Fourth Grade

Hebrew – Ms. Etzion and Ms. Benjamin

Dear Parents,

Welcome back to school! We began our month continuing the study of Megillat Esther. A lot of new vocabulary was introduced and the students continued to incorporate their new words into daily conversations and writings.

During the rest of the month we will continue in our Hatzlaha workbook, in which we will begin our unit on describing ourselves. Students will learn how to describe their own physical features, as well as their classmates and family members. They will learn specifics such as “I have brown wavy hair, large brown eyes, a round face, and a thin nose.” They will eventually learn how to compare their features to other things such as, “I have blue eyes like the ocean. I am as tall as a mountain, etc.” We will continue to work on physical descriptions until Passover break.

Judaic Studies – Hamorah Esther, Rabbi Ettedgui, and Mr. Zadaka

Our students have just begun a unit on dreams in the text. B’reishit is filled with dreams and dreamers. Our unit will focus on the dreams of Ya’akov, Yoseif, and Pharaoh. Students will analyze what the dreamer learns in regard to his personal future, the future of his family, and the future of the Jewish people or the Egyptian people.

We also begin to formally invite the students into the world of Midrash. They will explore how the familiar stories that are integral to the study of the text often have their basis in textual anomalies that the rabbis are trying to explain.

Our primary grammatical focus in this unit will be identifying noun patterns called s’mikhut. These noun patterns are one of the basic structures of Biblical grammar and are the basis for many modern Hebrew terms. Some key features of s’mikhut are:

• It is composed of two nouns
• It can often be represent by the use of the word “of” (b’nai Yisra’el-Children of Israel)
• Like many English compound nouns, it can represent one idea (beit holim-hospital)
• It has a regular pattern of consonant changes in feminine singular and masculine plural forms
• It sometimes has vowel changes to make the phrase shorter

Students will also be preparing for VOICE by making havdalah candles for the “Jewish boxes” to help new immigrants. Our Pesah study to share at the seder is an analysis of the purpose of Elijah’s cup. Shabbat Shalom and Hag Purim sameah!

Art – Ms. Thor

The artist is the antenna of the race. ~ Ezra Pound

Clay Whistles: Students used earth tone under glazes to embellish their clay whistles. They were fired over break and will be placed in the display case around mid-March.

Up Next: Gradation Studies – Creating 3-D forms

Students do a number of exercises to hone their skills before using charcoal to draw a 3-D still life. There will be two sketchbook assignments in this unit.

MIA Art Adventure Program

• Presentation #2 –Hand drum from the Iatmul people of Papua New Guinea and a ceremonial mask from the Bwa people of Burkino Faso, West Africa.
• Both works were used in maturation ceremonies that marked the end of childhood and the beginning of adulthood.
• Students created a tag board mask in the Bwa tradition. We made observations on how Jewish children have a maturation ceremony; a bar/bat mitzvah. We also made connections to Purim and the tradition of wearing a mask and costume and feeling transformed.
• To see the entire Art Adventure Theme, “Let’s Celebrate Life,” click on the link below. http://www.artsmia.org/viewer/index.php?v=12&op=568

See you at March Conferences!

Library – Ms. Oskow

HMJDS Scholastic Book Fair March 25-30!!

Books available for preschool through adults at Scholastic’s discounted prices. 25% of money collected goes to the library.

Book Fair Hours:

Sunday, March 25 - 9:00 AM-1:00 PM

Monday, March 26 - 8:00 AM-7:15 PM – HMJDS Class Preview Day

Tuesday, March 27 - 8:00 AM-7:15 PM – HMJDS Class Preview Day

Wednesday, Mar. 28 - 8:00 AM-8:00 PM – HMJDS Conferences PM

Thursday, March 29 - 8:00 AM-7:15 PM – HMJDS Conferences PM

Friday, March 30 - 8:00 AM-4:00 PM

Student Preview Days

Each HMJDS class visits the Book Fair Monday, March 26 or Tuesday, March 27. Students write a Wish List of books and may buy books.

Teacher Wish Lists

Teachers post Wish Lists and families can buy books or Gift Certificates to dedicate for classrooms, specialists, or the library.

Contests to Win Free Books

Parents or adult relatives can enter their students in a drawing anytime they stop by the Book Fair together through Thursday, March 29 (once per student). On Thursday, March 29, two students’ names will be drawn to win $25 worth of books—and a winning student’s teacher also chooses $25 worth of books! Students’ names are drawn for other prizes, too.

Additional drawing: for students who design posters celebrating their favorite book to decorate the library. Posterboard available from Ms. Oskow. Posters due by March 22.

Visit the Book Fair Online

http://bookfairs.scholastic.com/homepage/hmjds

The Online Book Fair:

• allows your child to send wish lists, and invite family and friends to participate in the Book Fair
• offers an expanded book selection – books for all ages, even adult titles
• is available for an extended time: Monday, March 19 to Sunday, April 8.

Volunteers Needed For Book Fair

• Set up the Book Fair on Friday, March 23
• Tear down the Book Fair on Monday, April 2
• Staff the Book Fair during open hours

Please contact Book Fair Chairs Micki Litton, Beth Jasco or Ellen Berkelhamer – or sign up on the sheet that will be posted outside the library.

Music – Mr. Shaw

In March grade four students will watch the video Beethoven Lives Upstairs so that we can better appreciate this classical composer’s life. Although the movie is historical fiction, the students will learn many facts that are actually portrayed correctly in the movie about Beethoven. At the conclusion of the movie we will do some brief biographical research on the composer and compare the movie to his real life story. The students will write reflections about Beethoven’s life and music during the month, and these reflections may be included in their portfolios for parent-teacher conferences. As part of the lesson on this composer, we will play the melody from Symphony No. 9 (“Ode to Joy”) and an accompaniment on the Orff instruments.

Concepts and Understandings Highlighted in Music Lessons

• Gain an appreciation for the decision making process that composers encounter when writing original music.
• Listen to, analyze, and describe music as well as form.
• Evaluate music and musical performances.
• Play expressively using contrast: loud/soft, fast/slow, and high/low.
• Play composed pieces with accurate pitch and rhythm.
• Keep a steady beat while playing/performing.
• Develop the technique to play a tremolo on the Orff instruments.
• Play long phrases, rhythms, and melodies by reading notation from a musical score.
• Develop the competency to perform music through modeling.
• Understand the difference between melody and harmony.

Physical Education – Mr. Lindquist

Greetings Fourth Grade Parents,

Welcome back! I hope everyone had a meaningful Sh’vat. In my lower school classes we recognized Tu Bish’vat by incorporating the holiday theme into our warm-up activity.

What’s Going On?

Your fourth grader just finished their rope jumping unit and is now participating in gymnastics. This year we will use the balance beam, vault, and the handstand spotter.

Fourth graders start out with the balance beam height at 30 inches. It is raised to 40 inches during the course of the unit. Students are introduced to different balance beam challenges to create four to five different skills in their balance beam routine. This includes the dismount onto the crash mat landing on their feet without dropping to their knees.

In vaulting they will learn the proper approach onto the spring board, hurdle onto two feet, and either tuck or straddle over the 36-42 inch vault. Handstands will be introduced using the wall for support. If your student is capable of supporting their own weight they will be able to use the back handspring spotter.

Please be aware that Fitness Week will be the week of May 21. Please look for volunteering opportunities!

Technology – Ms. Olson

We’re Done With Glogster… Right?

I saw many of you at the biography presentations and hope that you enjoyed seeing your child’s hard work. The Glogs this year were very impressive and the timelines the students also learned to make (a new addition this year) were fantastic as well. But… now what? Are we done with Glogster? Not by a long shot!

The purpose of teaching students to use a tool such as Glogster or Timetoast is to put that tool in their toolbox. It is now a familiar option for your child to pull out at any time, and also a spring board for other types of tools that are available. The Web provides a great number of different presentation tools, all allowing your child to share information in a different way. Knowing one tool can often help one learn about how another works. During the rest of your child’s time at HMJDS, we will continue to fill his/her toolbox with more web 2.0 tools like Glogster and Timetoast. The next time a teacher gives an assignment to your child have him or her think about different ways to present the information other than your standard paper, poster, or diorama.

Don’t forget, each month your child should be completing at least one hour of keyboarding. Have your child show you his/her progress report on the Keyboarding for Kids website. By the end of February, each student should have at least six hours of keyboarding homework completed. You can help your child complete this work by providing scheduled times to work on keyboarding for 15 minutes at a time throughout the week. That time coupled with the time in class should easily allow your child to complete the work.

General Studies – Ms. Marron

For your information — I will be out of school from March 16 to March 27. My sister is getting married in Israel, so our family will be traveling there. Ms. Lauren Grone will be here as my substitute for the entire time I am away. Some students may know her from Herzl Camp!

Language Arts

We have just wrapped up our biography projects. The students did an excellent job on their speeches. They became their subjects. Students are now finishing their fantasy literature groups.

Moving ahead, we will be starting our Native American research before mid-winter break. We have introduced the tribes that students will be able to choose, as well as what region they were from. Students will then be going to the school and public library to find books about their chosen tribes. We are also going to be reading fiction books about Native Americans to give students multiple text experiences with the topic. Also for read aloud, I am reading The Heart of a Chief, which is a story about modern day challenges Native Americans face. Students will be:

• Picking a tribe
• Using a KWL chart to organize information
• Understanding the different format of non-fiction material
• Reading non-fiction material

Writing Workshop with Ms. Marron

It was wonderful seeing all of you at our Fourth Grade Curriculum Night. The students did an excellent job teaching the different poems we have been studying. I really enjoyed reading some of the poetry that you wrote together.

