December 2- December 20

December 2-December 20

We hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! We are thankful for our school, our students, and their supportive families.

Report cards will be sent home Friday, December 6th. Please sign and return the envelope as soon as possible.

Language Arts

For the past few weeks, we have been practicing constructing sentences and paragraphs which are concise and clear. Our goal is to master these building blocks of writing so that we may apply it to our next challenge: writing good realistic fiction. For the next three weeks, we will be working on developing our realistic fiction; specifically, we are creating believable characters by imparting to them struggles and motivations. We hope to end these three weeks by developing a plot with a story arc.

RAH and Book Talks are due this Tuesday, December 3rd. We are looking forward to this second round of presentations. Please continue to have your child practice at home. It makes a big difference! Also, the signed November RAH is due that same day; however, if your child has met the 400 reading minutes they can turn in his/her RAH sheet before the due date.  Here is a link to the Book Talk Organizer in case you need another one. There will be no Book Talk for the month of December. The third book talk will be due on Friday, January 31st.

The next set of spelling and vocabulary words is taken from our Social Science Unit (see section below). The test will be on Friday, December 13th.

Math

For the next few weeks in Unit 3, we are focusing on comparing fractions. We will also be learning about decimals (to the hundredths) by comparing them, exploring their relationships with fractions, and applying them to measurements such as meters, centimeters, and millimeters.

Looking forward, there will be many multi-digit multiplication problems and new algorithms introduced in Unit 4. At this point in the year, it would be ideal for all students to have automaticity with their multiplication facts. While we provide some time in class for our Reflex Math program, it is not always possible to do a complete session. Please consider implementing this effective and engaging program as part of your child's weekly homework routine. The "green circle" should be filled at least 3 times a week in order for the program to be most effective.

Social Science

We will start out Colonial America unit by studying the three early English settlements.  This will especially be enlightening for the students since we just had our own Thanksgiving season. During this unit, we will be studying the three Colonial regions: New England, Middle, and Southern Colony. Within each region of study, students will be comparing and contrasting the following characteristics: reasons for settlement, geography, natural resources, economy, and way of life.

Social Emotional Learning

For the past few weeks in SEL, we have been working on cultivating a spirit of thankfulness. The students worked on various projects to help them reflect on the people and things for which they are thankful. Even though we are moving on to our next project, we hope that this will be a lifelong lesson.

We are moving on to Lesson  7 in Second Steps. Lesson 7 teaches students how to have a conversation with others. Students will also practice receiving and giving compliments to each other. Please click on this SEL link if you are interested in more resources.

Important Dates:

• Tuesday, December 3: Book Talks and RAH due
• Thursday, December 5: PTO Meeting, 7:00 PM in the teacher's lounge
• Saturday, December 7: PTO Craft Fair
• Thursday, December 12: Board of Education Meeting, 7:30 PM, Gill Administration Building
• Friday, December 20: Last Day of School in 2019
  • 11:00 AM: House Meeting
  • 1:15 PM: Holiday Sing-A-Long
  • 2:00 PM: PTO Sponsors Grade Level Kindness Projects

November 11- November 26

I am looking forward to conferences on November 19 and 21. You will get an email
reminder via Sign Up Genius a few days before the conference. Please try your
best to be on time so we can use our 20 mins wisely. Unfortunately if you arrive
late our time will be cut short. I appreciate your understanding.

Language Arts

Our next focus skill in reading is cause and effect. We will be developing this skill

through reading stations, differentiated small group instruction, and whole group

lessons.

The students have now completed a few weeks of guided reading stations. Overall

students have been successful with cooperatively with others, staying on task,

completing the necessary tasks, and using their time wisely. Some students do

have work to complete from station time if they didn’t complete in class. 

We will also connect writing with our upcoming holiday, Thanksgiving. Students

will focus on paragraph writing (topic sentence, details, and a closing sentence)

on our Thanksgiving/Thankful writing project. Keep an eye out for something

special coming home that Monday or Tuesday before Thanksgiving.

The next Book Talk is due Tuesday, December 3. This month we are focusing
on the genre, fantasy. Students have had 2 check out times to find a fantasy
book. They have also received a copy of the graphic organizer for the Book
Talk. Please keep this in a safe place for later in the month. Please help your
child by having them present the Book Talk in front of you. You can then
give suggestions for how they can improve their presentation.

