Camp Info

Dear Almost 5th Grade Parents,

Teachers will be sending home more information about fifth grade camp for next year.  Please keep an eye out for that :)

Below are the same electronic instructions that will be sent home on how to start the process for paying for camp.  If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact Valarie Davies.  valarie.davies@pisd.edu

-The 4th Grade Team

Coffee with Mr. Steele

Dear Parents,

This is your friendly reminder that starting at 7:45 in the cafeteria will be Coffee with Mr. Steele.  It is an informational session about next school year (2019-2020).  He hopes to see you there!

-The fourth Grade Team

Friday, April 26 Schedule

Dear parents,

There is a SCHEDULE CHANGE this friday!

8:00-8:30ish Mavs Mentors

9:40-10:30 Specials

11:00-11:30 Lunch in cafeteria

11:30-12:00 Recess

Thanks for letting us  keep you in the know :)

-Fourth Grade Teachers

Texas Day and othe reminders

Hi Parents!

Please look below for information on Texas day next week!  PTA is providing snacks for the grade level- goldfish.  It will be a day filled with fun and learning!

Please look at the volunteer sign up sheet below if you are interested in coming into to help with Texas Day.  Texas Day is different from Party days so please sign up if you can help the day run smoothly.  Due to space, we ask that only parents volunteering should plan to join us. 

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080f45a4ad2ca13-4thgrade1

Please make sure to return the pink paper will your child's 5h grade camp information by Friday, April 26th.  This is very important so that the 5th grade teachers can begin preparing for next year.  Your child should also be coming home today with a purple paper to start the process of getting ready for the next school year here at Mathews. 

Finally-be on the lookout for a white paper too!  Students are welcome to apply to sit on a fourth grade student panel.  Please contact Mr. Steele or Mrs. Powell if you have any questions.

-Your Fourth Grade Team

Keeping you in the know

Dear Fourth Grade Parents,

Please read below to find information about STAAR days schedules, fifth grade camp, and the lost and found.

STAAR Schedules- No visitors on 4/8 and 4/9

Recess Schedule:

10:00-10:30 Third Grade

10:30-11:00 Second Grade

11:00-11:30 Kindergarten

11:30-12:00 Fourth Grade (If done testing)

12:00-12:30 First Grade

12:30-1:00 Fifth Grade

Lunch Schedule:

10:30-11:00 Third Grade

11:00-11:30 Second Grade

11:30-12:00 Kindergarten

12:00-12:30 Fourth Grade

12:30-1:00  First Grade

1:00-1:30 Fifth Grade

Specials Schedule:

7:50-8:40 Second Grade

8:45-9:35 Kindergarten

9:40-10:30 First Grade

11:50-12:40 Third Grade

12:50-1:40 Fourth Grade

1:45-2:35 Fifth Grade

Lost and Found

Cold spells by and large should be behind us, yet we still have a large amount of clothing and other items on our lost and found tables.  Our partner, World Wear Project, is offering a bonus if Mathews meets or exceeds 3500 pounds of donated items during the month of April.  Please have your child check the lost and found by the end of the month.  If items are unclaimed then we will be donating them to a good cause!

5th Grade Camp 2019

Mathews 5^th grade Adventure Camp for 2019-2020 will be November 4^th – 6^th.

Open house will be April 14^th from 2-4 PM for 4^th grade parents and students to visit.  

Writing STAAR reminders

Happy Monday!

This week is Book Fair week!  The kids are so excited.  We also have our STEM and Family Festival night on Wednesday, April 3 from 6-8pm!  Please come join us!

Next Tuesday we have the first STAAR test for fourth grade.  Please make sure that your child gets a good nights sleep and a healthy breakfast in preparation.  We highly recommend that you send your child to school with a jacket, healthy DRY snack, and water bottle that does not sweat and has a securely sealed top.  We want students to be their best on this big and stressful day. 

Please reach out to your homeroom teacher if you have any questions.

-The Fourth Grade Team

Texas Day!

Fourth Grade Families-

It is almost time for Texas Day in 4th Grade!  Save the date, Thursday, April 18th to help make the day a success.  

Opportunities to volunteer are below.  

