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“Children Go Where I Send Thee” was the song sung between
the scenes of the Christmas “Los Posados” play performed by the fourth grade at
the last school mass before Christmas break. This play told the story of the
difficult journey of Mary and Joseph looking for a place to stay in Bethlehem,
and it also told the story of the birth of Jesus including the shepherds, angel,
and the three kings. A beautiful tableau of the nativity was created at the end
of the performance while the congregation sang “Silent Night”. The church bells
rang out at the end, and the true meaning of Christmas was felt by all.
Later in the day the fourth grade teamed up nicely with
the Preschool students to play board games. Announcements at the end of the day
included congratulations to fourth grade for winning second place in the
Christmas song door decorating contest for “Rocking Around the Christmas Tree”.
|
Monster
Ball Winners' Special Treat |
Two shiny black limousines picked up the fourth grade and Mrs. Cross in the late
morning hours of a school day on the first of December. The students won first
place by collecting the most donations for the Monster Ball held in October. The
prize included a memorable ride in a limousine and a pizza lunch at Monte
Cellos’ restaurant in Hampton. The owners and staff of Monte Cellos were so
gracious and served a variety of delicious pizzas to the students. Students also
enjoyed the ride through North Park that followed lunch. As Christmas music
played on the radio, the boys sang along, “Jingle bells, Jingle bells, Jingle
all the way, oh what fun it is to ride in a limousine all day, hey.” Thanks to
all the parents who contributed to the fundraiser that created the opportunity
for the students to experience a memorable day.
Puppetry was a form of theatre experienced by the fourth grade when they
recently worked on the story
“The Saga of Amy Boulder”. Students worked in pairs to create their puppet
character using many
different materials to construct the puppet. As one partner expressively read
the lines of the character,
the other partner worked as the puppeteer to manipulate the character to tell
the story. Two casts were
formed and students in Pre-K, Kindergarten, and Third Grade had the opportunity
to enjoy the puppet show.
The audience also learned about the story’s message on the importance of taking
care of our environment.
Fourth
Graders learned about the art of puppetry and storytelling which enriched their
learning experience.
September Days have been filled with many learning experiences for the fourth
grade. The students enjoyed
exploring Pittsburgh’s three rivers in an
environmental study on the Riverquest field trip. Looking at the photos,
you can
see how students acted as scientists discovering that our rivers are healthy and
support life. Students
used many tools to observe macro invertebrates,
phytoplankton, zooplankton, and as they tested the chemistry
of the river water.
In the classroom technology is incorporated by the students using the Smartboard
for a
number of subjects and the mobile laptops for some writing activities. Our class
is also using technology
during Math classes to meet the needs of learners. Promoting peace in words and
actions was also part
of our September Days as students participated in the Pinwheels for Peace School
project.
|
2011 4th Grade Summer
Reading Activities |
When you look at this picture of
Pittsburgh in the early 1930’s, it
should make you think of the novel
“Macaroni Boy” written by Katherine
Ayres and the character of Mike
Costa who lived his whole life in the
Strip, Pittsburgh’s warehouse district.
I’m sure you are enjoying this
book along with the other novels
which are part
of your summer
reading list. Some of these novels
have activities on line. Check
out the
“Chasing Vermeer” site or try the
Scholastic interactive site on the
novel
“Holes”.
Summer Reading List 2011:
Chasing Vermeer by Blue Baillet
Macaroni Boy by Katherine Ayers
Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia McLachlan
Holes by Louis Sachar
Reading the four books on the list will help to get you ready for the 2011-2012
school year.
We will be doing some activities on these novels when you come back to school.
2011 - 2012 Supplies
As you are getting ready for school days, here are some supplies to
get together so you can do your best.
• 2 spiral bound notebooks, wide ruled
• erasable pens in blue or black
• black or white (or any color) composition book for journal writing.
• One plain yellow folder
• One plain red folder
• One homework folder any style
• 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
• A flash drive with your name labeled on it to be kept at school
So get ready for a fantastic fourth grade year!
