Q1W3
On the road to building confidence, pairing personal responsibility with earned privileges fosters deep trust, strong relationships, and a lasting sense of accomplishment in our scholars. Here are a few age-appropriate privileges a responsible fourth grader might enjoy:
Age-appropriate privileges can include choosing their own homework schedule, managing their morning alarm, or earning a slightly later bedtime for reading. You might also let them take the lead by picking their daily outfits, planning a family dinner, choosing the weekend movie, managing a small allowance, or earning wider neighborhood biking boundaries.
Agendas: Home–School Connection
Our classroom agendas are the daily link between school and home. Parents play a key role by checking and signing them each night to ensure assignments and notes are accurate. This teaches students responsibility and keeps everyone informed. Make it fun—use stickers, short chats, or small rewards for correct agendas. Consistent follow-through at home makes this system work for everyone!
We want to clear up any confusion about the agenda signatures. The purpose of this activity is to make sure your child is bringing home all their materials every night and that you are holding them accountable to making sure they are practicing the virtue of Responsibility. Each day as we pack up, each scholar is required to make a stack of all the needed materials before packing up. This is explicitly modeled and demonstrated and expected of each scholar.
**Please do not sign their agenda if you did not check that each assignment is completed. You can simply write us a note that you are not able to sign until they bring their materials.
Reward ideas parents can use for agenda success:
Extra Choice Time – Let them pick the evening activity (game, show, or outdoor play).
Stay-Up-Late Night – Earn a few extra minutes past normal bedtime on a chosen night.
Special Job Swap – Trade one of their regular chores for a fun or “grown-up” task they want to try.
NEWS:
-8/24 Rescheduled Chapter 1 Math Test. Use these resources to help students review:
Use Khan Academy to review Ch. 1 Math Concepts
Place Value and Rounding Review
-Picture day on 8/25. Be sure to send in scholar looking their best on this day, as these picture are the ones that will find their way into the yearbook (unless scholars are ordered retakes later on in the year).
-Curriculum Night on 8/26 (WEDNESDAY). This event begins at 6:30 pm and acts as an amazing way to understand the curriculum and expectations laid upon both scholars and parents. This is an event dedicated to parents and will answer any questions you have with fourth grade.
-First Poem Recital due on 8/28 (FRIDAY). Student will be expected to memorize and recite "Afternoon on a Hill" by this date or before.
-Science Comprehension Check Energy Transfer (Chapters 1-4) 8/28 (Friday).
-Maps & Mountains Comprehension Check (Test) Week 4 For the first comprehension check of the year, which replaces traditional tests in history and science, the students will be assessed on their knowledge of maps. They will be writing about the content in the History Book Chapters about the functions and uses of maps and mountains. They can use notes and their text books to review ahead of time.
September 4th – 12:30 Dismissal (R&R Weekend)
September 7th- No School - Labor Day
September 9th – First Kingdoms Mtg
September 9th – Progress Notices Sent
CURRICULUM:
ELA:
In GRAMMAR, scholars are diving into Chapter 2 of Well-Ordered Language (WOL) as we explore adverbs!
Scholars are learning how adverbs bring extra detail to our sentences by modifying verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. They will be practicing how to spot adverbs by asking three key questions: How?, Where?, When?.
To reinforce what we are practicing in class, scholars will have homework assigned directly from their WOL workbooks this week. Encouraging your scholar to recite their grammar chants or review their textbook notes at home is a great way to help them master this week's lessons!
LITERATURE continues with the reading of Wizard of Oz chapters 8-12, so please ensure your student has their copy at school. We will utilize the text to learn about conflict resolution, sequencing events, and making predications.
We continue our COMPOSITION program, practicing summaries and note-taking skills through dedicated writing and dictation. Additionally, we will begin building up the tools required in essay writing, starting with topic sentences which begins our year-long Essay Writing content.
In LATIN AND GREEK ROOTS, we will be learning our next three roots; bi, tri, and quad. With them we will learn the definition and spelling of the following: bicycle, biped, bifocals, bilingual, biennial, tricycle, triangle, trilogy, triple, tripod, quadrilateral, quadriceps, quadrant, quadruple, and quadruped.
We also begin our first POETRY RECITATION. Students will be memorizing the poem "Afternoon on the Hill" by Edna St. Vincent Millay and will recite it in front of the class THIS FRIDAY on August 28th.
For PHILOSOPHY, we will discuss the following question: "Are you a fair and just person?"
Math:
In math, we will begin with Chapter 2, which involves an overview of addition and subtraction. We will continue to practice our multi- digits operations and begin to engage with word problems. These will act as a basis that we will use for the remainder of the year.
Use Khan Academy to review Ch. 1 Math Concepts
Place Value and Rounding Review
History:
This week, our fourth-grade scholars at Archway Chandler are embarking on a geographic journey to explore the world's mountains! We will build on our landforms knowledge by investigating how mountains are created, the wildlife they support, and their impact on the environment.
This Week's Focus
Formation & Maps (Mon): Identifying global mountain ranges and learning the science behind how the four main types of mountains form (Folded, Fault-Block, Volcanic, and Dome).
Animal Adaptations (Tue): Examining the specific physical traits animals need to survive harsh, steep, and freezing high-altitude environments.
Natural Barriers (Thu): Exploring how massive mountain ranges block the movement of weather, wildlife, and people, alongside the ways humans have adapted to live there.
Important Assignments
Homework: Types of Mountains Foldable & daily map review using the plastic sleeve study tool.
Classwork: Mountain Animals Worksheet & Mountain Barriers Guided Notes.
Science:
This week in science, our scholars are wrapping up their exploration of energy transfer and preparing for their mid-way through the unit Comprehension Check!
We are shifting our focus from visible movement to the invisible ways energy travels. Scholars will investigate how sound vibrations can transfer energy and cause physical changes at a distance. To capture this, they will practice drawing "lines of motion" in their science journals to accurately model invisible air movement.
As we review, we will lean heavily on our "Golden Rule" of energy: If there is movement or a change, energy was transferred! Scholars will work collaboratively to categorize real-world scenarios and diagram how the speed of an object impacts the amount of energy it transfers during a collision.
Upcoming Assessment & Homework Our 100-point Comprehension Check will take place at the end of the week. A major component of this assessment requires scholars to write a structured paragraph explaining the exact sequence of energy transfer when a fast-moving ball collides with a stationary one.
--Scholars should review chapters 1-4 in their Science Text book and any videos linked on blog from weeks 1-3 to aid in their understanding in preparation for Friday's Comprehension Check (test).
Homework: Energy Transfer
Vocabulary to Review: Sound, Vibration, Motion, Lines of Motion, Kinetic Energy, Collision, and Energy Transfer
Amazing Water and Sound Experiment
Energy Transfer and Transformation
How Sound Travels Through Different Mediums
Remember, the blog is updated weekly. Be sure to come back frequently to see any upcoming events or changes in fourth grade.