4th Grade Newsletter
Monday, December 2, 2019
Stay connected with the 4th Grade Team
Calendar of Events
Choir
Thursday, Dec 5, 2019, 03:00 PM
O C Taylor Elementary School, Pool Road, Colleyville, TX, USA
Curriculum
Humanities
READING
Context Clues
The students will use context clues to identify unknown words. They will then review nonfiction text features and their purposes. The students will locate and explain different text features and what specifically it did to increase understanding of the text.
WRITING
Expository Essay
The student will learn how to plan for an expository essay about their favorite season. They will then write their own season expository.
SOCIAL STUDIES
Texas History
The students will learn WHEN, WHERE, and WHY settlers developed Texas. They will look at how Stephen F. Austin influenced others to come to Texas. The students will create a Broadside to persuade others to come to Texas.
Science/Math
SCIENCE
Properties of Soil
Students will examine the properties of different types of soil looking at the color, texture, and water retention level of each. They will also examine to see which soil is best able to support plant growth.
MATH
Problem Solving Using Multiplication and Division
Students will practice solving multi-step word problems involving multiplication and division. The students will first learn the algorithms for solving three digit/ four digit times one digit. They will then move into learning the steps to multiply two digit by two digit numbers. Eventually, they will move into long division. We will be testing the students beginning in November over their multiplication facts. Please read below to see the schedule of dates for the tests.
*Have your child practice his/her multiplication facts each night for at least ten minutes. We will be moving into multiplication and division next. They need to be fluent in their facts.
Announcements & Reminders
iPads Charged
Recorders For Music
Dear 4th Grade students and parents,
Hooray!!!! Our recorders are finally here and will go home with students this week. Beginning Tuesday, Nov. 12, you will be responsible for bringing your recorder and your recorder book to music EVERY DAY!!!! You might also want to put together a recorder folder (binder or pocket folder) to keep any loose recorder worksheets/song sheets. Your Music conduct grade will be lowered if you forget your instrument/book more than 3 times in a 9 week grading period. Keep your recorder and book in your backpack so it’s always ready on Music days.
Students may leave their recorder/book in the music room the week they have music, but all students are expected to take their instrument home on Fridays so they can clean their instrument and practice their music. Your instrument comes with a cleaning rod, but I STRONGLY recommend throwing this cleaning rod in the trash can!!! If you use the rod to push Kleenex or paper towel into the barrel of the instrument and it gets stuck it is VERY hard to get it out. You can clean your instrument by swishing it around in a sink full of warm, slightly soapy water.
Please let me know if you have any questions. You are going to LOVE learning to play the recorder!!
Mrs. Vencill
Music Teacher, O.C. Taylor Elem.
Sky Ranch Volunteer Background Check for Chaperones
Important Information to Note
Book Fair Volunteers
TEST for Multiplication Facts Schedule and Information
We are getting ready to start quizzes over multiplication facts. Please note, we are not emphasizing who is the quickest in answering multiplication facts, but instead emphasizing math fact fluency. The students need to know their facts in order to move into long division and multiplying larger numbers. In fact, the students will be given a fair amount of time to answer the quizzes. They will have 25 facts to answer in 5 minutes over the fact being quizzed for that week. As we move towards the end goal, we would like the students to answer 25 mixed facts from 2-9 in 3 minutes.
In this letter, you will find the dates of each quiz along with the facts the students will be quizzed over. We encourage you to practice 10-15 minutes per night. Please try to make it a fun time for all such as using a deck of cards and playing multiplication war, or use dice and roll two dice and multiply, the person who guesses it first gets a point. If you need any other ideas, please feel free to reach out to your child’s math teacher.
We are going to concentrate on 3 through 9 facts excluding the 5’s. The students should have a strong understanding of the 2’s, 5’s and 10’s multiplication facts already; therefore, we will not be testing on these facts in the classroom. After the quiz is scored, it will come home in your child's Monday folder. Please give your child feedback. Please see below for the facts they will be tested over as well as the quiz dates.
November 15-- Quiz over 3’s.
November 22-- Quiz over 4’s.
December 6-- Quiz over 6’s.
December 13-- Quiz over 7’s.
January 10 -- Quiz over 8’s.
January 17 -- Quiz over 9’s.
January 24--Quiz Over All Facts 2-9’s
After Winter Break, students will take a quiz over all facts from 2-9. This will include 25 mixed facts in 3 minutes.
If you have any concerns or questions, please contact your student’s math teacher. Thank you for your support and help! Together we will make this a successful event for your child!
Sincerely,
The Fourth Grade Team
Holiday Hullabaloo Schedule
OCT 2019 Holiday Hullabaloo
Dec. 2 Chinese New Year (Wear red.)
Dec. 3 Candy Cane Day (Wear red and white.)
Dec. 4 Diwali Day (Dress in bright clothing.)
Dec. 5 Kwanzaa and Krafts (Wear black, red, and green.)
Dec. 6 O Christmas Tree Day (Wear green.)
Dec. 9 Reindeer Day (Wear reindeer ears, any ears, or a hat.)
Dec. 10 Happy Hanukkah (Wear blue and white.)
Dec. 11 Snowman Day (Wear a scarf, something white, or snowman attire.)
Dec. 12 Feliz Navidad (Wear red, white, yellow, and/or green.)
Dec. 13 Grand Slam with Grand Friends (Wear a holiday shirt.)
Dec. 16 Santa Hat Day (PTA is providing Santa hats to all and Santa is coming!)
Dec. 17 Elfie Selfie by the Fireplace (Dress like an elf or wear cozy socks.)
Dec. 18 Ugly Sweater Day (Wear a sweater or holiday shirt.)
Dec. 19 Polar Express Day (Wear pajamas.)
Dec. 20 Holiday Party Day (Wear festive party attire.)