Highlights from the 2010 school year
Author, Mary Ann Rodman, who wrote
“Yankee Girl” enjoyed talking with the St.
Ursula fourth grade students before her
presentation on May 22nd at the Western
Pennsylvania English Festival Competition
held at Seton LaSalle High School. The
fourth graders who sat in the first row had
the opportunity to meet the author
and ask
her questions about her book that they read
in class about a girl
growing up in the south
during the turbulent sixties. Ms. Rodman
presented a
PowerPoint display that showed
many photographs about real events that
were
mentioned in her novel. The students
also enjoyed getting Ms. Rodman’s
autograph. Student teams then competed in
three competitions. Peyton, Aletta,
Emma,
and Morgan were proud to win the Trivia competition in their room. Meghan,
Nora, Alaina, and Melina won their Insights
competition and tied for overall
first place in their classroom. All the fourth graders had a great day
celebrating literature
at the Western Pennsylvania English Festival.
How does it feel to be a scientist for
a day? That is exactly what the
fourth
grade students were able to experience
on their Riverquest field trip.
Their goal
was to do a number of experiments and
observations about how
environmentally
friendly our rivers in Pittsburgh are.
Students wore safety
goggles and acted
as chemists as they tested river water
samples. They used
binoculars to
observe the birds. They collected river
water samples and used
microscopes
to find zooplankton and photoplankton.
The students also searched
for macro
invertebrates and discovered that it is
a good sign that our rivers
are in good shape if “intolerant” creatures are found in the river water
samples.
At the end of the day the students decided after all their research to
give our rivers a “thumbs up”, which meant
that the rivers in Pittsburgh are
environmentally friendly.
 Irish and all eyes were smiling on
March 17th when the fourth
graders
arrived in their green. Students shared
a shamrock smiling cookie for
the
morning snack that Kate thoughtfully
brought in for the class. Another
shamrock cookie treat was enjoyed
in the afternoon donated to the whole
school
by a parishioner that loves to
bake. Students also participated in
a special
word study on St. Patrick’s Day
words on the Smartboard. Another
highlight of
the day was the cooperative
group activity examining the many
learning tools in
a Captain’s Chest
of Discovery provided by Riverquest.
Students investigated
four categories set
up by Mrs. Cross …..1. water fowl and binoculars, 2. macroinvertebrates, goggles, and specimens, 3. pan fishes, cards, and
scales,
and 4. ten ways the water of our rivers is used. By exploring these different
categories in class students were able to
prepare for the Riverquest field trip
planned on board the floating vessel of discovery later in the month. A green
day proves
to be another great day in fourth grade!
Fourth graders had a wonderful time
at the Valentine’s Day Party planned by
the parents. Melina’s mom planned a Tie-Dye
experience. The students loved their dyed T-Shirts
when they unraveled them the next day. Meghan
estimated the best guess to win the jar filled with
M&Ms. The kids also came up with many words in a
word building game. Delicious treats were prepared
by the moms and were enjoyed by all. The students
especially had fun exchanging Valentines.
It was an exciting week as fourth
graders
celebrated Catholic
Schools Week.
On Monday students
dressed in mismatched clothes and
watched a very interesting presentation
on medieval times.
Students were able
to touch replicas of armor as they
walked
through the museum of items
displayed.
On Tuesday all fourth graders
dressed
up as someone he or she admired
(Mia
Hamm, Paul Bunyon, Artemus,
St.
Catherine, Reporter Jennifer
Antkowiak, Troy Polamalu, to name
a few).
Then fourth graders took their
presentations on parade and introduced
themselves to the Kindergarten and first
grade classes. On school spirit day
individuals
on the sports
teams were introduced by the
cheerleaders including
the fourth grade developmental team.
