Dear 4A Parents:

There are 3 early release days left before the break. One of those will be our Middle Ages Celebration; it should be a fun day. Thank you to those who are able to help donate and volunteer. There are still some spaces left. If you have the time, we could use the extra help : )

Important Dates:

• Dec 18 - last day to contribute for Tax Credit Drive and be entered in raffle for gift basket
• December 18-20 are early release days.
• December 19th - Middle Ages Celebration
• Winter Break starts on Thursday, December 21st. The 3rd quarter starts on Monday, January 8th. 
• Parent/Teacher Conferences for 2nd quarter are January 4-5 (Thursday and Friday). This the link for the sign up: 

http://signup.com/login/entry/617024738786992043

• January 8 and 9 - Fourth Grade Project: reciting "Paul Revere's Ride" 
• January 15 - no school - Civil Right's Day

__________________________

Academics for the week:

We will continue learning about author's purpose and theme this week. There will be an activity with idioms and we will also have time to work on the poem.

"Paul Revere's Ride" is the fourth grade project for Project Week. It will be recited the first two days back from Winter Break (January 8th and 9th). Parents are welcome to watch their child recite the poem. Just email me if you would like to come and I'll give you an approximate time for your child's turn.  

This week in Math, we will conclude our unit on measurement with a unit test. This test will be structured like the previous one on fractions. On Monday, the students will take the test and after that, I will go through them, highlighting incorrect answers and work. It is most beneficial for the students’ learning if they show all their work, so I can highlight exactly where they started to go wrong. On Wednesday, I will hand back the test and the students will be able to correct the highlighted problems for full credit.

In science, we will continue learning about weather. We will focus on thunderstorms and lightning.

In history this week we will finish our unit on Islamic Empires. We will study the Crusades, why they occurred and the impact they had on Islamic and Christian Empires as well as the world around them. We will take a quiz on Wednesday. Students already have the study guide to use to prepare for this quiz. 

___________________________

Please remember to sign up for conferences and practice the poem over the break!

I hope you have a great week,

Mrs. Gore

Dear 4A Parents:

Wow, just one full week left in the quarter! We will finished strong not only with academics but some fun activities as well.

Important Dates:

• Dec 12 - Birthday Book Club
• AM Kinder (Jul-Dec) @ 11:30 a.m.
• Full Day Kinder - 2nd @ 2:30 p.m.
• 3rd - 5th @ 2:45 p.m.
• Dec 18 - last day to contribute for Tax Credit Drive and be entered in raffle for gift basket
• December 18-20 are early release days.
• December 19th - Middle Ages Celebration
• Winter Break starts on Thursday, December 21st. The 3rd quarter starts on Monday, January 8th. 
• Parent/Teacher Conferences for 2nd quarter are January 4-5 (Thursday and Friday). There will be a sign-up for this in the coming weeks. 

On Tuesday, December 19th, the fourth grade will have our Middle Ages Celebration. We will need A LOT of volunteers. So if you have been fingerprinted and have some time on that day (any time between 8:30-12:15), we would love for you to help out and have fun, too!

There will be a sign-up for this event coming soon.

________________________________

Academics this week:

We will continue to practice writing comparing/contrasting paragraphs through the week. The emphasis will be on writing strong introductory and concluding sentences, and using effective transitions. In literature, we will learn about author's purpose and theme. In grammar, we will learn how to write possessive nouns.  Please continue to help your child memorize Paul Revere's Ride.

This week in math, we will conclude our unit on measurement by applying what we’ve learned about fractions to measurement. We will practice expressing measurements as proper fractions and mixed numbers. The measurement unit test will be next week.

We will finish learning about tornadoes and hurricanes. There is a quiz on tornadoes and hurricanes on Tuesday 12/12. The cumulative test is on Thursday 12/14 which covers the atmosphere, solar radiation, atmospheric heating, hurricanes, and tornadoes. There is a “jeopardy” review game available at this web address 

http://www.superteachertools.us/jeopardyx/jeopardy-review-game.php?gamefile=2347356#.Wi2Q-FQ-eRs.  

On Friday, we will about air masses and fronts. 

In history we finished our Middle Ages unit last week. This week we will start our unit on Islam. We will study the Five Pillars of Islam, Muhammad, the spread of Islam and Islamic culture. We will also focus on important contributions to mathematics, science and art/architecture.

____________________________________

I hope you have a good week,

Mrs. Gore

Dear 4A Parents,
Our Winter Break is fast approaching. As the quarter winds down, we still have a lot of interesting things to learn. I hope these next few weeks will be an enjoyable time of learning for your children.

