The Fourth Grade Flyer
December 2012 - January 2013
News and Events
Content
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The 4 Grade teachers would
like to welcome our students and
families into 2013! We have many
exciting projects and activities planned
for the upcoming months so please
continue to encourage your child to
always do his/her best work and to come
to school with a positive attitude.
We would like to remind you to
periodically check the fourth grade
website for upcoming dates, important
news, pictures, and golden gators.
During this month, we are also asking
you to speak with your student about
practicing the three R’s at Gorman
Crossing. They should be “Respectful,
Responsible, and Ready” at all times.
Dates to Remember:
January 18 – End of 2nd marking period
Schools close 3 hours early!
January 21/22 – Schools closed for
students
January 29 – Report Cards Issued
GCES Reading Night!
February 5 – PTA Meeting 7:00
February 13 / 14 - Parent-Teacher
Conferences (Schools close 3 hrs
early)
February 15 – No school for students
February 18 – Schools closed
February 27 – GCES Math Night!
Sick of the sniffles? Well, this
month’s Health unit features body
systems and disease prevention.
Hopefully our discussions on spreading
germs will encourage your youngster to
wash their hands and cover those
coughs!
In Science, the students are
continuing their study of life on Earth
from A Global View. They will classify
plants and animals according to their
observable features, describe differences
and similarities in populations,
distinguish between learned and
inherited traits, and investigate how the
characteristics of plants and animals
support their survival in an ecosystem.
The students are all very eager to
complete their first dissection of an owl
pellet. The fourth grade certainly has
many scientists in the making!
The social studies classes will be
looking at Maryland growth and change
from 1800-1875. The students will use
visual discovery, response groups,
interactive student notebooks, and
historical investigations to study the
following: population growth,
Maryland’s role in the War of 1912, the
Civil and Revolutionary Wars,
transportation changes, and what life
was like for enslaved people during this
time. Your child will receive regular
lesson assessments to demonstrate their
understanding and knowledge of the
content. Look for these assessments to
come home in your child’s Monday
folder.
Math News
The students and staff at GCES
are looking forward to celebrating the
100th day of school on February 8th
(weather pending). The following is a
list of activities you can do with your
child in the days leading up to our
celebration:
*Together, come up with 100 ways to
make 100 using addition/subtraction.
*Find out what your child can do in 100
seconds. Time him/her and let us know.
(e.g. How many times can you jump
rope in 100 seconds?)
*How tall is a stack of 100 pennies?
Quarters? The coin of your choice?
*Where would a 100-step walk take you
from your house? From your bedroom?
*Make a list of what $100 will buy. Get
as close to $100 as you can.
*Create word problems where the
answer is always 100.
*Learn to say 100 in 5 different
languages.
Language Arts
The importance of completing
Reader’s Roar cannot be understated.
Reading for just twenty minutes a night
can have a profound impact on your
child’s language arts performance,
especially if you take the time to have a
conversation with him/her about the
book they are reading. Please remember
to sign the Reader’s Roar assignment
weekly and monitor your child’s written
responses. Spend time with your child
to make sure they understand both the
question and the text they are reading,
and help them to develop a well-written,
detailed response.
The Maryland State Assessment
in Reading will be administered during
the week of March 7 - 10. The fourth
grade teachers have set high
expectations for our students and feel
confident that they will be successful on
this test. In order to prepare, we have
started sending home a weekly BCR.
Please check with your child every week
to make sure they are completing this
assignment to the best of their ability.
Hat’s Off to Our Volunteers!
A huge THANK YOU to the
parents of the 4th Grade Volunteer
Committee who prepared for holiday
celebrations and planned activities for
our students to enjoy. We also greatly
appreciate those family members who
take time to come into GCES to
volunteer in the 4th grade pod.
In addition, we would like to
thank those parents who volunteered to
chaperone the field trip to the Baltimore
Museum of Art on January 3. Without
you, we would not be able to expose our
students to such wonderful experiences.
Mrs. Oduyoye received an e-mail with
compliments from the museum staff
about the great behavior and manners of
our students. Your time is greatly
appreciated!!