Sunday, May 19, 2019

Week of May 20-24

Families of 4C,

My sentiments will be particularly gushy this week, as we head into the final week of the 2018-2019 academic year. It has truly been a wonderful school year with all of your children, and we have certainly been through growth and many changes, both as a class and as individuals. I feel exceedingly fortunate and blessed to have been given the group of wonderful thinkers and achievers that make up this year's 4C cohort. I could not have hand-selected a more fitting group of students to have in my first class as a new teacher, and I'm thankful to have gotten to know each of them, and you, this year. Thank you, parents, for supporting our students and our classroom this year. I consider myself lucky to have been absorbed into the Archway Arete family!

This week will not be typical like the others we have had this year; however, we will be keeping with the theme of sharing our love of knowledge and learning with one another! Assignments in class this week will be largely based on participation, and it is my goal to have as little homework as possible.

Monday and Tuesday will be full days, and Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday are all half days.

On Wednesday, students will be cleaning out everything from their desks and taking their items home.
On Thursday, we will be doing virtue shoutouts for everyone in our class!
On Friday, we will be having our class celebration and signing yearbooks (sign-up to help with the class party will be sent Monday)! Friday is also a SPIRIT WEAR day!

In my early preparations for the next school year, I am wanting to gauge interest in weekly grade reports. Please take a moment to fill out this google form with your input regarding grade reports, so I may improve the experience for the parents of my students next year. Thanks! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe_TbhWSEEDjzThS-QIzXwwznW6VayMeuY4_nA5E7DoZZh9oA/viewform?usp=sf_link


This Week:

Science: On Monday, students will be presenting their health brochures if they would like to. All final brochures are due Monday, though presenting is completely optional.

Poetry: Any students who did not get to recite their poem on Friday will finish reciting on Monday.

Math: For math, we will be reviewing any concepts students would like to spend more time reviewing by doing extra practice as a class. We do not have any more math tests for this year.

Grammar/Writing: For writing, students will practice some creative writing using previous Spalding words, but there will be no new Spalding words this week.

Idioms/Proverbs: Students will be learning new idioms and proverbs, as well as doing some socratic seminars on virtue.

Literature: This week, we will be reading Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh!


If you've made it this far in my final blog post of the year, I also implore you to encourage any of your kids to join yearbook club next year! I'm looking for a group of creative and hardworking fifth graders to help me next year (especially those interested in photography and/or writing), and I know many of our kiddos in 4C this year would add incredible value to that team! ;)



Have a marvelous Summer!

--Mrs. Conforti

Monday, May 13, 2019

Week of May 13-17

Families of 4C,

This week will be our final full week of the school year, as next week is mostly half days.

The final day of math tutoring will be on Monday, May 13. There will be no tutoring on Thursday, or for the rest of the year.

Grade reports will be sent out by Wednesday of this week. I apologize for the delay in the week 8 grade report. My migraines have gotten me a little behind on grading and sending out reports. Thanks for your understanding!

All missing/absent/makeup work is due this Thursday, May 16. Any late work turned in after Thursday will not be taken for a grade.

Testing Schedule This Week:

  • Monday (5/13)
    • Math 11.5 A on Volume
    • History Quiz ch.1-8
    • Science Test Respiratory System
  • Tuesday (5/14)
    • History Test ch. 1-9
  • Wednesday (5/15)
    • Roots Test
  • Thursday (5/16)
    • All late work due
  • Friday (5/17)
    • Singapore Math Test
    • "George Washington" Poetry Recitations
    • Spalding Test 


This Week:

Writing/Grammar: Students will be writing their comparison essays on The Wonderful Wizard of Oz this week.

History: Students will be taking their final history test of the year this week on Tuesday May 14, and will take their final quiz of the year on Monday, May 13.

Literature: Students will be watching The Wizard of Oz this week and will write comparison essays between the 1939 film adaptation and the book.

Math: Students will learn about tessellations and symmetry this week, and will spend the week preparing for the Singapore Math Assessment that they will take on Friday, May 17. This test does not impact their overall math grade.

Poem: Students should continue to study "George Washington" in preparation to recite the poem on Friday, May 17.

Greek and Latin Roots: The final test over all 100 roots will be this Wednesday, May 15.

Science: Students will be taking their final science test of the year on Monday, May 13 over the respiratory system. Throughout the week, students will be creating heath brochures with the information they have learned this year.

Spalding: This week, students will be studying their next 29 words, balance ----- disappear. We will typically study 30 words every week; however, this is subject to change by a word or two from week to week depending on word groupings. A family member should dictate the words to the student each night for homework. Students will review words on Thursday and take the final test on Friday.



I hope you have a great week!

--Mrs. Conforti

Monday, May 6, 2019

Week of May 6-10

Families of 4C,

Incredible to think that we only have three weeks remaining in your student’s fourth grade year! As the year is coming to a close, students are feeling the itch for summer early. A number of them, way more than normal, did poorly on the last math test on composite figures. We gave each student 6 minutes to look over their corrected first attempt, and gave them the opportunity to try again for a better score. Many students are missing points from not reading carefully or from not completing the entire problem. Please support your child by reminding them to give the same level of effort in these last few weeks that they have trained to give toward their studies throughout the year. I don't want to see them practice bad habits right before they leave for the summer and prepare for fifth grade.

