Valentine’s Day: We will have a small Valentine’s Day celebration on Tuesday, February 14th. Personal valentines may be handed out at the end of the day, but this is optional. If you choose to hand valentines out, please be sure you have enough for everyone in the class (We have 18 students!)
Secret Valentines: Every student in the class has randomly chosen a classmate to create a “secret valentine” for. Students are to make a valentine that lists compliments to that person (at least 3). These valentines will be displayed on our hallway bulletin board, so don’t be afraid to go BIG! Valentines should contain the classmate’s name, but NOT YOURS...it’s a SECRET! All valentines are due by Friday, February 3rd. On February 14th, during our Valentine’s Day celebration, we will share and reveal who our secret valentines are for. This is one of my favorite projects in 4th grade because it encourages us all to look at each other in new ways. We are all special and unique and it is important that we celebrate that as a team.
Black History Biography Reports: To celebrate Black History Month, we are researching famous Black Americans. Students should be spending time each night working on the written reports (due Wednesday, February 22nd) and preparing note cards for their presentations (beginning Thursday, February 23rd). The assignment packet detailing the requirements and the rubrics have already been send home, but if you have any questions or concerns about this project please let me know. This is a first for many and I would love to offer my feedback and guidance.
Language Arts: Students have been placed in guided reading groups and are working through "just right" texts. We have now been introduced to and are practicing all 9 reading strategies of self monitoring, questioning, visualizing, predicting, summarizing, determining importance, inferring, making connections, and synthesizing. Encourage the use of these strategies at home before, during, and after reading. We have also discussed how and why author's use figurative language (similes, metaphors, and personificatin) in their writing. Up next...a look at how author's beliefs and customs are imbedded in their writing and review for the CMT's!
Math: We have really been challenging our mathematical minds with 2x2 multiplication, long division, and algebra. All 3 concepts require students to be fluent in their basic facts. This means that all facts are know quickly and automatically (without counting on fingers!). It is expected that students are working to memorize these basic facts by this point in 4th grade. As our mathematical thinking gets harder, the computation should be EASY! Up next...measurement, reinforcement of basic facts, and review for CMT's!
Basic Math Facts: Every Friday students will be quizzed on their basic facts. The tests will rotate through the operations each week (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division). Students are given 5 minutes to complete 100 problems for each operation. It is expected that students practice the assigned operation for the week a little bit each night for homework. Fast Math students should be using the program at home through the Keeney Resource Page to help build fact fluency.
Science: We took a little detour in science recently to investigate electricity, but we are back on track now with ecosystems. We are currently expanding our knowledge of food chains/webs to include decomposers and scavengers. Be on the look out for a chapter test coming soon!
Writing: We have spent a lot of time writing entertaining story beginnings and developing elaborated main events. We are now learning a new way to "stretch out" those main events and how to make our writing more interesting at the same time by adding more description. We have practiced describing characters, settings, and objects and have even used thesauruses to learn "spicier" words for some of the "boring" adjectives we so often turn to. Up next...using our 5 senses to add description to our writing!
Social Studies: Our treasure maps are complete! Throughout the process we have learned about and practiced using compass roses, map keys, coordinate grids, and map scales. Coming up...United States regions!
Spelling: This week we will begin receiving weekly spelling lists. The words each week will be taken from student work so there can be a focus on words that are a common struggle in the class. Approximately 10 words will be introduced each week on Monday and quizzed on Friday. Students should be studying these words a little bit each night as part of their homework.
Grammar: By this point we have learned that all sentences need a subject and a predicate to be complete. We now understand the difference between a simple subject and predicate and a complete subject and predicate. We have also learned how to identify and write a compound sentence using the conjunctions of and, or, and but. So much of our thinking needs to be expressed in writing, so it is VERY important students can express themselves clearly and properly.
Important Info...
*Book Orders*: Every month a Scholastic Book Order will be sent home. If you wish to purchase any books, you now have two options! First, you can send in your order to school with your payment in the form of a check payable to Scholastic (no cash please!). The second option is to order the books yourself online! Simply follow the directions on the flier sent home each month with the book order.
Instrument Lessons: Our fourth graders are very excited to be learning musical instruments and lessons will be scheduled in the next few weeks! However, it is a big responsibility. Students are responsible for bringing their instruments to school and going to their lesson on time. Also, as students are leaving the classroom during this time, it is expected that any work that is missed will be made up.
Schedule: We are once again using the six day rotation schedule of days A-F.Each letter corresponds to the special for that day. Music will be days A and D, gym on days B and E, and art will be on days C anf F. Library is scheduled for E days, but will not begin until about the 3rd week of school. Instrument lessons will also be scheduled according to a letter day. This schedule should be available soon. Every month a calendar will be sent home on the back of the class newsletter, as well as posted as a link on the bottom of this webpage.
Homework: Students are to complete 20 minutes of reading, a reading assignment, and a math assignment each night. For any assignment(s) that is not turned in on time, a Homework Alert will be sent home and must be returned the next day with parent/guardian signature along with the missing assignment(s). A weekly homework planning sheet will be used along with a homework folder to help keep students organized and responsible.
Language Arts: Students have been placed in guided reading groups and are working through "just right" texts. We have now been introduced to and are practicing all 9 reading strategies of self monitoring, questioning, visualizing, predicting, summarizing, determining importance, inferring, making connections, and synthesizing. Encourage the use of these strategies at home before, during, and after reading. We have also discussed how and why author's use figurative language (similes, metaphors, and personificatin) in their writing. Up next...a look at how author's beliefs and customs are imbedded in their writing and review for the CMT's!
Basic Math Facts: Every Friday students will be quizzed on their basic facts. The tests will rotate through the operations each week (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division). Students are given 5 minutes to complete 100 problems for each operation. It is expected that students practice the assigned operation for the week a little bit each night for homework. Fast Math students should be using the program at home through the Keeney Resource Page to help build fact fluency.
Science: We took a little detour in science recently to investigate electricity, but we are back on track now with ecosystems. We are currently expanding our knowledge of food chains/webs to include decomposers and scavengers. Be on the look out for a chapter test coming soon!
Writing: We have spent a lot of time writing entertaining story beginnings and developing elaborated main events. We are now learning a new way to "stretch out" those main events and how to make our writing more interesting at the same time by adding more description. We have practiced describing characters, settings, and objects and have even used thesauruses to learn "spicier" words for some of the "boring" adjectives we so often turn to. Up next...using our 5 senses to add description to our writing!
Social Studies: Our treasure maps are complete! Throughout the process we have learned about and practiced using compass roses, map keys, coordinate grids, and map scales. Coming up...United States regions!
Grammar: By this point we have learned that all sentences need a subject and a predicate to be complete. We now understand the difference between a simple subject and predicate and a complete subject and predicate. We have also learned how to identify and write a compound sentence using the conjunctions of and, or, and but. So much of our thinking needs to be expressed in writing, so it is VERY important students can express themselves clearly and properly.
