Welcome to Fourth Grade. It is a privilege to assist in the education and guidance of your child. I look forward to a year of growth, learning, cooperation and fun in our classroom, as well as meeting each of you in person. The following information will help to familiarize you with how our classroom will operate in the coming year.
CURRICULUM
As much as possible, the children’s curriculum will be integrated around the study of California. An integrated, thematic curriculum helps make learning meaningful for children and fosters in students the ability to see and make connections. The curriculum is therefore divided into units such as Natural California and Native California. Traditional subject areas, such as social studies and reading, are embedded in these units. Below is an outline of this year’s units.
1. Natural California (September – November) This unit focuses on the geography, ecology and natural history of the state. The science strand, “Environments” concentrates on living things and their interactions with their environments. Students will also learn about California’s diverse habitats. Language Arts will focus on poetry. In addition to poetry, students will write paragraphs and essays. They will write a report on a California animal during this trimester.
2. Native California (December – February) This unit introduces California’s early history, with an in-depth study of its indigenous people, focusing on pre-Columbian tribal life. Each student will write a report on the history of a California tribe. Students will read a variety of legends and the novel Island of the Blue Dolphins during this unit. Our science emphasis will be on watershed study, with focuses on soils, landforms, water and salmon. In addition to continued practice with essay writing, students will also write summaries, literature responses, and begin their study of narrative writing.
3. Colonial California (February - March) This unit focuses on the European exploration and colonization of California. Students will continue to write essays, summaries and literature responses. They will also begin to write their own creative stories. The watershed science unit will continue during this time.
4. Golden California (March – May) will cover the westward movement, the Gold Rush and post – Gold Rush eras. Students will listen to By the Great Horn Spoon in this unit. Students will study magnetism and electricity in science, and apply all the writing genres learned thus far.
MATH
My goal is to make math fun and educational. Our math program, Bridges, has a constructivist approach, which encourages a deep understanding of mathematics. Rather than children being handed formulaic approaches to problems, they are asked to become mathematicians and work their way through problems. I will do my best to relay how this actually manifests itself in your child’s curriculum throughout the year. However, feel free to assist your child using methods that are most comfortable to you and your child when assisting with homework.
This year, students focus intensively on the three critical areas specified by the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics in Grade 4: (1) developing understanding and fluency with multi-digit multiplication, and developing understanding of dividing to find quotients involving multi-digit dividends; (2) developing an understanding of fraction equivalence, addition and subtraction of fractions with like denominators, and multiplication of fractions by whole numbers; (3) understanding that geometric figures can be analyzed and classified based on their properties, such as having parallel sides, perpendicular sides, particular angle measures, and symmetry.
A math quiz will be given at the end of every week.
This year’s math units:
Unit 1: provides students with opportunities to explore multiplication and division, focusing
in particular on models, strategies, and multiplicative comparisons.
Unit 2: Students continue to build multiplicative reasoning as they work with multi-digit multiplication and early division.
Unit 3: Students focus on fractions and decimals. They work with a variety of tools, to model, read, write, compare, order, compose, and decompose fractions and decimals.
Unit 4: Students study addition, subtraction, and measurement concepts. They compare the use of algorithms to other methods and make generalizations about which work best for certain problems. The measurement concepts in this unit include length and distance, liquid volume, time, mass, and weight.
Unit 5: Students are formally introduced to a variety of new geometric concepts, including angles and angle measure, parallel and perpendicular lines, and reflective symmetry. They also measure the area and perimeter of rectangles, making generalizations that support the introduction of the formulas for both.
Unit 6: Students revisit multiplication and division as they explore the many connections between the two. This unit is rich with opportunities to model and solve problems, share and explain strategies, play games, and apply computational skills and concepts in a variety of contexts.
Unit 7: covers a review of material covered earlier in the year, as well as opportunities to extend skills and concepts into working with larger numbers and bigger ideas. Students investigate a variety of shape and number sequences, looking for patterns that will enable them to extend each sequence and state the general rule that produced it. They also hone their skills at choosing and writing equations to represent multi-step number and word problems. Finally, they review some of the strategies they have developed for multi-digit multiplication over the year, and explore the standard multiplication algorithm.
COOPERATIVE AND INDIVIDUALIZED LEARNING
Many of our classroom activities are designed to build and use cooperative skills. Cooperative learning will help your child to learn both academic and social skills. Learning to work with others in a productive, mutually satisfying way is a central part this year’s fourth grade plan. While many of the assignments and activities will be cooperative in nature, some will be done individually. Independence and accountability are also essential components of fourth grade. Each student will be closely monitored and expected to work to the best of their ability.
