August 31- September 4th Happenings...

Happy 5th week of school! Curriculum Night is this Thursday at 7:00 PM, I hope to see you all there.

Spelling Words this week:
Spelling: Words with Inflections
-ed and –ing
1. counting
2. craned
3. seemed
4. burned
5. chopped
6. cracked
7. begged
8. moving
9. slipped
10. sailing
11. trimmed
12. shopping
13. returned
14. watching
15. pushed
16. visited
17. cringed
18. screamed
19. scratching
20. flapping
Challenge:
1. hovered
2. accusing
3. grabbed
4. nudged

Reading: This week we will be studying Historical Fiction and how to compare and contrast. Our reading selection this week will be Kai's Journey to Gold Mountain.

Math: We will conitune to work on place value and rounding, but we will also be moving into 2 by 3 digit multiplication.

Language Arts: We will be finishing up our Narrative Poem, "Where I'm From" and our unit on Types of Sentences.

Science: We will continue our unit on Ecosystems and create a bullfrog habitat. We will also be conducting a Potato Experiment so be sure to ask your child about that on Wednesday!

SS: We will be finishing up our unit on Maps with Longitude and Latitude and conducting an Atlas Search. There will be a Map Skills Test Friday!

This Weeks Happenings- Aug. 24-28

Spelling List for this week:

1. throne
2. stretch
3. squirm
4. throw
5. strap
6. through
7. scream
8. streak
9. squeaky
10. strength
11. thrill
12. scrape
13. threat
14. string
15. ecosystem
16. habitat
17. scale
18. cardinal
19. intermediate
20. direction

Happenings by Subject Area:

Math: This week we will begin our unit on rounding. We will continue our work with place value as well.

Reading: This week we will begin working on a Readers Theatre entitled, "Germs" this will also tie into health and science, because we will be conducting an experiment with potatoes.


Science: We will begin our unit on ecosystems.

Social Studies: We will be finishing up Map Skills

Language Arts: We will be finishing up our writing piece entitled, "Where I am From..." as well as continuing with Caught Ya! for DOL.

This Weeks Happenings....

The spelling words for this week are as follows:

1. exit
2. bottom
3. electric
4. suggest
5. polish
6. until
7. river
8. closest
9. victim
10. inspect
11. possible
12. distance
13. umbrella
14. landform
15. resource
16. conservation
17. pollution
18. equator
19. geography
20. Antarctica
Challenge Words: Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa


Reading: This week in Reading we will work on Alliteration and Biographies (Mighty Jackie will be our story for the week). We will also continue to work on skills of good readers. We will be doing a reader's theatre play about germs and also do a science experment about germs using potatoes).

Math: We will continue our work with place value and reviewing basic mathematical skills.

Social Studies: We will begin map skills and learning about capital, natural, and human resources.

Language Arts: We will continue to review the Types of Sentences and we will also continue with our writing piece entitled, "Where I'm From..." I will begin conferencing with students over their work.


We are looking forward to another great week in Fourth Grade at Hightower Trail!

Week Two Happenings...

We are off to a great start this year! Thank you all for purchasing agendas, school supplies, and filling out paperwork- it really makes a difference.

Weeek Two will be a very busy and exciting week. We will begin to switch classes for Math and for some students Reading.

Our Spelling words for the week are as follows:
1. pact
2. brand
3. brick
4. crop
5. broad
6. tread
7. film
8. else
9. gram
10. gum
11. dread
12. spend
13. past
14. plot
15. check
16. split
17. sting
18. strap
19. task
20. twin
Challenge Words: gingerly, penguin, ditch, lecture, pleasure
Vocabulary Words: pact, quesy, foisted, venture, annoyed, depriving

Subject Area Happenings this week:

Reading: Each week your child will bring home a comprehension story of the week, the story will come home on Monday and will be due on Friday. This week look for "School Days Rap"- with these stories parent tips are included so that you and your child can work on them together. There is also a place for you to sign off that you worked with your child on the story. We will also be reading "The Hot and Cold Summer" by Johanna Hurwitz. The Big Idea this week is Characters and events in realistic fiction are like people and events in real life.

Writing: This week we will review the writing process. We will also begin working on a personal narrative piece entitled "Where I'm From..."

Language Arts: Synonyms/Antonyms, Types of Sentences

Science: We will continue learning about things scientists have/do: Tools, Inquiry Skills, and the Scientific Method. We will be conducting more experiments this week--be sure to ask your child about the experiment we conducted last week (Fake Snow!)

Math: We will begin switching this week for math. In my math class we will begin our unit on Place Value.

Again, I am looking forward to an excellent school year!

Welcome To Fourth Grade!

Dear Parents,

My name is Katie Hawkins and I would like to welcome you to the 2009-2010 school year! I look forward to an exciting year together. We plan to have a fun-filled, progressive year, and we will need your support to make it even better.

About Me & My Teaching Philosophy
I was raised and educated in the great state of Georgia and received a bachelor’s degree from The University of West Georgia in Carrollton. This will be my second year teaching fourth grade at Hightower Trail and I look forward to getting to know you and your child. I consider you to be THE most important people in your child’s life, and an essential part of our success this year. As a team, we will make our time together a positive and valuable experience.

Attendance
Regular school attendance is important. A written excuse is required from you each time your child is absent. I also ask that you send written instructions if you need to make a change in the way your child leaves school (bus, car, etc). If you need to pick your child up early, please visit the office and they will call me to dismiss your child.

Classroom Blog
All of our classroom newsletters will be online. Every Sunday, I will post a weekly update and include the upcoming week’s events. You can access our blog by going to Hightower’s homepage, clicking on Directory (on the left hand side), and then scrolling to find my name. Next to my name you will find a link that says Web Page/ Blog click on that and it will take you to our blog.

You can also access the blog directly at: http://mrshawkinsfourthgrade.blogspot.com/

Parent Conferences
If, at any time, you feel the need to meet with me, please feel free to write a note, e-mail or call to schedule a conference. Please remember to leave the best telephone number at which to reach you so I can return your call promptly.

Classroom Discipline
Please take a moment to review the forms attached to this letter. Please sign and return the bottom portion of our classroom discipline plan to me as soon as possible.

Reading
Reading is essential at all grade levels. Students should read items of their choice for at least 30 minutes each night. I have included a list of questions to ask your child as they read. These questions can help your child build reading comprehension throughout the year. Meeting their Accelerated Reader Goal each quarter is part of their reading grade, incorporated with the overall percentage correct on all tests taken (two 100-point grades).

I am very excited about starting this school year. I hope this letter answered some of your questions. Please feel free to contact me with any additional concerns at (770) 388-0751 or at khawkins@rockdale.k12.ga.us Your child’s education is a team effort, and I am glad to have you as such an important part of the team. Together, we will have a great year.

Sincerely,
Katie Hawkins