Students have now turned in their 4th grade California History essays, for the essay contest, and their pioneer projects...time to move forward in California history!

We have been working in math on data analysis. Students should know about mode, median, outliers, and mean and how to find or calculate each. Additionally, they have been looking at ways to display data (and why to choose a particular way to display the data): line plots, bar graphs, double bar graphs, line graphs, and circle graphs (pie charts). Each time we discuss graphs, we also discuss everything needed to make a graph: title, labels, scale, interval, and keys (where needed). If you happen to find any kind of graph in the newspaper, or elsewhere, take a few minutes to share it with your child--what kind of graph is it, how effective is it in helping us understand the information, and what can we learn by carefully reading the graph?

Students have been doing a lot of writing, across the curriculum. In addition, we have been reviewing complete and simple subjects, complete and simple predicates, nouns, verbs (don't forget those "to be" verbs!), prepositions and prepositional phrases, adjectives, articles, and conjunctions. We are not ignoring adverbs...we will look at how they are used as well. Students have also been learning about compound sentences and how to punctuate them. We regularly review punctuating dialogue, as well as the 4 basic types of sentences: declarative, imperative, interrogative, and exclamatory.

Be sure to check out Study Island! Our very generous PTA has paid for a wonderful standards-based, web-based software program that allows students to review grade level standards through lessons, tests, and games. You and your child can access this at home, at no cost. Each student knows their own username and password (username is the same as their AR username with @nusd added at the end, and the password is the same as their AR password). Students got to try the site yesterday in the computer lab. They seemed to enjoy it. It is a great supplement to the curriculum!

Just a reminder: 4th grade will be testing (State STAR testing) beginning Thursday, April 29 (4/29, 4/30, 5/6, and 5/7). Please help your child do his/her best by not stressing about the tests, by encouraging him/her to always do their best, and by making sure that your student is well-rested.

Special Surprise! Every student has been given a free ticket to the Aquarium of the Bay, by The Bay Institute and the STRAW Project. The tickets expire Dec. 30, 2010. Enjoy!

Have a wonderful vacation! Hopefully everyone will come back healthy and rested, although I would still love to have donations of tissues just in case!