Post #6

Official Fourthies!

The girls are now officially the leaders of the Lower School. They were presented with the signature yellow cap and signed the Fourthie pledge. Fun! I need to brag about the girls in Room M02 for just a minute. They earned 25 compliments by displaying our school values. It takes a group effort for everyone to be their best self. We voted on a celebration. The girls may bring a stuffed animal and slippers to class on Wednesday. We are going to relax with some corn of the popped variety and a show in the afternoon.

We finished up the geometry unit and started the next math unit. Unit Two focuses on place value, data, and large digit addition and subtraction.  Look for your daughter's Unit One math test in her work folder next Friday. Our math tests will always include a listening station and a writing component. The writing gives the girls a chance to get creative with math concepts. Next Friday's Fact Check will assess the 2, 3,4 multiplication tables. There are many review games on our Fourthie site. Not everybody learns the same way, so I encouraged the girls to check out the multiplication stories on multiplication.com. Mnemonics might be just the ticket for some girls.  The girls completed their geometry/abstract art project. They are beautiful!

These Fourthies are navigating Google Classroom with complete independence. Google Classroom has eliminated much of my whole group explanations (which can be very time consuming). I've been posting short "how to" videos and this allows the girls to move ahead on projects and assignments at their pace. AND it frees me up to work individually with girls who need more guidance and to touch base with everyone during complex projects. Ask your daughter about her Animoto project. The finished product is going to be a multi-media book trailer. They are so excited to share their creativity with one another. I'll post the trailers next week. 

Last week the girls chose a president to research. They spent some time note taking, using the links posted on history4fourthies. Next week they will explore the library databases to gather additional  information. We used their current event summaries to calculate flying distances and to begin discussions about our world. 

I just finished reading their Three Word Thursday writing and several had me laughing hysterically. What would you write using these three words? sand, tidy, kangaroo

The best thing about fourth grade really is the girls' enthusiasm for everything. They had 20 minutes and a piece of a blanket. Their challenge was to make a coaster for their "sweating" water bottle. You would have thought it was Christmas morning- that's how excited they were!

A few notes:

* Blessing of the Animals- 10/3 8:15 on the Green

* Parents Technology Night-Tuesday, October 4th  Please sign up here so we are sure to have enough computers.

* Author CeCe Bell is visiting St. Catherine's on 10/6.  A flyer went home with the girls. Here it is.

* Fall Conference Sign-up

* Special Week Sign-up Peyton will have her Special Week next week!

* Homework is posted for the week for family planning:) 

* Carpool Helper Calendar- Ibby will represent our class next week.

Girls- Your mystery question is........ what color are the 3WT words in this post? Add your answer here.

Post #5

YET........

The girls have learned the power of yet. This math problem is hard; I can't do it YET. I can't find the answer to this Wordly Wise question YET. I love the determination the girls are displaying during challenging assignments and their eagerness to take academic risks. Many girls have solved the "Inspector Gadgets" and in doing so have practiced dozens of computations. Their cubby doors are adorned with "Math Chicks."

We had a good discussion about math homework and the absence of worksheets and practice pages. There are two reasons I didn't assign Math Journal/Study Link pages this week.  Reason #1-I want the girls to focus on attention to detail during computation and to become fact wizards, hence the Math Contract.  Mastering these two skills in fourth grade will set them up for success in middle school and beyond. Reason #2- We spend a great deal of time doing math. And I do mean doing math. They are explaining, drawing, writing, and solving math throughout the day. Their enthusiasm and engagement during math instruction is incredible and I'm just not convinced they need additional practice time. There are enrichment opportunities on our Fourthie site. Several girls were introduced to Solve Me Mobiles. Enrichment is not just for the early finishers, so encourage your daughter to check out the activities and ask for an account. The girls enjoyed problem solving with the 12 year old winner of America's Got Talent. Our geometry unit is coming to an end. The girls are completing an art/geometry project and will take the chapter assessment on Thursday. 

Subjects, predicates, and sentence expansion started with a cup of tea. The girls watched a simple sentence expand and used this example as inspiration in the second writing lab. We will begin working on the first book report (movie trailer) next week. Please encourage/remind your daughter that her fiction novel should be finished by Tuesday. 

The girls explored the role, responsibilities, and qualifications of the president during History4Fourthies. They tried to balance the budget and decided on a team of advisors. Some were

more successful than others. Each girl chose (blind choice) a president from the 20th century. They will research the president and create a presentation for the class. More on that next week.