We will be wrapping up our poetry unit by compiling our poems into the poetry anthology that I showcased at Curriculum Night. Students will be revising, editing, and typing their poems, as well as creating illustrations for their poetry. We will then have the book professionally bound. Please make sure to turn in your order forms before mid-winter break.

After mid-winter break, we will begin our next unit of study, which is newspaper writing. The three classes will be collaborating on one newspaper that will be in place of the regular teacher newsletter. Students will learn the elements that make up a newspaper and learn the elements of journalistic writing, including the “5 W’s.” Students will learn about:

• News stories, feature pieces, and editorials
• Writing book, movie, and restaurant reviews
• Interviewing members of the faculty, students, and administration
• Taking photos for the newspaper

Geography with Mrs. Baskin

We are completing our unit on the Northeast Region. As promised, your students learned about the art of scrimshaw and the effect it had on the whales in the beginning of the 1800’s and today. I brought in a pocket knife whose handle had a scrimshaw scene. We learned how scrimshanders used their art to record their travels and experiences. They inadvertently left behind a history of New England during this time period.

The class learned about the immigrants from the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, many of whom were Jewish, who settled in this region. Students were fascinated by the film “Ellis Island,” which showed the reality of coming to America at that time.

The class was polled to find out what countries their ancestors came from. While most were from Russia and Poland, nations like Ireland, France, Israel, and a variety of other countries were on the list.

We discussed the Native Americans indigenous to the northeast and their interaction with the immigrants, as well as how they worked to keep their heritage alive. As we study the Native American tribes from each region, we can begin to compare and contrast their social structure, way of life, rituals, and ceremonies.

A great, fun group effort was the making of topographical maps of the area. The kids really got into the project, making the mountains and detailing the waves in the ocean!

Science with Mrs. Steinberg

In science, we are continuing our study of Astronomy. We had a wonderful learning experience at the Planetarium, and we enjoyed sharing our knowledge of the solar system with you at curriculum night! The students finished writing planet guides, and we used our planet guides and models to create a huge scale model of the solar system in the auditorium. All fourth graders should be completing their moon journal by drawing the moon each night and answering the questions. The moon journal is due on February 14. During the remainder of our unit we will learn about the moon phases, stars, and constellations. On a clear night, your child may enjoy stargazing and trying to spot some of the constellations we will discuss in class. We will take a quiz on Astronomy shortly before mid-winter break, and then begin our next and final unit, The Human Body.

Ms. Marron’s Math Class

We are in Unit Six, where students are learning how to complete long division problems. We are solving:

• Division number stories and determining what to do with remainders
• Long Division problems, using Partial Quotient algorithm
• Long division problems, using the “traditional” algorithm

Partial Quotient is similar to the traditional method but looks at the whole number instead of breaking it up. Students will use their skills in multiplication extension facts. Students can take as many steps as they need to get to the answer. They will be able to decide on the algorithm that works best for them.

We will also be learning about measuring angles.

In our next unit we will be learning about fractions. The key concepts we will be learning are:

• Understanding part and whole
• Reviewing basic fraction concepts
• Using manipulatives to understand fractions
• Adding and subtracting fractions
• Renaming fractions
• Comparing decimals and fractions

I would still encourage students to work on developing their multiplication facts and keep working on division. The more students practice, the more automatic these skills become.

Mrs. Steinberg’s Math Group

Our group is currently in the middle of Unit Six, which focuses on division and angles. Students learned two algorithms for solving long division problems: partial quotients and “traditional” division. We are also using division in many problem-solving contexts and learning how to interpret remainders. Soon we will learn to measure angles with a protractor. Having a simple plastic protractor at home will help students complete homework assignments.

Students recently took a mid-year test to assess which concepts from the first half of the year they have mastered and retained. These will be in your child’s portfolio at conferences.

Please remind your child to continue practicing math facts on xtramath.com. Many students are seeing incredible improvement in their fact power!

Mrs. Baskin’s Math Class

We have reached the milestone of completing Math Journal One, and we are just starting Unit Seven in Volume Two! This unit teaches about fractions. We will learn:

• Comparing and ordering fractions.
• Adding and subtracting fractions.
• Doing simple story problems involving fractions.
• Renaming fractions (comparing decimals, percentages and fractions).

We are also learning about probability and have used words like impossible, unlikely, even chance, likely, and certain.

Math timed tests continue in multiplication and we have now added division timed tests. This, of course, necessitates the continued study of multiplication and division facts.

Mr. Brown continues to bring fun, challenging questions to our Friday sessions. Balls and balloons have been some of the interesting props used to emphasize concepts.

We are also learning about probability and have used words like impossible, unlikely, even chance, likely, and certain.

Math timed tests continue in multiplication and we have now added division timed tests. This, of course, necessitates the continued study of multiplication and division facts.

Mr. Brown continues to bring fun, challenging questions to our Friday sessions. Balls and balloons have been some of the interesting props used to emphasize concepts.

Hebrew – Ms. Bernstein

It’s been a wonderful month of learning!

• Vocabulary: Each student is working on building a personal Hebrew library of 250 words.
• Reading: Improvements abound!
• In the area of Grammar, we are working on using the infinitive (to do something). It’s turning out to be an area of the Hebrew language that students find easy.
• Project Cartoon: Some students have finished their cartoons. See the picture above of various stages in the process. The cartoons are very creative and the students are enjoying the project.
• Hebrew Bananagrams! We have been having fun with the newest addition to our game library. It’s great for practicing sounding out words and expanding vocabulary.
• Israel: Whenever we speak about Israel, the questions students ask show their interest in Israel’s history and current events. We have covered Israel’s geography, the history of the wars fought, the importance of water in the region, and how Israeli society is beginning to cope with the idea of religious pluralism.

Hebrew – Ms. Benjamin and Ms. Etzion

The show must go on……

This month we will be focusing on learning about the holiday of Purim. The students will spend some time reading The Book of Esther in the form of a play script. Once they are able to read and understand the script with fluency they will put on a puppet show re-enacting the entire story. There are, of course, many songs, traditions, and mitzvot associated with the holiday, which will be incorporated throughout the month. The purpose of teaching the story of Esther through a play script is to introduce them to theater words as well, such as: performance, actor/actress, puppet, stage, narrator, scene one, scene two, etc.

Judaic Studies – Hamorah Esther, Rabbi Ettedgui, and Mr. Zadaka

During the upcoming month, students will complete our unit on the consequences of parental favoritism. We will look at the last text on the impact of Ya’akov’s favoritism of Yoseif and what the results of his actions are for the family. At the end of the year we will return to this story and see how the end of Sefer B’reishit sets the stage for slavery.

Our next unit will deal with the topic of dreams and learn how the dreams of Ya’akov, Yoseif, and Pharaoh have implications for the dreamer, his family, and the future of the Jewish people. For example, Ya’akov has a dream of the ladder in which God promises him that He will protect him. The rabbis see this as a promise of the future for Ya’akov’s family, but the dream also contains a promise of the future of the Jewish people and their relationship with God.

The grammar topic for the next unit is s’mikhut. This is the combination of two nouns to form a compound subject. The Hebrew pattern is used for such key phrases as: B’nai Yisrael (the children of Israel), matan Torah (the Giving of the Torah, and Eretz Yisrael (the land of Israel).

The students will also be working on making Havdalah candles, which will be our grade’s VOICE project.

Art – Ms. Thor

Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect. ~ Chief Seattle, 1854

Clay Whistle project:

Students have made the basic whistle shape and will be adding clay to create their animal“spirit guides.” We will be using earth tone underglazes to add color and patterns to our whistles. As we work on this project, students will learn how Native American values and codes of ethics are very similar to our Jewish laws and traditions.

Next up: Gradation Unit – drawing the illusion of 3-D on a 2-D surface.

Next Sketchbook Assignment: #6 Bouncing Balls

MIA Art Adventure Program

Last week we had our first presentation and saw John Singer Sargent’s Birthday Party and Paul Signac’s Blessing of the Tuna Fleet. We participated in a short art project that introduced us to the color theory and painting technique of pointillism. Students made drawings by imitating Signac’s technique of applying color in small rectangular shapes while using oil pastels.

To see the entire Art Adventure theme, “Let’s Celebrate Life,” click on http://www.artsmia.org/viewer/index.php?v=12&op=568

Library – Ms. Oskow

Native American Project Beginning

The Native American research project is assigned to fourth grade students in their general studies classes in February. Most students are able to begin with at least one book on their tribe from our school library, before going to the public library for further resources. Our newer books are Internet-linked for additional electronic resources.

HMJDS Scholastic Book Fair Coming March 25-30!!

Biggest Library Fundraiser

The Scholastic Book Fair runs Sunday, March 25 – Friday, March 30. It is the single biggest fundraiser of the year for the library. Books will be available for all ages from preschool through adults, at Scholastic’s discounted, tax-free prices. Shoppers can make purchases for themselves as well as consider donations directly to the library or to HMJDS classrooms. 25% of all money collected will go to the library.

