October 2015
4th Grade
Media Elementary School
Room 326
610-627-6843
Mrs. Williamson’s
October Newsletter
Hello autumn!
Thank you for coming to Back to
School Night – it was great to see everyone
and to have so many parents present.
If you need to speak with me about
anything, please call or email me and let
me know when I can return your call. I
check my voice mail when I arrive
around 8:00 AM and again at the
end of the day. I can
occasionally check it during
the day, but can’t promise
that…
If you have an urgent
message or need to have
a message sent to my room, please call the
office to speak with Mrs. Boyer or Mrs. Emmons.
Please check your child’s folder daily
for homework assignments and important
information. Please look over, sign and
return all tests and graded materials,
which will be sent home as they are graded.
Your child is responsible for filing the
returned, signed tests in the classroom after
you have reviewed them with him or her.
HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS
Math homework is given Monday
through Thursday nights. Reading every
night and 2 KidBiz articles a week scoring
75% or higher on the first attempt.
Homework assignments are written in the
same place, on the front board each day and
added to the homework hotline daily.
Students copy their assignments into their
assignment notebook. If you do not see
homework written down, please remind your
child to do so each morning.
E-mail: swilliamson@rtmsd.org
Students are asked to give me their
homework assignment book to sign AFTER
they have written in it each morning. If you
did not see my initials, I did not see their
book. Please take time each evening to see
that your child has completed their work.
Your cooperation is greatly appreciated.
October Curriculum
Language Arts
Students continue to read selfselected books from their INDEPENDENT
reading level in class during Readers
Workshop. Reading partners read the same
book and share and discuss their books this
week. Readers Workshop consists of a mini
lesson to the whole class, partner reading,
independent reading, and teacher led small
groups. Reading homework includes reading
Just Right books and taking notes in a
Reader’s Notebook or on Post-Its. All
students should also be bringing home a
reading log and completing the log at home
and school daily. I will be checking their logs
on Mondays and note where they are. If
children are behind I also note where they
should be each week.
We will be completing a writing unit on
realistic fiction in the next week or so. Stories
will be published and will be shared with the
class. Our next writing unit is informational
writing using boxes and bullets to plan and
take notes for books that will be published in
four or five weeks.
Word Study began last week.
Students are in word study groups based on
their individual needs. Students will work on
word study in class each day as they learn
new spelling patterns. Students will be tested
every 6 days on the words they learn.
Website: www.rtmsd.org/swilliamson
October 2015
4th Grade
Media Elementary School
Math
We just began the second topic in our
new math program. We are working on
adding and subtracting large numbers using
the regrouping algorithm and rounding
numbers to the nearest hundred, thousand,
ten thousand, hundred thousand, or millions
place.
If the math homework pages are
confusing, you can login to the
pearsonrealize.com website. Student logins
are their last name and first initial@rtmsd
password is cat123.
Click on Programs, then the TOPIC # we are
working on, then the lesson from the
homework page, such as 2-5. Next choose
either the student book with that day’s
lesson, a video to explain a concept, and so
on, or all the way at the bottom, “Another
Look” as a reteaching tool.
In addition to regular math homework,
students should also be practicing their math
facts fluency at home. Students will begin to
use Kahn Academy or assignments from
Pearson Realize at home for homework
beginning this week as well. Each student
should complete either ONE Kahn Academy
or one of the assigned Pearson Realize
activities per week.
Science
We will be wrapping up our
MicroWorlds science unit within the next
week or two. Students are in the science lab
3 days a week using the electric
microscopes and learning about various
specimens and how to make different types
of slides. A test will be given at the end of the
unit and will be announced in advance.
Social Studies
We will start our first Social Studies
unit by mid month. We will be using the
Social Studies Alive text books in class and
will focus on the social sciences then
geography
E-mail: swilliamson@rtmsd.org
Room 326
610-627-6843
Date Savers:
10-7
10-12
10-16
10-23
10-30
1:30 Author Visit Assembly
INSERVICE DAY;
NO SCHOOL
5:30-8:30 PM Harvest Fair
9:15-10:45 Grandparents Day
Halloween Parade / Party PM
GUEST READERS
Parents are invited to come in and
read to the class on Friday s from 3:15 to
3:30. Bring your own book or you can read
one of ours to the class. Please email me
with a date in mind if you’d like to participate.
BOOK CLUBS
Scholastic Reading (book) Clubs are
an excellent and inexpensive way to add to
your child’s library and promote good reading
habits. Order forms are sent home monthly.
If you would like to order, please complete
the form, noting your child’s name, and
include a CHECK made out to Scholastic
Books for the exact amount of money, and
send it to school in an envelope in your
child’s folder. You may also order online
through the link on my website for Scholastic
Books. New this year: levels of most books
are included on the flyer or website. If you
would like to order books as a surprise,
please let me know and I will hold the books
at until you can pick them up. They make
great gifts and you can’t beat the prices
anywhere!
Class Website
Please follow directions on the Media
School page to sign-up for e-alerts when I
update any page of my website, which
includes notices, projects, homework, and
general information. Each subject area
pages has links that may be helpful to you
and your child. If you have suggestions for
additions or other features you think may be
of interest or beneficial to others on the site,
please let me know.
Website: www.rtmsd.org/swilliamson