Tuesday, October 10, 2017

Week of October 9th

Hi Everyone,

     We have entered the last week of the first nine weeks. That went fast!! Students will be out of school on Monday October 16 for a teacher's planning day. 

     Since we are at the end of the nine weeks you may want to do a supply check with your child. Believe it or not many are already out of pencils and pens and some have lost their scissors and glue sticks. 

    This week in math we will finish our unit on measurement units and conversions. We will continue to revisit these standards as the year goes on so please encourage your child to keep up with their reference sheet. When ever there is a question on classwork, assessments or homework students are allowed to use their reference sheet. One sheet has already been provided to each student. If your child misplaces their copy, you may print one by going to http://www.pantherrun.com/FSAMathematicsReferenceSheets.pdf 

     Our next unit for math will begin with learning the difference between factors and multiples. Students will also learn strategies for finding all of the factors of a given number. We will learn about prime numbers and composite numbers. 

     In science we will learn more about the property of magnetism. Did you know that magnetism is considered a non-contact force. This is because a magnet can make something move without touching the object. We will complete a lab to learn what magnets do. 

     In social studies we will begin learning about the some of the tribes that called Florida home. After the Ice Age people began to live in permanent villages rather than the nomadic lifestyle that they used before the Ice Age. We will learn specifically about the Ais, Tequesta, Tocobaga and the Calusa, but there were tribes living in every part of our state. As you read the lesson with your child you will see references made to B.C.E. and C.E. These are time period references. B.C.E. stands for Before Common Era you may know it as BC (Before Christ). C.E. stands for Common Era which you may know as A.D. (in the year of our Lord).

     Have a Great Week,
           ðŸ’š
      Aesha

Monday, October 2, 2017

Week of October 2nd

Hi Everyone, 

     Welcome to another fabulous week at JBE!! 

     4th grade is a year of change for a lot of students. We have already discussed the amount of responsibilities that we are giving to students this year. It is now time that we discuss the changes that our 4th grade bodies will go through this year. Many students start to develop issues with their vision in fourth grade. Only students that were new to JBE went through vision screening this year. So if your child has not had their eyes checked this year it may be time. 
     Some of the other changes that kids go through in fourth grade is a change in body chemistry. With puberty right around the corner, it may be time for some students to begin to wear deodorant. It is important that students begin to become aware of the importance of daily hygiene, when it may not have been that big of a concern in years past. 

When I take the students to the computer lab on Wednesday we will begin learning how to make a power point presentation. Making power points is a choice project that students enjoy completing. If your child does not yet have a flash drive please get one for them so that they can participate in this fun activity. Students will learn how to make a presentation, how to include pictures and photo's and how to add a link to a video. 

This week in math we will work on units of customary measurement. Just like with the metric system students need to be able to choose the most appropriate unit for different measurement tasks. In fourth grade students will learn how to use and convert:

Length: inch, foot, yard, mile

Capacity: fluid ounce, cup, pint, quart gallon

Weight: ounce, pound, ton

The good news is that students do not have to memorize the conversions. They were given a reference sheet last week in class. I am asking them to keep the sheet in their trapper so that they have it at home and at school. You may obtain additional copies by visiting http://www.pantherrun.com/FSAMathematicsReferenceSheets.pdf .

Don't forget to check out the games on the Math Sites page for some additional fun practice. 

This week in science we will begin working on matter. This week we will learn about the properties of matter. Did you know that matter is classified according to it's  properties. Things such as color, texture, size, shape, mass, attraction to magnets and state are all considered. 

This week in social studies we will begin the real history of state. We will read about when the first prehistoric peoples arrived in our state. Did you know that prehistoric Florida was twice the size that it is today. After the ice age sea levels rose and left us with the Florida that we know today. For homework this week students need to read and annotate chapter 2 lesson. Students should take their notes on pages 14 and 15 in their journals. 

Have a GREAT week,
Aesha


Week of September 25th

Hi Everyone,

  I would like to first say a big THANK YOU to everyone for the wonderful birthday wishes and gifts. It was more appreciated than you can possibly know. 

