Ms. Wejman

Monday, September 29^th

This week for homework, read The Power of W.O.W. by Crystal Hubbard. By Friday, you should complete three tic-tac-toe activities in your homework notebook. At the top of each page, you should write the date and title of the story.

Miss Wejman’s

Peek at the Week

Week of September 29^th-October 3^rd

Math: Represent and interpret data

The week will begin with the students using the number of raisins in boxes to interpret data. First, they will make guesses of the number of raisins per box, then estimate. Ask your fourth grader to distinguish between a guess and an estimate. They will use the actual count of raisins per box to find the maximum, minimum, range, and mode. Throughout the week, they will use data to find median on a line plot and bar graph. All of the fourth graders should be able to define maximum, minimum, range, median, and mode by the end of the week. On Wednesday, the students will be using different strategies to add multi-digit numbers. As you remember from third grade, the Everyday Math series uses a variety of ways to add. The students will review both the partial-sums method and column-addition method (traditional). For homework, students should follow the directions and practice both strategies. Although practicing both ways can be confusing, the philosophy for teaching a variety of strategies is that students learn in different ways. Both strategies involve the students first using a Ballpark Estimate before adding. The advantage of using a Ballpark Estimate first is so that the students can check their work to see if their work makes sense. Also, it helps with rounding and estimation. If your child needs help with either method, please let me know before Friday and I will be happy to help your student in class.

Social Studies: Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words or phrases

As the fourth graders are introduced to the American people, government, and economy, they will use context clues to define the vocabulary words. To help the students understand the meaning of the vocabulary, they will also draw images.

Science: Identify physical features of plants and animals that help them live in different environments.

After spending the first four weeks of school learning about the skeletal system, the students will move on to the muscular system. Most of the instruction will focus on the skeletal muscles, but the scientists should also be able to know the significance of involuntary muscles. In learning about the skeletal muscles, the students will be able to identify muscle pairs. In an arm model, they will be able to identify tendons, a joint, bones, and muscles.

Reading: Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text; summarize the text.

In guided reading group discussions, the students will identify the theme of their books. They will support their theme with specific text evidence. Ask your fourth grade what the theme of their guided reading book is.  On Friday, the students will take a reading test. The fourth graders cannot study for this test. The purpose of this test is to assess the students on the reading strategies that have been taught during the first five weeks of fourth grade. The final reading grade is composed in the following way- Bingo Activities: 30%, Guided Reading Group Discussions: 30%, Reading Tests: 30%, and Homework: 10%. Please let me know if you have any questions, comments, or concerns about the reading grade.

Writing: Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons and information.

Starting in October and continuing through the first half of the school year, the students will be using ThinkCERCA (Claim, Evidence, Reasoning, Counterargument, Audience) to write opinion pieces. This web based, Common Core-aligned literacy program was created by a teacher from Whitney Young. During the next several weeks, the foundation of the program will be introduced to the students. Because the program allows the students to listen to the text that they are responding to, all students should have ear buds. As the students are learning the format of the program, we will be completing the lessons together. The first several lessons introduce the program to the students. In addition to learning the format, the students will be learning about the importance of making arguments. Eventually, more independence will be given to the fourth graders as they become more acclimated to the program.

Monday, September 22^nd

This week for homework, read How Tia Lola Came to Stay by Julia Alvarez. By Friday, you should complete three tic-tac-toe activities in your homework notebook. At the top of each page, you should write the date and underlined title of the story.

Miss Wejman’s

Peek at the Week

Week of September 22^nd-26^th

Math: Generalize place value understanding for multi-digit whole numbers.

We will begin the week with looking at different way numbers are found in our world. The fourth graders will be introduced to various attractions of Washington D.C. and identify numbers throughout our nation’s capital. As we continue in the week, we will be identifying place value up to one billion. Using a calculator, the fourth graders will be able to identify how to change numbers through changing digits in a specific place value. This is a difficult concept for some fourth graders. When working with your child at home, show your fourth grader a number in the billions and ask your child to identify the value of each digit.

Social Studies: Interpret information presented visually, orally, or quantitatively and explain how the information contributes to an understanding of the text in which it appears.

As the students are reading the informational text in the social studies book, they will be using text features to gain more information. The text features that they will be reading in the text include graphs, pictures, timelines, and captions. The fourth graders will be identifying the purpose of these text features.

Science: Identify physical features of plants and animals that help them live in different environments.

Because of last week’s NWEA assessments, we are behind schedule in science. This week, we will compare and contrast animal bones to human bones. The students will also observe the skeletal systems of different animals. By observing the different skeletal systems, they will be able to identify the animal based on the bone structure. Ask your child to tell you about the skeletal systems of a specific animal.

Reading: Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text.

