Merry Christmas!

A huge thank you to all the parents who sent in items and assisted at our Holiday parties today. We all had a very nice day!!

We will finish Math Unit 5 the week we return from break and test Friday, January 8. Spelling will also resume after break.

There is NO SCHOOL tomorrow, December 23, through January 1. Classes resume on Monday, January 4, 2010. Enjoy your break!! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from your 4th grade teachers! :)

Diversity Day!

Thank you for your support in making our Diversity Day a fun one! We heard two adult speakers and two exchange students from Germany. We then shared a fantastic feast together. It was a great day! A big thank you to the many parents who came and helped set-up, warm food, serve food, and clean up our classrooms. You are much appreciated!

Reminder: There is no school for students next week. Enjoy the break and have a Happy Thanksgiving! :)

November Reminders

• Report cards went home Monday, November 15th. Please send in report card envelopes with your signature if you haven't yet.
• We hope to see you all at your scheduled conference time this TUESDAY and THURSDAY--November 17th and November 19th.
• No spelling the week of November 16th! We will resume spelling after our Thanksgiving break.
• Diversity projects due THIS THURSDAY--November 19th.
• Diversity feast THIS FRIDAY--November 20th. Please send in food that morning or have here by 12:00, so we can set up classrooms. Please label all pots, dishes, and serving utensils.
• Science test for BRADNER/PALO Wednesday, November 18th.
• We encourage children to keep reading over break for BOOK IT! We would like everyone to participate!:)

reminders for next week!

• Book Fair is going on today and all next week. Teachers will give specific browsing and shopping times.


• There is NO SCHOOL for students on Wednesday, November 4.


• Friday Nov. 6 is Unit 3 Math test for all classes. Students will receive study guide on Tuesday.


• Quarter 1 ends Friday, Nov. 6.


• If you haven’t seen the Diversity Project and returned the signed slip, please ask your child for it and send in Monday! This is an at-home project due Nov. 19. Make sure your child knows the country he/she will study and the food item they will bring for the feast by Monday, please.


• Burch/Highum classes have Social Studies test on Monday. Review sheet went home Wednesday.

Have a great weekend!

Gourdfest Friday!!

Just a reminder that we have our Gourdfest on Friday! We are still in need of gourds, craft supplies, and tacky glue! If you plan to send in these items, please let your child's teacher know. Thanks a bunch!! :)

Diversity Projects!

Diversity Projects are being assigned in all four classes today. This is an at-home project due November 19. Each student will be responsible for learning about their heritage (a country outside the US) and completing a book about themselves. Please look over the requirements and return the signed slip to your child's teacher.

We will be celebrating with a Diversity Feast on Friday, November 20. More details to come regarding the feast, but start thinking of a recipe you will make and share that day. (The recipe is one of your booklet pages.)

Have fun with this!! :)

Destination ImagiNation

There is a Destination ImagiNation Informational Meeting on Wednesday, October 21, at 7pm in the Highlander Way Middle School Cafeteria. If you need any more information about the program, you can check out the Destination ImagiNation website www.idodi.org or contact Karen Dzierwa at 734-878-0831.

P.T.O. volunteers

The Hutchings P.T.O. needs parent volunteers for the Hutchings Hurricane Hustle on October 23rd from 9:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. to help assist with counting envelopes, the walk, and the photography area. Even if you can’t work the entire 3 hours, any amount of time you could work we would truly appreciate.

If parents are available, please have them contact us by email at hutchingsptoinfo@sbcglobal.net or call Cathy Shields at 517-202-3765. Thanks!

Reminders

MEAP testing will begin on Tuesday, October 13. All 4th grade classes will be testing Oct. 13 (Tu), 15 (Th), 20 (Tu), and 22 (Th). Please refrain from making appointments or picking up students during the day on those days. Students will have to make up any missed portion during regular class time. PTO will provide a small snack on testing days, however we want to make sure all students are well rested and have a good breakfast!

Students are bringing home Original Works today. Orders are due no later than October 16. If you are ordering, you will need to return your child's artwork, with their order form. Make checks payable to Hutchings PTO.

Hurricane Hustle pledges are still being accepted! Please remember, this is our main fundraiser this year! Envelopes can be turned in each Friday for collection/prizes. The last collection day is the day of the Hustle...October 23!

Have a nice weekend! :)

Gourdfest & Halloween Info

On Friday, October 30, we will be holding our annual Gourdfest in the morning. This is a fun Math & Science activity that goes with the holiday! We are in need of a few donations for our Gourfest, including Tacky Glue, gourds, and craft supplies to decorate. Donations can be sent in beginning October 21. Thanks in advance! Each classroom will also be in need of three volunteers. Contact your classroom teacher if you are interested in assisting.

The Hutchings Halloween Parade will begin at 1:45. Our classroom parties will follow. More details to come.

