November 2016 News from Grade 4
Dear Parents,
We hope this newsletter finds you well and enjoying the crisp fall weather. It is hard to believe how quickly September and October have flown by. The grade 4 students continue to adjust well to the expectations set for intermediate students. They know what is expected of them for the morning routines, instructional time and how to take care of their personal and school belongings. Please continue to sign your child’s agenda. The students are responsible for ensuring that they write down the unfinished class work and the homework that is listed on the homework board at the end of the day.
“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”
Dr. Seuss
Language Arts: Author in Residence, Glen Huser
Glen Huser, Canadian author and Governor Award winner, will be coming to Saint Francis Xavier to work with the Grade 4 students. He will be in the school in November. He will be working with the students for 6 “writing” and “creating stories” sessions. This is going to be a unique and exciting experience for the students.
We continue to work on the students’ writing skills focusing on brainstorming, making predictions and connections. The students are also focusing on adding more details to their sentences and using descriptive language (what we also refer to as “triple scoop” words). Students are encouraged to expand their love of literacy by reading informational texts, poetry or try a novel by a different author.
Some reading suggestions for grade 4 include:
Armstrong, William H. Sounder
Atwater, Richard and Florence. Mr. Popper’s Penguins
Cleary, Beverly. Romona the Brave
Creech, Sharon . Love that Dog
Ellis, Deborah. Mud City
Kogawa, Joy. Naomi’s Road
O’Dell, Scott. Island of the Blue Dolphin
Pearson, Kit. A Handful of Time
Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds. Shiloh and Shiloh Season
Sachar, Louis. Holes
Smith, Robert Kimmel. Chocolate Fever
White, E. B. Charlotte’s Web
Willis, Jeanne. Dumb Creatures
We love numbers! Yes, we do!
How do you write 9,356? What is expanded form? Our math geniuses have been busily working with whole numbers. They know how to write numbers in standard form, expanded form and are working on rounding numbers to the nearest10, 100 and 1000. We will also be working on comparing and ordering numbers. Students are practicing their skills using their Jump Math work books. We want all of our students to know that working with numbers is fun.
Upcoming dates to add to you calendars:
November 10, Remembrance Day Service November 11 Remembrance Day Holiday (no school)
November 14 (no school)
Message to Parents
As the first term comes to a close, students will be finishing topics such as weather and mapping skills. Encourage your child to complete assignments and homework on time, study hard and to prepare for upcoming quizzes and tests. We send a “big” thank you to all of the parents who continue to volunteer their time to help in the classroom. We really appreciate your help.
Blessings,
Ms. S.Chong and Ms. S. LeRose