Important dates:

• Dec 12 - Birthday Book Club
• AM Kinder (Jul-Dec) @ 11:30 a.m.
• Full Day Kinder - 2nd @ 2:30 p.m.
• 3rd - 5th @ 2:45 p.m.
• Dec 18 - last day to contribute for Tax Credit Drive and be entered in raffle for gift basket
• December 18-20 are early release days.
• Winter Break starts on Thursday, December 21st. The 3rd quarter starts on Monday, January 8th. 
• Parent/Teacher Conferences for 2nd quarter are January 4-5 (Thursday and Friday). There will be a sign-up for this in the coming weeks. 

Academics this week:

This week in ELA, we will continue our focus on comparing and contrasting. We will use 2 characters in Robin Hood and some other passages to hone this skill. In grammar, our focus will be on defining and using similes and metaphors and classifying and diagramming possessive pronouns.

In math this week, we will continue studying measurement. We will practice adding and subtracting measurements and learn how to multiply and divide as well. These skills will mirror the skills our students already learned when we studied the operations of fractions.

We will continue our study of hurricanes and then go on to tornadoes, in science this week.

In history we will finish our study of Europe during the Middle Ages. We will learn about Joan of Arc, and the plague that swept through Europe in the 1300s. 
____________________________________

Mrs. Rockmaker, our music teacher wanted us to pass on this information:

Now that the November concert has passed students will return to the use of their notebooks (for grades 3,4 and 5) and Theory Time books (for grades 4 and 5 only).  I would also like students to bring a folder and a pencil to music.  Students who have left materials in the music room can retrieve them outside of class time.  New 4th and 5th grade students can purchase Theory Time books to be purchased from Barnes & Noble at the Chandler Fashion Mall from the school book list. I have attached a copy of the list.
http://archwaylincoln.greatheartsacademies.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2017/04/Consumable-List-17-18.4.28.17.FINAL_.pdf

Needed this week:
Clear 2-liter bottles to make tornadoes!

I hope you have a great week!
Mrs. Gore

Dear 4A Parents,

I hope you all were able to enjoy your Thanksgiving Break. I know I did. It was restful and refreshing!

As we come nearer to the end of  the 2nd quarter, I want to encourage your child to finish strong. Our curriculum continues to be challenging and I hope to instill confidence in your child as they realize how much they can learn by perseverance and hard work.

Important Dates:

• Winter Break starts on Thursday, December 21st. The 3rd quarter starts on Monday, January 8th. 
• Parent/Teacher Conferences for 2nd quarter are January 4-5 (Thursday and Friday). There will be a sign-up for this in the coming weeks. 

_______________________
Academics this week:

This week, we will be focusing on finding the main idea and supporting details of certain passages in ELA. We will continue classifying and diagramming sentences, adding a subject pronoun. Toward the end of the week, we will start character analysis in Robin Hood in preparation for comparing and contrasting characters the following week.  

Please continue to encourage your child to keep memorizing Paul Revere's Ride. Many are doing a great job but some are falling behind. Help them to memorize a bit at a time so they can achieve success and then realize they can tackle more. 

This week in math, we will wrap up our unit on the operations of fractions. We will spend one more day practicing word problems, then review for our math test, which will be on Thursday (Nov. 30). On Friday, we will start a new unit about measurement.

In science, we will continue to learn about solar radiation. We will begin learning about extreme weather like hurricanes and tornadoes. There will be a quiz on the atmosphere and solar radiation on Thursday.

This week in history we will continue our study of the Middle Ages. We will explore topics including Eleanor of Aquitaine, the Magna Carta, the Hundred Years War and also the changes in European government during this time.
_________________________

Thank you so much for bringing in so many tissues. We should have enough to get us through the end of the quarter : )

Thank you also for entrusting your child's education with me. It is a great responsibility but also a great blessing,
Mrs. Gore

Dear 4A Parents:

Short week, short blog : )

We only have school on Monday and Tuesday this week. There will not be tutoring on Tuesday. It will resume on Tuesdays and Thursday when we get back from our Thanksgiving break.

This week in academics:

We will conduct the spelling bee in individual classes, this week. the top speller in each class will go on to the Lincoln Bee. We will also discuss Paul Revere's Ride and read chapters 3 and 4 in Robin Hood.

In math, we will practice solving word problems that involve finding the fractional part of a whole number. We will have a math test at the end of next week

In science, we will understand the characteristics of the different layers of atmosphere and how the air near Earth’s surface is heated.

This week in history we will study two more important figures during the Middle Ages: Thomas Becket and Eleanor of Aquitaine.
_______________________________________

Thank you to all who brought in tissues. We now have another "Tower of Tissues".

I hope you all have a great Thanksgiving.

