Ms.+O'Reilly

Week of 03-19-18

I hope everyone had a restful Spring Break. I did but I'm ready to continue our work in math and science and get back to our normal routine.

__**This week in Math:**__ We will finish our unit on conversions of length, liquid volume (capacity) and mass/weight. Studentgs will learn to add mixed units and convert within the metric system. We will review units of time on Wednesday and then move into elapsed time. Students will learn 3 different methods to calculate elapsed time-Number Line, T-Chart and Z method. We will take a timed multiplication quiz this Monday. This will enable students to see what facts they remember and which ones they need to continue to study. It is so important that everyone have their facts memorized at this time in the year. If your child has lost the self study triangles they received at the beginning of the year, send me an email and I will happily copy and new set for him or her.

__**This week in Science:**__ We will begin our unit on plants and animals. This week we will be looking at parts and members of an ecosystem and life cycles.

Have a lovely week and as always, please email me if you have any questions or concerns.

Week of 02-26-18 __This and That:__ -Monday we will kick off our FunRun event. Look for more information in the Tuesday folder and emails -Wednesday is a full school 3:15 dismissal. There will be no extended day or clubs after school.

__In Math:__ We will be beginning our unit on measurement. We will begin by working with length both customary and metric. We will look at benchmarks which is using everyday objects to help visualize the approximate length of another object. For example, knowing that a small paperclip is about 1 inch can help a student visual the length of a pencil. Students will also learn to convert within the same system-converting from yards to feet to inches for example.

__In Science:__ After learning about weathering, erosion and deposition along with plate tectonics, students are ready to be introduced to the rock cycle.They will learn about sedimentary, metamorphic and igneous rocks and how each is created. They will then have the opportunity to observe and learn about specific examples from each of the 3 types.

Have a wonderful week!

Week of January 29, 2018

This and That:
 * Please remember to check your child's conduct folder on a regular basis. It is checked for parent signatures every Friday.
 * Progress reports will be coming home in the Tuesday folder. Please sign and return on Wednesday.
 * Thursday is our book fair. Ms. O'Reilly's HR class will be going to the fair from 8:20-8:40. If you would like to send some money with your child, please put it in a sealed envelope. Your child will be responsible for his/her money.
 * One of the best things a parent can do to help their child in school is to check their graded work and homework with them. Children need to hear and work with concepts many different ways and multiple times. Frequently, having a conversation with another adult helps to solidify the lessons taught,

In Math we continue our geometry unit. Last week the students learned about points, lines, rays, line segments and how to name them. They also learned how to classify triangles based on the degree of angle and the length of the legs. This week students will learn the properties of polygons and how to classify and describe them. We will learn how to use a protractor and how to measure angles. Students will also learn about complementary and supplementary angles.

In Science we continue learning about weather. This week we will look at forecasting and prediction.

Have a lovely week!

Week of January 8, 2018 Welcome back! I hope everyone had a restful break. __**T**__ __**This Week in Class:**__ In Math we will be working with perimeter and area on Monday and Tuesday. Students will learn how to find the area of an irregular polygon and the perimeter of a shape with missing measurements. They will learn the formula for perimeter and area of regular polygons as well. They will use Cheez-Its to learn how perimeter changes with shape and work to create a shape with the largest and smallest perimeter. Wednesday we will be reviewing the skills learned so far in preparation for a district benchmark that will be given on Thursday. Please be sure your child is well rested and at school on time so they will have time to complete the assessment.
 * __This and That:__**
 * 1) I would like to thank all the parents who helped us with our holiday party and/or brought goodies for our bingo game. I'd also like to give a shout out to our fearless room mom, Ms. Welsh, for her incredible bingo calling skills. Thank you everyone! It was a wonderful party.
 * 2) I told both classes that we will be taking our timed multiplication quiz on Monday and anyone who has their 1 minute score go up gets an immediate trip to the treasure chest. If your child hasn't thought about their math facts, please make them sit down and work to refresh their memory. The 3rd nine weeks is the hardest of all semesters and having fact fluency is crucial to your child's success.
 * 3) Please spend this first week back to school helping your child get used to the new afternoon schedule. Homework is to be done at home and will be checked for completion every day. Students who complete their homework everyday (Monday-Thursday) will receive an O'Reilly Buck/Kolter Cash that can use used for the treasure chest or other treats or rewards.

