Second Week of Advent

Dear 4A Families,

I hope you all had a nice weekend. It is beginning to look a lot like Christmas!  Please return your empty, signed report card envelopes by the end of the week.  Thank you.

This Friday the 4A students will lead the Prayer Service at 8:30.  The theme of the service will center on St. Lucy Day (Santa Lucia) day.  Join us if you are able. The students will have a copy of their part to read (unless they are in the skit).  Please have them practice reading slowing and clearly…pausing at punctuation.  Thank you!

Outreach: Wednesday at Mass we will bless all the items and organizations that the school has been collecting for during our Advent Outreach. Thank you all so much for your generosity in collecting for the Pike Market Food Bank and Senior Center.  Almost everyone has also brought in their $10.00 donation for our Ugandan students.  Thank you all.  The spirit of giving is alive and well in 4th grade.

untitledPrayer Partners: Last Friday all students should have come home with their Faith Family Prayer Partner name, directions and card stock to make a special card for their prayer partner.  All cards should be brought to school no later than this Monday, December 17th. We will exchange them at our final Faith Family meeting next week.  Make sure the cards are neatly and thoughtfully completed and nicely decorated.  All students should include their prayer partner in their daily prayers as well.

Reading:  The Charlotte’s Web Quote Posters are due next Tuesday the 18th.  The students will also have a study sheet for the Charlotte’s Web vocabulary test in their filer.  The vocabulary test is Monday, December 17th.   We have spent a good amount of time practicing at school so they should know the words pretty well.  The test is matching words with definitions.

Spelling: Lists for lesson 12 were sent home last Friday.  This test will be this Friday as usual.

Math: Ms. Simpson’s math group will have their chapter 4 test on Tuesday.  We will be reviewing in class on Monday. Ms Podell’s group is starting chapter 5, and my group will begin chapter 5 on Wednesday which is two-digit by two and three digit multiplication.  Weekly homework includes at least 4 sessions of Xtramath weekly.  Mastery of math facts is an essential skill for all of our upcoming units in math.  Thank you for reinforcing practice with your children.

Social Studies:  We will not be taking any US map tests until January, but I encourage the students to practice online.  I would suggest after finishing up an Xtramath session to move right into an online map practice as well!  Our next test is the West/SW states which will be on Tuesday, January 15th.  The 50 State test will take place on Thursday, January 24th.  I have included links the students can use on the Map Study Sheet link above.  Short but consistent practice sessions will make mastery easier!

Science: This week we will be identifying key vocabulary for our unit on wind energy.  Using the Beaufort Scale we will look at how we can measure wind speed using observational data. We will also begin creating a wind instrument, an anemometer, to measure wind speed.

Religion:  The Liturgical Year test will take place this Friday.  We will have review time in class this week, and students should use the online practice site as well has their study sheets to practice at home.  Remember, this is a two part test; the Liturgical Calendar and the fill in the blank test.

The students have copies of their songs for the Christmas Concert that will take place next Thursday, December 20th. They should practice/review the words to the songs at home as well as during music classes.

Next Tuesday the 18th,  the students will be receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation with Fr. Oakland. We will review how to prepare and receive this sacrament in class this week and will continue to prepare next Monday in class.  Your child will be bringing home an examination of conscience and the steps for receiving reconciliation on Thursday. Thank you for taking time to remind/assist your child in his or her preparations for this special sacrament.  Next Monday during our preparation time I will give the students time to reflect and write notes down for what they want to say while in the confessional.  They will bring a small copy of the steps with the notes they write on the back.   Students should continue to practice the Act of Contrition. While they can use their sheet to pray during the service, all students are expected to be able to recite the Act of Contrition from memory by mid January.

Science: Science: This week we will be identifying key vocabulary for our unit on wind energy.  Using the Beaufort Scale we will look at how we can measure wind speed using observational data. We will also begin creating a wind instrument, an anemometer, to measure wind speed.

We are still in need of glass jelly jars for our special project.  Please send them in by Tuesday if you have any.  Lids are not needed.
Thank you so much!

Corrected Papers: I have been a bit slow returning papers, but I managed to get caught up this weekend.  Check your child’s filer and please remove all corrected papers and notes.

 

Have a great second week of Advent everyone!

Homework Overview: