A new year is beginning, and we are expecting great things from our fourth graders! As you probably know we are using the Core Knowledge Sequence as a guide for our instruction. If you would like to know what your child will be learning this year, the book What Your Fourth Grader Needs to Know by E. D. Hirsch, Jr. is a wonderful resource.
Our curriculum is so rich! We will be studying classical works of literature such as Pollyanna, Gulliver’s Travels, Robinson Crusoe, Robin Hood, and Treasure Island. We will also be studying poems and a collection of sayings and phrases. Our geography and history time will be spent learning about the Middle Ages, the Rise of Islam, China’s Dynasties, African Tribes of the Middle Ages, the American Revolution, and the Writing of the Constitution. In addition, we will be studying the major mountains of the world. In science, we will explore topics such as geology, meteorology, the circulatory and respiratory systems, chemistry and electricity. We are excited to be using the Singapore Math program. This innovative program works to empower students to deeply understand mathematical concepts and apply them to practical situations.
Each of us has created a classroom blog to help you stay informed about what is happening in our classrooms. This will become a very valuable tool for you to be a partner in your child’s 4th grade education. This resource will be continually updated as new information becomes important to share with families. Please spend some time becoming familiar with the site so the resources can become as valuable to you as they were intended.
Homework is required at Xavier and you can anticipate approximately 40 minutes of homework each Monday through Thursday night, your child should also be reading 20 minutes per evening. In addition to the regular homework your child will have several at home projects throughout the course of the school year. Please refer to the blog for important details regarding the homework in 4th grade.
Once again, we are looking forward to working with you and your child this school year. If you have questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us. Email is the easiest way stay in touch. Mrs. Robbins can be reached at rrobbins@xaviercharter.org and Mrs. Barrutia at dbarrutia@xaviercharter.org. Leaving a message on the classroom phone is not an effective way to reach us. Please send us an email that you need to reach us by phone and we can respond via phone. Emergencies or things that need to be relayed to your kids during the day should only go through the office as we are busy teaching and do not check email during the day. We look forward to starting this year!
Mrs. Barrutia
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