Can you believe that we have completed our first full month of school? Time seems to move faster upstairs!


4A Mr. Bradford

Reading  
Continued reading of Ralph S. Mouse.  Look in assignment notebooks to check for assigned reading at home.  
Decoding:  Dividing syllables.  
Reading Logs:  Please note there are two sides, one for each week.  You only have to sign the bottom of each side of the log, next to the total minutes; not each time your child reads.  Thank you for your support with this important log.  Spelling list #4 this week, test Friday.  

Science
We have started to combine atoms and have created new matter in the form of molecules.  As they learn that everything comes from atoms and molecules, we are learning that "it" is an indescribable piece of matter and can not be used in class or in their writing.  Next week we will get into changing states of matter. 

Social Studies

This week the students took two tests. The first one on Tuesday was on chapter 1 & part of chapter 2. The test today was on basic geography. We reviewed Wed., Thurs., Fri., and Mon. for Tuesday's test and Wed. and Thurs. we reviewed for the geography part of the test. The children will receive the results on Monday for both tests. Then we will go on to Chapter 3, Wisconsin's First People. The students will be studying cultures that existed over thousands of years before Europeans encountered the groups living in Wisconsin in the mid 1600s.


Math

This week we have been reviewing adding and subtracting whole numbers and decimals.  We will put the final touches on exploring place values behind the decimal.  On Wednesday we will have a pretest followed by a test on Wednesday.  This will cover items from chapter 2.  Please note that I do modify the selection of which concepts that we cover from the chapters.  The pretest is the best way to study for the test.  It will look exactly like the test, but the test will have different numbers.  This helps alleviate the anxiety of knowing what might be on the test.  

Language Arts/Writing
We will take a week off from our vocabulary to focus on a writing piece about summer fun. 
Grammar, we continue to move forward with nouns.

Religion

We are still holding the doors on most days as we continue to become our back door greeters.  In class, we are looking at Virtues.  They are,  Faith, Hope, Charity, Fortitude, Justice, Temperance, Prudence.

4B Mrs. Kuhnmuench

 Parents, please remember to send HOMEWORK folders for your child's binder.  Any folder will do, just make sure it fits in their binder and is 3-holed punched.  It will help me help them keep their homework and papers more organized.  Also, please go through their binders periodically and have them empty out graded work.

Free reading time

Reading
Reading Logs:  Please note there are two sides, one for each week.  You only have to sign the bottom of each side of the log, next to the total minutes; not each time your child reads.  Thank you for your support with this important log.  
We are continuing to read The Witches, by Roald Dahl.  We will be doing an author's study during this unit as well. Our main focus is inference and character development. Students will also gain an understanding of Protagonist and Antagonist....there certainly are those in the creepy novel!

Spelling list #4 will go home Monday, test Friday.

Science

We have started to combine atoms and have created new matter in the form of molecules.  As they learn that everything comes from atoms and molecules, we are learning that "it" is an indescribable piece of matter and can not be used in class or in their writing.  Next week we will get into changing states of matter. 

Social Studies
This week the students took two tests. The first one on Tuesday was on chapter 1 and part of chapter 2. The test today was on basic geography. We reviewed Wed., Thurs., Fri., and Mon. for Tuesday's test and Wed. and Thurs. for the geography part. The children will receive the results on Monday for both tests.Then we will go on to Chapter 3, Wisconsin's First People. The students will be studying cultures that existed over thousands of years before Europeans encountered the groups living in Wisconsin in the mid 1600s.

Math

This week we have been reviewing adding and subtracting whole numbers and decimals.  We will put the final touches on exploring place values behind the decimal.  On Wednesday we will have a pretest followed by a test on Wednesday.  This will cover items from chapter 2.  Please note that I do modify the selection of which concepts that we cover from the chapters.  The pretest is the best way to study for the test.  It will look exactly like the test, but the test will have different numbers.  This helps alleviate the anxiety of knowing what might be on the test.  


Language Arts/Writing
Vocabulary: Begin Unit 3 words this week.  
Grammar:  Simple subjects and simple predicates.  

Religion
Unit 1:  God Our Creator and Father  
Session 5:  Celebrating Ordinary Time:  Students will review when the Church celebrates Ordinary Time and define discipleship.  How can we be true Disciples?  We will then read more of the Old Testament and practice looking up Bible passages.

Thank you to all of you who attended the orientation on Tuesday evening.  Please don't hesitate to contact us with any questions or concerns.  

Parent Reminder:  Please send your child with a homework folder that has 3 hole punch for their binder.  It can be any folder they choose (no color code needed).  This way we can keep all their homework together and organized, and teachers have a pocket for all returned items to go home.  The class folders are really meant for work in progress.

