Report Cards

Good Morning!

I wanted to inform each of you that students will be receiving first quarter report cards today. They will be coming home in an envelope in their green homework folder. Students are instructed not to open the envelope until they get home.

Please review your child's report card, sign the bottom, and return with the envelope to school.

Thank you very much!

American Education Week

Yesterday students in our 4th Grade class completed STEAM teamwork challenges. The one challenge was the create the highest free standing tower using only 15 pipe cleaners! At times students were faced with challenges such as not talking to teammates or only using one hand. The other challenge consisted of students to plan, construct, and test and tower that can withstand wind for 5 seconds. They were only able to use the given materials and it had to meet measurement requirements. Students did a fabulous job!!! We have such creative fourth graders! I also want to thank our parents for donating supplies and volunteering their time to help in the classroom to make yesterday a success! Take a look at some of the student creations below:

 

     

American Education Week-Help Wanted!

Next week is American Education Week, already! To celebrate in Miss Drumheller's classroom, we are going to do two STEAM team building challenges!
We are asking for parent volunteers and material donations to help us with our learning experience!

Parent Volunteers will assist student teams with their challenges.

Materials Needed:

• Plastic Cups
• Straws
• Popsicle Sticks
• Q-tips
• Aluminum foil
• Paper towels
• Pipecleaners

If you are able and willing to donate any of these items to our classroom American Education Week challenges, it would be greatly appreciated!

Please bring any materials to our classroom by Monday, November 14th.

If you are able to volunteer in our classroom on Tuesday, November 15th from 11:40-12:40, please send Miss Drumheller an email to let her know. :)

We look forward to seeing you next week!!

Week of November 9-11

Important Reminders:

Wednesday, November 9th (Tomorrow) will be a MONDAY specials schedule. 

• Please have your child record their reading on the Read-A-Thon website! The Read-A-Thon is a great way to earn money for our school to purchase reading resources for our classrooms! Spread the word to family members and friends!! And don't forget to...READ, READ, READ!
• Students should be using the Reflex math program at least THREE days a week to build their multiplication fact fluency.
• Students will have FLE on Wednesday, November 9th and Thursday, November 10th.
• Veterans Day Celebration is on Friday, November 11th from 8:30-10:30
• Join us for Pinebrook Family Reading Night on Thursday, November 10th from 6:30-8:00...I will be there to read an AWESOME book about traveling to outer space!

What Are We Learning?

Reading:

Students will be identifying problem and solution in narrative text.

Homework: Students should be reading at least 20 minutes each night (record that time on the Read-A-Thon website)

Math:

Students will not have math instruction this week due to FLE schedule

Science:

Students will be creating a picture diagram of the planets in our solar system!

VA Studies:

Students will be writing letters about their favorite region in Virginia to send to a family member or friend. We will be mailing the letters! Please see directions below:

• Please send to school with your child an envelope, address (within the U.S.), and stamp 

Word Study:

Students will have a word study assessment on Thursday and receive their new word sort on Friday.

Writing:

Students will continue using strategies for crafting true stories. 

If you have any questions/concerns, please let me know!

I hope you all enjoyed the long weekend :) 

Miss Drumheller

Jamestown Visit!

On Thursday, October 6th our fourth grade class was joined by a special visitor from the Jamestown settlement site! Students were enagaged in an interteractive presentation where they were able to explore artifacts and clothing from colonial people and Powhatan Indians. This was a very special presentation for the students and a great introduction to our Jamestown unit in VA Studies! 

Some of our students wearing clothing from colonial settlers and Powhatan Indians.

Students exploring artifacts from Jamestown settlement site

Students viewing photographs of Jamestown

Science Quiz Update!

The Virginia's Resources Science Quiz is being pushed back until Thursday, October 13th

Week of October 10-14

Hello 4th Grade Families!

Here is a weekly update about what students will be learning next week! Enjoy the three day weekend!

Monday- Columbus Day-No School!

