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Welcome! We’re well into the middle of the second trimester and are moving along steadily! In Language Arts, we’re combining short sentences into longer ones that incorporate a variety of parts of speech as well as proper grammar. In our reading, we’re using word origins to determine meanings of words, comparing and contrasting a variety of texts, and identifying main ideas. Our math goals take us from introductory geometry all the way to multiplication and division word problems. These goals and others are drawn from our essential standards. In social studies, we’re delving into the explorations of Spanish conquistadors and settlers, then moving onto rancho and mission life. Lastly, this trimester will be spent with an overall focus on earth science. Specifically, we will study rocks and minerals.

During the course of the full year, there are three major focus areas your child needs to continue:

  • A goal of 2.5 Accelerated Reading points a week
  • Mastery of multiplication facts
  • Nightly homework completion

In order to be successful in the above, there are a handful of simple tasks to help your child stay on track. Make sure your child has a quiet, steady place to read for at least 30 minutes a night. Ask your child questions about their book. Are they truly reading, or just looking? If they have used their in-class time wisely and are reading at home, they should be ready for one small book quiz each day or 1-2 chapter books per week.

Use the Multiplication page for tips and tricks to help your child master their facts. These facts are essential to all fourth grade math material. For example, we are now studying area, double-digit multiplication, long division, prime numbers, fractions and decimals, and more. Your child may know all the steps to complete these problems, but if he/she doesn’t know the facts, the answer will still be wrong.

Please check your child’s planner and homework folder on a nightly basis. Review all papers sent home and go over any work your child is struggling with. Check off completed items in your child’s planner to ensure that all homework is finished before bedtime.

Thanks for all your help, parents. Together, we will do our best to make fourth grade a successful year for your child!

Ms. York, Mrs. Swanson, Mrs. Speicher, Mr. Levin, Ms. Fesler, Ms. Berkowitz, and Ms. Montgomery