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.