   We are half way through the first nine weeks! Progress Reports are coming home this week. Please review the grades sign the bottom and return the form to school no later than Friday. 

     This Friday is JBE Day!! On 9/29/15, the USDOE officially recognized JBE as one of only 335 schools across the nation that year to receive the coveted National Blue Ribbon School Award for exemplary academic excellence. Because of this, the Jacksonville Beach Mayor, Mr. Charlie Latham, proclaimed September 29th, as Jacksonville Beach Elementary School Day! All faculty/staff members and students are asked to wear a Jax Beach shirt next Friday, 9/29/17, to show their school pride! 

   This week in math we will learn about the metric system. The metric system is a s system of measurement that uses units of 10. In fourth grade students have to know measurement units within one system. Students also have to be able to convert units within one system. We will work on both metric and customary units. Our work will focus on:
Metric
Length: kilometers, meters, centimeters, millimeters
Mass: kilograms, grams, milligram
Capacity: liters, milliliters
Customary
Length: inches, feet, yards, miles
Weight: ounces, pounds, tons
Capacity: fluid ounces, cups, pints, quarts, gallons
Time: seconds, minutes, hours

   In science this week we will finally get to find out if soap floats!! We are using this lab to help us practice the scientific method. From asking a question: Does soap float? Forming a hypothesis: If I put bars of soap in water then they will sink, because soap is heavy. I know that heavy items will sink in water. Performing an experiment where we control the variables and collect data.
Dial:Sink
Zest:Sink
Lever:Sink
Ivory:Float
Writing a conclusion:
My data partially supports my data. Three of the bars of soap sank in water. The ivory soap floated in water.
The next part of the scientific method is to ask more questions.
*Why does the ivory soap float but not the others? We discovered from an article, Ivory Soap Comes Clean on Floating, that ivory soap floats because they whip air into it when they are making the soap. 
*How can we make the other bars of soap float too? If we can put more air into  the soap by heating it maybe it will float. Ask your child what happened next. 

     We will take our test on chapter 1 on Thursday. The vocabulary for chapter 1  and the vocabulary for science tools is also due on Thursday. The vocabulary for chapter 1 should be completed in their journal on pages 6 and 8. The vocabulary for science tools should be completed on page 12. Both lists can be found on the Science Tab on this page.

     In social studies we will take the test for chapter 1 on Friday.  Social studies vocabulary is also due on Friday. The vocabulary for the social studies vocab. should be completed on pages 2 and 4 of the social studies journal. We do not complete a study guide for social studies tests because social studies tests are open book. 

Have a great week,
Aesha


Tuesday, September 19, 2017

Week of September 18th

Hi Everyone,

     Welcome back to school after our Hurrication!! I hope that everyone made it through the storm with little to no damage to themselves or their property. After the roller coaster of emotions last week it is a relief to be back to a normal routine.

     This week 100 Mile Club will start on Wednesday!! Students should wear their most comfortable running gear and bring plenty of water to drink.

     This week in math we will spend time at the beginning of week reviewing for our Module 1 test. The test will be on Thursday. Students will also have review sheets to complete for homework. Please go over with them to see if they are understanding the material.
     On Friday we will begin our next unit on measurement. By the end of the year students should know the relative sizes of measurement units within on system (metric and customary). Students need to be able to convert measurements from larger units to smaller units. Our work will focus on:
Metric
Length: kilometers, meters, centimeters, millimeters
Mass: kilograms, grams, milligram
Capacity: liters, milliliters
Customary
Length: inches, feet, yards, miles
Weight: ounces, pounds, tons
Capacity: fluid ounces, cups, pints, quarts, gallons
Time: seconds, minutes, hours

     In science this we will continue our work with the scientific method. By the end of the week students should be able to express to you whether or not soap floats. We will explore this question using the scientific method during a hands on lab. Students will learn how to identify the variable in an experiment, how to write a hypothesis, analyze data and form a conclusion based on that data. Our work this year will help students to be able to design a Science Fair project in 5th grade.