Technology
Fourth graders will continue to practice keyboarding on a regular basis. They will also become adept at using Google docs to draft, revise and publish their writing. They will also learn formatting techniques. Please understand, in order to have full access to technology both the Google Apps and Technology contracts need to be signed.
HOMEWORK - The section applies to on campus learning. During Distance Learning, students have daily independent work assignments that need to be completed by the end of the day. Students will be expected to come to Zoom meetings prepared to discuss the independent work that was assigned the previous day.
A newsletter summarizing each week’s homework will go home on Mondays. Please review this newsletter, as it lays out the homework for the week, and often includes a weekly progress report. Homework will include spelling, language arts, math, science and social studies. I try to make homework as relevant to our curriculum as possible, so that homework is truly an extension of what we are doing in school that week. I will sometimes include interactive tasks that require your active participation. These interactive activities are meant to reinforce and extend learning and help you to keep in touch with what your child is doing in school. Please let me know if your child is struggling with the homework. It should not take more than an hour each night.
Spelling Homework: In addition to regular nightly homework, your child will be given weekly spelling words on Monday, along with spelling study strategies to complete by the end of the week. The lists will be geared to your child’s level. Please help your child pace themselves. A spelling test will be given at the end of the week. Please note that a practice-spelling test must be taken at home on Thursday night, signed by a parent, and returned to school on Friday.
HOME READING: This section applies to on campus learning. During Distance Learning Reading Logs will be video-logs or vlogs on Seesaw and/or FlipGrid. They are due every Friday before the end of the school day (3:00 p.m.)
The children are expected to read from a book of their choice for twenty-five minutes a night (Monday through Thursday). The purpose of home reading is to promote a habit and love of reading. Home reading is a very important part of my curriculum and I will ask that you monitor it closely and sign the reading record sheet on a weekly basis. Please help keep your child organized, and help make it an activity to look forward to, rather than a chore. Completion of home reading and periodic book projects (about every five to six weeks) constitute a significant part of the literature study grade on the report card. Parent-signed home reading folders are due each Friday.
Homework Routines: Establishing a routine for nightly homework will help make this year a successful one for your child. It will also help to form good, lasting study habits. It is up to you and your child to set aside a pre-planned time before dinner, after dinner, before TV, or a schedule that works best for both parties concerned, taking into consideration your personal time patterns. Please provide an area for your child that is conducive to learning. I suggest that it be supplied with pencils, markers, crayons, glue, scissors, paper, ruler, eraser, calculator, and a dictionary. Homework should be completed neatly and in pencil. Please help your child return his/her homework on time. If, for some reason, your child is not able to do their homework, please send a note of explanation in its place. While most homework is usually not graded, the overall quality of work, as well as the return rate, will affect student grades.
ASSESSMENT AND HOME/SCHOOL COMMUNICATION
Students are expected to try their hardest and do their best work at all times. I make every effort to identify and work from students' strengths. In the same spirit, assessment is used as an individualized, positive tool for highlighting areas of strength and potential growth. As much as possible, larger graded assignments will be accompanied by a rubric, which will specify precisely what your child must do to earn points (which will be the basis for letter grades in fourth grade). I do this to make the grading process, new to fourth graders at Harmony, less abstract and more meaningful. Tests will be accompanied by study guides, which I encourage you to use with your child. Students who receive low grades on assessments will have the opportunity to improve their grades by correcting their work, and on accession, retesting after remediation.
Report Cards and Parent-Teacher Conferences Parent-teacher conferences provide an excellent opportunity to "put our heads together" and discuss your child's progress. During this time, we will review your child's work and identify areas of strength and of potential growth. I very much look forward to learning more about your child and setting goals together during our first conference. Two formal parent teacher conference times are scheduled each year. Please feel free to request additional conferences at any time. I truly believe that a coordinated effort between home and school is critical to school success.
Contacting me: My email address is eferguson@harmonyusd.org and my school phone number is 874-1205 ext. 33 Please only ask to ring through to the classroom during office hours.
