Dear 4B Families,
We’re off to a great start in fourth grade! We are getting used to our routines and are hard at work learning the expectations and procedures that help us be successful here at school. Remember, this Friday the 18th is a half-day due to West Fest set up. I know the students are excited for this fun community event. Students have free dress on Friday and are encouraged to wear any West Fest gear or fall colors.
I have compiled the 4B Class Email Group. If you did not receive the email titled: “Journeying Together & 4B Test Email” that was sent on Thursday, please let me know so that I can see why your email was not added successfully to the email group. Going forward, all classroom correspondence will be electronically, as this will be the last paper copy of the newsletter sent home.
Reminders
MAP Testing: On Monday we begin our MAP testing in the area of reading. The MAP testing gives teachers valuable information regarding student progress in reading, math, and language arts. Please take a moment to remind your child about the importance of doing their best to show what they know. As always, please make sure your child gets a good night’s sleep and eats a healthy breakfast in the morning. Thank you for your support.
Headphones: Please make sure your child has corded headphones or earbuds that can be kept at school! Bluetooth headphones and earbuds are not allowed. When using iPad apps that support our math, reading and language arts programs, having headphones helps students stay focused and attentive to their skill work.
Picture Day: Tuesday, September 15th is individual class picture day. Students may come dressed nicely in free dress or wear their uniform for their picture. Check the eFC for ordering information.
Our Week of Learning
4B Class Covenant
Our class is working on composing our 4B Covenant. The 4B Covenant will contain our class norms, or agreements, to ensure that each person is able to access their fullest potential. We began the process by writing down our ‘hopes and dreams’ for the school year and by naming the different ways we want to feel here at school. We then asked the question: “What do we need to do here at school to feel the ways we want to feel and to accomplish our dreams?” Each student then articulated a class norm that they would like to establish so that they can better access their learning. Next we will create concise “norms” that we will promise to honor for the remainder of the year.
Co-created class norms help each child in the following ways:
- Gives a sense of belonging and significance
- Allows each individual’s voice to be heard and honored
- Acknowledges that each person is different and may have different preferences and needs
- Elevates the learning experience as one that is highly respected, and
- Makes expectations clear so that we all know what ‘our job’ is on any given day
I will share the 4B Class Covenant with you once we have completed the task!
Second Step
Our Second step lessons last week reviewed Empathy and Respect, and Listening with Attention. Empathy is a crucial foundation for healthy communication and interpersonal relationships. Listening with attention is a skill necessary for effective communication with others and academic success. This week we discuss the importance of being assertive (rather than passive or aggressive) when communicating your feelings.
Math
Our classwork will continue to focus on place value. Fourth grade students are expected to be able to read and write numbers into the millions and higher. It is important that students be able to read large numbers as well as understand the difference between place and place value. (3,293: The 9 is in the tens place and the place value is 90.) We will continue to compare, order and round whole numbers. Students will continue to receive daily homework (T, W and TH) that reviews the skills we learned that day. We will plan to have the Chapter 1 math test on Thursday.
Spelling
This week’s spelling words are short vowel sounds. In class we will do activities to practice the words. Nightly home review is encouraged as well. The test is this Friday the 18th.
Language Arts
The students will be finishing up a writing assignment called My Favorite Place this week. These pieces are used as a beginning of the year writing assessment that I will reference to help me plan our upcoming lessons. The writing is also a good benchmark for the students to compare their progress as they grow as writers this year. Our class work this week will also focus on grammar, punctuation, and cursive! Students are also learning about the 4 types of sentences: statements, questions, commands and exclamations. They will practice writing each type of sentence using their spelling words.
Reading/Language Arts
Charlotte’s Web: The students are learning to write quality written responses as they analyze the text, vocabulary and characters. As we work through the 3rd chapter, the students will also begin composing Postcards From the Barn, in which they will be describing the barn using their senses as well as the main event of the chapter while infusing themselves in the scene.
Social Studies (with Mrs. Simpson)
The continent and ocean test will take place next Friday the 25th. We will continue to review in class, and students are expected to practice at home as well. The test will have a word bank of the continents and oceans. Students need to know the locations. The 4A website has links to review the continents as well. Look under the “Map Skills” section on the right-hand links column. I will share these links with the students this week. The 4th graders are also memorizing the Continent poem which they all have a copy of in their filer. It is also available as a PDF on the 4A Website. I will give practice time in class for this, but the poem should be practiced at home as well. All students need to recite the poem by September 25th. Our class lessons will focus on latitude and longitude as we gain skills reading maps using coordinates.
Science & Reading
We will continue to explore slow and fast earth changes. The first step to being a successful scientist is to thoroughly research the topic you are investigating. We will complete our research on the types of earth changes and then begin some hands-on explorations on how earth changes may occur in our world.
After our slow and fast earth change investigation, we will be asking the essential question of: “How do people respond to natural disasters?” We will read expository texts to learn about ways humans problem-solve solutions to fast earth changes.
The students are off to a fantastic start! We have a great week of learning ahead.