     This week social studies students will learn about the climate and resources in our state. We will also read about hurricanes and learn about the conditions that must be in place for a hurricane to form. Please visit http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/outreach/games/canelab.htm  Students will also learn about latitude and longitude. We will finish up this chapter this week. The test for chapter 1 will be on next Friday 9/29. In addition to the test the vocabulary for chapter 1 will also be due that day.

Have a GREAT week,
Ms. Johnson


Monday, August 28, 2017

Week of August 28th

Happy Monday Everyone,

     We are starting our 3rd week of school!! We will have Open House on this coming Thursday (8/31) night. This is a parent only event. Open House will run from 6:00-7:30. Mrs. Pavlinek and I hope that you can join us. We will also have a long weekend in honor of Labor Day. No School on Monday 9/4!!!

     This is the last week to purchase JBE class t-shirts. If you would like to have one for field trip and other school activities please send in your form and money no later than Friday. 

     We have a new technology resource. This year we will be utilizing Brain Pop in classroom and at home!! Brain Pop is  a wonderful resource. It presents information to students in the form of short animated movies. Simply follow the directions below. Once students sign up for the class we will then be able to make assignments. 

  1. Go to www.Brainpop.com and click on "Enter Code" at the top of the screen.
  2. Enter jberocks1
  3. Either log in with your personal accounts or create a new user account. 
  4. Explore the site
  5. Check back for assignments to complete.
  6. This week the students have two assignments that need to be completed by this Friday 9/1.

     This week in math we will work on rounding numbers to any place value using various strategies, estimating sums and differences, and fluently adding and subtracting multi-digit numbers using the standard algorithm. Students will have a quiz on Wednesday that will cover place value concepts, comparing numbers, numbers and rounding.
Rounding Strategies

     This is our first week of Math Superstars!! Students will receive the new sheet on Mondays. The completed sheets are due Friday of that week. Parents are encouraged to provide help on difficult problems. The goal is to provide help with out giving the answers. Another important goal of the program is for students to engage in the problem solving process. In order to receive credit for that weeks sheet, I need to see that students at least attempted the problem. My homeroom is still in need of a parent volunteer to check the sheets and come in once a week to go over the most missed problems with the students. If you are interested in volunteering please let me know. 

     In science we will continue to learn how scientists do their work. We will also learn about science tools.  The Brain Pop assignments this week are both science related. One is on science tools and the other takes a closer look at how microscopes work. 

     In social studies this week we will review some basic map skills. Like do you know what the legend, and compass rose are? We will also learn how to use the map scale. 

Have a GREAT Week and Super Weekend,
Aesha



Monday, August 21, 2017

Week of August 21st

Happy Monday Everyone,

     Today was kind of a whirlwind day!! With the eclipse happening. We learned about eclipses in science and we began working on our i-Ready Diagnostic in math. We will get back to a more normal schedule on Tuesday.

     This week in math we will continue to work on our i-Ready Diagnostic. We will go to the computer lab again on Wednesday this week and Monday and Wednesday next week. Students will also have opportunities to work on their diagnostic on when they go the computer lab with Mrs. Anderson on next Thursday (Johnson) and Friday (Pavlinek).

     In our class studies we will continue to work on place value. In fourth grade we will work with numbers up to the millions place. We will use strategies to compare numbers. Students will be asked if numbers are greater than >, less than <, or equal to = another number. Students will complete an activity on Wednesday for a seat work grade. Please look for a homework activity on Tuesday night to review the material that will be on Wednesday's assignment. We will also be using mental math to quickly calculate 1, 10, and 100 thousand more and less that a given number. We will end the week reviewing strategies for rounding larger numbers. On Friday students will take their third and final math diagnostic.

