4th Grade Overview

Mrs. Schumacher’s Homeroom

  1. Math Overview
    1. Addition and multiplication facts need to be memorized with speed and accuracy. (More importantly – accuracy) Any help you can give at home with working with math facts will aid in your son/daughter’s confidence with math in general.
    2. Accelerated Math is a computer-based program used to supplement the math curriculum. Concepts are taught and practiced in class through hands-on, active student participation, and pencil/paper methods. The students are then given computer printed copies of those concepts to complete. They then scan the score cards to receive immediate feedback. I can track any student who may be struggling with a particular concept. I use this as a tracking tool as well as assessing progress made in required mastered objectives.
    3. Math Fact Challenge is a way to practice memorizing the math facts this year. Sometime in September, two math fact sheets will be sent home along with a math fact challenge. You (the parents or someone older than the student) will try to finish doing the facts with speed and accuracy with your son/daughter. The signed form needs to be returned each Friday. Hopefully, this will be just one more tool to help learn the facts with lots of fun added.
  1. Reading Overview
    1. Free Read will be held every day for at least fifteen minutes.
    2. I will read to the students from a chapter book for a few minutes on a daily basis.
    3. Class Novels will be read with one completed each quarter: Shiloh, Sarah Plain and Tall, Bridge to Teribithia, and Number the Stars. We will watch the respective movies to each one of these novels. and Comparisons will be observed to see if the book and the movie have many similarities and differences.
    4. Picture books are a fabulous way to introduce any area of the curriculum. I will use MANY books throughout the year.
    5. Reading Charts are a record of all books and # of pages read during a quarter (three months) of school. These are recorded in the students’ Reading Workshop notebooks. Each child will receive a free book from the book clubs each quarter of school.

    F. Guided Reading Workshop will help your son/daughter to develop a greater love of reading and to become a more independent reader.

  2. Spelling Overview
    1. Spelling contracts will be stapled to list sheet.  Spelling Contracts go home on Monday evenings and are returned with a parent/guardian signature on Fridays. (Failure to return the signed contract will result in the student writing each of the 25 words 4 times at recess time. Please return the signed contract on the following Monday if this should be the case.)
    2. A review of the skills will be taught through the weekly lists will be done on Mondays with independent work during the Reading and Writing workshop times Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Mini-lessons will be taught as the need arises.
    3. Posttests are given on Fridays.

     

  3. English Overview
    1. Grammar includes the study of the parts of speech: nouns, verbs, adjectives, pronouns, and adverbs
    2. Writing workshop includes letter writing, narrative paragraphs, descriptive paragraphs, story writing, comparison and contrast paragraphs, how-to paragraphs, points of view paragraphs, etc. Mini lessons will be presented in small group fashion with occasional large group lessons.
    3. DL (Daily Language) will be just that – daily exercises in which students make corrections on the packet sheet after much discussion of possible mistakes. This packet of skills will be given at the beginning of the week to be completed by Fridays.
  4. Religion Overview
    1. The Beatitudes and the Ten Commandments as well as prayer are the main topics studied in Fourth Grade.
    2. All the basic prayers such as the Hail Mary, Glory Be, The Our Father, the Apostles’ Creed, and the Act of Contrition need to be memorized.
    3. All fourth graders spiritually adopt an unborn baby to be prayed for each day to be safe from being aborted. We memorize the following prayer: Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, I love you very much. I beg you to spare the life of the unborn baby that I have spiritually adopted who is in danger of abortion. Amen
    4. Community Service will include students corresponding with shut-ins of St. Mary’s Parish, and writing to the Seminarians preparing to become priests.
    5. If there are close relatives or friends serving the military in the Middle East (especially Iraq), let me know and we will try to correspond if we can.

  5.  Homework

    1. Homework is what is left to finish of an assignment. 3-4 nights a week your son/daughter should have some type of homework.
    2. Amount of time spent on homework averages 20-30 minutes per night. Occasionally, 45 minutes may be the case.
    3. Extra reading time for Quarterly Reading Charts may be beyond this time frame or within this time frame.
    4. Please call me if your son/daughter is working on homework for more than the above amount of time on a regular basis.
    5. Progress Reports are sent home every Monday or if holiday the next school day (Tues. usually). The following situations are noted: assignments handed in on time, papers signed/returned, and no names on papers. The certificate (if attached) should be taken off the packet and displayed at home.
    6. If the student has been absent time is given to make up the work. I try to give one day for each day absent.
    7. 5 points are taken off the score of an assignment if the paper is handed in late in the 1st semester. Ex: 100-5=95%. 10 points will be taken off in the 2nd semester. Names must be on the paper. 5 points are taken off the first semester and 10 points the second semester.
    8. All tests taken during the week are stapled to the progress report and are sent home on Mondays. These are all reviewed with your child and signed. All are returned on Tuesday or the next school morning.
  6. Science Overview
    1. I teach science to Mrs. Wilson’s group and to my group. Mrs. Wilson teaches Social Studies to both groups. Students will be learning to be organized in taking all supplies needed for the class. The students do the switching.
    2. Health is taught the 2nd quarter.
    3. Science is a hands-on oriented class.
    4. We do many group projects and experiments in class. Cooperation and teamwork are of the utmost important skills needed to do successful activities.
    5. Students are responsible for taking notes in class and recording vocabulary words and meanings in their notebooks.
    6. Test dates will be discussed at least a week in advance. Chapter tests will be given.

 

I hope that this clarifies any questions you may have. Please feel free to call me at any time. My phone is 226-1308.

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