4th Grade Syllabus

 4th Grade Syllabus

  While we do have great textbooks that contain a lot of great information, the things the students learn will be driven by the Curriculum of the Diocese of Jefferson City.  https://diojeffcity.org/school-office/

 There will be things in the textbooks that we do not cover as well as information outside of the textbook that your children need to know.  Below is a little taste of some of the things the students will learn this year.

 Reading

We will be doing literature novel studies this year with a variety of great books!  We will also be reviewing and developing a variety of reading strategies and focusing on comprehension and vocabulary, as well as completing creative book reports and projects.  Finally, throughout the year we will be participating in the Accelerated Reader program. This program was new last year since Reading Counts is no longer in use. This program helps us to monitor student progress in areas such as fluency, comprehension, and vocabulary. We will give you more information on the program as we continue to learn more this year.

 Religion

We will be using a new Religion textbook this year called Word of Life from the Augustine Institute. This textbook will be a foundational guide for our studies this year, but we will also work on many projects and activities to allow the students to dive deeper and grow in their faith this year. Additionally, this textbook is tied to the FORMED platform that is free to use for our school families. As we get going this year, I will send home information for you and your family to be able to join this platform and participate in our class studies together! Our goals for this year are understanding the faith of the Catholic Church, living out the faith in everyday life, and growing as a person of faith.  Some of the topics we will be learning about are the Sacraments, vocations, liturgical seasons, the Beatitudes, The Rosary, the Fruits of the Spirit, and the saints.  We will be going to Mass every Wednesday morning at 8:00 am. 

 English

In Grammar, we will use a combination of whole class, small group, and individual instruction to review and explore a variety of skills.  Our goal will be to apply the newly learned skills and transfer them to other content areas.  These skills will include the use of sentences, subjects/predicates, nouns, verbs, adjectives, pronouns, adverbs, and prepositions.

In Writing, we will use the steps of the writing process (pre-write/research, draft, revise, proofread, and publish) to create many different types of writing.  These will include a personal narrative, writings that compare, persuasive writing, explanatory writing, story writing, and expository writing.  Listening and speaking skills will be developed as the stories are presented in class as well as in other classes.

 Math

  We will be using Saxon Math again this year.  This is the same text as last year, but with more advanced exercises. Children will have written work to do every day, but they will have time to work in the classroom and ask questions. We highly recommend this. Depending on how quickly your child works, s/he may not finish in class. I strongly suggest that all children bring home their work every day so that you can go over it with them and review. This goes a long way to help them retain the information of the day.

 Science

 We will be using a new science textbook this year called ELEVATE Science by Savvas. Throughout this year, we will focus our areas of study on life sciences including species and their habitats, organ systems; Earth sciences including the solar system, rocks, minerals, soil, erosion, the water cycle, water conservation, our weather; and physical sciences including electricity, magnetism, forces, matter, simple machines, and more! . 

 Social Studies

  This year we will be focusing on the 5 main regions of the United States and how the following principles apply to that region. First, we will learn how the government plays a role in establishing and maintaining community spaces, applying civic virtues, and developing democratic principles. Next, we will learn about the people, customs, major cities, and geography of each state as well as have the children learn the states and capitals of each region.  In addition to those, the students will learn economic principles and will learn about economic decision making. We will also discuss how individuals and groups work together to bring about continuity and change in society. Finally, we will use our resources to learn about the world and compare the perspectives of those resources to justify claims of causation and argumentation in society for each region. Our studies within United States history will also include the culture and contributions of Native Americans and their influence on European settlers as well as the early settlements and the thirteen colonies. The students will be able to identify the importance of our Founding Fathers and the Constitution of the United States.

 Spelling

  Each week on Monday students will be given a Spelling packet. This packet will have the list for the upcoming test as well as skills that will assist them with learning their words. These packets are due before the test and we highly encourage parents to look over these packets with their child so that they can correct problems and do their best. In our class, the test is on Friday each week.

 

Please note - The things written in this procedure booklet are subject to change. Any changes made will be communicated to parents via email.