Our next set of Spelling/Vocab words will come from our new Science
curriculum, Spaceship Earth. The test for these words will be on Friday,
November 22. We will not start new words until after Thanksgiving break.

Math:

We have just a few more lessons in Unit 2.  Recently we worked with units of time,

multiplicative comparisons and classifying triangles and quadrilaterals. We will end
the unit with line symmetry and patterns. Students are getting very well adjusted to
the math routines and enjoying guided math stations.  Please encourage consistent
use of Reflex Math as often as possible. Printing out home links is always a great
option, should your child forget them at school. Please bookmark this site:

http://everydaymath.uchicago.edu/parents/4th-grade/em4-at-home/unit_2/

The test for Unit 2 will be on Friday, November 15.  Here is an extra optional study
guide if you want additional review:  (We will also do a study guide in class this week)

Extra Optional Study Guide Unit 2 (due Friday the day of the test)

In Unit 3, students will explore fraction equivalence and compare and order fractions
using different representations. They will then extend their understanding of fractions
to decimals, comparing and ordering decimals using the same methods as they did for
comparing fractions.

Science

This past week we studied the phases of the moon. Also your child should have been
going outside to study the moon and see some of the phases we discussed in class. 
The students also learned more about gravity and how it helps to determine how high
they would jump on other planets. They enjoyed “traveling” to other planets to test
their jumps. This coming week we will study the planets in detail. The students will
also do a mini research project and make a planet brochure for a planet of their choice.

Social Skills

During social skills, the students are learning about complex feelings and understanding different perspectives. When discussing complex feelings we will name different feelings we might have about one situation. The goal is to learn that people can have different perceptions about the same situation and this hasthe potential to lead to conflict if not handled the correct way! We will then continue to

discuss correct ways to handle these situations.

Important Dates:

• Friday, November 15: Math Test
• Tuesday, November 19 and Thursday, November 21: Parent/Teacher Conferences
• Friday, November 22: End of Trimester 1-Report cards go home Dec. 6
• Monday, November 25: House Meeting, 10:00 AM
• Tuesday, November 26: Education Fair, 9:30-11:00 AM
• Wednesday, November 27-Friday, November 29: NO SCHOOL, Thanksgiving Holiday Break

October 28-November 8

October 28-November 8

Happy Fall everyone! Thank you to the PTO for running another successful book fair. Due to the generosity of your change donations and the PTO, we were able to add some new and popular books to our classroom library.

Please continue to help your child learn responsibility by checking his/her assignment notebook daily. Many students are coming unprepared with incomplete homework, forgotten chrome books, or uncharged chrome books. The spelling/vocab Meaningful Sentences activity is now an at home activity. This activity can be found in your child's Reading Google Classroom. It is completed for each set of spelling/vocab words. For the first few lessons we completed these sentences together and did many examples. Please help your child to use the words in a sentence and not just give the definition.

Reading:

The next focus skill for reading will be author's purpose and perspective.  Students often confuse author's purpose and perspective. An author's purpose is the reason an author decides to write about a specific topic. Then, once a topic is selected, the author must decide whether the purpose for writing is to persuade, inform or entertain.  The author's perspective, or viewpoint, is how the author feels about the subject. 

Our next set of words are homophones.  Homophones are words that sound the same, but have different meaning and spellings. While the spelling is relatively easy, knowing which homophone to use in context is the focus.  We will be interacting with the words in a different order than what is shown here.  The test will be on Friday, Nov. 8th. A hard copy will go home early this week. Here is the list for your reference:

Soon we will be kicking off writing. Students will be learn how to develop believable characters by giving characters struggles and motivations. Students will be working on developing realistic fiction stories.

We are looking forward to hearing the first book talks of the year this week. We will try our best to have everyone present on Monday, but that is not always possible due to our busy schedule.

Science:

We are enjoying our new science curriculum, Mystery Science. In this astronomy unit, we are learning about the sun, moon, stars, and planets. This will help the students develop a new perspective on the world we're standing on. This past week we were shown evidence that the Earth beneath our feet is actually moving through space, both spinning on its axis and traveling in a great orbit around the Sun. We also made our own shadow clocks and determined the time of day by using them! In the next two weeks, we will see how these movements account for the patterns we see in our sky (the paths of our Sun across the sky, the changing seasons, and the changing constellations). Throughout this investigation students will engage in actual and simulated observations of the sky. Throughout this unit, the students will engage in the process of inquiry: beginning with observations, debating a range of possible causes, and reasoning to possible conclusions.