I am truly Thankful for each of my students!
Mrs. Gore

Dear 4A Parents:

I hope you were able to enjoy the 3-day weekend. Thank you to all the veterans who are a part of our school in some way. Thank you to my husband and Mr. Bergeron : ) 

Important Dates:

• Thursday, November 16th - Mandatory Winter Concert - 3-5 grades preform at 7:00 (There will be no homework given on Thursday)
• Wednesday-Friday, November 22-24 - No school, Thanksgiving Break

Archway Lincoln Winter Concert is this Thursday. This is a mandatory concert. This year, the concerts will be held at the Higley Center for the Performing Arts located at 4132 E. Pecos Road Gilbert, AZ 85295. The 3-5 concert will begin at 7:00 p.m. with students arriving at 6:30 p.m.

The attire for concerts will be as follows:

Boys: Black pants, white dress shirt, black dress shoes, and black socks. Hair should be combed neatly.
Girls: Black skirt, white top, black tights, and black dress shoes. Hair should be pulled away from the face with no distracting adornment. Please follow the Archway Lincoln dress code for guidelines on jewelry.

I'm looking forward to seeing everyone there and hearing the selections the students have been working on.

Academics this week:

We will start our unit on Robin Hood with a discussion about legends, myths, folklore, and fairy tales. We will tie this into writing summaries on short passages about King Arthur. We will also work on the skill of prediction using Robin Hood. In Grammar, we continue to practice classifying and diagramming prepositional phrases. 

Reading Logs did not go home this week. The students will have 20 minute a day independent reading this week, since we have the Fall Concert.

This week in math, we will learn how to find the fraction of a set. This concept involves multiplying fractions by a whole number and a lot of simplifying fractions, so if your child is still working on those concepts, they will get a lot of practice this week!

This week in science, the students will continue learning about air pressure and density. On Friday, the students will understand the characteristics of the layers in the atmosphere. The first meteorology test is on Thursday.

In history this week, we will continue our unit on the Middle Ages. We will focus on famous individuals during the period and how they shaped the society they lived in, and future generations. Historical figures we will focus on include William the Conqueror, Henry II and Thomas Becket. 
--------------------------------------
Classroom needs: We will run out of tissues this week; we have opened up our last 2 boxes!

Have a great week,
Mrs. Gore

Dear 4A Parents,

What a fun but busy week we had last week. I enjoyed seeing your children dress up and perform in the Reader's Theater on Literary Day. We have some budding actors in the class : )

Important Dates:

• Wednesday, November 8th - Parent Positive Series - 6:30-8 - Minds of Boys and Girls
• Friday, November 10th - No school - Veteran's Day
• Thursday, November 16th - Mandatory Winter Concert - 3-5 grades preform at 7:00
• Wednesday-Friday, November 22-24 - No school, Thanksgiving Break

Believe it or not, the third annual Archway Lincoln Winter Concert is fast approaching. This year, the concerts will be held on Thursday, November 16th at the Higley Center for the Performing Arts located at 4132 E. Pecos Road Gilbert, AZ 85295. The 3-5 concert will begin at 7:00 p.m. with students arriving at 6:30 p.m.

The attire for concerts will be as follows:

Boys: Black pants, white dress shirt, black dress shoes, and black socks. Hair should be combed neatly.
Girls: Black skirt, white top, black tights, and black dress shoes. Hair should be pulled away from the face with no distracting adornment. Please follow the Archway Lincoln dress code for guidelines on jewelry.

------------------------------------------------

Academics this week:

We will finish Prince Caspian this week. Last week filled up with other good things and we were not able to finish it. There will be a vocabulary quick check on Thursday for chapters 9-15 and the character trading cards will also be due on Thursday. In grammar, we will continue to work on prepositions. The final typewritten opinion paragraph is due on Monday.

Robin Hood be our next book. Please make sure your child has the same one that is represented under "current literature" in the margin.

This week in math, we will continue practicing adding and subtracting mixed numbers as separate equations and embedded in word problems. We will also start to learn how to multiply a fraction by a whole number. This concept builds on the work we’ve already done with multiples earlier in the year and challenges students to think of fractions a bit more abstractly than we have been doing so far.

This week in science, the students will learn about fog and how water acts in the air. We will being an introduction to weather, wind, air pressure, and density. The students will have a quick check on the water cycle and clouds on Wednesday.

This week in History we will study city life during the Middle Ages and how it differed from life on a manor, as well as the important role of women during this time period. We will also learn about William the Conqueror, the Battle of Hastings and the why William and the battle are important to the English language and Europe.

*This past week in History, we took a virtual tour of Warwick Castle. The students were very excited about it and some wanted to view it further. Here's the link so you and your child can "visit" it together:   

 http://www.sphericalimages.com/warwickcastle/

-----------------------------------------------
Classroom needs: Tissues

Have a great week!
Mrs. Gore

Dear 4A Parents:
This is a busy quarter. I hope you are able to get out and enjoy the weather!