Math
Tuesday- Review centers for quiz on Wednesday
Wednesday- Patterns Quiz
Thursday- Properties of Equality
Friday-Associative Property

Science
Tuesday-Virginia's Resources Quiz
Wednesday-Stormy the Raindrop Writing Activity
Thursday-Our Solar System-The Planets
Friday-Terrestrial and Gas Giant Planets

VA Studies
Tuesday-Jamestown Charters of the Virginia Company of London
Wednesday-Economic Venture
Thursday-Jamestown Settlement Site
Friday-Hardships in Jamestown

Word Study-
*Any word study activities not finished during word study time during class, needs to be completed for homework
Tuesday- Color Code or Synonyms/Antonyms Activity
Wednesday-Writing Sort
Thursday- Word Study Assessment
Friday- New word sort, Context Clues or Spell and Tell

Reading

• Students will be reading a passage about the Solar System for Shared Reading this week--ask your students about the facts they are learning!
• Students will be finishing their Interpreting Characters Unit and focusing on skills/strategies to use while reading.

Writing-

• Students are learning and using skills to craft true stories.

Parents--please remember to check your child's agenda each night, make sure they are completing their reading log, and reviewing their notebooks regularly.

If you have any questions/concerns, please let me know! 

Important Reminders

Parent-Teacher Conferences

• If you have not done so, please take the time to sign-up for a conference
• Conferences will be after school the week of October 31-November 4 and all day on November 7th and 8th
• Please use the sign-up genius link to schedule a conference http://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e0d4aa8ac23a0f58-2016

BYOT (Bring Your Own Technology)

• Students are beginning to complete Digital Citizenship lessons in computer lab and are learning the expectations of BYOT at Pinebrook
• Please review the expectations with your child on the Pinebrook website under the BYOT link
• BYOT will begin in Miss Drumheller's class on Monday, November 28th 

Family Life Education

• Family Life Education is scheduled for Wednesday, November 9th and Thursday, November 10th

Please let me know if you have any questions!

Happy Wednesday :) 

Welcome to 4th Grade 2016-2017

Welcome to 4th Grade!

I want to thank you all for attending Open House yesterday! I am thrilled that I was able to meet most of our class and I am very excited to begin our new school year on Monday!

Just a few reminders for Monday:

• Please be sure your child knows how they are going home on Monday. I will need the BLUE Transportation Form on Monday morning. I know that many of you are unsure of your bus number, but that information should be made available on ParentVUE
• Many of you also collected your first day packets at Open House, please be sure that your child is returning the first day forms promptly.

Upcoming this Week:

We will spend majority of the week going over classroom procedures, organizing school supplies, and just getting accustomed to 4th Grade. 

Students will begin learning about Virginia Geography in VA Studies and learning about the Scientific Method in Science. 

Students will be receiving a reading log Monday, which I will go over with them, and students are expected to read at least 20 minutes each night.

I can't wait for another fabulous school year at Pinebrook!!

If you have any questions/concerns, please feel free to email me at hillary.drumheller@lcps.org

Have a wonderful weekend, see you on Monday Pumas!! :) 

End of the School Year Party

Hello!

Just a reminder that the End of the School Year party will be on the last day of school...June 14th! Permission forms for the party are due Friday, June 3rd. Please make sure that your child returns their permission form by Friday to ensure that they participate in all the fun!

Thank you!

Week of April 25-29

Hello 4th Grade Families!

Sorry I have not posted to my blog in the last 2 weeks!

Important Dates:
Tuesday, April 26th Career Day
Wednesday, April 27th D.A.R.E. Graduation for 5th Grade
Tuesday, May 17th VA Studies SOL
Wednesday, May 25th Reading SOL
Thursday, May 26th Reading SOL
Tuesday, May 31st Math SOL
Wednesday, June 1st Math SOL

What are we learning this week?

Reading-
Students are reviewing different genres of text to prepare for the SOL tests. Students are learning test taking strategies such as highlighting and reviewing text features.
Our shared reading text this week is a Civil War Timeline

Math-
Students are learning U.S. Customary units to measure length, weight, and liquid capacity.
Wednesday- U.S. Customary quiz

Science-
Students are still learning about living systems and animal adaptations

VA Studies-
Students are finishing their Reconstruction Unit and presenting their Colonial Fair projects.
Friday-Reconstruction Test

If you have any questions/concerns, please let me know!

Have a wonderful week!

April Fools Day

Happy April Fools Day!