After focusing on the character traits of the protagonists last week, this week the fourth grade readers will focus on specific events from the text that affect the main character. As we are talking about events in guided reading groups, we will also refer to the “plot mountain.” The fourth graders know the different parts of a plot mountain (exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution). Ask your fourth grader to identify the part of the plot that they are on in their guided reading book.

Writing: Writes narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.

The students will begin drafting their narratives. In the previous weeks, mini-lessons have been focused on plot, using transitional words, including sensory images, beginning with a luring lead, and concluding with an unforgettable ending. This week, they will tie all of these mini-lessons together to compose a narrative capturing a “small moment” of something that has happened to them. The students have been advised against writing “watermelon stories.” A watermelon story has a lot of “seeds” or small moments. The students have been instructed to pick one small moment to elaborate. The students will use a rubric to guide their writing.

Miss Wejman’s

Peek at the Week

Week of September 15^th-19^th

Math: Draw and identify lines and angels, and classify shapes by properties of their lines and angels.

On Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday the fourth graders will be using their compass to construct different geometric designs. They will follow step by step procedures to create a variety of circles and inscribed polygons. The first Unit Test of the year will be on Thursday. Test items include properties of polygons, identification of different quadrangles, parallel lines, intersecting lines, perpendicular line segments, concave polygons, concentric circles, congruent polygons, and basic addition and subtraction facts. Additionally, they will be given an open response where the students will have to explain their thinking in regards to classifying groups of polygons. Please let me know if there is a specific math concept that you would like me to practice with your child. Math homework will be due on Thursday this week.

Social Studies: Determine the main idea of text and explain how it is supported by key details; summarize the text.

Throughout the week, the students will summarize the informational text in the social studies book. The theme of our week continues to be geography. The students will be finding details to support the main idea of topics including natural resources and climate. Additionally, the fourth graders will be reading a biography about John Muir. Connecting our monthly character trait to social studies, the students will be identifying how John Muir’s actions showed that he respected the environment.

Science: Identify physical features of plants and animals that help them live in different environments.

We will continue to focus our learning on the skeletal system. We will be focusing on animal bones and comparing them to human bones. A special activity of the week includes investigating owl pellets to find the skeletons of the prey of the owl.

Reading: Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text.

After reading to identify explicit details that explain the protagonist’s actions, dialogue, and thoughts, each fourth grader will make an inference to describe the trait of the character of his or her guided reading book. The fourth graders are also becoming more acclimated to the routines of the reader’s workshop. Ask your fourth grader what day they meet in their guided reading group with Miss Wejman. On the other days, the readers should be completing their Bingo Sheet and reading. The Bingo Sheet is a Bingo grid composed of different reading activities for the students to respond to text. Throughout the week, the students pick five activities to complete. These reading response activities account for 30% of the reading grade.

Writing: Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.

Writing lessons will focus on writing narratives with “luring leads” and “unforgettable endings.” The writers will identify the importance of why writing an effective exposition and a resolution is an important part of the narrative. The students will also have an opportunity to peer edit this week. As they are sharing their writing with partners, they will tell compliments, ask questions, and give advice. The fourth grade writers are fully aware of the benefits of sharing their writing with their friends.

Monday, September 15, 2014

This week for homework, read A Sister Remembers Growing up with the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by Christine King Farris. By Friday, you should complete three tic-tac-toe activities in your homework notebook. At the top of each page, you should write the date and title of the story.

September 8, 2013

This week for homework, read Because of Winn Dixie by Kate DiCamillo. By Friday, you should complete three tic-tac-toe activities in your homework notebook. At the top of each page, you should write the date and title of the story.

Miss Wejman’s

Peek at the Week

Week of September 8^th-12^th

Math: Draw and identify lines and angles, and classify shapes by properties of their lines and angles.

Throughout the week, the students will review the math terms: points, line segments, lines, rays, and angles. As they learn about different types of angles, they will be able to distinguish the properties of specific quadrangles. On Tuesday, the students will be given the first Tuesday Timed Test of the year. The fourth graders will have five minutes to answer 100 addition facts. These Tuesday Timed Tests will account for 10% of the math grade. Homework will begin this week and the assigned Study Links will all be due on Friday. Each day a Study Link is assigned to correspond to the lesson taught. If your child has confusion with a specific task, I would be happy to review it with him or her before Friday. Every Friday in math will be a math game day. Students will have the opportunity to review math concepts through math games. Enrichment activities will also be a part of math on Friday.

Social Studies: Interpret information presented visually, orally, or quantitatively and explain how the information contributes to an understanding of the text in which it appears.

Throughout the week, the fourth graders will practice using maps to identify elevation, latitude and longitude, and climate. As the students are learning about map skills, they will also identify landform vocabulary.

Science: Identify physical features of plants and animals that help them live in different environments.