Important Dates:

• Tuesday, October 31st - Read-A-Thon ends - Literacy Day - Dress as a Literary Character (We will have Literature Groups from 12;30-1:00 and we will be doing Reader's Theater, please sign up on the Literature group link to join us for the fun.)
• Friday, November 3rd - Early Release - School ends at 12:30 for Teacher In-Service
• Wednesday, November 8th - Parent Positive Series - 6:30-8 - Minds of Boys and Girls
• Friday, November 10th - No school - Veteran's Day
• Thursday, November 16th - Mandatory Winter Concert - 3-5 grades preform at 7:00
• Wednesday-Friday, November 22-24 - No school, Thanksgiving Break

Believe it or not, the third annual Archway Lincoln Winter Concert is fast approaching. This year, the concerts will be held on Thursday, November 16th at the Higley Center for the Performing Arts located at 4132 E. Pecos Road Gilbert, AZ 85295. The 3-5 concert will begin at 7:00 p.m. with students arriving at 6:30 p.m.

The attire for concerts will be as follows:

Boys: Black pants, white dress shirt, black dress shoes, and black socks. Hair should be combed neatly.
Girls: Black skirt, white top, black tights, and black dress shoes. Hair should be pulled away from the face with no distracting adornment. Please follow the Archway Lincoln dress code for guidelines on jewelry.

------------------------------------------------

Academics this week:

The students will finish up their opinion paragraph with the typewritten final draft. We will learn how to classify and diagram prepositional phrases. We will also summarize a chapter of Prince Caspian in class. For our end of the book activity for Prince Caspian, the students will make 6 Character Trading Cards. They will be given a sheet with instructions for what each card should have on it. 

We will finish Prince Caspian on Friday. Our next book will be Robin Hood. I have placed a picture of the cover of the book in the margin. Please make sure your child has the book with this cover by Tuesday, November 7th.

We will begin our week in math with a unit test on Monday. After that, we dig deeper into the operations of fractions, reviewing how to add and subtract fractions with different denominators and learning how to add mixed numbers.

The final geology test is on Monday, 10/30. The next unit is Meteorology. We will discuss Aristotle and his thoughts on meteorology. The students will learn about the water cycle, the distribution of water on the Earth, and clouds.

In History we will continue our study of the Middle Ages and focus on life in a castle, and the role of knights in the a feudal society. Students will virtually tour a medieval castle and learn the important components of their structure. We will then turn our attention to the steps it took to become a knight and why knights were instrumental components of the Middle Ages. 
----------------------------------------------
Recess:
We still have two recess breaks for the hard working scholars. The only change that has occurred is that now two days a week, each class (in their 2 class groups) have access to the playground equipment after lunch. 4A and 4B goes on the playground on Monday and Thursday from 12:25-12:45, directly after lunch. All other times are the same.

Thank you for all the boxtops! We still could use tissue : )

Warmly,

Mrs. Gore

Dear 4A Parents:

It was so good to see all of you for conferences. I appreciate your taking time out to discuss your child's progress. Please don't hesitate to get in touch with any concerns or questions that may come up during the next quarter.

We are in the middle of the Who's Reading Program and I hope your child has been enjoying being a part of the conversations. This program will culminate with Literary Day on October 31st. A permission slip went out last week that you need to fill out if your child is planning on dressing up for this day. Please have them turn that in this week.

I have put up a link for Literature Groups (under Archway Lincoln in the right hand margin of this blog). Each Tuesday, we hope to have 4 parent volunteers to come and listen to the students read and then lead them in a discussion about the chapter. Prepared vocabulary words and questions will be given to you.

This week's academics:

We will be writing an opinion paragraph in class throughout the week. We will have a quick check for vocabulary and characters on Chapters 1-8 of Prince Caspian on Monday. In grammar, we will begin learning about prepositions.

This week in math, we will finish our first fraction unit by studying how to convert from an improper fraction to a mixed number. We will review for our unit test on Thursday and Friday, and the test will be on Mon., Oct. 30.

This week students will learn about some rare geological features including geysers, hot springs, fumaroles, and mud pots. The students will learn about the four types of mountains and three types of rocks. The science test is moved to Monday, October 30th.

This week in in History we will continue our study of Feudalism. Students will play the role of lords and serfs and create their own medieval manor layout. We will have a review day on Thursday providing an overview of Middle Ages thus far. On Friday students will have a quiz on the Middle Ages. The review on Thursday and their Thursday night homework sheet will help to prepare them for Friday's quiz. 
______________________________

This quarter, we've begun a system for participation. It's called STAR which stands for Sit up, Tract the speaker, Ask/Answer questions, Respect our space. Each Monday, will will send out a report on how well your child did the previous week in these areas. 