September is national childhood cancer awareness month, and Saint Monica School is proud to support Gold In September (G9), a childhood cancer non-profit dedicated to growing awareness and inspiring action until every child, everywhere survives cancer. Kids can bring in pennies all week long, and the class with the most points from pennies wins! Please note, kids can also bring in nickels, dimes, quarters, and dollars to try to beat other classes – a penny in your grade’s jar gets your class 1 point, and the ‘other’ denominations subtract points from whatever class gets them.  We all win if people participate and there are super fun rewards if our school is the top fundraiser.  There will also be a class winner, too!  
Dress down in gold next Friday too!  So nice to see all the Cate the Great shirts in full force!

4A Mr. Bradford

Reading  

Mrs. Kuhnmuench's reading class 
*Reading Logs for the last 2 weeks are due Monday.  Please make sure they are signed.  I will collect, document and return with their grade.  Students began their first novel, Ralph S. Mouse by, Beverly Cleary.  We will read much of the novel in class so we can stop and discuss and check for understanding.  At times your child will bring it home for assigned reading.  It will be expected to be read as a homework assignment and put on the reading log.  We will cover vocabulary and comprehension throughout the unit.
Spelling list #3 will go home Monday, test Friday.


Science

The week of favorite recipes was a fun week for all.  Thank you for taking the time to help your child make those treats.  

This week we will start with matter because matter is everything.  The class will create a matter booklet containing the vocabulary of matter.


Social Studies

This week we covered pp. 26-29 in the textbook - glacial landforms and Wisconsion's waterways. The students received a study guide which they filled out in class on Tues. and Wed. On Wed. I started reviewing with them. On Thursday and Fri. we did more reviewing. Monday will be the last day of review and the test is Tuesday. On Wednesday they will receive another study guide for the geography part of the test which will be on Fri., Sept. 29. 


Math

The students "rocked" the retake on the chapter 1 test.  They will go home this Monday.  Please sign and return on Tuesday.
This week we will review adding and subtracting whole numbers and decimals.  We will also review place values behind the decimal and use the information to compare decimals. 

Language Arts/Writing
Vocab units will only be worked on during full weeks. We will move into Vocab Unit # 2 this week.  
Grammar we continue to move forward with nouns.

Religion

Creation and temptation!

4B Mrs. Kuhnmuench

Reading

We began our first novel, The Witches by Roald Dahl. We will be doing an author's study during this unit as well.  We will read much of the novel in class so we can stop and discuss and check for understanding.  At times your child will bring it home for assigned reading.  It will be expected to be read as a homework assignment and put on the reading log.  We will cover vocabulary and comprehension throughout the unit though our main focus, because this novel lends itself to it, is character development and gaining an understanding of Protagonist and Antagonist.

*Reading Logs for the last 2 weeks are due Monday.  Please make sure they are signed.  I will collect, document and return with their grade.
Spelling list #3 will go home Monday, test Friday.

Science

The week of favorite recipes was a fun week for all.  Thank you for taking the time to help your child make those treats.  

This week we will start with matter because matter is everything.  The class will create a matter booklet containing the vocabulary of matter.

Social Studies

This week we covered glacial landforms and Wisconsin's waterways, pp. 28-29 in the textbook. They received a study guide on Tuesday for the test that will be given on Tuesday, Sept. 25. They filled in the study guide on Tuesday and Wednesday and we reviewed on Thursday and Friday.  We will review one more day on Monday. On Tuesday they will receive another study guide for the second part of the test on geography. That test will be given on Friday, Sept. 29.

Math

The students "rocked" the retake on the chapter 1 test.  They will go home this Monday.  Please sign and return on Tuesday.
This week we will review adding and subtracting whole numbers and decimals.  We will also review place values behind the decimal and use the information to compare decimals. 

Language Arts/Writing

Vocabulary: Unit 2 test Thursday!  We continue to work on the 12 words in this unit, paying special attention to words like contract, which have 2 totally different meanings (the verb and the noun).   We will complete the book work and practice the words in class.  Students will bring their books home Wednesday to go over the words once more.

Grammar:  Subjects and Predicates.....working our way through complete subjects and predicates to simple.
Writing:  Writing a paragraph with a topic sentence and concluding sentence.  At least four detail sentences are required.  They will follow a rubric. 

*Students will practice both their Vocabulary unit words and grammar skills we are working on in computer class, as both have a fully integrated array of digital components to support and reinforce instruction.  

Religion

Unit 1:  God Our Creator and Father
Sessions 3 & 4:  We are completing session 3 with discussions on temptation and the gift of free will. Students will have a quiz as an assessment of the chapter.  It will be open book, as they practice the important skill of looking for information.  
Session 4 we will identify the Fruits of the Holy Spirit, define prudence, and explain why it is important to make a frequent examination of conscience.  

 "All are Welcome".

We are so excited to start the 2017/2018 school year.  The Intermediate team has been hard at work streamlining its processes including the way we communicate to the students and parents.  We hope you find this Blog easy to use and reference during the school year. 

****** If you would like another E-mail to be added to this list or the overall Email list please send a note with that Email.

4th Grade News

Homeroom group photos will be taken on MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2017.

