4th Grade – Deb Reuter / Sharon Miller | John Ireland Catholic School

4th Grade FOOTPRINTS . . . A Weekly Report

Friday, May 11^th, 2012

*Character Word of the Month: JOY*

Happy Mother’s Day!!

Happy Mother’s Day to all of you moms on Sunday! You are special people in your children’s lives! We hope you like your gifts.
The spring music program, A Musical Recipe, performance was very moving today. Mrs. Frank, Mr. Rupp, and all of the students did a great job!
TWO full weeks of school left! Yippee!
Congratulations to next year’s J.I. fifth grade student council members! The fifth grade will have three representatives instead of two due to a tie vote and an alternate. The 2012-2013 representatives will be Abby, Xavier, and Michael M., and the alternate will be Jaimi. They all gave great speeches on Monday and the John Ireland Student Council will be blessed to have all of them! Way to go!
Please join the school in its last prayer service on Wednesday, May 16^th. The fourth grade will be leading the prayer service. Also, the fifth grade will be leading the last school Mass on Thursday, May 17^th, and on the last Wednesday, May 23^rd, we will have an awards ceremony for Accelerated Reading and Phy. Ed. So if you can come to any or all of the “lasts of the school year,” you are more than welcome.
The school library is will be closing this coming week on Thursday, May 17^th. All books need to be returned by Friday, May 18^th. Students will be able to check out books throughout this week in order to achieve their A.R. goals. Students can continue to read books from the classroom library and perhaps the public library if needed too.

Blessings to all you mothers!

Get outside and enjoy the warmth of the sun and the beautiful sunshine!

Mrs. Reuter Mrs. Miller

deb.reuter@churchofstpeter.org Sharon.miller@churchofstpeter.org

RELIGION/www.WEBELIEVEweb.com –The chapter on the 6^th commandment, “You shall not commit adultery,” was finished today. Students were assigned the chapter test as an assignment for review as an informal assessment of what was learned. We will spend time Monday and Tuesday practicing for our prayer service on Wednesday, but we will also find time in the Religion textbook to begin reading and discussing the 7^th commandment, “You shall not steal.” This commandment focuses on our call to act with justice respecting the property of others, taking care of the earth that God created, and helping meet the basic needs of all people. **Looking ahead, the final test on all Ten Commandments will be on Wednesday, May 23^rd. The test will include matching or numbering the 10 commandments in the correct order, writing the Great Commandment and explaining how the Great Commandment sums up the Ten Commandments. Please help your child by reviewing page 99 or 172 on all Ten Commandments and the Great Commandment.

SPELLING – Mrs. Miller decided not to have a spelling unit this week due to the business of this week, which was filled with student council elections, program practices, and rescheduling of specials. Unit 32 will be the last spelling assignments and test of the school year. We will be spending the last week playing some games with all of the words.

*Please study these words with your child:

Unit 32 Prefixes

unlucky replay rename unhappy

unpaid unmade misplace rerun

reload repay unlike mistake

unkind misspell refill unusual

unsafe unable misuse replace

MASTERY WORDS: reseed, untie, replant, rewrite, unreal, unroll

BONUS WORDS: repeat, reflect, remind, unpleasant, uncertain, mislead, unexpected, misbehave

ENGLISH – More adverb comparisons were made this week similar to last week’s lesson, but instead of adding –er or –est, students add more or most before certain adverbs to compare the actions of two or three people or things.

READING – We will give the 4^th grade students until Tuesday, May 22^nd to reach their A.R. goals for the 4^th quarter reading grade. However, if they would like to have their points count toward the total number of points to compare to the other students of the school, the deadline is Monday, the 21^st. Mrs. Peterson will be handing out top awards in A.R. on the 23^rd.

MATH – Test 17, with the completion of lesson 90, was given this week. Students have made corrections on scores lower than 90%. Line graphs and pictographs were a few of the topics studied this week.

SOCIAL/www.macmillanmh.com- The test on the southwest was taken on Wednesday of this week, and the student’s paragraph and picture of their southwestern word was due today. Students will visit the last region of the U.S., the west next week. Tuesday, May 15^th is the day for the students to know their states.

SCIENCE/www.macmillanmh.com – Students will have a test on lessons 3 and 4, “Tracking Weather and Climate” on Wednesday next week to allow for some review in school. I originally told the students Monday, and thought better of my decision. So, to help your child prepare for this test, please review their foldable study guides, reread pages 336-350 as you deem necessary, and visit the above website for some additional review with games.

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Friday, May 4^th, 2012

*Character Word of the Month: JOY*

Happy May Crowning!

Congratulations to Michael C. for putting on a great performance at the Regional Science Fair this past Saturday. He received a purple ribbon and a second place Grand Award in his category. All John Ireland students that attended the fair did a phenomenal job! Way to go John Ireland Students!
Students running for the J.I. Student Council will be presenting their campaign speeches on Monday in the multi-purpose room at8:15. The fourth grade students running for office are Abby, Michael M., Jaimi, and Xavier. The elections are on Tuesday.
The students will have two all-school music rehearsals in the church next week for the Spring Program on Tuesday and Wednesday from 8:30-10:00 am, and a dress rehearsal on Thursday at1:00 pm. We look forward to seeing you all on Friday for the performance.
We will be sending in one last book order to Scholastic Books this year. The 5 book orders are in the Friday Folder. If you are interested in placing an order, please write your check out directly to Scholastic. All orders can be combined to one check. Try to have your orders in by next Friday, May 11^th to ensure their arrival before the end of the year.
Please join us for the last prayer service of the year on Wednesday, May 16^th at 8:15 in the church. The fourth grade will lead the service focused around JI’s character word of the month: JOY.

Have an enjoyable weekend!

Mrs. Reuter Mrs. Miller

deb.reuter@churchofstpeter.org Sharon.miller@churchofstpeter.org

READING – Many students have reached or are near reaching their AR goal for the quarter. They are encouraged to continue reading for the sake of enjoyment.

MATH – We continue to plug away at the lessons in the textbook. Students have been learning a lot about weights and other measures. Again students will need to know and remember these types of measurements whether they are from the U.S. Customary System or the Metric System. Some of these measurements include, but are not limited to: U.S.System conversions: 16 oz = 1 pt, 2 pt = 1 qt, 4 qt = 1 gal

Metric System conversions: 1000 mL = 1 L, 1000g = 1 kg, 16 oz = 1 1b, 2000 1bs = 1 ton

RELIGION/www.WEBELIEVEweb.com- The 4^th Commandment “test” is in this week’s Friday Folder; please sign and return on Monday. We read and discussed the fifth commandment this week, and will be moving onto the sixth commandment, “You shall not commit adultery” next week.

SPELLING- *Please study these words with your child:

Unit 32 Prefixes

unlucky replay rename unhappy

unpaid unmade misplace rerun

reload repay unlike mistake

unkind misspell refill unusual

unsafe unable misuse replace

MASTERY WORDS: reseed, untie, replant, rewrite, unreal, unroll

BONUS WORDS: repeat, reflect, remind, unpleasant, uncertain, mislead, unexpected, misbehave

ENGLISH – We continue our study of adverbs. Lessons this week addressed adverbs of manner, which answer the question how?, and adverbs that compare. Adverbs of manner are usually quite easy to identify, because most end in –ly. Adverbs that compare are also easy to spot, because they end in –er when comparing two people’s actions and –est when they compare three or more people’s actions.

SOCIAL/www.macmillanmh.com- The southwest region will be wrapping up next week.

SCIENCE/www.macmillanmh.com- You will find the test from lessons 1 and 2 in Friday Folders; please sign and return on Monday. We finished lesson 3 on tracking the weather and began lesson 4 on climate.

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Friday, April 27^th, 2012

*Character Word of the Month: JOY*

Happy May Day! (On Tuesday)

Mid-quarter reports for the fourth quarter are in today’s Friday Folder. Only three and a half working weeks left of school! Please look over and discuss the report with your child and what might need to change in order to see improvements before the end of the year. Please send back the report to school with signatures from both you and your child. Thanks!
The Regional Science Fair is tomorrow, April 28^th, in which the 4^th grade’s very own, Michael Connor will be participating in, as well as other J.I. students. If you are interested in going to see this event, it’s held in both the Taylor Center and Meyers Field House on the Minnesota State University, Mankato’s campus during the early afternoon, 12:30/1:00. This is a great way to get ideas for 5^th and 6^th grade Science Fair projects.
Students running for the J.I. Student Council will be campaigning next week.
The fourth grade students will be doing lunchroom duties again during part of May. The third grade will be doing the other half of the month in training for next year.

Enjoy the spring showers, sunshine, and blooming creation!

Mrs. Reuter Mrs. Miller

deb.reuter@churchofstpeter.org Sharon.miller@churchofstpeter.org

RELIGION/www.WEBELIEVEweb.com – The 4^th commandment was wrapped up and finished this week. We began our study of the next chapter on the 5th commandment, “You shall not kill.” After the 5^th commandment is finished next week, we will already start looking at the 6^th commandment “You shall not commit adultery.” Some of our discussion with this commandment centers around our abilities to show and share love. This chapter will also address chastity, the importance of friendships, and the special relationship between a husband and a wife.

ENGLISH – Students practiced adverb use this week by identifying the adverbs of time and place. These adverbs answer the questions how often and when (time,) and where (place.) The key to finding adverbs is to find the verb or action of the sentence and then say the questions after it. Example: Yesterday, the dog lay in his kennel sleeping. Verb = lay; The dog lay how often? The dog lay when? The dog lay where? The dog lay when-yesterday. Yesterday is the adverb. Keep in mind that an adverb should not be a noun.

READING – Students should continue to read for A.R. If goals are met, we still would like to simply see them reading for the enjoyment of it.

SPELLING – The Unit 29 test on syllable patterns was given today. We will be skipping the review unit to work toward completing more spelling units before the year is through. Next weeks words focus on more syllable patterns.

Please study the following words with your child:

Unit 31 Syllable Patterns

broken moment soda spoken

vanish palace reason climate

salad raisin modern favor

cabin habit clover motel

spider meadow punish hotel

MASTERY WORDS: robin, cousin, shovel, camel, princess, hurry

BONUS WORDS:private, mature, career, program, govern, balance, merit, talent

MATH – Students made corrections to their tests this week. Lesson focuses were continued practice of division, understanding and producing a bar graph, fraction sets, and measuring liquids using quarts, pints, gallons, cups, liters and milliliters. Students will need to know and remember these types of measurements whether they are from the U.S. Customary System or the Metric System. Some of these measurements include, but are not limited to:

U.S.System conversions: 2 c = 1 pt, 16 oz = 1 pt, 2 pt = 1 qt, 4 qt = 1 gal

Metric System conversions: 1000 mL = 1 L

SOCIAL- Student read and discussed the geography of the southwest this week looking at its landforms, which include coastlines, plains, deserts, swamps, mountains, rivers, plateaus, mesas, buttes, and canyons. They also looked at some population maps of the southwest noticing the density and distribution of the southwest in comparison to the northeast’s population. Today, they read about the southwest economy. All students received a packet of maps to help them know and study the 50 states in sections.

