Final Post

Middle School Bound!

Enjoy your summer! Play outside, swim, explore, read, create, and don't forget the sun block. Looking for something educational to keep your skills sharp. Click here.
See you in September!
Love, Mrs. McCallum

Post # 41

I am going to savior the remaining hours, minutes, seconds with this great group of girls! I am so proud of their academic achievements and the way they raised each other up and took our class motto to heart. 

"Always show more kindness than is necessary."

We wrapped up the year with a little geometry and art. The girls took the cumulative math assessment and their scores were impressive. I conferenced with each girl and we reviewed her errors. I loved the look on their faces when they recognized their mistakes. The tests are filed in their cumulative folders so I wrote their scores down and added it to their work folder (that hopefully made it home on Thursday). 

The girls missed Three Word Thursday last week. Fortunately we were able to squeeze in one last 3WT this week.

The girls enjoyed their party- swimming and a movie. A special thanks to all the families who brought in snacks, water, and to those parents who chaperoned. The setting of the movie was especially cool!

Anything look familiar? 

Nuts and Bolts:

Information needing a parent response is highlighted.

* Required Summer Reading

*Assembly practice will be on Monday(6/4) 8:30-9:45

* Monday 6/4 is a half day with dismissal at noon.

* Final Assembly- 6/5 @ 1:00 (Girls should wear a dress, skirt, or nice slacks. They will be walking up steps to the gym stage, so please try to avoid heels.)

* Homework-No Homework until September!

* Carpool Helpers-Eliza

Post #40

Could you look at the shape of a state, turn the state name into a funky food, and then find the area and perimeter. These girls came up with some pretty descriptive state names like Chocovania, Pizzaginia, Cheesington, New Jello- just to name a few. Here's an example:

To prepare for the cumulative math assessment, we reviewed many key concepts this week. The girls will be assessed on Wednesday. There is no need for any extra practice at home other than reviewing their math journal.  We talked about Meghan and Harry's wedding cake and even made our own-not so royal "Dump Cake." The girls did some real life problem solving with a cake recipe. Just keeping it real.

We finished up Abby Takes a Stand. After listening to the girls voice their opinions about the injustice of segregation and what they would have done to stop it, I feel pretty good about our future. We will swing through the 60's next week. 

The last Wordly Wise quiz was taken and the books have been retired. But the Wordly Wise creativity continued. The girls went on a scavenger hunt throughout the Lower School putting their vocabulary skills to the test. They also played around with The Stickman (your daughter can explain) and retold his tale using many Wordly Wise words. They will share these with each other next week.

Most girls have published their final Storybird. Stay tuned. The rest will be published soon. You can read them here:

Title of story	Author's Name	A little bit about the author	Story URL
The Battle	Lydia	I live in Richmond, VA. And I love to read and write.	https://storybird.com/books/7czcd8g7zd/?token=xp88resx4v
The Best Grade Ever	Ava	My name is Ava Pumphrey I am ten year old and I love all animals!!!	https://storybird.com/books/the-best-grade-ever/
George & Samantha	Stella	I love using Storybird because it gives me an opportunity to write.	https://storybird.com/books/george-samatha/?token=2288c93cde
The Animal Kingdom	Lucy	Lucy likes animals.	https://storybird.com/books/jzf46pszay/?token=e8zpsss68y
Best Year Ever	Camden	I love a good and tender story. What inspires me is kindness and friendship.	https://storybird.com/books/best-year-ever-6/?token=9rzzws5zwn
Fourth Grade Writing	Cate	She lives in Richmond, Va and she loves pugs.	https://storybird.com/books/writing-lab-16/?token=kv3jck5vst
Good Advice	Cecilia	She loves French Bulldogs and Lives in Richmond,Virginia.	https://storybird.com/books/good-advice-7/?token=dr4q7eq76y
The Amazing Macho Nacho	Caelan	She lives in Richmond with 3 brothers and 3 cats.	https://storybird.com/books/the-amazing-macho-nacho/?token=2p7stfabm4
Room MO2	McKenzie	I love to read, and write. I also love and animals.	https://storybird.com/books/room-mo2/?token=qe7mrxgs9g
Lost Inside and Out	Sarah	She is like the main character in the story	https://storybird.com/books/lost-inside-and-out/?token=px99z794u4
Petunia Makes a Friend	Eliza	Eliza dances at The Richmond Ballet and has two siblings a 12 year old brother named William and a three year old sister named Anna.	https://storybird.com/books/petunia-makes-a-friend/?token=k4nq6xrszv
Fancy Smancy	Alafair (Ali)	I love riding ponies, swimming, dancing lacrosse, field hockey, and singing	https://storybird.com/books/fancy-smancy-2/?token=8625tgsg7h

Nuts and Bolts:

Information needing a parent response is highlighted.

Thank-you for your generosity and help with the St. Andrew's Outreach project. We met our goal and the girls were proud.

* Required Summer Reading

* Fourth Grade Swim/Movie Party 6/1 Please pack a one piece bathing suit, swim cap, towel, goggles are optional. We are going to have a BLAST!

