Dear 4A Families,
I hope you all enjoyed the weekend, and the extra hour of sleep! I was so proud of the excellent job the students did at both the Friday and Sunday All Saints Day Masses. They represented the saints so well! Thank you all again for your help at home preparing the costumes and organizing your schedules around the Masses.
Conferences: Parent/Student/Teacher conferences are fast approaching. The Sign Up Genius will go live on Thursday the 7th (you will receive a link in the eFC) with a link where you can sign up for a conference time. You will also find a goldenrod Pre Conference Survey sheet in your child’s filer on Monday that will help me prepare for your child’s conference. Please return these sheets by next Wednesday the 13th. Thank you
The Veterans Day Flags that were sent home last week are due by this Wednesday the 6th. Students may turn them in early if they have finished. Thank you!
Spelling: Spelling words are back and were sent home last Friday. The test will be this Friday as usual. This week’s words are long “i”sounds, Unit 5
Religion: We will be wrapping up our study of the saints this week, and finish the corresponding chapter on saints from our textbook.
Math: The students will be taking a math test on Thursday for Chapter 3. We will have a test review in class on Wednesday and the homework will be a practice for the test as well. Our next chapter will focus on multiplication of large numbers. The students are making some good strides with their multiplication facts. Regular practice is expected until all of the facts are mastered for automatic recall. Weekly math homework includes 4 or more sessions of Xtramath each 7 days. One session per visit, per day is optimal. When we complete Xtramath sessions in school it does not count as one of the 4 homework sessions. Thank you for your support of regular fact practice at home.
Science: Anticipation is building as we are working towards becoming experts on simple machines! Students spent last week defining different simple machines and coming up with examples. This week, they’ll take a short quiz to make sure they’re ready to start engineering! (The quiz will be open notes.) Then, it’s finally time to plan! Students will write their ideas for their own Rube Goldberg Machines and be grouped with other students who have similar ideas. Be on the lookout for ways you can help by providing simple materials (paper towel rolls, cardboard boxes, etc.). Next week, we’ll build and hopefully be ready to test out the machines! For all informational materials, see the Rube Goldberg link on the 4b website.
Social Studies: The SE State test will take place next Thursday the 14th. Our class work continues to focus on the Native People of Washington State. Students are learning about the customs of the NW Coast People of Western Washington, and the Plateau People of Eastern Washington.
Homework: Just a reminder about homework. In 4th grade homework is often ongoing. Students are generally reviewing/studying for upcoming tests. Currently they should be working on their Veterans Day Flags. Math fact review, map tests, spelling words, recorder practice and reading should also be incorporated into routines. So even if we have not sent home a math sheet or other specific worksheet, students should be setting aside nightly time to work on their ongoing homework and test prep. Having a nightly routine, with an expectation that time is set aside each night for studies, will help develop good study habits and prepare students for the upper grades.
Homework Overview: Complete Veterans Day Flags, Math homework Monday-Wednesday, Spelling test on Friday and visit Xtramath at least 4 times.
Have a wonderful week and enjoy the Veterans Day Holiday on Monday.