SCIENCE/www.macmillanmh.com – The test on lessons one and two was taken on Wednesday, and will be in next week’s Friday Folder. We began discussing why scientists study the weather and how the weather affects us. Lesson three will look into how weather is tracked as we study air masses, fronts, and weather maps.

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Friday, April 20^th, 2012

*Character Word of the Month: HONESTY*

Happy Earth Day on Sunday!

Congratulations to Cole, our school’s $100 Essay winner. The Kiwanis Club visited our classroom on Wednesday of this week to announce one winner of a total of three winners possible from the participating St. Peter area schools. We also had five honorable mentions, which were Nicole, Jaimi, Carson, Kyle, and Wareke. All of the students received a pencil for their participation. The winner and honorable mentions all received a certificate, and Cole and his family are invited to attend a breakfast next Thursday at Gustavus to present his charity, The Caring Bridge, with a hundred dollar check from the Kiwanis Club. With our classroom having a winner, we also receive $50 to use within our classroom. Congratulations and nice job to every student for being such giving individuals in your writing.
Information regarding being on the J.I. Student Council next year was shared at the prayer service this week. If students are interested in running for the council, we have the registration forms, which are currently available and need to be turned in by next Friday, April 27^th to Mrs. Lynch. Campaigning will follow during the week of April 30^th-May 4^th, with speeches on Monday, May 7^th and elections on Tuesday, May 8^th.
The 4^th grade boys and girls will be separately meeting with the school nurse, Mrs. Wear, on Tuesday, April 24^thto discuss changes that will be or may already be happening to their adolescent bodies. There was a parent letter in last week’s Friday Folder from Mrs. Wear regarding these meetings.
Mid-quarters for the fourth quarter will be sent home next week.
Thank you for joining us for Mass this week. The students do a nice job leading the Mass ministries. This was our last Mass to lead for the school year. We do have one prayer service left on Wednesday, May 16th.

Let us always take care of this beautiful earth that God has given to us.

Mrs. Reuter Mrs. Miller

deb.reuter@churchofstpeter.org Sharon.miller@churchofstpeter.org

RELIGION/www.WEBELIEVEweb.com – The fourth commandment will wrap up next week and the 5th commandment, “You shall not kill” will be addressed. The 5th commandment’s big focus is on the respect of all life. Our lives are a gift from God. We will discuss that what we say to each other and how we treat one another daily can affect how others feel about themselves and their human dignity.

READING – The assessment from “Red Writing Hood” is in today’s Friday Folder; please sign and return on Monday. Students tested on the story, “One Grain of Rice” today. Look for the test in next week’s Friday Folder. Reading class will be on hiatus for a while. Students will continue to read for A.R. for 20 minutes each day on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays.

ENGLISH – Adverbs are the next unit of study. This is different than what Mrs. Reuter originally stated earlier about doing a unit on pronouns. Adverbs are not always well comprehended by students, so this is the direction we will take at this time.

SPELLING – Students took the Unit 28 test on compound words this morning; please sign and return the test on Monday.

Please study the following words with your child:

Unit 29 Syllable Patterns

costume custom daylight sunset

section narrow better tonsils

oatmeal tunnel practice confuse

public meanwhile supper bottom

headache welcome coffee seldom

MASTERY WORDS: perhaps, forgot, outside, pancakes, rabbit, pencil

BONUS WORDS:rescue, offshore, chapter, bullet, pattern, cabbage, wildlife, funnel

MATH – Lessons this week included determining fractional parts of a whole, dividing numbers that have zeros, and finding information in story problems. A test was given today.

SOCIAL/www.macmillanmh.com – Students will be visiting the southwest region next week.

SCIENCE/www.macmillanmh.com – We read and discussed Lesson 2, The Water Cycle this week. Students will have a test next week on lessons 1 and 2 on Wednesday, April 25^th. To prepare for this test, students should revisit their lesson outlines, reread the lessons paying particular attention to the vocabulary, pages 312-331, and visit the textbook’s website above to review.

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Friday, April 13^th, 2012

*Character Word of the Month: HONESTY*

April showers bring May flowers!

Students finished the majority of the Iowa Basics tests this week. They will be testing during most of the mornings on Monday and Tuesday to wrap up the skills testing. Those students needing to make-up testing from last week will take those tests at some point next week. As with every day of school, please make sure your child eats breakfast and gets good rest at night to aid in a good performance.
The boys and girls will be separately meeting with the school nurse, Mrs. Wear, on Tuesday, April 24^thto discuss changes that will be or may already be happening to their adolescent bodies. Please read the parent letter in today’s Friday Folder from Mrs. Wear. Oh, the trials and tribulations of puberty!
Please join the 4^th grade for the school Mass next week, as we lead the ministries. This is our last Mass to lead for this school year. We have one prayer service left on Wednesday, May 16^th.

Have a nice weekend!

Mrs. Reuter Mrs. Miller

deb.reuter@churchofstpeter.org Sharon.miller@churchofstpeter.org

RELIGION/www.WEBELIEVEweb.com – We will need to move more quickly through the remaining seven chapters on commandments 6-10. The end of the year is coming fast. The chapter tests will be treated like an assignment rather than taking the extra time to review and prepare for them as tests.

READING – The assessment for “Red Writing Hood” was taken today. Look for this test next week. “One Grain of Rice” is the next story, which is another folktale. After a raja decrees the villagers to give their harvested rice to him, where it will be kept safe and distributed during times of famine, a famine comes and the raja refuses to share the rice. A clever village girl comes up with a plan to return the rice to the people.

SPELLING – The Unit 27 test on science words was taken today.

Please study the following words with your child:

Unit 28 Compound Words

basketball forever fireplace drugstore

outdoors rainbow nobody downtown

railroad anyhow upstairs breakfast

everyday sunshine sidewalk moonlight

teaspoon themselves southwest baseball

MASTERY WORDS: anyone, cannot, yourself, maybe, sometimes, football

BONUS WORDS:touchdown, already, earthquake, background, wherever, brainstorm, horseback, billboard

ENGLISH – The “If I had $100” Essays were picked up this week.

MATH – Not a lot of math was to be had this week due to testing. Measurement of a millimeter was reviewed, and the class worked on part of a lesson figuring out the problems together.

SOCIAL/www.macmillanmh.com

SCIENCE/www.macmillanmh.com

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Wednesday, April 4^th, 2012

*Character Word of the Month: HONESTY*

Happy Easter wishes to you and your family.

Jesus will rise on Easter Sunday, Alleluia!

The Iowa Basics Skills Tests will be given after Easter break. Fourth grade students will test April 10-17^th, most often during the AM hours. Please try to have your child present in school for all of the test days. As with every day of school, please make sure your child eats breakfast and gets good rest each night to aid in a good performance. Also, make sure your child has two to three #2 pencils ready for use on these tests. Students should have a book or two to read if they finish testing before the time is through. Thank you.

Have a prayerful Holy week and beautiful Easter holiday with your family.

Mrs. Reuter Mrs. Miller

deb.reuter@churchofstpeter.org Sharon.miller@churchofstpeter.org

RELIGION –We will begin the 4^th commandment next week with the little amount of teaching time divided between each of the daily subjects during testing. Honor your Father and Mother is the 4^th commandment. During this chapter we will continue to discuss the idea that the commandments are all about love. God wants us to show love and respect to others, because whenever we respect and honor one another, we honor God. Jesus showed us how to live out the fourth commandment by being obedient to his mother, Mary, and his foster father, Joseph. He did the things that God his Father wanted.

READING – We began this week comparing a play and a story and then proceeded to read and act out the play “Red Writing Hood.” Students will test on this story on Friday of next week. Until then, it is a good idea to reread the play and review the vocabulary in preparation for the test.

ENGLISH – The “If I had $100” essays were completed and finalized. I think we will have a winner or two this year which will keep up with last year’s results. Until last year, we have had only honorable mentions from J.I. since Mrs. Reuter has been here. It’s nice to be recognized as both honorable mentions and winners too! We are excited to hear the results in the coming weeks!

SPELLING – The test on Unit 27 will be on Friday, April 13^th. Students should continue to study the words over the break and into next week. This is a challenging list of words. Mrs. Miller had the students write the words on flashcards to help with spelling the words. She advised putting the words into two groups, those you know how to spell well, and those you need more practice with.

Please study the following words with your child:

Unit 27 Science Words

microscope digestion crystal magnet

experiment animal humidity contract

oxygen root planet hurricane

skeleton humid expand decay

eclipse protein orbit carbon

MASTERY WORDS: cloud, weather, snow, ice, wind, rainfall

BONUS WORDS: energy, environment, recycle, natural, endangered, species, organic, resources

MATH – This week’s lessons seemed to be more review of concepts than anything real new. Students worked on multiplication by multiples of 10 by “hanging out” or “pushing out” the zeros. More practice was given to determining the area and perimeter of a given shape and division with two digit answers and remainders. Today’s lesson reviewed the measure of millimeters.

SOCIAL- The Southwest and West Regions of theU.S. are the two remaining regions left to study.

SCIENCE/www.macmillanmh.com –We read and discussed Lesson 1, “Air and Weather.” Lesson 2, “The Water Cycle” will be started next week.

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Friday, March 30th, 2012

*Character Word of the Month: HONESTY*

Hosanna! Hosanna!

Holy Week is upon us. Palm Sunday or Passion Sunday begins this important week in the Church. Let us be ever mindful of Jesus and everything he did for us.
Report cards are in today’s Friday Folders. Please take the time to sit down with your child to look over and discuss with your child the grades, conduct and effort, and what he or she can continue to do or improve upon during the final quarter of their fourth grade year. Please keep the A.R. slip and band report at home. Please come to us with any questions or concerns.
Mrs. Miller will be gone Tuesday and Wednesday of next week. We pray for her as she has eye surgery on her other eye.
The Iowa Basics Skills Tests will be given after Easter break. Fourth grade students will test April 10-17^th, most often during the AM hours. Please try to have your child present in school for all of the test days. Making up the tests can be difficult finding the needed time frames and persons to administer the tests. As with every day of school, please make sure your child eats breakfast and gets good rest each night to aid in a good performance. Also, make sure your child has two to three #2 pencils ready for use on these tests. Students should have a book or two to read if they finish testing before the time is through. Thank you.
We thank Fr. Phil for celebrating the Sacrament of Reconciliation with us this past Wednesday. He reminded us to stay connected to the Vine, our Father, as we continue to live in Him and be fruitful as the branches.

Pray, Fast, and Give,

Mrs. Reuter Mrs. Miller

deb.reuter@churchofstpeter.org Sharon.miller@churchofstpeter.org

RELIGION – Students tested on the third commandment today. Look for the test in next week’s Friday Folder. The remaining seven commandments teach us to show love for ourselves and others. Before we read about the 4^th commandment in chapter 15, however, we will spend class time discussing the Easter Triduum; the Church’s greatest celebration of the year.

