Grade 4

February Already!

2012-01-31T19:40:00.001-08:00

Wow! This year is just flying by! February is here already and we have a lot of exciting events coming up at CCS.

Our Local Speech Arts will be taking place on February 29 and March 1. There are a few important details to know in order to be prepared for this upcoming event:
       - Students must bring a copy of their individual poem choices to me this week (so that they then have time to memorize their poem). Intermediate students are required to recite from memory a poem that is between 2 to 5 minutes in length. Grade 4s will be reciting their poems in class on February 21. The three children moving on to the local Speech Arts will be announced after this.
       - Intermediate students will also be taking part in the Bible Readings portion of Speech Arts. There are four possible readings that your child may read this year. Please have them practice reading each of these aloud in order to prepare for our in class Bible Reading presentations on February 13.
        - The Grade 4s will also be performing Lewis Carroll's "The Walrus and the Carpenter" as our choral recitation for local Speech Arts this year. We are busy practicing in class for our big performance.

Your child is also now a part of our new on-line home reading program, Raz-Kids.com ! The purpose of this program is:

· - To support children in reading in a fun and engaging way

· - To encourage home reading practice

· - To provide your children with a free source of books to read at their level

· - To provide an opportunity to access e-books as an additional source or type of reading material.

How to Begin:

1. Go to www.Raz-Kids.com

2. Enter our user name-- closito

3. On the Roster, click on your name

4. Enter your password (provided by Miss Losito) then hit “Go”

5. Select a book

a. Listen to the book

b. Read the book

c. Answer the comprehension questions

Extra Info About Raz Kids:

1. 1. You can record yourself as you read the book and play it back. This will help you read with expression!

2. 2. Miss Losito can check your use of this program and your progress.

3. You can earn Raz Rocket points, which is a rewards program.

If parents have any questions about this new reading program, please let me know.

January 2012

2012-01-10T18:49:00.000-08:00

Welcome back everyone! I hope you all had a joyous and relaxing Christmas holiday.

We are right back to work here in Grade 4. Our class is in charge of our Gifts of the Spirit theme for the month: Kindness. We will be spreading works of kindness everywhere we go this month, and hopefully this will carry on into the rest of the year as well.

We have also started something new in our Language Arts this term. The Grade 4s will be bringing home Literature Circle novels and duotangs, and they will be explaining the guidelines and criteria for their work to parents. In your child's Literature Circle duotang you will find a page with Lit. Circle directions. Please read over this page with your child and sign at the bottom to let me know you have read through the information. You will be seeing the duotang and novel make their way back and forth between school and home as your child completes their assigned reading and activities. Each reading and writing assignment will be due the following week on a specific day. The due date will be noted at the top of the assignment page. The students will meet with their Literature Circle group members each week and share the work that they have completed. I look forward to hearing the wonderful questions and connections that your children come up with as they progress through their novel readings.

We also have skating days coming up soon! Grade 4 will be going skating on February 1st and 8th. We will be leaving the school around 10:30 and walking together to the skating rink. Thank you to all of the parents who have volunteered to walk with our class! We can definitely use extra hands in tying skate laces at the rink as well. Please send gloves, scarves, and warm jackets with you children on our skating days. (From past experience, an extra pair of socks would be a good idea as well.) Students should wear their uniforms as usual on these days, but can bring snow pants to wear for skating (girls can wear the school track pants/winter uniform pants under their skirts).

Also, popcorn sales are starting back up at school! Popcorn will be available for 50 cents per bag on Wednesdays. Due to high demand and limited quantities, we ask that students purchase only two bags each. Thank you!

Carnival is coming up next month! A form was sent home (attached to the newsletter) last week asking families to let us know if they were planning on attending this special event on February 21st. We need to know approximately how many people will be coming, so please fill out and send in this green form by Friday if you have not done so already. Looking forward to seeing you all there! It is sure to be lots of fun!

Wednesday, December 7

2011-12-07T16:04:00.000-08:00

Just a few quick updates for the coming 7 1/2 days before Christmas break:

- On Monday, please send your child to school dressed in his/her all black outfit for our dress rehearsal. Send their uniform to school as well, so that they can change and keep their black clothes neat and tidy for the performances the next day.

- On Tuesday, December 13, please send your child to school in their all black clothes. We will have indoor recesses in order to keep their clothing as clean as possible. Matinee show will be at 1:30. The evening show will be at 7:00pm. Please drop your child off at the classroom by 6:45 for the evening show.

- On Wednesday, December 14, we will have our annual Pajama Day! Yay!

- Our last day before Christmas is December 16. We will have Mass in the morning and dismiss at noon.

2011-12-05T16:01:00.000-08:00

We are well into the Advent season now, and Christmas Break is less than two weeks away! This means, of course, that the students are all very busy practicing for our Christmas Concert. They can't wait to show their parents the result of all their hard work at the concerts on Tuesday, December 13th. The concerts will be taking place at 1:30 and 7:00pm.

