testing
• Wed. & Thurs. - Math Testing