I thought I would share some of the pranks that our class decided to play on me this morning for some Friday humor! They truly are a  creative class and make me laugh everyday! Enjoy your Friday! :)

Thursday Folder Reminders

Hello 4th Grade Families,

There are several reminders going home in Thursday folders this week:

• The Colonial Fair is occurring in a few weeks, students have been preparing a musical performance at school for the Colonial Fair program. Students will also be required to complete  a project to  present to our class. Please review the project with your child and let me know if you have any questions
• Students are also coming home with a small sheet of paper to make their Williamsburg field trip dinner selection. Students are to choose one selection. If you are chaperoning (which means you paid for the trip), you will also need to make a dinner  selection. 
• Lastly, today is the last day for early registration for STEAM Camp this summer. Students are still able to sign-up after today if there are available spots.

Spring Pictures

Happy Wednesday!

Your child will be coming home with their Spring Picture packets today. If you would like to purchase your child's pictures, you can do so online using the information in the packet, or send in a check to school made payable to Lifetouch with your child. If pictures are not being purchased, then the picture packet should be returned to school.

If you have any questions, please let me know.

Spring Break

HAPPY SPRING BREAK!

I did not assign any homework over spring break. I want students to take this opportunity to clear their minds and re-energize for the push to the end of the year. I can't wait to hear all of the exciting stories of trips and adventures from spring break when students return on March 28th.

I do, however, encourage students to continue to read 20 minutes a day and to use Reflex Math and SOLpass.org

Have a wonderful break! :)

Miss Drumheller

Week of March 28-April 1

Weekly Reminders:

• Sign-up for STEAM Camp taking place the week of June 20-24! I am very excited to announce that I will be the 4th grade STEAM Camp teacher this year!
• Book Orders were sent home in Thursday folders, so please use the online code to submit online orders from Scholastic

What Are We Learning?

Math

Monday- Probability

Tuesday- Probability

Wednesday- Probability

Thursday- Probability Review

Friday- Probability Quiz

Science

Monday- Working on our Electricity OTTW Project 

Tuesday- Working on our Electricity OTTW Project 

Wednesday- Working on our Electricity OTTW Project 

Thursday- Living Systems: Structural Adaptations

Friday- Living Systems: Behavioral Adaptations

VA Studies

Monday- Virginia Secedes from the Union

Tuesday- The Formation of West Virginia

Wednesday- The Roles of Virginians During the Civil War

Thursday- Battle of Bull Run (Manassas)

Friday- Battleground: Virginia (major battles of Civil War in Virginia)

Writing

Students will receive their new Word Study words on Monday and assignments will be due April 8th

Reading

Monday- Historical Fiction Book Clubs

Tuesday- Historical Fiction Book Clubs

Wednesday- Review  of Historical Fiction pre-assessments

Thursday- Historical Fiction Book Clubs

Friday- Sensory Words in Reading and Writing 

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to ask

Ms. Drumheller

Week of March 14-18

Happy Monday!

I hope everyone is adjusting to the time change on this dreary day.

Weekly Reminders:

• Today is the last day for Read-A-Thon
• March 18th is the last day to turn in Williamsburg Field Trip payments and permission forms for both students and chaperones. Please be sure that your payment and permission from is in by Friday.
• Thank you to all who have donated post-it noes and glue sticks to our classroom. I cannot thank you enough for your generosity and support!

What Are We Learning?

Math

Monday- Rounding Decimals

Tuesday-Fractions to Decimals

Wednesday-Fractions to Decimals, Decimals to Fractions

Thursday- Decimals Review for test

Friday-Decimals Test

Language Arts

Monday- Students will continue to use the editing and revising process to correct journal writing

Tuesday-Students will continue to use the editing and revising process to correct journal writing

Wednesday- Students will be able to write a topic sentence for an already existing journal entry

Thursday- Homophones in writing

Friday- Word Study Assignments Due, Word Study Test

Science

Monday- Electricity/Magnetism Test

Tuesday- OTTW Project

Wednesday- OTTW Project

Thursday- OTTW Project

Friday- No Science due to SEARCH

VA Studies

Monday- Start of the Civil War

Tuesday- Slavery during the Civil War

Wednesday- Important Events Leading to the Civil War

Thursday- Virginia Secedes from the Union

Friday- No VA Studies due to SEARCH

Reading

Monday- Unit 3 (Reading History) Post Assessment

Tuesday- Research Presentations

Wednesday- Unit 4 (Historical Fiction Book Clubs) Pre-Assessment

Thursday- Highlighting/Test Taking Strategies

Friday- Unit 4 Session 1- start of Book Clubs

If you have any questions, please let me know.