Mr. Reitman is in process of creating google accounts for the 4th graders. He will introduce them to Google and some apps related to this.  As their introduction, we will start to periodically use their accounts to create different projects.  

4A Mr. Bradford

Reading  

 Mrs. Kuhnmuench's reading class will be complete our second Journey's unit this week.  Our anchor text is a play, The Power of W.O.W. We are practicing reading parts and using expression.  We are also working on vocabulary and inference maps.  By week's end we will begin our first novel.  
*Specific assessments from me will come home in your child's Monday folder and the rest of their work will be in their red Lit folders to be brought home.
*Reading Logs for the last week and this week should be handed in next Monday.

The first individualized spelling tests were completed.  This Monday they will receive their pretest.  After it is checked, students will write their incorrect words and add any challenge words that they may need to give them a 10 point assessment and a challenge.  All challenge words follow the same pattern as the spelling list.  Throughout the week we practice the patterns and sort words according to specific vowel sounds and rules. This will help for further decoding. Mr. Bradford will administer and grade the post tests on Friday, as spelling assessment is under the Language Arts curriculum.  Decoding and patterns we work on in reading class.  

Science
Since matter is everything we are looking at the building blocks of matter, atoms, and molecules.  Plus we get to learn many things about atoms through the periodic table.


Social Studies

This week we covered the Ice Age Trail and also saw a video called "Tales From the Trail." The video took the children on a tour of about 40 miles of the trail in the Kettle Moraine state forest. We also discussed some key vocabulary words: history, historian, artifacts, and primary and secondary sources of information. Also, we covered some key words on p. 23 of the text and discussed the last Ice Age in Wisconsin and what it did to shape the land in Wisconsin.


Math

This week we took our first test on chapter 1, Place Value, Comparing and Ordering Number, and How to Write Numbers.  The test did not go so well, and I feel there were many students who did not master the material.  We will be doing some additional practice next week, and we will try the test again.  There were a few students who will do some of the reviews with the class, but they will not need to take the test again.  I will introduce some other concepts to them in order to advance their math skills.

Language Arts/Writing
Vocab units will only be worked on during full weeks. We will move into Vocab Unit # 3 this week.  
Grammar we continue to move forward with nouns.

Religion

Our next chapter moves into virtues and we will tie in a bit of kindness.

4B Mrs. Kuhnmuench

Hi Parents, we are off to a great start.  The fourth graders are troopers!  So many new things for them and the instant need for being organized and on top of things as they travel from class to class.  

They are doing a great job!    I look forward to seeing you on Tuesday and giving you more information about our curriculum and school year.

Reading
We will be complete our second Journey's unit this week.  Our anchor text is a play, The Power of W.O.W. We are practicing reading parts and using expression.  We are also working on vocabulary and inference maps.  By week's end we will begin our first novel.  

*Reading Logs for the last week and this week should be handed in next Monday.
The first individualized spelling tests were completed.  This Monday they will receive their pretest.  After it is checked, students will write their incorrect words and add any challenge words that they may need to give them a 10 point assessment and a challenge.  All challenge words follow the same pattern as the spelling list.  Throughout the week we practice the patterns and sort words according to specific vowel sounds and rules. This will help for further decoding. 

Science

Since matter is everything we are looking at the building blocks of matter, atoms, and molecules.  Plus we get to learn many things about atoms through the periodic table.

Social Studies

This week we covered the Ice Age Trail and also saw a video called "Tales From the Trail." The video took the children on a tour of about 40 miles of the trail in the Kettle Moraine state forest. We also discussed some key vocabulary words: history, historian, artifacts, and primary and secondary sources of information. Also, we covered some key words on p. 23 of the text and discussed the last Ice Age in Wisconsin and what it did to shape the land in Wisconsin.

Math

This week we took our first test on chapter 1, Place Value, Comparing and Ordering Number, and How to Write Numbers.  The test did not go so well, and I feel there were many students who did not master the material.  We will be doing some additional practice next week, and we will try the test again.  There was a few students who will do some of the review with the class, but they will not need to take the test again.  I will introduce some other concepts to them in order to advance their math skills.

Language Arts/Writing

Students successfully completed their first unit! For every unit we have 2 weeks to learn, practice, and utilize the 13 vocabulary words.  It culminates with a final assessment. 
Writing this week will be a reflection of character traits and our desired traits.  This writing will be in paragraph form, written as a pre-write and a final draft.  My students will also write using a chosen writing prompt.  
Grammar:  Students began our first unit in Grammar Workshop, 4 kinds of sentences and proofreading a paragraph.
*They will practice both their Vocabulary unit words and grammar skills we are working on in computer class, as both have a fully integrated array of digital components to support and reinforce instruction.  

Religion

Unit 1:  God Our Creator and Father
Session 2 & 3: Acts of Faith, Hope, and Love. 
The story of Adam and Eve and God's response to their sins with the promise of a Savior.  We will also talk about the gift of free will.