Look for more information following Mid-Winter Break.

Volunteers Needed For Book Fair

Volunteers are needed to help:

• set up the Book Fair on Friday morning, March 23
• tear down the Book Fair on Monday morning, April 2
• staff the Book Fair during the hours it is open

Please contact Book Fair Chairs Micki Litton, Beth Jasco or Ellen Berkelhamer – or sign up on the sheet that will be posted outside the library after Mid-Winter Break.

Music – Mr. Shaw

Save the Date—Upcoming Performance

Band Concert—Tuesday, February 20th 9:30 AM

As we move into this short musical month, students are working on playing an eight measure melody that they have affectionately titled “Tutti” on the Orff instruments. The musical term “tutti” is an Italian word used to indicate the part the whole ensemble is to play as opposed to one soloist or section. The students will be assessed on their playing ability, as the Orff instruments require students to enter on a musical cue and build ensemble skills. We will extensively review appropriate mallet grip, the sweet spot on the bar to get the best tone, playing posture, and stroke patterns (together/alternating hands). As part of this playing unit we are also working on performing an accompaniment to Symphony No. 9 (Ode to Joy) by Ludwig van Beethoven and an accompaniment on the Orff instruments. This accompaniment requires the students to read from a musical score while playing the harmony part at the same time.

Featured Concepts and Understandings in Music Class Lessons:

• Evaluating music and musical performances.
• Play expressively using contrasts: loud/soft, fast/slow, and high/low.
• Play composed pieces with accurate pitch and rhythm.
• Keep a steady beat while playing/performing.
• Develop the technique to play a tremolo on the Orff instruments.
• Play long phrases, rhythms, and melodies by reading notation from a musical score.
• Develop the competency to perform music through modeling.
• Understand the difference between melody and harmony.

Physical Education – Mr. Jacobson and Mr. Lindquist

We just finished up our floor hockey unit and we had a blast! We were very pleased to say that everyone made it out clean and injury free.

What’s coming up?

We continue to move forward, getting ready to begin our next major unit of gymnastics and rope jumping. In fourth grade we are learning even more about what our bodies can do, and all of the different types of movements. To give you an idea of some areas we pursue in this unit, we look at jumping and landing for height, bending our knees, and swinging our arms for balance. We perform sequences that include traveling and showing good body control combined with stationary balances on various body parts. We will also identify movement concepts such as time, space, effort, and relationships. Students will be provided with the opportunity to make appropriate changes in their performance based on feedback from their peers and teachers.

In rope jumping we look at creating our own individual technique. Students are working hard and learning a variety of ways to jump. Individual, partners, and groups are all areas we spend time on. Students in fourth grade also will create their own routine which they will share with the rest of the class.

Technology – Ms. Olson

Word is the Word

In the next month, I look forward to having fourth graders in the lab to really work on their Microsoft Word know how. All of the students know how to log in to their skydrive and start to write in Word, but many of them don’t know all of the things that a powerful program like Word can do for them when creating a polished final project. In the spring, students will be working on their Native American Project which they will be typing in Word. Now is the time for them to really start to understand the program and what tools they will need to be familiar with to create a great looking final paper.

We will be learning about the following tools and more:

• alignment
• double spacing
• header/footer
• text formatting
• selection tools
• inserting pictures

General Studies

Language Arts

We are deep in the middle of our Biography projects. All students have completed their books and should know quite a bit about their person of choice. Students have sifted through their books and determined many important facts about their subject.

Moving ahead, we will be:

• Organizing our notes, sorting them by topic
• Transferring notes to note cards
• Learning about components of a speech
• Practicing our speeches for best delivery
• Creating a poster using technology
• Presenting speeches to the class.

We will also be embarking on our next literature unit: Fantasy. The books that we will be reading are The Guardians of Ga’Hoole: The Capture, The Indian in the Cupboard, The Spiderwick Chronicles, Bunnicula, and Half Magic. Students will be reading in small groups. Many of these books are parts of a series, so students can continue reading the series after we finish our unit.

Writing Workshop with Ms. Marron

Thank you to everyone who attended our Essay Publication Celebration in December! The students worked very hard writing, revising, and editing their essays. Students really thought about issues and events in their lives that were important and wrote very thoughtfully.

In January, we are immersing ourselves in our poetry unit by reading, writing, and listening to poetry. Students are connected to poetry through reading poems both independently and in groups. Students will:

• Learn different forms of poetry, including Haiku, Cinquain, and Diamante
• Be able to communicate what each style entails
• Compare these styles and express how they differ
• Learn how choosing powerful adjectives, adverbs, verbs, and nouns can improve their poetry
• Be able to identify these parts of speech when writing

We will be sharing what we have learned at our curriculum night on February 9. We will then be spending time revising our poems and creating illustrations for a book that will be professionally published.

Ms. Marron’s Math Class

Students did a great job on our Unit Four assessment. They demonstrated that they understood decimals and applied this knowledge to measurement in the metric system.

In Unit Five, we are learning to:

• Estimate Sums and Products
• Extend multiplication using Partial-Products Multiplication, Lattice Multiplication and Traditional Multiplication (Remember these from Back-to-School Night?)
• Round and Report Large Numbers
• Compare Data
• Read and Write Numbers to a Billion

It is very important that students continue to practice their multiplication facts on XtraMath.org. As students gain mastery of these basic facts, higher-level skills like multi-digit multiplication will become easier for them.

Mrs. Steinberg’s Math Group

We are wrapping up our study of multi-digit multiplication, large numbers, and rounding. Students learned three different algorithms for multiplication, and we will continue to practice all of them. When doing homework, however, students may use the one that they find most effective.

Our next unit will be division. Students will learn to divide larger numbers, apply division in problem-solving situations, and interpret remainders based on the problem’s context. In this unit, students will also learn the types of angles (acute, obtuse, right, straight, and reflex), and how to measure angles with a protractor. Many students are making great strides toward mastering multiplication and division facts. Please remind your child to practice regularly on xtramath.org.

Mrs. Baskin’s Math Group

My students have completed Unit Five, in which they learned three algorithms for multi-digit multiplication. We will continue to use and review all three: Partial products, the lattice method, and the traditional method of multiplication. This seems to be the most comfortable for many of the students.

Students are now learning the partial quotient division algorithm, how to solve multiplication and division number stories, and how to express and interpret remainders. We will finish the chapter by reviewing the use of latitude and longitude, which we touched on in our first unit in geography. Once again, here is an example of integrated curriculum.

My class loves to take timed tests. Half the class is scoring 100% on the three-minute tests. Now the contest is to see who can score 100% on both the three-minute and the one-minute tests. Practicing the facts to achieve greater speed and accuracy is the goal.

Mr. Brown continues to challenge us on Fridays with fun activities in which we use our problem solving, strategizing, and other skills.

Geography with Mrs. Baskin

We are enjoying moving from the Midwest region to the Northeast, which is also familiar to many of the students because of their travels and ancestors.

We are studying:

• Topographical maps of the region, including a small group project making a map
• Scrimshaw and its effect on the whales since the beginning of the 1900’s to today
• Immigration in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s
• Tenements on New York’s Lower East Side and passage through Ellis Island
• Read Jacob’s Journey about a deaf child’s immigration through New York
• Map test on 11 Northeast states and Washington, D.C.

During the next part of the unit, we will study our heritage and take a class survey to determine how many countries our ancestors represent. We will follow this with information about the Statue of Liberty, its welcoming sight, and the poem by Emma Lazarus, New York City, 1883.

Science with Mrs. Steinberg

We are currently in the midst of our astronomy unit. Students were divided into small groups to research a planet, paint a model, and write a creative travel guide. They are doing a fantastic job incorporating both information and humor into their guides. We will create a large scale model of the solar system in the auditorium. Each group also will write questions about their planet, which will be compiled into a scavenger hunt that the entire class will complete. In addition, we are preparing an exciting activity to present to you at the curriculum nighton February 9!

This week, all fourth graders received a moon journal. Students should be completing the journal at home by observing the moon each night this month, as well as answering a nightly question. The questions incorporate language arts, Hebrew, and Judaic Studies, as well as science. Students were also given websites to look at the moon phase online in case they are unable to see it in the sky.

Later in our unit we will also study stars and constellations and investigate moon phases after we finish the moon journal. On February 7, we will visit the Planetarium for an exciting show that will take us through the solar system and beyond!

Upcoming Events

• Monday, 1/16: Martin Luther King Day- School in session for special activities
• Tuesday, 2/7: Field trip to Planetarium
• Thursday, 2/9: Curriculum Night – 7 pm

Hebrew – Ms. Bernstein

Our January Core Value is “Guard your tongue from evil.” This Core Value is especially appropriate as we celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day mid-month. We work toward using our words carefully, only to help and never to hurt.

• We are working on vocabulary: prepositions and location words will help make our writing even more creative.
• We will improve our reading skills: two new vowel patterns and continued work on the sh’va —a vowel with a split personality!
• In the area of grammar, we continue our work with verb roots—we’ve added a new set of verbs with a slightly different pattern. This helps expand the students’ creative writing skills.
• We will do a project cartoon: students will be creating the dialogue for a blank cartoon of their choice. This project will take a few months and is designed to use the Hebrew we have been learning throughout the year. In addition, it allows students to practice using the Hebrew-English dictionary, manipulating verbs, and creatively using Hebrew. It also is a lot of fun!