*Assembly practice will be on Thursday (5/31) from 1:00-2:00, Friday (6/1) 9:30-10:30, and Monday(6/4) 8:30-9:45

* Monday 6/4 is a half day with dismissal at noon.

* Final Assembly- 6/5 @ 1:00 (Girls should wear a dress, skirt, or nice slacks. They will be walking up steps to the gym stage, so please try to avoid heels.)

* Homework-No written homework! Check for reminders on the homework plan!

* Carpool Helpers-Cate

Class Leadership Week of 5/28

Ambassadors- Cate and Lucy

Girls-Your blog question is.......What do you need for the party on Friday? Post your answer here. 

Post #39

The fascinator parade was all the rage! We tried to be our most regal selves. Here's a little video of some of the wedding guests. 

A Fourthie tradition is to learn all of the states and capitals. Of course they could memorize them, but we know rote memorization is such a low level skill and these Fourthies are always up for a challenge. The girls are moving across the United States solving riddles, writing large numbers, and practicing rounding skills. And they can't get that catchy tune: Tour the States by Marbles the Brain Store out of their heads! The girls practiced measuring angles and determining area and perimeter. They can really "talk" geometry. 

We are dancing through the 1950's. They listened to Elvis, Fats Domino, and Little Richard. They practiced editing some pretty rough grammar from those songs. Our final novel study is Abby Takes a Stand (Scraps of Time) by Patricia McKissack. It's a quick read set in the early 1960's. The novel explores Civil Rights and segregation through the eyes of a ten year old.

Our last Writing  Lab is a Storybird that tells a Fourthie tale or memory. I will share their stories with the Class of 2027 next September. But you can read them in next week's post.

Nuts and Bolts:

Information needing a parent response is highlighted.

* Required Summer Reading

* St. Andrew's Outreach Supplies due Monday (Thick Classic Crayola Markers (10 count), package of sheet protectors)

* Fourth Grade Swim/Movie Party 6/1 

* Final Assembly- 6/5 @ 1:00 (Girls should wear a dress, skirt, or nice slacks. They will be walking up steps to the gym stage, so please try to avoid heels.)

* Homework- Posted for family planning

* Carpool Helpers-Stella

Class Leadership Week of 5/21

Ambassadors- Cate and Lucy

Photographer- Ceci

Girls-Your blog question is.......What is the last day to collect for St. Andrew's School? Post your answer here. 

Post #38

We had a blast celebrating 100 Class Compliments at Zazoli Sweets. The owner was very tolerant of our enthusiasm and celebratory noise. Thanks, Sharon!

The girls came back from their Middle School Orientation TIRED but excited. They are ready for the next step. But am I ready to see them go???? 

This group of girls loves to write and share their writing. You can see their Wordly Wise creative writing here and this week's Three Word Thursday here. 

World War II is over. They girls watched the surrender agreement between the Axis Powers and the Allies. We discussed the losses on both sides and how no one really is a winner when it comes to wars. We are now in the 1950's. Let the good times roll! The first Peanut comic strip was published at the beginning of this decade. The girls made their own comic and included WW words. TVs became a household staple in the 1950's. The girls watched an excerpt from a popular 1950 TV show and summarized the plot. It was interesting how much they enjoyed the slow moving, single plot, black and white show.

The girls were assessed on decimals. They had a chance to get clever with a little math humor. One task was to make a meme about decimals and/or fractions. Here are two examples from Grace and Eliza. We celebrated their test errors (it's all about a growth mindset) and the girls made corrections. Look for the math test in their work folder. Geometry is our new unit. The girls now know how geometry can save their life. They created a public service announcement about the geometry tie-in. Your daughter can explain.

The girls had fun creating Mother's Day mementos. Enjoy your special day!

Nuts and Bolts:

Information needing a parent response is highlighted.

* Leave for the Royal Wedding- Fascinator Parade 5/17 @ 10:30 (The girls may wear or bring a fancy dress to change into for the parade and "plane trip to London."

* Book Fair 5/16-5/17 (Our class goes on 5/16 from 2:30-2:50)

* Required Summer Reading (Books will be available at the Book Fair)

* Busch Gardens Choir and Strings Trip (5/18) (Good luck Alice, Cate, and McKenzie)

* Fourth Grade Swim/Movie Party 6/1 

* Final Assembly- 6/5 @ 1:00 (Girls should wear a dress, skirt, or nice slacks. They will be walking up steps to the gym stage, so please try to avoid heels.)

* Homework- Posted for family planning

* Carpool Helpers-Alice and Sarah

Class Leadership Week of 5/14

Ambassadors- Ava and Eliza

Photographer- Lydia

Girls-Your blog question is.......What do we need to collect for St. Andrew's School? Post your answer here. 

Post #37

Movin on down the road! The show was great and we are in fact getting ready to move on down the road to Middle School. The girls will tour the MS on Wednesday. They will partner up with a fifth grade buddy and learn the ins and outs of their next academic adventure.

These girls are finishing STRONG! They have earned 100 compliments and we are going to celebrate by taking a little field trip to Zazoli's on Thursday. I'll treat everyone to a $2 confection. The girls may bring extra money if they want. 