We want our Fourthies to be global citizens and demonstrate the four pillars of global competence (investigate the world, communicate ideas, weigh perspectives, and Take Action). Newsela strengthens their non-fiction reading and opens up their world. The girls selected an article from a country of interest and summarized their reading for a collaborative map. We will use the map as a geography lesson and examine events from around the world. 

A few item of interest:

* Blessing of the Animals- 10/3

* Parents Technology Night-Tuesday, October 4th  (It will be like a party:) Hope you can join us!

* Author CeCe Bell is visiting St. Catherine's on 10/6.  A flyer went home with the girls. Here it is.

* Fall Conference Sign-up

* Special Week Sign-up

* Homework is posted for the week for family planning:) 

* Carpool Helper Calendar- Alice will represent our class next week.

Girls- Your mystery question is........ with Fourthie read about Russia?? Add your answer here.

Want to add to our class pet ideas? Click here. Be ready to vote on a birthday month.

Post #4

Buttercups, QR codes, scavenger hunts, precious jewels, gratitude notes- what a busy week!

We talked about the importance of expressing gratitude and the power of a grateful heart. We visited the world population site and will do so often throughout the year. Reading the world population is a great way to practice working with large numbers and appreciating all the blessings in our lives. Thank you notes will be written frequently. I hope you received your note written on stationery made by your daughter. The girls were into their monogrammed creations!

Each week the girls will complete a formal writing lab written in their Google Drive. I am able to read the girls' work as they are writing and provide suggestions and compliments directly on their writing. The immediate feedback is what I love most about this process. Our writing labs always have a focus and usually are graded with a rubric. The final product is often on display on our bulletin board outside the classroom. The younger girls get a kick out of reading the Fourthies' narratives. This week we focused on editing and sentence structure. The girls wrote a first person narrative describing themselves and added a pixilated image. Do you know who this Fourthie is?

The Fourthies were on the move during math class this week. They traveled the school on a QR scavenger hunt. Working in teams of three, they solved riddles, word problems and practiced adding and subtracting with two and three digit numbers. They photographed geometric shapes and made a movie explaining the difference between a ray and a line segment. The movies were shared with the girls in their Google Drive. Several groups included a few boomers. We all had a good laugh and the girls definitely demonstrated their understanding.  The second fact check was taken today and several girls commented that their time was quicker. Next week we move onto multiplication- 2x and 3x. You can log into your daughter's "That Quiz" account and see her progress. Mrs. Applewhite joined us for some problem solving. We used Because of Winn-Dixie to tie in the summer reading. 

On the topic of summer reading, multimedia Buncees were presented. The girls did a great job on this project. I gave a brief overview of Buncee and they explored independently and taught each other. This group of girls has a knack for bringing out the best in each other and offering help when needed. You can see their Buncees here.

Our grammar focus during the next few weeks will be working with nouns, adjective, and verbs. Grammar activities are blended into all that we do especially Wordly Wise. Have you seen your daughter's jewel bag. It contains some of her most precious belongings- WORDS. We had many discussions about the power of words and the importance of a strong vocabulary.

A few item of interest:

* Picture Day is Monday

* Author CeCe Bell is visiting St. Catherine's A flyer went home with the girls. Just in case- here it is.

* Parents Technology Night-Tuesday, October 4th 

* Swimming continues next week beginning on Tuesday.

* Fall Conference Sign-up

* Special Week Sign-up

* Homework is posted for the week for family planning:) 

* Carpool Helper Calendar- Elizabeth will represent our class next week.

Girls- Your mystery question is........ who is that pixilated mystery Fourthie?? Add your answer here.

Sharing your Buncee

Girls- Watch this "How To" video and get ready to share your Buncee.

Paste your Buncee URL here!

Post #3

Thanks so much for joining me on Parents' Night. The girls loved reading your notes. I had to chuckle when a few of them started making disparaging remarks about their parents' handwriting. Here's the presentation I shared and pictures taken by our class photographer (Anne).

We are gearing up for a full week next week. But first a few academic highlights from this week.
Many girls have finished their multimedia book report created in Buncee. I'll share a link with the Buncee URLs once all are completed.