Hebrew – Ms. Etzion and Ms. Benjamin

During the month of January we will be studying our first Hebrew science unit. Different cycles of nature will be covered and taught in Hebrew. The topics we will cover will be:

• The Moon Cycle
• Cycle of Months
• Cycle of Seasons
• Cycle of the Days of the Week
• The Water Cycle
• Cycle of Plants (flowers and trees)

We will eventually combine our studies of these natural cycles with our studies of the holiday of trees, Tu B’shvat. A project depicting a cycle of nature will be part of their unit.

Homework….

As always, homework is an important tool to reinforce current material. It is vital that homework be completed and turned in. If your child is struggling to complete their homework please always feel free to contact us, so that we can try to help them.

Stay Warm……

Judaic Studies – Rabbi Danny Ettedgui

The current fourth grade unit is about the relationship between parents and children. The students are exploring how parental favoritism impacts everyone in a family. Our text tells us that Yitzhak loved Esav, Rivkah loved Ya’akov, and Ya’akov loved Yoseif and Binyamin. Sometimes even the favored child suffers very severely. The students, usually feeling less favored, relate very much to the tensions that are created and there are many opportunities to teach empathy and sympathy. These stories are very familiar, but looking at them in the text offers new perspectives and insights.

The grammar for the unit introduces many critical concepts that will translate to their general studies Language Arts curriculum. We are introducing the person and number chart that they know about, but for which they may have not seen a visual representation. Accessing their knowledge of the Hebrew pronouns, present tense verb constructions, and the use of possessives based on the word shel (belonging to) – sheli (mine), shelah (hers), the students will see the pattern develop. We will use the patterns for future tense constructions. We will also use their knowledge of shorashim (roots) to teach students to recognize verb patterns for third person masculine singular and plural forms, and then introduce the third person for feminine singular verbs. This will also allow us to review the vav-hahipukh (vav that converts future verbs to past tense).

Shabbat Shalom!

Art – Ms. Thor

“Good art is not what it looks like, but what it does to us.” ~ Roy Adzak

Welcome back! I hope you all had a wonderful vacation. Here’s a recap of recent work and a look ahead at the coming month:

• The Clay Monsters are now on display in the case across from the school office. Please stop by and see them!

• We were able to squeeze in our Pigments from the Earth lesson before winter break. Whew! It’s a fun lesson where science meets art through the history of artists’ paint. This lesson also introduces students to the art supplies of indigenous or native peoples and informs our next project.
• First week back: portfolio and sketchbook reviews in preparation for winter report cards.
• Begin Clay Whistle project: students will make a clay whistle in the shape of an animal. This project integrates with the upcoming Native American unit in Social Studies. Students were asked which animal they felt an affinity for, an animal that has an ability that they would like to have, or that they feel represents their “spirit.” Native Americans often have animal spirit guides. Students have done preliminary sketches in their sketchbooks for their whistles.
• Sketchbook Assignment #5: animal textures – students will design and practice their under-glaze painting for their whistle. Will their whistle be realistic or more abstract/symbolic in its design?
• MIA Art Adventure Program begins at the end of January. Our theme this year is “Let’s Celebrate Life!” http://www.artsmia.org/viewer/index.php?v=12&op=568

Music – Mr. Shaw

Understanding music in relationship to history and culture is one of our music goals in fourth grade. We will listen to the “C Jam Blues” by the famous American jazz composer Duke Ellington. This composition was written in 1941 and is a wonderful piece to introduce young children to jazz. We will also learn the song “The Rhythm of My Soul,” which chronicles the story of an individual family who was taken from their village in Africa and brought by boat to America to be slaves. We may also begin studying the life and music of Ray Charles in class and learn how the young Ray Charles Robinson (he later shortened his name) who came from a life of poverty, blindness, and personal tragedies, grew to be Ray Charles, one of the biggest influences in popular music today. Ray Charles had the unique trait of being able to crossover to many styles (pop, R & B, gospel, jazz, Broadway) and made these styles over using his unique voice.

Featured Concepts and Understandings in Music Class Lessons:

• Singing in a group using accurate pitch and rhythm songs that fall in age level appropriate vocal range.
• Singing a song that connects to American history.
• Listening to, analyzing, and describing music as well as form.
• Evaluating music and music performances.
• Learning about an American jazz composer and other musicians.
• Reading visual symbols that indicate rhythm.

Physical Education – Mr. Lindquist and Mr. Jacboson

I hope you enjoyed the holidays with family and friends. It is great to hear from your child about the time you spent away from school and the places you visited.

What’s Going On?

We are in the second period (hockey term joke) of Floor Hockey which is the first of our striking units. The fourth graders began participating in a variety of drills and modified games where they honed their puck handling skills and forehand and backhand striking skills. The latter part of the unit is when they play games and learn the value of teamwork while improving their hand-eye coordination.

What’s Next?

Gymnastics and Rope Jumping are the next units on the horizon, which is refreshing for students who need a break from competitive games. This is where your student works individually on understanding and improving body core strength, balance, and flexibility. In fourth grade we begin on the floor mats with simple body challenges that require strength and balance in addition to cooperative partnering skills. We then move into the apparatus skills. These include balance beam, vaulting, and using the back hand-spring spotter. The rope jumping unit works on timing and coordination in addition to greatly improving aerobic fitness. Students take on Red, White & Blue challenges varying from different jumping patterns associated with feet placement to tandem partner jumping using varying rope lengths. Students enjoy these units every year!

Technology – Ms. Olson

Glogs… The Wall Poster of the Future!

You may have seen your students creating their practice Glogs over winter break. This was an exercise to familiarize the students with an exciting tool called Glogster. Think your old school informational poster taken not to the next level, but a few above that. These posters will not only include pictures and text as the familiar version does, but scrolling text, videos, links to other webpages with pertinent information, and more. These glogs are the 21st century answer to what we’ve seen in the past. Using a technology tool such as this one merges technology skills with which fourth graders are already familiar and several new ones such as uploading photos and videos to the website, creating hyperlinks, and more.

I’m sure you’ll enjoy seeing their Biography glogs soon!

General Studies – Marron

Language Arts

Our class is currently studying biographies. Each student chose a person he or she was interested in studying and checked out a book about them. They are currently reading the books in school. We will focus on important note-taking skills such as determining the importance of information and paraphrasing it. Students will use their books, as well as other resources, to take notes on topics such as Early Life, Education, Career, Hobbies, and Later Life. After reading their book and collecting information on their person, each student will prepare a speech and deliver it to the class dressed as their person, probably in late January. We will be discussing presentation techniques and students will be expected to practice the speech at home. They will also create a multi-media backdrop in the computer lab, which will be projected on a SMART board while they deliver their speech.

We are also reading Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett. This is a great mystery that brings readers into the world of art.

In December, students will begin doing book reports at home. This book report will be due when we come back from winter break.

Mrs. Marron’s Math Group

Students did a great job on our Unit Three assessment. They demonstrated that they understood the relationship between multiplication and division, and they were “detectives” when looking where to put parentheses and solving for the variable in math problems.

In Unit Four, we are learning to:

• Read and write decimals
• Compare decimals
• Add and subtract decimals
• Use decimals in money

We are using money as a jumping off point in understanding decimals and their relationships to whole numbers. We will be doing some extra practice with these skills. We are also continuing our almost daily timed multiplication tests. Students are really enjoying them and are proud of their daily improvement.

Mrs. Steinberg’s Math Group

Our class is wrapping up Unit Four: Decimals and Their Uses. We learned to read and write decimals, compare and order them, add and subtract them, and use them in a variety of problem-solving situations.

Soon we will begin Unit Five: Multiplication, Big Numbers, and Estimation. We will focus on the following skills:

• Extended multiplication facts (example: 8 x 300)
• Estimating sums and products
• Multiplying multi-digit numbers using various algorithms
• Reading, writing, and using large numbers up to billions
• Rounding numbers

Students are enjoying using the xtramath.org website to master multiplication and division facts. It is fun to watch their progress scores climb! Please encourage your child to spend a few minutes on xtramath several times a week to continue improving their skills.

Another great math site for challenging, fun games that promote problem-solving is calculationnation.nctm.org (on the fourth grade Portaportal). We played the game Times Square to practice multiplication and factoring. I will be introducing other games over the course of the year, and I encourage students to try the games at home.

Math with Mrs. Baskin

As you are well aware, we are working hard in our math series, Everyday Mathematics. My class is transitioning from Unit Four: Decimals and their Uses, into Unit Five, which goes more in-depth into multiplication and division. Your students will experience partial product multiplication and the lattice method. They will compare these with the more traditional multiplication, which is probably more familiar to most of us. Please refer to the Unit Five Parent Letter for more information on these strategies.

In division we will also learn new algorithms, but usually the traditional method turns out to be the preferred choice. The reason we even introduce other options is that all people do not process math the same way, and one of these alternatives might click with a few of the students. We continue to practice estimation as a check against our final answers, to make sure we are close.

The class looks forward to Tuesdays and Thursdays when we do the timed tests in multiplication and division. They love to compete with themselves to see if they can beat their last scores.