Fourth grade also presented a cheer with
motions that they made up, which goes like this,
“We’re
from St Ursula,
We’re gonna rock you cause,
We’re Number One!” On Friday the school celebrated its 100th birthday with students
wearing cool glasses and
making delicious
ice cream Sundaes to enjoy. As you can see in the photos, fourth graders
enjoyed all
the activities.
|
2010 - 2011 St. Ursula School 4th Grade |
Fourth graders are asking questions
and are actively learning. Have you
heard about the “I Wonder” board?
When students are in class, questions
often come up as they think about
what they are learning. The “I Wonder”
board prompts students to explore
or to investigate on topics and ideas
beyond the classroom. “What is the
size of the equator?”, “Are mountains
always growing?” are just a few of the
questions students are asking. Answers
are sometimes researched in computer
or library class. As you can see, students
are growing in knowledge asking
questions to improve learning.
Fourth grade shows
their spirit for
the hometown team.
Black & Gold Fridays
are celebrated as
the Steelers try to
earn a spot in
the Super Bowl.
GO STEELERS!
The “Los Posadas” play about Mary
and Joseph’s journey to find a place
to stay in Bethlehem was performed
by the fourth graders after the all
school mass the day before the
Christmas break. The performance
included three scenes told by four
narrators. The first scene showed how
Mary and Joseph went door to door to
try to find a place to stay. One innkeeper
offered her stable. The next scene
showed how shepherds heard the news
of the birth of the Savior from an angel.
The third scene included the final tableau
of the Nativity Scene which included the
arrival of the Three Kings. It was a great way to share the story of the
birth of Jesus and get everyone in the spirit
of Christmas.
The craft of puppetry was experienced
by
the fourth grade students as they
worked
on the story, “The Saga of
Amy
Boulder”. Students worked in
pairs
to create their puppet character
and
to act out the story. There were
two
casts who performed for each
Kindergarten
class. An environmental
theme
was creatively presented about
taking
care of our forests.
Western PA English Festival
May 20th
2011
at Seton
LaSalle High School
Yankee Girl
– Mary Ann Rodman
Diary of a
Wimpy Kid - Jeff Kinney
Tuck
Everlasting – Natalie Babbitt
Incident at
Hawk’s Hill – Allan Eckert
Visit the
Western PA Festival website for more information.
The Fourth Grade class enjoyed
leading
the traditional costume
parade
around the school. Parents
and
friends came by to see the
colorful
parade of ghouls, super
heroes,
and cuties. The creativity
of
the students and parents is evident
by
the unique costumes and snacks
that
were provided. The home room
parents
and several other parents
brought
in supplies for games, great
homemade
treats and a cooler full of
drinks.
Since the upper grades went to
the
Monsters' Ball at 12:30, the hallway
could
be used for balloon relay games
and,
of course, balloon stomping. Personalized treat bags allowed the kids to gather
up their treasures to take home.
The
kids went down at 1:30 for the Dance-a-thon and did the Chicken Dance, the
Hokey-Pokey, and the Limbo as well
as
rocking to the latest music. A good time at St. Ursula School!
Highlights from past school years
|
St. Ursula School Presents Honk, Jr. |
“Hold Your
Head Up High” was
beautifully sung by the character Ida,
played by Monica, to
her son Ugly, played
by Sarah as one of the heart- felt messages
of hope and
perseverance in this year’s
spring musical “Honk, Junior”. A cast made
up of
students in grades 3 through to 8
performed in this Broadway Junior musical
from
Music Theatre International on May 13th
and May 14th. This show is a
contemporary
retelling of Hans Christian Andersen's classic
story of "The Ugly
Duckling" and featured
enjoyable music sung by a lively cast. The
book and
lyrics are by Anthony Drewe and
music is by George Stiles. The story featured
Ugly who discovered his inner beauty after finding out that it is OK to be different. Ugly’s sweet but feisty mother Ida is
very protective of Ugly and all
of her children or “ducklings” (played by fifth graders Melanie , Christin,
Emily, and Maryl).
