Dear 4A Families,
Wednesday we begin the season of Lent with the Ash Wednesday service at 8:35. Perfect uniform is required. Lent is a time when we are compelled to ask forgiveness for our sins and change our lives for the better. The ashes we receive are a sign that we are ready to change our lives. We will be focusing on three types of sacrifice and practices during Lent that will help us grow in our faith: prayer, fasting from excess and unkind actions, and good works or almsgiving. During Lent the students will be reading special Lenten prayers and Bible readings for the season. In class today and tomorrow we will be reflecting on our plans for Lent. As a school we will be participating in several service related activities to share our gifts with those less fortunate. Each family should have received a rice bowl last week, or will this week. Our first Brown Bag Lunch collection for St. Martin de Porres is this coming Friday, March 8th. This first collection is for lunches only – no additional toiletry item. These are different from Lunches of Love: Perishable food items are A-OK, as they can be kept cold. What a nice family activity to make a special lunch together on Thursday night to bring in on Friday!
Religion: Corrected Sacrament tests will be in your child’s filer. The students will be introduced to the Ten Commandments as our next religion unit. We will focus on how the Ten Commandments apply to our actions and the choices we make in 4th grade. Our Second Step lessons will focus on joining in and showing compassion.
Math: We will be wrapping up our division chapter early next week. We continue to focus on mastery and accuracy of the long division algorithm. Thank you for assisting your children in making any needed corrections. Problem solving and interpreting remainders will continue to be practiced.
Reading: The students will be practicing and presenting a readers theater presentation of Jumangi by Chris Van Allsburg. We will present to grade 3B on Friday.
Social Studies: The River and Lake test will take place this Friday, March 8th. The test will have a word bank and the rivers will be numbered. Answers will be written on the corresponding numbered lines.
In class we will be finishing up pre-work for our Oregon Trail simulation. On Thursday the students will be placed in “families” to travel the Oregon Trail. They will purchase supplies, decide on jobs and try to make it to the Oregon Territory! The simulation is a fun way to learn about the challenges of the trail as well as use math, map, and planning skills.
Science: On Tuesday we will take part in our lab on sound energy. We will be looking at the key terms of low and high frequency, pitch, and volume. The students will also be able to see and hear sound waves travel through vibrations. On Thursday we will begin electrical energy looking at electrons and protons and how they travel.
Oral Biography Projects: Students should be finished or close to finished reading their books at this point. Note taking should be the main goal as they re-read portions of the story they have selected to include in their presentaions. Organizing notes into sections like; childhood, young adulthood, adult/main accomplishments/ later years can help with planning. Focus on one section at a time, plan and write notes, then practice that section before moving on. Remember, these areas need to be included in the presentation. I realize not all of the biograpy choices will have all of these sections (example, Anne Frank will not have an adult section).
- Brilliant beginning that catches the audiences attention. This is often an exciting or important moment of the person’s life
- Childhood/family information
- Schooling/occupations
- Important accomplishments and how they were reached—be sure to include times of struggle and how challenges were overcome
- Later years
- Final thoughts when the student speaks in his or her own voice explaining what they most admire and how this person has positively impacted our world and what we can learn from this person.
This week I will be going over all of this again with the students and answering any questions they have. The students will also learn about bibliographies and how to write them. Students will come home with an instruction sheet and template to create their bibliographies with their sources of information. Remember, at least three sources of information are required for this project. All students should bring in their main biography book on Wednesday this week. Thank you.
Our class writing work is focused on our mini biography project.
Spelling: Lesson 18 spelling words were passed out last Friday. The test will take place this Friday as usual.
Homework includes review for the River and Lake test on Friday, Oral Biography Preparations, math homework most nights if not completed at school and studying spelling words.
Holy Rosary’s Drama Elective Presents: The Fearsome Pirate Frank
Mark your calendars for the evenings of March 7th and 8th, and plan on bringing the whole family to enjoy Holy Rosary Drama Elective’s debut of The Fearsome Pirate Frank. Come indulge your imagination in an evening filled with fun, humor, whimsical entertainment, and community building!
