Greetings! All is moving right along in fourth grade. We have been extremely busy in our classes, and students seem to be really stepping up to the demands of fourth grade. I know a few of you voiced concerns about the greater amounts of homework, and higher level of work. Your children, though, are rising to the challenge, and this is so important as fifth grade doesn't get easier! :) Here's what we've been doing in our classes...
Math: We continue to work with the addition and subtraction of whole numbers and money. Regrouping has been a big challenge with many in this class. This has been surprising to me, as usually it is something that is already mastered in the third grade. Be that as it may, we continue to practice it daily, and the class is improving all the time. We also work with our multiplication math facts four days a week. This will help the children so much when we get to long division and long multiplication. Please keep practicing these at home!
Reading: We are on the story What Jo Did in our main texts. We also read Boss of the Plains this week, from our supplemental material. Both stories are so much fun. The skills the class is working on are comprehension, vocabulary, main idea/details, and cause/effect. We also have been doing some journaling and paragraph writing in class.
English: We had a simple review this week of common and proper nouns. The students did a nice job with this.
Science: We read about landslides, floods, hurricanes, and forest fires this week in lesson four. The class is filling out an outline packet on this lesson. We also did an activity on tidal waves, and the students built their own jetties to prevent beach erosion.
Social Studies: We will have a test tomorrow on Chapter 2: Regions of the United States. Children should have brought home books and study guides to help them study this evening. We also reviewed together in class today.
Religion: We said the rosary together in the chapel this week. We continue in our book, reading about God's creation and love for us. Father Hennen has been talking about the various plagues God sent to help Moses lead the Israelites out of Egypt. We will be studying the ten commandments in order soon.
Art: We have been decorating buttons for the Buffalo Days contest. This is done by all fourth grade students in the city of Buffalo each year. It's been a couple of years since a St. Francis student's design has won... maybe this year! We also will finish decorating our masks Friday.
Monster Sing-a-Long: We will be having a monster sing-a-long with our first grade buddies next Thursday afternoon. Please send a camping/folding chair with your child that day. We have our silly sing-a-long out in the courtyard (weather permitting), and have snacks with our buddies.
Grandparents Day: NEXT FRIDAY!!! If you haven't turned in your RSVP please do so ASAP. Thank you!!!
Have a great evening!
Kristen
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Classroom News... October 8
Greetings! I hope you are finding this blog informative and easy to use. We've been so busy in class, that I can't believe it's almost time for MEA/Fall break. Please remember that your child will not have school October 14-16.
It was wonderful seeing so many of you on Marathon Saturday. Even though the weather was rainy and cool, the kids seemed to have a terrific time. Please keep sending that marathon money in!
A parent requested I post specialist days, which is a terrific idea. Your fourth grader has the following specialists on these days...
Computers on Monday and Tuesday
Spanish on Tuesday and Thursday
Music on Wednesday and Friday
Phy Ed on Wednesday and Friday
Library on Thursday
Your child spent Tuesday morning "shadowing" our middle school students. Make sure to ask your child about this exciting experience! What a great way for our 4th and 5th graders to learn what it's like to be a middle school student at St. Francis! Also, I believe many of you plan on attending the middle school information night this Thursday. That is terrific. There will be many people (Mrs. Zumbusch and middle school teachers, as well as some middle school parents and students) there to answer any questions you might have regarding middle school at St. Francis. I am sorry I will not be there. My daughter, Prentice, turns 16 that day, so we have plans as a family that evening. There will be another information night later in the school year, which I will be attending.
We will have a reading/language arts test this Friday and next Monday. There really isn't anything for your child to study for this, as it is mostly reading passages and then answering comprehension questions.
We are starting to make paper mache masks in art class this week. Just in time for Halloween!!!
We have begun chapter two in math. This focuses on addition and subtraction of whole numbers and money. Please continue to practice multiplication math facts at home!
Social Studies is focusing on the different regions of the United States (Midwest, East, South and West). We are currently discussing the landforms and climates of certain regions.
Science is now all about weathering and erosion. Students are working in study packets on this.
We have visited our school chapel to say the rosary. We will start doing this more often, so your child is welcome to bring a rosary to keep at school. Father Hennen continues studying the Bible with the class - they are loving this! Besides this, we will soon be memorizing the 10 Commandments in order!
New book orders will go home Thursday, and will be due back on Tuesday the 13.
It was wonderful seeing so many of you on Marathon Saturday. Even though the weather was rainy and cool, the kids seemed to have a terrific time. Please keep sending that marathon money in!
A parent requested I post specialist days, which is a terrific idea. Your fourth grader has the following specialists on these days...
Computers on Monday and Tuesday
Spanish on Tuesday and Thursday
Music on Wednesday and Friday
Phy Ed on Wednesday and Friday
Library on Thursday
Your child spent Tuesday morning "shadowing" our middle school students. Make sure to ask your child about this exciting experience! What a great way for our 4th and 5th graders to learn what it's like to be a middle school student at St. Francis! Also, I believe many of you plan on attending the middle school information night this Thursday. That is terrific. There will be many people (Mrs. Zumbusch and middle school teachers, as well as some middle school parents and students) there to answer any questions you might have regarding middle school at St. Francis. I am sorry I will not be there. My daughter, Prentice, turns 16 that day, so we have plans as a family that evening. There will be another information night later in the school year, which I will be attending.
We will have a reading/language arts test this Friday and next Monday. There really isn't anything for your child to study for this, as it is mostly reading passages and then answering comprehension questions.
We are starting to make paper mache masks in art class this week. Just in time for Halloween!!!
We have begun chapter two in math. This focuses on addition and subtraction of whole numbers and money. Please continue to practice multiplication math facts at home!
Social Studies is focusing on the different regions of the United States (Midwest, East, South and West). We are currently discussing the landforms and climates of certain regions.
Science is now all about weathering and erosion. Students are working in study packets on this.
We have visited our school chapel to say the rosary. We will start doing this more often, so your child is welcome to bring a rosary to keep at school. Father Hennen continues studying the Bible with the class - they are loving this! Besides this, we will soon be memorizing the 10 Commandments in order!
New book orders will go home Thursday, and will be due back on Tuesday the 13.
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