Weekly Update

Hello Parents! 

We made it to Friday! We had a busy week getting back into our routine and lessons upon returning from spring break. The students did a nice job jumping back into things. We have had some really powerful conversations about what agriculture was like in early Virginia and present day Virginia as we have begun our Virginia Studies Performance Assessment. Please see below for a few classroom updates and reminders.

Schedule Change

As a reminder, Monday is a student holiday. There is no school or morning meeting on Monday, April 12th. Next Friday will be an asynchronous day as we prepare for students to come 4 days a week beginning on April 20th. We will meet online for Morning Meeting Friday, but Mrs. Gumbel and I will not be holding any groups. 

Math Facts

The students should continue to practice and memorize their multiplication math facts. Having these memorized will make long division and the next few units much easier. Being able to recall multiplication facts quickly is a foundational skill that will we will build on this year and beyond.

SOL Testing

This year 4th graders will only take the Math and Reading SOL. They are not going to have to take the Virginia Studies SOL. We are currently working on the Performance Assessment that will be in place of the Virginia Studies SOL. We have two to do and we are currently working on our first one. Below are the dates for the other two SOLs. Please note these dates. The dates for our SOLs are as follows...

Reading - Thursday, May 6th

Math- Wednesday, May 19th

MAP Testing

It's that time of year again! The MAP Testing window is open and our class is scheduled to take the test in school once we are all back in the building. Our Reading MAP Test will be given on April 22nd and the Math test is scheduled for May 4th. If anything comes up and changes, I will let you know. Please make sure the students come well rested and have a good breakfast the morning of the tests. 

Fidgets

As mentioned in a previous post, I am having a very difficult time controlling the fidgets in the classroom. The students are now bringing large ziploc bags full of them and placing them all on their desk. I understand that some students may need one in order to concentrate, however they have now become collectables and are being played with and traded during instruction. I am once again, asking for your support with this issue. If your child does not need a fidget to help them focus, I would prefer them to be left at home. The playground is now open for recess, so there is plenty to do during that block of time.

Focus Areas for the Coming Week:

• Reading:  We will continue preparing for the Reading SOL and learning different test taking strategies that can help them when taking any test. 
• Math:  We will begin long division. We will divide three digits by one.
• Social Studies:  We will continue our Performance Assessment for VA Studies- From Agriculture to High Tech. 

I hope you have a nice relaxing long weekend! I hope to spend some time on the ball field watching Darius play. I love me some baseball! As always, if you have any questions or concerns please reach out!