Hi there 4th Grade Families!

I hope you are staying dry! We loved hearing the rain pour down (as well as some thunder) today at school! I want to say a big thank you to you all for meeting with me this last week. I appreciated the conversations and hope we can continue to share in the joy of our students’ progress!

Important Dates:

• Thursday, January 12: Spelling Test
• Friday, January 13: No School, Teacher Professional Development Day
• Monday, January 16: No School, Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Homework:

• IXL Math: (Remember, the goal is NOT 100 — do your best)
  • D.48: Multiply numbers ending in zeroes 
  • D.49: Multiply numbers ending in zeroes: word problems
• 20-30 minutes of reading, 5 times a week – 5 Reading Responses (Tuesday-Tuesday)
  • Please have students read NONFICTION — they have checked out books from our library and continue to do so if needed

Our Week:

• Math: We are practicing multiplication strategies this week! Last week, were were reviewing extended facts (20 x 30 = 600 because 2 x 3 = 6, add 2 zeros!). This week, we’ll grow off of that and learn about the PARTIAL PRODUCTS method. (35 x 62 can be solved with (30 x 60) + (30 x 2) + (5 x 60) + (5 x 2).
• Reading: We continue on with our non-fiction reading unit. This week, we will start into research teams where student groups will research 1 natural hazard such as hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes, or floods. We will learn how to gather information and then teach the class about that topic before switching topics next week!
• Writing: This week we continue our learning of Opinion Writing. Students have been practicing the skill of free writing to come up with essay topics we care about! We are working on pushing our thinking by using prompts to get us toward more deeper ideas.
• Word Work: We continue practicing our spelling patterns in our small groups. Word lists can be found in your child’s planner. Spelling tests are scheduled for this Thursday.
• Religion: This week we discuss what worship is and what it can look like. A song we are singing in class this week to guide us is “Here I am to Worship.”
• Science: We are wrapping up our unit on The Birth of Rocks. Our guiding question this week is: How could you survive a landslide? Students will brainstorm a plan to “save” their house in our imaginary scenario and present their ideas to the class!
• Social Studies: We’re continuing our studies of CA natives as we begin Island of the Blue Dolphins.

Let’s have a great week! 🙂

Thank you,

Ms. Schmaeling