Monday FUNday

Welcome back to 26 out of 28 of my 4th graders.   I hope that the two who didn't make it today are ok!!!!   As you know - ELA State Tests start TOMORROW!  With that in mind, we have decided to take our foot of the gas pedal a little bit... and slow down while we venture through TESTING SEASON!

• 1st Period - We talked about the State Test and how you can't "study" for the ELA test.  The ELA test is practicing all the strategies and tricks you have learned in the year.   Can you read the text correctly?  Can you read and answer the questions correctly?  Can you express yourself in written formats using the text?   At this point, you have had enough practice that you either have it, or you don't.   I told the kids today... "Don't complain about the destination of your life when you are the one driving the bus!"   The decisions you make on a daily basis effect your life in the future.  You might want to play and joke around - but those are decisions that have consequences.     The rest of the period we went over the three articles in the ELA Vacation Packet and answered and explained all the Multiple Choice Questions.
• 2nd - Dance
• 3rd - We came back upstairs and we looked at the 3 short response questions from the ELA Vacation Packet.   Then we read the next chapter in The BFG, "Journey to London".   
• 4th - Math Block 1 - We passed out a 16 page packet of MATH REVIEW.  These are the skills and standards that we know were on last years MATH TEST.  These sheets are FUN ways to review the standards before next weeks Math Testing.   We will do 2-3 each day so we know we have reviewed as best as possible.   We worked on the first section of three different sections today in class (Place Value, Multiplication, and Division).  The children have to finish these three papers for homework.  We then reviewed sections 9.1 - 9.3 in GoMath on decimals.
• 5th - Math Block 2 - We did 3 sections in GoMath today.  Section 9.4 was about using money to figure out total amount of money,how to write it, how to write that as a fraction, and then how to write it as a decimal.   For example... ninety two cents is written $0.92, and as 92/100, and as 0.92.    We practiced writing money these three formats and then did the 9.4 practice page and checked it.   9.5 was doing the same things, but using only word problems so we blasted through that as well too.   We ended the day practicing 10.3 (Intersecting, Parallel, and Perpendicular lines.)    We did the I Do (model), WE do (Shared practice), and You Do (Independent Practice) to the point that I was sure they understood these three types of lines.   We then packed up and got ready to go home.
• 6th - Lunch
• 7th - I  picked them up at 1:25 (15 minutes early) and we went upstairs to have some fun outside in the nice weather.  The kids had almost 30 minutes to play before the rest of the 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade joined us for a rooftop PEP RALLY to get us excited and energized about tomorrow's State Test!

Homework:   

• Three pages in math packet to complete
• Go to bed 30-45 minutes earlier than normal.  The only way to get more rest is to go to bed earlier than your normal.  The body nature cycles knows when you are used to getting up and your body starts waking up at that time even if you don't want to.  So to be well rested, go to bed earlier.  On testing days.. IT MATTERS!  Be well rested and alert!
• Have a big hearty breakfast.  No junk food please!  Whole Grains.. Protein... stick to your ribs kinda foods!  They take longer to process and break down and you wont have hungry students who can't concentrate.   Cereal, Fruit, Toast, Bagels, Eggs, Bacon, Peanut Butter and Jelly, Breakfast Pizza, Breakfast Burrito.... all good ideas to help you fill up before you take the test.
• DRINK ORANGE JUICE!   Have a big glass of OJ before you come to school.  The Folic Acid in the Orange Juice is known to help stimulate and improve brain function.   It isn't me who says so, it's science!