A New Year!

Classroom Update

It is hard to imagine that next week is our last full week of fourth grade. We will wrap our Famous Missourian projects in preparation for our living museum on Thursday and Friday. We will also take our final assessments in math and reading. In addition, we have several fun events approaching.

Also, today we launched Genius Hour and we discovered the class is passionate about a lot of different things. We will work on our Passion Projects over the course of the next few weeks. I am excited to see where their learning will take them!

Upcoming Dates
5/12-5/13 - Living Museum open to teachers and students from 1-3 pm
5/13 - Spelling Bee 9:30 AM in gym
5/16 - Fun Day
5/17 - Yearbook signing
5/18 - Last day of school (Early Dismissal) 

Judy Young Letters

After our author visit by Judy Young, we wrote thank you letters to her and asked a few more questions. We were so excited to get a response!

Hi Prairie Branch Students,

I had a great time speaking to you at the Grain Valley Author Day Festival at your district's high school, and I LOVED reading all the letters you wrote me. Your did a great job of writing, and I can tell you thought about what you were saying.

Ava - I am so happy that I was the 1st author you've ever met!

Katie- I am glad you learned that you can research a topic!

Aiden P. - You're right - you don't have to travel to get ideas - you can get them just from reading!

To "an anonymous writer" - I hope you like reading Promise!

Emma J. - I would love to come to Grain Valley again, too!

Jaxon - You're welcome. I'm glad I got to speak to you, too!

Shelby- I won't forget my visit to Grain Valley, either!

Chancellar - WOW! You were really listening to me! I'm glad you learned to explore, read, and imagine to get ideas! Have fun in Mexico!

Savannah- I'm glad you found new ways to become inspired to write!

Jordan - You asked what I do when not writing. One thing is snow shoeing in the mountains behind my house. I've attached a photo taken on April 1. I'm standing on over 5 feet of snow!

Isabella - You asked how I got the idea for Promise. I was driving to visit a school and drove past an abandoned fire tower. It was a long drive so I stopped to stretch my legs and walk around a bit. A crow flew out from the top, and when I got back in the car and started driving more, I started imagining about what that crow was doing up there, and maybe there was a boy up there with him. And I started asking myself questions like why is a boy up there? How did he get up there? When I got to my hotel room that night, I wrote the first paragraph. You also asked my dog's name: Hobo is my black lab, Pip is my Brittany. And, you asked why I moved to Idaho. My husband and I have been going to ID for many years and decided we loved it so much we wanted to live here. 

Andrew - You asked what my favorite part of being an author is. Getting to make up stories, and then seeing or hearing about kids like you that like to read them. It can't get any better!

Sarah  H. - Like Jordan, you also asked what I like to do when not writing. I love to hike. Attached is a photo of me and my husband hiking in Denali National Park in Alaska. 

Sophia M. - You asked how long it took to write my first book. It took about 18 months to write S is for Show Me, A Missouri Alphabet.

Sophia G. - You asked why I don't write more novels. I have! The Wild World of Buck Bray: The Missing Grizzly Cubs releases next fall. I started writing on it in Alaska in the attached picture. (My camper is named Arlo, The Traveling Studio).

Thank you again for the great day at Grain Valley, and for all your letters! And, I had fun answering your questions while sitting in an airport waiting for a plane to CA where I will be giving a writing workshop this week, working with kids in grades 3, 4 and 5 on their own writing.

Judy

Classroom Update

Spelling Bee

I want to congratulate 5 students as finalists in our classroom spelling bee. Our grade level spelling bee will be this Friday. Congratulations and good luck to Luke, Brody, Andrew, James, and Emmy!

Testing Dates

Just a reminder, we will testing on Monday, April 25, Wednesday, April 27, and Wednesday, May 4th.

This week our focus will be:

Reader's Workshop - Using text based evidence to answer questions fully.

Writer's Workshop - Draft biographies focusing on elements of structure.

Math - Multi step number stories

Social Studies - The Civil War

This week!

Papa John's Night is Thursday! 

Other upcoming dates: 

4 PTA Mtg 6:30 PM

8 DARE Graduation 2PM (We are guests)

12 Grandparents Night/ Art Show 5:30-7

22 MAP Assembly 3PM

25-May 13 MAP Testing

29 4th Grade Field Trip/Art

29 PTA Carnival 6PM

Important Upcoming Dates

Smarter Balanced Assessment Dates

This week will we do our final round of practice assessments for the students using the computers. The purpose of these practice assessments was to help familiarize students with the testing tools and the testing format. We all know how hard it is to do our best when we don't know what to expect. 

As of now, our class is scheduled to take the Smarter Balanced MAP assessment on Monday, April 25th starting at 1 pm for English Language Arts and Math on Wednesday, April 27th starting at 9:30 am. Our specials schedule will be adjusted to allow a longer testing window for students. Students who are not here during the scheduled testing time will be pulled to test at a later date. 

Career Week

We are also preparing for Career Week. I have attached a flyer detailing specific days we will recognize as a school. We have a few volunteers wishing to come speak to the class about their profession, but if it is not too late. You can sign up by visiting this link! 

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 Career Week 2016

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Music Program

Our annual fourth grade production of Tom Sawyer will be March 22nd at 6 pm. Students need to be dressed and in the classroom at 5:45 pm. To ensure students are properly supervised, please do not have them go to the room until 5:45 pm. Students will also do a daytime performance on Monday, March 21st at 2:00 pm. Guests are welcome at both performances. 

Grandparents' Night and Art Fair

Mrs. Agnew will have our halls looking fabulous on April 12th for our annual Grandparents' Night and Art Fair. Grandparents and families are welcome to come browse the halls and enjoy the fine artwork between 5:30 and 7 pm. We hope to see you there!

School Carnival 

Lastly, we are also looking forward to our upcoming school carnival hosted by PTA. Mark your calendars for Friday, April 29th. I have attached a flyer with more information. 

Other Important Dates
March 

16 Spring Pictures

16 Major Saver Cards Assembly 1PM

19 Helping Hands to Harvesters

21-31 Career Week

22 4th Grade program 6PM

31 Kindergarten Registration 4:30-6PM

April

4 PTA Mtg 6:30 PM

8 DARE Graduation 2PM (We are invited to attend)

12 Grandparents Night/ Art Show 5:30-7

22 MAP Assembly 3PM

29 4th Grade Field Trip/Art

29 PTA Carnival 6PM

STEM in the Gym... THIS WEEK!

Don't forget to make plans to attend STEM in the Gym this Thursday, February 25th. Exhibitors will be in the gym from 6-8 pm teaching students about science, technology, engineering, and math with engaging activities. You don't want to miss it!

Twiehaus Tidbits