Thank You!

It has been a wonderful year! This is such a great group of students and I am going to miss them dearly. They have made my first year of teaching a breeze! 

I am proud to say each and every one of them is ready for 5th grade!

Below is our end of the year slideshow. It has been such a pleasure watching these students grow as learners and as individuals! They will go far. 

State Projects

State projects are due in just a few short weeks! I look forward to seeing everyone's completed projects on Wednesday, May 18th.

Students are to write an essay, create a Google Slideshow, and also create a brochure using Google Docs. Students have access to the slideshow via their Google Drive, as well as the brochure template. Information regarding what to include in each item is included in the packet sent home in April. Click here to view a digital version.

Click here to view an example brochure.  

Please let me know if there are any questions about the state project. 

Field Trip Reminder

This Wednesday, May 4th, is our field trip to Milwaukee! Here are some quick reminders about this exciting day:

• We will be leaving school at approximately 8:05 a.m., please make students arrive to school on time.
• We will return to school at 5:00 p.m., please have a ride arranged for your child.
• Students are to bring a completely disposable sack lunch.
• Students are allowed to bring electronics on the bus, but they are responsible for them. Students also may bring money to spend in the gift shop, and once again they are responsible for the money they bring, and the items they purchase. 

We look forward to a fun and exciting day in Milwaukee!

Upcoming Reminders

April is just flying by! Here are a few quick reminders as head into the second half of the month:

Key Collection

We are collecting old keys to donate to the Lion's Club! The keys will be recycled and help visually and hearing impaired children in Illinois. Key collection ends this Friday, April 22nd!

*Fourth graders will also be visiting the middle school's Earth Day Fair this Friday afternoon.

Book Orders

Our final book order of the school year is due on Thursday, April 28th. Remember you can place orders through the flyers and send your payment to school with your child, or you can place your orders online using our class code: P8JB9.

Box Tops

As the end of the school year is approaching, please send in any Box Tops you may have! 

State Projects
Students are to be working on their state projects at home. Projects are due on May 18th! 

State Project

Welcome back! As we head into the last weeks of the school year, we are beginning to work on our final project. Students will be responsible for choosing a state in the U.S. and conducting research about their state in order to write an essay, create a Google Slideshow, and create a travel brochure. The project is due on Wednesday, May 18th. Students will be presenting their slideshows to the class.

Project details and rubric were sent home with students yesterday, but can also be viewed by clicking the link below.

State Report Information

A template for the brochure can also be found on our Google Classroom, which all students know how to access.

Please let me know if you have any questions! 

Volcano Experiments

To go along with our earthquake and volcano unit, we have been acting as volcanologists and completing volcano experiments in our classroom!

On Tropical Island Day we studied the various locations of volcanoes around the world to see if we can detect patterns of where volcanoes are located, such as in the Ring of Fire. We even made maps of our own! 

We also studied different types of lava to determine which kind of lava comes from shield and cone volcanoes. 

March Important Dates

Hello, March!

Hard to believe we are heading into the spring, and then into the final stretch of the school year!

Our class has a lot going on in March:

Friday, March 4th - Biography projects due! Students need to turn in their pink packets as well as their final projects. Remember they may dress up as their person for extra credit!

Monday, March 7th - PARCC testing begins. Our class will conclude testing on Tuesday, March 22nd. 

Friday, March 11th - 1:35 Dismissal!

Saturday, March 12th - Fun Fair! 10:00 am - 3:00 pm at the high school!

Friday, March 18th - Milwaukee field trip permission slips/money due. March book orders are also due this day!

Wednesday, March 23rd - Field trip to the Coronado Theatre. We will be gone from 9:00 am - 11:45 am. Be on the look out for more information from Ms. Durand! 

Thursday, March 24th - 1:35 Dismissal! Happy Spring Break!

Friday, March 25th - First day of Spring Break! School resumes on Monday, April 4th. 

Upcoming Science Test

Our next science test on earthquakes and volcanoes will be on Wednesday, March 9th. 

Students will receive a study guide later this week and will have that and their flashcards to help them study. Though we will be reviewing in class, it is essential that students study at home each night to best prepare for the test. 

Speaking of testing...

Our class will begin PARCC testing on Monday, March 7th and conclude testing on Tuesday, March 22nd. We will not be taking a test every day during the testing window, though we will take approximately 2-3 tests per week.

