A Big Bite

They came in this morning as 4th graders and left as 5th graders. It has been a great year. Everyone has learned so much and come so far, well done! Stay tuned all summer for book updates, travel adventures and poetry updates. Have a great summer and keep reading!

A Big Bite

The Headlight







The Beltbulb

The Wristlight

Flashwear

The Power Circuit

WOW!!!! The LAST full week of 4th grade is done! September seems so long ago. We spent the week reflecting on all that we have learned this year. In reading, our final book count for the year was 1,145 books-that's approximately 45 books per student at a little more than one book read per week. Also, we have reflected on our goals in Reader's Workshop and talked about the great progress that we have made. Attitudes about reading have "changed dramatically," to quote one student. Many students report that they enjoy reading much more now than they did in September. Nothing could make me happier! Great job everyone and KEEP READING! In math, we completed our string art designs, they look awesome! On Friday, we completed the "Light Your Way," engineering activity as a culminating project in the electricity unit (see pictures above). Ask your child to talk about the hands free light they created with their team. We have created posters showing the year in pictures using articles from Time For Kids. We have written brief captions for each picture on our poster. In music, the students had Show and Tell and there were several outstanding performances on the guitar, violin and piano. This is a very musically/artistically inclined class. Mrs. Mac was very impressed!

The weekend looks like a hot one, try to stay cool and look for our last post of the year on Monday!

Mrs. Williams

Juicy Nibble

Dear Families,

Thank you so much for the plant and the plant stand, they are beautiful and will look amazing in my garden! The gift cards to Regal Cinemas, Barnes and Noble, Cold Stone Creamery and Dunkin Donuts are greatly appreciated. I am overwhelmed by your generosity and thoughtfulness. Have a wonderful summer full of good times and happy memories.

Fondly,

Ann Williams

A Big Bite

What a week! Sports Day, the Coffeehouse, tile installation! 4th grade is winding down really quickly. Thanks to all of the volunteers who helped to make this week a success, I couldn't have done it without all of you. Mrs. Bua, Mrs. Dickinson, Mrs. Conley, Mrs. Woelfel and Mr. Whitmore all stepped up to the mike at our coffeehouse. Great Job! Mrs. Kane organized the snacks that so many of you provided, thanks! Mrs. Whitmore and Mrs. Sameski along with two other parents installed the tiles near the art room. It is a professional job and the entire staff at JFK is impressed with their work. The kids wanted everyone to know that they have read 1,041 books so far this year. We will take a final count next week. Enjoy the pictures, they are worth so much more than words.

Have a great weekend!

Mrs. Williams

Juicy Nibble

Another successful Tie Dye Tuesday! Thanks to all of the parents who helped this morning, Mrs. Conley. Mr. Sameski, Mrs. Kane, Mrs. Varda, Mrs. McDonnell, and Mrs. Lane. I am so happy that the weather held, even if it was HOT! A note is coming home today about how to care for the shirt. We will be wearing them next Monday for Sports Day and next Wednesday for the Coffeehouse!

Bookworm Buzz

Dear Reader,
The Sweethearts of Rhythm, by Marilyn Nelson, and illustrated by Jerry Pinkney, tells the story of the all girl inter-racial swing band of the 1940s. I LOVED THIS BOOK!!! Liv and I were looking for a book about famous female trombone players (Liv plays the trombone) and discovered this picture book. The story opens in a pawn shop in New Orleans, LA on the eve of Hurricane Katrina. The instruments begin to talk to each other after the owner locks the door for the night, and soon realize that they were all part of the same swing band during World War II. Each instrument tells the story of its owner in the form of a poem. Each poem is titled after a jazz or swing standard. All of the poems, when linked together, tell the history of the International Sweethearts of Rhythm, and the issues they faced as an inter-racial group prior to the civil rights movement of the 1960s. At the end of the book, dawn is approaching, and the instruments begin playing a tune together as Hurricane Katrina arrives on their doorstep. This was a very moving tribute to a little known aspect of American History. Here is a clip of the band performing. Read this with a parent, they won't want to pass this one up!
Read on, readers!
Love,
Mrs. W

A Big Bite

WOW! What a busy week. We have finished reading Charlotte's Web and taken the last theme test in reading. Also, we have read over 1,000 books as a class this year. During the next few weeks we will be reflecting on the progress we have made in reader's workshop and will be setting goals for summer reading. In math, we are working on chapter 11 and the test will be this Friday. We are working on String Art designs and tied our shirts for Tie Dye Tuesday. All of the electricity teams were able to make a motor run, and light a bulb with a switch this past week, and we will be building an electromagnet this week. The US EXPO was a great success (see the pictures below). Great job everyone! In writing, we are finishing up the final district writing prompt for the year and are preparing our poems for the Poetry Coffeehouse. Our coffeehouse will take place on Wednesday June 9th at 9:00 a.m. in the classroom. The Poetry Bands will start practicing this week. There will be an open mic time at our coffeehouse, so bring a poem to share! Fourth grade is coming to an end quickly, not much time left!
Have a great weekend.
Mrs. Williams