The Christmas Concert dress rehearsal is on Monday, December 12th. On this day your child can come in their all-black outfit and leave the uniform at home.

We will also be having a non-uniform day on Wednesday, December 14th. More details to follow.

December 16th is our last day of school before Christmas. We will be dismissing at noon on this day.

As if this month wasn't already packed with exciting events, we will also be having a Social Studies in-school field trip for Grade 4 on Tuesday, December 6th. I am certain your children will have a lot of interesting information about the Arctic and the Inuit people to share with you when they get home.

We will also be celebrating the Feast of St. Nicholas on December 6th, and the Feast of the Immaculate Conception on December 8th (Food Bank Mass on this day).

Please check the sidebar on the Grade 4 Blog for daily updates to homework and reminders. Thank you!

Thursday, November 17th

2011-11-17T12:01:00.000-08:00

We are over halfway through November now, and report card time is approaching quickly.

In Grade 4 your children have been working hard on their Habitats and Communities projects. This weekend you will see the rough copies of project pages coming home to be typed up or hand written as good copies. Please see the Habitats and Communities project criteria sheet for any further information.

Your children also completed a Self Report Card today. This activity introduced the students to the layout of their report card and reminded them of the topics for which they will receive their grades. Students were reminded to think about all of the assignments they have worked on this term and all of the marks they have seen on tests and assignments when deciding what grade they would give themselves for each subject and topic. Please go through these Self Report Cards with you children to see which areas they feel they need to improve in. The real report cards will be coming home on November 25th.

November 2nd

2011-11-02T16:35:00.000-07:00

Wow! It is already November!

We have had a very busy couple of weeks in Grade 4, and it is not going to slow down any time soon. With Advent quickly approaching and a Christmas Concert to prepare for, we are sure to be busy bees right though to Christmas!

Here are a few things coming up in Grade 4 over the next couple weeks:
- Grade 4 will be leading the Mass on November 10th.
- On November 16th the Grade 4s will be creating a beautiful Christmas Craft (1-2pm)
- November 25th is the official date of the Pizza Party for all classes that met their Walk-a-thon goal!
- Another important fact about November 25th...Report Cards are heading home on this day!

During November Grade 4 will be learning about:

- Language Arts - Writing Compare/Contrast and Persuasive paragraphs
   - Practicing our writing and reading for the FSA test
                           - Continuing on with our Cricket in Times Square Novel Study
                           - Meeting in Reading Groups to practice comprehension skills

- Math - Identifying number patterns
            - Using the hundreds chart and multiplication table for problem solving
            - Using skip counting in a hundreds chart to multiply and divide
            - Measuring perimeter and area using centimetres, millimetres, and metre
- Mapping our classroom to scale
- Practicing for the FSA test

- Science - Learning about food chains and food webs
                - Considering our positive and negative effects on the environment

- Social Studies - Learning about the Arctic and the Inuit

And much much more!

October 26th

2011-10-26T16:09:00.000-07:00

Please take a look at the Reminders sidebar on the Grade 4 Blog. We have a lot of great things going on at CCS this week!

Tuesday, October 18

2011-10-18T17:09:00.000-07:00

This week in Grade 4 we are working on:

- Language Arts - Writing a descriptive paragraph using all of our senses
                      - Continuing to work on our Novel Study: A Cricket in Times Square
                      - Learning how to use a Writing Rubric to assess their own writing

-Math - Adding 3 and 4 digit numbers
           - Subtracting 3 and 4 digit numbers.
           - Practicing the 4 times tables (Please practice these at home too.)

- Social Studies - Map test on continents and oceans on Tuesday.
                          - Review of the provinces and territories of Canada.

- Science - Learning how animals and plants meet their needs in their habitat
      - Participating in experiments on structural and behavioural adaptations of
        animals

- Religion - Practicing for and leading the Living Rosary on Thursday, October 20th.
       - Learning about the changes we will see in the Mass starting November 27th.
       - Practicing the new words to prayers and responses in the Mass.

***Important Reminders***
                    * Scholastic book orders are due on October 24th
                    * Living Rosary will take place in the gym on Thursday at 9:15.
* Spelling Test #6 (Review test) will be written on Monday.
                    * No school on Friday - Pro-D Day

Friday, October 7

2011-10-07T14:26:00.000-07:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

The Grade 4s did an amazing job fundraising for our Walk-a-thon this year! Congratulations Grade 4s!!! They also completed the whole intermediate route for our Walk-a-thon today. Ten whole kilometres! Wow!

I hope each of you has a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend. Let's always remember to thank our Heavenly Father for all of the gifts He has given to us. I am certainly thankful for the wonderful group of students I have the privilege to teach this year.

See you on Tuesday!

