September Newsletter
Room
208 Mrs. Kirsch
Back to School !
Dear Parents,
WELCOME BACK ! It is with
great anticipation that we begin this school year. I hope that all
enjoyed a wonderful and restful summer vacation.
Welcome to Room 208 ! I am
looking forward to a great year. We had an excellent first week,
busy with learning new procedures and returning to previous routines
and skill development.
I believe that the home
/school connection is essential in the formation of both social and
academic skills. We will work as partners, this year, to build and
enhance foundation skills and foster a lifetime love of learning for
your child.
You and your child are
cordially invited to attend our “Parent Night” on Thursday,
September 4. Come visit our beautiful classroom beginning at 7:00
p.m. I look forward to meeting each of you !
My goals for your children
v
To deepen
your child’s faith and commitment
v
To improve
grammar and writing skills
v
To develop
confidence in oral skills
v
To encourage
writing for enjoyment and purpose
v
To foster a
love for reading
v
To implement
innovative problem solving skills and computation skills
v
To enhance
social skills
v
To create an
awareness of global issues facing our Earth
v
To spark
excitement and discovery of science and new technology
To help me achieve these
goals I will need your help and commitment. Please emphasize to your
child the importance of being a responsible student by being
prepared for school with completed assignments, appropriate uniform,
a positive attitude, and a willingness to learn.
Religion (Room 208)
v
Bible/spiral/folder
v
Call to
Faith/ workbook
v
Second Step
Program
v
Family Life
Series
Our year long focus is on
the life and journey of St. Paul. We will continue in study and
prayer to follow his example of love, sacrifice, service and
commitment. Unit 1 begins with “Revelation.” Students will learn
in Scripture and Tradition how God communicates to all creation His
loving plan for each of us.
Reading (Room 208)
v
One
spiral/folder
v
Houghton
Mifflin Reading
text to develop vocabulary and improve comprehension
v
Novels for
enrichment
In addtion to learning how
to read magazine articles for maximum impact, we will be beginning
our discovery with fiction stories, identifying main characters,
setting, plot, theme. Students will use various graphic organizers
to identify and organize what they are reading to improve
understanding and comprehension.
We are also very fortunate
to have Mrs. Kysiak available to work with students both
individually or in small groups, primarily in math and reading.
Writing (Room 208)
v
One
spiral/loose leaf, glue stick
v
Voyages
4 text to improve grammar and writing skills
v
Dictionary/Thesaurus
Mrs. Mahoney will be
instructing the students in the fine art of writing one day per week
in Writer’s Workshop. We will continue practicing complete sentence
structure, locating subjects and verbs.
Spelling (Room 208)
v
Word Lists
(every other week)
v
Rebecca
Sitton’s Sourcebook Lessons for Spelling and Word Skills
Each student was given a
list of “No Excuse Words” and 4th Grade Core Words.
Please review these words frequently with your child. Skills
covered in the next few weeks include: long and short vowel sounds,
spelling patterns for the “k” sound, consonant blends, homonyms.
Social Studies (Room 208)
v
Spiral/folder/atlas
v
MacMillan/McGraw-Hill/ Our Country’s Regions
text
We will begin or study of
the Southwest states. Students will focus on the geography, economy,
and history of the region. Current events will be highlighted each
Monday.
Science (Room 208)
v
Spiral/folder
v
Scott
Foresman Science
text and workbook
We will begin in our new
science series with Life Sciences, learning about classifying plants
and animals. Every Friday, students will complete an activity in
the Science Lab. We also look forward to working in the greenhouse
and pond area.
Math (Room 208)
v
Spiral/folder
v
Everyday
Mathematics
Reference Book and workbook
We will begin with naming
and constructing geometric figures. We will also be stressing basic
computational skills through games and activities.
Homework/Tests/Grading
v
Class
assignments not finished are to be completed at home.
v
Math texts
may be signed out to bring home.
v
Homework
notices will be issued, if necessary.
All tests/quizzes and
assignments are
generally open note. I believe that the books available in the
classroom are to be used as instructional tools. I encourage the
students to become very familiar with all the tools available to
help them be successful. Any test grades and assignments that are 74
or lower will be sent home for a parent’s signature. Your
child’s grade will reflect points earned for written activities,
homework, oral activities, group work, individual formal and
informal assessments.
We also will be in small
groups at least once every other week to incorporate differentiated
learning strategies and to improve math skill and organization.
Homework is an integral part of this endeavor… daily study and
day-to-day preparation is a must!
Weekly Folders (Room 208)
Each Friday, a take-home
folder will be sent home for parents containing important
announcements and weekly work. Please review the papers with your
child, sign the attached sheet, and return the folder with your
child by the following Tuesday.
SNACK, please ! (Room 208)
Students should have a
water bottle for their personal use throughout the day. A brief
“snack break” is scheduled in the afternoon each day. Students may
choose to bring a special, healthy snack or may save a bit of lunch
to enjoy.
Reminders for September…
September 1 No School- Labor Day
September 4 Parent Night for Grades 4-6, 7:00
p.m.
September 5 Out of Uniform Day
September 22 Grades 1-4 Liturgy 9:15 a.m.
September 24 Game Day
September 29 Grades 3-4 Reconciliation
September 30 School Pictures
Please refer to the school website for additional details !
Think. Feel, Grow. LOVE !
I look
forward to seeing you on Parent Night !
Mrs. Kirsch
Grade 4
kirsch@sjc.pvt.k12.il.us
|