Needed for the classroom: Tissues and Boxtops

Blessed by your partnership,
Mrs. Gore

Dear 4A Parents:

I hope you've had a restful break. I visited my mom in VA and was able to see many family members while there, what a blessing it was! I'm excited for the new quarter to begin and to see your children again :) 

We are in the middle of the Who's Reading Program and I hope your child has been enjoying being a part of the conversations. This program will culminate with Literary Day on October 31st, where your child can dress as their favorite character in Literature.

I have put up a link for Literature Groups (under Archway Lincoln in the right hand margin of this blog). Each Tuesday, we hope to have 4 parent volunteers to come and listen to the students read and then lead them in a discussion about the chapter. Prepared vocabulary words and questions will be given to you. 
__________________________

Academics this week:

We will pick up ELA with sentence revisions and continued understanding of setting. The students will receive their copy of Paul Revere's Ride which includes the dates to memorize the stanzas by. This poem is the fourth grade project and will be recited January 8-10. It is a daunting task but if they keep up with the plan, it will be completed well and worth the effort. 

In math this week, we will continue studying fractions. We will learn about mixed numbers and improper fractions and how to convert from one to another. Please continue practicing multiplication and division facts with your student, because these facts keep recurring as we explore concepts relating to fractions.

In science, we will continue our study of volcanoes. We will discuss the types and parts of volcanoes, and types of lava. The students will learn about famous volcanoes such as Mount St. Helens and Mount Vesuvius.

This week in history we will continue learning about the Middle Ages. We will focus on feudalism and the hierarchy of kings, lords, knights and serfs. We will focus more specifically the role of serfs as we progress through the week. 
_______________________

One of the main things most of the students in my class need to practice is math facts. I have included a link (under Resources in the right hand margin of this blog) for the Rocket Math App. This is a fun way to have your child learn their facts. I encourage you to utilize this or something similar.

We could use some facial tissue and as always we are still collecting box-tops.

I'm looking forward to meeting with each of you during our scheduled conference time this week.

Sincerely,
Mrs. Gore

Dear 4A Parents,


Friday marks the end of the quarter. It's been such a joy to get to know each of your children. I hope you have an enjoyable break!

Here are some important dates that are coming up:

• 10-3 - 4th Grade Coffee Talk from 8:15 - 9:30 a.m.
• 10-6 - Early dismissal - 12:30
• 10/9-10/13 - Fall Break
• 10/16-10/18 - Mandatory Parent/Teacher conferences (10-18 conferences in the afternoon)
• 10-18 - School resumes, second quarter begins

Our Scholastic Book Fair Is in full swing. Here is the link for our book fair, if you'd like to order online http://www.scholastic.com/bf/archwayclassicalacadlincoln 

We will not have a regular library time this Thursday. Instead, the students will have the option to purchase items from the book fair during our scheduled library time. If you would like to browse the items with your child, please feel free to come by the book fair when it is open.

Book Fair Hours:

• Monday, Tuesday, Friday: 7:25-8:30am, 12:00-1:00pm and 3:00-4:30pm
• Wednesday: 7:25-8:30am and 12:15 - 4:30pm
• Thursday: 7:25-8:30am, 12:00-1:00pm and 3:00-7:00pm

Parents will be able to enter through the parent walk up gate and go to the library during the morning and afternoon hours. They will need to sign into the office during the lunch hour times.

Parent/Teacher Conferences: 
4A Homeroom Parents please sign up here

http://signup.com/go/xSjXPhs

Conferences are for parents only.

Thank you so much for your continued partnership!

Literature Groups will take place each Tuesday from 11:05 - 11:35. This is a chance for volunteers (who have been fingerprinted) to come in and listen to a group of students read and then ask some prepared questions. The students always enjoy this time to spend with parents.

There will be a Sign-up Genius link for this on the blog in the future, but for this week, we can have 4 parents come in. Please email me to let me know if you would like to come in this Tuesday (October 3rd).
_________________________________

Academics this week:

We will introduce the literary concept of theme during literature and continue describing the characters that are introduced in the chapters of Prince Caspian we will read this week. On Friday, we will have the spelling/phonogram test and the students will individually recite the poem "The Violet".

In math this week, we'll continue our study of fractions. We will discuss comparing and ordering fractions with different denominators and adding and subtracting fractions with the same denominator. We will also continue practicing putting fractions in simplest form. **This is a key skill in fractions, one that requires fluency in multiplication and division facts. If possible, please review these math facts with your child at home! 

