Race for Excellence

On Friday we participated in our school's annual Race for Excellence.  We walked and ran around our recess/sports field for an hour.  This event helps raise money for school improvements.  Last year's Race for Excellence raised money to expand our lunchroom.  

Before the Race we sent letters to our families and friends asking for donations to support the Race for Excellence.  Our class sent over 200 letters.  We sent letters as far away as India, California, Arizona, England, Colorado and Florida.  

We sang the Star Spangled Banner before starting the Race.  Then we walked/ran for an hour.  There were water stations in case we got hot.  We even had a D.J. playing music to keep us motivated.  After the Race we enjoyed snacks such as cookies, fruit, brownies, and other sweet treats.  We also had cold gatorade and water.

Some students won prizes for mailing twenty or more letters.  The prizes were 6 tickets to a water park, $200 gift card to a surf shop, and the grand prize was an iPad mini. One of the fourth graders won the iPad and was very surprised.  

Your student bloggers, 

The Fantastic Fourth

A Day in the Sun

Mrs. Lynch made us a deal today in the beginning of math class.  She said if we didn't complain about completing a 100 fact subtraction drill we would have a special math class.  We didn't complain because we wanted a fun math class surprise.  Since the weather was so nice today we got to have math class outside.  

We started by sitting in a group and learning today's math lesson, which was about tables and schedules.  Then, we were allowed to spread out on the playground and start our math homework. Some of us sat next to the monkey bars.  Others sat under the trees.  Some of our classmates were in the sun, but some were in the shade.  Even though we got to sit where ever we wanted we still got a lot of our homework finished.  

 

Your student bloggers,
The Fantastic Fourth

 

Grandparents' Day

We loved spending the morning with our grandparents and other special guests.  The students presented speeches about famous historical figures.  We also played a song on our recorders.  

We ended our program with our News Broadcast.  During the last couple months the students brainstormed and wrote scripts for their segments.  After filming, the students used iMovie to edit their footage.  Finally, we put all the segments together to make our complete News Broadcast.

Thank you to all the grandparents, aunts, uncles, and special loved ones that joined our class today.  This is such a special day for the students, and they are so fortunate to have you in their lives.

100th Day Challenge

100 days, 100 marshmallows, 100 toothpicks...

Today was the 100th day of school, and we had to make a tower out of 100 marshmallows and 100 toothpicks.  Some of our groups did well, and other groups found it more difficult.

Some things we learned during this marshmallow challenge were-
-how to figure and plan things out
-how to make a strong base
-how to agree with your teammates
-it helps to have a picture in your head before starting
-you need a bigger base and a narrower top
-put all of your teammates ideas together

9 inches

7 inches

4 inches

2.5 inches

We are 100 days smarter in 4th grade!!

Your student bloggers,
The Fantastic Fourth

Second Grade Bread Sale

Today we went to the annual second grade bread sale.  Each year the second graders bake tasty bread and sell it by the slice to the lower school students.  Each slice costs twenty-five cents.  The money from the bread sale is donated to Atlantic General Hospital which is just a couple miles from our school.

The second graders had jobs that switched throughout the morning.  Some of their jobs were bus people, cashier, bakers, drinks and host/hostess.

Everyone enjoyed the bread very much.  We had choices of white, cinnamon, or cinnamon raisin.  We also had icing, honey, butter, sprinkles, jelly, and cinnamon as options for our toppings.  A big thank you to the second grade teachers, Mrs. Frostrom and Mrs. Bunting for putting their time and effort into another successful bread sale.

Your student bloggers,
The Fantastic Fourth

African Safari

Mrs. Lynch, our teacher,  just got back from South Africa. She saw many different animals that we do not have in the USA.  Mrs. Lynch got to see the "Big Five".  These animals are the biggest and baddest in Africa.  These are some of the pictures Mrs. Lynch took of the "Big Five"while she was on her trip.

Cape buffalo

Elephants

Leopard

Lion

Rhinos

On Boulders Beach there are penguins.  Penguins can live there because the ocean is so cold. Sharks also like this area because of the cold water.

While in Cape Town, Mrs. Lynch visited Robben Island.  Nelson Mandela was held in this prison for speaking out against the South African government.  He wanted all South Africans to have equal rights and to be treated fairly.  After his release, Mandela became the first black president of South Africa.

Entrance to Robben Island

Mandela's prison cell

Table Mountain is also known as the Sleeping Giant.  Table Mountain is a plateau.  A plateau looks like a mountain with the peak chopped off it.  

View of Table Mountain from Robben Island

Our teacher also went to Zimbabwe to visit Victoria Falls.  Victoria Falls is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World.  It is nicknamed "The Smoke that Thunders".  It is almost twice the height as our Niagra Falls.  

Victoria Falls

When Mrs. Lynch returned from her trip, she surprised us with our own safari cars.  We used the safari cars to have our own trip to Africa.  

Our safari cars

Ready to go on a safari

Your student bloggers,
The Fantastic Fourth

Door Decorating Contest

Every year the lower school classrooms decorate their doors for Book Character Day.  On this day we dress up like our favorite book character from any book.

This year we decorated our door like "Read Box".  Instead of renting movies, you can watch book reviews.  We used the app called Educreations and recorded our voices giving a summary of any chapter book we read.  We also included who we think would like to read this book.

We took our digital reports and turned them into QR codes.  You can scan the QR code and watch our book report videos.

We also drew the front cover of our chapter book.

You student bloggers, 

The Fantastic Fourth