Newsletter 3-6-15

Ms. Howell’s 4^th Grade Class 

March 6, 2015

Dear Parents,

Please make sure that your child has the supplies that they need for school. Such as pencils, red pens, glue sticks, and scissors. I am completely out of my personal supply of these materials and I will not be able to make another purchase this school year. Please talk with your child and see what supplies they need, so they can be prepared for the remainder of the school year.

Instead of E, S, N, and U written in the choice card, there is a printout with the percentages for homeroom and ELA/Math block. Please initial the pink form stapled in the Friday Folder (on the left side) for week 9 that you have reviewed the printouts for your child. If you have any questions about this please let me know!

In your child’s Friday Folder this week you will find a pink GMAS Practice Test Log. I highly encourage your child to take 1-2 tests nightly in the “Teacher Assigned Tests” or “Student Tests” sections. Only tests with scores of 80% or higher will count towards your goal. Please have your child write down their grade and then you will initial the appropriate box. All students will earn a special treat when they submit the completed test log by Friday, April 17^th. Your child’s login and password is included on the form. If you have any questions please let me know!

GMAS Information:

One of the things I shared at conferences this week was about the new Georgia Milestones Assessment (GMAS).

Below are some links of information that will give you some additional information. 

·      Want more general information about the upcoming Georgia Milestones Assessment? Take a look at the PTA Guide. http://s2.onmycalendar.com/Files/GE/A5R7514422I_PTAguide.pdf

·      Would you like to see a sample of the online Georgia Milestones Assessment? Click through this elementary online test sample.  http://learnoas.ctb.com/GA/

·      Want detailed information about the upcoming Georgia Milestones Assessment? The Department of Education published this assessment guide specific for each grade level tested. http://www.gadoe.org/Curriculum-Instruction-and-Assessment/Assessment/Pages/Georgia-Milestones-End-of-Grade-Assessment-Guides.aspx

·      Parents: This is last year's Georgia Department of Education practice test. This is the only practice test available date formats as seen in the assessment guides.  There are about  4 practice tests for each subject for grades 3-5. There are about 8-12 questions on each practice test.  https://www.georgiaoas.org/servlet/a2l

Below are just a few reminders/notes for the week:

• The Media Center March book mark is due on Friday, April 3rd   
• E-class:  Do you still have questions about eCLASS and how your student is using eCLASS in the classroom? Do you want a better understanding of the eCLASS Curriculum and Instruction tool? Click here to find handouts and resources for elementary, middle, and high school.

School Wide Information 

• Friday, March 13^th-Snow Make Up Day
• Thursday, March 19^th-Chick-fil-a Night
• Friday, March 20^th- Volunteer Breakfast (see info below)
• Friday, March 27^th-All Pro Dad’s Breakfast 
• Next Week at a Glance
• 
  
  Reading – Narrative Responses to Reading
  Writing/Grammar – Writing dialogue; Simple, Compound, Complex sentences
  Word Study – miller, archeology, laboratory, paleontologist, immutable, planetarium, clarify, tailor, edible, magnify
  Fry Words: pattern, perhaps, picture, planets, possible
  Social Studies – Government Test on Wednesday, March 11^th; Begin Westward Expansion
  Science –
  Unit Simple Machines Test Wednesday, March 11^th; Begin Ecosystems Unit
  Math –
  9:00 Group Geometry (triangles, measuring angles, polygons, symmetry)
  12:45 Group Decimal Fraction Unit
  
  
  
  
  Specials Rotation:
  Monday-PE
  Tuesday-Art
  Wednesday –Music
  Thursday –Technology
  Friday – PE