We will go over the study guide for the second geology test on Monday and take the test on Tuesday. Then we began the last unit of geology with volcanoes. 

This week in history we will continue our study of the Middle Ages. We will focus on the rise of feudalism and examine the relationship between kings, lords, knights and serfs.  Students will study heraldry and why it the importance to knights in the Middle Ages. Students will also make their own coat of arms using symbols and designs of the Middle Ages.
___________________________

Thank you for helping to make this quarter a success, I really appreciate your partnership.
I'll see you at you scheduled conference. Let me know if you have any questions about it.
Mrs. Gore

Dear 4A parents,

I hope you are enjoying getting outside this weekend!

Important Dates:

• 9-29 - Early dismissal - 12:30 (In-Service day for teachers)
• 9-29 - Second Annual Literacy Night and Read-a-Thon Kick-Off - gates open at 5:00 p.m.
• 10-3 - 4th Grade Coffee Talk from 8:15 - 9:30 a.m.
• 10-6 - Early dismissal - 12:30
• 10/9-10/13 - Fall Break
• 10/16-10/18 - Mandatory Parent/Teacher conferences (10-18 conferences in the afternoon)
• 10-18 - School resumes, second quarter begins

We will begin literacy groups this week. Our time for this will be Tuesdays from 11:05-11:35. This is a chance for volunteers (who have been fingerprinted) to come in and listen to a group of students read and then ask some prepared questions. The students always enjoy this time to spend with parents.

There will be a Sign-up Genius link for this on the blog in the future, but for this week, we can have 4 parents come in. Please email me to let me know if you would like to come in this Tuesday (Sept. 26th).

 

Academics this week:

We will start Prince Caspian on Monday. Please make sure your child brings in the book that has the same cover as the one shown in the Current Literature section of this blog. We will continue studying adjectives and classifying and diagramming sentences with them. The poem "The Violet" will be presented Friday, October 6th.

In math this week, we are wrapping up our study of the operations of whole numbers. We spent Friday reviewing these concepts and will continue to review in class on Monday. We will have a test on Tuesday (9/26). Our next topic of study, coming at the end of the week, is fractions!

In geology, we will continue studying earthquakes and begin tsunamis. There will be an assessment on these 2 subjects early next week (Oct. 2nd). The study guide will be handed out this week. 

In history this week we will have a history test on Friday 9/29. The test will cover the Fall of Rome and the rise of Christianity. Study guides will be handed out on Monday and will be filled in throughout the week.  Our focus this week is the study of the rise of the Christian Church after the Fall of Rome. We will explore the life of monks, the importance of monasteries and the missionaries who spread the religion throughout Europe. 

>>Here is some information from Mrs. Rockmaker, the music teacher, about the mandatory Fall Concert.
________________________________
Fall Concert

Thursday, November 16th at 7pm at the Higley Center For the Performing Arts

Dress Code for Concerts:

Girls must wear a white shirt, with a black skirt (knee length or longer) or dress slacks, and black dress shoes (black tights if desired).

Boys must wear a white collared, button-down shirt, black slacks, black socks and black dress shoes.

The students will be wearing the same attire for the Spring Concert in April.

Some stores that carry appropriate concert attire:
o Macy’s
o JCPenney
o Sears
o Kohl’s
o Target
o Walmart
o Lands’ End (landsend.com)
· Shopstyle.com

Feel free to email me if you have questions.
Sharon Rockmaker
Email: srockmaker@archwaylincoln.org Blog: archwaylincolnmusic.wordpress.com
____________________

**Please make sure your child is correcting returned work for understanding and for extra points. This needs to be completed ASAP so the quarter grade will reflect the revised grade. 

Thank you for your partnership!
Mrs. Gore

Dear 4A Parents:

I hope you are enjoying your weekend!

Important Dates:

• 9-29 - Second Annual Literacy Night and Read-a-Thon Kick-Off - gates open at 5:00 p.m.
• 10-3 - 4th Grade Coffee Talk from 8:15 - 9:30 a.m.
• 10-6 - Early dismissal - 12:30
• 10/9-10/13 - Fall Break
• 10/16-10/18 - Mandatory Parent/Teacher conferences (10-18 conferences in the afternoon)
• 10-18 - School resumes, second quarter begins

This week in Academics:

We finished Pollyanna and will have a quick check on vocabulary and comprehension of chapters 16-30 on Monday. Before we actually start reading Prince Caspian, we will go over some background information from The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe which most of the students read last year. In Grammar, we will introduce adjectives. There will be a Shakespeare assembly on Friday with a performance of Twelfth Night. We will discuss the play beforehand so your child will know what is it about.

