4th Grade

Jeffers Journal

Week of April 22nd – April 26th      

Happy Earth Day!  Reuse your today so you don’t have to reduce your tomorrow.  Are you ready to board the learning train?  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:

April 22^nd: Mass with Father Pat @ 9AM

April 23^rd: Spring Picture Day (Grades K- 5)

April 25^th: Into the Woods Jr. @ 6:30PM in the Gym

April 26^th: Into the Woods Jr. @ 6:30PM in the Gym

April 28^th: First Communion @ 1:00PM

April 29^th: Mass with Father Pat @ 9AM

May 3^rd: First Friday Adoration

May 6^th: Mass with Father Pat @ 9AM

May 7^th: New York State Math Test

May 7^th: Scholastic Book Fair

May 8^th: New York State Math Test

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. To start the week, we are going to review what learned about fractions and decimals in preparation for our test on Wednesday, April 24^th. Measurement is the theme of Topic 13.  To begin the unit, we are going to learn about customary units of length. Students will learn how to convert from a larger unit to a smaller unit.  The second lesson of the unit explores customary units of capacity.  In this lesson, they will be shown how to convert from a larger unit to a smaller unit. They will make their own measurement charts in their math notebook to have as a resource.  We will continue to practice long division and multiplication problems each day. As a way to review previously learned concepts and skills, students will spend time working on I-Ready Math each day. We will also be reviewing for the New York State Math Test which will be on May 7^th and also May 8^th.
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. What is a contraction? How are contractions formed? Can you form a contraction with a pronoun?  This topic explores two previously learned concepts which are pronouns and contractions.
   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.  We have been learning that reading is not just about reading the words on the page it involves so many other pieces like asking questions, making connections, using context clues to help determine the meaning of unfamiliar words. We are also going to learn how to make inferences.
   4. Summary: A summary is a short retelling of a text. It only includes the most important details.  A useful strategy to help you when writing a summary is: “Somebody Wanted But So Then (SWBST).”  Who is the main character? (Somebody) What did the main character want? (Wanted) What is the problem (But) How does the character try to solve the problem? (So) How does the story end? (Then) We will practice writing summaries in class this week and students will be asked to write a summary each night and turn it in the next day.
   5. Morphology: Word structure and construction are the building blocks of learning how to spell words. It is also important to learn the different prefixes and suffixes that change the meaning of words. Students will be completing word ladders and other activities to help build their spelling skills.
3. Writing: We are going to continue to use a strategy to help answer text dependent or short answer questions, which is known as RACES. The first letter of the acronym, “R,” means restate the prompt. The “A” means answer the question in your own words. The “C” means cite text evidence or examples. The “E” means explain and give details. The final letter of the acronym, “S” means summarize what you wrote. Students will practice using this strategy as they answer questions in all subject areas.
4. Science: We are approaching the end of the Energizing Everything Unit which has brought a lot of energy and curiosity to our classroom. Our key vocabulary words throughout this unit have been: energy, kinetic energy, potential energy, gravitational energy, model, and experiment. To start the week we are going to explore heat energy and energy transfer by answering the question “How long did it take to travel across country before cars and planes?” In the final lesson of the unit we are going to explore renewable energy and natural resources by answering the question “Where does energy come from?” There are hands-on activities that go along with both of these lessons.  The Energizing Everything Unit test will be on Friday, April 26th.
5. Religion: The theme of our chapter is Penance and Reconciliation. What are the names of the two sacraments of healing?  Have you ever received the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation? How did you feel? What does Jesus Christ do for us through the Sacrament of Healing?  Who was Saint John Vianney?  The Chapter 14 test will be on Friday, April 26^th.
6. Twenty-second Mass of the School Year: On Monday, April 22^nd, we will be attending Mass with Father Pat at 9:00. All students need to be wearing their dress uniform. Everyone is invited to attend Mas
7. Earth Day: Happy Earth Day! What are some ways you are conserving and protecting the Earth? We will read the book The Lorax by Dr. Seuss. We will also listen to The Great Kapok Tree, Magic Trash, and Milk, Juice, A Recycling Romance. We will also complete other activities to help us understand how we can protect the Earth.