4th Grade Newsletter
Wednesday, September 16, 2015
We can’t believe the first week of school has already come and gone! We appreciate your support as we
work out the kinks in our schedule, busing, etc! Just a reminder that this will be the last week that we will send a
4th Grade Newsletter home to keep parents and guardians in the loop with what we’re doing at school. In the
weeks following, we will no longer print the newsletter, but rather post the newsletter on each 4 th grade
classroom website. If you do not have access to the internet to access newsletters, please call or send a note with
your 4th grader to their homeroom teacher and we will make sure a paper copy is printed and sent home for
you.
Homework and Sleep
Please support your 4th grader and encourage them to get a good nights’ sleep each school night and to
complete their homework. The homework given in 4th grade is important because it is an extension of what is
taught in class. Each student has the opportunity to show their true understanding of the concepts taught in
class that day by completing the homework and coming prepared with any questions they may have to class the
next day.
Math
We started switching our math classes last week which seemed to work well! We are hoping by switching
students around based on their academic needs, we will be able to meet students where they are while still
teaching based on the 4th grade benchmarks. We will continue working on Unit One this week which reviews
third grade concepts before jumping in to fourth grade material. Please make sure that on top of homework,
your 4th grader is practicing their multiplication facts. It is important that they know their facts so when it comes
time to teach division, they aren’t still trying to learn their multiplication facts. The two concepts of
multiplication go hand in hand. If each student knows their multiplication facts, it will make the transition into
division much less stressful.
Language Arts
Just as we did last week in math, we began switching for the language arts block as well! Again, the
switching occurs so students are met where they are at and challenged in an appropriate way. We will be working
on specific language arts skills including, but not limited to: note taking, characters, characterization, elements
of a story, and summarization. As we near the end of the first trimester, we will reevaluate to see if there are
students who need to move classrooms based on academic needs.
Spelling
This week will consist of our first spelling test! The spelling words and cursive practice homework were
sent home last Friday, September 11. The cursive practice homework is due this Friday, September 18, although
students are able to turn it in whenever they complete it. The spelling test will also be this Friday, the same day
the homework is due. Please make sure your 4th grader is studying their words each night. A great way to study
is being quizzed by an older sibling or parent/guardian, writing the words multiple times, or reading the word,
covering it up, and writing it on a piece of paper.
Reading Logs
Your 4th grader is expected to read a minimum of 100 minutes per week. Each Wednesday, a new
reading log will be sent home. It is expected that each Wednesday, the reading log from the previous week is
turned in with a parent/guardian signature at the top. Please keep in mind that the reading log goes hand in
hand with the Language Arts homework. Students are expected to read for Language Arts and complete an
assignment with their reading. The reading they complete for Language Arts can count towards their 100
minutes of reading for their reading log each week.
Classroom Donations
If you feel as though you are able to donate materials to the classroom, we would greatly appreciate any
of the following items:
Kleenex, Clorox Wipes, Ziploc Gallon and Sandwich Bags, Pencils, and Whiteboard Markers for our new student
whiteboards.
Important Information
Each week, the 4th grade teachers will update their classroom website. Their classroom page will have
information about upcoming quizzes, assessments, when bigger homework assignments are due, field trips, and
more! Please be sure you ask your 4th grader within the first few days of school who their Math teacher is and
who their Language Arts teacher is. The bigger homework assignments listed on the teacher pages may differ.
Although this is true, please keep in mind that all 4th grade students are held to the same standards and will be
completing the same assessments throughout the year.
If your 4th grader has not yet purchased a planner or recorder, it is very important they bring $10 in. ($5
for the planner and $5 for the musical recorder). The planner is a requirement in each classroom. Before each
student leaves, their homeroom teacher will check their planner to ensure that their homework is written down.
This planner is used as a communication between home and school; please look at the planner each night! The
recorder is a requirement as it will be used in music class.
We greatly appreciate your encouragement and support and look forward to getting to know you and
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your 4 grader this year! Please feel free to contact any of us by calling, e-mailing, or setting up a time to meet!
Teacher Contacts
Ms. Burris jburris@alabpmn.org x8824
Mrs. Huber ahuber@alabpmn.org x8823
Ms. MacCallum emaccallum@alabpmn.org x8827
Mrs. Paige npaige@alabpmn.org x8825
Mr. Stay bstay@alabpmn.org x8826