Dear 4B Parents,
Catholic Schools Week was a wonderful celebration. Thank you to all of the drivers/chaperones that took the 4th graders around to deliver certificates. I have already seen a few certificates in local businesses. Thank you also to the many parents that helped with the Grandparents lunch and any of the other activities that happened during Catholic Schools Week. We have much to be thankful for.
Congratulations to the grade 1-4 Spelling Bee Winner, Aria K. in 4A and also to Charlie K. and Sam L. for an excellent performance as well. I am so proud of all of our 4th grade participants!
Next Tuesday we will celebrate Valentine’s Day but the Valentine Boxes are due on Monday. Hopefully the students used the light homework week last week to start working on their boxes—and —-maybe even thinking “outside of the box”. I can’t wait to see what the creative 4th grade students come up with.
Oral Biographies: The students brought home information on the Oral Biography Project last Friday. I will be going over more about this project with the students on Monday, and we will be practicing strategies in class that will help them plan, work through and present this project. All students need to have a their person and book selected and approved by me no later than next Thursday the 15th. The sooner the better so students can begin their reading and note taking.
Reading: Last week the students read an informational text on Stagecoaches in preparation for our story this week; Riding Freedom. This wonderful story is based on the true story of a girl that overcomes many challenges to pursue her dream of becoming a stagecoach driver.
Spelling: There will be a spelling test on Friday for Unit 16. Word lists were sent home last Friday.
Religion: We will begin our study of the Sacraments this week. We will also continue to work with our Second Step 
lessons on respecting differences and understanding complex feelings. Being able to notice and then understand others’ feelings is an important part of empathy.
Math: Our main focus will be on multiplication of two-digit by two-digit numbers (and higher). I have seen some real improvement with mastery of multiplication and division. Those students that have not yet mastered their facts must practice nightly either on Xtramath, flashcards or paper and pencil timed tests. Look for math homework each night this week.
Science: This week we are switching gears away from the different types of energy and focussing on rocks, minerals, and soil. We will begin by looking at different types of minerals and how they are formed. We will also look at their different characteristics and how they are categorized. Students are encouraged to bring in any rocks or minerals that they have at home to share with the class. Please make sure the rocks and/or minerals are in bags with the student’s name on it. Thanks!
Social Studies: The students will be receiving a study sheet on Monday for our next map focus on the major rivers and lakes of the United States. There is an online practice site for this test on the 4A website under map skills called “River and Lake Review”. There is a PDF and a list of the lakes and rivers in the Map Skills tab. This test will take place Thursday, March 1st. If the students visit the site for 5 minutes each night they will learn the locations quickly! There will be a word list for this test. In class we are continuing our journey with Lewis and Clark as they head towards the Rocky Mountains.
- Math Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday Valentine’s Day Box due next Monday
- Spelling Lesson 16 Monday and test Friday Spelling City Lesson 16 activities
- S.S. Rivers and Lakes test 3/1
- L.A. Oral Biography Project book selected and approved by next Thursday 2/15
Have a great week!