4th Grade News

Welcome to the 4th Grade Blog! We are going green this year. We will be adding important information to our blog to keep you informed on what is going on at RCE. Please check us out regularly to find out what is going on academically in each subject area.

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Curriculum Night is coming

View the blurb below for more details about Curriculum Night!


Click on:
http://www.acapela.tv/goodolddays-100597467_c0f6a03269577.html

Rummel Creek's night at Los Tios

Come join us for Rummel Creek night at Los Tios Memorial location on Tuesday, January 26th 5- 9 PM. Bring family and friends to enjoy a Mexican Fiesta. Be sure to give this flyer to your server and RCE PTA will get 20% of your bill. Hope to see you all there!

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Language Arts and Social Studies Update

Language Arts

The students are working on creating a well organized writing piece with the focus on personal narrative. They are also looking at the grammar components of correct word choice, combining sentences, spelling errors and being able to identify complete sentences.

Literature circles or book clubs are still going strong. The students are reading books for pleasure and involved in their group's discussions. Book clubs give the teachers a way to introduce the students to different genres.

Social Studies

Fourth grade continues their Texas focus and we are currently studying the Texan's fight for independence from Mexico. Some current topics we are reading about and discussing include
the missions and their roles and Texas heroes that were involved in the Battle of the Alamo.
Soon we will learn about Texas becoming the 28th state of the Union.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Math and Science updates

Math

Fourth graders have been working with equivalent fractions this month. We have learned how to identify or make an equivalent fraction both with manipulatives and
mathematically. Please have your child show you how the multiplication table/chart can be used to identify equivalent fractions. This is amazing! It can also be used to find the simplest form (lowest terms) which is an area of fractions we are currently learning. We are also comparing and placing fractions on a number line and determiningg which fractions are greater than, lesser than or equal to others. We will be moving into improper fractions and mixed numbers soon.

Another area we are continuing to visit is two digit by two digit multiplication. This is a big step for fourth graders and takes lots of practice. We are currently using the model of using partial products to arrive at the final answer. Practice a couple of these problems with your child nightly to help increase his/her proficiency and accuracy.


Science

We just had a great time exploring and classifying rocks in the Geology lesson at Hands on Science last week. We really appreciate the parents who helped plan, set up and teach this fun unit!
In our science curriculum, we have also been discussing Recycling, Reusing and . This went along with our green week at RCE last week. Fourth graders made recycling posters to help remind everyone the steps they can take to help.

This month we have been exploring habitats and biomes. We discussed the characteristics of climate, plant and animal life for each biome and how they interact with each other. The students have found this interesting and some have done additional research to share with the class.

Science Fair is coming up and we hope your child chose to participate in this fun event! We are looking forward to see what our junior scientists have discovered
On January 28th.

Literature Ideas

You can read and discuss any of the following on one of these wintry nights!

A Blizzard of Wintry Books
Brrr! Warm up to a winter wonderland of literature! From viewing the splendor of snow through a child’s eyes to exploring the miracle of snowflakes through a camera lens, these books are sure to deepen appreciation for the coldest season of the year!

Dear Rebecca, Winter is Here by Jean Craighead George
A grandmother describes the arrival of winter in a letter to her granddaughter. Her brief, poetic prose explains the winter solstice in easy-to-understand terms, conveying the interconnectedness of winter and nature as well as the transition from one season to the next.

Building an Igloo by Ulli Steltzer
This photo-illustrated selection provides a fascinating look at the centuries-old Inuit tradition of building igloos. Inuits do not live in igloos today, but the craftsmanship and cooperative spirit needed to build these icy shelters continue to be passed on to younger generations.

Snow by Uri Shulevitz
In this picturesque tale, nothing can dampen a young boy’s growing anticipation of a snowstorm. Caldecott Honor-winning illustrations gradually transform the gray buildings into a magical snow-covered cityscape.

Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin
Young Wilson Bentley was so fascinate4d by snowflakes that he became determined to find a way to share their beauty with others. Tinted woodcuts and sidebars with related facts complement this Caldecott Medal-winning biography of the boy who later became know as “The Snowflake Man.”

Homework Help

Homework Hints

One way to help your fourth grader is to check their agenda nightly for the homework assignments. While we encourage your child to complete their homework on their own, it’s always helpful if you look over their work to see how they are doing. Intervene if you see that they are off to a rocky start or have a misconception.
Homework should be a review of what your child has already learned at school, but sometimes a child might need a little extra practice on something or a little more TLC to understand the concept fully.

Another way to help with homework is to have your child read a page to you from their current book. Ask your child their opinion about the plot or the author’s style.
Don’t be afraid to discuss any of the 5 W’s (who, what, when, where and how) about their book to make sure that they are comprehending what they are reading.


Math facts can be a chore but definitely help with speed and accuracy in multiplication and division problems. Make up a facts game or quiz them in the car on the way to an event. It’s helpful to ask them division facts now if you haven’t done so recently. For example, 70 divided by 12 is ___.

Fourth Grade Tidbits

Hands on Science


On Monday, January 11th the fourth graders explored the area of Geology.

Several parent volunteers helped the students classify and study rocks.

The students learned a lot and enjoyed the experience.

Thank you to the parents for the planning,the set up and the teaching of this great unit!


Surf into Science Fair


The third through fifth grade science fair is the evening of Thursday, January 28th.

The registration forms were due last Friday, January 15th.

The set up will be after school on Wednesday, January 27th.

We hope you enjoy the planning, the preparation and the project that your child creates!

A section of the library has books with lots of ideas if you or your child needs some help.

Have fun!



Mrs. Kohl is Back


On Thursday, January 14th the fourth grade was glad to see Mrs. Kohl's smiling face back at RCE. Macy continues to do well and her big brother, Lincoln, has been a great helper!

Mrs. Amy White did a great job and we enjoyed having her at RCE!



Valentine Party


The fourth grade valentine party will be from 12:45-1:30 p.m. on Friday, February 12th.

We know the parents in charge of the party would appreciate your help and item donations.

You will be hearing from them soon!

Your child will need to bring valentine cards for his/her class! What a fun time!


Museum of Fine Arts Fieldtrip


Our fieldtrip to the Museum of Fine Arts will be Thursday, February 18th.

This event is done in two groups so your child's time will be indicated on the permission form.

Docents lead us through various exhibits so we get a taste of different styles, eras and media.


Curriculum Night, February 16, 2010

Rummel Creek's Curriculum Night is Tuesday, February 16th from 6-8 p.m. The emphasis this year is Technology and how we Integrate and Use it with Language Arts.
There will be four half hour sessions with several options that you may choose from and all the action is in the library, Kiva and Computer Lab area.
Teachers will be available to explain, demonstrate and help you become familiar with various web 2.0 options the students have access to and utilize at school.
Choices will include items like the Spring Branch Libraries Resource Page, Wordle, Animoto just to name a few.
You can actually create a wordle or animoto movie. Your child can share with you some things he/she has created.
Specifics will be coming home soon.
We're looking forward to seeing you that evening!

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

We need to borrow bedsheets for the freeze

Rummel Creek is requesting old sheets to borrow (with their names on them) to help cover all of our new plants for the big freeze we are expecting Thursday? We will return the sheets after the freeze.