FIELD TRIPS and SPECIAL GUESTS : The following applies to on campus learning. During Distance Learning, field trips will be virtual
Listed below are some of the field trips that I have in mind. I will keep you posted on dates and developments. Some field trips will require parent drivers. Please let me know if you can drive on these trips. PLEASE NOTE: All drivers and chaperones on field trips need to be fingerprinted. This can be done at the Sebastopol Police Station or at Back to School Night.
Gold Rush Trip: The fourth grade has gone on a three-day Gold Rush trip just outside of Nevada City for the past twelve years. The District sponsors this trip each year by paying roughly half of the cost. Parents are asked to cover the other half – approximately $90 (There are ARK scholarships available for eligible families – see below). If we have enough parents to go along and pay their way, I will go forward in arranging this trip. It’s a lot of fun and very educational. A questionnaire will come home several weeks before the trip.
PARENT FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS
Some field trips will have costs associated with them – I will ask for donations when I send the field trip slips out. If you are not able to make a contribution to the field trip, no worries, my classroom budget and generous support from the ARK and Site Council cover most of the expenses associated with providing an enriching curriculum for your child. Please contribute generously to the ARK!!
PARENT VOLUNTEERS - During this time volunteers are prohibited in the classroom - volunteers are welcome on field trips
I look forward to working with you in and out of the classroom. I would like you to “plug in” in whatever way feels comfortable to you. I posted several sign up sheets at Back to School Night, listing specific needs. Please feel free to discuss your involvement with me in person, as well. If you decide to become a regular volunteer in the classroom, please know that I depend on your presence, and let me know as soon as possible if you will not be able to make it in. You can also set up a “subbing” arrangement with other parents in the class, thus by-passing me altogether in the event you are not able to make it in. Finally, if you volunteer, you must check in at the office first and get a visitor pass.
OTHER PROCEDURES
Getting to school on time: Getting to school on time helps your child to start the day off right.
Physical Education: PE will be assigned by Mr. Lanning. His assignments will be found on our classroom website.
Garden: Garden will begin in September with Ms. Krista. Her videos will be on our site.
Absences: Students are responsible for the work they miss. When a student is absent, it is their responsibility to check the newsletter to find what they have missed. I do not expect all work to be made up, but that which I feel is critical should be returned to me on the Monday after the absence. Attendance is taken during the morning Zoom meeting.
Thank you for your assistance and time. Working together, I am confident that your child
will have a productive and satisfying year. If you have any suggestions,
questions, concerns, or feedback, please do not hesitate to contact me.
CURRICULUM
As much as possible, the children’s curriculum will be integrated around the study of California. An integrated, thematic curriculum helps make learning meaningful for children and fosters in students the ability to see and make connections. The curriculum is therefore divided into units such as Natural California and Native California. Traditional subject areas, such as social studies and reading, are embedded in these units. Below is an outline of this year’s units.
1. Natural California (September – November) This unit focuses on the geography, ecology and natural history of the state. The science strand, “Environments” concentrates on living things and their interactions with their environments. Students will also learn about California’s diverse habitats. Language Arts will focus on poetry. In addition to poetry, students will write paragraphs and essays. They will write a report on a California animal during this trimester.
2. Native California (December – February) This unit introduces California’s early history, with an in-depth study of its indigenous people, focusing on pre-Columbian tribal life. Each student will write a report on the history of a California tribe. Students will read a variety of legends and the novel Island of the Blue Dolphins during this unit. Our science emphasis will be on watershed study, with focuses on soils, landforms, water and salmon. In addition to continued practice with essay writing, students will also write summaries, literature responses, and begin their study of narrative writing.
3. Colonial California (February - March) This unit focuses on the European exploration and colonization of California. Students will continue to write essays, summaries and literature responses. They will also begin to write their own creative stories. The watershed science unit will continue during this time.
4. Golden California (March – May) will cover the westward movement, the Gold Rush and post – Gold Rush eras. Students will listen to By the Great Horn Spoon in this unit. Students will study magnetism and electricity in science, and apply all the writing genres learned thus far.
MATH
My goal is to make math fun and educational. Our math program, Bridges, has a constructivist approach, which encourages a deep understanding of mathematics. Rather than children being handed formulaic approaches to problems, they are asked to become mathematicians and work their way through problems. I will do my best to relay how this actually manifests itself in your child’s curriculum throughout the year. However, feel free to assist your child using methods that are most comfortable to you and your child when assisting with homework.
