Dear fourth grade families,
Please enjoy these updates from our classroom.
Writing
We are continuing our unit on persuasive writing. Students have drafted their essays an are working on revising them to make sure their arguments are airtight. You might want to play devil's advocate with your child, arguing the opposite of their opinion statement in order to help them strengthen their arguments.
Reading
Some students are continuing to read Tuck Everlasting and others are reading Just Juice . We are continuing to work on story elements, especially mood. Students listen to the way the author chooses to lay out the plot of the story in order to understand the feelings the author is trying to make the reader feel. Ask your child to identify the mood of a book s/he is reading independently.
Math
We have just finished two units on multiplication and division. Students are able to solve multi-digit multiplication and division problems. We are now beginning a unit on fractions. Try talking about fractions at the dinner table. Ask your child what fraction of the people at the table are drinking milk or what fraction of their mashed potatoes are left on the plate.
Word Study
We are learning all kinds of verb tenses. Every morning, students try writing sentences in a new tense. In addition to the classic verb tenses, we've also learned perfect and progressive verb tenses.
Social Studies
We continue our study of West Africa. In addition to reading more books about the geography and culture of West Africa, students are learning how to write summaries of these non-fiction texts. Students write paragraphs that include topic sentences, details, and conclusions. This kind of writing practice is a building block for research-based writing.
Ice Skating
We will be ice skating with other classes at Lasker Rink tomorrow, January 19th and February 2nd. If you are interested in chaperoning, please let us know. Please be sure your child brings in both the Department of Education and Lasker Rink permission slips. Children should wear thick socks and several layers to be comfortable at the trip. Cold lunch will be available at the trip, but you might want to send your child with a bag lunch as an alternative.
Winter Clothing
As is gets colder, please note that students will continue to have recess outside, except when it is actively raining or sleeting. Please be sure your child has a heavy coat, hat, scarf, and gloves. It is often quite warm in the classroom, so dressing in layers is the best way to be sure children are prepared for all temperature possibilities. This might also be a good time to check that growing children's clothing continues to fit properly. A belt or an extra long undershirt can go a long way toward helping clothes cover a growing child.
Classroom Supplies
We are currently out of paper towels in the classroom. If you can please pick up an extra roll of paper towels on your next trip to the grocery store and send it to school, we would greatly appreciate it. Please also check this snack schedule and be sure to send in snack with your child on the specified week.
| Jan 9 | Jan 17 | Jan 23 | Jan 30 | Feb 6 |
| Parker | Luigi | Kasar | Christina | Aman-ra |
| Oscar | Liza | Dyanira | Brandon | Ashley |
| Narayan | Lila | Dreanna | Alana | Jonathan |
| Milla | Alexander | DeAndre | Adriana | Martha |
| Miljan | Eko | Dario | Adelina | Michael N. |
| Michael C. | Ismael | | | |
Half Day January 27th
Please be aware that next week, on January 27th, we have a half day. Dismissal is promptly at 11:30 AM. If you would like to sign up for childcare with Wingspan for the remainder of the day, please contact Mat mcgloin.matthew@gmail.com or Laura Lee lauralee@wingspanarts.org or Noemi 212-387-0195.
Best,
Nancy and Stephanie