Volunteer Signup

Thank you for all that you do!
-Fourth Grade Teachers

A Message from Mrs. Toler

Dear Parents,

Please click on the link below to read a message from Mrs. Toler about an optional program that you may attend.

Thanks!

The fourth grade team

Symphony Field Trip

Greetings Parents!

We hope you are having a lovely, relaxing and memorable spring break! Ms. Greenblatt is in Iceland chasing waterfalls/the norther lights, climbing glacier ice caves and exploring black sand beaches!   Mrs. Mosbarger celebrated her birthday and being Irish!  Mrs. Dowd's Aggies are home from break and her niece, and family, from Hawaii are visiting later in the week....Aloha, ya'll!

Symphony-Tuesday, March 19

Here is some information about our field trip to the symphony and a few days where we have a slight schedule change. 

Dress Code

This year we are lucky! Spring picture day is on the same day as the symphony!  Please make sure that students are wearing nice attire. This means no athletic clothing will be allowed. Please also try to refrain from wearing jeans.

Lunch and Snack

Students must bring a lunch from home on this day. We will be eating in our classrooms when we return from the symphony. The cafeteria will be closed by the time we return to school. To help students appetites please try to send a snack on this day so we can eat it before we load the busses.

Schedule

Specials 7:50-8:40 (class pictures)

Block 1 8:40-9:40

Block 2 9:45-10:45

Symphony Field Trip 10:45-12:45ish

Lunch 12:50-1:20ish in fourth grade classrooms

Block 3 1:25-2:40

Upcoming Dates

Tuesday, March 19- Picture day AND Fourth Grade Symphony field trip
Thursday, March 21- Math MAP testing
Friday, March 22- Report Cards go home
Tuesday, March 26- Reading MAP testing
Wednesday, March 27- Science MAP testing
Monday-Thursday April 1-April 4: Book Fair Week
Tuesday, April 9-actual STAAR Writing Test
Thursday, April 18-Texas Day

Wednesday and Thursday March 20 and 21 Lunch/Recess

We will have a slightly modified schedule on this day. We will have lunch and recess at a different time. Our lunch will be from 11:00-11:30 and recess from 11:30-12:00. The rest of our schedule will remain the same. 

Thank you for reading!  Please reach out to your student's teacher if you have any questions, comments, concerns or praises!  Have a wonderful rest of your break week!

-The Fourth Grade Team

Upcoming Dates!

Dear Parents,

Mathews online Auction is open!  Please go check out the link below.  We love our PTA!  This along with many other fundraisers helps to give Mathews the funds to do so many of the wonderful things that make Mathews unique!  The auction will close at 10PM on the 28 of February.  To access-click the link below:

http://tiny.cc/MathewsSilentAuction

Read Across America Day- Dr. Seuss' Birthday!

This year for Read Across America Day we are encouraging students to dress up like a character from a book!  Please help us promote school spirit, positive reading habits and some old fashioned fun by participating on Friday, March 1!

Mock STAAR Writing Test

On Tuesday March 5 we will be giving students a practice STAAR writing test so they are accustomed and more comfortable with the format of the test on the big day.  Please send your student to school with a dry snack.

Upcoming important dates:
Thursday, February 28-Silent Auction ends at 10PM
Friday, March 1 Book Character Dress up Day
Tuesday, March 5 Mock STAAR Test for all of fourth grade
Thursday, March 7- Open House
Friday, March 8- End of 9 Weeks Party
Tuesday, March 19- Picture day AND Fourth Grade Symphony field trip
Thursday, March 21- Math MAP testing
Friday, March 22- Report Cards go home
Tuesday, March 26- Reading MAP testing
Wednesday, March 27- Science MAP testing
Monday-Thursday April 1-April 4: Book Fair Week
Tuesday, April 9-actual STAAR Writing Test
Thursday, April 18-Texas Day

Book Fair Week-April 1-April 4

Please add Spring Book Fair week to your calendars!  There will be more information to come soon.  Each class will sign up for a date and time.

Thank you for reading!  Please reach out to your student's teacher if you have any questions, comments, concerns or praises!  Have a wonderful week!

