4th Grade

Jeffers Journal

Week of April 29th – May 3rd     

Hello May!  Make this month count!  Accomplish your goals!  You can do this! Are you ready to board the learning train?  Please come to school each day with an open mind, positive “I can” attitude, a friendly smile, and eager to be a member of our team! 

Important Dates to Remember:

April 29^th: Mass with Father Pat @ 9AM

May 3^rd: First Friday Adoration

May 6^th: Mass with Father Pat @ 9AM

May 7^th: New York State Math Test

May 7^th: Scholastic Book Fair

May 8^th: New York State Math Test

May 12^th: Happy Mother’s Day

May 13^th: Mass with Father Pat @ 9AM

May 23^rd: Race for Education

May 24^th: Memorial Day Observed (No School or CASE)

May 27^th: Memorial Day Observed (No School or CASE)

Here’s a breakdown of our learning:

1. Math: Its important children learn math facts for addition/subtraction and multiplication/division with the goal of automatic recall. Our focus for the next two weeks is Measurement. To begin the unit we will learn about customary units or length followed by customary units of capacity! Do you know how to convert from a larger unit to a smaller unit? Then we will focus on customary units of weight. How many ounces are in a pound? The middle of the week we will switch to the metric system and learn about metric units of length, capacity, and mass. Are metric units and customary units the same thing? They will also solve problems that involve perimeter and area and use the problem solving strategy of precision to solve word problems. As a way to review previously learned concepts and skills, students will spend time working on I-Ready Math each day. We will also be reviewing for the New York State Math Test which will be on May 7^th and also May 8^th.
2. English Language Arts:
   1. Grammar: Students will learn how to proofread their writing for subject-verb agreement, capital letters, and punctuation using the proofreading symbols. Students will review what they have learned about pronouns (subject, object, possessive, and relative) and contractions to prepare for the unit test on Friday, May 3^rd.
   2. Vocabulary: Each week students have 12 new vocabulary words and complete different activities each day (sentence completion, synonym/antonym, matching, word meaning, and context clues).
   3. Reading: An important skill we will be practicing is reading articles or passages and answering comprehension questions.  We have been learning that reading is not just about reading the words on the page it involves so many other pieces like asking questions, making connections, using context clues to help determine the meaning of unfamiliar words. We are also going to learn how to make inferences.
   4. Summary: A summary is a short retelling of a text. It only includes the most important details.  A useful strategy to help you when writing a summary is: “Somebody Wanted But So Then (SWBST).”  Who is the main character? (Somebody) What did the main character want? (Wanted) What is the problem (But) How does the character try to solve the problem? (So) How does the story end? (Then) We will practice writing summaries in class this week and students will be asked to write a summary each night and turn it in the next day.
   5. Morphology: Word structure and construction are the building blocks of learning how to spell words. It is also important to learn the different prefixes and suffixes that change the meaning of words. Students will be completing word ladders and other activities to help build their spelling skills.
3. Writing (Part 1): We are going to continue to use a strategy to help answer text dependent or short answer questions, which is known as RACES. The first letter of the acronym, “R,” means restate the prompt. The “A” means answer the question in your own words. The “C” means cite text evidence or examples. The “E” means explain and give details. The final letter of the acronym, “S” means summarize what you wrote. Students will practice using this strategy as they answer questions in all subject areas.
4. Writing (Part 2): Our third writing unit of the year is Opinion writing. To begin the unit we are going to identify the elements of opinion writing.  Next, we will brainstorm ideas that address an opinion prompt and expand on those ideas using evidence from a text.  Then we will learn how to quote the works of others, which is extremely important because you want to give credit to the person who did the research.  Then we will move into the Introduction. The introduction has two main parts-the lead and also the claim.
5. Science: Everyone has enjoyed learning about energy in the Energizing Everything Unit! The unit has brought a lot of energy and curiosity! The key vocabulary words throughout this unit have been: energy, kinetic energy, potential energy, gravitational energy, model, and experiment. To start the week we are going to explore heat energy and energy transfer by answering the question “How long did it take to travel across country before cars and planes?” In the final lesson of the unit, we are going to explore renewable energy and natural resources by answering the question “Where does energy come from?” There are hands-on activities that go along with both of these lessons.  The Energizing Everything Unit test will be on Friday, May 3^rd.
6. Religion: The theme of our chapter is Sin and Conscience. What is a sin? Why do some people hesitate to take the first step and make peace with someone? Is it easy to make peace with someone?  What is a conscience?  How is your conscience formed and developed?  Are there things you can do to make good moral choices? We will be attending First Friday Adoration on May 3^rd.
7. Twenty-third Mass of the School Year: On Monday, April 29^th, we will be attending Mass with Father Pat at 9:00. All students need to be wearing their dress uniform. Everyone is invited to attend Ma
8. Scholastic Book Fair: The Scholastic Book Fair will be here on Tuesday, May 7^th! Bring your appetite for reading and find the next great book to dive into!
9. Race for Education: It’s that time of the year to raise money for our school and have some fun! It is time for Race for Education! Don’t forget to send in your donations! If we reach our school goal, every student who sends in one donation will have the opportunity to try to dunk Mrs. Hoffay in a dunking booth! Our goal is to reach $20,000!