     On Friday students will also take their first timed quiz of the year. Timed quizzes count as classwork grades. The last timed quiz of the nine weeks counts as a quiz grade.Students will take a multiplication quiz and a division quiz.  For the first nine weeks students will get 3 minutes for each quiz. In the second nine weeks students will get 2 minutes and 30 seconds per quiz. In the third and fourth nine weeks students will get 2 minutes for each quiz. In the first nine weeks the division quizzes will not count for a grade. We take timed quizzes every other week. Both will be made up of 50 randomly selected problems. The multiplication quizzes will cover 2's through 9's. The division quizzes will cover 2's through 12's.





     In science we will continue to work learn about science process skills. This week we will learn about how scientist do their work, the kinds of questions that scientist ask and some tools that scientist use. Students will have an a science homework assignment on Wednesday night. Students will be asked to do most of the reading, vocabulary and questions at home. This allows us to focus on hands on activities and discussions in class. 

     In social studies we will begin chapter one. In chapter one we will begin learning about our state. We will review the basics of map skills, Florida's land, and about latitude and longitude. We will work on social studies on Friday each week. Students will be given the reading and homework assignment on Monday each week. The social studies assignment is due on Friday. Students will always have a lesson in the book to read. Our aim for the reading is that students have read the material closely enough to be able to participate in discussions in class. Students need to be acquainted with facts but also have inferred in the text as well. For this week's homework students need to read chapter 1 lesson 1 and complete the 4 vocabulary  words. We discussed today in class how to complete the vocabulary in their journals. For a list of the words please visit www.msjohnsonsclassrocks.blogspot.com. On the home page you will find the newsletter. At the top of the page you will also see links for websites and vocabulary for math, science and social studies. 

Have a Wonderful Week,
Aesha Johnson

Monday, August 14, 2017

Week of August 14th

Hi Everyone,

     We had a SUPER first day of school!! We we to library and had class with Mrs. Strong. We got our supplies put away and began the task of setting up our journals for math, science and social studies. We are hoping to begin a little instruction on tomorrow. 

     The only homework this week is for students to complete their All About Me posters and to return their PTA packet. When students are selected to be student of the week they will present the poster to the class. Their poster will then be on display in the hallway for the week. Students may be as creative as they want. They can use crayons, colored pencils and markers on their posters. They may also include actual photos on the poster. Here are a few examples:



    This week in math, we will begin taking our FSA Practice Test and i-Ready diagnostic. The FSA Practice test will be given in one session as a paper pencil test. The i-Ready Diagnostic will be given over several sessions on the computer. We will also begin working in our first module in math. Module 1 will cover concepts dealing with place value. Our standards for the week are that students will be able to interpret a multiplication equation as a comparison and recognize that in a multi-digit whole number, a digit in one place represents ten times what it represents in the place to its right. For example students work with statements like one hundred is 10 times as much as ________? And, _____ thousand is _____ times as many as _____ hundred. We will also work on writing numbers in different forms i.e. unit form 10 thousands, standard form 10,000 and expanded form 11, 547=10,000+1,000+500+40+7.

     In science this week we will begin learn how scientists do their work. We will learn the difference between everyday questions and scientific questions. Students will also learn to write an acrostic poem to show what they think science is. The following link is to a clip that we will watch in class this week:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqfQpURDoCo 

      As you may know we will be able to see the solar eclipse on this upcoming Moday 8/21. I have 22 eclipse classes for us to share. I am also asking that students make and bring in a solar eclipse viewer. They are very easy to make. All you need is a cereal box, heavy duty aluminum foil, and a piece of white cardboard. Students may also cover the outside of the box with paper to add decorations, but that is not necessary. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_bf2AlpdQo 
https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/EclipseCerealBoxViewer.pdf

     In 4th grade social studies, we have an emphasis on Florida history. We will begin this week learning about our state. I am asking all students to try to find one fact about Florida. This week we will take a look at Florida's State flag, bird, animal etc. Students may use the following links to help them learn more about our state:
http://dos.myflorida.com/florida-facts/kids/
http://www.ducksters.com/geography/state.php?State=Florida
http://floridafacts.facts.co/funfloridafactsabout/floridafacts.php

Have a wonderful week.
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Ms. Johnson