READING – TheCharlotte’s Web dioramas look great! Wow, very impressive! Assessments from “In the Days of King Adobe”, which were taken today, will be in next week’s Friday Folders. The next reading story will be started next week and continue into the week after Easter. We will be reading a play entitled, “Red Writing Hood.” Red Riding Hood does not want the wolf to go to her grandma’s house, so she changes the script, and decides to change a few other fairy tales too. This causes much confusion and the changes do not make good things happen, so the tales are changed back, with the exception of the wolf, who writes his own happy ending.

ENGLISH – The noun test is in today’s folder; please sign and return next week. English time this week was spent writing cards for our JI Alumni that will receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit on Saturday for the sacrament of Confirmation, and discussing the essay contest explained in last week’s report. We will continue the “If I had $100” essays next week. Students need to decide on a charity that they would like to see the $100 go to. They also need to have a convincing story to tell the Kiwanis Club readers so that their essays might be chosen. This may include knowing what the chosen charity does, what they could use the money for, and perhaps knowing someone who could benefit from the charity.

SPELLING – You will find the Unit 26 test, taken this morning, in the Friday Folder. We will begin Unit 27 next week with only three days of school, and finish it during the week of the Iowa Basics testing. The test on Unit 26 will be on Friday, April 13^th.

Please study the following words with your child:

Unit 27 Science Words

microscope digestion crystal magnet

experiment animal humidity contract

oxygen root planet hurricane

skeleton humid expand decay

eclipse protein orbit carbon

MASTERY WORDS: cloud, weather, snow, ice, wind, rainfall

BONUS WORDS: energy, environment, recycle, natural, endangered, species, organic, resources

MATH – We spent time this week reviewing and practicing more division, and revisiting how to find and label area. Students tested on Wednesday of this week too.

SOCIAL- You will find theMidwest test in today’s Friday Folder. Please sign and return next week.

SCIENCE/www.macmillanmh.com – As theMidwest was wrapped up this week with a test, science sat on the backburner. Lesson 1 of the weather and climate chapter focuses on air, what it is, how it moves, where it’s found (in the layers of our atmosphere), and what moving air can cause. As a class, we will be recording the high and low temperatures of each day for a week, and observe the changes, if any, that bring about change in the weather.

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Thursday, March 22^nd, 2012

*Character Word of the Month: SERVICE*

Spring is here! Yeah! We know, however, the true joy of spring will not come until Easter Sunday is upon us and Jesus has risen!

Third quarter officially ends today. Report cards will be sent home next Friday, March 30^th.
The school nurse, Mrs. Wear, will join our class on Tuesday to continue looking at nutrition. She will share and discuss the importance of reading food labels to determine a food’s healthiness over another. Mrs. Wear will return to our classroom at two separate times (for the boys and then the girls) in April to address puberty and the changes your child will experience as they grow up.
The fourth grade students will be celebrating the sacrament of Reconciliation on Wednesday with Fr. Phil. This is a great way to prepare ourselves for Easter.
The Iowa Basics Skills Tests will be given during the weeks of April 10^th-20^th. Please try to have your child present in school for all of the test days. Making up the tests can be difficult finding the needed time frames and persons to administer the tests. Thank you.
The fourth grade will lead one more Mass and one more prayer service this year. The Mass will be April 19^th, and the prayer service will be the last one of the school year on May 16^th.

Pray, Fast, and Give,

Mrs. Reuter Mrs. Miller

deb.reuter@churchofstpeter.org Sharon.miller@churchofstpeter.org

RELIGION/www.WEBELIEVEweb.com – The chapter on the second commandment will be wrapped up next week with a discussion on the Works of Mercy. These 14 Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy are good things we can do to love and serve others, especially on the Lord’s Day. The Chapter 11 test will be next Friday, March 30^th. The 4^th Commandment, Honor your Father and Mother is chapter fifteen’s focus.

READING – If your child has not yet taken the A.R. test for the book, Charlotte’s Web, they are encouraged to do so next week as a good start to the fourth quarter. It is worth 5 A.R. points. We are back into the reading textbook next week reading a folktale titled, “In the Days of King Adobe.” This is one of Mrs. Reuter’s favorite stories about a poor, but generous woman who gives two travelers a night’s lodging and meal. The men try to steal a ham from the woman in the night, but she watches them and plays a trick on them.

ENGLISH – We will take a short break from the English book to write essays for the “If I had $100” essay contest put on by the St. Peter Kiwanis Club each year. The noun test taken today will be in Friday Folders next week. Pronouns will be the next unit of study.

SPELLING – You will find the Unit 25 test, taken this morning, in the Friday Folder. Please sign the test and return it on Monday.

Please study the following words with your child:

Unit 26 The Sounds /el/ and /en/

puzzle open dozen frighten

turtle lemon chicken central

wooden tickle bacon button

paddle equal kettle battle

metal signal ribbon several

MASTER WORDS: nickel, kitten, table, lesson, lion, level

BONUS WORDS: pardon, whistle, swollen, national, ankle, burden, carton, practical

MATH – Polygons and the division of a two and three digit number by a one digit number were the focuses of math this week. The process of division was a little challenging for some students. There are four main steps to remember when doing a division problem: divide, multiply, subtract, and bring down. These four steps keep repeating until there are no more numbers to bring down. Of course, knowing one’s multiplication facts definitely aids in the division process 100%. Students are ready for another test next week.

SCIENCE/www.macmillanmh.com – As the fourth quarter begins, we will be taking a look at weather and climate.

SOCIAL- The Midwest Region will be wrapped up next week when Mrs. Miller returns. Both science and social studies will be taught throughout the fourth quarter to ensure coverage of all 5 U.S. regions. Students will be traveling into the Southwest Region following the Mid-West.

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Friday, March 16^th, 2012

*Character Word of the Month: SERVICE*

Pray, Fast, and Give

Thank you for joining us at Stations today. The fourth grade students all did a great job!
Mrs. Reuter will be gone on Monday to a funeral. Mrs. Miller will be gone Tuesday through Thursday.
Third quarter ends next week. There is no school on Friday the 23^rd. Report cards will be sent home on Friday, March 30^th.
Our school nurse, Mrs. Wear, will join our class on the 27^th of March to continue looking at nutrition. She will share and discuss the importance of reading food labels to determine a food’s healthiness over another. Mrs. Wear will return to our classroom in April to address puberty and the changes your child will experience as they grow up.
The fourth grade students will be celebrating the sacrament of Reconciliation on Wednesday, March 28^th with Fr. Phil. This is a great way to prepare ourselves for Easter.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day on Saturday!

Mrs. Reuter Mrs. Miller

deb.reuter@churchofstpeter.org Sharon.miller@churchofstpeter.org

RELIGION/www.WEBELIEVEweb.com – The chapter 10 test on the 2^nd Commandment is in today’s Friday Folder. Please sign and return on Monday. Students continue to work on keeping their Lenten promises to Jesus that they made at the start of Lent. Information read and discussed this week regarding the third commandment included the discussion of appropriate activities of rest and relaxation to keep the Lord’s Day holy, such as participation at Mass, following Jesus’ example of caring for others, and spending time in prayer worship, and thanksgiving to God.

READING – Chapters 14-20 of Charlotte’s Web were read and discussed this week. The remaining two chapters will be finished next week. We will also be watching the movie of the book and discussing comparisons between the two. Students’ dioramas are due on Thursday of next week of a scene from the book. The dioramas should be put together in a shoebox or other close in size box. We encourage everyone to use supplies that you already have at home, or we have here at school. Do not go out and buy materials. Let us know if there is something you might need in the construction of this project. Students’ dioramas must include Wilbur and Charlotte.

ENGLISH – The noun unit is now completed. For review of the unit, students will be assigned both the noun challenge and the pretest. These will both be corrected before the post test is given on Thursday, March 22^nd. Again, reviewing pages 338-359 on the noun lessons would be helpful in preparation for this test. Also, each of the unit’s assignments were given back to the students to keep in their English folders so that they could revisit them to use as study guides for the test as well.

SPELLING – The review test on Unit 24 was taken this morning. Please study the following words with your child for next week:

Unit 25The Sounds /er/

mirror master actor trainer

tractor visitor fever farmer

sailor center razor sweater

member odor hunter answer

flavor camper harbor owner

MASTERY WORDS: color, doctor, winter, matter, either, corner

BONUS WORDS:traitor, computer, error, swimmer, equator, director, prisoner, partner

MATH – Students tested this week as lesson 70 was reached. Remaining fractions and exponents were some of the concepts taught.

SOCIAL – The fourth grade headed into some familiar territory as they visited the Mid-West this week. We read and discussed the land of this region, which included places such as theGreat Lakes, and theBadlands, and concepts such as fertile soil and lake effect. We also took a sneak peek at the economy of the Mid-West. Mrs. Grygo graciously showed the students the assembly line from the1913s when the Ford Model T was mass produced manually, and an assembly line of cars built today with the use of robots.

SCIENCE/www.macmillanmh.com – Back in the fourth quarter.

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Friday, March 9^th, 2012

*Character Word of the Month: SERVICE*

We continue on our Lenten journey . . .

We think everyone had a good time at the Children’s Water Festival this past Wednesday. Some of the water-related topics the students encountered were: Minnesota glaciers, the water cycle, adopt a river, and other information about water. Your child hopefully informed you about some of the things they heard, saw, and learned at the festival.
If you sent in a water sample for the Minnesota Department of Agriculture to test, your child should have brought you back a pamphlet with the information that was found out about your water.
Thank you to those who attended our Mass this week. The fourth grade students did a nice job in their ministries. Please join us on Friday, March 16^th for Stations of the Cross, in which the 4^th grade will lead at 8:30 am in the church.
Book orders sent home in last week’s Friday Folder should be turned in on Tuesday of next week if you plan to place an order. Please make checks payable to Scholastic.
Conference confirmation sheets are in Friday Folders today. The conference days are Thursday, March 15^th, and Tuesday, March 20^th. These are optional, if you want to have a conference and did not turn in your sheet, please call and schedule one as soon as possible.
Remember to turn your clocks forward this weekend as we SPRING into spring.

Pray, Fast, Give,

Mrs. Reuter Mrs. Miller

deb.reuter@churchofstpeter.org Sharon.miller@churchofstpeter.org

RELIGION/www.WEBELIEVEweb.com – The chapter 10 test will be in next week’s folder. We will begin reading about the third commandment, Remember to Keep Holy the Lord’s Day, next week, and practicing for Stations of the Cross.

READING – We are over half way finished reading Charlotte’s Web. Many students have commented on how much they like listening to the chapters on CD. Listening to someone else read sometimes gives them a greater understanding of the events of the story. The book will be completely finished before the end of the quarter, in which the movie will be shown with students making comparisons between the book and the movie, and packets will be collected and graded. There will be a final project in which each student will create a diorama of one of the scenes found in the book that must include Charlotte and Wilbur.

ENGLISH – The remaining lessons from the noun unit include nouns as subjects, direct objects, and subject complements. These lessons will be taught next week and will lead to the review of the entire noun unit and a final test in time for the end of the quarter. You may find starting to review the noun concepts now on pages 338-359 beneficial in the preparation for the close of this unit on the 22^nd of March.

