We are so glad to see everyone back and hope that all had a great Spring Break!  We are in the home stretch and it is time to really stay focused and finish out the year. Below are a few things to know and our learning goals for the week.

• Please send a healthy, nut-free snack with your child daily.
• ELA and Math packets should be completed and signed each day.
• Please make sure that if you are signing off on your child's agenda, indicating that they completed all homework,  that study for any upcoming assessments.
• All word work groups have the same words this week. We are focusing on words that are commonly found on assessments. Students will not be tested o how to spell the word, but on what the word means.

Learning Targets for the Week:

• Reading- Test Taking Genre- Reviewing all standards and what good test takers need to know (ways in which questions and directions are worded, what is expected of test takers etc) RL10/RI10
• Science- Solar System (Test Friday- study study guide and classroom notes in journal)     S4E2a-d/ S4E1a-d
• Writing- Responding to various prompts (informational, opinion, narrative review)
• Math- Angle measures and finding missing angles. MD6/MD7 (quiz Friday)
• ELA- Test taking vocabulary-study word meanings. (quiz vocabulary)

Key words found in test questions 

• COMPARE Look for similarities and differences between.
  
  
  CONTRAST        To Look for differences between.
  
  
  DEFINE     The precise meaning of the word or phrase.
  
  
  DESCRIBE Give a detailed account.
  
  
  EXPLAIN   Tell how things work or how they came to be the way they are.
  
  
  IDENTIFY Pick out the key features of something.
  
  
  SUMMARIZE Give a concise account of the main points of the matter, omitting details and examples.
  
  
  VERSE Writing organized in a rhythmic pattern, as often is the case in poetry.
  
  
  RHYTHM The regular, repeated sounds of words in a poem.
  
  
  METER A rhythm that repeats a basic pattern in a poem.
  
  
  FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE You need to distinguish between literal and figurative meanings of words and phrases. Literal refers to the actual meaning of words and phrases. Figurative language requires you to analyze the words and sometimes make comparisons.
  
  
  Some examples of figurative language are similes and metaphors.
  
  
  SIMILES make a comparison using a linking word such as like or as. (Her shirt was as green as the grass.)
  
  
  METAPHORS make a comparison without a linking word. Not literal. EX: The clouds were whipped cream,” The clouds looked like whipped cream, but they were not literally whipped cream.
  
  

Allergy season is in full swing and we could really use tissues for the class. If you could please donate a box of tissues, we would all appreciate it!  We could also use more glue sticks. We go through them quickly. Thank you so much for your generosity!

Friday March 31st is Dress Down for $1 day!

Important... as there have been many students with sore  throats etc,  please do not send them with cough drops etc unless you have cleared it with the nurse. 

Have a relaxing and enjoyable spring break!

Thank you everyone for our Teacher Appreciation gifts. Your kindness and generosity are very much appreciated! ❤

Please be sure to have your children study their multiplication facts DAILY. This is not something that is written in their agendas daily, but it is something that they need to be fluent with. This was a 3rd grade skill, however this is a skill that has not been mastered by all, and is very important.

Due to some changes to our schedule this week, we will not be having a quiz on adverbs and adjectives this Friday. We will revisit these concepts after break and assess then. 

Please have your children reading, writing and practicing math over spring break. We obviously want them to have down time and fun, but want them to also keep there focus and keep practicing. They are responsible for completing one page in the ELA packet and two pages in math packet, indicated on the cover sheet of each. They will need to bring this back the Monday we return from spring break.

Learning Targets for this week:

Reading: Review of standards RL1 and RL3 (using details, dialogue and events to infer and give details in our own words) (no formal assessment this week in reading;classwork grade only)
ELA & Writing: Using adjectives and adverbs (4L1c-d) / How can I respond to an informational prompt? (4.W.2)  Quiz on Adjectives and Adverbs on Friday
Math: Classifying two-dimensional figures (4.G.2) Geometry Quiz on Friday
Science: The Solar System (S.4.E2 a-d)  Quiz on Friday: Moon Phases and Planets

**No Spelling Test this week. **

Remember- Spring Break is next week!!

Parents- we need your help. 

• We are seeing an influx of unnecessary items being brought to class and causing disruptions. Please do not allow students to being toys, trinkets,  cosmetics or any other item, not needed for instruction.  
• Please also remember to send in a healthy, nut-free snack for your child daily. Please do not send in sweets, cookies or potato chips for snack.  Healthy options might include fruits or vegetable snacks. Thank you for your assistance with this.
• Please also do not send in family sized bags of chips for students at lunch. If you would like them to have chips at lunch, please only send in a snack size bag (like what is sold in the cafeteria). 

Welcome Braves!
In an effort to welcome the Braves to Smyrna, we are asking students to write a letter or create a card for a player that we were assigned. Our player is Freddie Freeman. He is the 1st baseman for the Braves. He loves cats, has a new baby son named Charlie and is representing Canada in the World Baseball Classic. ALL letters or cards must be returned on MONDAY. Thank you!

The National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) invites all 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students interested in the American Revolution to participate in the Americanism Elementary School Poster Contest.
The theme for the poster is Revolutionary War Persons.

Deadline to submit posters is April 21st.

Americanism School Poster Contest
Posters must be delivered to Trudy Delhey at the County office (514 Glover Street, suite 220) by noon on April 21st, 2017.
All posters must be two dimensional. No three dimensional entries will be allowed or accepted.
Posters may be submitted either on traditional poster board or thicker display board. The maximum size of the poster board is 22” x 28”.

Computer aided graphics designed material may be used on the posters. However, this material must be of original design. No commercially-produced or printed material such as clip art will be allowed. 

Use of trademarked or copyrighted material will be grounds for disqualification.

All posters will be judged by the following criteria:

Does the poster express the annual theme?

Does the poster show originality by the student?

Does the poster show evidence of research?

Does the poster show artistic merit and creativity?

Does the poster accurately reflect the historical event?

Is the poster neat and visually pleasing?

The local winner will move to the State level.

National contest winners will be announced at the annual Youth Awards Luncheon during Congress.  

National Americanism Elementary School Poster Contest Prizes: 
First place blue rosette ribbon, $150 cash prize, and certificate
Second place red rosette ribbon, $100 cash prize, and certificate
Third place white rosette ribbon, $50 cash prize, and certificate

Here are some Geometry Math Videos that you can watch to gain a better understanding of lines, angles, and how to label them.

Angles Video:

Lines Video: 

How to label lines, points, rays, and angles:

https://learnzillion.com/lesson_plans/4913-label-and-name-points-lines-rays-and-angles-using-math-notation#lesson

Learning Targets for the Week:

Reading: Why do authors use figurative language in poetry to reveal their message? (RL.5)
Writing: How can I respond to an informational prompt? (4.W.2)
Math: How can I use my knowledge of Geometry to draw polygons? (4.G.1)
Science: How do Earth and its moon move? (S.4.2 a-d)

**No Spelling Test this week. **