Our Week In Review

We made it to our first Friday!  This week we continued to work on establishing our classroom community, while beginning to focus on our academic tasks.We began our week with our first 4th grade Community Meeting. We greeted each other, and learned a little about one another. We finished our meeting by learning a few yoga poses.

 On Tuesday, we were entertained by the FPS Music Department!  The music/band teachers came to JFK to share information about various instruments.  If your child is interested in playing an instrument, information was sent home Tuesday.

 During math, we have been learning about Place Value, as well as working on our routines and expectations of Math Workshop.  Students can find some videos, games and other links which reinforce this topic on our blog on the Homework Help page (The link is also at the top of this page).  If your child would like to access the online version of the math book, there is a link on the Homework Help page as well.  Our first math quiz - on Place Value- will take place next Thursday.  Students received a study guide today. 

During Reading this week, we focused on learning the structure and routines of Reader's Workshop.  We read some picture books, and students filled out a survey, sharing their feelings about reading.  We practiced our "Reading Zone" (independent reading) and began discussing strategies for choosing a "Just Right" book.  Next week, Mrs. Merten will help students fill their book bags and we will begin to have formal reading conferences.  One important aspect of Reader's Workshop is that the students read the same book at home and at school.  This maintains consistency with student thinking about the plot, characters, theme, etc. Students should be taking reading books back and forth to school each day, and are invited to take books from our classroom library.  Students are also invited to bring books to school from home. In the coming weeks, this will continue to be reinforced.

During Writing we began working on an activity "Finder's Keepers".  Please ask your child about this.

Today we also enjoyed our first "Creative Arts Friday".  We began to write bio poems with Mrs. A. Williams, and started some team building activities with Mrs. E. Williams. Be sure to ask your child about the "Marshmallow Activity"!  With Mrs. Merten we worked on organizing our Google Drive and learning about expectations during Tech Workshop. 

Looking Ahead~

• We will be talking more about our Hopes, Dreams and Goals for fourth grade, and writing about these during Writer's Workshop.
• We will begin our first Social Studies unit, Map Skills.

From the Teacher's Desk:

A major focus of fourth grade is independence and responsibility.  There has already been much discussion about what this looks like, and how students can show independence and responsibility. This theme will be woven into our year. I look forward to meeting you at our parent orientation meeting on 9/20.

National Parks Program:

   Once again, this year, the government has announced a program for fourth graders called "Every Kid in a Park".  This initiative is to encourage fourth graders to visit the National Parks FREE OF CHARGE!  All fourth graders in the 2018-2019 school year can receive a pass good for the year.  Students received a pass today, along with this information about this program.  More information about this program can also be found here.