Just a reminder that you have through Friday to order from our online Scholastic book club.  The website is www.scholastic.com.  Our name is mrshfowlersclass and the password is 4thgrade. I will be submitting the order this weekend, unless anyone lets me know that they need extra time.

Also, please remind your child that our administration has requested that no toys be at school, even in bookbags.

Thanks,

Heather Fowler

EARLY BIRD SPECIAL $22*
Nov. 1st price increast to $25*

On-line ordering available at:  http://www.myyear.com
*Note:  cost includes taxes.  Does not include 1x $1.75 processing fee per transaction, multiple items per order allowed.  Be sure to print & keep your confirmation for proof of payment.

ORDER FORMS ARE ALSO AVAILABLE ON THE CREDENZA OUTSIDE OF THE OFFICE.

Dear Parents,

You should have seen all of us in our red class t-shirts on Friday.  They really looked great! It would be super if we could wash them in time for Spirit Day this Friday and wear them again.

The last Accelerated Reader tests showed quite a bit of improvement for many of my students. I believe they're doing their independent reading more carefully. We took our first reading quiz on the USA newspaper last week.  Your children have been practicing locating written information in class and reading groups, so that they will become more and more successful at this skill.  Meanwhile, I do plan to drop the lowest one of these quizzes this nine weeks. 

Friday's math quiz will come home as soon as the three absentees are able to make it up.  A few of my students didn't study their multiplication properties enough. Several are still having trouble with the  order of operations.  They have to remember that we clear the parentheses first, then do multiplication or division from left to right, and last we add and subtract, also from left to right.

This week, we will be multiplying two and three digit numbers by one digit and graphing multiplication using the the distributive property.  Our class has really improved on their timed facts.  Thank you so much for all of your help with our timed practices.  All but two students in my class can pass the timed addition with a 96% or higher, three still need to score at least a 96% on timed subtraction, seven still need to pass timed multiplication with at least 96% accuracy, and all but four can pass timed division with a 96% or higher score.  That is such an improvement from where we started!  Mastering the multiplication and division facts will be so important for speed and accuracy when doing problems in class, for homework, or on tests and quizzes. It will be difficult to keep up with the 4th grade multiplication and division unit if your child doesn't know these facts very well.

Thank you for helping with our Reflection entries.  This week, we will continue writing in class developing our narratives.  We will also be studying nouns.  There will be another DOL quiz on Friday.  Please be sure your child is studying their packet, which we will have corrected and discussed in class.

The new spelling lists will be coming home on Monday. Students should be studying a little each day rather than cramming for the tests the night before. Also, spelling correctly across the curriculum is very important. I still see way too many priority words misspelled in students' written work!

I had a request for our class to participate in the Scholastic Book Club this year, so I have signed us up online. Currently, you may order from the September or October issues until October 10.  Please pay online, as I cannot accept money in the classroom.  Ordering is entirely optional. There seem to be many good buys on books in those two catalogs, and I will be happy to continue to provide the book club if there is enough interest.  Apparently, I will be asked to pay the postage, if we don't get at least $20 in orders per catalog.  So, if that becomes a problem, I may have to discontinue it!  I sent home our password and ordering information last Thursday.  Please let me know if you didn't see it and need another copy. We will also earn points to buy extra books for our class library when you participate.   

I hope each of you has a great week, and that we all manage to find enough gas to make it to and from Garrison Mill!  I plan to bring three of my grandchildren to the Fall Festival on Friday.  I hope to see you there!

Sincerely,

Heather Fowler

Dear Parents,

My class has really settled into our routine, and most of them are being much more responsible about turning assignments in on time. We have a busy week ahead of us, so I just want to let you know some of our upcoming tests and deadlines.

The book project for the second book is due Friday.  My students know they need to have decided on their project number and have it signed up by tomorrow.  All 14 choices are explained on the sheet in their reading section of the binder and are also attached to your Open House packet. Projects should all be handwritten, except for the vocabulary quiz, which may be typed by the student.  That is because they have to have two copies of it, so that they have a test and a key. Several students indicated they have not yet finished their book, so please help me monitor their progress.  They need to bring their book with their project on Friday, since I will be questioning them on their book to be sure they've finished reading it!  The Secret Moose book test is Thursday. All questions for it will come from the five chapter sheets they've already completed.  So, if they followed directions and kept the questions in their reading section of their binder, studying for the test will be easy!

The math test came home today for your signature. They were almost all A's and B's, so  I was pleased with how well most of them did!   We have begun to study data, which will include coordinates, bar graphs, pictographs, and line graphs.  Friday, I will pretest the next units on multiplication and division, so we can make the new groups. Those groups will start after we finish studying data.

The unit three spelling tests are on Friday.  Please have your child study their words nightly, if needed.  Sitton Spelling really works well when the students study their individual lists, because those lists reflect words missed on their previous tests.

Progress reports will be coming home next week for any student who currently has a C or below in any subject.  You will also receive one if your child is talking too much or having too many late assignments.  Students with all A's and B's will not receive a progress report.

Thank you to all of you who have already returned the Performing Arts' permission slip and donation.  Please let me know if it didn't make it home to you, and I will find you another.

I really appreciate all of your help with signing planners, giving timed fact practices, writing in the LHJ, and supervising homework time.  It is a tremendous help!  Have a great rest of the week.

Sincerely,

Heather Fowler

Dear Parents,

Thank you for taking the time to attend Open House last week. I enjoyed seeing so many of you.  I have sent home a packet, field trip permission form/donation request, and the early release form for those who were unable to attend. I would be grateful to get all of the forms back as soon as possible.

Mrs. Golden and I have grouped the two classes for guided reading, and we began exchanging students today. We will also continue to read our class book.  Please don't forget that the first AR test has to be taken by this Friday.

We had our first math test today on place value, and everyone in both groups passed!  I'm also seeing lots of improvement on the timed facts.  Thank you so much for timing your child at home.

The first spelling tests and new spelling lists came home today.  Most of the test grades were really good.  Please have your child practice their individual list a little each night.

Many thanks for all of the donations to our class. 

Sincerely,

Heather Fowler

Welcome to fourth grade!  I've been waiting to meet all of you, and I know we are going to have a fantastic year! When you come to Sneak-A-Peek, please have your parent use one of our classroom computers to sign up your email address, so you can subscribe to our class blog. If you can't join me on Friday, then I'll look forward to meeting you bright and early Monday morning.  You can also sign up for our blog at home by going to the Garrison Mill website.  Click on staff, then fourth grade, and then, of course, Heather Fowler.