Have a super week!

Miss Drumheller

Reminders

Hello 4th Grade Families!

I just wanted to send out a few reminders for this week:

Tonight from 3-6 pm will be Family Book Fair night

Also tonight  starting at 6:00 pm is the Fine Arts Night...come check out some of the artwork made by our classmates!

Tomorrow, Wednesday, March 9th is Spring Picture Day. If you would like a Class Photo, it needs to be purchased tomorrow and your child's photo envelope needs to be returned. This is the only opportunity to order a Class Photo.

Saturday, March 12th is the last day for the Read-A-Thon. Our class is doing a wonderful job reading! I am so proud of them all!

Enjoy the beautiful weather!!

Week of March 7-11

Weekly Reminders:

• Our classroom is in need of supplies. We are out of post-it notes and glue sticks. Any donations would be greatly appreciated.
• Also, many students mentioned that they need a new notebook for a subject. Please check with your child if they need a new notebook. 
• Please sign your child's agenda book each night and reading log. 
• Book Fair will be from March 7-11
• Spring Pictures and Class Photo on Wednesday, March 9th. (class photos must be purchased at this time if you want one, with the envelope returned)
• Wednesday, March 9th from 6:00-7:30 pm Fine Arts Experience
• Wednesday, March 9th Family Book Fair Night

What Are We Learning?

Math- Students will begin their next unit of decimals. Please make sure that your child is still using Reflex Math at least 3 nights a week

Science- Students will finish their Electricity and Magnetism unit. Test will be on Thursday

VA Studies-Students will finish their New Nation unit and begin the Civil War unit. .Test will be on Friday

Language Arts- Students will receive their next set of word study words. Students will also learn to edit/revise writing and commonly misused homophones

Reading- Students will continue to research the  Revolutionary War as a piece of their Reading History unit. 

If you have any questions/concerns, please let me know.

Thank you!

STEAM Camp

Your child received information yesterday in their silver folder about STEAM camp. I encourage all students to participate in this week long camp from June 20-24. Our 4th grade group will be experiencing hands-on science related to space. We are all very excited about STEAM camp at Pinebrook this year...hope to see you all there!

Read-A-Thon Update

Just as a reminder, the Read-A-Thon will go until Friday, March 11th. Students should be recording the time that they read at home each night on their personal Read-A-Thon website/account. Students can earn prizes for the reading that they do.

Also, whichever class per grade level has the most sponsors will receive a pizza party. Our class is very excited about this reward, so please support us in gaining more sponsors for our Read-A-Thon.

If you have any questions about how to gain sponsors from your child's  account, please let me know.

Spring Picture Day

Spring Picture Day will be on Wednesday, March 9th.

Our class is scheduled to have pictures taken at the end of the day, Students will be taking a class photo AND individual photos during this time.

Information:

• Students will be coming home with Picture Day forms in their Thursday folders  (tomorrow).
• Instructions for ordering class photos are on the Lifetouch flyer
• If students want a class photo, they MUST return their picture envelope with the payment inside or the online payment information. Students will not receive a class photo if they do not bring back the envelope and payment/payment information
• You can pay online for your child's photos, but we still need the photo envelope to be returned with the payment information. 
• You will pay for individual photos of your child, once you receive your child's individual pictures packet.

If you have any questions, please let me know.

Ms. Drumheller

Book Fair Browse

Good  Afternoon!
Our 4th grade class will be attending the Book Fair Browse on Friday to check  out all of the new books to purchase at the book fair.

The Book Fair will begin on Monday, March 7 and go until Friday, March 11. Students who bring in money to purchase books from the Book Fair will be allowed to visit the Book Fair during non-instructional times of the day. Returns on items/books are not permitted, so students will need to make good choices about their purchases the first time. Please discuss with your child, items/books that they are allowed to purchase.

Have a wonderful day!

Williamsburg Field Trip

This is a friendly reminder that Williamsburg Field Trip payments are due in full by March 18th for students and chaperones.