This week in math, we’ll conclude our study of the operations of whole numbers by learning how to multiply 2- and 3- digit numbers by 2-digit numbers. We will take notes in preparation for a test coming up early the week of the 25th. 

This week, students will be assessed on all the concepts covered thus far in geology. We will go over the study guide on Monday and the assessment will be on Tuesday. We will then begin to study earthquakes. Students will be able to explain how stress in the crust changes the earth’s surface, recognize different faults, how they move, and what they are called. Students will be able to understand that there are varying seismic waves and the differences between them.

This week in History we will study The "Dark" Ages and discover why this term is misused. Students will uncover causes and effects that led to the Fall of Rome, and that happened in the period known as the Dark Ages, or more appropriately the Middle Ages. We will begin to explore the major differences between the Eastern and Western Roman Empire that led to a major split in the Christian Church and shaped Western culture. 
______________

Please continue reviewing Math Facts with your child.

We are getting low in tissues, if you are able to contribute a box it would be greatly appreciated : )

We are still collecting boxtops!

Thank you for your continued partnership and support!
Mrs. Gore

Dear 4A Parents:

I hope you enjoyed your weekend. It won't be too much longer until our wonderful Arizona weather kicks in!

For those of you who made it to the Singapore Math/ Spalding Night, I hope it was a benefit to you and helped answer any questions you may have had.

Important Date this week:

• Love and Logic by Larry Kerby - Tuesday, September 12th from 6:30-8 (This event will benefit all families.)

Academics this week:

In ELA - Your child will recite "Afternoon on a Hill" on Wednesday. Adverbs will be introduced and we will work on classifying and diagramming sentences with these in them. As we finish up Pollyanna this week, we will use these final chapters to practice a summary, dictation, and character development. Our next literature book is Prince Caspian by C. S. Lewis. I've placed the picture of the cover of the book we use in the margin. Please make sure your child brings this book in on Tuesday, September 19th. We continue to have our Spalding and phonogram tests on Fridays. The students are doing a good job on these. 20 people got 100% on the last test!

In math this week, we will continue to explore multiplication and division as well as working on word problems that involve all four operations. We will be starting a math facts program called Rocket Math this week. Rocket Math uses timed tests to help students improve their math fact fluency. We will practice facts in class, and it would be beneficial for your student to spend a few minutes a day reviewing multiplication facts as well. Please let me know if you have any questions about this program as we begin to implement it this week!

We continue in geology with discussions of convection currents and different types of plate boundaries. The study guide for the first assessment will go out this week. The assessment will be the following week.

In History this week we will finish us our study of world mountain ranges before turning our attention to the Geography of Europe. We will examine the major rivers, mountains, and countries of Europe.  Finally, we will study fall of Rome and the beginning of the Middle Ages. 
__________

Your child will bring home some graded work this week, please make sure you are looking for it in their take home folder. Also make sure you are checking their agenda each night. If there is missing work, I try and write it in there.

**Math Facts, Math Facts, Math Facts**
Please take just 5-10 minutes a day to drill your child on math facts (addition and subtraction, as well as, multiplication and division). Let's make it a goal together, that they will have these down by the time they move on to 5th grade. 

Thank you!

Mrs. Gore

Dear 4A Families,

I hope you are enjoying your long weekend!

Here are some important dates to be aware of:

• Singapore Math/Spalding Night for 3rd-5th grades - Tuesday, September 5th from 6-7:30 (This event will mainly benefit new families.)

• Love and Logic by Larry Kerby - Tuesday, September 12th from 6:30-8 (This event will benefit all families.)

Academics this week:

This week in ELA, we will continue in Pollyanna with discussing conflict/resolution and character development. In grammar, we will learn the question-answer flow with subject nouns and verbs. Our spelling list this week will have 20 words due to the shortened week but we will still have 10 phonograms on the test on Friday. 

In math this week, we’ll be reviewing multi-digit addition and subtraction. We’ll practice mental math strategies, estimation, and addition and subtraction word problems. At the end of the week, we’ll start multi-digit multiplication.

This week in History we will learn about the major mountains and mountain ranges around the world. Students will locate these mountains and mountain ranges on a map and gain an understanding of the importance of mountains to civilizations, including how they can be barriers and offer protection or isolate communities. 

This week we are discussing the theories of plate tectonics and continental drift. Students are introduced to the theory of plate tectonics and explore how the theory was developed and supported by evidence. Through class discussion, videos, and activities, students will seek connections between tectonic activity and geologic features and investigate how the theory of plate tectonics evolved.

Your child will bring home some graded work this week, please make sure you are looking for it in their take home folder. Also make sure you are checking their agenda each night. If there is missing work, I write it in there.