Mr. Brown continues to come in on Fridays, much to the delight of the class. His job is to stretch their minds with activities that build critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

Geography with Mrs. Baskin

At the conclusion of the Minnesota Packet the class broke into groups and studied six large companies that headquarter here. They then presented the information to the rest of the class. The object was to educate the other groups about each company, then tell them what a good company theirs would be to work for when they graduated from college. The companies were Best Buy, Cargill, Target, 3M, Traveler’s Insurance, and United Health Care.We are progressing through the Midwest region, and as you now know from reading the Midwest packets, the region is rich in culture. It has many lakes, important rivers and prairies, varied weather patterns, “great and not so great” sports teams, cheese and bread, raw materials, manufacturing, and an exciting history.

We are looking forward to studying the very interesting Northeast region. Although the climate is similar to ours, it does not have the extremes we experience. The Northeast has a very different history. Our studies will include the story of Ellis Island and the migration to the United States that was an important part of many of our own families. A comparison of geographic features and industries, along with what we have already studied, brings into perspective the differences between the regions. We also will start the geography bees, which your students really enjoy. They become intense and competitive as students are empowered with more information.

Science with Mrs. Steinberg

In science, we recently began our study of astronomy. I am dividing students into small groups. Each group will research a planet, write a creative travel guide, and paint a model of the planet. After break we will create a scale model of the solar system with the planets. Your child will also receive a moon journal to complete at home. He or she will need to observe and draw the moon each night for a month, either by spotting it outside or using Internet sites that I will provide, and answer a nightly question. The questions incorporate language arts, Hebrew, and Judaic Studies, in addition to science.

Writing Workshop with Ms. Marron

Students have been busy working on their essays. Every student has a strong thesis statement and bullets to support their thesis. Students are working on their writing, as well as pushing their thinking and logical reasoning. Students will be finishing their five paragraph essays before winter vacation. We will be inviting parents to our publication party, which will happen before winter break. Please check the Newswire for details.

In January we will begin our next unit, which is Poetry. Students will be reading, writing, and listening to poetry. Students will write their own poetry and learn about three specific types of poems. We will use poetry to learn about parts of speech and word choice. There will be nightly writing assignments associated with this unit. As our culminating project for this unit, each class will be creating a poetry anthology that will be published and available for purchase. You will find out more about this at our fourth grade curriculum night.

Hebrew – Benjamin/Etzion

We will be starting our Hanukkah unit this month.

• Students will receive new Hanukkah workbooks and readers.
• New vocabulary will be taught, as well as a review of what was learned in previous years.
• Many songs, customs, and traditions will be taught in Hebrew as well.
• Creative writing assignments will be completed.
• Comprehensive assessments will cover material being taught this month, as well as what was covered in previous months.

The students will start practicing their Hanukkah song that they will be performing at Adath Jeshurun Congregation on December 20 at 7:00 pm. We are looking forward to seeing all of you.

Hebrew – Bernstein

Our December Core Value is “If not now, when?” In our class we are exploring this famous saying from Pirkei Avot (Sayings of the Fathers). It tells us that we must not wait to do something, because we may never again have the chance. At Hanukkah, we remember the miracle of the oil for the menorah in the Temple lasting eight days. We also are reminded that the Maccabbees took a stand for religious freedom. Just as they took action then, we need to take action now.

• We continue to work through our book, Shalom Ivrit.
• We will be visiting the Computer Lab for the second time to work on vocabulary through the website, Dah Bear.
• Once a week, we use our class time for some in-depth discussion about Israel. Students are able to ask any questions they may have always had about Israel.
• In the area of grammar, we continue our work with verb roots. We have added a new set of verbs with a slightly different pattern. This helps expand the students’ creative writing skills.

Finally, we are preparing for the Hanukkah program by learning a song by Naomi Shemer called Kad Hakemah, The Pitcher of Flour. It is a very meaningful song based on the story in Kings Chapter 17 about Elijah the prophet.

I hope everyone has a wonderful winter break!

Judaic Studies

Dear Parents,

The students continue to work on their presentations surrounding the Biblical narrative of Ya’akov (Jacob). We are immersed in his negotiations with his Uncle Lavan (Laban) for earning his livelihood and marrying Rahel (Rachael).

During the upcoming month the students will continue to work on:

• The economic relationship between Ya’akov and Lavan to illustrate fair working conditions and employer/employee negotiations.
• Reading skills: Vowel names; differentiation between long, short, and half vowels; phonetic exceptions.
• Hanukkah material.

Remember the Lower School Hanukkah program on December 20 at Adath Jeshurun Congregation!

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Daniel Ettedgui

Art – Thor

Clay Monsters

Students have brought their monster drawings to life in 3-D form. Students used additive and subtractive sculpture methods (adding clay and taking away clay). They referred to their drawings and sketches completed as homework to assist them in the process of going from 2-D to 3-D.

After one week on the drying shelf, the monsters were in a green-ware state and ready for the colorful under-glazes. Students had to be very careful. Their monsters were very fragile. One bump the wrong way and limbs and horns could break off. Fortunately we’ve only suffered one small accident so far. Green-ware Mender came to the rescue. Once they are fired, the monsters will be less vulnerable to breaking. Students will decide which areas of their monster they want shiny by applying a clear glaze or which areas they want matte (unglazed). Decisions, decisions…

Next up:

• Bisque firing our monsters
• Glazing our monsters with a clear, shiny glaze
• Glaze firing our monsters
• Pigments of the Earth lesson – students learn the history of paint/pigments and mix paint from scratch
• Sketchbook assignment #4: Cave Painting
• Fall portfolio review

Special Note: During the first week back from Winter Break (January 3-6), students in 4-Gimel and 4-Alef will have the Pigments of the Earth lesson. I hope all students will be in attendance for this very special lesson.

Wishing you a warm and bright Hanukkah!

Ms. Thor

Library – Oskow

In December, fourth graders check out a biography for their class assignment. They also have the opportunity to check out books new to our library.

• A Hanukkah Treasury by Eric A. Kimmel
• The Hanukkah Family Treasury by S. Zorn and Rabbi L. Hessel
• My Lucky Dreidle by Cherie Karo Schwartz
• The Kids’ Catalog of Hanukkah by David Adler
• Fantastic Foto Hunt Chanukah (Can You Find the Differences?)
• Hanukkah Fun (Great Things to Make and Do) by J. Bastyra & C. Ward
• Crafts for Hanukkah by Kathy Ross
• The Power of Light (8 Stories for Hanukkah) by Isaac Bashevis Singer
• The Spotted Pony (Collection of Hanukkah Stories) by Eric Kimmel
• The Stone Lamp (8 Stories of Hanukkah Thru History) by Karen Hesse & Brian Pinkney
• Chanukah: Eight Nights of Light, Eight Gifts for the Soul by Shimon Apisdorf

Thank you to all of the grandparents and special people who bought books to donate to our library on Simhat Dor L’Dor!

Music – Shaw

Students will spend some time preparing for the Hanukkah program by singing many of the traditional songs. Grade four students will also be writing their own rhythm compositions to create new musical pieces in December. The children will then transform these rhythms and write their own body percussion pieces, in order to show an understanding of musical concepts. Grade four students write eight-measure body percussion pieces using two sounds sources while showing a contrasting A and B section (musical form and complimentary composition techniques). The students will work with a partner or small group to devise a way to play these rhythms, which may use creative movement at the same time. This exploration lesson creates a multi-layered percussion piece that follows an established form based on student input and composition techniques that are grade level appropriate.

Featured Concepts and Understandings in Music Class Lessons:

• Sing songs that fall in age level appropriate vocal range using accurate pitch and rhythm.
• Sing in a group.
• Develop the competency to perform music through modeling.
• Play visual symbols that indicate rhythm.
• Keep a steady beat while playing.
• Develop an understanding of the science of sound.

Band Program is Under Way

Students who are enrolled in the band program are now under the instruction of our adjunct faculty from MacPhail Center for Music on Tuesdays. Thank you to the Art, Physical Education, and General Studies Teachers for supporting the program that allows these students to take instrumental music by changing your schedules.

Physical Education – Jacobson/Lindquist

I hope you enjoyed your Thanksgiving. It really is a wonderful holiday that bonds family around the dinner table and reminds us how fortunate we truly are.

In fourth grade we are working very hard and continuing to learn different and fun ways to participate and excel in our various activities. We played a lot of preparation games that focused on our dribbling, passing, shooting, and even our defense. The games were very positive and fun for everyone. This is a very good group that continues to impress me!

Moving forward . . .

We are heading into another one of our big units. Floor hockey is coming up, and what a unit this is! We are going to be discussing the fact that safety is our number one concern, and that we all must respect each other while learning to play. Each student will be challenged to participate and work hard to improve skills such as stick handling, passing, and shooting. We will also be learning more about the rules of the game and the players on the ice (or gym floor), and what each position means. I know this is a unit that we all love, and we get a lot of great exercise!

Technology – Olson

Exploring Glogster and Live@edu

Fourth graders are looking forward to a couple of very exciting projects coming up in December. We will soon embark on our Glog project using a Web 2.0 tool called Glogster EDU. Think of your regular school poster project, but made on the computer and so much more! Glogster allows students to create a poster including pictures, text, titles, videos, drawings, timelines, links to other pages or to web pages, and more. Students will use their typing skills, ability to find and import pictures, research skills and the skills that they have learned about putting together a well composed piece to present to their classmates. Students will enjoy time in the lab to work on this project as well as the ability to work on it from home.