-The Fourth Grade Team

Water Bottles

Water Bottle Information

Dear Parents,

Thank you so much for teaming up with us to promote healthy habits for your children and our planet!  We have had a few waters bottles break and would like to encourage you to send students to school with metal or plastic water bottles that have sturdy caps or straws.  Please remember that the only liquid that should be in their water bottles is water.  Gatorade, Powerade, Lemonade, Soda, Soft Drinks, Juice, Tea, Coffee, etc can be consumed at home, at school we want our minds to be feed with knowledge and nutrients that do not cause distraction for our fourth graders.  

Thank you for support in our students future!

the Fourth Grade Team

February

Hello Lovely Parents!

Please see below for important dates and information regarding your fourth graders!

Perot Museum Field Trip- Friday, Feb. 8 (Wear a Mathew's or Green Shirt and pack a sack lunch and drink)

Unit 4 Reading Test- Tuesday, Feb. 12

Book Report- We will start working on these in class towards the end of February.  For now please make sure your students are reading them and using them to fill out their reading logs

Friendship Week dress up days (Feb. 11-15)

     Monday-Warm Ups/Sweats

     Tuesday-Clothes inside out

     Wednesday-Country Western

     Thursday-Red, white or pink

     Friday- Toystory/Disney

Friendship Party-Friday, Feb. 15 at 1:30

President's Day- No School for Students Monday, Feb. 18

Thanks for the support!

-Your Fourth Grade Team

Winter Update

Fantastic Fourth Grade Flash-December 

Dear Mavericks, 

Please read the information below on what is going on in fourth grade!

Sincerely,

The fourth grade team

Test Dates:

Math-Thursday, December 13
Reading-Thursday, December 13

Winter Parties:

Our winter party is on Thursday December 20 from 1:30-2:30.  Feel free to come by and join the fun!  Parents are invited to check their student out after to take them home for the day!

Report Cards:

Report cards go home on Friday, December 21.  Please remember to keep the papers inside and return the signed envelope in January of 2019 to your child's teacher.

Lost and Found:

Please look at the pictures directly below to see if anything in the lost and found could be found and make its way back to your home!

Back to school: January 8

To start off the third nine weeks, we will be implementing the behavior card once again.  We are using it as a communication tool with parents.  However,  you will not sign weekly and there will not be stickers given.  It is simply a way to let parents know what their kiddos are up to at school-positive and negative.

New Lunch Policy Starting in January for the building:  

Letter from Mr. Steele

Mathews Families,

I have exciting news. Beginning January 9th, parents may come to eat with their children. We want this to be a success, so please consider waiting a week or two before coming so that we are not overwhelmed with families the first week this is in place. In order for this to be a positive experience for all parents, children, and staff, please follow all procedures listed below.

* Please be sure to come several minutes early as you will need to check in at the front office and get a badge in order to go to the cafeteria. You will need a picture ID in order to check in. If you do not bring identification, you will not be allowed to come in for lunch. This is for the safety of our children. Feel free to bring grandparents or other family members as long as they have IDs as well.

* Since students tend to get very excited about a parent visit, please refrain from telling your child you are coming if you may not be able to do so.

* If you have multiple children who attend Mathews, you will need to go to each lunch individually, as we will not be able to pull them during a non-lunch time.

* Feel free to bring lunch for you and your child, or you may go through the cafeteria line. The cost of lunch is $3.75, cash or check, for adults. You may not bring lunch for other children.

* There are labeled tables inside of the cafeteria where you can eat with your child. We have a small cafeteria, however, we will do the best we can to accommodate our families as they arrive. Families must sit at one table per family. If more families arrive than available tables, we will have multiple families sit together due to the number of families. Lunch at Mathews is not a time for family friends or neighbors to come sit together during lunch.

* Other students may not come and eat with you.

* Please do not feed your child as they need to feed themselves.

* When lunch is over for your child, please go back to the office, turn in your badge and leave through the front door. While we understand you may like to take your child to class or leave out the doors by the cafeteria, you are not allowed to go to the classrooms, out to recess, or to other areas of the school and you must sign out before leaving the building. We do not want to interrupt instruction or playtime with friends.

