Spring Creek Cardinals
4th Grade Newsletter
JANUARY 2017 EDITION
Welcome Back!
It is hard to believe that your students are five months away from being a 5th grader!!
This semester we are all working on and preparing them for success in finishing 4th grade and making a smooth transition into 5th grade. Please read all the information in the newsletter to best support your student.
Homework
As the school year has gone on, more and more students are reporting the following. "I don't have time to do my homework." or "I'm too busy after school to do my homework." Please talk with your student and help them prioritize activities. You can discuss using time on the bus or in the car to work on homework. If your student attends after school programs it might be wise to discuss with that organization how homework is incorporated into the after school program.
As fourth grade teachers we want to help establish the routine and responsibility of working on homework each day to support the success of your student.
See notes below about ELA homework.
MATH Update
During the month of January we will be concentrating on learning “long division”, as we called it when I was in elementary school. We will be discovering what dividing a number means; mainly that we start with a given amount and break it apart into equal groups. Therefore, if you have twenty-one pencils that you want to share equally between seven students, how many pencils will each student receive? One method we use will be dividing using a “Fair Share” so that each group has the same amount. Another method for division that also is used is repeated subtraction, in which we continually subtract the same amount from the amount we start with until there’s none left. After they understand what division means, we will learn about division using “Partial Quotients”. Again, this is different than probably most of you learned about in school. Finally, they will be introduced to the traditional way of dividing numbers, also known as “long division”, although we will call it the “traditional algorithm” for division. Eventually we will discuss what to do when there is a “remainder”. Of course, during this whole time we will be emphasizing problem solving involving all four operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.
I have noticed that some of my students are really struggling with how to solve a word problem. They need to be able to read a word problem, figure out what the question is that they need to answer, what the important information is in that problem, and what type of operation or operations need to be completed to solve the problem. This continues to be a daily discussion in our math class through our bell work as well as the work we do in class.
If you notice your child struggling with word problems, there are a few different options available to help them out.
First, “Thinking Blocks” is an excellent website that deals with solving word problems. They have used it in class, so should know what to do when they log in at home.
There is also another website called “IXL.com” that I would recommend. When you go to the website, click on 4th grade math and then scroll down to “Mixed Operations” and choose any of the word problem type questions. You can use the website for free for a limited amount of problems. You can also pay for unlimited use of the website. If you think your child still needs more, let me know.
READING/WRITING Update
I am so glad your children are back at school! I missed "my kids" over the break. I hope everyone was able to participate in the holiday reading challenge at some level. Remember they need to be turned in with a parent signature.
This month we are embarking on a trip through history. We will be reading historical fiction aloud, independently, and in book clubs. Students will be taking note of the facts and fiction in books they read. Students will be discovering the difference between fact and opinion. Students will also develop research skills while planning for their informational book. Students will be writing historical informational nonfiction books, using different text features of nonfiction writing.
In grammar, we will be studying possessives, compound sentences, conjunctions, and commas. Commas usage is a big deal in 4th grade, so if your child comes home talking about being a CSI or a hungry monkey, just know we are learning how to use commas!
Poetry Fridays continue this semester and are a highlight of our week, especially with our poetry challenge. I will be inviting secret guest challengers, so if you are interested in writing a poem and participating in the challenge, send me a message! I think the kids will love finding out one of their parents entered the challenge!
Check out past challenges at www.mrsdungansclass.weebly/publishing
YOUR STUDENTS WOULD LOVE COMMENTS ON THEIR BLOG! Each week students add book reviews to our blog, but not a single blog entry has been commented on! Share their blog posts with family in friends through Facebook or twitter. Our classroom blog experience will be more meaningful when comments are left and students see how their writing is valuable to others. Hope you will visit their book review blog. www.mrsdungansclass.weebly/book-reviews
Homework will be varied this month, so be sure to check students planners or check the webpage for assignments. Homework assignments may include reading, note taking, research, e-reading passages, etc. If a worksheet needs to be completed a link to the page will be on the website. Please set aside about 20-30 minutes of time for your child to do homework each day. It is important for students to get in a routine of completing homework each day.
www.mrsdungansclass.weebly/homework
SCIENCE/SOCIAL STUDIES Update
In Social Studies:
First we will look back over the European Exploration. Then we will discuss the Alamo and the events that surrounded the Texas Revolution. Students will also be able to discuss the events that led to the annexation of Texas to the United States.
**WEEKLY QUIZZES** resume - encourage your student to participate in class and review the key vocabulary that is on the webpage.
In Science,
We will look at weathering, erosion and deposition and the formation of soil and soil types. If your student finds examples of these concepts around your house or while you are out running errands, take a picture of it and email it to me. Have them identify what it is and we can use that in class! The more your student can "see" science outside the classroom, the easier it is for them to understand.
As a reminder, Encourage your child to review the vocabulary on the website.
http://mann4thgradeclass.weebly.com/
FOR BOTH SUBJECTS - Students really enjoyed the challenge of working on "stretch" questions in December as part of our class routine, so we will continue those a few times each week. "Stretch questions" look a lot like a STAAR test question. They require the students to understand a concept and then apply it to the question to find the answer. Two-part thinking. We discuss the incorrect and the correct answers and the WHY. This will help your student feel comfortable with different formats of test questions and allow them to build and improve their critical thinking skills.
Upcoming Events
January 6- Awards Assembly
January 9- PTO meeting at 6:00 p.m.
January 12- District UIL
January 16- MLK Holiday
January 27- Dinosaur George Enrichment Day!
January 30- Fourth Grade to Symphony
January 31- Spring Pictures
Spring Creek Elementary
Website: http://sc.csisd.org/
Location: 2450 Brewster, College Station, TX
Phone: 979-694-5838
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CSISDSpringCreek
Twitter: @sc_elementary