The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character - that is the goal of true education. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Hi there. Check this guy out above! So long ago he also knew the power of the word BELIEVE! Is it any wonder why I would love to meet this guy someday?  I hope you had an amazing long weekend. We spent ours hanging out, sledding, and I did report card comments. :0) I hope you have a great week!

Report cards come home on Thursday. We are now in Quarter 3. That means, once again expectations are lifted a little higher for 4th graders academically and behaviorally. Tomorrow, kids will write a small plan on exactly how they are going to make the second half even more successful than the 1st. I look forward to hearing their goals.

Academically this week...

Math: Finding factors in numbers using divisibility rules and discovering if a number is prime or composite. (This well be very helpful when kids start to reduce or make equivalent fractions soon).

Lead 21 Reading: We will finish up Unit 3. Kids will work on their game board inquiry projects. They will come home this week on Thursday to be checked/finished with you. Please take time that night to sit down and play the actual game with your child, asking them about the facts on the squares you land on. Make sure that it is understandable for the average Joe that did not research about that state. They will be due on Friday. We will go over the rubric in class tomorrow. They will have it to bring home for Thursday's last chance check with you as well.

Spelling: Review week. There will not be a test this week.

Language: Continue to work on possessive nouns.

S.S.-Martin Luther King and the Civil Rights Movement. We will do many activities to create our sharing boards this week dealing with many different people involved in this movement.

Science: Kinetic and Potential Energy. We will begin the actual learning part of the Project Lead the Way series!!!

Fly Time: Civil Rights and Peaceful Solutions. We will also be setting goals for Quarter 3.

Music: A little note came home with kids last week about 4th graders playing recorders soon. Kids will have a recorder at school that they may use. However, they may also get their own from Eckroth or Hansen music stores (both found on Grand Avenue) for around $6. The ones at school are completely safe and sanitized and only they will use them the entire time, but kids LOVE having their very own to use. Plus these ones come in really cool neon colors!!! They must be the professional ones though. Please do not buy them at Walmart, Target, or the dollar store. Those ones will not be allowed at school by Mrs. Waddell. If you go to either store and just ask the people for the school recorders they will lead you right to them. Having a 4th grader last year, I know all about the joy you are about to go through. You may also want to pick up a pair of neon earplugs. :0)

The science fair is upon us in a few weeks. It will be optional this year for 4th graders due to Project Lead the The Way being new and already overwhelming to all of us. However, it will be HEAVILY encouraged by me to participate. (Extra Credit will be given). Please read information coming home tomorrow about a class that you and your child can (not mandatory) take through the Billings Clinic that will be a TON of help when it comes to doing everything. If you are going to do one for school, you might as well as enter it in the Billings Clinic Science Fair as well (Applications will be given out and need to be returned on or before February 27th). Many Arrowhead kiddos won money last year!!!! We will also have a complete demonstration at school, and I will send home a model paper of how to set up the board. However, due to the overwhelming and time restraints of completing our new Science curriculum this year, that will be about all the help they get from school. Of course I will help any child that needs individual help before or after school, but as far as time in class to do the project...there will be none. It is a 100% at home project. Again, I HEAVILY encourage all students to do this project. Don't worry...it is fun!!! If you think your child will be doing this, please write SCIENCE in the planner. If they 100% will not be doing this, please write NO SCIENCE in the planner for $10 tomorrow. I again hope that all kiddos will give it a go!

Speaking of money, we start over with a new color of money tomorrow. All kids have fresh wallets on their desks loaded with the $200 start up money. What they do with it is totally up to their choices. They all had fun spending their hard earned pink money on Friday buying their fun coupons. Kyra and Emily, we will do yours tomorrow. I hope you both had wonderful trips!

If your child ate something black and white today in honor of MLK Jr, write what it was in the planner for $10 tomorrow.

I hope you all have a wonderful night!
Mrs. Grewell