If payments are still due, please send in your payment during the last payment window of March 14-18.

Lastly, please be sure that your child has also returned their completed permission form.

If you have any questions, please let me know.

Week of February 29-March 4

Weekly Reminders:

• Today will begin Read-A-Thon! Make sure your child is reading and logging their time on their Read-A-Thon account.
• Tuesday-No School--Students will receive activities to complete at home during their day off. Please check your child's folder for their activity page.
• Dr. Seuss  Week-Students are asked to carry around a poem in their pocket to read aloud throughout the week. 

What are we learning?

Math- Students will continue reviewing fractions and possibly start the decimals unit

VA Studies- Students will continue with their new unit, New Nation, which includes information about what happens after the American Revolution. 

Science- Students will continue with their Electricity unit

Reading -Students will learn researching nonfiction with links to the American Revolution. 

Read-A-Thon

Students will be coming home tonight with information regarding the Read-A-Thon at Pinebrook Elementary. The Read-A-Thon will begin Monday, February 29th. We encourage all students to participate in the Read-A-Thon to raise money for new books at our school.

In the information your child brings home, it provides steps to create an account. To participate in this event, an account will need to be made using the Secret Code at the bottom of the information sheet. Students will receive a free prize just for signing up!

We appreciate all of your support!

Week of February 22-26

Important Reminders:

• Many students are running out of space in their interactive notebooks for new notes. Please check with your child if they need a new notebook.
• Wednesday is Jump Rope for Heart right after school.
• This week is also spirit week. The schedule is as follows:
• Monday- Pinebrook wear day
• Tuesday- Twin Day (pick a friend and dress alike)
• Wednesday- Wacky Wear and Wacky Hair Day (wear wacky hair, wear, or both)
• Thursday- Throw backwards (choose a decade or wear your clothes backwards)
• Friday- Dress like it's Saturday (wear your comfy clothes)
• Students will be receiving information about the Read-a-thon, which will begin next week. The more money we raise, the more books we will be able to purchase for our school!

What are we learning?

Math- Students will continue to learn and review fractions. Quiz date will be determined based on student progress this week

Science- Students will begin their Electricity unit

VA Studies- Students will continue learning about the American Revolution. American Revolution test will be on Thursday

Word Study- Students will be receiving new word study patterns on Monday

Writing- Students will be writing journal prompts in their writing notebooks and learning how to edit/revise and write a topic sentence

Reading- Students will begin their Reading History Unit where we will be researching information about the American Revolution.

If you have any questions/concerns, please feel free to ask. Have a fantastic week!!

Week of February 16-19

Reminders:

Monday, February 15th is President's Day, so there will be no school.

Thursday we will be following a Monday schedule, so students will be having Art instead of Music and Gym.

Friday is the Principal and Scholar's List and Character Traits Awards Ceremony for Quarter 2.

Some students are running out of space for notes in their interactive notebooks, so please check with your child to identify if they will need a new notebook for the remainder of the year.

What are we learning?

Shared Reading: We will be reading a nonfiction text about George Washington in honor of President's Day

Read Aloud: We will continue reading the book Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library

Math:
Tuesday- Adding and  Subtracting Fractions with Like Denominators
Wednesday- Adding and Subtracting Fractions with Unlike Denominators
Thursday- Review
Friday- Fractions Quiz

Virginia Studies:
Tuesday-Revolutionary War Quiz
Wednesday- Moving the Capital to Richmond
Thursday-Jack Jouett
Friday- James Armistead Lafayette

Science:
Tuesday- Friction and Gravity
Wednesday- Force, Motion, and Energy Quiz
Thursday-Types of Energy
Friday-Static Electricity

Writing/Language Arts:
Tuesday- Black History Month
Wednesday-Black History Month
Thursday-Journals
Friday-Word Sort 9 Test

Reading:
Tuesday-Unit 1 Post-Assessment
Wednesday-Author's Purpose
Thursday-Unit 3 Pre-Assessment
Friday-Researching History

As always, if you have any questions/concerns, please don't hesitate to send an email.

Have a wonderful three day weekend! :)

Q2 Report Cards

Just a reminder that report cards will be going home today in your child's silver folder.

Thank you!

