Welcome Fabulous Fourth Grade Families, I am looking forward to seeing many of you on this Thursday evening, September 20, 2012 for Curriculum Night at 6:300pm. We will meet in our classroom first (room 207) for 40 minutes. After that, Mr. Mabie will invite you down to the cafeteria for a brief talk. Please let me know if you will not be attending.

Throughout the year, your children will be asked to read a variety of genres as a part of nightly homework. Our first genre choice will be realistic fiction. A realistic fiction book is a story with made-up characters that could actually happen in real life. Your children will have five weeks to complete reading their book and prepare a project that will be shared with the class. Book choices need to be shared with me by this Friday, September 21, 2012. Books should be read and projects should be completed by October 28, 2012. Detailed instructions for their projects are coming home on Monday and a presentation schedule will come home later this week. If your children finish their book sooner, they are encouraged to present earlier and then start reading another book. Although classroom volunteer sign-ups will be at Curriculum night, we are currently looking for an enthusiastic parent to organize our annual Grandfriend’s Lunch event. If you are interested, please let me know and I will give you additional information on the event.

Please remember to check your child’s planner nightly with your child. Establishing homework routines at the beginning of the school year is essential for success this year. Thank you for your support with this.

Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns at stravers@shrewsbury.k12.ma.us.

Warmly, Sandra Travers

Important Dates

News From Room 207

9/20 Thursday Curriculum Night 6:30pm-Room 207 10/5-8 No School Columbus Day Weekend 10/28 Book Projects Due 1 1/2 Friday Lowell Mills Field Trip 1 1/6 Tuesday No School Parent Conferences 1 1/12 Monday No School Veteran’s Day 1 1/21-23 Thanksgiving Break 12/24-1/1

Week of 9/17/12

 September Birthdays Quote of the Week Specials

 

 

Monday-Art Tuesday-PE

Wednesday-Health Thursday-Music Friday-Chorus

Media Dates:

Every Other Tuesday 9/11, 9/25, 10/9, 10/23, 11/13, 11/27,

12/11, 1/8, 1/22, 2/5, 2/26, 3/12, 3/26, 4/23, 5/7, 5/21

Snack/Recess daily at ~10:45am

Lunch 12:05-12:40pm

 

English Language Arts Our walls were a “smashing” success. Our focus this week will be on the strategies we can use to monitor our understanding as we read fiction and nonfiction text. Additionally, we will review parts of speech. In writing, we will be writing friendly letters.

Read Aloud

We decided on a different read aloud than originally planned. We are reading About Average by Andrew Clements. Jordan Johnston is average. Not short, not tall. Not plump, not slim. Not blond, not brunette. Not gifted, not flunking out. Even her shoe size is average. She’s ordinary for her school, for her town, for even the whole wide world, it seems. Jordan feels doomed to a life of wallowing in the vast, soggy middle. So she makes a goal: By the end of the year, she will discover her great talent. By the end of the year, she will no longer be average. She will find a way to become extraordinary, and everyone will know about it!

Math

We will begin Unit 2 this week. Students need to practice math facts nightly. We will be completing weekly mad minutes to check our progress.

Social Studies There are many different types/tools of maps - globes, flat maps, puzzles. We will focus on map scales and directionality this week. We will also watch two videos you might want to check out: Longitude and latitude: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0c1idtn3e8 How to Read a Map: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QlJn_iMeAg

Science This last week, we learned about the Scientific Method and explored the properties of rocks. We will continue this week as we dissect our mock rocks to determine their ingredients. If your child has time, feel free to explore the following website. http://www.learner.org/interactives/rockcycle/types.html

9/10 Olivia 9/11 David 9/12 Arvind 9/16 Sarah 9/21 Natalie R. 9/27 Brady

We all have dreams. But in order to make dreams

come into reality, it takes an awful lot of

determination, dedication, self-discipline, and

effort".

~ Jesse Owens, American track and field athlete and Olympic gold

medal winner  

The  lucky  number  is  13.