4th Grade December News
I can’t believe it is December already! The fourth grade class has been making great strides in their academics this year. I am so impressed by students’ oral reading skills, improvements in math, and their determination to succeed! Way to go kids! J
Each week (or more often, if time permits) the students practice their handwriting skills. I score these papers using 1 (poor) - 4 (excellent). Check your child’s folder for their recent handwriting scores!
We will soon finish the novel, Stuart Little, by E.B. White. Each student has their own packet (personally designed front coversJ) which contain all of the assignments for the novel. Many students have seen the movie, but have not read the book. At the end of reading, we will watch the movie and discuss the similarities and differences. This book offers a rich vocabulary that requires the students to brush up on their dictionary skills. I notice vocabulary words being used in everyday conversation, which is very impressive!
After watching the move, in reading we will return to our textbook to focus on reading skills such as visualization, cause and effect, text structure, theme, and context clues. Students are signing a Reading Contract for the month of December. Each decided on a goal amount of books to read and will keep a record of what they have read. The purpose of this activity is to encourage students to read books at their level. If they read too many books this month (10+), their new goal for January will be to pick more challenging books. If they read too few books this month (-3), their new goal for January will be to pick less challenging books.
Sadly, our unit of Science Court will soon come to an end. Please ask your child what they learned about the seasons through this Smart Board adventure! Help your child out in science this month by focusing on healthy eating! I know this will be tricky during the holidays, but we will begin our unit of MyPyramid! We will explore each of the food groups and study what we eat and how we can make changes to become healthier kids!
A Secret Santa student will be chosen for each child the first week of December, so please ask your child about this. The gift should be no more than $5.00 and can be handmade! Please see me if you need assistance with this, or have any questions!
Reminders for December
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Reading Logs/Contracts Due: December 21st
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Holiday Party- December 22nd
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Holiday Break- December 23rd-January 2nd
Happy Holidays,
Ms. Smerchek
