Week of January 14th

Dear 4A Families,

I hope you all enjoyed the beautiful, sunny weekend.   Looks like we have a couple more nice days ahead this week.


Catholic Schools Week
this year is from January 27th to February 2nd.  On Tuesday the 29th  the 4th graders will be delivering certificates of appreciation to many of the local businesses that support our school. This has been a 4th grade tradition for almost 20 years!   You have probably seen certificates hanging some of the businesses you visit.  We need parent volunteers to drive/chaperone small groups of students as they deliver certificates on this day. Mark your calendars! Permission slips will be coming home with your children on Monday and you can also access PDF’s of the permission slips on the homework page.   Please have these turned in by this Thursday the 18th, and please consider helping out on this special service project. We really need you! Thank you so much.


Reading:  Dr. Martin Luther KingJr., the Civil Rights Movement continues to be our focus this week. This unit includes reading, language arts, and social studies objectives. This unit is part of our larger unit on biographies that will culminate in the big Oral Biography Projects in late March. This unit ties in nicely with the Common Core Standards of reading informational texts. As we work through this unit the students will:

  • Focus on increasing the complexity of the texts students read and discuss, and developing skills in argumentative writing and research.
  • Emphasize speaking and listening skills as an avenue to evaluate, integrate and present information from many sources.
  • Use technology/multi-media to gather and publish information.

Spelling:  The spelling list for Lesson 2 was sent home last Friday and the test will be this Friday the 18th as usual.

Social Studies:   The students will be taking the  West/SW State map test this Tuesday the 15th.  The 50 state test that will take place on Thursday, January 24th.  I will send home several review sheets for the 50 state test on Tuesday this week.  Our journey with Lewis and Clark will lead us through Montana as they make their way to the Rocky Mountains.

Science: This week students will look at how sails capture the wind. We will look at the different properties that will make a good sail and what the best materials might be. Then students will begin constructing their own sails out of different materials

Religion: Homework: Cool School News notes are due on Tuesday.  The students will be tested on the Seven Corporal Works of Mercy this Friday.  They will need to write them from memory.  They do not have to be in order. In class the students will present their Works of Mercy posters.  Our Second Step lesson will include a review of the Empathy and Listening with Attention lessons from before the break, and the new lesson on Being Assertive.  Being assertive means asking for what you need or want in a calm, firm, respectful voice. Learning how to be assertive helps students to be successful in both social and academic situations.  Students will learn the difference between passive, aggressive and assertive responses.

Math: We will be working to wrap up our chapter on multi-digit multiplication.  The students are working hard to master the algorithm.  When your child works on his or her homework this week it is helpful if they complete one or two problems, then have a parent check them over.  If a step is being skipped or done incorrectly completing the whole page incorrectly is not ideal.  It is better to catch the error early to improve accuracy.  The added support you provide from home as students master these challening skills (long division is next) is very beneficial!  Thank you.

Look for math homework on Tuesday and Wednesday this week.  All students should be working on Xtramath regularly until multiplication and division are passed.

Just a reminder that recorder practice is part of homework and can be a nice brain break for students. Students need to always have their recorder at school on Wednesdays and Fridays.  They should be practicing songs that use the notes : B, A, and G. A

I hope you all enjoy the MLK holiday on Monday.  Be sure to turn in your permission slips no later than this Friday the 18th.  

Have a great week everyone—despite the Viaduct closure.