Drake (Matt) is Ida’s husband who "ducks" his fatherly
responsibilities. Ida’s best friend Maureen (Bridget) can’t resist
good gossip. There
was a gaggle of comical geese led by a military type called Greylag (Riley) and
his sweet wife
Dot (Erica ), The
sly Cat (Bridget ) who wants to befriend Ugly to turn him into dinner was the
villain of the show.
A wisecracking
Bullfrog (Gabriella) was a comedian who reminded everyone, “Out There Someone’s Gonna Love Ya”.
The rest of the
cast played other fun barnyard characters who sang a great many "fowl" puns. Mrs. Cross, Director,
and
Professor Coury, Musical Director, volunteered their time to practice with the
student cast after school a
few days a week from February to May to get the cast
ready for performances. Mrs. Heyl worked with the students to
make the
background and gorgeous “hatchable” eggs. Through the creative efforts of the
parents, the cast also
wore outstanding
costumes. The production of “Honk, Junior” certainly proves that the many ways
we are different can
come together in a
wonderful way. Visit the School News Page
for more photos from the show.
The fourth grade is proving that
“practice
makes perfect”. It all began at
indoor
recess this winter when the students
of
fourth grade started practicing yo-yo tricks.
Now
these same students showcased their
skills
in a presentation of yo-yo tricks on
May
19th before the afternoon band concert.
Shea
and Seth talked about the idea of a
showcase
and all the fourth graders liked the
idea.
Mrs. Cross remembers Matty as the first
student
who started doing yo-yo tricks at recess
and
soon everyone in fourth grade was having
fun
practicing tricks with the yo-yo. There are
some
known yo-yo tricks like “Walk the Dog”
and
“Around the World” that the students
started
doing, but soon the students started
making
up their own tricks. Matty and Shea created “Crazy Apple”, and Seth made up
“Crazy Apple Revenge”. Jack Miller
created
“Backflip”. In English class, the students wrote “How to” paragraphs and created
a personal “yo-yo” PowerPoint page
in
Computer Class describing the trick that was performed in the yo-yo showcase.
When you see how much fun the fourth
grade
is having, it’s easy to see why a toy like the yo-yo, which began 2,500 years
ago, is still fun to play with.
The fourth grade students along with
grades 5 through 8 acted as scientists
aboard the “Riverquest” on their field
trip April 14, 2010. This trip was possible
due to the Target Field Trip Grant
awarded to Mrs. Cross. The students
traveled on the Ohio, Monongahela, and
Allegheny Rivers where they observed
wildlife, macro invertebrates, and
plankton while gathering water samples
to test. The trip started out with safety
instructions. The fourth grade group
discussed the Ohio River watershed with
a model. They discovered that water
temperature is important to the animals
which live in the source or lower river.
Chemistry tests were performed on water samples gathered by
the students. It was found that the river had PH levels
and turbidity in the normal range, and that our rivers are actually very
clean to support life. They also learned how
important it is to take care of our rivers. Microscopes were used to
discover zooplankton and photo plankton in the water
samples. It was amazing to discover how much life is found in a single
drop of river water. Other highlights included
observing birds that live along the river using binoculars and using
scientific tools to gather actual samples to observe
macro invertebrates. The Riverquest teachers were very informative and the
students enjoyed all the sights that were
observed along Pittsburgh’s three rivers.
Note: Please be patient, there are a lot of photos and they may take
some time to load.
|
A Lesson in American Sign Language |
The fourth grade learned many
things about those who are deaf and
how to
communicate through
American Sign Language. Shea’s
mom, a teacher at the Western
Pennsylvania School for the deaf,
came into our classroom for a
special lesson.
She taught the
fourth grade how to sign the
alphabet, colors, animal words,
the
students’ names, and more.
One of the highlights of the day
was the game played
using
colored buzzers as the students
shared what they had learned
about
American Sign Language. Thanks to Shea’s mom for sharing her expertise with the
students.
A puppet play was performed by
fourth grade for Ready K and the two
Kindergarten classes. The story told how
a man named Cyrus Woods wanted to chop
down trees to turn them into furniture and
toothpicks. Amy Boulder tries to explain to
Cyrus the importance of trees to the world.