Math problem solving centered around the summer Olympics. The girls chose their favorite athletes and worked with great determination. One of the reasons I love EdPuzzle is the ability to bring relevance to problem solving by including the girls' interests. The Olympic assignment is in our Google Classroom. Your daughter can show you around our virtual classroom. But in the meantime here is a quick look at an Edpuzzle about Gabby Douglas. We had our first station rotation this week. Stations are great because I have a chance to work with the girls in small groups and focus on areas of need. You can follow our stations on the Fourthie site. The first fact check was a success. A few girls stumbled- mixing up addition and subtraction but after a quick reset they were back on track. It will be exciting to watch their accuracy and pace increase each week. Geometry included labeling and naming angles. Ask your daughter about the weekly math challenge. Completing the challenge is an opportunity for the girls to earn a Math Chick. And who doesn't want a cubby door covered in Math Chicks?? Boy Band Friday featured NSYNC. After the calculations were done the girls voted on their favorite member of NSYNC. Justin Timberlake was the fave:)

The language arts' assessment routine was established this week. They completed their first Wordly Wise and spelling quizzes and we  all delighted in the grades. I can't wait to read their Wordly Wise creative writing. I'm guessing that there is no shortage of creativity with this bunch of Fourthies. The girls read in Newsela and are excited to explore and read articles of interest.

Friday activity choices were explained to the girls. They have a handout in their agenda that outlines the procedure for this Fourthie opportunity. These handouts should be returned by next Friday. Mrs. Blanton shared a service opportunity for the girls. She is participating in a medical mission trip to Haiti and has asked the girls to make flyers promoting good hand-washing and hygiene habits. 

A few item of interest:

* Swimming begins on Tuesday. 

* Fall Conference Sign-up

* Special Week Sign-up

* Homework is posted for the week for family planning:)

Girls-

Your mystery blog question is.....

What EDpuzzle was shared on this post. Type your answer here.

Do you have ideas for our class pet??? If so add them here.

Signing into Google Classroom-Help!

Post #2

Welcome Class of 2025!

And we are off! It was a packed week filled with chatter, laughter, and learning! We welcomed two new girls to Saint Catherine's and after just four days it seems like both Emily and Elizabeth have been saints for years. The girls are excited about their new role as the leaders of the school. They were introduced to our Fourthie site that contains our curriculum and anything else you might want to know about life in fourth grade. We'll talk more about our site and curriculum on Thursday evening during Parents' Night. I hope all can attend. Our class blog is your way to keep up to date with all classroom activities. I'll share our academic highlights each Friday and at the very end of every post will be a question (sort of like a scavenger hunt) for the girls to answer. 

The girls did some goal setting after watching the trials and tribulations of a baby squirrel. We talked about the importance of determination and the fact that sometimes we can't do it alone. 

This week was about establishing a routine and understanding our class schedule. The girls have a login credential page in their agenda that contains user names and passwords for the many educational sites used in fourth grade. Wordly Wise and spelling were introduced. There are many resources on our Fourthie site for vocabulary and spelling reinforcement. Ask your daughter about Quizlet and emoji writing. The girls have a composition book for all language arts activities. You will love watching their creative writing develop throughout the year. Speaking of creative writing..... the girls will have a special writing challenge each Thursday- THREE WORD THURSDAY. 

Their creativity was off the charts and it was just our first 3WT! 

We jumped into math with "Musical Moments", "Boy Band Friday" and problem solving with EdPuzzles. Take a peek at what an EdPuzzle looks like. I love when Madigan commented, "Wow Mrs. McCallum, we do math in language arts and language arts in math and math and language arts in history." Yup, that's how we do it in fourth grade and the girls see the connections. 

History4fourthies began with St. Catherine's history and "chapel must haves" Next week we will move into a review of the government and presidency. Encourage your daughter to explore the site. 

The girls are working on their summer reading project. They are creating a multimedia project using Buncee. There was quite a bit of moaning when it was time to quit out of Buncee. I love when that happens! Our plan is to finish next week.

The week concluded with a band demo from Mr. Court (band letters are in the agendas). This video is just too cute not to share:)

A few FYI's:

* Swimming schedule has been changed. Our class will begin swimming on 9/13. Here's the letter in case you missed it.

* Parents' Night is Thursday @ 6:00

* Fourthie Parents' Technology Night is Tuesday, October 4th.

* Class Chapel is Friday, October 21st @ 8:15 (Lower School Assembly Room)

Girls-

Your blog mystery question is.......What Wordly Wise word was used in this post (hint- the word is in green)?