A Message from your Fourth Grade Team of Teachers             

Upcoming Dates:

• 10/9: Unsatisfactory Progress Reports sent home
• 10/12:  Columbus Day – NO School
• 10/19 – 10/23: Fall Parent Teacher Conferences – Scheduling letters will be sent home within the next week

Reminders:

• Water Bottles: It is strongly encouraged that students bring a water bottle from home to minimize distractions and keep focused on learning. On cooler mornings, they should dress in layers, because it can heat up on the third floor by afternoon.
• Healthy Snacks: A light healthy snack may be brought into class everyday.
• Scholastic News: In order to add current events to our social studies curriculum, we have ordered a subscription to Scholastic News for each student.  The cost is $5.00, and the fee was listed on the supply list.  If you have already paid, we thank you.  If you haven’t, we would appreciate your sending the money in with your child.  If you pay by check, please make your check payable to Scholastic News.
• Take Home Folder/Assignment Books: Your child should be bringing home his/her assignment book and a take home (homework) folder everyday. Please check both for assignments, notes, and other information.

Curriculum Notes:

Reading: This past week the students enjoyed reading the realistic fiction piece, “Toto,” which is our second story in our Risks and Consequences Unit. Students learned about game reserves, which were established in Africa to protect endangered species. One of the main comprehension skills we worked on was comparing and contrasting. In this story, like last week’s, both characters took risks in helping one another.  Next week we will read an excerpt from Sarah, Plain and Tall, a historical fiction piece. One of the main comprehension skills we will focus on is author's point of view.  Continue to talk to your child about the concept of risks and consequences.

Your child received a new log sheet today, or will so on Monday. He/she should continue to read 30 minutes daily. In addition to this, your child is now required to do five logs a week. This is one way to interact with the text. Students should refer to the response starter examples that were handed out in class.

Writing: In writing students have been studying a new genre this week, personal narratives.  We have read many examples of this form of writing and students have decided upon their own specific topics for their pieces.  We have been studying “grabbers”, or fantastic leads for stories.  For homework writers will be spending the next few days gathering examples of leads that grab or hook a reader’s attention.  We are currently starting the drafting process with these stories.  Students will be learning to conference with teachers about their specific pieces, discussing strengths and weaknesses, as well as goals to work on independently.  Authors have been very eager to share their individual work in author’s chair. 

Next week our authors will learn how to create appropriate paragraph transitions in their stories.  They will also be studying catchy and creative titles.

Please Note:  If you would like to donate a box of plastic sleeves for our writing portfolios, please send a box in to school with your child.  Thank you to many of you who have added to our ongoing collection.  Your contribution is greatly appreciated.

Math: Next week we will be finishing Unit 2, Using Numbers and Organizing Data. Our next unit will be Unit 3 Multiplication and Division; Number Sentences and Algebra – Students will practice and review basic multiplication facts. These facts should be practiced to the point of instant recall. Multiplication facts will also be used to find division facts. Students will learn about general problem-solving schemes to help solve number stories and mathematical models for more complicated problems. Logic grids are used to take a specialized approach to solving logic problems. The unit concludes with extensions of some familiar algebra concepts and skills that were used in earlier grades of Everyday Mathematics.

Also check that your child is bringing home his or her Student Reference Book (SRB) every night. This book is a math text that provides definitions, examples, and details about all types of math terms and topics. 

Students who walk to 5th grade math can view upcoming math units online at: http://longfellow.op97.org/~mhjalmarson

Science/Health: The fourth grade science classes (Mrs. Ambrosino’s / Mrs. Sullivan’s) are currently working in the FOSS Magnetism and Electricity Module. To help your child investigate circuitry you may provide an old broken appliance for him or her to take apart. You can explore the appliance together to discover how it is wired and where connections are made.

Social Studies: The fourth grade social studies classes have finished learning about Illinois’s Land and Early People. Students have been working on a Unit research project – a Presentation on American Indians in Illinois – in class. Final outlines/presentations and posters should be completed at home prior to the project’s due date: Monday, September 28, 2009. Additional research can be completed by visiting the “American Indian Research Project” link located on Mr. Smith’s website: http://msmithop97.blogspot.com Students will begin presenting their posters in class, starting next Monday, September 28, 2009.

Homework: Homework is either work that is not finished in school or practice of material that was taught in class. If your child has a busy evening, and homework cannot be completed, remember that the Sunrise Study Hall is open every morning from 7:30 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. in the media center. Passes are available at the front office. Students may also go to the media center at lunchtime, or Academic Study Hall on Tuesday and Thursday at lunchtime to complete homework.

P.E.: Your child is required to wear gym shoes in PE class, so they should either keep a pair of gym shoes in their locker, or wear them on the day they have class.  Mrs. Ambrosino’s class has PE on Friday morning; Ms. Carter’s class has PE on Tuesday morning; Mr. Smith’s class has PE on Thursday morning, and Mrs. Sullivan’s class has PE on Monday morning. 

Contact Info: As communication is very important, please contact your homeroom teacher with a note or an email if you have any questions, concerns, or information to share. Our emails are:

mambrosino@op97.org               Mrs. Ambrosino

ccarter@op97.org                         Miss Carter

msmith@op97.org                        Mr. Smith

csullivan@op97.org                     Mrs. Sullivan

If necessary you may also set up meetings before or after school.