Fourth and Fifth Grade Newsletter
August/ September 2013
Upcoming Events
9/3: Reading/ Fact Dash Calendars Due
9/4: Mid-quarter
9/5: Fall Pictures: Students are to wear Chapel attire Thursday
9/13: Early Release Day, 12:30; Parent Conferences: Please be on the lookout for conference sign-ups
9/27: Grandparent's Day
9/4: Mid-quarter
9/5: Fall Pictures: Students are to wear Chapel attire Thursday
9/13: Early Release Day, 12:30; Parent Conferences: Please be on the lookout for conference sign-ups
9/27: Grandparent's Day
Fifth Grade, August "Panther of the Month"
Deanna Azahar
Go Panthers!!
Fourth Grade, August "Panther of the Month"
Cassandra Torres
Content Information
Fourth Grade Language Arts, Social Studies
Language Arts: Students are learning and applying the rules of GUM (grammar, usage, mechanics) in all aspects of their writing. Fourth graders are also learning to encode all written pieces; they will touch each letter/ word and read them with their mouths. This process is the opposite of decoding, or the process in which our brains fix errors automatically. Students must utilize this skill to become better spellers and writers. Please continue to encourage your student to work carefully and diligently on all tasks. In Writer's Workshop, fourth graders are creating fractured fairy tales in light of their study of narrative reading and writing. Upon finishing these tales, students will create a class set of fairy tales; these tales will be checked out and brought home by each fourth grader so parents may enjoy the collection. In Reading, students have been thoroughly enjoying Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis. They will be completing many activities reflective of this text. Please continue to encourage your student/s to read and do their best to meet and exceed set AR goals.
Social Studies: Students have begun their study of Native Americans. The study will lead them through the North American continent looking at tribes such as the Inuit, Sioux, and Navajo tribes.
Social Studies: Students have begun their study of Native Americans. The study will lead them through the North American continent looking at tribes such as the Inuit, Sioux, and Navajo tribes.
Fourth Grade Math, Science
Math: Fourth grade is currently working on Multiplication. Students will be learning about the properities of multiplication, fact families, and different techniques to use when multiplying with large numbers. They will learn and practice using the "old-fashioned" method, lattice method, and the partial products method. We will be moving on to division in a couple of weeks.
Please make sure students are working on Math homework every night (Mon-Thurs). It is very important for them to go home and continue to practice the skill that we worked on in class. Students should also be practicing Math facts on Xtramath.com for atleast 5 minutes at a time. September calendars will be due October 1st.
Science: Students will be finishing up our Ecology unit in the next couple of weeks. We have worked on many different topics including types of ecosystems, non-living and living things in an ecosystem, food chains and food webs. We will also be learning about producers and consumers, adaptation for survival, and extinction. At the end of our unit, I will be sending home a study guide to prepare students for the test.
Please make sure students are working on Math homework every night (Mon-Thurs). It is very important for them to go home and continue to practice the skill that we worked on in class. Students should also be practicing Math facts on Xtramath.com for atleast 5 minutes at a time. September calendars will be due October 1st.
Science: Students will be finishing up our Ecology unit in the next couple of weeks. We have worked on many different topics including types of ecosystems, non-living and living things in an ecosystem, food chains and food webs. We will also be learning about producers and consumers, adaptation for survival, and extinction. At the end of our unit, I will be sending home a study guide to prepare students for the test.
Fifth Grade Language Arts, Social Studies
Language Arts: Students have begun their study of sentence diagramming, as we focus our GUM efforts on parts of speech. In Writer's Workshop, fifth graders are completing tall tales; they have read an excellent example of a tall tale and have looked at the various elements of this genre. Fifth graders will be creating a collection of tall tales for classroom check-out. In Reading, students are enjoying The Watsons Go To Birmingham; this text is written by Christopher Paul Curtis, author of Bud, Not Buddy. Students will be completing many activities and projects reflective of this book.
Social Studies: Fifth graders have begun their study of Westward Expansion; this unit will cover topics, themes, and historical figures like Daniel Boone, Manifest Destiny, and the surrender at the Alamo. Upcoming units: Civil War
Social Studies: Fifth graders have begun their study of Westward Expansion; this unit will cover topics, themes, and historical figures like Daniel Boone, Manifest Destiny, and the surrender at the Alamo. Upcoming units: Civil War
Fifth Grade Math, Science
Math: Fifth grade is currently working on Division. We are practicing the techniques and steps of division with a one digit divisor, and will be moving on two digit divisors next week.
Please make sure students are working on Math homework every night (Mon-Thurs). It is very important for them to go home and continue to practice the skill that we worked on in class. Students should also be practicing Math facts on Xtramath.com for at least 5 minutes per time. September calendars will be due October 1st.
Science: We are currently finishing up the Cells and Microorganisms unit. I will be sending home the study guide for the test some time next week and the test will be the following week. I will put all of the dates on RenWeb.
Please make sure students are working on Math homework every night (Mon-Thurs). It is very important for them to go home and continue to practice the skill that we worked on in class. Students should also be practicing Math facts on Xtramath.com for at least 5 minutes per time. September calendars will be due October 1st.
Science: We are currently finishing up the Cells and Microorganisms unit. I will be sending home the study guide for the test some time next week and the test will be the following week. I will put all of the dates on RenWeb.
Fourth Graders Celebrate College Colors Day!
Mrs. Howell is having a baby girl!!
Fourth graders presented their Characterization Projects in reflection of summer reading!
August/ September Birthdays
8/6: Kennedy Tarver
8/11: Jacob McCool
9/17: Mrs. Howell
9/19: Dominic Pittman
9/19: Noah Tisdale
9/25: Alex Langbecker
9/28: Deanna Azahar
8/11: Jacob McCool
9/17: Mrs. Howell
9/19: Dominic Pittman
9/19: Noah Tisdale
9/25: Alex Langbecker
9/28: Deanna Azahar