Regal Eagle and Sam Squirrel also try to
get the message to Cyrus. Fourth graders
constructed the puppets with a partner.
Two students performed the part of each
character as one read and acted out the
lines of the character while the other
worked the puppet. Students learned a
valuable lesson about conserving our
forests in a very creative way.
We had a fun Halloween party planned by
parents. Students dressed in their
costumes for the parade. This year fourth
grade led the parade. At the party students
made T-shirts and caps. Fun games were
played such as eating a donut tied to a
string with no hands, a relay race with
straws and candy corn, bust the balloon,
and an ooey gooey story was heard in the
“dungeon” . Delicious treats were also
enjoyed.
Veteran's Day
Veteran's Day is November 11th. Veteran's Day is the day that
our nation honors
those who have served in the military in times of war or peace. Those who served
in the U.S. Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, or Coast Guard are honored
on this day.
To learn more about Veteran's Day, follow
this link to
the
Department of Veteran's Affairs Website for Kids.
Welcome to Fourth Grade 2009-2010!
Can you name the three bodies of water in the picture?
This year you will learn what makes our region special in
Pennsylvania Social Studies. As Pittsburgh welcomes the world during the
G-20 Summit in September, our city and its neighboring communities will
have the opportunity to stand out to the world. What a great time to learn
about the importance of the Pittsburgh region! As students grow in becoming
a better reader and writer this year, they will also improve in math skills
and work on ways to become better organized.
There will be a new and fun way to learn spelling and reading
vocabulary words using the
spellingcity.com web site on your home computer. See the
link to this site below and try some of the
games. When you first try the site, go to the student tab and scroll down the
instructions on the right to “Find your list”. You can search for our class
words by typing in my name or ursula4 as a username. Stick to the free
spelling city games and activities. Sometimes on the right side of the
spelling city web page there will be advertisements for games that cost money
to play. However, the entire spelling city games are free and a great resource
to help students learn spelling and vocabulary words.
Zoo Field Trip
As fourth graders traveled the zoo path, they discovered how active the animals
were in the early morning. I challenged the class to hunt facts on individual
animal scavenger hunt questions. The class seemed to enjoy this and we discussed
their discoveries when we returned to the classroom. Other highlights of our day
were playing on the Kids Kingdom slides, climbing a spider’s web, hearing the
male lion roar, and walking through the shark tunnel.
*** Please be patient, the window with the photos may take a minute
to fully load ***
Happy Valentine's Day!
Delicious foods, fun games, and the exchange of valentines were all enjoyed
by the fourth graders at the Valentine’s Day Party held in February. Christin’s
mom and Anthony’s mom led the games. One game had the students sit in a circle
while the student in the center covered his or her eyes. A sparkled heart was
then passed around quietly behind the students. The student in the center had to
guess who finally held the heart. Prizes were awarded to the students for all
the games.
The Saga of Amy Boulder
A puppet play “The Saga of Amy Boulder” was performed by the fourth
graders for both Kindergarten classes. First, the students read the play and
worked on skills. Then, working with a partner, the students created the puppets
and rehearsed the play. Finally, two casts each presented a performance for one
of the Kindergarten classes. Everyone understood the theme of the story which
was how important it is to take care of our natural resources like the forests.
It was a wonderful learning experience for all.
Christmas Cards for our Troops
Helping our heroes for the holidays, the fourth and first grade worked together
to make Christmas cards for the American troops. Thanks to Stephanie W., Dan (
Grade 4) and Joey’s (Grade 1) mom, for suggesting making the cards for the
troops. The students worked so well together for this worthy cause.
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.
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.
Textbook
Links
Our Science Textbook Publisher is
Macmillan/McGraw Hill,
copyright 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
We Believe Grade 4 Religion. 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).
Activities for our Math textbook can
be found at
Progress in Mathematics Grade 4
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.
| 
3937 Kirk Avenue
Enter to Grow