FOURTH GRADE

Welcome to 4th Grade!

In 4th grade your students will apply the skills they’ve learned in reading and writing to more complex levels of work required.  In Reading, they will learn new analytical skills such as compare and contrast, cause and effect, character and plot analysis, the use of similes, metaphor, idiom, and various types of visual imagery.   They will learn about the author’s purpose, setting of the story and the various types or genres of literature and how to identify these.

In their writing they will demonstrate how to write an expository paragraph, a persuasive essay, poetry of various types, descriptive and narrative writing, research papers in which they attribute their sources,  just to name a few.  Students will be expected to write using all the proper rules of punctuation, capitalization, and spelling that they will learn and review form previous grades as well as this one.  They will have genre book reports assigned each quarter with directions and grading rubrics given.  They will do all their formal (to be handed in) writing in erasable ink in cursive, unless typing is given as an option.

They will use what they learn in Grammar to write with a more “mature voice” and express themselves, at the same time being able to identify nouns, pronouns, verbs, etc. in their writing.  They will also learn the meanings of hundreds of new vocabulary words and strive to use them in everyday speech. 

Religion will cover the study of Jesus and Mary as our examples of living a life pleasing to God, the study of the 10 Commandments in detail, the study of the sacraments, the Beatitudes, the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy, and how God kept the covenant with the Israelites, to be their God and watch over them, if they but follow His will.  We will also discuss the prophets and Old Testament figures in the Bible.

In Math they will really use their basic math facts extensively as they learn to add, subtract, multiply and divide much larger numbers.  They will also learn more about fractions, mixed numbers, equivalent fractions, standard and metric measurements, and use different types of graphs and tables to organize data.  They will review the basic geometric shapes and learn how to find perimeter, and other dimensions of simple polygons.  They will learn all kinds of Math vocabulary and the various properties of addition and multiplication.  They will also see how decimals relate to fractions, as parts of a whole number or mixed numbers.

This grade is the only one that teaches Science and Social Studies in a block arrangement.  That means that when the student has Social Studies, they do not have Science and vice-versa.  They will have a block of Social Studies, then a block of Science.  We found that the demands of 4th grade were strenuous enough that students seemed to manage better with one content area of homework and testing at a time, in addition to the rest of the homework load to which they had to adjust.  These content areas are taught more comprehensively four days a week, rather than just occasionally as they were in 3rd grade.  So the workload is inherently greater.  Science labs, for instance, are usually every 1-2 weeks, rather than monthly.

In Science students will learn about plants, with an emphasis on flowering plants, the relationship of the sun, moon, and earth to one another and the influences each has on the other, the weather, electricity and magnetism, the oceans and finally, the human body.   We end the year by doing a “play” of the “Living Heart,” in which the students play a role in the Circulatory System as it is set up throughout the halls and gym of the school.  It is a kinesthetic learning experience that uses some parent volunteer help, as well as student help in preparation.  The students “become the circulatory system,” circulating through the heart and lungs set up in the gym.

Social Studies will emphasize the study of Virginia history, geography, environment, resources, culture and arts in an interdisciplinary approach.  The time focus is from the 17th century to the present.  Students do map and globe studies and various research reports.  There is usually a field trip to one of the local historical sites in which the students experience first hand what it might be like to live in colonial times.  The highlight of the year is Colonial Day held at St. Timothy School in the spring, when the children dress in colonial garb for the day, and are immersed in colonial activities all day including even lunch and recess activities.

In light of all of the above, it will be necessary for students to have a quiet place to study without distractions, help them set up a homework and activity schedule, get plenty of rest and start every morning with a good breakfast.  They’ll need it for maintaining brain power throughout the day!  Though all of this information may seem overwhelming to you and your students at first, we teach them the skills they need to meet these demands through the use of study guides and visual and real time demonstrations of the tasks they must master.  They do learn to adapt to the demands of fourth grade and by the end of the year, have developed such a sense of pride and accomplishment with all that they have learned, and rightly so!