There are 4 math tests, each 60 minutes in length.

There are 3 reading/language arts tests, each 90 minutes in length. 

Due to the PARCC scheduling frenzy, we will not have our regular math and reading rotations every day, but will fit them in to the best of our ability when time allows. 

Please let me know if you have any questions! 

EARTHQUAKE!

Yesterday we completed a simulation lab to determine the effects of earthquakes on varying structures. Students worked in a group to create a structure that could withstand an "earthquake," using only toothpicks and marshmallows. 

Once the structures were complete, they were placed on trays of jello. The trays were shaken and students timed how long their structures stood standing in the earthquake. 

Construction Begins!

The Finished Structures

Oh, no... EARTHQUAKE!

Eating the Aftermath :)

Valentine's Day Party

Here are some pictures from our Valentine's Day party on Friday! Students enjoyed making their own owl treat bags, delivering valentines to classmates, and playing a few games!

Valentine's Day Party Info

Our classroom Valentine's Day party will be held this Friday, February 12th, from 10:15-11:00 am. It is also an 11:05 dismissal day!

A class checklist for valentines will be sent home today for students who are bringing valentines for their classmates.

Quick Reminder -- The yellow research packets for our biography projects are due on Friday! Majority of your child's research needs to be completed by this day, as I will be checking their packets and then returning them.

Fossil Fuels Experiment

Last week we completed a week-long experiment to help us better understand the process of how fossils are formed, and how we can harvest fossil fuels from existing fossils. 

We cut an apple in half and wrapped one of the halves in plastic wrap. Every day we checked our apples and recorded our observations. 

The goal was not to see which apple would decay first, but how each apple would decay and how their decomposition is similar to that of organisms that become fossils. 

DAY 1

DAY 2

DAY 3

On Day 4 we started to see mold! Ew!

DAY 4

DAY 5

By the end of the week, both apples looked quite different than they had on Monday. The unwrapped apple had really decayed and even shrunk in size. The wrapped apple remained the same size, but started to grow mold due to the moisture trapped by the plastic wrap.

We concluded that the apple wrapped in plastic best exhibited how fossils are formed because fossils are buried underneath many layers of sedimentary rock, which is how they are preserved for so long. Though our wrapped apple was moldy, it really did not decay very much because it was protected from air exposure by the plastic. If organisms from long ago were left exposed to air for so long, (like our uncovered apple) many fossils and fossil fuels wouldn't exist!

Biography Project

Biography projects are due on Friday, March 4th.

Last week your child was sent home with three packets regarding their biography research project. They are to choose an influential figure of their choice to research and then create a project. They are to let me know who they have chosen by this Friday, January 29th.

Examples include: scientists, famous people in history, authors, inventors, humanitarians, and those who have made a significant impact on our world. 

PINK PACKET - DUE 3/4

Explains all of the information about the project and includes a rubric.

YELLOW PACKET - DUE 2/12

Contains pages to keep track of research sources and notes. Majority of research needs to be completed by February 12th. 

BLUE PACKET - DUE 2/23

Contains guided templates for what to research about your child's chosen figure. Completing this packet will help outline their final project!

All 3 packets will be collected on March 4th, however I will need to see the yellow packet and the blue packet on their assigned due dates. This is to ensure students are on track with their research and will be able to complete their project on time.

*Students can earn bonus points for dressing up as their person on the day of presentations.

*Students WILL be graded on their public speaking and will need to practice at home in order to obtain the full points in this category. Note cards are welcome!

Upcoming Assignments

January is almost over and we are in full swing! Here's what's on our agenda this week:

Wednesday, January 27th

Unit 9 Vocabulary Pages 90-95 DUE

Southeast States/Capitals Quiz Retake

(Students have flashcards to practice)

Thursday, January 28th

Unit 9 Vocabulary Quiz

(Students have flashcards to practice)

Friday, January 29th

Biography Project Choice Due

(Students let me know who they will be researching for their biography project)

Fossils Test

(Students have flashcards, guided notes, and a study guide to study from) 

Digging for Fossils

As part of our fossil unit, we had the opportunity to be archaeologists and dig for fossils ourselves!

Using "tools," we dug through "rocks" in search of "fossils." We experimented with both a hard surface and a soft surface. Students learned the challenges of digging for fossils - keeping them clean and in one piece!