SPELLING – The Unit 23 test was taken this morning and can be found in the Friday Folder. Please sign the test and return it on Monday. Next week’s unit is a review unit and includes 10 words from each of the units 19-23. These words can be found on pages 102-104 of the spelling textbook. Please review and study these words with your child.

MATH – Rate patterned problems, three-digit multiplication, and 2-step equations were focuses of this week’s math lessons. Some key words to look for when identifying rate word problems are per, each, and one. These types of problems are set up like the Equal Group (EG) problems and use multiplication or division when solving. In three-digit multiplication, students need to remember to add the carried digit from one column to the next after multiplying. In the 2-step problems, one side of an equation must equal the other side. There will be a math test on Tuesday.

SOCIAL – Students had the privilege of listening to some music from the southeast region. Much of the music today was inspired by the bluegrass, blues, Cajun, rock and roll, and soul sounds that came from this region. They also experienced some segregation in the classroom, too as many African Americans experienced in the 1950s and 1960s. Ask them what happened. The test on the Southeast was taken today. The next region will be the Mid-West.

SCIENCE/www.macmillanmh.com – Science will be back in the fourth quarter.

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Friday, March 2^nd, 2012

*Character Word of the Month: SERVICE*

Winter, or should we call it Spring, continues . . .

Congratulations to all of the Science Fair Participants! Our Michaels did excellent jobs representing grade 4 at the Science Fair this past Thursday evening. They both deserve praise for the great effort that they each put into their projects. Michael C. has the opportunity to attend the Regional Science Fair on April 28^th in Mankato to take his project, “SNAP!” to another level. Michael M. received second place and will serve as an alternate should another student not be able to attend the regional fair. Great Job! These projects are great learning experiences. Thank you parents for the support you give to your child in this event.
We will be traveling to North Mankato on Wednesday, March 7^th, for the Children’s Water Festival. All students will need a sack lunch and drink. Please use a brown bag for the lunches so that all the lunches will fit together in a box. Space is limited. We will leave school around 8:30 to arrive at the festival by 9:15, and then we leave from the festival around 1:30 to return back to school by 2:00. The Minnesota Department of Agriculture will be testing samples of private well water for those who wish to have their water tested. A letter regarding this is in today’s folder, along with the field trip permission slip.
The students did a fantastic job bringing in money for Pennies for Patients. Our grand total in the 4^th grade was $131.39.
This month is health-nutrition month. Next week we will be having a visitor to the classroom, a nutritionist from Hy-Vee, who will be talking to the students about making healthy food choices and discussing the NuVal system, which ranks the healthiness of a food on a scale between 1 and 100. The higher the number, the better the food is for you.
Please join us for Mass next week on Thursday, March 8^th at 10:45. The fourth grade class will be leading the ministries. Hope to see you there! We will be leading the Stations of the Cross on Friday, March 16^th.
Conference sign up sheets are in today’s folder. Please return these sheets by Monday, so that the teachers can meet to schedule them. These conferences are optional.
I am sending four book orders home in today’s Friday Folder. Please return your order and check written to Scholastic by Tuesday, March 13^th if you are interested.

See you at Luck Of the Irish!

Pray, Fast, Give,

Mrs. Reuter Mrs.Miller

deb.reuter@churchofstpeter.org Sharon.miller@churchofstpeter.org

RELIGION/www.WEBELIEVEweb.com –As the second commandment is wrapped up next week, students should be ready for a test on Friday, March 9^th. Students again should reread the chapter, pages 120-128, and visit the We Believe website above to complete the online study guide for this chapter as one form of preparation for this test. We will be reading about the third commandment, Remember to Keep Holy the Lord’s Day next. Next week’s classes will also involve practicing our parts for Mass on Thursday.

READING – We continue to read from Charlotte’s Web. Mrs. Miller found the book on CD for us to listen to as the author, E.B. White, himself reads his book.

ENGLISH – This week was spent writing the rules for the LOI project, and writing friendly letters, in pairs, to our 7 honored heroes. We will get back to the noun unit next week looking at collective nouns, which name groups of things or people. These nouns are usually in the singular form. The lessons will also include the study of count nouns, which name things that can be counted as individual units, and noncount nouns, which name things that cannot be counted and are written in the singular form.

SPELLING – The Unit 22 test was taken this morning and can be found in the Friday Folder. Please study the following words with your child:

Unit 23The Sounds /ur/

burst person perfect germ

clerk stir fern firm

curl nurse term birth

merchant dirt churn stern

alert purse shirt further

MASTERY WORDS: sir, herself, burn, fur, return, circle

BONUS WORDS:deserve, emergency, furnish, terminal, sturdy, surface, squirm, flirt

MATH – Students did lessons this week involving multiples, percents and fractions.

SOCIAL – We continue to become acquainted with the Southeast region of our country as we read and discussed its environment and economy this week.

SCIENCE/www.macmillanmh.com – Back in the 4^th quarter.

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Friday, February 24^th, 2012

*Character Word of the Month: FRIENDSHIP*

Mid-quarter is today for the third quarter. Please take some time to sit down and talk with your son or daughter about the grades and where, if any, improvements need to be made. Please sign and return the reports by the end of next week. Conference sign up sheets will come home next week.
Please come to the Science Fair on Thursday, March 1^st from about6:00-6:30 pm to see the great science fair projects. The fourth grade has 2 students participating this year and they would love to see their J.I. family there to support them.
The students continue to do a great job bringing in money for Pennies for Patients. Our total thus far is $81.01. We have one more week to reach our classroom goal of overfilling our container. Remember to bring in $1 on Wednesday to wear a hat as an awareness of cancer.
The LOI project has been named. The students voted and “Family Fun Games” won.
The 4^th Grade’s annual field trip to the Children’s Water Festival is scheduled for Wednesday, March 7^th. The festival is held at South Central Technical College in North Mankato. We will leave school around 8:45 to arrive at the festival at 9:15, and then we leave from the festival around 1:30 to return back to school by 2:00. All students will need a sack lunch and drink with their names on them that day. The Minnesota Department of Agriculture will also be testing samples of private well water for those who wish to have their water tested. A letter regarding this will be sent home with the permission slips next week.
**We will need some parent drivers for the Water Festival Day. If you could simply transport us to and from the event, this would be greatly appreciated. If you would like to come along as a parent chaperone, you are certainly welcome. If you know that you will be available to drive on that day or are able to get the day off ahead of time, please let us know how many students you would be able to safely belt into your vehicle. We have sixteen students and two teachers to transport.
A brochure about Catholic Youth Camp is enclosed in the Friday Folder. Students in years past have attended this camp during the summer and have had only great things to say about it. Check it out if your child might be interested, at www.cycamp.org.
REMEMBER YOUR COLD LUNCHES NEXT WEEK!

Pray, Fast, Give,

Mrs. Reuter Mrs. Miller

deb.reuter@churchofstpeter.org Sharon.miller@churchofstpeter.org

RELIGION/www.WEBELIEVEweb.com – We read and discussed the chapter on Lent this week. Students made a Lenten promise to grow closer to Jesus and walk with Him during these 40 days of Lent. The promise included a promise of prayer, fasting, and giving. We will continue reading and discussing the 2^nd commandment next week focusing on the reverence and respect needed when using God’s holy name.

ENGLISH – Class time was used this week to finish up the final piece of the 4^th Grade LOI project. Students came up with rules for the outdoor games, which will be typed up and put together in a three-ring binder, and they voted on a name for these fabulous games.

MATH – One of this week’s topics included revisiting the EG (Equal Group) patterned problems. Instead of using multiplication to solve these problems, now they can be solved using division when only one factor is known. Other concepts included doing division with remainders, and reviewing the meanings of year, decade and century.

READING – “The Kids’ Invention Book” assessments can be found in today’s Friday Folders; please sign and return. Students tested on the story, “The Case of Pablo’s Nose” today. This test will be in next week’s folder. We will be starting a chapter book next week, Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White. As a class, we will read a majority of the chapters during reading class; students will answer some comprehension questions, do a short additional assignment on occasion, and compare the book to the movie after we have finished reading the book. This book is also an A.R. book and students will be able to take the test on it once we have completed it, if they haven’t already done so prior to reading the book in class. We have noticed the point earnings of the students’ for Accelerated Reading is down. Students should be at least half way to their set goal at this point in the quarter.

SPELLING – The Unit 21 test on contractions and possessives was taken this morning. Please study the following words with your child:

Unit 22 Sounds /ar/, /or/, and /ar/

order dare chore market

form tore soar barber

alarm aware hardly fort

harm prepare orchard rare

roar share fork chart

MASTERY WORDS: born, barn, store, corn, yard, care

BONUS WORDS: portion, starch, restore, barbecue, carefree, barefoot, hoarse, therefore

SOCIAL – Students tested on the Northeast Region of the United States this week, and began the study of the Southeast Region.

SCIENCE/www.macmillanmh.com – Back in the 4^th quarter.

**SCIENCE FAIR Participants REMINDER: The Science Fair is here! **Please see the science fair reminder sheet found in your child’s folder today. All participants will share their projects in class on Thursday. Please have the projects at school in the morning hours.

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Thursday, February 16^th, 2012

*Character Word of the Month: FRIENDSHIP*

Happy Presidents’ Day on Monday!

Thank you again to the families who provided snacks, drinks, and paper products for our party. The students seemed to enjoy themselves during our Valentine’s Day celebration, and hopefully went home feeling a little more loved. Thank you for the valentines, treats, and chocolate!
The kick-off for the Pennies for Patients began on Monday. The fourth grade students set a goal to overflow our classroom container by March 2^nd. We currently have $15.41 collected this week. Students can also show their support of the Leukemia Cancer Victims by wearing a hat on the 29^th and contributing $1 to wear it in school, and donating money to the Wall of Warriors ($1, $5, $10.) We will be writing to 6 honored heroes throughout these 3 weeks. Information regarding Pennies for Patients was sent home on a pink sheet in last week’s Friday Folder.
The majority of the 4^th grade’s LOI project is completed. Thank you again, Kelli, Debi, Amy, and Brian for your help. The students will be writing their own rules for these games to finish up the 4^th grade item. Then the question will be: Who’s going to buy it?
LOOKING AHEAD: The 4^th Grade’s annual field trip to the Children’s Water Festival is scheduled for Wednesday, March 7^th. The festival is held at South Central Technical College in North Mankato. All students will need a sack lunch and drink. The Minnesota Department of Agriculture will also be testing samples of private well water for those who wish to have their water tested. A letter regarding this will be sent home with the permission slips soon. **We will need some parent drivers for the Water Festival Day. If you could simply transport us to and from the event, this would be greatly appreciated. If you would like to come along as a parent chaperone, you are certainly welcome. The exact times of departure and return will be known next week. If you know that you will be available to drive on that day or are able to get the day off ahead of time and be a chaperone, please let us know how many students you would be able to belt into your vehicle. We have sixteen students and two teachers to transport.

Have a nice 4 day weekend! Lent begins on Wednesday.

