Newsletter 4-3-15

Ms. Howell’s 4^th Grade Class 

April 3, 2015

Dear Parents,

Happy Spring Break! I know many of you are traveling and going on vacations over the next week. Please be careful and have fun! The students have been working so hard preparing for the GMAS and I know they are looking forward to a much needed break! Enjoy J

We will be taking a field trip to the Fernbank on May 5^th.  I sent home the permission slip with your child yesterday. Please complete and return by Friday, April 24^th. A contribution of $21 is requested to cover the cost of transportation and admission fees. No student will be denied an opportunity to participate because of failure to contribute; however, if enough funds are not secured, the field trip may have to be cancelled. We will also need to have at least three chaperones to keep group sizes down. The cost for a chaperone is $24. If you are available to chaperone please indicate on the form and/or send me an email. You can send in cash, check, or may on My Payments Plus. I know the students are looking forward to this!

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. Thank you to all of you who have sent in extra supplies for our classroom! I greatly appreciate it!

Please ensure that your child is taking GMAS practice tests online weekly, or even nightly. All tests are due by Friday, April 17^th. They are a great preparation for the GMAS we have coming up at the end of April. They model the GMAS and it is important that your child feels confident with the format of the test. It will reduce any anxiety they have before the real thing! 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:

·        Don’t forget to be completing practice tests on the OAS website.  If students turn in forms by April 17^th, they will receive a special treat from me. 

·        Field day t-shirt order form are due by Friday, April 17^th

·        Mother’s Day Cake Order are due by Friday, April 17^th (I sent this order forms home yesterday)

·        Field Trip Form and donations are due by Friday, April 24^th (I sent this order forms home yesterday)

·        Omega Learning, one of our business partners, is hosting a reading contest at our school. The top reader at our school will win a Kindle Fire, and the next four readers will be placed in a drawing for a $25 gift card to Barnes and Noble. All you have to do is read and log your minutes. The form is available on our school website. All entries are due by Friday, April 17. We cannot take late entries, so be sure you turn it in on time! Good luck, and keep on reading!

School Wide Information 

·        April 6^th – 10^th – Spring Break

·        April 17^th-Label Ladies, Hat Day, Midterms Go Home

·        April 20^th – GMAS Testing begins

Next Week at a Glance

Reading – Informational Reading

Writing/Grammar – Opinion Writing

Word Study – No Word Study until after GMAS

Social Studies – Women Reformers/Personal Finance

Science –

Mon./Tue. Group-Animal Adaptations; Review all Science AKS taught this year for GMAS

Wed./Fri. Group-Review all Science AKS taught this year for GMAS

Math –

9:00 Group Area, Perimeter, Line Plots; Review all AKS taught this year

12:45 Group Measurement, Area, Perimeter, Line Plots; Review all AKS taught this year

Specials Rotation:

Monday-PE

Tuesday-Art

Wednesday –Music

Thursday –Technology

Friday – PE