4A Syllabus

 

4th GRADE CURRICULUM

RELIGION

• Memorizes and practices the Ten Commandments and Beatitudes to promote moral life
• Plans and participates in class prayer services 
• Memorizes Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary and the Prayer for Peace
• Researches a Catholic Saint
• Text- Faith First

READING

• Daily reading for literacy expansion
• Learn and use different skills and strategies to become a better reader
• Read for information, pleasure, problem solving, or to perform a task
• Use of a variety of materials: literature, reference materials, and computers
• Prepare and share book reports on assigned genres
• Develop a love for reading through exploration of various genres
• Book calendars
• Switches focus from "learning to read" to "reading to learn"
• Builds vocabulary and comprehension
• Reads with fluency and expression
• Demonstrates strategies of prediction, inference, and cause and effect depending on text
• Text- Expeditions- A Legacy of Learning- Houghton Mifflin

Writing/LANGUAGE ARTS

• Demonstrates use of the writing process
• Conventions: the use of proper punctuation, capitalization, grammar, and spelling
• Conveys a quality of writing which includes content, organization, and style 
• Writins using narrative and expository styles
• Practices parts of speech
• Demonstrates proper sentence structure
•  Text- Houghton Mifflin English

SPELLING

• Study for and complete weekly spelling tests
• Understand and use correct spelling/phonics rules
• Use correct spelling in written work
• Extend vocabulary
• Text- Spelling Connections

SCIENCE

• Life Science- animal behaviors, habitats, and adaptations, food chains and webs, plants
• Physical Science- electricity and magnetism, light and sound, chemicals, elements, forces and motion 
• Earth Science- volcanology, seismology, geography, geology, solar system, weather 
• Complete lab assignments, fieldtrips pertaining to science topics including a trip to Mt. Rainier
• Text- Science-Harcourt

SOCIAL STUDIES

• Know states and capitals, ability to place them on a map
• Completion of a state report research paper and a landform map
• Geography- map skills and concepts
• Time Periods: Explorers, Native Americans, Colonies, Government, Wars
• Text - U.S. History- Houghton Mifflin

MATH

• Demonstrates multiplying and dividing whole numbers
• Converts fractions, decimals, and mixed numbers
•  Identifies shapes and solids in geometry
• Uses problem solving steps and strategies when solving word problems
• Organizes and interprets information using various graphs
• Demonstarates knowledge of area and perimeter
• Text - Scott Forseman & Addison Wesley

 

HOMEWORK: Homework will be given most every night. Homework is to be turned in the morning following the day it was assigned unless directed otherwise. Late homework will not be accepted. If you are absent, you will be given the same amount of days to turn in the work as you were gone.

ATTENDANCE: Please see the school handbook for All Saints School's policy.

STUDENT PLANNERS: Students will be given time during day to fill in their planners. I have a homework board in the classroom with the homework for that day will be put on it. I will also update my webpage weekly with homework assignments, projects, etc and their dates. Students are responsible for writing in their planners and parents must initial planners each night.

ASSESSMENT:

93-100%       E        Exceeds grade level expectation

83-92%         OE      Meets and often exceeds grade level expectation

73-82%          M       Meets expectations

60-72%          N        Needs improvements in meeting grade level expectations

Below 60%   U        Unsuccessful in meeting grade level expectations.

Progress reports will be sent home bi-monthly starting by the fourth week of September. Report cards will be mailed the end of each trimester.

TESTS: I have a policy that if a student earns lower than a 70% on a test, I highly encourage the student to retake the test. The higher test score is the one that I will record in the student's records. Often I will schedule a "studyhall" after school on a day preceding a science test. I will go over all key concepts with the group of students. These tests happen quite regularly and studyhall is greatly encouraged to do your best.

CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT: I will be using the school-wide discipline program (see handbook).Occasionally I will seat a student in the back of the class briefly if they are interrupting and need a quiet time away from others as a precurser to being processed.  I will also be using Self-Manager Slips. These will go home at the end of the week and must be signed by a parent. This way you will know how your child is doing in class. COMMUNICATION: Please be sure to check my webpage regularly. I will be updating the page several times a week and will have upcoming fieldtrips, projects and homework on it.

Thursday envelopes are a good source of information of what is happening at All Saints School.

E-mail is the best way to contact me. I am always willing to set up a conference, or a quick chat with you. You can reach me at sarmbruster@allsaintsparish.com or susan.armbruster@gmail.com. You can also call the school at 253-845-5025.

Feel free to stop in to the classroom after school and visit your child's cubbie. This is the fastest way to find out how your child is doing (immediately). Parents have found all sorts of things in their children's cubbies including assignments that were done but not turned in.

BIRTHDAYS: If you would like to bring treats for your child's birthday, please keep them small. A healthy treat would be the best choice for the whole class, but I realize this is not always possible. Please do forgo bringing items with peanuts in them. You can drop off the treats (boldly marked with child's room  - 4A) on the table just outside the office, before school. I don't give out treats at lunch time or the last half hour of the day. Please do not send more treats than is needed for the child's classroom. Students tend to spend too much time delivering extras to other classrooms and it takes time away from our classroom time.

FIELD TRIPS: We have several fieldtrips planned at this time. The first part of October we hope to go to Mt. Rainier. This will be an all day fieldtrip. In the spring we will visit Fort Nisqually.   There may be other fieldtrips planned as the year progresses. Fieldtrips will be planned around fourth grade curriculum.

PARTIES: In 4A we usually have two or three parties per year. Valentines Day, Halloween and perhaps one other. I will need room parent/s to help plan these occasions. If you are interesting in helping with this, please contact me as soon as possible.

VOLUNTEERS: I feel classroom volunteers are a valuable asset to running a successful classroom. I encourage parents/family members that like to help with bulletin boards, parties, driving for fieldtrips, making photocopies, doing arts and crafts projects with the students, talking to the class about a particular hobby or skill that you may possess, doing some typing at home.  You may have other ideas. I welcome them all.

Lastly I want your child's year to be a fun, educational, memorable year in fourth grade. I enjoy coming to work each day and teaching your childen. I gain so much from them and love opening their eyes to something new and exciting. I encourage students to bring in hobbies, artifacts, rocks and mineral collections, interesting books and always articles on current events. All Saints is a great school and I'm proud to be a part of it.

Ms. Armbruster