Mrs. Reuter Mrs. Miller

deb.reuter@churchofstpeter.org Sharon.miller@churchofstpeter.org

RELIGION/www.WEBELIEVEweb.com – The chapter 9 test on the 1^st Commandment can be found in today’s Friday Folder; please sign and return it to school on Tuesday. As we read about the Second Commandment this week, we learned that in honor and respect of God’s name, the Israelites did not say the name Yahweh, but instead used Lord when addressing God. Students shared how their own names’ were chosen, nicknames they have, and feelings about their names. To show respect for God, the Israelites wrote and sang psalms too. Each student wrote a psalm this week giving praise and glory to God.

SOCIAL – The students will be having a test on the Northeast next week. Students should revisit the three lessons of Unit 3 in preparation for this test. They also have worksheets that coincide with the lessons that could be used as review.

READING – Test scores from “Look to the North” are in today’s Friday Folders; please sign and return next week. Students tested on “The Kids’ Invention Book” today. This will be in folders next week also. Our next selection, “The Case of Pablo’s Nose,” is an Encyclopedia Brown mystery involving a New Nose Now contest for a statue of Abraham Lincoln. Before Pablo’s nose gets entered into the contest, it gets stolen. The young detective, Encyclopedia Brown and his friend Sally creatively solve this case.

ENGLISH – Forming the possessive form of both singular and plural nouns is proving to be somewhat difficult for some students. Most singular nouns become possessive by adding an –‘s. Plural nouns should be made plural first, then, if the noun is regular and ends with a –s, students should simply add an apostrophe. If the noun is irregular and does not end with a –s, students should add a –‘s. Example: sisters’ houses; women’s clothing.

SPELLING-Please study the following words with your child:

Unit 21Contractions/Possessives

I’ve they’re girls’ hers

couldn’t wasn’t birds’ mine

haven’t you’re men’s theirs

I’d boy’s Sally’s yours

she’ll Chris’s women’s its

MASTERY WORDS: we’re, didn’t, I’ll, won’t, whose, don’t

BONUS WORDS:children’s, shouldn’t, you’ve, here’s, ours, people’s, presidents’, canaries’

MATH – Students started off the week with a test. Finding a missing number in either an addition or subtraction problem has been causing difficulty for some students. A friendly reminder to help in this process would be to ask yourself:

Step 1-Do I have the bigger number in this type of problem?

254 N (Bigger Number) 641 (Bigger Number)

+ N - 113 - N

588 (Bigger Number) 427 365

Step 2 – Yes, I have the bigger number. Then subtract the two numbers to get the answer. No, I do not have the bigger number. Then add the two numbers to get the bigger number and answer.

**SCIENCE FAIR Participants REMINDER: The Science Fair is March 1^st, less than 2 weeks away! Backboards are for sale in the office for $4. All participants will share their projects in class with their peers on that Thursday. Hopefully, some helpful questions and critiques will be made and shared in preparation for the judges.

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Friday, February 10^th, 2012

*Character Word of the Month: FRIENDSHIP*

Happy St. Valentine’s Day! (on Tuesday)

Our Valentine’s Party is on Tuesday, February 14^th. Students are reminded to bring a valentine for each classmate. The class list is on last week’s report. Thank you to the following students and their families who will be bringing in goodies for our party: snacks-Ryder, Michael M., Jaimi and Ethan, drinks-Kyle, and paper products- Abby. Thank you. These items can accompany your child to school on the 14^th. We will be enjoying the treats, playing games and exchanging valentines in the afternoon on that day around1:30.
There is No School on Friday, the 17^th, and Monday, the 20^th.
Please get your $5 LOI contribution turned in as soon as possible so we can be sure to pay for the supplies to make the 4^th grade items. The students will be working on the projects on Wednesday. Thank you to Kelli Miller, Michelle Connor, and Mike Volk for your work in getting this put together. We also thank Amy, Debi, Brian, and Kelli for working with the kids on Wednesday and getting the project completed.
Thank you to Wareke and his family for donating pencils to the 4^th grade students.
We are in need of more Kleenexes and napkins. Please send in these items if you can.

Have a love-filled week!

Mrs. Reuter Mrs. Miller

deb.reuter@churchofstpeter.org Sharon.miller@churchofstpeter.org

RELIGION/www.WEBELIEVEweb.com – The test on chapter 9, The First Commandment, was taken today. Look for this test next week. Chapter 10, the Second Commandment, You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, is the next commandment of study. The reoccurring theme in this chapter is the respect of one’s name, especially God’s.

READING – The reading for next week is an expository nonfiction story titled, “The Kids’ Invention Book.” Students will read about four young inventors and their inventions, and about how to become an inventor themselves too. The students will test on Thursday due to the 4-day week. Each week please review the vocabulary and reread the story of the week with your child in preparation for the test if needed.

ENGLISH – This week’s noun lessons focused on showing singular and plural possessives; knowing when to add -‘s, -s’, or simply ‘.

SPELLING – The Unit 19 tests were taken this morning and can be found in next week’s Friday Folder. Please study the following words with your child:

Unit 20- /oo/ and /yoo/

music flu clue duty

broom tuna cube mule

spoon tool booth bloom

cute glue scooter spool

huge unit tulip stool

MASTERY WORDS: boot, useful, tooth, balloon, noon, roof

BONUS WORDS: excuse, amuse, foolish, cruel, gloomy, musician, universe, rumor

MATH – Lessons learned this week included solving equal group (EG) patterned problems, review of perimeter, more practice of the multiplication facts, and division. Students will take a test on Monday. Keep practicing those facts!

SOCIAL – We began reading the first lesson of the Northeast, which focuses on the geography of this region. Students are becoming familiar with how SQ3R works. They have surveyed, formed questions with the titles and subtitles, read, and answered their questions throughout lesson 1. If they could not answer their questions after the lesson was read, then they would need to go back and reread or review the text to find the answer(s).

SCIENCE/www.macmillanmh.com – Science will be back in the 4^th quarter.

**SCIENCE FAIR Participants

REMINDER: The Science Fair is March 1^st, less than 3 weeks away! The GOLD sheet is due on Thursday, February 16^th. This sheet explains the results and conclusions of your science fair project and a sketch of what the backboard will look like for the fair as the projects are completed; hopefully sooner than later. If your project is not completed yet, do not worry too much. The due dates on the time-line are just a way for me to make sure your projects are moving along and will be ready for the Science Fair Day.

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Friday, February 3^rd, 2012

Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow, 6 more weeks of winter!

What Winter? We Minnesotans say.

I believe we all had a great celebration of Catholic Schools Week this past week. Thank you to Sharon and John Allen, Abby’s grandparents, for chaperoning on Wednesday at the recreation center. Thank you, parents for sending your children here and supporting John Ireland School.
Thank you for attending our Mass this week. The 4^th grade students did a great job!
Our Valentine’s Party is right around the corner on Tuesday, February 14^th. Students will exchange valentines. A class list can be found in this newsletter. The following students signed up to be on the party planning committee: Abby, Ryder, Jaimi, Michael M., Kyle, and Ethan. These students will meet soon to plan the treats and beverages. A note will be sent home with your child, informing you about what needs to be brought on that day.
The fourth grade will take over the scraping and washing duties at lunch during the next four weeks.
The Luck of the Irish school fundraiser is March 3^rd. Please turn in $5 in an envelope marked LOI class project as soon as you are able. There are just a handful of students needing to pay yet.
**Please check with your child about restocking pencils. Some students are using some very stubby pencils that need to be thrown away.

Have a nice weekend.

Mrs. Reuter Mrs. Miller

deb.reuter@churchofstpeter.org Sharon.miller@churchofstpeter.org

RELIGION/www.WEBELIEVEweb.com – In Chapter 9, in continuing with the first commandment, we read and discussed ways we honor God through prayer, worship, and loving others. The students completed a worksheet where they had to mark items as a need or want. In most cases, the students all agreed on the labeling of the items. This worksheet led us into the discussion of idolatry, and the importance of loving God above all other things. This chapter will be wrapped next week. The students will take the Chapter 9 Test on Friday, February 10^th.

READING – The “Two Lands, One Heart” assessment is in today’s Friday Folder; please sign and return on Monday. We will read an informative narrative next week entitled, “Look to the North.” This narrative, in the form of a diary, tells about the growth and changes three wolf pups endure throughout their first year of life, the roles found within a wolf pack, and the ways of a wolf.

ENGLISH – We continued with the study of nouns. In the one lesson we were able to get in this week, irregular nouns were highlight. These are the nouns that do not follow the four rules stated in last week’s report, for example ox changes to oxen, person changes to people when made plural, and some nouns stay the same in both the singular and plural forms: 1 fish, 2 fish, or 1 deer, 2 deer.

SPELLING – The review Unit 18 tests were taken this morning and can be found in the Friday Folder. Please sign the test and return it on Monday to school.

Please study the following words with your child:

Unit 19-The Sounds /oi/ and /ou/

joyful joint boil destroy

crowd proud howl plow

mountain frown coin gown

scout drown bounce loyal

choice south royal moist

MASTER WORDS: mouth, voice, point, noise, clown, sound

BONUS WORDS: poisonous, fountain, coward, bound, soybean, powder, employed, avoid

MATH – Students did some multiplication practice where they were challenged to find the factors when given the products in a square puzzle type problem. This was very difficult for some students, especially those that do not know their facts well.

SOCIAL – There were no studies of the Northeast this week. We did view and discuss a bullying video, and celebrated Groundhog Day with some fun informational worksheets.

SCIENCE/www.macmillanmh.com – Science will be back in the 4^th quarter.

SCIENCE FAIR- Projects should be underway. The next due date is Thursday, February 16th when the Yellow Record Sheet should be turned in. Research should continue and include putting a Bibliography together. A sheet entitled “Give Credit Where It’s Due” was sent home in Friday Folders before Christmas. If anyone needs another one of these helpful bibliography sheets, let me know. Backboards can be purchased in the office. The Science Fair is only 4 weeks away. Remember the deadlines are set to keep the projects moving, and to make sure they are completed with time to practice and double check to see that the project is complete.

4^th Grade Class List

1 Michael

2 Abby

3 Wareke

4 Andy

5 Cade

6 Kyle

7 Carson

8 Cole

9 Jaimi

10 Michael

11 Ryder

12 Nicole

13 Kaidan

14 Xavier

15 Ethan

16 Alex

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Friday, January 27^th, 2012

Happy Catholic Schools Week!

Encourage your child to participate in each of the special days of Catholic Schools’ Week. The week’s schedule was sent home already, but I put the days of the week below as a friendly reminder. It is certainly a fun week to remember what makes our schools special and what we can be proud of by attending and supporting them.
You will find your child’s report card in today’s Friday Folder. Please spend some time reviewing the report with your child and discuss the job they are doing and perhaps where improvements need to be made. Sign the back of the report and return the card and envelope to school.
Please join us for Mass next week on Thursday, February 2^nd at10:45. The fourth grade will be leading the Mass parts. The Mass will be celebrating the Presentation of Jesus in the temple.
The Luck of the Irish school fundraiser is March 3^rd. You hopefully received an e-mail from Kelli Miller and Michelle Connor, who are heading up the 4^th grade project for the live auction, regarding an explanation of the project. A $5 contribution is asked of each student/family to cover the costs of putting this wonderful project together.
Thank you to the Molinefamily for bringing each of the 4^th grade students and teachers some small gifts from your trip toFlorida. You are so kind.
We hope to see you at Mass and breakfast on Sunday as we kick-off Catholic Schools’ Week.