This year, students focus intensively on the three critical areas specified by the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics in Grade 4: (1) developing understanding and fluency with multi-digit multiplication, and developing understanding of dividing to find quotients involving multi-digit dividends; (2) developing an understanding of fraction equivalence, addition and subtraction of fractions with like denominators, and multiplication of fractions by whole numbers; (3) understanding that geometric figures can be analyzed and classified based on their properties, such as having parallel sides, perpendicular sides, particular angle measures, and symmetry.
A math quiz will be given at the end of every week.
This year’s math units:
Unit 1: provides students with opportunities to explore multiplication and division, focusing
in particular on models, strategies, and multiplicative comparisons.
Unit 2: Students continue to build multiplicative reasoning as they work with multi-digit multiplication and early division.
Unit 3: Students focus on fractions and decimals. They work with a variety of tools, to model, read, write, compare, order, compose, and decompose fractions and decimals.
Unit 4: Students study addition, subtraction, and measurement concepts. They compare the use of algorithms to other methods and make generalizations about which work best for certain problems. The measurement concepts in this unit include length and distance, liquid volume, time, mass, and weight.
Unit 5: Students are formally introduced to a variety of new geometric concepts, including angles and angle measure, parallel and perpendicular lines, and reflective symmetry. They also measure the area and perimeter of rectangles, making generalizations that support the introduction of the formulas for both.
Unit 6: Students revisit multiplication and division as they explore the many connections between the two. This unit is rich with opportunities to model and solve problems, share and explain strategies, play games, and apply computational skills and concepts in a variety of contexts.
Unit 7: covers a review of material covered earlier in the year, as well as opportunities to extend skills and concepts into working with larger numbers and bigger ideas. Students investigate a variety of shape and number sequences, looking for patterns that will enable them to extend each sequence and state the general rule that produced it. They also hone their skills at choosing and writing equations to represent multi-step number and word problems. Finally, they review some of the strategies they have developed for multi-digit multiplication over the year, and explore the standard multiplication algorithm.
COOPERATIVE AND INDIVIDUALIZED LEARNING
Many of our classroom activities are designed to build and use cooperative skills. Cooperative learning will help your child to learn both academic and social skills. Learning to work with others in a productive, mutually satisfying way is a central part this year’s fourth grade plan. While many of the assignments and activities will be cooperative in nature, some will be done individually. Independence and accountability are also essential components of fourth grade. Each student will be closely monitored and expected to work to the best of their ability.
Technology
Fourth graders will continue to practice keyboarding on a regular basis. They will also become adept at using Google docs to draft, revise and publish their writing. They will also learn formatting techniques. Please understand, in order to have full access to technology both the Google Apps and Technology contracts need to be signed.
HOMEWORK - The section applies to on campus learning. During Distance Learning, students have daily independent work assignments that need to be completed by the end of the day. Students will be expected to come to Zoom meetings prepared to discuss the independent work that was assigned the previous day.
A newsletter summarizing each week’s homework will go home on Mondays. Please review this newsletter, as it lays out the homework for the week, and often includes a weekly progress report. Homework will include spelling, language arts, math, science and social studies. I try to make homework as relevant to our curriculum as possible, so that homework is truly an extension of what we are doing in school that week. I will sometimes include interactive tasks that require your active participation. These interactive activities are meant to reinforce and extend learning and help you to keep in touch with what your child is doing in school. Please let me know if your child is struggling with the homework. It should not take more than an hour each night.
Spelling Homework: In addition to regular nightly homework, your child will be given weekly spelling words on Monday, along with spelling study strategies to complete by the end of the week. The lists will be geared to your child’s level. Please help your child pace themselves. A spelling test will be given at the end of the week. Please note that a practice-spelling test must be taken at home on Thursday night, signed by a parent, and returned to school on Friday.
HOME READING: This section applies to on campus learning. During Distance Learning Reading Logs will be video-logs or vlogs on Seesaw and/or FlipGrid. They are due every Friday before the end of the school day (3:00 p.m.)
The children are expected to read from a book of their choice for twenty-five minutes a night (Monday through Thursday). The purpose of home reading is to promote a habit and love of reading. Home reading is a very important part of my curriculum and I will ask that you monitor it closely and sign the reading record sheet on a weekly basis. Please help keep your child organized, and help make it an activity to look forward to, rather than a chore. Completion of home reading and periodic book projects (about every five to six weeks) constitute a significant part of the literature study grade on the report card. Parent-signed home reading folders are due each Friday.