This month fourth graders will also be introduced to Live@edu. This is a tool that will allow students to work on projects, at home as well as at school. Live@edu will help students progress further in their work, as they can work on it anywhere. They can also share their work with group members in a group project. Many more benefits to Live@edu will develop, as our fourth graders pilot this tool for our school.

Geography with Mrs. Baskin

Fourth graders just finished their first unit on Minnesota. The weather section included such natural disasters as dust storms, tornadoes, floods and blizzards. We discussed the enormous effects these had on the economies and citizens of our cities. The classes did skits during the industry section in which they asked banks for money to upgrade one of the six corporations that they represented. They had to present information about:

• The history of the corporation
• products or services
• number of personnel
• growth pattern
• personal knowledge

They also studied:

• groups of people who inhabited the area before statehood
• relationship of the Europeans with the Native Americans
• influence of available natural resources (which acted as a magnet for workers from the other areas of the U.S. and from Europe

We have begun studying our next region—The Midwest Region. We are learning:

• new vocabulary
• information about the great lakes
• which states are The Plains States and which the Great Lakes States

I always like teaching about the Midwest as the students are somewhat familiar with the states, capitals, climate, land, and water forms of the area.

Language Arts

It was so nice seeing you and your children at conferences so we could discuss the progress students have been making, as well as set goals for the year.

Students have started reading historical fiction books in their literature groups. All the books are set in America in different time periods and regions. Students are able to explore how people in different regions lived. This connects with what they will be learning about in geography.

We are finishing There’s a Boy in the Girl’s Bathroom as our read aloud, and starting on The Watson’s Go to Birmingham, 1963.

After this unit, students will begin reading biographies. They will create a presentation about their reading using technology.

I am introducing a weekly literature log where students will respond nightly. They will have several different opportunities to respond to the literature. We will also be continuing our vocabulary studies through our weekly vocabulary assignments.

Math – Baskin

Our group reviewed their knowledge of addition and subtraction with zeros and multi digit numbers. In Unit Two we learned about collecting, organizing, and describing data. This also helped us in geography when we studied temperature and precipitation from three different areas, over a period of time, and compared them by making bar graphs of the data.

Now we have started Unit Three in which we solidify our multiplication facts through the use of Venn diagrams, another cross subject area, also used in reading. We discovered interesting patterns which helped make learning our math facts much easier. When multiplying by nine, for example, the sum of the digits of the products always adds up to nine. Tips for number stories are part of this unit, as well as determining whether a number sentence is true or false.

Practicing number facts at home will help your child with retention and automaticity, as we do multiplication timed tests at least once a week. The students are always excited to see how much they improve with practice. One student completed 50 facts in one minute with 100 percent accuracy!

My group is also working with different math packets to further extend their learning. Mr. Brown works with us on Fridays to stimulate depth and problem solving in the learning process.

Math – Marron

Our math group has been working on multiplication and division in Unit Two. We have been practicing our multiplication fact. We are also learning about the relationship between multiplication and division. We will be taking the Unit Two test soon and beginning Unit Three.

Topics in Unit Three include:

• Multiplication and division
• True and False Number Sentences
• Simple algebraic equations

I encourage students to use xtramath.org three times a week to help strengthen their multiplication facts. We also start every math class with a problem developing students’ “number sense.” Students are using mental math, common number sense, and other skills to solve problems.

Math – Steinberg

Our group finished Unit Two (Uses of Numbers, Multi-digit Addition and Subtraction, and Place Value) and took a test on it. We are now in the midst of Unit Three.

Topics in Unit Three include:

• Multiplication and division facts
• True and false number sentences
• Parentheses
• Simple algebraic equations (such as 4 x y = 24)
• Factors and multiples
• Prime numbers

To help us master multiplication and division facts we are using the website xtramath.org at home and at school. I encourage each child to log on at home at least three times per week to practice. If you or your child is having any difficulty logging in, please let me know. Mastering the math facts will help your child solve more complex problems much more efficiently and accurately.

Science with Mrs. Steinberg

We are continuing to study the Earth. The fourth graders have really impressed me with their curiosity and motivation, as well as their thoughtful questions and intriguing ideas that always lead to interesting and meaningful discussions.

Activities in this unit include:

• A hands-on unit on Earth Materials, in which they recorded their observations and conclusions in a booklet. You received this in your child’s portfolio at conferences.
• Learning about layers of the Earth, tectonic plates, and how the Earth’s continents have shifted over time.
• Making a flip book to demonstrate how the Earth has changed over millions of years.
• Studying earthquakes and volcanoes. Students will learn what these disasters are, what causes them, and what effects they have.

They will wrap up the unit and take a test shortly before Thanksgiving break. You can look for a study guide to come home and the test date will be written in your child’s planner. Please help your child review the study guide to prepare for the test. After that we will begin our next unit, which is Astronomy.

Writing Workshop with Ms. Marron

It was wonderful seeing so many parents as we celebrated the students’ narrative writing. The stories were detailed, focused, and showed real moments in students’ lives.

Students are now embarking on essay writing. This is a clear progression from narrative writing, where students told personal stories. They are now using observations and stories about their lives and growing them into “big ideas.” Students will be crafting a five paragraph essay. They will be learning how to:

• Grow a seed story into a big idea.
• Create a thesis statement and support it
• Write topic and conclusion sentences
• Write introduction and conclusion paragraphs that grab the reader’s attention.

In the editing process, we will focus our attention on the use of commas in their writing. We will also be having another publication celebration before winter break.

Calendar of Upcoming Events

Hebrew – Bernstein

Shalom! We are moving right along in Hebrew working through our book Shalom Ivrit and exploring the wonderful world of Hebrew verbs. Students are getting better and better at identifying the shoresh (the root of the verb) and seeing the different connections that can be made between the modern Hebrew we learn and the biblical Hebrew used in Judaics.

Reading skills continue to improve. I’m also thrilled to see how well students are learning new vocabulary and using their new words creatively. We are playing our Tic-Tac-Toe Reading Championship and a few rounds of Four Corners—two favorite games.

Toward the end of this month, we will begin to learn the song we will perform at the Hanukkah celebration. For the past few years, we have chosen a song by Israel’s premier singer-songwriter, Naomi Shemer. As the fourth graders are the oldest students performing, it’s usually the highlight of the evening. Simhat Dor L’Dor Bet is another highlight of the coming month.

Of course, we always take time to discuss our monthly Core Value. November’s Core Value is “Find yourself a teacher and acquire a friend.” I love to hear from the students how they interpret these values and how they try (or will try) to live the Core Value day to day.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions atsbernstein@hmjds.org

Hebrew – Etzion/Benjamin

We will be alphabetizing words in Hebrew in order to teach them how to properly use a Hebrew/English dictionary.

In order to retain information we will introduce the idea of a memory box. Inside the memory box the following items will be placed:

• flash cards
• reading books
• class assignments
• homework assignments

We will expand on the idea and introduce boxes with different purposes:

• music box
• coloring box
• candy box
• Shabbat box

We will teach new vocabulary words that are associated with a particular box. We will then ask the students to identify the items that belong in each particular box by asking, “Which box do these objects belong to… or which objects would I put in this box? This is an interactive way to introduce new words, as well as review what they have recently learned.

We have been spending a lot of time reviewing present tense, and will start learning past tense. Students will learn:

• Root words
• Pronouns
• Conjugating past tense verbs

The students will learn grammar in a fun interactive way through uses of many games, worksheets, packets and stories.

Judaic Studies

With the holidays and conferences recently passed, we are ready to zoom ahead into our next unit. The students will be focusing on business ethics. In our rapidly changing world, it is very important to remember that many issues that seem so modern actually result from human behavior and emotions that have existed for ages. Jacob, in his stay with his Uncle Lavan, learns about being on the other end of a deception. We will explore their business relationship to learn about:

• Putting in an honest day’s work
• Paying fair wages
• Other terms of employment

The students will apply these texts to modern business situations such as the right to strike for better wages, the obligations of providing decent working conditions, and the responsibilities of workers to keep trade secrets. Business ethics are all over the news and learning about them will also link to Derekh Eretz and our core values.

Our grammar component will continue to focus on Hebrew roots and help build vocabulary.

Be sure to join us for the 4th grade Judaic Studies curriculum night on December 1 at 7:00 pm!

Hamorah Esther, Rabbi Danny Ettedgui, Mr. Yefet Zadaka

Art

Are you feeling brave?

All fourth graders’ mixed media Monster Drawings are now on display in the JCC lobby. Check them out, if you dare!

Monster Drawings:

Students chose a combination of media: colored pencils, markers, oil pastels and chalk pastels. Their choices were driven by what effect each media afforded their drawings. Artists make such critical decisions when beginning their work. Artists know which media have the particular attributes that will produce the results they desire.

Positive – Negative space paintings

Students were challenged by creating a “simple” black line painting on white paper, then painting the negative space of this painting with white paint on black paper. We looked at the work of Jewish painter, Franz Kline for inspiration. http://tinyurl.com/678gjmy

Next up:

• Taking our monsters to the next level – 3-D clay sculptures. Students will use their Monster Drawing as the reference for their sculpture’s face.
• While puzzling out the challenges of working in clay and transforming a 2-D image into a 3-D form, students will be learning how to adapt their vision to the realities of the material.
• Students will discover that creating a standing clay sculpture is harder than it seems.
• Clay sculptures can blow up in the kiln so students will learn what they must do to prevent that.
• Sketchbook assignment #3: working out glaze colors for their clay sculpture.

