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 Last
update 11/17/08
WPCTE English Festival Books: 2009
Grades 4 –6
Notice Change in 2 Books due to the fact two were out of print.
All parents who ordered the book sets will receive the substitute titles. Those
who ordered books should receive them by Wednesday, November 19th after I pick
them up. Regarding the Sink is on back order and will arrive by
mail at a later date. Parents will be advised as soon as the books are in.
Book by Featured Author: Isabel: Jewel of Castilla – Carolyn Meyer
(Note: As of 11/1, Beware, Princess Elizabeth
- Carolyn Meyer is a substitute for Isabel which is now out of print)
Bridge to Terabethia – Katherine Patterson
Regarding the Sink – Kate Klise
West to a Land of Plenty (Dear America ) – Jim Murphy
(Note: As of 11/1, Seeds of Hope: The Gold Rush
Diary of Susanna Fiarchiel, California Territory 1849 is a substitute for
West to a Land of Plenty which is now out of print)
Field Trip to St. Paul’s Cathedral and the Carnegie
Library
Fourth Graders found the stained glass window with St. Ursula before
the mass started. She was high up close to the ceiling. After celebrating the
mass the fourth grade toured St. Paul’s Cathedral. One of the highlights of the
tour were the stained glass windows depicting the saints, angels, St. Paul’s
life, and the life of Jesus. Students were able to touch the large marble altar
with carved figures and an image of The Last Supper. Lunch was enjoyed in the
pavilion outside the Carnegie Library where they also had a chance to play tag
in the large grassy area. Inside the library we heard fun stories told by the
librarians. Students were able to explore the children’s library area. Walking
“the stack” area of books was also very interesting with the glass floors. A few
compared it to being inside a large ship like the Titanic. It was a great
learning experience for all.
Western PA English Festival
Visit their website
for more information. Come back to this website for more information about
the Western Pennsylvania English Festival, it will be posted as soon as it is
available.
Books for the Western Pennsylvania English Festival.
Isabel: Jewel of Castilla – Carolyn Meyer
(Featured Author)
Bridge to Terabithia – Katherine Patterson
Regarding the Sink– Kate Klise
West to a Land of Plenty (Dear) – Jim Murphy
Mrs. Cross's 4th Grade Class
Welcome to 4th Grade
“Imagine what you can do here” is the theme for Pittsburgh’s 250th birthday
being celebrated this year. In fourth grade we learn about our region and
Pennsylvania history and in the fall we will be learning some cool and
interesting information. Get a glimpse about all the things happening in
Pittsburgh which includes some great videos of our city at the Imagine website
http://www.imaginepittsburgh.com. Do you know some Pittsburgh trivia? See
the picture of the grotto above. It is located at the oldest Roman Catholic
Church in Pittsburgh. Do you know its name? Also, did you know there are dragons
in the city like the one pictured above? Our area has some interesting history
that we will learn. You will also explore and discover your family history and
how it connects to our great local history.
Explore, Discover, Learn, and Imagine….great action
words for the coming school year.
Dear Fourth Grader,
Do you have some stories to share about your summer fun? I’m sure you do and I
can’t wait to hear all about your summer on the first day of school.
As you are getting ready for school days, here are some supplies to get together
so you can do your best.
• 3 spiral bound notebooks, wide ruled
• erasable pens in blue or black
• black or white (or any color) composition book for journal writing.
• One Yellow folder
• One Red folder
• One Homework folder
• Pencils
• A pencil bag to hold supplies (Not much room for a box in the desk)
• A box of Kleenex
• Colored pencils (Best for maps), or markers
• Black fine tip Sharpie marker
• A pack of loose leaf paper wide-ruled
So get ready and get set for a fantastic fourth grade year.
Textbook
Links
Our Science Textbook Publisher is
Macmillan/McGraw Hill,
copywrite date for fourth grade is 2002. This is a website where
students can
review the chapter, take a pre-test and continue exploration of topics that
match their textbook.
Our Religion textbook publisher is
Sadlier Religion Activities. This website has activities for
students to use to review the units
that they are studying.
Activities and reviews for our Social Studies textbook can be found at the
Houghton Mifflin Social Studies link.
Activities and reviews for our
Reading textbook can be found at (a link will be provided soon).
Homework Policy
The object of the homework is to review lessons, finish work started in
class that needs to be completed, or to study for tests. Reading Comprehension
Tests and Spelling tests are usually scheduled for Friday Morning. Students will
be told to write dates of other tests like the Social Studies tests in their
planner. Homework for a fourth grader at the most should be no longer than forty
minutes.
• Students will write assignments daily in their
planner.
• Students are responsible for completing homework on
time.
• Homework is due the next day unless otherwise noted.
• Written homework is done in erasable pen.
• Math homework is done in pencil.
Help Your Child Succeed
It's 10:00 P.M., and 9-year-old Bradford Randall is having
trouble sleeping. He should have done his homework before dinner, but he
couldn't resist hanging out with his friends. Now he's in for it, unless. . . .
He begins to plot: "If I get up early, and stay in at recess, I can finish it in
time." Plan in place, he drifts off to sleep.
Homework anxiety
Homework anxiety is common among kids Bradford's age. He's in
the fourth grade, and the pressure's on. In grades K-three, teachers are focused
on children's social development and basic skills. "In fourth grade, it's not
just the concrete stuff anymore," says Maureen Morgan, adjunct professor of
education at Lesley College in Massachusetts. "Teachers are now asking kids to
look at abstractions and synthesize information, and the amount of written work
increases."
This change in expectations has not gone unnoticed by Bradford: "As
fourth graders, we've got more privileges -- we can walk all over the building."
But along with that comes more responsibility. "We read more -- the books are a
lot bigger, and I spend a lot more time on homework than I used to," explains
Bradford. "The teachers used to let us off easy 'cause we were younger, but now
if we don't get all our assignments done by Friday, we get detention."
Social pressures
And as if the academic pressures weren't enough, fourth graders
are also going through a host of developmental and social changes. On the edge
of puberty, they're beginning to recognize who's smart, who's popular, and where
they fit into the mix. As extracurricular activities abound, kids are also
becoming more social outside of school. "Friends and their opinions are becoming
increasingly important," says Sandra Fox, Associate Professor of Education and
department chairperson at Lake Forest College in Illinois.
How you can help
How can parents help their fourth graders adjust? "It's very
important for them to be supportive," says Fox. "Kids this age are not ready to
reject their parents' approval, but they are beginning to exert some
independence."
This can make for a few power struggles, but hang in there, says
Sarah Finley, coordinator of educational services at Tomorrow's Children's
Institute of Hackensack University Medical Center. As schoolwork becomes more
demanding, parents need to help kids learn how to structure their time. She
recommends that you and your child hammer out a homework schedule together and
stick to it.
For more on helping your child with schoolwork, pick up a copy of
The Homework Handbook by Harriet Cholden, John A. Friedman, and Ethel
Tiesky.
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