In science we will review the forms of energy with a focus on electrical and light energy. We will specifically learn about and exploring sound energy. Students will learn how sound travels and learn about volume, pitch and frequency. They will rotate through several hands on activities to further explore the properties of sound energy.

In science lab, students will continue to work with electricity and learn more about insulators and conductors.

Thanks and have a lovely week!

Week of December 18, 2017

__This and That:__
 * Last day of school is Thursday.
 * School will resume on Monday January 8th.
 * Remember, we will be returning to our usual dismissal time of 3:05 and nightly homework will be completed at home.

__In Math:__ Last week we worked hard on equivalent fractions, adding and subtracting fractions with like and unlike denominators and comparing fractions with like denominators. This week we are finishing up our study of fractions. We will review all skills learned and continue with comparing and ordering fractions using benchmark fractions (0, 1/2, 1 whole), equivalent fractions and cross multiplying. I am trying to teach the kids that it is important to have more than one way to solve a problem and comparing and ordering fractions is good practice using multiple methods to solve and double check our work. As we move into the Winter Break, I would ask that you be sure your child has completed all of their IXL skills and continues to practice their multiplication facts. Two weeks is enough time for students to forget a lot of what they have learned and go backward in their computation abilities. IXL is a great platform for keeping those skills fresh in their mind. There will be a multiplication and division test the first week back from school.

__In Science:__ We will continue with our study on forms of energy but wrap up our in depth look at light. Last week your child participated in activities to learn transparent, translucent and opaque characteristics of materials as well as absorption, reflection and refraction of light waves. They did a light scavenger hunt where they learned about the properties, characteristics, and sources of light,

Have a lovely week!

Week of November 27, 2017 Welcome back! I hope everyone enjoyed their holiday with family and friends.

In Math: -We will spend Monday reviewing the many computation algorithms we have learned. We will also refresh our memory on relating decimals to fractions. -On Tuesday, we will move into one of my most favorite units, fractions! This week we will work on fraction concepts, equivalent fractions and fractions on a number line. -Next week, we will learn about fractions of a whole, how to compare and order fractions and how to simplify fractions. -We will take out timed multiplication test on Tuesday.

In Science: -We will begin our work on electricity. Students will learn about open vs. closed circuits as well as the parts of the battery and light bulb. -Next week, we will learn about and create electromagnets.

Have a great week and as always, feel free to email me if you have any questions or concerns.

Week of November 6, 2017 -Reports should be signed and returned. the signed copy lets us know that you have seen it. Once I receive the signed copy, I will then send home a copy for your records. -Please be sure to check and sign the Tuesday folder. This is an important communication tool for you and it has your child's grades from the previous week. -All conduct folders are check for parent signatures every Friday. Please be sure to check your child's blue conduct folder and sign when needed. -Please be an advocate for your child's learning and review his or her graded work with them each week. This is a very important part of helping your child retain the information taught in class and learn from their mistakes. It is time well spent. __**Important Dates:**__
 * __This and That:__**
 * Wednesday November 8 – Spirit Night (Subway)
 * Monday November 13 – Picture Day

__**In Class this week:**__ __**In Math:**__ We are moving into multiple digit multiplication and division this week! We have spent 2 days on Partial Products multiplication. The next algorithm I will teach them is the Area model. This is still partial products but it's a short cut of sorts. Both of these algorithm are meant to move the oung mathematician toward the traditional model with better understanding of how the traditional algorithm works. Later this week, students will be learning partial quotients and begin 4 by 1 division. With all of these algorithms, fluency in basic multiplication facts is a must for success.

Students continue working on learning their basic facts and have set their study goal for the week. Their goal is written in their agenda. Please encourage your child to work toward meeting their study goal.

We are also reviewing extended facts and rounding factors to estimate products.

__**In Science:**__ We continue our study of matter. This week students are learning about physical change and how heat (or the removal of heat) affect matter. On Thursday, we will be doing an in class experiment on buoyancy and density.

As always, feel free to email me with any questions or concerns you may have.