Please consider being an art room helper.

Ms. Thor

Library

November is National Jewish Book Month!

Fourth graders learn about Jewish books when their classes visit the library this month. They see many books with Jewish topics, setting, characters, or authors.

Students may make a poster celebrating a Jewish book and bring it into the HMJDS library by mid-November to decorate for Book Month.

• Student’s first and last name
• Student’s grade and first letter of homeroom teacher’s name (e.g. 4-M for 4th grade-Marron)
• Title and author of the book
• Colorful picture–student’s own best effort illustrating something from the story
• Any medium, such as crayons, oil pastels, markers, paint, collage

Look for the posters on library walls by mid-November!

Simhat Dor L’Dor Book Sale – Donations to the Library

On Simhat Dor L’Dor Bet, Tuesday, November 22—the day before Thanksgiving Break—from 1:30-3:30, books are available for purchase to donate to our library collection. Students whose grandparent, parent or other special person donates one are given first opportunity to check the book out of the library. Thank you to the families who bought books for donation on Simhat Dor L’Dor Alef!

Happy Reading and Creating!—Cathi Oskow, HMJDS Librarian

Music

This year the Music Express magazine includes a continuing radio dramatization that helps us perform music integrating history, geography, and language arts. Students will finish listening to The Quest (portrayed in the style of a radio serial), then write a reflection about the songs and retell the characters’ adventures. In the month of November, Grade Four students will finish our unit about songs that were popular on the radio over a sixty year period. Our musical journey takes us from the 1920s up to 1984. We have been learning the songs in chronological order so the students will gain an appreciation of how musical styles have changed in the United States over the decades. Starting with the 1929 hit “Ain’t We Got Fun?” we then learned “Boogie, Woogie, Bugle Boy” by the Andrew Sisters. When we entered the 1950s we learned “Hound Dog” which was made popular by Elvis Presley and then zoomed into 1964 with the Beatles hit “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.” We will finish the unit with the 1984 hit “Footloose.”

Featured Concepts and Understandings in Music Class Lessons:

• Integrate music with social studies and language arts; read dialogue and text; make connections to musical expressive elements
• Understand relationships between music the other arts and disciplines outside the arts
• Identify characteristics and style elements of songs from a 60 year time span (the 1920s to the 1980s)
• Identify performers of popular music
• Singing a varied repertoire of songs alone or with others

Physical Education

It’s good to be back to our routine! I enjoyed meeting with you at fall conferences and discussing your child’s Fitness Testing performance. If you weren’t able to attend, Mr. Jacobson and I will be sharing your child’s Physical Fitness testing results with you and telling you how your child compared with National Standards in report cards. Some students were close to performing at the Presidential Physical Fitness level. If your child meets the Presidential Physical Fitness standards he or she will be awarded a certificate and patch signifying their achievement.

What’s Next?

We just finished participating in a variety of dodgeball games and now we’re ready to get started in our ever-popular basketball unit. By fourth grade your child has developed competent ball skills including dribbling with either their left or right hand, passing, and shooting. At this level your son or daughter should have a good concept of the rules of the sport such as double dribbling, traveling, out of bounds, and fouls.

After we establish a good understanding of these rules, students will be participating in regular games, in addition to playing modified games that improve their shooting and ball handling. Some of these modified games may include three-on-three or four-on-four. In the past we’ve had success with same sex games similar to league or high school programs. The Physical Education Department enjoys teaching this unit every year.

Kelly Lindquist

Technology

Don’t Put You’re Underwear There!

I bet you’ve said it to your child a million times! Well, now you may find some underwear in an unlikely place… on the family computer keyboard! Yes, that’s right… put boxer shorts ON the keyboard. This is probably the best way I’ve found to cover the keyboard at home. Yes, you could purchase a keyboarding skin like the ones we use at school online at www.speedskin.com, but an easier (and probably free) way to cover that keyboard is to use a pair of men’s boxer shorts. Slip the keyboard in the boxers like the keyboard is wearing them. Put the rear end side over the keyboard and then have your child slide his/her hands up the legs and onto the keys. Your child’s hands will be on the keyboard and move freely without looking at the keys and without the covering mechanism sliding out of place.

Covering the keyboard is ESSENTIAL to keyboarding knowledge. If students are constantly looking down at their hands they can’t be looking at the text they are typing. They will lose their place if transcribing handwritten text and will much more likely not use the proper fingers if they learn by looking at the keys. Keyboarding for Kids teaches the letters at a slow pace, adding one or two keys at a time after the homerow. Your child will easily learn the letters by touch if they NEVER have the opportunity to practice without a cover.

General Studies – Ilena Marron

Language Arts

Students have been immersing themselves in reading. They have been thinking about themselves as readers and about their reading life. They are determining what works for them and what goals students will be setting for themselves as readers. Students have been reading books of their choice at school and should be reading at least 20 minutes at home. Students should also be writing in their Reading Log every night. Students will be writing an essay about their reading lives as a culminating activity.

We started out with a reading aloud of Stone Fox, and we are now reading There’s a Boy in the Girl’s Bathroom as our read aloud. I will be modeling reading strategies such as envisioning, predicting, and questioning during our read aloud.

Students will begin reading historical fiction in their literature groups. Students will apply the lessons from our read aloud to their own reading and discussions.

We will also continue to build our vocabulary through our weekly vocabulary work. I have given students an assessment of the 25 most used words in the English language. Students will be studying the words they did not know, and making sure they are spelling them correctly in their daily writing.

Math

We just finished our first unit in math, which focused on geometry. The students learned:

• How to name and draw many geometric figures (ray, line, line segment, parallelogram, rhombus, trapezoid, and more!)
• How to use a compass to construct circles and other shapes
• How to identify polygons
• A review of basic addition/subtraction facts

Starting with Unit Two we are mixing the students in flexible groups. Some are remaining with me, while some will work with Patti Baskin or Rebecca Steinberg for math. Students will not necessarily remain in the same group all year, as we will re-evaluate students’ needs often. Our next unit is Using Numbers and Organizing Data. We will be making graphs, learning some basic statistical terms, and reviewing the algorithms for multi-digit addition and subtraction problems. Please refer to the Parent Letter for each unit for more information about math concepts.

Spelling/Word Study

For spelling, we are using a program called Words Their Way. The philosophy is for students to learn the patterns and rules of spelling, rather than just memorizing words. We have assessed all the students to determine what spelling patterns they currently know. Students are split into groups depending on what spelling patterns they are studying. Each student will be receiving a list and homework that focuses on the skills he or she needs to practice. On Fridays, students will meet with one teacher (not necessarily their homeroom teacher), who will introduce the week’s pattern. Students will bring home a list of words and a homework assignment. Part of the week’s assignment will be to cut the word list apart and practice sorting the words into categories. Sorting words is an important strategy students will use to practice their words and should be done every night. Written homework may be written or typed, and it is due on Thursdays or Fridays, depending on the group. For groups with weekly tests, the tests will be on Fridays.

Science with Mrs. Steinberg

In science, we are studying the earth. We really enjoyed our fossil-hunting trip to Lilydale Park last week! Thank you to all the volunteers for chaperoning. We are now using a FOSS science kit called Earth Materials, in which students do experiments and learn to observe, categorize, and test minerals for different properties. They will also be learning about the layers of the earth and how the earth has changed over time, as well as about earthquakes and volcanoes. As part of our unit, students will also learn the names and locations of Earth’s continents and oceans.

Writing Workshop with Ms. Marron

Students are immersed in Personal Narrative writing. I have learned so much about moments in your child’s life through their writing. Students have now picked their “seed story” that they are going to grow into a published piece.

Students will be learning to:

• Create interesting leads
• Show their feels, thoughts, and actions
• Write from inside a memory
• Develop the heart of the story through revision
• Use an editing checklist
• Take a piece through the writing process

Students will then move on to working on another Personal Narrative about a “Turning Point” moment using many of the skills they have learned and adding new ones, including;

• Generating entries by thinking about first and last times they did something or saw someone
• Thinking of a time when they learned something about themselves or someone else

We will be celebrating the student’s writing through a publication celebration.

Geography with Mrs. Baskin

In our enhanced and expanded geography curriculum, we started the year with an in depth study of Minnesota, followed with the five regions of the country. The teaching model was changed to use essential questions as the focus to impart information to your students. The new format has successfully developed an exciting new program.

For our first unit, Minnesota, we are studying climate, including precipitation, temperature, and natural disasters. We then look at top industries, natural resources, Native American influences and history, to prepare the class to answer the following essential questions.

• What attracted people to Minnesota, and from where did they come?
• What was the interaction with the Native Americans?
• What natural resources were available to the immigrants and how did they use them?
• How does the climate affect our quality of life?
• What were the early industries and why did they develop in Minnesota?
• What individuals were instrumental in the development of the state?

Next up: The Midwest Region

Hebrew – Nathelie Benjamin

It has been delightful to see everyone back! It was also great to see so many parents at back to school night, and to have the opportunity to give you a small taste of what goes on in our class.

