Mrs. Leary's Fourth Grade Class

Welcome to our February web page. The school year is already half past us. I hope that the second half of the year continues to go as well as our first half. The students are continuing to improve and doing a wonderful job as we begin to prepare for the NJ ASK Test in May.

Just a reminder, Parent Teacher Conferences will be held on February 15 if needed.

Please be sure that your child’s school supplies are replenished if need be. We have been going through a lot of pencils recently. It helps tremendously if his/her supplies are taken care of before they come to school.

We are also in need of tissues. If possible, please send in a box.

Here is an outline of the month ahead:

Reading:

The students are really enjoying the literature circles we are doing. They all seemed to love reading “Shiloh!” We will continue with literature circles this unit. We will be reading “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.” In literature circles, small groups of students gather together to discuss a piece of literature in depth. In our case, we will be reading and discussing “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.” The discussion is guided by students' response to what they have read. Students may talk about events and characters in the book, the author's craft, or personal experiences related to the story. Literature circles provide a way for students to engage in critical thinking and reflection as they read, discuss, and respond to books.

Comprehension questions will be answered on Wednesdays and Thursdays instead of a test on Friday.
Partner reading nightly with your child is always a good way to help with fluency!

Grammar/Writing:
In grammar, we will learn about all different types of Pronouns. There will be a grammar test every Friday.

In writing we will work with various types of pre-writing that will help us better plan our writing and improve our organizational skills. We will focus on the 6 Traits of writing as we do this. We will also write in our journals daily to help us express our thoughts.

Spelling:
A list of new spelling words will be given out each Monday. Weekly spelling tests are given on Fridays. Spelling homework will be given on Monday nights. Do not forget to study your spelling words nightly.

Math:

This month we will work on topics 10 and 11. Topic 10 will introduce us to fractions and how we can simplify them. Topic 11 continues working with fractions. We will begin to add and subtract fractions in this topic. There will be a test at the end of each topic to ensure the students understanding of the concepts. Please remember to practice all facts nightly!

Health:

For the third marking period we will learn about relationships. We will discuss how to handle stress and conflict in relationships. We will also look at and discuss what a healthful relationship is.

Social Studies:

Regions of the United States are our theme for the school year. We will take a look at the regions that make up the US. Later in the year we will also look closely and learn more about New Jersey!

Science:

This marking period we will take a close look at the properties of water. We will learn about clouds, weather, and the water cycle.

ASSIGNMENT BOOK AND FOLDER:

Please review your child's homework folder and assignment book each day for assignments, projects, and test dates. Checking and signing on a daily basis is extremely helpful. Use this book as a means of communication with me. I do check them daily. Most importantly, just talk to your child and ask them how their day was. The little things make the biggest difference. Thank you so much for your continued support.

February 15: Parent Teacher Conferences

February 16: Teacher In-service- No school for students

February 17-20: School Closed-Presidents Day

Other Places to go:

Spelling City
Math/Language Arts Book Site
Northeast State information

Email: Mrs. Leary