Morning Meeting:

In Morning Meetings, we got to know each other better with some “would you rather” games, and talking about ways to make our classmates and our Specials teachers feel welcome. We also have been talking about how to spark curiosity. 

Math:

In Math this week, the Fourth Graders continued to learn about Place Value and how to write numbers in standard form, expanded form and word form. As well as how to compare two numbers by looking at the Place Value of each number.

Reading: 

In Reading this week, we talked about how to read the emotion or thought of the character based on what the author is telling us. We also acted out what was happening in the story by closing our eyes and imagining what the character might be doing within the story.

Writing:

In Writing this week, we have continued to work on writing our true life stories! We have been working on how to go back and revise the important parts by making sure we added the detail of exactly the way it happened, bringing the story and characters to life. We also learned how to find places in our writing where we can add in punctuation like exclamation points and ellipsis to make our writing more interesting and dramatic!

Above: Fourth Graders collaborated to create a meaningful mural around our conflict resolution tool, otherwise known as “The Peace Wheel.”

Science: 

In Science, students continued their investigations of magnets.  Fourth grade scientists built on their knowledge of the force of attraction between two permanent magnets.  Students utilized a balance and large washer discs to measure the force of attraction between two magnets. They systematically investigated what happens to the force of attraction as the distance between the two magnets increases. Taking it one step further, students made predictions about their data by placing spacers in between their magnets.  These young scientists identified patterns within their data and were able to graph it as an investigative team!  An important takeaway from our “Breaking the Force” investigation was that every scientific experiment must determine procedures in advance.  

Word Work:

In Word Work, Our vocabulary study continues as we take a closer look at words containing latin roots, homophones, and idioms.  In Grammar, we reviewed rules of capitalization, specifically around the pronoun “I”. We celebrated this grammar rule by combining it with our previous rule of “I capitalize names” as we looked back into our study of common nouns versus proper nouns.  Fourth graders are identifying these rules in their own writing samples during Writing Workshop, and in their own personal SSR (Silent Sustained Reading) time.  

Read Aloud:  

Our class is enjoying The Tiger Rising by Kate DiCamillo.  This 2001 National Book Award Finalist is a beloved Cooper School classic.  Ask your Fourth Grade student to share with you their favorite character so far in the story.  One student noted that author, Kate DiCamillo, sprinkles breadcrumbs for the reader in each chapter, tempting you to just read continuously until you’ve pieced together the mysteries.  The zest and passion for reading in our class is electric! 

Reminders for Fourth Grade Parents:

We ask that you make sure that your Fourth Grader return their silver homework folder to school each day to ensure that all of their work is able to be sent home.  We also encourage you to make sure arrival happens prior to class beginning at 8:00 am.  Our Morning Meeting begins at 8:00 am and includes the day’s morning message, morning activities and group share.  This sets the tone of how the rest of the day runs, and is a time of beautiful class participation and collaboration that we don’t want your student to miss!

We are ready for another great week of learning! 

Best,

Ms. Molly and Ms. Kyndall

Important Dates: 

Wednesday, September 30th- Virtual Curriculum Night (Time-TBD)

October 12th & 13th- Fall Break (NO SCHOOL)