The class has been busy learning

• the months of the year and the holidays in each month
• the words end and beginning
• clothing words
• weather words
• Hebrew date vocabulary

The students are learning about all the preparations needed for particular holidays. Everything from:

• What foods are prepared and why?
• What appropriate clothing is worn and why?
• What do we do or not do on a particular holiday and why?
• What are the customs of the particular holiday and why?

Believe it or not, this is all done in Hebrew!

Immediately after the holidays, we will start our new workbook, Behatzlaha, or Good Luck. This book emphasizes modern spoken Hebrew.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to teach your children. I am looking forward to a positive new experience this year. I want to emphasize the importance of homework. Please always feel comfortable contacting me with any questions or concerns you may have. Wishing you a healthy and happy New Year!!

Nathelie Benjamin

Hebrew – Sara Bernstein

Shalom! It’s been a great start to our school year! We have been reviewing and rejuvenating our Hebrew! We have new books, new games, and new ways to explore our monthly Core Value. I’m thrilled to see how much Hebrew your children remember!

Focus for Our Year: Writing and Parts of Speech (aka: Grammar)

We are using the book, Shalom Ivrit, which combines stories and activities designed to increase understanding. With stronger vocabulary comes more ways to write creatively. We will begin our studies of how to use verbs. We will practice by writing creatively for various projects.

Students will learn how to use the Hebrew-English dictionary and will practice to become more efficient at doing so. This is a skill that will continue to be developed throughout the year.

Upcoming Units: Short Story using Basic Verbs in three patterns, continued reading development, Dictionary Detective, another Core Value and more Holiday exploration.

Hebrew – Michelle Etzion

Dear Fourth Grade Parents,

Most of the month will be spent learning about Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot and Simhat Torah. During this month . . .

• New vocabulary words will be introduced
• Students are engaged in reading books relating to the holidays
• Class conversations are in Hebrew
• Written assignments will be completed

With each holiday the students are asked, “How do we prepare for the holiday of ……?” The students are then required to learn how to explain all the preparations needed for this particular holiday, including . . .

• What foods are prepared
• What appropriate clothing is worn
• What we do or do not do on a particular holiday
• Customs of the particular holiday

Believe it or not, this is all done in Hebrew!

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to teach your children. I look forward to a positive experience this year. I would like to emphasize the importance of homework. Please always feel comfortable contacting me with any questions or concerns you may have. Wishing you a healthy and happy New Year!!

Judaic Studies – Rabbi Danny Ettedgui, Hamorah Esther, and Mr. Zadaka

During the upcoming month students will continue to work on our theme of improving relationships over time. Having already covered the stories of Ya’akov and Esav (Jacob and Esau) in their formative years, the students will study in detail the scene of Ya’akov (acting on his mother Rivkah’s instructions) stealing his father’s blessing from Esav. Students will then study the reunion and decide how much the relationship has improved. We will expand on this theme to have the students explore this idea in their own lives.

Our next unit will cover some of the business relationships in the Torah. When Ya’akov flees to his Uncle Lavan’s some business relationships are created:

• Ya’akov meets the shepherds of Haran and asks if they are completing a full day’s work.
• Ya’akov agrees to work for Lavan in order to marry Rahel.
• Ya’akov and Lavan agree to share the proceeds when Ya’akov has completed the service for his wives.

Both the positive and negative stories create a business ethic between employers and employees. Our students will explore these cases and some current ones, like the current situation in the NBA, to understand the modern application of principles from the Torah.

Each of our first two units also has a grammar component. The students are focusing on the idea of shorashim (roots) and learning basic root patterns. Hebrew roots can be found in verbs, nouns, and adjectives.

G’mar Hatimah Tovah (May you be sealed for a good New Year).

Art – Vic Thor

Welcome parents! – Here’s what we’ve been doing and what’s ahead in Grade 4 Art.

• Sketchbooks: Students have completed their first two assignments – designing their sketchbook cover and drawing a fairy. Parents, please read and sign the ‘parent letter’ attached to the inside of your child’s sketchbook cover.
• Contour shoe drawing: Students tackled a 7th grade art exercise by creating a contour line drawing of their shoe.
• Art Questions of the week: Make a list of geometric shapes, then list animals or parts of animals that are roughly those shapes. Draw yourself as a fanciful creature. Can something ugly also be beautiful? Students begin each class with an art question that introduces the lesson/project we will be working on in class.
• ‘Donald in Mathemagicland’ video – Students watched a video that examines how we encounter math in many ways; even in art!Here is a link to info about the video: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_in_Mathmagic_Land8

• Monsters! Students created a rough draft of a scary monster and will be working on a large-scale, multi-media drawing.

Students were given handouts with the following interactive web sites to explore:

Gargoyles by Walter S. Arnold: http://www.stonecarver.com/gargoyle.html

From Australia – Bunyips: http://www.nla.gov.au/exhibitions/bunyips/flash-site/index-flash.html

Clay monsters

Shanah Tovah! Ms. Thor

Physical Education

Greetings Fourth Grade Parents,

It’s great to be back in school from the summer working with your child in the HMJDS Physical Education program. Mr. Jacobson and Mr. Lundquist are busy putting your student through the rigors of Physical Fitness testing and are looking forward to sharing the results with you during Fall Conferences. I must admit that my favorite part of working as a physical educator at the Day School is comparing these fall test results with the spring test results, so we can gauge how well they benefit physically from our program. I am very proud of the high percentage of students who improve their level of personal fitness during the course of the school year.

Fall Fitness Testing

Our fitness tests assess your child’s physical performance in four areas:

• Endurance – Half Mile Run
• Hamstring Flexibility – Sit & Reach Box
• Core Strength – Sit-ups completed in one minute
• Agility (which is the ability to change direction quickly) – Shuttle Run

We will be awarding certificates in the spring to students whose performance results meet the Presidential Physical Fitness or the National Standards.

What’s Next?

When Fitness testing is completed we will be starting a Football skills unit where the students will be participating in a

punt, pass and kick competition. There will be a boys division and a girls division. Awards will be given to the top three boys and girls.

The Library Page for Fourth Grade – Librarian Cathi Oskow

Fourth grade students make flexible use of the library:Teachers schedule time for their classes to come in at least once a month for Media Center instruction and book checkout as needed to complement their curriculum.

Students conduct research from both print and electronic resources.

The librarian is in the library in the middle of every school day, including over lunches and recesses, available for:

• Book checkout
• Study halls
• Book groups

On Tuesday afternoons, the librarian works straight through until after school. Tuesday is the day students and parents can stop by the library at the end of school.

Fourth graders are becoming more confident readers. The library stocks many interesting fiction books. Encourage your students to ask for a pass to come check out books when I am in the library. A rainy day is a good time to check out books during recess!

They also do research projects in their general studies classes, and I help them with materials. For their Native American project later in the year, most students should be able to start with at least one resource from our library.

Book returns:

Please help your students remember that library books are due back two weeks after checkout, even though they do not have a regular every-other-week library class this year.

• A book return depository is located right outside the library door.
• If needed, students can hold onto a book until they are finished with a report, and turn it in right after—or books can be renewed for another two weeks.

Music – David Shaw

This year we are studying a continuing radio dramatization that will help us perform music that integrates history, geography, and language arts. Students are listening to The Quest, which is portrayed in the style of a radio serial. In the story the students hear how radio shows used to be dramatized, including sound effects. In the upcoming weeks the adventures of Jason and Boliver will continue as we learn the songs that accompany each chapter.

These students will also have a unit that includes songs that were popular on the radio over a sixty year period of time. Our musical journey will eventually take us from the 1920s to 1984. In the weeks to come we will learn songs in chronological order so the students will gain an appreciation of how musical styles have changed in the United States over the decades. After “Ain’t We Got Fun?” we will learn “Boogie, Woogie, Bugle Boy” by the Andrew Sisters. When we enter the 1950s we will study “Hound Dog” which was made popular by Elvis Presley and then zoom into 1964 with the Beatles hit “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.”

Featured Concepts and Understandings in Music Class Lessons:

• Integrate music with social studies and language arts; read dialogue and text; make connections to musical expressive elements.
• Understand relationships between music and the other arts, as well as disciplines outside the arts.
• Identify characteristics and style elements of songs from the 1920s, 40s, 50s, 60s.
• Identify performers of popular music.

Technology – Juli Olson

Soaring Ahead – Fourth Graders Become Pilots!

Exciting news for fourth grade students! This year we are launching an exciting program called live@edu. This program will afford our students the opportunity to work at home and at school on the same documents using the internet to store the work. Students will have access to Microsoft tools online as well as inter-school email through which they will be able to communicate with ONLY other people on our HMJDS network.

As our pilot group, fourth graders will be helping us work out the kinks before we roll this out to the entire upper school. If your child has questions, please ask him or her to talk to Mrs. Marron or Mrs. Olson, for further instruction. Chances are if your child has the question, so may others. It also may be that your child has found an issue that we will need to work out, so please encourage your child to bring issues to our attention.

Fourth graders also continue to develop keyboarding skills. Please make sure to work on the one hour of active keyboarding homework each month and keep the paper that was sent home at back to school night nearby to access if there are problems.

Please remember to set up your home computer to open the HMJDS portaportal on the internet. Go to www.portaportal.com and enter the Guest Name: hmjds. Our school Portaportal has grade level appropriate, teacher approved, and recommended safe websites for your child to work on and explore.