 

Math:

We have been busy discussing factors and multiples in great depth. For the next couple of weeks we will work with units of time, multiplicative comparisons and classifying triangles and quadrilaterals. We will end the unit with line symmetry and patterns. The students are encouraged to used strategies to help them calculate facts they don't know. However in fourth grade, ultimately, we want students to reach automaticity with multiplication and division facts up to 12.  Please encourage consistent use of Reflex Math as often as possible. Printing out home links is always a great option if your child misplaces them or accidentally leaves them at school. You can do that here:

http://everydaymath.uchicago.edu/parents/4th-grade/em4-at-home/unit_2/

Upcoming Dates

• Thursday, October 31: Halloween!
  • Spooktacular Walk, 1:30 PM
  • PM Kindergarten and Grade 1-5 Celebration: 2:00 PM
• Friday, November 1: School Improvement Day
  • Grades 1-5 dismissed at 12:00; No Kindergarten
• Monday, November 4: PTO Sponsored Assembly, “The Pro Kids Show”
• Thursday, November 7: PTO Meeting, 7:00 PM in the teachers’ lounge
• Friday, November 8: Veterans Day Assembly, 1:05 PM
• Tuesday, November 19 and Thursday, November 21: Parent/Teacher Conferences
• Friday, November 22: End of Trimester 1-Report cards go home Dec. 6
• Monday, November 25: House Meeting, 10:00 AM
• Tuesday, November 26: Education Fair, 9:30-11:00 AM
• Wednesday, November 27-Friday, November 29: NO SCHOOL, Thanksgiving Holiday Break

Link to 2019-20 District Calendar

Link to 2019-20 A-B-C-D-E Calendar

It's hard to believe we just finished the 6th week of school. The students are now very familiar with the routines and expectations of 4th grade. Next week students will receive their mid-trimester report card. This will communicate to you how your child is doing with the district's learner qualities. It also gives you a S for Satisfactory or N for Needs Improvement in Social Studies, Science, Language Arts, and Math. Since we have not started our Science curriculum yet you will see a N/A for Science.

Reading

Over the next two weeks, we will continue our focus skill on finding story elements; more specifically, the following: conflict, plot events, and resolution. It is an important skill for fourth graders to master as it will help your child not only understand and appreciate the author's work, but it will help him/her with understanding the requirements for Book Talks this year.

October Book Talks:

Our mystery book talks are due on Monday, October 28th. Students should be following the Book Talk Organizer when preparing for their presentation.  A common mistake students make is giving a "retelling" of the book. I am looking for specific elements: a creative hook, characterization (complete with traits, actions and motivations of one MAIN character), summary (conflict, plot events, and solution, not a long summary of the book), one additional reading word with text support, closing, and an object brought in that connects to the book in some way.   Additionally, students should be between 2-3 minutes total.  In order to master this, practicing and timing are a MUST! A sample Book Talk of the book Odd Velvet was sent home this week. You can also see a copy of the Odd Velvet Book Talk organizer below. We also watched some past 4th graders give Book Talk presentations.

These book talk supports oracy in the classroom. I am looking for good public speaking skills: making eye contact, using good expression, loud tone, and pacing. This is might be a challenge and many students initially rely solely on their notes and have a difficult time looking up. Again, practicing multiple times while being timed is important. You can see a copy of the rubric below.

Also, please continue to fill out the RAH calendars.  RAH calendars are due on Oct. 28th.Students get graded on correct total minutes, parent signature, and filling out the calendar correctly with minutes totaled up weekly and monthly. 

Global Read Aloud:
Longfellow's fourth grade is participating in the Global Read Aloud 2019. We have  enjoyed our book, Stella Diaz Has Something to Say so far. We did a Mystery Hangout with our partner class that resides in Ontario, Canada. The students loved video chatting with them and giving clues to where we live so they could figure out our location too! We have also used Flipgrid. The students were partnered up with another 4th grade student in Canada and recorded a message using Flipgrid. They were able to ask their partner questions and give them a prediction about our book. We are anxiously awaiting to receive the responses from our partner class. Longfellow's awesome PTO purchased books for the fourth grade classes. 

Spelling/Vocab:
Our next set of spelling and vocabulary words are from our Language Arts unit. The assessment will be on October 25.

