4th Grade

Jeffers Journal

Week of January 13th – January 17th

“January is the perfect time to reset, recharge, and renew your focus on what truly matters.”  Are you ready to board the learning train for another week of excitement and adventure? Please come to school each day with an open mind, positive “I can” attitude, a friendly smile, and eager to be a member of our team! 

Important Dates to Remember:

January 13^th: Mass with Father Ennis @ 8:50AM

January 20^th: Martin Luther King Jr. Day Observed-No School

January 26^th: Open House from 10AM to 1PM

January 27^th– January 31^st: Catholic Schools Week

January 27^th: Mass with Father Ennis @ 8:50AM

January 29^th: Lunar New Year-No School or CASE

February 3^rd-February 7^th: I-Ready ELA Diagnostic

February 3^rd: Mass with Father Ennis @ 8:50AM

February 10^th: Mass with Father Ennis @ 8:50AM

February 10^th-February 14th: I-Ready Math Diagnostic

February 14^th: Penny War Fundraiser & Valentine’s Day Party

Here’s a breakdown of our learning:

1. Math: Its important children learn math facts for addition/subtraction and multiplication/division with the goal of automatic recall. The key vocabulary words we have been focusing on throughout the division topic are: estimate, divisor, dividend, quotient, remainder, partial quotient, box method, and standard algorithm. To begin the week, we are going to review what we have learned about solving division problems using partial quotients and also box method in preparation for the Topic 5 Test on Wednesday, January 15^th. They will also continue to use the CUBES strategy to help them solve word problems. The theme of Topic 6 is Comparison Problems. In the first lesson, they will interpret comparisons as addition or multiplication equations.  In the second lesson, they will use multiplication and division to compare two quantities.  Each day the students will complete an Exit ticket as a way to check their understanding of the lesson. It is a great way for me to check and see who is ready for the next lesson and who could use a re-teach of the material. We will also play different Math games to review previously learned concepts and skills. Students will also continue to work on their independent lessons in I-Ready Math each day. This is a great way to practice their skills.
2. English Language Arts:
   1. Grammar: Students will learn how to proofread their writing for subject-verb agreement, capital letters, and punctuation using the proofreading symbols.  We will continue to review complete subject, complete predicate, simple subject, simple predicate, and the different kinds of sentences. Last week, we learned about verbs in the present tense, which means the action is happening now. This week, we are going to learn about past tense verbs, which tell about an action that already happened. Students will be reminded about the importance of subject-verb agreement.
   2. Vocabulary: Each week students have 12 new vocabulary words and complete different activities each day (sentence completion, synonym/antonym, matching, word meaning, and context clues).
   3. Reading: An important skill we will be practicing is reading articles or passages and answering comprehension questions.
   4. Spelling:  Each week the students will be given a list of words that contain a certain spelling pattern. They will complete activities each day using the words. They will also learn some commonly misspelled words and mnemonic devices to help them remember how to spell them.
3. Writing: The Personal Narrative Writing train will be exploring the Middle, End, and Conclusion. The Middle is everyone’s favorite part to write because it contains the events of the narrative. If you think about your favorite sandwich, the middle is all the toppings that you put on it. The End and Conclusion are also extremely important and have a different purpose. The end of the narrative is where the author gives a resolution to the story. However, the conclusion is a reflection of the whole narrative. This part is important because you want to keep the reader thinking!  Think about your favorite book or movie, how does it end? Does it keep you looking for more? We will also be focusing on revising, editing, and publishing our narratives.
4. Science: The theme of our next Science unit is Sound. What is sound? What are some devices that make sound waves visible? Why are some sounds high and other sounds low? How come animals make different sounds?  These are some of the questions that may come up throughout this unit.  “How do you send a secret code?” That is the focus of the first lesson which is about how devices encode information to be sent long distances.  They will have the opportunity to create their own code in order to transfer the information across the classroom. Is there a difference between a visual code and a sound code? Does one work better than the other?
5. Religion: The theme of Chapter 7 is The Beatitudes. What are some things that you make you happy? How can you live out the Beatitudes today?  What do the Beatitudes mean to you? The Chapter test will be on Wednesday, January 15^th.  The theme of Chapter 8 is Witness to God’s Kingdom.  What is a witness? Can you think of a time when God has been generous to you?  Have you ever been treated unfairly?  Have you ever treated someone unfairly? Is there a difference between worldly justice and God’s justice?
6. Google Classroom: Students have been using my Google Classroom to complete assignments and quizzes in English/Language Arts, Math, Religion, Science, and Social Studies. Please check with your son/daughter to show you what they have been doing.  If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to send me an email.
7. Monday of the First Week in Ordinary Time Mass: Our next Mass with Father Ennis will be held on Monday, January 13^th at 8:50. Students will have the opportunity to volunteer to be an altar server and/or a lector for future Masses. If your child signs up to be a lector, he/she will receive their reading in advance to have time to practice both in school and at home.
8. Penny War Fundraiser: We will have a jar to drop pennies or bills in for positive points! The class with the most positive points wins a prize! The next day to bring in pennies and/or bills is Friday, February 14^th!!! Start collecting your change and help our class win a prize!