Have a lovely week.

__Week of October 30th__
 * This and That:__**
 * A big thank you to Maria's dad who bought everyone a full size pumpkin. You should have seen them lugging their pumpkins home. Too cute!
 * Thanks also to those of you who have taken a picture of your child's carved pumpkin and sent it to me. They are adorable!
 * Tuesday is our annual dress as your favorite book character day. Students are invited to dress as their favorite literary character. Please remember we have younger children on campus and avoid being scary.
 * If your child rides the Kolter bus, please continue to have those conversations about proper behavior on the bus.
 * Finally, please remember that school does not open until 7:15. Children should not be dropped off before then as there is no supervision before 7:15.

Please be an advocate for your child's learning and review his or her graded work each week. This is a very important part of helping your child retain the information taught in class and learn from their mistakes. It is time well spent.
 * __In class this week:__**

Also, please remember to encourage your child to study his/her multiplication facts daily. Each student has created their study goal for the week and written it in the agenda for you to see. We are moving into advanced multiplication this week and knowing their basic facts is the first step toward success.

As we gear up for learning larger multiplication problems, we will start with learning about factors and multiples, then review multiplying by 10s and 100 to estimate a product. On Thursday, I will teach the Partial Products algorithm. This, like Partial Sums taught last week, decreases the amount of regrouping needed, thereby reducing potential errors. I will be teaching your child several algorithms. It is important for students to have more than one way to solve a problem.

In science, we continue to look at matter. Last week the students learned about the definition of matter and how each state differs from the other. This week we will learn about measuring matter and matter changing states.

Have a great week and as always, feel free to email me with any questions or concerns you might have,

Week of October 16, 2017

-Reminder from administration-students should not be dropped off prior to 7:15. Supervision/breakfast begins at 7:15. -Next week is Red Ribbon Week. Ms. Dickinson sent email parents with a schedule of events. -Our agendas are in! Your child will begin to write homework assignments and study goals in it, so be sure to check it if you have any questions about what your child should be doing for homework. -speaking of study goals-you child has now taken 3 timed multiplication tests and graphed his or her results on a line graph. This week each student will create study goals in their agenda. They will specifically plan how and where they will study their multiplication facts. Remember, all that is needed from you is regular reminders to your child to work toward his or her goal.
 * __This and That:__**

__**In Science:**__ We have moved from our review of simple machines into force and motion. You child will be learning about acceleration, velocity and motion.

We are wrapping up our study of decimals. This week your child will learn how to place decimals on a number line, how to add and subtract decimals and learn how money, fractions and decimals are related. I anticipate our end of unit test to be on Thursday.
 * __In Math:__**

As always, please feel free to email me with any questions or concerns you might have.

Have lovely week.

Week of October 9, 2017

__This and That:__ -Our Tuesday folders aren't in yet but we are going to send graded work home in your child's conduct folder. Please take a moment to review their work with them. -Please speak to your child about the importance of listening and being attentive in class, I am having to spend a lot of time getting students on task and focused both before and during lessons. The lack of focus is frequently reflected in their work as well. -Conduct folders will be going home nightly. If there is a note written in it, please sign it to indicated that you have seen it and talked with your child. We are in the third week of school and our expectations are that classroom procedure and routine, as well as school expectations, are followed every day.

__**In Class:**__ __Science__-We will review simple machines then move into force and motion. Students will review the steps of the scientific process on Thursday by doing an experiment to see how many drops of water will fit on a penny. __Math__-We are beginning our unit on place value of decimals. They will learn how to read and write decimals to the hundredth place. They will take their knowledge of how to compare and order whole numbers and apply it to decimals.They will apply their knowledge of the 5 ways to express a number to decimals. Finally, students will learn how to turn a decimal into a fraction and vice versa. Very Important-please be sure your child is taking 5 minutes a night to review their multiplication triangles. Seventy five percent (75!) of all fourth grade math hinges on immediate recall of the basic multiplication facts. The triangles enable your child to work independently. All that is needed from you is to remind him or her to take a moment and work with them. It only takes 5 minutes a day, We will take our timed quiz on Friday, create a line graph of the results and begin the goal setting process.

Thanks and have a great week,

Kim