Assignments

 

Assignments are due the next class period unless told otherwise by the teacher. Per the Parent- Student Handbook, students in 4th grade will receive 2 Oops slips before receiving a green slip for missing/late assignments. Oops slips are just our way of understanding that we all forget sometimes and we extend grace to our students for their first 2 missing/ late assignments. After receiving 2 though, the students will begin receiving green slips for any additional late/ missing assignments for the year. When a student receives a green slip, he/she will stay in during one of their recesses to have additional time to work on the assignment and then the student must take the slip home to have signed by a parent, complete the assignment, and return both the following day.

 

Behavior

 

Good, positive behavior is expected at all times.  We do use the BIST (Behavior Intervention Support Team) behavior model.  If you are unsure of the method, it is well defined in the student handbook.  Students should always act responsibly and respectfully toward everyone, following the two major rules: It is never okay to be hurtful and It is never okay to be disruptive.  In the classroom, we expect that your child will raise his/her hand before speaking and before leaving his/her seat.  Students should demonstrate good listening skills when others are speaking by not talking.  This is of utmost importance when the morning announcements are on as there is often needed information for us to hear and to ensure a safe learning environment for all students.

 

To promote positive behavior in the classroom, in 4th grade the children could have a chance to earn CBG’s.  CBG stands for “Caught Being Good” and is given when we witness a commendable act that models a positive behavior.  This CBG is good for various incentives in the classroom. The students are then able to turn in these “tickets” for prizes when we have CBG turn in days.

 

Birthday Treats

 

Birthday treats are welcome at 2:45pm.  Please let us know at least a day in advance before sending treats so that we may plan to allow time for the celebration.   Refrigerated or frozen treats need to be brought to the office just before 2:45 as we do not have room to keep them. Treats should be store-bought and individually packaged for easy distribution. 

 

Homework

 

In 4th grade students can expect up to 45 minutes of homework Monday through Thursday.  Social Studies and Science will meet five days a week for 45 minutes each day.  There will be an increase in homework in these areas.

 

Homework assignments are to be turned in on the date they are due- usually the following day, unless specified as a larger project having a different, specific due date.  For late homework, students will receive an “Oops” notice that must be signed by the parent and returned the next day of school.  After the third offense the student will have to attend Homework Helpers during a recess as stated above in the “assignments” section. Every child has 2 “Oops” passes that are good throughout the year.  They do not expire at the end of the first quarter.

 

Homework for the day is always written on the board for the students to copy into their student planner.  It is their responsibility to write it daily and take home the needed materials to complete it.  The homework will also be posted on our classroom websites which can be found on the school website, www.saintpeterjc.org. Go to the “School Site”. First click on the “About Us” tab and then the “Faculty” page. Find Mrs. Zumwalt and click on the webpage link. You can also save the URL below which will take you straight to the webpage:

 

https://zumwaltsclass.blogspot.com/

 

Library

 

We visit the Library as a class on Tuesday’s from 8:00-8:40. Students should keep library books in their book bags at all times when they are not reading them.  This will prevent leaving them at home on Library days.

 

We have a large classroom library that I make available for the students to read as well! I ask that students please be honest in returning the books and take care of them.

Morning Procedure

 

When students enter the classroom they should empty out all needed materials for the day from their backpacks, hang up their backpacks on their designated hooks in the coat closet, have a quiet seat and begin working on the morning work.

 

Almost every morning an assignment will be written on the board for them to complete before the announcements begin.  We will be trying out a new “soft start” to our day with morning bins. Students will get the designated bin of supplies and create, build, explore, and be inventive with that particular material. I hope this will be a great way for students to start their day! 

Occasionally, there could be a few Math problems, a sentence to correct, or a question to answer to review as needed.

 

 

Note-taking

Students will be expected to write notes from the board or smart board in almost every subject.  These notes are to be written in a designated section of their notebooks. Notes may be collected throughout the year to check if the student is showing responsibility for their work and keeping up with the class.

 

 

Schedule

A copy of your child’s daily schedule is attached.  “MAP” stands for Music, Art, and PE.   In 4th grade, the students will attend their MAP class each day from 10:40-11:20.  

 

4Z Rotation:    A = Art       B = PE        C = Music

 

Contact Information  

 

Kate Zumwalt

E-mail address:  kzumwalt@stpeterjc.org 

                                

Please remember that the best way to reach us is by e-mail.  Although we do have voicemail, it is not our preferred method of communication.  Responses to questions will be answered in a more timely fashion via e-mail.