We've had a wonderfully fun-filled Catholic Schools Week! I hope your week has gone well. Below you will find reminders for next week, a recap of this week, and plans for next week.

For all St. James School students, families, and staff (3rd/4th Grade Class)

If you have any prayer requests you would like to add, please let me know. Thank you!

* Please send coats, hats, and gloves each day with your child. Students must also wear snow pants and boots to be in areas covered with snow.

Monday: Library - Please send back books.

Tuesday: PE, Music, and Faith Formation

Wednesday: Pride Day; Mass; Faith Formation

Thursday: PE and Faith Formation

Friday: PE; Early Dismissal

3rd Grade Math: The students finished learning about individual division facts. They also learned how to solve multistep word problems involving division. Our last lesson of the unit focused on how to apply the Order of Operations to solving equations. The students ended the week with a review of our chapter and Kahoot games.

4th Grade Math: The students began the week with more practice on re-naming a pair of fractions so that they have common denominators. Then they learned how to compare fractions using common denominators, benchmarks, and a number line. We ended the week with some review fraction games.

Catholic Schools Week Job: The class took on the responsibility of counting ALL of the money that was donated for our Penny War. Each day, they counted and totaled the coins and bills that were brought in. Their money counting skills improved as the week progressed. By today, they were much quicker and ALL groups had accurate counts when checked by Mrs. Moeller or myself. Today also had the most money to count. Great job, 3rd and 4th Graders!

Reading: We continued our study of point of view from last week. The students practiced the following skills: identifying how the story was told, who the narrator was, analyzing  different perspectives of the characters, and comparing and contrasting texts written in different points of view.

Spelling: The students received their next set of words. They practiced sorting their words based on spelling and syllable patterns. Assessments will be next week.

3rd Grade Math: The students will take their Ch. 7 Tests. We will then move into a new unit on understanding fractions. The students will learn how to explore and identify equal parts of a whole, divide models to make equal groups, and use a fraction to name one part of a whole that is divided into equal parts.

4th Grade Math: We have finished Chapter 6. However, the class is still needing more practice with fractions, especially comparing and ordering fractions. Thus, next week will be used to reteach and continue to practice skills from this chapter.

Reading: We will begin a new unit that will take 2-3 weeks to complete. Our goal for next week will be to identify text structure in nonfiction texts. The students will have an introductory lesson on text structure types and then learn in detail about the following structures within nonfiction texts: Compare & Contrast, Cause & Effect, Description, and Sequence. We will have mini-lessons around these types, and then the students will apply what they have learned to nonfiction texts in small groups and independently.

Phonics/Spelling: The students will take Assessment #13 on either Monday or Tuesday. The exact date is on your child's spelling list. Students will then receive their next set of words. They will practice their new sets through different activities and word sorts. The following skills will be practiced: r-influenced "a", Open and Closed Syllables, Short a and Long a, Short u and Long u, Words with ur, ure, and ur_e, and Word Families.

Writing: Due to Catholic Schools Week, we didn't get time to work on their president pieces this past week. Next week, the students will continue to work on drafting. We will focus on the 2nd and 3rd body paragraphs detailing the president's presidency and what life was like for them after being president.

Science: Due to Catholic Schools Week, we didn't get to science this past week either. Next week, we will learn what causes rocks to break into smaller rocks with a hands-on activity with granite and conglomerate rock. This will lead into a discussion of physical weathering and how this happens in nature. They will also look at what happens to rocks when water gets in cracks and then freezes.

Have a blessed weekend!

Mrs. Amy Heisdorffer

(309) 635-5876