Math:

On Friday we took the Unit 1 test. The students were successful in showing all their knowledge on
place value,adding, subtracting, rounding numbers, finding perimeter, and making estimates.
These tests will go home on Wednesday since we have Discovery Science on Tuesday. We will begin
Unit 2 this week. We will learn about square numbers, area, factors, and multiples. With all of these
topics, it is important for students to have automaticity with their multiplication and division facts.
Please continue to have your child use Reflex Max 2-3 times a week to help with this skill. This
program is available to us through the generosity of our PTO, so I want to stress the importance
of students spending time on the program both at school and at home. The goal is to achieve the
"green light circle" as much as possible. Also, here is the Everyday Math link for your convenience as
you help your child with Unit 2. Remember, home links can be printed at home if anything is
forgotten at school.

http://everydaymath.uchicago.edu/parents/4th-grade/em4-at-home/unit_2/

Social Studies/Science:

We are finishing our Map Skills unit with a creative cartographer project. First students picked a theme they had expertise in. Then they created a country that had geographic features, towns/cities, and special attractions that all connect to the theme. Students also had to take all the concepts learned during the unit, such as scale, compass rose, legend with symbols, directions) and include it on their map. Even though the students had amble time to finish this project in school, some decided to take it home this week so they could work on the extra credit. This project is due tomorrow, October 14. This coming Wednesday we will start our unit in Science. This is the first power standard we are covering in Science: 

Represent data in graphical displays to reveal patterns of daily changes in length and direction of shadows, day and night, and the seasonal appearance of some starts in the night sky.

We will be using a new program to teach Science this year called Mystery Science. I am excited to explore this hands-on program with some new power standards.

Social Skills:

Our next lesson in our Second Step Program is on being assertive. Being assertive means being able to stand up for yourself and your rights in a calm and positive way without getting aggressive. At the end of the week there will be an optional Home Link sent home. This Home Link connects to the skill of being assertive. Students will receive a bonus house point for completing the Home Link.

If you would like more information on what is covered in this program please see Second Step's
scope and sequence for Fourth Grade.

Important Dates:

• Tuesday, October 14: Discovery Science
• Wednesday, October 16: Our class will go to the Book Fair in the morning. Please send any money in an envelope or bag with your child's name on the outside. 
• Friday, Oct. 18: Mid-trimester report card sent home 
• Friday, Oct. 18: Sign Up Genius will be sent via email for conferences. Conferences will be held on 11/19 and 11/21.
• Monday, Oct. 21: Erin's Law presentation
• Friday, Oct. 25: Spelling and Vocab Assessments.
• Monday, Oct. 28: Book Talk and RAH Due

Welcome to our class blog! We had a wonderful first couple weeks of school, and I've enjoyed getting to know each student. Thank you for sending your child to school so well prepared. I am very excited to work with your child every day and look forward to watching each of them grow and succeed. Thank you also for taking the time to come out to Curriculum Night.

The purpose of this blog is primarily for parents.  This is where you will find important information regarding our curriculum, activities, upcoming projects, and events. I hope to update this blog about every 2-3 weeks.  This blog entry will cover THREE weeks.

The students will find their resources on Google Classroom.  Please note that parents can't access Google Classroom using their own personal emails.  Only students' school emails allow access to Google Classroom. We are trying to get students to be problem solvers and independent thinkers. The Google Classroom is much like a virtual classroom where students can find lots of resources.  I will be assigning some homework on Google Classroom. Because of this, students should have access to the internet and a computer/tablet at home, with your permission, of course. If this is a problem, please let me know as soon as possible.

Language Arts:

In reading, we are wrapping our focus on characterization and will be tested on the skill later this week.  The students learned that authors reveal characters through traits, actions, dialogue and motivations.  We have read stories in RAZ and many short stories to practice characterization. We even did our first Book Talk organizer together which also has an entire section on characterization. Our next focus skill is on the elements of a story with an emphasis on plot, conflict, and resolution. Understanding the plot of a story will also connect to the Book Talk too.

We are also starting our Global Read Aloud soon. Please read this letter to learn more about what a GRA is all about!