Catholic Schools Week Events:

Monday-Game Day -Wear a hat, and cheer on the teachers in the Minute-to-Win It Games, and the students in the Whistling Contest.

Tuesday-J.I. Day/Green and White -Show your school spirit by wearing green and white as we travel to Loyola to watch a play put on by MSU.

Wednesday-Beach Day -Field trip to the Lake Crystal Recreation Center. Bring lunch, drink, swimsuit and towel.

Thursday-I Love to Read -Bring a book to school that you can swap and give to someone.

Friday-PJ Day at the J.I. Drive-In-Wear your pajamas and enjoy a drive-in movie and popcorn. Students can bring a 20 oz. or less drink in a closed container.

God Bless,

Mrs. Reuter Mrs. Miller

deb.reuter@churchofstpeter.org Sharon.miller@churchofstpeter.org

RELIGION/www.WEBELIEVEweb.com – After the prayer practices were through this week, we began Chapter 9, The First Commandment-I am the Lord your God, You shall not have strange gods before me. We discussed our belief in the one true God, and that not everyone in the Old Testament believed in God like the Israelites. Even in our word today, people do not believe in God, but choose to believe in many gods, such as money, fame, and other material things of this world. We sang “Glory and Praise to our God” and I encouraged the students to listen for songs that are truly about the praise and honor of God at each Mass they attend.

READING – Students tested on the story, “TwoLands, One Heart.” This assessment will be in next week’s Friday Folder. With the events of next week, we will not be reading and testing on a story. Please encourage your child to keep reading for A.R.

ENGLISH – Students should ask themselves the following questions every time they do an English assignment lately: How should I write the nouns when they become plural? Am I following the correct rule? Students should be familiar with the rules for changing singular nouns into plural nouns.

The RULES:

For most nouns, we add -s.
Add –es for words that end with s, z, x, ch, or sh.
Add –s to words that end with a vowel and y.
Change the y to an i and add -es to words that end with a consonant and y.

SPELLING – The Unit 17 test on special days and holidays was taken today and can be found in the Friday Folder. Unit 18 is a review unit. Please study the ten words from units 13-17 found on pages 76-78 in the spelling textbook for the test during the upcoming week.

SOCIAL- This week the students became acquainted with the eleven states of the Northeast Region of our country. With the study of the regions, they will learn and put into practice a study technique called SQ3R-Survey, Question, Read, Recite, and Reread. They each were given a Map-It-and-Find booklet to look for any map having to do with the Northeast states, did one map-it page on Pennsylvania, and labeled and colored a map of the region.

MATH – Two-digit multiplication and use of parenthesis were concepts learned in the lessons this week.

SCIENCE/www.macmillanmh.com Science Fair Participants: Students should be in the process of ongoing experimentation, documentation, and research over the course of the next three weeks.

Thursday, January 19^th, 2012

A Frigid Minnesota Weather Greeting to You!

Second quarter officially ends today. Report cards will go home next week on Friday, January 27^th.
Grade 4 will lead all school prayer on Wednesday, January 25^th at 8:15, and Mass on February 2^nd at10:45. Please join us.
Chaperones needed! On Wednesday, February 1^st, the school will be traveling to Lake Crystal to have some fun during Catholic Schools’ Week at the Rec. Center there. We would like to have at least two parent chaperones from our class. If you would be interested in joining us that day, and you are VIRTUS trained, please let us know. There will be swimming and other activities to help supervise.

Have a nice weekend!

Mrs. Reuter Mrs. Miller

deb.reuter@churchofstpeter.org Sharon.miller@churchofstpeter.org

READING –“The Cricket in Times Square” test was taken today. Look for this assessment in next week’s folder. Next week’s story, “Two Lands, One Heart,” is a nonfiction story about a Vietnamese boy, born in the United States, and his visit to Vietnam for the first time with his mother, aunt, and grandmother who had been separated from their family during the Vietnam War.

Students should begin working toward the 3^rd quarter A.R. goal. The goal for 3^rd quarter will be 15 points once again.

RELIGION/www.WEBELIEVEweb.com – The Chapter 8 and Beatitude tests were taken today. Look for these tests next week. Our class time this coming week and the following will be monopolized with the practices for our upcoming prayer service and Mass. In the small amount of class time next week, we will start Chapter 9, The First Commandment- “I am the Lord your God, You shall not have false gods before me.” The chapters hereafter will focus on one commandment each, giving students a deeper understanding of their meanings. I do expect students to know the Ten Commandments by the end of the year, if not before.

ENGLISH – We began the Nouns Unit this week. The lessons included the review and identification of nouns, both common and proper. Identifying singular and plural nouns and correctly changing them from the singular form to plural will be the focus of next week’s lessons.

SPELLING – The Unit 16 test on words ending with the suffixes: ed, ing, er, or est can be found in today’s Friday Folder. Please sign and return on Monday.

Please study the following words with your child:

Unit 17 Special Days and Holidays

holidays Washington’s Birthday

New Year’s Day Groundhog Day

Martin Luther King Day Arbor Day

Christmas Memorial Day

Lincoln’s Birthday Labor Day

Presidents’ Day Columbus Day

Thanksgiving Flag Day

Hanukkah Veterans Day

Valentine’s Day Election Day

April Fools’ Day Independence Day

MASTER WORDS: treat, company, party, birthday, games, parade

BONUS WORDS: celebration, occasion, fiesta, observance, festival, anniversary, remember, special

MATH – Test 9 was taken on Tuesday of this week, which covers concepts up through lesson 50. Students did lessons on segments-finding lengths of and naming them, finding missing factors in a multiplication problem, review of borrowing across zeros, rounding, and multiplying 2-digit factors times multiples of ten.

SCIENCE/www.macmillanmh.com – Students made corrections to their tests on weathering, erosion, and changes caused by weather. The tests are in this week’s Friday Folders; please sign and return on Monday. This week was spent in lesson 4 of chapter 6, “Saving Earth’s Resources.” The water topic helps prepares us for the annual 4^th grade field trip to the Children’s Water Festival coming up in March on the 7^th.

Science Fair Participants: The blue proposal sheet is due on Tuesday, the 24^th of January. The approval of the proposal sheet is the “okay” to begin working on one’s science fair project. Students at this grade level do need a bibliography list of the resources they consulted, and a journal and/or scrapbook of the project process from start to finish.

SOCIAL STUDIES – Resumes during the 3^rd quarter.

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Friday, January 13^th, 2012

Minnesota Weather Greetings to You!

Are we cold or hot this season?

Second quarter ends next week on Thursday, January 19^th.
Reminder: Book orders are due January 17^th if you are interested in placing an order. Pleasewrite out checks to Scholastic Books. Thank you.
Grade 4 will lead all school prayer on Wednesday, January 25^th at 8:15, and Mass on February 2^nd. Please join us.
On Wednesday, February 1^st, the school will be traveling toLakeCrystal to have some fun during Catholic Schools’ Week at theRec.Center there. We would like to have at least two parent chaperones from our class. If you would be interested in joining us that day, please let us know. There will be swimming and other activities to help supervise.

Mrs. Reuter Mrs. Miller

READING – The “How to Baby-sit an Orangutan” assessment is in today’s Friday Folder; please sign and return on Monday. Look for the “Stealing Home” test in next week’s folder.We will be reading a story called, “The Cricket in Times Square” next. This story is about a cricket named, Chester, who by a turn of fate is brought from his country home in Connecticut to theTimes Square subway station inNew York City. There he discovers that new friends can make a strange place feel less lonely. This test will be given on Thursday because of no school on our usual test day, Friday.

RELIGION/www.WEBELIEVEweb.com – Chapter 8, “Learning about God’s Laws,” has been wrapped up. This week’s discussions centered on the Great Commandment, loving God, ourselves and others, and how we live this commandment out with our family and friends each day. We also discussed ways in which Jesus lived out the Great Commandment; one way being the respect for the dignity of each person. We are called to respect each person’s basic rights which are known as human rights. The students will be tested on this chapter on Wednesday, January 18^th. Please review the chapter, pages 96-104 in the textbook, the above website, and the chapter worksheets found in your child’s religion folder in preparation for this test. The beatitude test that I promised at the end of the quarter will be on Thursday, January 19^th. The students have a study sheet in their religion folders, and the beatitudes can also be found on page 35 in the textbook.

ENGLISH – The posttest on the sentences unit was taken on Wednesday of this week and can be found in the Friday Folder. Please sign and return on Monday. We also took the winter themed Haiku poems created in reading class and wrote them on snowflake backgrounds to display in the hallway for the season.

SPELLING – The Unit 15 test was taken today and can be found in the Friday Folder. Please sign the test and return it on Monday.

Please study the following words with your child:

Unit 16 ed, ing, er, est

worried buying scared tried

worrying dried driving carried

changing frying largest hurrying

nicer finest obeyed crying

stayed safer playing invited

MASTERY WORDS: making, moved, prettier, enjoyed, saying, flying

BONUS WORDS: relayed, simplest, steadier, livelier, delaying, loneliest, braver, gravest

MATH – The students worked with writing two forms of money, and the U.S. measurement in inches-1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/16 this week. Students created an enlarged representation of an inch with each of the fraction parts labeled above.

SCIENCE/www.macmillanmh.com –The Chapter 5, lessons 3 and 4, test was taken Wednesday, and will be returned next week. I would like to go over the tests and make corrections with the students. For the remaining time left of the quarter, I will be briefly going through two lessons dealing with water, conservation, and pollution. These lessons will prepare the students for the Children’s Water Festival field trip at the beginning of March. Social Studies will be back in action for the third quarter.

Science Fair Participants: The 24^th is the next due date, which is the completion of the blue proposal sheet. The approval of the proposal sheet is the “okay” to begin working on one’s science fair project. This could include the start of experimenting, or it could entail the start of research. The proposal sheets are designed to aid your child in the set up of his/her backboard, so that all they need to do is copy the information down. That is why we ask for neatness, and correct spelling on this sheet. Students at this grade level do need a bibliography list and a journal and/or scrapbook of the project process from start to finish.

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Friday, January 6^th, 2012

Happy New Year & Happy Epiphany!

Second quarter ends in two weeks on Thursday, January 19^th.
Grade 4 will lead all school prayer on Wednesday, January 25^th at 8:15, and Mass on February 2^nd.
We have changed our daily schedule a little to accommodate some changes needing to be made in the 5^th grade. Our P.E. times are now earlier at 9:00 on Tuesdays, and at 9:30 on Wednesdays and Fridays. This change will stay in place for the remainder of the year.
Five book orders can be found in today’s Friday Folder. They will be due on Tuesday, January 17^th if you are interested in placing an order. Your orders can be combined onto one check and written out to Scholastic Books. Thank you.

Happy New Year to you all! May 2012 bring you much happiness and peace.