Homework Routines: Establishing a routine for nightly homework will help make this year a successful one for your child. It will also help to form good, lasting study habits. It is up to you and your child to set aside a pre-planned time before dinner, after dinner, before TV, or a schedule that works best for both parties concerned, taking into consideration your personal time patterns. Please provide an area for your child that is conducive to learning. I suggest that it be supplied with pencils, markers, crayons, glue, scissors, paper, ruler, eraser, calculator, and a dictionary. Homework should be completed neatly and in pencil. Please help your child return his/her homework on time. If, for some reason, your child is not able to do their homework, please send a note of explanation in its place. While most homework is usually not graded, the overall quality of work, as well as the return rate, will affect student grades.
ASSESSMENT AND HOME/SCHOOL COMMUNICATION
Students are expected to try their hardest and do their best work at all times. I make every effort to identify and work from students' strengths. In the same spirit, assessment is used as an individualized, positive tool for highlighting areas of strength and potential growth. As much as possible, larger graded assignments will be accompanied by a rubric, which will specify precisely what your child must do to earn points (which will be the basis for letter grades in fourth grade). I do this to make the grading process, new to fourth graders at Harmony, less abstract and more meaningful. Tests will be accompanied by study guides, which I encourage you to use with your child. Students who receive low grades on assessments will have the opportunity to improve their grades by correcting their work, and on accession, retesting after remediation.
Report Cards and Parent-Teacher Conferences Parent-teacher conferences provide an excellent opportunity to "put our heads together" and discuss your child's progress. During this time, we will review your child's work and identify areas of strength and of potential growth. I very much look forward to learning more about your child and setting goals together during our first conference. Two formal parent teacher conference times are scheduled each year. Please feel free to request additional conferences at any time. I truly believe that a coordinated effort between home and school is critical to school success.
Contacting me: My email address is eferguson@harmonyusd.org and my school phone number is 874-1205 ext. 33 Please only ask to ring through to the classroom during office hours.
FIELD TRIPS and SPECIAL GUESTS : The following applies to on campus learning. During Distance Learning, field trips will be virtual
Listed below are some of the field trips that I have in mind. I will keep you posted on dates and developments. Some field trips will require parent drivers. Please let me know if you can drive on these trips. PLEASE NOTE: All drivers and chaperones on field trips need to be fingerprinted. This can be done at the Sebastopol Police Station or at Back to School Night.
Gold Rush Trip: The fourth grade has gone on a three-day Gold Rush trip just outside of Nevada City for the past twelve years. The District sponsors this trip each year by paying roughly half of the cost. Parents are asked to cover the other half – approximately $90 (There are ARK scholarships available for eligible families – see below). If we have enough parents to go along and pay their way, I will go forward in arranging this trip. It’s a lot of fun and very educational. A questionnaire will come home several weeks before the trip.
PARENT FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS
Some field trips will have costs associated with them – I will ask for donations when I send the field trip slips out. If you are not able to make a contribution to the field trip, no worries, my classroom budget and generous support from the ARK and Site Council cover most of the expenses associated with providing an enriching curriculum for your child. Please contribute generously to the ARK!!
PARENT VOLUNTEERS - During this time volunteers are prohibited in the classroom - volunteers are welcome on field trips
I look forward to working with you in and out of the classroom. I would like you to “plug in” in whatever way feels comfortable to you. I posted several sign up sheets at Back to School Night, listing specific needs. Please feel free to discuss your involvement with me in person, as well. If you decide to become a regular volunteer in the classroom, please know that I depend on your presence, and let me know as soon as possible if you will not be able to make it in. You can also set up a “subbing” arrangement with other parents in the class, thus by-passing me altogether in the event you are not able to make it in. Finally, if you volunteer, you must check in at the office first and get a visitor pass.
OTHER PROCEDURES
Getting to school on time: Getting to school on time helps your child to start the day off right.
Physical Education: PE will be assigned by Mr. Lanning. His assignments will be found on our classroom website.
Garden: Garden will begin in September with Ms. Krista. Her videos will be on our site.
Absences: Students are responsible for the work they miss. When a student is absent, it is their responsibility to check the newsletter to find what they have missed. I do not expect all work to be made up, but that which I feel is critical should be returned to me on the Monday after the absence. Attendance is taken during the morning Zoom meeting.
Thank you for your assistance and time. Working together, I am confident that your child
will have a productive and satisfying year. If you have any suggestions,
questions, concerns, or feedback, please do not hesitate to contact me.
