What Time Is It? Using Verb Tenses Correctly

Identifying and correctly using regular and irregular verbs is an important fourth grade standard.  Students need to understand the difference between past, present and future tenses, and know the correct forms of common irregular verbs.

Today's homework:
     1.  Around the World in 71 Days.
     2.  Math Miss W:  No homework.
                   Mr. Spaulding:  PW52.
     3.  Read for half an hour.
     4.  Get parent initials.

Drawing Conclusions

What conclusion can we draw about what is happening in the picture?  An important fourth grade skill is the ability to draw logical conclusions.  Students should be able to use the clues in a reading passage to make well supported conclusions.

Today's homework:
     1.  Vocabulary Sort:  ject = throw
     2.  Math Miss W:  2 by 3 Digits
                    Mr. Spaulding:  RW52
     3.  Read for half an hour.
     4.  Get parent initials.

Welcome Back From Turkey Day!

I hope everybody had a great Thanksgiving break.  This week fourth graders are starting a new reading unit:  From Mystery to Medicine.  The first story is about Daniel Hale Williams, an African-American surgeon who, in 1893 became one of the first doctors to ever open the human chest and operate on a living heart.

Our Latin root this week is 'ject' meaning to throw, in words such as reject and projectile.  Spelling words can be found on page 64 of our spelling workbook.  Academic vocabulary words for today are detect and detectable.

In math we are concentrating on multiplication.  Students should, of course, know all their single digit facts already.  We are now learning how to multiply bigger numbers.  Students should understand what an array is and how it can be used to model multiplication problems.

In writing we are continuing to work on how to write good summaries. This week we will summarize an article about koalas.

Today's homework:
     1.  Spelling p. 64.
     2.  Math Miss W:  Two digit multiplication worksheet.
                   Mr. Spaulding:  RW51.
     3.  Read for half an hour.
     4.  Get parent initials.

Story Elements

Fourth graders are supposed to learn about story elements.  Most stories contain these features:  plot, setting, characters, theme, conflict and resolution.

Students should practice recognizing these elements in every story they read.

Today's homework:
    1.  Word sort for "dict = speak"
    2.  Math Miss W:  PW52
                  Mr. Spaulding:  RW44
    3.  Read for half an hour.
    4.  Get parent initials.

Parent Conferences Week

We have minimum days all this week for parent/teacher conferences.

This week's story in language arts is a Russian folktale called "Salt."  Fourth graders are expected to learn about different literary genres, including folktales.

In math, fourth graders are working hard at multiplying big numbers.  This is much easier if students have all their multiplication facts memorized.  Students should practice times tables at home every day until the have complete automaticity in recalling basic multiplication facts.

Today's homework:
     1.  Spelling p. 52.
     2.  Math Miss W: RW52
                   Mr. Spaulding: PW43
     3.  Read for half an hour.
     4.  Get parent initials.

Fort Tejon Trip Planned

Good news!  Room 14 has received confirmation for our upcoming trip to Fort Tejon.  This overnight trip is scheduled for May 23rd and 24th.  We will need parent volunteers for this fun, exciting, and highly educational field trip.  Look for more information to follow throughout the school year.



Please send back your conference notification forms as soon as possible.  We will have parent conferences all next week to go over the first trimester report cards.

Homework for today:
     1.  Spelling practice test (words are on p. 36.)
     2.  Math Miss W:  SR2
                   Mr. Spaulding: SR11
     3.  Read for half an hour.
     4.  Get parent initials.

Minimum Days

We will have a minimum day this coming Friday.  Monday is a vacation day - no school.  The rest of next week we have minimum days every day for conferences.  Please be sure to return your child's conference notification form.

Today's homework:

     1.  "Conquering Mount Everest" worksheets.

     2.  Math:  no homework (we tested today.)

     3.  Read for half an hour.

     4.  Get parent initials.

Blue Whales Are Enormous!

Fourth graders are learning to summarize.  Today we worked on summarizing an article about blue whales.  To summarize, students first read an article, then go back and highlight the most important ideas.  Next, they rewrite the principal ideas using their own words, and then finish by carefully reading over and proofreading their work.  Summarizing is an important fourth grade skill.

Today's homework:
     1.  Spelling p. 37.
     2.  Math Miss W:  RW45
                   Mr. Spaulding:  RW43
     3.  Read for half an hour.  Some students need to get caught up on AR.
     4.  Get a parent initial.

First Trimester Is Rapidly Coming to a Close

We are wrapping up the first trimester of instruction and getting ready for parent conferences next week.  Students are busy reviewing and testing this week.

Today's Homework:
     1.  Spelling p. 36
     2.  Math Miss W:  RW43
                    Mr. Spaulding: PW41
     3.  Read for half an hour.
     4.  Get parent initials.

Back to Normal

After a day of ballerinas, cowboys, werewolves and ghouls, things are settling down at Sespe School...


Modern English has borrowed words from many different languages around the world.  Fourth graders are particularly learning about English words that come from either Greek or Latin.  Roots from these languages are used to form many important academic and scientific words, and a knowledge of common Greek and Latin roots helps students learn and remember new words.

Today's homework:
     1.  Spelling Practice Test.
     2.  Math Miss W:  5-4
                   Mr. Spaulding:  No homework (we had a test today.)
     3.  Read for half an hour.
     4.  Get parent initials.