This document provides information in a grade 4 class newsletter. It includes important dates like holidays and early dismissals in November and December. It discusses homework expectations which include daily reading, math, science, or social studies. Literacy instruction focuses on writing narratives and historical fiction. In science, students are studying earth materials like rocks and minerals. The social studies project has students creating a family tree by interviewing relatives about family migration patterns. Mr. Joe's class had Halloween word work and writing horror stories with other teachers.

1. Grade 4
NOVEMBER
class newsletter
RIS
2012-2013

2. Important dates
 9 November—2nd semester school fees due
 21 November—early dismissal
 5 December—King’s birthday holiday
 21 December—1/2 day school
 22-31 December—Winter Break; return to school 14
Jan.

3. HOMEWORK
 All students should be reading 30 minutes or more
each night, recording their book and time on their
reading log
 Math, Science, and/or Social Studies may also be
sent home each night for homework.
 All students are expected to complete homework on
time and submit it to their homeroom teacher DAILY.

4. Literacy
 Students have been busy writing personal narratives and
are beginning their realistic/historical fiction pieces.
 We will be working to increase their writing stamina and
engagement, as well as improving their word choice, use of
conventions, and overall structure of writing a narrative
piece in Writer’s Workshop.
 In Reader’s Workshop, students will focus on tackling
complicated literature with practice and instruction in
Historical Fiction. They’ll learn how to build interpretations
and how to listen closely to each other as they read,
carrying ideas across book club discussions and across
more than one text.

6. Science
 The kids have jumped right into science with our unit
on Earth Materials. Final assessments for the first
four parts have been given; soils, layers of earth, and
plate tectonics will be studied in more depth during
November.
 Mock Rocks—rock and mineral properties
 Scratch Test—specific properties of minerals
 Calcite Quest—presence of calcium/calcite in rocks
 Take it for Granite—using mineral properties to find out
which minerals are in the rock, granite
 Earth’s layers, soils, and plate tectonics

7. Grade 4 Learning
Project
Students will have the exciting
opportunity to look back at their
own family, where did they come
Social Studies
from and why did they move from
one place to another. After
interviewing their grandparents
and other relatives students will
create their own Family Tree!
Students will need to address the Big Ideas:
 What causes people to move?
 What effect does migration (or moving) have on my own life and
others?
 What connections can I make to my own family?
Long Term Learning Targets
1. Students will understand patterns of change and continuity, relationships between people and
events through time, and various interpretations of these relationships.
• I can describe changes in society (e.g., political, social, cultural).
• I can identify cause and effect relationships in history.
2. Students will understand causes and effect of interaction among societies, including trade,
systems of international exchange, war, and diplomacy.
• I can explain varied causes and effects of conflict and cooperation among individuals, groups,
societies and nations in the following categories: politics, economics, geography,
ethnicity/race/gender, and culture.
5. Students will understand social systems and structures and how these influence individuals.
• I can identify and describe ways that ethnicity and cultures influence people's daily lives.

8. Ms. Katie’s class

9. Ms. April’s class

10. Mr. Joe’s class
Halloween word work with Mrs. Madeleine and horror story writing with Mrs. Kat!