Miss Losito

Monday, October 3rd

2011-10-03T16:47:00.000-07:00

Happy October!

I can't believe how the first month of school flew by! We are into our first week of October, and here are a few important things happening this month:

- We have our big Walk-a-thon coming up on Friday! We have been preparing for this day all September, and it is almost here! Congratulations Grade 4s on your amazing fundraising efforts so far! Remember, the Walk-a-thon will happen rain or shine. This is a non-uniform day, but make sure to dress for the weather. If it is raining, bring those coats and rain boots.
- If any parents would like to join the Grade 4 class for our Walk-a-thon, please send me an e-mail to let me know. Any volunteers are appreciated.
- Thanksgiving is coming up on October 10. We can all be thankful for a nice long weekend.
- The Living Rosary is coming up on October 20th. Grade 4 will be leading this assembly, with assistance from Grade 3/4, Grade 5, Grade 6, and Grade 7. Bring your rosaries and join us in this beautiful prayer.
- We have a Professional Development Day coming up on October 21. The teachers will be going back to school, and students will be able to enjoy another long weekend.

Please check the Grade 4 Blog for daily updates on homework and reminders.

Have a wonderful week!

Thursday, September 29th

2011-09-29T17:59:00.000-07:00

A quick reminder that we have a Walk-a-thon Rally tomorrow morning. Remember to bring your pledge totals for a chance to win prizes! Only one week left until our Walk-a-thon!

Friday, September 23rd

2011-09-23T16:18:00.000-07:00

Great work this week, Grade Fours!

We are at the end of a very busy week. Which means, of course, the week flew by! Here is what we can look forward to next week.:

Language Arts:
- Continue to work on our Cricket in Times Square novel study and learn more about Chester and his friends.
- Handwriting: Bb
- Writing: Main ideas and supporting details
- Learning more about the focus of our author study: Phoebe Gilman

Math:
- Rounding numbers to the tens, hundreds, and thousands place
- Multiplication Drills: 3x and 10x

Social Studies:
- Mapping Skills: Using and creating a map legend

Have a great weekend! See you all on Monday!

Thursday, September 22

2011-09-22T15:51:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is Photo Day! Remember, this means that everyone must wear their full uniform.

We also have a Food Bank Mass tomorrow. Please remember to bring food items to donate.

On top of our already busy schedule tomorrow, we also have our Unit #2 spelling test to write and a quiz on the 2x and 5x facts.

Please remember to write your total pledges so far in your planners so that we can see how close we are to reaching our goal.

***Missing school sweater vest! Please check your school sweaters at home. Cameron's new school vest has gone missing. His name is on the tag inside.***

Tuesday, September 20th

2011-09-20T17:10:00.000-07:00

The spelling lists for the year are now available though the link in the sidebar of the Grade 4 Blog.

Monday, September 19

2011-09-19T16:02:00.000-07:00

This week in Grade 4 we will be working on:

-Language Arts - Our new novel study: A Cricket in Times Square
                         - Handwriting: Aa
                         - Using adjectives to add detail to our writing
                         - Our author study on Phoebe Gilman

-Math - Place value
           - Ordering numbers
           - Multiplication drills - 2x and 5x

-Social Studies - Mapping skills - compass directions

***Don't forget! Our first Wordly Wise Quiz is on Wednesday.***

Friday, September 16th

2011-09-16T08:41:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday!

We are at the end of our second week, and what a busy week it was! Next week we have the Terry Fox Walk to look forward to on Monday, and Mass and Photo Day on Friday. All Scholastic orders are also due in by Friday, September 23.

A quick note to parents: In order to view the new list of homework each day, please visit the Grade 4 blog. This information does not get e-mailed out with the updated posts. Thank you!

Grade 4 Timetable

2011-09-14T16:24:00.000-07:00

Grade 4 Timetable

Wednesday, September 14

2011-09-14T15:21:00.000-07:00

It was nice to meet all of you at Meet the Teachers Night last night! If you were unable to attend, I have sent home the information package with your child today. Please check their homework folder for this handout, and if you have any questions feel free to e-mail me.

We are really getting into the swing of things in Grade Four. You will be seeing more homework coming home as we get into our regular homework routines this week. Please check the homework updates in the sidebar of this page (or in your child's planner) each day. A quick reminder to parents and students that we have our first spelling test coming up on Friday. Study hard!

Also, please note that our Photo Day has been moved to September 23rd and our Terry Fox Walk is coming up on Monday, September 19th (We encourage students to bring change for this great cause.).

Back to School!

2011-09-06T16:44:00.000-07:00

Welcome back!

It is the beginning of another exciting school year! In Grade 4 we have so many new things to learn about and do: multiplication tables, long division, animal habitats and adaptations, mapping, story writing, and so much more! Let's get started!

Miss Losito

2011-06-29T12:22:00.001-07:00

Have a wonderful summer! See you in September!