Unit 2 math test

Study guide will be given Monday, October 12th. Review will be on the 13th. Unit two test is on Wednesday, October 14th for ALL fourth grade classes. Please review math boxes and study links.

Science Packets For Highum and Burch ONLY

Moon observations are due on October 16th. Weather observation packet due October 28th. THIS IS ONLY FOR HIGHUM AND BURCH CLASSES!

Book orders

Bradner and Highum book orders are due the 9th of October. Palo book orders are due the 23rd! Read for Book it!

Hurricane Hustle

Just some clarification....this is our MAIN fundraiser for our school this year. Pledges are being collected at school every Friday until the Hustle on the 23rd of October! Send in only one pledge and earn a prize!:) Go Hutchings!

Reading Challenge in Bradner/Palo Classes!!

Today (Wednesday, September 30th), your children will be coming home and telling you about Book It and our Peyton Brothers Classroom Cares Reading Challenge, sponsored by Scholastic! For the Book-It calendars, our students are being encouraged to read a minimum of 400 minutes per month. The first calendars are due November 1st! In addition, we are keeping track of chapter books read for our Scholastic Classroom Cares challenge (the book titles can be listed on back of green Book-It calendars). Both classrooms are striving to read 100 books by December 18th! If our classroom meets our goal, the Peyton brothers and Scholastic will donate books to children in need.

news and notes 9/25

Picture Day is Monday! Wear your smile! :)

Spelling: We are teaching spelling is not just for a test...but for ever! Students should be bringing home their notebooks to study their Words to Learn and Word Preview words each week. You will not be getting a list of words for the test. The Core Words and No Excuse words are linked on the right side of this blog. Feel free to print and review those, too!

Book-it calendars are coming home! The Book-it program begins Oct. 1. Read the blog post below for more info.

Hurricane Hustle: Info is coming home today from PTO. Envelopes can be turned in every Friday until Oct. 23. This is the big fundraiser for the year and funds go directly to our school. The actual Hurricane Hustle will be the morning of October 23.

Make sure you read and sign your child's planner each night. Also, make sure students are studying multiplication facts every night! Thanks :)

Have a nice weekend! Go Howell!

MEAP

We will be MEAP testing October 13th through October 22nd. During this time, it is important for all students to be in school. Please avoid scheduling appointments if at all possible. Please help us by making sure your child is well rested and has had a nutritious breakfast. Thank you!

PTO News

*September 28- School Picture Day
*December 3- Robot Assembly- times later
* Fall Book Fair- Friday, October 30 (will be open for the Halloween Parade) then all the next week November 2-6.
*PD Day November 4th no school for students
*School Store – 1st Thursday of every month beginning Oct. 1
*Spirit Wear Sale begins Oct.26-Nov.6
*Original Works- Will be sent home Oct. 6th, October 16th sent back to school if parents want to order, Delivery on November 30th- the students actual art piece will go home with the students instead of a magnet that has to be sent back to school if they don’t want it.
*Santa Shop- Dec. 7- Dec. 10 more info later
*Rollerama Dates- Thurs. Nov. 12, Tues. Jan 12, Thurs. March 18

Unit 1 Math Test

Tuesday, September 22 - Study guides will be passed out
Wednesday, September 23 - Review in class
Thursday, September 24 - Test Unit 1 Math

All 4th grade classes will test on Thursday, September 24. :)

Bradner/Palo Library times

Normally, Palo's library is Monday and Bradner's day is Tuesday. But, for this week and next week, we will be going Thursday (due to library scheduling).

Bradner/Palo Social Studies Projects

The projects are being assigned today....Thursday, September 17. 2009. They are due next Wednesday, September 23, 2009.

Book It

In fourth grade, we do not require reading logs, but we do encourage reading at home! We realize that we all have obligations and there may better times for reading than others. Therefore, we participate in the Book It program! This will begin in October! Be looking for a green book it calendar and letter to come home near the end of this month. Children are able to track reading, return monthly calendars to classroom teachers, and earn rewards. Rewards include Personal pan pizzas from Pizza Hut and individual classroom rewards!

Grading

Please do not worry about the calculated final grades on PowerSchool. They are incorrect. Only look at the individual assignments...those are correct. We will not be updating every day, so please check weekly. This is a new program for our district and we are still working out all the kinks! :)

social studies quiz

Burch and Highum classes will have a Social Studies Ch. 1 Quiz on Friday, September 18. Review sheets are coming home today. :)

Burch Capitol Pics

Click Here to see Burch's classroom pics from the Capitol. :)

Book orders

Bradner, Palo, and Burch book orders due this Friday :)

Welcome back!

Welcome to the 2009-2010 school year! We are excited to begin the year with you. Please check this blog frequently...we will be updating often! :)