Imagine your family starring in a movie..... that's what the girls have been doing. They wrote plot summaries of the movie. The summaries included many genres- even HORROR! Have no fear; all movies were rated G (maybe one was PG). 

Someone commented that we didn't do much math this week. Not true! We worked with dividing decimals, more Royal problem solving, and of course daily Mindful Maths. Our schedule will return to normal next week. Ahhhhhhhh! We can't wait.

Finally- A HUGE thanks to all the parent volunteers during "Play Season" We could not have done it without you. 

Nuts and Bolts:

Information needing a parent response is highlighted.

* Required Summer Reading

* Middle School Visit- Wednesday May 9th (9:00-12:45) Lunch will be provided for all girls.

Busch Gardens Choir and Band Trip (Good luck Alice, Cate, and McKenzie)

* Homework- Posted for family planning

* Special Week Girl-Laila 

* Carpool Helpers-Camden

Class Leadership Week of 5/7

Ambassadors- Eliza and Ceci

Photographer- Cate

Post #36

Our week began with a beautiful class chapel. The girls shared our class motto: Always show more kindness than is necessary. They wrote the story and prayer. They were poised and articulate. Thanks to Mr. Tullner for recording it. Please click here to see the recording.

There was lots of collaborative writing, including a collaboration with our "Big Sisters" from Mr. Maslanka's homeroom. We have our final Big Sis/ Little Sis event in May when we will celebrate the end of the school year with a picnic on The Green.

The girls were treated to two guest math teachers (Lower School applicants). Both teachers were impressed with the girls' focus, cooperation, and skills. The girls are reviewing the four operations of decimals. Their unit assessment will include creative writing, computation, and problem solving. Our next math unit delves into geometry. The geometry unit will include a few fun projects.

We continue to explore immigration. Using an interactive map, the girls problem solved with immigration data.

Play practice has been going well. Thanks for getting the costumes together. Next week will be our first time in the theater and I know the girls will be ready. Please encourage your daughter to practice the songs found on the Fourthie site. Here's the direct link.

The girls were so tender celebrating my birthday. I was touched (to the verge of tears) by the thoughtful slideshow they made. Thank you for the birthday treats, flowers, balloons, gift card, and making my day so special. I love these girls!

Performance for Parents- Thursday @2:30

Nuts and Bolts:

Information needing a parent response is highlighted.

* Please email me a family picture. It doesn't need to be recent but needs to include at least mother and daughter. There is a special holiday in May and we are going to work on a project using the family pic.

* Middle School Visit- Wednesday May 9th (9:00-12:45)

* Play Information- COSTUMES

*Assembly- Formal Names Needed 

* Homework- Posted for family planning

* Special Week Girl-Laila (May 7th)

* Carpool Helpers-Laila

Class Leadership Week of 4/30

Ambassadors- Sarah and Ali

Photographer- Camden

Girls-Your blog question is.......When is our first dress rehearsal? Post your answer here. 

Post # 35

Play practice, special events, and the importance of flexibility- tis the season! There are just a few things I am 100% certain of when it comes to teaching and learning. Students (young and old) thrive when there is a predictable routine and schedule. That said, life is going to get a little crazy during the next few weeks as we prepare for the play and enjoy special events. We chatted about the importance of being our best selves: showing respect, having patience, maintaining focus, and being flexible. We all promise to practice these virtues (teacher included).

I wish every American could watch a Naturalization Ceremony. The girls were excellent ambassadors for our school during Wednesday's field trip. Judge Lauck explained the citizenship process to the girls and gave them a tour of her chambers. Not only did they watch the swearing in of 84 new Americans from a dozen different countries, they also learned about the U.S. Marshal Service and met one very special U. S. Marshal. Ask your daughter about Wanda. The girls are reading about the challenges many immigrants face today as well as those immigrants who entered the U.S. through Ellis Island.

We watched Queen Elizabeth, Princess Dianna, and Princess Kate Middleton all walk down the aisle. The girls worked through some pretty tough problem solving about these historic weddings. Several of the problems required algebra which should have been a stumbling block. BUT... thanks to bar modeling the girls were able to solve the multi-step equations. Click here to see the kind of problem solving the girls have been up to.

I enjoyed conferencing with everyone during these past few weeks. I am going to miss this special group of Fourthies. Here's to a strong finish to Fourth Grade!

Bike Day is Monday! Be sure to pack a bag lunch, water, and sunscreen. Did you remember your helmet?

Nuts and Bolts:

Information needing a parent response is highlighted.

* Please email me a family picture. It doesn't need to be recent but needs to include at least mother and daughter. There is a special holiday in May and we are going to work on a project using the family pic.

* Play Information- COSTUMES 

*Assembly- Formal Names Needed 

* Class Chapel- Monday, April 23rd @ 8:15 LSAR

* Bike Day, April 23rd (Details from the PE department.) Bike safety video.

* Homework- Posted for family planning

* Special Week Girl-Ali

* Carpool Helpers-Camden and Lydia

Class Leadership Week of 4/23

Ambassadors- Camden and Grace

Photographer- Lydia

Girls-Your blog question is.......What should you bring for bike day? Post your answer here.