Valentine's Day Party

I hope you all enjoyed another snow day! I just wanted to send out a reminder that tomorrow will be our Valentine's Day Party.

Have a good night

Pennies for Patients

Please look in your child's silver folder tonight. Each student received a box and information regarding our Pennies for Patients drive which will run until February, 26th.

Week of February 8-12

Happy Monday!

It is hard to believe that it is Monday once again! Let's hope that we can have a full week of school!

This week's events:

Valentine's Day Party will be on Wednesday, February 10th. Students do not need to bring a snack with them this day, since we will be having treats at our party. Also, remind students to bring in their Valentines if they plan on passing out cards to classmates.

What are we learning?

Math:
We are continuing to learn about fractions. This week, we are specifically working on skills with mixed numbers, improper fractions, and adding/subtracting fractions with like denominators. I recommend that students continue to use Reflex math to build fact fluency, which is relevant to determine the Greatest Common Factor in simplifying fractions.

Science:
Today, students began their Force, Motion, and Energy unit. Students will be learning about different types of force, motion, and potential/kinetic energy

VA Studies:
Students will continue to learn about Virginia's role in the Revolutionary War. We will also be completing activities to learn about influential African Americans for Black History Month.

**I encourage students to use solpass.org to review material in VA Studies and Science.

Language Arts:
Students received there new set of word study words today. Please assist your child with reviewing and mastering their word sort pattern. All word study assignments will be due on February 19th. We will also have our next word study assessment on Friday, February 19th.

Reading:
Students will be finishing their Interpreting Characters unit this week with a post-assessment on Friday to demonstrate growth throughout this unit.
Students should continue to read 20 minutes each night and write a brief summary about what they read.

Have a wonderful week! :)

Ms. Drumheller

Agendas

Please be sure to sign or initial your child's agenda each night, so I know that you are aware of their homework, quizzes, tests, and other events. Thank you to those who already sign/initial each night. I appreciate all of your at-home support with your child and their homework.

Thank you!

Character Parade

Just a reminder that the Character Book Parade is tomorrow,  Thursday, February 4th. It is a requirement that all students participate in this event  because they will be receiving a participation grade for Library class. Information about the parade is on the Pinebrook website.

Valentines

I know that many of you are beginning to prepare your valentines for our Valentine's Day Party next week. Please keep in mind that it is Pinebrook's policy that food items are not allowed to be passed out due to allergies. Other items such as pencils, stickers, etc. may be passed out for valentines.

Thank you!

Week of February 1-4

Happy Monday!

Events this week: 
Character Parade on Thursday, February 4th. Please refer to the flyer provided by our librarian, Mrs. Higgins or on the Pinebeook website for requirements.

Friday, February 5th will be a student holiday.

Math:
Please make sure that your child is continuing to complete their required amount of sessions on Reflex math

Science:
Today, students completed a practice quiz for their Weather test on Thursday. This practice quiz will be graded and students were allowed to use their Science notes to help them complete the practice quiz.
Weather test on Thursday, February 4th

VA Studies:
Students will need to read and complete the activities on the back of their VA Studies Weekly this week titled "Conflict with England"

Language Arts:
Word Sort 8 Assignment will be due Thursday, February 4th
Word Sort 8 Assessment will be on Thursday, February 4th

Reading:
Please make sure that your child is reading for at least 20 minutes each night. Take advantage of the cold winter months by staying indoors and reading more! Also, your child should be writing a brief summary of their reading each night on the reading log to practice written comprehension.

Events next week:
Valentine's Day party on Wednesday, February 10th

If you have any questions/concerns about this week, please let me know.

Ms. Drumheller

Special Reminders:

• Refer to the back of the Williamsburg Field Trip Information page about payment windows
• Don't forget to sign and return your child's Williamsburg Field Trip permission form

Classroom Supplies:

• Many students are quickly running out of space in their Science, VA Studies, and Math interactive notebooks. Please check with your child if they need a new notebook to continue with notes for the remainder of the school year.
• Post-it notes
• Glue Sticks

Welcome!

Hello 4th Grade Families,

Welcome to my 4th Grade blog! Throughout the use of this blog, I will post information regarding classroom news. Instead of sending out a classroom newsletter, I thought this would be the best form of communication so families can view information as they please.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Ms. Drumheller