Hope all of you had a wonderful time spending the holiday break with family and friends. I know we are all well rested, rejuvenated, and are “rarin” to go into a new year.
Loose-leaf binders should have been cleaned out last month and we are beginning to fill them again. If your student has not cleaned out their notebook, please help them do so immediately.
It looks like the cold weather is back and it is going to be really cold on the playground. Please take note of the weather and have your child dress appropriately. If there is snow on the ground, pack the boots for we will be romping around and getting wet. Perhaps some extra socks, tucked in the bottom of their schoolbag, can help for that cold, wet, enjoyable recess.
Looking at our upcoming program as a whole, we will continue to move forward in all content areas of the curriculum. In Regions we will be completing the Northeast people, test again and then head into the Middle West states with the prairies, buffaloes, Mt. Rushmore, Great Lakes, Dust Bowl and more. If you are traveling in that area, we would love to have more postcards to display.
In Reading Level I we will continue reading the novel The Hollow Tree and moving at a faster pace to accomplish our reading goals for the trimester. Level II will be reading the “American Stories” theme. The Book Report for this month will be reading the Craftsman book. (See notes below)
In Math both groups will begin working on Unit 5. Here both groups will be learning different methods for working on the area multiplication, learning on how to solve with 2-3 digit problems. Now it is crucial that your student become very familiar and fast with his/her multiplication facts. He/She should be reviewing facts in the car, on the computer and on weekends. This is most important since we are approaching ERB testing in the spring , and the children will need to have their facts memorized to solve all types of problems.
Spelling, punctuation, and grammar continue to be the focus in our Language Arts’ curriculum. We continue working in creative writing, our English. book, and our Daily Oral Language.
The pace of 4th grade is going to pick up and the student’s responsibility for his/her work and tests are going to be put on his/her shoulders. As a parent, we ask you to keep your student’s spirits up, keep their self-confidence growing, and give support where you see the need. Please try to let go, so that each child can grow into the responsible student they need to be for fifth grade and the upper grades in Middle School. From now until spring break, we will be working very diligently to accomplish the majority of our goals. Once spring arrives the children will want to be outside, and they will see summer around the corner. Thanks for your support.
Ceil and Ann