Hopefully your fourth grade scientist has informed you that our first science unit of the year is the Human Body. Our first system of study is the Skeletal System. Last week we used our senses of touch and sight to identify in the different subsystems. This week, we will learn more concrete facts about this supportive system. In addition to learning about human bones, we will also observe bones of other animals and identify the similarities and differences between the types of bones.

Reading: Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text.

Guided reading groups are beginning this week. In addition to previewing the text to make predictions, the students were also introduced to the protagonist (main character) of the story. As the fourth grader is reading his or her guided reading book throughout the week, each student was given the task to record the thoughts, actions, and words of the protagonist. At next week’s guided reading group meeting, the readers will use this evidence to assign a character trait to the protagonist. At home, ask your child to discuss the protagonist of his or her guided reading book with you. Reading homework will begin this week. Every Monday the students will be assigned a story in the Journeys book to read. In addition to reading the story, they will also pick three Tic Tac Toe assignments to complete. Tic Tac Toe activities will be due on Friday and should all be completed in the Homework notebook. If there is a specific reading skill that is difficult, I would be happy to help your fourth grader with it in the classroom before Friday.

Writing: Use dialogue and description to develop experiences and events or show the responses to characters to situations.

Writing mini-lessons will focus on using dialogue and word choice to develop characters, setting, and events in narrative writing. Using the text from Chrysanthemum, the first read aloud of the school year, the fourth graders will model how the author, Kevin Henkes, wrote dialogue to respond to events. In addition to incorporating dialogue in their own narratives, the fourth graders will also practice adding description by adding sensory details. Ask your fourth grader what he or she is writing about in his or her narrative.

Dear Fourth Grade Parent,                                                                          September 2, 2014

In my fifteen years of teaching experience, it is my opinion that strong parent-teacher communication and partnership is key to a student’s success. Since student success is my main objective for each fourth grader, I look forward to working with you to best help the needs of your child.

Every Monday, you will receive a Peek at the Week stating the common core standards, activities, and homework pertaining to each subject. If you have any further questions, email is the best way to contact me. My email address is jmwejman@cps.edu. I always do my personal best to respond to emails in a timely matter. Additionally, I am able to meet before and after school with a scheduled appointment.

This week, the main objective is to acclimate the fourth graders to the routines of Room 207. Through the CHAMPS classroom management system, the students will learn the expectation of each activity during the school day. In CHAMPS, students explicitly learn the expectations in terms of conversation level (C), the appropriate way to ask for help (H), the activity (A), movement (M), and participation (P). When the students are able to follow through with the expectations, they are able to soar to success (S).

To reinforce positive behaviors throughout the school, PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Support) will be implemented at Ray. In addition to learning the expectations of classroom activities, the fourth graders will also be explicitly taught the behaviors that will be expected in our school. To reinforce positive behavior throughout the school, students will be praised with Ray Warrior tickets. Additionally, every week a student from each class will be recognized for positive behavior with a Student of the Week award.

Another PBIS initiative will be monthly positive character trait themes. September’s character trait is respect. Today the students in Room 207 wrote letters to you about how they plan to be respectful at home and school throughout the month. I encourage you to write a letter back to your child stating how you plan to support their respectful behavior. Please return the letters to school tomorrow. They will be reviewed at the end of the month so that the fourth graders will be able to reflect on their respectful behavior.

Throughout the week, we will be practice good reading behavior during reader’s workshop. Since guided reading groups will not begin this week, it is recommended that students bring in an independent book to read. The student’s book choice will help to give me an idea of your child’s reading interests and habits.

From past experience, you probably are aware of all of the important paper work that is required for you to complete. With that said, parents often feel that they are the ones with all of the homework during the first week of school. It would be extremely helpful for the school, if you turn in the paperwork as soon as you can. In addition to the paperwork, the $85 school fee is due as soon as possible.

Even though parents will be inundated with “homework” this week, students will not be assigned homework during the first week of school. One optional assignment that the students were introduced to today was to bring in a picture of the student on vacation in one of the 50 United States. Since the social studies curriculum pertains to the regions of the United States, we are going to introduce each other to the regions through places we have already traveled. The pictures will be posted on a bulletin board in the classroom.

All of the fourth grade specials will take place at the end of the day from 2:45-3:45. The schedule is as follows: Monday- Music, Tuesday- Gym, Wednesday- Art, Thursday- Library, and Friday- Spanish. A new CPS mandate this year requires that each student has 90 minutes of physical education minutes a week. To accommodate the requirement, Room 207 will have an additional half hour of physical education on Thursdays from 9:30-10. Because physical education will take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays, students should wear gym shoes on these days.

Thank you to everyone for bringing in school supplies. One additional school supply that would be appreciated include earbuds to aid in different iPad activities. Please plan to have the earbuds to school before October 1^st when iPad use will begin. The safe keeping of the earbuds will be the student’s responsibility and they will be stored in the student’s desk at all times.      

                                                                                                                        Kind regards,

                                                                                                                        Jenny Wejman