This class of scholars continue to impress me constantly with their behavior and academic and moral virtue. Our group had excellent etiquette as audience members during the Spring Concert, and represented our school as well-behaved scholars on the field trip to A.T Still University. During the field trip, our students were complimented multiple times on their scientific inquisitiveness, knowledge of the cardiovascular system, and diligent note-taking! I have been exceptionally fortunate as a first year teacher to have a group of kids that I can trust so much to be positive leaders.

This Week:

Writing/Grammar: This week, students will dive into poetry. Each night, students will have a poem to write if there isn't time to finish it during class. This week, I will be grading students on effort instead of the quality of work. Poetry isn't easy. Some consider it the highest form of writing. It will be a good challenge for them, and all I ask of them is their best effort. Some may find they are pretty good at it and enjoy it.

History: Students will be taking their final history test of the year next week and their last quizzes this week. Please see the study guide attached to this post below that Mr. Naaktgeboren has provided.

Literature: Students will continue reading The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Next week, students will be watching the 1939 film adaptation, The Wizard of Oz, and writing an essay comparing and contrasting the two mediums. (This is my personal favorite film of all time, and I am having difficulty containing my excitement!)

Math: Students will prepare for the Unit 1-7 cumulative test that they will take on Thursday. After that, they will spend time preparing for the Great Hearts Singapore assessment. This assessment is meant to gauge their understanding of key strands taught by the Singapore Math program. The GH Singapore assessment does not impact the student's math grade.

Poem: Students should continue to study "George Washington" in preparation to recite the poem on Friday, May 17.

Greek and Latin Roots: The students should be studying all 100 roots in preparation for the end of quarter Greek and Latin roots test which will cover all one hundred roots. However, the assessment this week is only over roots 94-96, and students will learn the last three roots for the year!

Science: Students will learn about breathing, lung ailments, and will be making a brochure about living a healthy lifestyle. Students will take their unit test on the respiratory system next week.

Spalding: This week, students will be studying their next 20 words, agreement ----- attorney. On Monday, they will take their final 50-word spelling test of the year. We will typically study 30 words every week; however, this is subject to change by a word or two from week to week depending on word groupings. A family member should dictate the words to the student each night for homework. Students will review words on Thursday and take the final test on Friday.



History Quiz Study Guide

History: Early Presidents Quiz

1. What did Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson disagree about?
a. whether manufacturing or farming was more important
b. if there should be more small towns or large cities
c. whether the central government should be strong or weak
d. all of the above

2. What is impressment?
a. forcing members of one country into the service of another country
b. having a good opinion of someone
c. taking soldiers captive during a war
d. forcing citizens to pay for their country’s war

3. Which position did George Washington NOT hold?
a. president
b. vice president
c. president of the Constitutional Convention
d. commander in chief of the Continental Army

4. Which branches of government were established by the Constitution?
a. executive, legislative, judicial
b. executive, legislative, treasury
c. cabinet, legislative, judicial
d. the legislative, judicial, war department

5. Which of these is part of the judicial system?
a. President’s Cabinet
b. Department of State
c. Supreme Court
d. Department of the Interior

6. Which states donated the land that became Washington, D.C.?
a. New York and Pennsylvania
b. Virginia and Maryland
c. North and South Carolina
d. New Hampshire and Vermont

7. What did Jefferson believe people needed in order to govern themselves well?
a. plenty of food
b. taxes
c. education
d. slaves

8. What message did the Monroe Doctrine give to European Countries?
a. they are welcome in South America
b. they are welcome in North America
c. they should not interfere in North or South America
d. they should not interfere in the Eastern Hemisphere

9. Which of these is true of President John Quincy Adams?
a. he didn’t present his ideas forcefully
b. he was cold and hard to get to know
c. he wanted to build a national university
d. all of the above

10. Which important port city was part of the Louisiana Purchase?
a. New York City
b. New Orleans
c. Boston
d. Washington, D.C.

11. Which did not play a role in the Whiskey Rebellion?
a. corn
b. farmers
c. tractors
d. tax

12. What did President John Adams believe about war?
a. The US was too young to get involved in war
b. The US should go to war with France
c. The US was too wealthy to get involved in the war
d. France and England should go to war


History Test Study Guide

  1. What positions did George Washington hold?
  2. Which branches of government were established by the Constitution?
  3. What is the top of the judicial system?
  4. How does the government get most of its money to operate?
  5. What did Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson disagree about?
  6. What played a role in the Whiskey Rebellion?
  7. What did President John Adams believe about war?
  8. Which states donated the land that became Washington, D.C.?
  9. What did Thomas Jefferson believe people needed in order to govern themselves well?
  10. Which important port city was part of the Louisiana Purchase?
  11. What is impressment?
  12. What message did the Monroe Doctrine give to European countries?
  13. Which of these is true of President John Quincy Adams?
  14. What was the Indian Removal Act?
  15. How was Andrew Jackson's background different from the backgrounds of presidents before him?
  16. The second president, who kept the U.S. out of a war
  17. Author of "The Star-Spangled Banner"
  18. The president who said, "I walk on untrodden ground"
  19. The president who was a hero at the Battle of New Orleans
  20. The third president, who was an architect, a lawyer, an inventor, and a writer
  21. African-American scientist who helped survey Washington, D.C.
  22. Son of a president who also became a president
  23. The president who declared war against Great Britain
  24. George Washington's secretary of the treasury who favored a strong central government
  25. The president whose doctrine told Europe to stay out of the Western Hemisphere



I hope you have a great week!

--Mrs. Conforti