Academics
JANUARY HAPPENINGS FOURTH GRADE
Welcome back!! I hope everyone had a relaxing and enjoyable break.
Now we are busy getting back to work. The students were reminded for the month and a half before Christmas break that all written assignments need to be written in cursive starting after Christmas break. Some were doing very well with this before break. They were told that the more you do it, the easier it gets, and the quicker you get at it. He/she will not have to look to see how to form letters, they will automatically know. NEATNESS counts also. Some of the assignments that have been turned in have been very messy and hard to read. Points will be taken off for neatness, no name, and not writing in cursive. If I can't read it or understand it, I will mark it wrong. Some, not all, have been getting lazy with their assignments - messy, no name, not following directions. It is time to step it up and be a little more conscientious about what they are doing.
As I mentioned back in September at Back-to-School night, responsibility and independence are two of the big goals we have for this year. This would include homework assignments done neatly and turned in on time, studying for tests, being prepared for class (pencils, paper, markers, etc.), filling in his/her assignment notebook just to name a few.
On a side note, please ask your student what supplies they may need to replenish at this time. Some were constantly borrowing supplies from others and it got to be quite a distraction in the classroom. Students were constantly up and at another classmate's desk borrowing a pencil, paper, markers, crayons, colored pencils, scissors, glue, etc.
Academically we will be moving full steam ahead and picking up the pace. We have many areas left to cover before we will be ready to move on to fifth grade. Below you will find what we will be working on for the month of January.
Spelling
Lesson 15 - adding -s and -es to words. Word list: monkeys, flowers, friends, supplies, enemies, eyelashes, beaches, circuses, classes, taxes, tigers, holidays, delays, hobbies, memories, mysteries, ashes, bunches, glasses, suffixes, accidents, skis, injuries, libraries, couches
Lesson 16 - using just enough letters to correctly spell words. Word list: coming, always, almost, didn't upon, wasn't until, during, want, father, hamster, a lot, ugly, washed, hotel missed, eleven, crazy, lazy, feelings, delivery, magnet, replied, drowned, mustard.
Lesson 17 - contractions. Word list: we'll, I'm, I'd, you'd, I'll, we've, it's, that's, what's, doesn't, he'll, she'll, they'll, they'd, he'd, would've, could've, wouldn't, shouldn't, let's, it'll, who'll, might've, mustn't, we'd.
Lesson 18 - review of lessons 13 through 17.
Math
We will continue working on multiplication of two digit number by two digit numbers, three digit numbers, and greater numbers. Please continue to work on basic multiplication and division facts. We will continue with times tests as well. Once we finish the chapter on multiplication, we will be moving on to division. Chapter eight will include division with remainders, regrouping n division, dividing multiples of 10, 100, and 1,000, and estimating quotients. Chapter nine will have us dividing three-digit numbers by a on-digit number, dividing money, zeros in the quotient, and dividing greater numbers.
Social Studies
We are beginning a new unit which is about the Northeastern region. We will learn about the resources, land, and waterways of the Northeast. Each student will be responsible for researching a state from this region, making a poster about it, and presenting it to the class. We will be spending some time in the computer lab collecting information. More information will come home to you about this project.
Religion
We will be learning about the virtues and will continue to add to our virtue journal. Chapter six will have us learning about Baptism in Christ. Chapter seven will have us learning about the Commandments and the Beatitudes.
English
We will be working on verbs - different types, tenses, subject/verb agreement, main verbs, helping verbs, linking verbs, and irregular verbs. We will also be writing an expository paper.
Reading
We will finish the novel, "Dear Mr. Henshaw.
Science
We will review the different types of clouds and what they can tell us about the weather. We also will review the water cycle. Then we will take the diocesan assessment related to these two topics.