Spelling/Vocab:

Every two weeks we will have a new focus skill, spelling/vocab words and writing skill. Last week, we started our spelling/vocabulary program.  There are 10 words on the list that are directly related to our Social Studies/Map Skills unit.  While our main focus is on knowing the meaning of these words, we will also use these words for spelling.  The students will have two weeks to focus on the meaning and spelling of the words. Students will be interacting with the meaning of the words and applying the meaning in context. Some definitions can be challenging, so I ask that you help your child learn the words throughout the two weeks. Every other Friday, we will assess the definitions and spelling.  This first assessment will be on Friday, 9/27. Here is the first list for your reference:

List 1

Students should practice the words using SpellingCity.com. Part of the $7.00 for resources that was on the supply list went to an upgraded premium account for SpellingCity.com. They will also need to use these words in a sentence through an activity on Google Classroom called Meaningful Sentences. We will give the students time to do some of these activities in class, but whatever is not finished will be homework.  For this first list we are working on the meaningful sentences at school together. It's important the students understand that they are not writing the definitions of the words, but showing they understand the meaning by using it in a sentence. The expectation is for students to complete at least 4 activities on SpellingCity before the test. A list of the Unit 1 words also went home last week. Please keep these in a safe place for your reference.

Book Talks:
Last week we spent some class time modeling the book talks and discussing expectations. I even showed some videos of former students giving a Book Talk presentation.  Your child brought home a competed sample of a Book Talk for the book Enemy Pie. Please put this sample Book Talk in a safe place so it can be used as a reference in October. Students should have a mystery book picked out soon. I will remind them again when we go to book check out this week to check out a mystery book. Please make sure the book that's chosen is a "good fit" book.  See the poster below in helping to know what a good fit book is.  Play close attention to the "K" descriptor.  If your child doesn't know 4 or more words on any random page, the book is probably too hard and should not be reading it independently. We have practiced finding "good fit" books at school too.

RAH:
Please remind your children to complete their RAH (reading at home) calendars.  The goal is to read at least 100 minutes a week. 

Math:

We are a few weeks into our first unit in Math. The students completed a pre-assessment of fourth grade concepts.  This will help me to differentiate within the classroom throughout the school year. Pretests will not go home, but the tests at the end of the unit will go home for you to see. This first unit in Math is all about place value, estimating, rounding, multi digit adding and subtracting, and some geometry at the end of the unit. The following are the power standards we will cover in Unit 1:

Fluently add and subtract multi-digit whole numbers to solve number and word problems.

Compare two multi-digit whole numbers based on the value of the digits in each place, using >, =, and < symbols to record the results of comparisons.

Draw points, lines, line segments, rays, angles (right, acute, obtuse), and perpendicular and parallel lines.

For your reference, please bookmark this site. Here you can find valuable information about the Everyday Math Fourth Grade curriculum.  An added bonus- you can download and print home links!  See "Home Link Help"

Expect a home link nightly, except for Fridays or Discovery Science days when we don't have Math

Please encourage your child to play Reflex Math at home!  The creators of the program explain that students must play at least 3 times a week to see improvement in fact fluency. We play about 3 times a week at school, but students are not always finishing the green circle. (The green circle is the goal for the day. If the green circle is mastered that means they have made significant progress.) Playing at home will only benefit your child even more!  We are aiming for 100% fluency in addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. This coming week we will spend two days solving a fun open response question. While the computation can be an easy task, explaining mathematical thinking can be more challenging. We will be working on this throughout each unit.

Social Studies:

We started our first mini unit on map skills. We are reviewing some concepts about maps from previous years and moving into some more challenging topics, like latitude and longitude. This week, we will put all our map skills together, and the students will be cartographers by creating their own map with specific requirements.  This is always a very fun project that students remember about 4th grade. The students will be given specific directions and a rubric to help them with this project.
The Map Skills culminating test is scheduled for next Wednesday, Oct 2. The students will bring home a completed study guide next weekend so they can study for the test.

*Science will begin after our mini map unit in a couple weeks.

Social Skills:

The first lesson of our SEL curriculum, Second Step , focused on EMPATHY. Students learned that empathy is the ability to understand and feel how another person is feeling. We describe it as "putting yourself in other people's shoes." Our next focus is on listening with attention and understanding.  We will learn a new skill with each lesson. At times, you will see optional home links that requires your participation.  Students will earn a point for their house if it is completed by the due date.

Important Dates:

• Tuesday, September 24: Fourth Grade Reading MAP test starting at  10:15 
• Thursday, September 26: Fourth Grade Math MAP test starting at 1:15
• Friday, September 27: School Improvement Day (Grades 1-5 dismissed at 12:00) Also Spelling and Vocab assessment in the morning
• Monday, September 30: NO SCHOOL, Rosh Hashanah 
• Thursday, October 3: PTO Meeting, 7:00 PM