We look forward to a great year with your students, and please let us know if you have any questions or problems that may arise.

Fourth Grade Teachers

Fourth grade students at St. Timothy will be assigned to a homeroom 4A or 4B. They will attend all classes, including specials, with the students in their class. The homeroom teachers will teach the core subjects (Math, Spelling, Vocabulary, Reading and Religion) to their homerooms. Mrs. Yenke will teach Science to both classes and Mrs. Gadell will teach Social Studies to both classes. Science and Social Studies will be taught on a block schedule with students having a unit of either Science or Social Studies each block. All other subjects (Spanish, PE, Computers, Library and Art) will be taught be teachers specializing in those subject areas (see list above).

School Supplies

Fourth grade students will receive their prepaid school supplies on the first day of school. They are only responsible for purchasing the extra classroom donations (tissues, wipes...) on the supply list online.

Room Mothers

Please consider volunteering to be a room mother for your class. Each room mother will be in regular contact with each family regarding volunteering in and outside the classroom for special events and during Art, Computer, PE and Library and will coordinate with the PTO regarding school-wide activities. Room mothers must be Virtus-certified. To volunteer, please contact your classroom teacher as soon as possible.

Specials Schedule

School Policies and Procedures (Handbook)

Please refer to the current Elementary School Handbook for any questions re: school policy and procedures. It is available online. Each family must sign and return the handbook agreement form found at the end of the handbook.

Food

Please pack a lunch/sandwich and a healthy snack for your child each day.   Hot lunches begin September 9 and will be available Tuesday - Friday.   The menu is available online.  You will be notified if there are any allergies in your students' classroom that may require special attention to food brought during snacktime.

Take Home Folder

Please be sure to check your child's folder each night for papers that need to be signed and returned.  If you have something for your teacher or the front office, please send to school in this folder. Midway through each quarter, your student will receive an interim report of their progress thus far in the quarter.

Homework

Students in fourth grade will receive a yellow assignment notebook. Please check the assignment pad for nightly homework assignments and longer term projects. Students with incomplete assignments may receive "missing assignment" and/or "academic demerit" slips which need to be signed and returned.

Behavior

Refer to the Elementary School Handbook for specific information on demerits and detentions which pertains to students in fourth through eighth grade.

Communication

The best way to reach your child's teacher is through email or a note in your child's backpack.  Classrooom news and announcements will be posted on the individual teacher's TeacherWeb page. Please sign up for the NEWSFLASH email updates for notification of when the teacher make changes to the pages. Please be sure to regularly check both Mrs. Yenke and Mrs. Gadell's teacherweb sites for announcements pertaining to Science or Social Studies..

The majority of school-wide communication occurs on the main school website: www.sainttimothyschool.org, including a regular letter from the school principal, Mrs. Kobyra. A school-wide monthly newsletter will be sent home in a Brown Envelope at the end of each month beginning in September which will include an updated calendar for the following month. Any items for the office can be placed in that envelope and returned. Please return the brown envelope each month to ensure that it is returned to you with a newsletter and important forms the following month. Emergency and last minute announcements may occur via our school messenging system which allows school-wide announcements from the principal via email and phone call. Please ensure that your contacts are up to date.

PE

The children will have PE two days per week. They are required to wear their PE uniform for the entire day on PE days, including tennis shoes. If there is a special occasion, such as picture days, a separate announcement will be made.

Uniforms

Please refer to the student handbook (available online) for specific uniform requirements for the fourth grade.  Students are expected to be in full compliance at all times. "Uniform violations" will be issued to students that are not, which must be signed and returned.

Virtus Certification

Diocesan Policy for the protection of children requires all parents wishing to volunteer for their students' classes, activities and field trips must be Virtus certified. We ask that all parents obtain this one-time certification during their students' preschool or kindergarten year to prevent the loss of opportunity in future years. Information on the necessary documents and class attendance are available on our Virtus site.

Curriculum

St. Timothy School follows the curriculum of the Catholic Diocese of Arlington. Curriculum guidelines are available on the Office of Catholic Schools' website.