Mrs. Reuter Mrs. Miller

deb.reuter@churchofstpeter.org Sharon.miller@churchofstpeter.org

READING – The assessment for “How to Baby-sit an Orangutan” was taken today. Look for the score of this test in next week’s Friday Folder. Next week’s story is entitled, “Stealing Home.” This story is about a boy who must adapt to some changes in his life when his aunt comes to stay with him and his grandfather. Students are encouraged to reread each story and review the vocabulary before taking the assessment each Friday. The entire book can be found in the classroom library corner and read as an A.R. book if students are interested.

RELIGION/www.WEBELIEVEweb.com – We began Chapter 8, “Learning about God’s Laws,” this week by thinking of someone in our lives that is a good example to us, and the qualities that they possess. In the same way, Moses was a good example chosen to lead the Israelites to the Promised Land. God and the Israelite people made a covenant. Ask your child what covenant was made between the Israelites and God, and what the covenant specifically entailed.

ENGLISH – Students should be ready for a test on Tuesday, January 10^th. Again, your child may benefit from reviewing pages 314-336 in the English textbook, the review worksheet from Wednesday, the pretest from Thursday, and reviewing the previously assigned worksheets that have come home in preparation for this upcoming test.

MATH – Students were tested on Wednesday of this week. Lessons this week included the study of mixed numbers and identifying them on a number line, and continuing with review and mastery of multiplication facts.

SPELLING – The Unit 14 test was taken today and can be found in the Friday Folder.

Please study the following words with your child:

UNIT 15- The Sounds /ch/ and /th/

chat scratch rather ditch

pitcher patch feather chance

catcher chase clothing charge

gather spinach whether leather

bathe ranch hatch machine

MASTERY WORDS: them, chin, these, watch, cheek, which

BONUS WORDS: smother, scorch, neither, batch, grouchy, breathe, slither, chowder

SCIENCE/www.macmillanmh.com –Chapter 5 is now completed. Students will be tested on both lessons 3 and 4, “Weathering and Erosion” and “Changes caused by Weather.” Students have study sheets to aid in their studies. The website above also has some helpful review options. Rereading the lessons and reviewing the vocabulary are all great ways to prepare for this test. We will use Monday and Tuesday as review days with the test on Wednesday, January 11^th.

Science Fair Participants: The green planning sheet is due no later than Thursday, January 12^th. If your sheet is completed now, please turn it in today. The sooner I see your plans, the sooner I can determine the accuracy of your project and then you can fill out a blue proposal sheet in order to begin work on your project.

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Friday, December 16^th, 2011

Christ is Born!

Merry Christmas to you all!

There will be no 4^th grade newsletter next week.

We enjoyed seeing you at the Christmas Program Thursday. The students did a beautiful job singing the familiar Christmas tunes and the songs about the birth of Jesus.

We know the students are very anxious for the celebration of Christmas and the Christmas break beginning next week on Wednesday too. We are excited as well!

Our classroom Christmas party is scheduled for Tuesday, December 20^th in the afternoon from1:30-2:30. During the party, we will be enjoying each other’s presence, food, and playing Christmas bingo. There will be a few other fun things happening too.

As a reminder, the following families are signed up to bring snacks, beverages, and paper products: Horners, Wenners, McCarthys, Gillettes/Millers, Kennedys, and Schugels. A note was sent home last week in your child’s Friday Folder with the assigned items. We have 16 students in our class. The treats and supplies can either be sent in with your child in the morning or brought to the room by1:30on Tuesday. Thank you very much for contributing to our holiday party. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call.

May the spirit of Christmas fill your hearts with peace and happiness and may you have a very Merry and Blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year! See you in 2012!

Mrs. Reuter Mrs.Miller

deb.reuter@churchofstpeter.org Sharon.miller@churchofstpeter.org

READING –“The Garden of Happiness” assessment can be found in today’s Friday Folder; please sign and return. Contrary to what was stated in last week’s newsletter, we did not read the nonfiction story, “How to Baby-sit an Orangutan” this week. We decided to read this story when we return from Christmas break. In its place we read and discussed a small part of the book, Sarah, Plain and Tall. So . . . with the short week next week, we thought watching the movie of this book would work out nicely. Thank you for completing the video release form for your child’s viewing of this film. The students are encouraged to read the entire book on their own, and then take the A.R. test on the book for 1 point.

RELIGION/www.WEBELIEVEweb.com – We will move into the study of the Ten Commandments after break. With the practice, rehearsal, and program this week, there was not a lot of class time to be had. We have been praying for the J.I. alums in the Confirmation class this year, and took the time to write them a note about our prayers for them, as well as wish them a Merry Christmas. Our next prayer service will be coming up on Wednesday, January 25^th.

ENGLISH – We have been reviewing bits and pieces of the unit on Sentences throughout the course of the second quarter thus far. Students will be given a review sheet and pretest on this unit to prepare for a test after the break. These two assignments will be corrected together in class prior to the test. Your child may benefit from reviewing pages 314-336 in the English textbook and reviewing the previously assigned worksheets that have come home in preparation for this upcoming test.

SPELLING – The Unit 13 test on abbreviations was taken today and can be found in the Friday Folder. Please sign the test and return it on Monday.

Please study the following words with your child after break during the week of Jan 3-7^th:

UNIT 14-Consonant Digraphs

shore shone splash thread

nothing crush shade length

thin bath during fresh

width cloth health sharp

sling shown wrong ocean

MASTERY WORDS: think, string, hang, teeth, shine, finish

BONUS WORDS: selfish, fashion, thoughtful, ashamed, truthful, slang, strength, meaningful

MATH – The lessons in math this week included review of subtraction, learning the larger-smaller-difference pattern and place values up to the hundred thousands’ place.

SCIENCE/www.macmillanmh.com – Chapter 5, lesson 4, “Changes caused by the Weather” will be finished when we return from Christmas break.

All students have a science fair packet of information in their Friday Folders. Your child’s participation in the science fair is optional again this year. Those students who stated interest in the science fair have a timeline sheet and green planning sheet in their Friday Folders. If your child changes their mind and wants to participate in the science fair, that’s okay too. Just let us know.The dates on the timeline are a way for us to check on the progress of each student’s project. The green planning sheet should be turned in no later than Thursday, January 12^th, after we return from Christmas break. I will review the plans and talk with the students to determine the accuracy of their projects and then they will receive a blue proposal sheet to complete before they can begin working on their projects.

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Monday, December 12th, 2011

Reading Class Change:

We will not be reading the Orangutan selection this week as stated below. The students will be reading a section from the book, Sarah, Plain and Tall. We will be reading and discussing the vocabulary and story this week with a test on Friday. Next week before break, we will show the made for T.V. Hallmark version of this book. Students are encouraged to read the entire book on their own and take the A.R. test on it.

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Friday, December 9^th, 2011

The second week of Advent is now over and the third week begins.

Christmas is coming and Jesus will be born!

REJOICE IN THE LORD!

The school’s character word this month is PATIENCE. As Christmas draws near we seek and embrace the gift of patience that our eyes and hearts may be open to the hope of good things to come. Behold, God’s love is in our midst.

Mid-quarter reports for 2^nd quarter are in today’s Friday folder. Please look over your child’s subject and behavior marks with your son or daughter, sign the report, and return it to school. The reading grades, in some cases, may seem lower than you might expect. The A.R. goals have not been met, so please factor this into consideration when looking at this grade.

Next week will be a very busy week of program practices, rehearsals, and the two performances for the Christmas Program on Thursday. Some subjects will not be taught due to the changes in our regular schedule for the program.

The students will be celebrating and receiving the sacrament of Reconciliation before Christmas with Fr. Phil on Friday, December 16^th after lunch. This is a good way to prepare our hearts for Jesus’ coming.

Our classroom Christmas party is scheduled for Tuesday, December 20^th. The following students signed up and volunteered to plan our Christmas party with snacks, beverages, and paper products: Cade, Alex, Cole, Wareke, Carson, and Xavier. The party was given a go by the two of us, and we need the parents of these students to be okay with what they want to bring too. You will find a note in your child’s Friday Folder regarding the specifics of the plans. We have 16 students in the classroom. Thank you very much for contributing to our holiday party.

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree!

Mrs. Reuter Mrs. Miller

deb.reuter@churchofstpeter.org Sharon.miller@churchofstpeter.org

READING – “TheGarden of Happiness” assessment was taken today. Look for the test in next week’s Friday Folder. After reading next week’s nonfiction story, “How to Baby-sit an Orangutan,” you can all take comfort in knowing that your children will know how to baby-sit an orangutan.J This selection is a nonfiction story about caring for orphaned baby orangutans at Camp Leakey, on the island of Borneo. The caretakers raise these babies teaching them survival skills, and eventually returning them to the forest.

RELIGION/www.WEBELIEVEweb.com – The students took the chapter 2 test on beatitudes today. This test will be in next week’s Friday Folder. We will move into the study of the Ten Commandments. Chapter 8 is entitled, “Learning about God’s Laws.” Each chapter, thereafter, will take a closer look at each commandment.

ENGLISH – This week’s lessons focused on identifying direct objects. Direct objects can be located after one finds the verb of a sentence and asks whom or what. Subject complements will be the topic of next week’s class. The students will also be given a review of the current unit, and hopefully tested before Christmas break, if all goes as planned.

SPELLING – The test on the review words of units 7-11 was given today and can be found in the Friday Folder. Please sign and return.

Please study the following words with your child:

Unit 13 – Abbreviations

Mr. /mis’ter/ Hwy. (highway) Jr. (junior) S.E. (southeast)

Mrs. /mis’iz/ Ave. (avenue) N. (north) N.W. (northwest)

Ms. /miz/ Pl. (place) E. (east) Apt. (apartment)

Dr. (doctor or drive) Rd. (road) W. (west) P.O. (post office)

Blvd. (boulevard) St. (street) S. (south) R.D. (rural delivery)

MASTER WORDS: letter, love, friend, thank, dear, note

BONUS WORDS: accept, congratulations, regret, sincerely, invitation, truly, reply, request

MATH – Multiplication has been this week’s focus. Students created their own multiplication tables, and reviewed facts. They should also be practicing their multiplication facts at home to ensure complete mastery. A test was given on Tuesday, and is in the Friday Folder. Please sign and return.

SCIENCE/www.macmillanmh.com – You will find the chapter 5 test on lessons 1 and 2 in the Friday Folder. There are two scores at the top. All students made corrections on the test for ½ point back in return for every right answer. We will wrap up lesson 3, weathering and erosion next week, and most likely finish the chapter with lesson 4, “Changes caused by the Weather” when we return from Christmas break.

Those students who are interested in doing a science fair project will be given the necessary paperwork from me next week. Science Fair is optional again this year. Please notice the proposed time-line sheet. These dates are a way for me to check on the progress of each student’s project. The green planning sheets should be turned in to me no later than Thursday, January 12^th, after we return from Christmas break. I will review the plans and talk with the students to determine the accuracy of the projects using the scientific method, and then they will receive a blue proposal sheet to complete before they can begin working on their projects.

Friendly reminders of science lesson terms:

Weathering-break or change rock
Erosion-move rock
Deposition-drop off rock

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Friday, December 2^nd, 2011

Advent is here and Jesus’ birth is near! Come Lord Jesus,

Come and be born in our hearts!