* If we find that there consistently isn't enough space for the number of parents having lunch, we will look at specific days weekly or another manner in which to divide the time. However, it is our sincere goal to not limit dates or times.

*** If dropping off lunch for your child, beginning January 9th, please do so in the front office no later than 15 minutes before your child's lunch begins***

We hope you enjoy the opportunity to eat with your children. Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns.

Ryan Steele

Mathews Principal

Lunch Schedule

Kinder 11:30-12:00                                 First 12:00-12:30                                    Second 10:30-11:00

Third 1:00-1:30                                      Fourth 12:30-1:00                                  Fifth 11:00-11:30          

Ryan Steele

Principal

Mathews Elementary 

Upcoming Information

Dear parents!

Please be on the look out for information about materials for our  marble run next week as well as a permission slip for the field trip to the Outdoor Learning Center!

Thank you so much!
-The Fourth Grade Team

Update

Fantastic Fourth Grade Flash

Dear Parents,

If your child would like to enter the Science fair, the Martin Luther King Jr. Writing Contest or Geography Bee please see the information at the bottom for more details.

What we are learning...

Reading- Something helpful to ask your child might be, "What is the difference between an autobiography and biography?".  We have switched gears for our Reading Logs!  This month will be POETRY!  Please help your children remember that their responses must be about a piece of poetry that they are reading.  Unit 2 Reading Test, Tuesday, November 6.

Math- Please continue to practice your math facts at home.  We are starting two digit times two digit multiplication this week.  This is one of the most difficult concepts learned in fourth grade.  Unit 8 test Wednesday, November 7.

Writing- Veteran's Day is approaching and we are writing letters or gratitude and appreciation to those who have served.  We are working on our editing and revising skills (ARMS and CUPS) as well as learning to write attention grabbing leads for our expository papers.

Science- Force, Matter, Energy and Motion has officially been kicked off!  We spent last week learning all about different types of mixtures.  This week we will be studying friction and force.  We look forward to combining all of our lessons into our final project in a few weeks where we will be creating our own marble runs!

Social Studies- Did you know that Tejas means friend?  Watch out Spain and Mexico!  Texas is starting to want their independence!  We are focusing on the colonization of Texas.

Student Council-Please send cans!

We will be collecting cans across the school to help replenish the food banks after Thanksgiving for the winter holidays.  The canned food drive will last the entire month of Novemenber

Dates to Remember

Monday, November 5-Science Fair kick off
Monday, November 12 Veteran's Day Assembly at 8:15 am
Thursday, November 15 AMC at 8:00am (Math Rocks students only)
Friday, November 16 MLK Writing forms due
November 17-25 Thanksgiving Break
Wednesday, November 28 Outdoor Learning Center
Tuesday, November 27 Math MAP testing
Thursday, November 29 Reading MAP testing
Friday, November 30 Science Fair permission forms due

Science Fair Info- contact Mrs. Dansbee
MLK Writing- contact Mrs. Dansbee

Geography Bee Information-from Mrs. Willett in 5th Grade

Dear Parents,
    Students in 4th and 5th grades are invited to participate in our National Geographic "Geography Bee."  This is an opportunity for your child to learn more about the world around them!  By clicking on the link provided below, your child will have all of the study materials that they need.  Your child will study individually from now until January 25th!  That is a lot of time to prepare!  Should your child be the champion at Mathews (there must be at least 6 participants at Mathews before any student can advance), your child will then take an Online Qualification Test.    This test can be given to only one student.  GeoBee will advise us if the champion qualifies for the State GeoBee on March 29, 2019.
     We hope you will encourage your child to participate in this challenge.  If you need additional information, please do not hesitate to contact your child's teacher.  In January we will ask for the names of all those students who have been preparing so that they can participate in the School GeoBee.  Happy studying!

Geography Bee Study Materials

2nd 9 weeks!

Fantastic Fourth Grade Flash

Dear Parents,

We have some exciting news!  We will no longer be using the Student Success cards for your children.  We will communicate with you via emails, phone calls and your child's planner/agenda.  Please make sure to look in their planner on a daily basis to help them stay organized with their homework and extra curricular activities.