St. Christopher School

     I already enjoy our new fourth graders; they're respectful and hardworking. I've got a lot planned for the first quarter.  Here's an overview of upcoming events:

      We begin our day reading from the Bible. We're still in Genesis, of course. In our religion textbook we'll begin with the Beatitudes.                                                

      In math we're  reading big numbers up to the hundred millions. Then we'll be counting money. Let your child pay for items when possible and anticipate the change.  Every Friday throughout the year we have a times tables quiz .

     Science starts with classification of living things.  I've already introduced the six kingdoms and their characteristics.  Can you imagine learning this in 4th grade? We'll go on to vertebrates and invertebrates, instincts and learned behavior.

     Writing is integrated into the curriculum.  The students wrote a blank verse poem this week. We'll be studying narrative, descriptive and persuasive writing. They'll be writing in complete sentences in other subjects, whenever it's feasible.  Practice makes perfect.

     Reading consists of reading and studying award-winning literature excerpts. Vocabulary words are taken from these pieces for Friday quizzes. (5 new words a week)

     Maps, maps, maps, and the states and regions is the curriculum for social studies. We're examining the hemisperes, the continents and oceans right now.   Then we'll go on to latitude and longitude finding our exact geographical address in New Hampshire.

     And, of course, the usuals:  Spelling test every Friday and one book report every month.  If you haven't discovered www.spellingcity.com yet, I suggest you try it out--lots of fun practice for your child.

     4T is with me most of the day.  They do go to English four times a week.  Mrs. Mendel teaches English grammar, part of speech, and proper usage and agreement.  The students also get a little respite from their homeroom teacher with art, gym, music, computer, library and Spanish.

     Your kids are wonderful.  Don't hesitate to call or e-mail me with questions or concerns.

     Mrs. T