Happy Advent to you all!

Please join the John Ireland students, staff, families and parishioners for Mass on Thursday, December 8^th to celebrate the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. Mass begins at8:30. We would love to see you there.

Mid-quarter is here. Look for the mid-quarter reports for second quarter on Friday, December 9^th.

Fourth grade students will be celebrating and receiving the sacrament of Reconciliation before Christmas with Fr. Phil on Friday, December 16^th after lunch.

Our classroom Christmas party is scheduled for Tuesday, December 20^th. The following students: Cade, Alex, Cole, Wareke, Carson, and Xavier signed up and volunteered to plan our Christmas party with snacks, beverages, and paper products. Thank you, parents, for helping them with this event as the day draws nearer.

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!

Mrs. Reuter Mrs. Miller

deb.reuter@churchofstpeter.org Sharon.miller@churchofstpeter.org

READING – Students tested on the story, “Nights of the Pufflings” this week. This nonfiction story is about a community from the Heimaey Island, near Iceland that works together to help young birds, called pufflings, return safely to the sea. This tradition has become the Icelandic people’s “national sport.” The students watched a little clip from YouTube showing a puffin’s life at sea and its time at shore nesting. Ask your child why the pufflings are in danger and how the people return them to the sea.

The next selection, “The Garden of Happiness” is a story about a girl named, Marisol. She plants a sunflower seed in a neighborhood garden that was an empty run down lot until some people made it into a beautiful garden. Her sunflower makes many people happy, and then autumn comes and the flower dies. Marisol gets discouraged, but her happiness returns when a group of teenagers paints a mural of sunflowers on a brick wall across the street.

*Before each assessment, students are encouraged to reread each story and study the vocabulary words found on their index cards.

ENGLISH – The students completed a Thanksgiving awareness worksheet of the menu(s) and table that they saw at their gatherings over the holiday, and then proceeded to write 2-3 paragraphs about these observations as a creative writing project.

RELIGION/www.WEBELIEVEweb.com – The Beatitude posters are finished. The student pairs shared the posters they worked on, telling us what they drew and why they drew it (what their picture had to do with the beatitude.) These will be hung in the hallway. Students should know the eight beatitudes by the end of the second quarter, and have some idea of what each beatitude means.

A brief introduction video of the Roman Missal changes was shown this week to give students an answer as to “why” these changes are being made.

Chapter 2 will be wrapped up next week with a test on Friday, December 9^th. Students are encouraged to reread the chapter, review the vocabulary, and visit the above website to prepare for this upcoming test. A review worksheet will also be coming home next week.

SPELLING – The tests on Unit 11 were taken today. There will be a review unit next week, units 7-11. Students should have these unit words in their assignment notebooks to review and study from. The test will be given in two parts.

MATH – Students worked with fractions, elapsed time, and multiplication as a short cut to repeated addition in class this week. Please work with your child in mastering their multiplication facts.

SCIENCE/www.macmillanmh.com – The test on lessons 1 and 2 was taken on Thursday. Look for this test in next week’s Friday Folder. We will continue learning about “Shaping Earth” in lessons 3 and 4. Lesson 3 focuses on weathering and erosion.

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Friday, November 18^th, 2011

Happy Turkey Day a little early!

Thank you for attending our class-led Mass this week. The students get so excited to see parents and other family as a part of the congregation.

The first of the two offered conference days was held last night. We enjoyed hearing how the 4^th grade year has been going for your children. We look forward to seeing the rest of you on Tuesday of next week.

Thank you for your Stuff-A-Truck contributions to the RAINBOW of foods. God Bless You All!

We hope you and your family have a nice Thanksgiving and that the break is time well spent with your children!

Thanksgiving Blessings

T-Is for the Tons of Blessings I receive each day.

H-Stands for these Hands that fold, when I begin to pray.

A-Means all the Awesome powers our Lord has from above.

N-Stands for His Never ending patience and His love.

K-Is for the Kindness and forgiveness that He has shown.

S-Stands for the Sweetest gift of love we’ve ever known.

G-Means the Amazing Grace that God bestowed on me.

I-Says I can’t Imagine, without His love, just where I’d be.

V-Is for “Victory of Jesus,” just like that song of old.

I-Means I’ll do my best to lead lost sheep into His fold.

N-Is for the Nails driven through our Savior’s hands.

G-Stands for God’s Greatest Gift, His son’s life for mortal man.

c 2003 Vickie Lambdin

Mrs. Reuter Mrs. Miller

deb.reuter@churchofstpeter.org Sharon.miller@churchofstpeter.org

READING –We read and discussed the story entitled, “The Emperor and the Kite” this week. The assessment for this story was given today. Students learned about the Japanese form of poetry called Haiku. This poetry was seen in the above story in the form of a prayer at two different times in the story. It consists of only three lines. The 1^st and 3^rd lines have 5 syllables, and the 2^nd line has 7 syllables. Students are writing their own haikus. These haikus, with the theme of winter, are due on Monday.

ENGLISH – Students continued to identify subjects and predicates this week. They had to determine whether the subjects were simple or compound on Tuesday, and whether the predicates were simple or compound on Thursday.

SPELLING – The Unit 10 tests were taken today and can be found in the Friday Folder. Please sign the test and return it on Monday.

There will be no spelling unit next week due to there only being two days of school.

Please study the following words with your child for the week after Thanksgiving break:

Unit 11 – Double Letters: pudding dull hammer boss copper swell different settle blueberry moss offer arrow cotton possibly sudden merry fellow slippers recess pillow

MASTERY WORDS: funny, cliff, across, odd, shell, summer

BONUS WORDS: dessert, sheriff, message, collect, beginning, common, pollution, quarrel

MATH – Students worked with the metric system this week. Using their own meter sticks, cut and glued together, they measured different things around the building. Does your child know which unit of measure is more sensible for different sized items? Kilometers, meters, centimeters, or millimeters.

RELIGION/www.WEBELIEVEweb.com –Most of this week’s Religion classes were spent practicing for Mass. We did, however, review the beatitudes, and student pairs worked on creating a beatitude poster illustrating one of the eight beatitudes. This chapter will be wrapped up after Thanksgiving break. We discussed the season of Advent during art today, and we will be addressing some of the Mass changes that will be starting the weekend of November 26^th and 27^th with the beginning of Advent.

SCIENCE/www.macmillanmh.com – Lessons 1, “Earth” and 2, “The Moving Crust” of chapter 5 have been read and discussed up to this point in the quarter. Although this chapter is not completed yet, students will be tested on these two lessons. Otherwise, all the information in the chapter test can be a bit overwhelming. The test is tentatively set for Thursday, December 1^st. The students have a study guide/outline for each lesson, and I would also encourage rereading through the lessons, pages 202-221, and reviewing the highlighted vocabulary words with your chid. The above website of our science book can also be helpful in reviewing information with your child. We will be reviewing in class too.

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Friday, November 11th, 2011

ATTENTION PARENTS!

Their was some confusion today as the students took a look at their report cards at the end of the day. The name and grades on the inside of the report are your child’s marks. However, the name on the cover of the report card is not your child’s name. Two students’ reports cards were correct in both places, so this message does not apply to them. Please know that we are aware of this error, and will correct it. We apologize for the mix-up.

Thank you for your understanding in this matter.

Mrs. Reuter and Mrs. Miller

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Friday, November 11^th, 2011

God Bless all our Veterans!

Report cards are in today’s Friday Folders. Please look over the report with your child, sign it on the back for 1^st quarter, and send it back to school. Included with the report card is a paper showing your child’s accelerated reading scores, and if your child is in band, there is a band report from Mr. Rupp. Please keep the loose reports at home. If you have comments or questions regarding the report card before conferences, please contact Mrs. Miller. Conferences are next week, starting on Thursday, November 17^th, and continuing on Tuesday, November 22^nd. Both teachers will be present for the conferences. You will find a conference confirmation sheet in today’s Friday Folder. If the specific time(s) do not work for you, please call the office to reschedule or contact us.

Please send in your Stuff-A-Truck contributions to help create a rainbow of a feast for many families this Thanksgiving. Thank you for your participation thus far.

Thank you to the 4^th grade students, their parents, and Mrs. Miller for giving me a “Welcome Back” party this week. It was very much appreciated, and very much unexpected. Thank you.

We had a visitor this week sharing some historical facts, photos, and artifacts from the Civil War. Alex’s grandpa, John, came to the classroom and showed some of his antique Civil War collections. He may be coming back to share some of his information about the Indian Uprising.

Please join us for Mass next Thursday, November 17^th as the 4^th grade class will lead in its ministries. We would love to see you there!

Thanksgiving is around the corner. We have much to be thankful for!

Mrs. Reuter and Mrs. Miller

deb.reuter@churchofstpeter.org sharon.miller@churchofstpeter.org

READING –“The Baker’s Neighbor” was this week’s story/play. We defined the vocabulary and read through the play. The assessment for this story was given today. Look for this test in next week’s Friday Folder. Our next story is entitled, “The Emperor and the kite.” This ancient Chinese folktale is about a tiny princess whose existence is insignificant to her father, the Emperor, until she saves his life. The AR goals are set for second quarter. Please help your child strive to reach this goal throughout the quarter by encouraging reading on a regular basis outside of the classroom.

ENGLISH –The students completed the Sentence Challenge this week to give us an idea as to how much they know about the parts of a sentence. We reviewed identifying the subjects and predicates of sentences, including the simple and complete subject and predicates of each.

SPELLING – The Unit 9 test was taken today. Students are now being tested on the unit, bonus, and mastery words.

Please study the following words with your child next week: Unit 10 – Sounds /s/ and /j/lettuce scene strange badge celery package since ledge orange village dodge engine scent stage gem science notice cement suggest celebrate

MASTERY WORDS: funny, cliff, across, odd, shell, summer

BONUS WORDS: gigantic, cease, language, service, niece, distance, lodge, general

MATH – Students worked with the metric system, types of lines, and finding the radius and diameter of a circle this week.

RELIGION/www.WEBELIEVEweb.com – We began the study of the Beatitudes in Chapter 2. Each student was given a study sheet of the eight Beatitudes. The students will need to know them by the end of the second quarter. We will be practicing for Mass next week during Religion class, and we will soon take a look at the upcoming changes to the Mass that will start in the new church year, beginning with Advent.

SCIENCE/www.macmillanmh.com –We have begun the study of Earth Science this quarter. In the first lesson, “Shaping Earth” students read about landforms shaped by water and wind. We discussed where land meets the ocean, and the similarities between the features found on land and the ocean floor. Students can review class materials on the above website. This site coincides with our textbook, and can be a useful studying tool. Students will be tested on two lessons at a time rather than the entire chapter, consisting of four lessons. Lesson two, “The Changing Crust,” will be next week’s topic of study.

SOCIAL- Science will now take the place of social studies during the school day in the second quarter.

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Friday, November 4th 2011

Special Note from Mrs. Reuter:

Students,

Congratulations on completing the first quarter of your 4th grade year! I am excited to see you all on Monday. Enjoy your three day weekend.

Parents,

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