**Math Facts, Math Facts, Math Facts**
Please take just 5-10 minutes a day to drill your child on math facts (addition and subtraction, as well as, multiplication and division). Let's make it a goal together, that they will have these down by the time they move on to 5th grade. 

Thank you!
Mrs. Gore

Dear 4A parents:

Thank you to all who were able to make it out to Curriculum Night. I hope you were able to get a good overview of the year and understand more about how our classroom operates. Please fell free to contact me with any questions or concerns you may have throughout the year.

Some important dates coming up:

• No school on Monday, September 4th in recognition of Labor Day - This will also be a Rest and Relaxation weekend (which means no homework!)

• Singapore Math/Spalding Night for 3rd-5th grades - Tuesday, September 5th from 6-7:30 (This event will mainly benefit new families.)

• Love and Logic by Larry Kerby - Tuesday, September 12th from 6:30-8 (This event will benefit all families.)

Academics this week:

This week in ELA, we will continue in Pollyanna with discussing imagery and focusing on comprehension. In grammar, we will study synonyms and antonyms and subject nouns. Your children recited the poem, "Dreams" well and this week will receive "Afternoon on a Hill" to recite the week of September 11th. Our first spelling and phonogram tests will be on Friday. There will be 30 spelling words on the test and a separate test for 10 of the phonograms.  

In math this week, we’ll be wrapping up our unit on whole numbers by introducing word problems. There will be a test on Friday covering all the topics we’ve studied in math so far, including place value, estimation, factors, and multiples.

This week in History/Geography we will be learning about the 4 time zones in the United States. Students will explore how ET, CT, MST, PST compare with other time zones in the US and across the globe. We will also begin our study of physical maps. Students will learn the importance of  these maps and how to read changes in elevation on a physical map. 

We are excited to begin this week with our unit on "Geology: The Earth and Its Changes". The unit starts off with the study of the Earth's layers. Students will be able to identify the layers of the Earth through hands on activities as well as building their own 3D models.

**Please make sure you check the agenda each night. The reading logs are an important part of the ELA grade this year, so it is imperative that they are completed well and on time. Each Friday, your child gets a daily breakdown on what the reading log should contain. This paper can be stapled to the reading log or just kept in the take-home folder. 

**For the past 3 years, I have noticed that the incoming fourth graders, for the most part, do not know their math facts (not only multiplication and division, but addition and subtraction, too). This is something that we can all help to remedy. We will be doing a math fact program called Rocket Math in school,  but you, as parents, will have to take a big part of your child's learning them at home. Please utilize the Grag Tang Math link that I have added. One thing I did with my children was have them do math drill for 10-15 minutes before they could play any computer games, this proved effective with them.

Thank you for partnering with me in these areas!

Thank you also to the Robinson's for donating recess equipment. What a blessing to our class! We have also received much needed tissue and hand sanitizer from many of you. This is already proving helpful during the allergy/cold season that has already begun.

Keep saving those Boxtops!

Thank you,
Mrs. Gore

Dear 4A Parents:

We have some exciting things happening this week. First the solar eclipse will occur tomorrow. Those children who will be accompanied by their parents may observe it with special glasses donated to the school for them to use. The rest of us will remain in the class watching it on live stream. We will have a lesson and activity that will correspond to the subject. A letter was sent home regarding this event, please refer to it to understand the policy and procedure for the day.

The other important event is Curriculum Night. It will be on Tuesday from 6-7:30. Please come to hear the overview of our year and to understand more of how our classroom operates. This is an adult only event, please make other arrangements for your children. 

Important dates:

• This Tuesday, August 22nd is Curriculum Night for 3rd-5th grades from 6-7:30
• Singapore Math/Spalding Night for 3rd-5th grades - Tuesday, September 5th from 6-7:30
• Love and Logic by Larry Kerby - Tuesday, September 12th from 6:30-8

Academics this week:

In language arts this week, we will continue writing summaries and doing dictation. We will begin diagramming simple sentences, and start Touchstones which is a book that helps us in our Socratic discussions. Everyone will individually recite the poem, "Dreams", on Friday.

In literature, as we read Pollyanna, we will go over the skill of understanding conflict and resolution. Please make sure your child is completing their reading log using the sheet they were given that has the questions for each day on it.

This week in math, we'll continue studying multiples and factors, exploring their relationship through discussion and group work. We will introduce the order of operations and start working on word problems at the end of the week. 

In History/Geography this week students will review important components of maps and learn to use them along with latitude and longitude to find coordinates of cities and countries. We will also learn about time zones across  the United States, and internationally. Students will discover their importance and how they impact travel and communication. 

We will be collecting box-tops all year, so your child can bring them in at any time!

I'm looking forward to seeing you on Tuesday,

Mrs. Gore