Monday, September 19, 2016
Q1 Week 7
"Glory follows virtue as if it were its shadow." -Marcus Tullius Cicero
Going into our 7th week we are facing new challenges. Our commitment to virtue and excellence in behavior is being tested, but we are all working to persevere through trial to emerge to the great glory of the learning on the other side. Keep encouraging your students to come to school ready to give their all to the pursuit of truth and knowledge. Learning starts with listening and following instructions, which can be hard, but it ends in mystery, adventure, and wonder.
This Week
1. In History we will be exploring the life and relationships of the people of the Middle Ages. How did the average person live in the 1100s? What were the expectations of peasants, knights, lords, and kings? How would one effectively besiege a castle?! Feel free to ask all these questions and more so you can join into the fun of learning about such a fantastic period.
We will also have a history test on Friday. There will be a study guide sent home that will be based on their review and their notes. Make sure you remind your scholar to bring their notes home on Wednesday and Thursday!
2. In Writing we will be learning about the dynamic verb. Verbs are what make a sentence interesting! They tell us whatever it is that there is to say about our subject, and they can be used in so many different ways. This week we will focus on the Action Verb and will be introducing diagramming to the students. Look out for some simple diagramming homework to come home later in the week.
3. In Literature we will continue to read King Arthur and meet more of his mightiest knights. The diction and vocabulary in this book are more difficult (as you have noticed) so it would be super helpful to read with your scholar if you have time. If not, encourage them to write down words they don't know and ask you about them when you are free. Reading with your scholar is the number one best way to help them improve their reading level, so make it a priority if at all possible.
4. In Poetry we will be finishing memorizing Shel Silversteins "Clarence" this week. Have your student perform it for you! Don't worry, we made sure to explain to them that they cannot actually sell you and get new parents. The whole poem should be memorized by Monday (Sept 26th)
Best,
Mr. Ohbayashi
Tuesday, September 13, 2016
Q1 Week 6
"Well begun is half done." -Mary Poppins (But really Aristotle).
Dear Parents,
We are half way done with out first semester of 4th grade at Archway Trivium East. Let's all take a moment to wonder at what our students have accomplished even in this short time. They have read an entire book and had a seminar discussion on kingship. They have discussed the fall of Rome and what causes were most significant in its destruction. They have begun to learn the process of writing a clean and beautiful sentence. In these few weeks they have learned a lot, and impressed us even more. Find the time this week to congratulate them on a year well begun.
In Class
1) History: In history we will be learning about the rise of Charlemagne and the Holy Roman Empire. We will also learn about the institution of a feudal society and the different roles played by peasants, knights, and royalty in such a society. There will be a quiz this Friday (9/16) and a test NEXT Friday (9/23).
2) Reading: We are starting King Arthur! This will match up well with out study of Feudal Society and knighthood. Be sure to ask your students about the story if you are not already reading with them.
3) Writing: This week we will be reading the story "the leap frog" and learning to identify the main narrative thread of the story and then summarize it in an original sentence. The key process is for the students to 1) Think what they want to write, 2) Say what they want to write, and finally 3) Write what they want to write. Following these steps will help train your students to become organized writers.
Keep up all the good work you are doing at home, and thanks so much for all the support you give us here.
Best,
Mr. Ohbayashi
4th Grade ELA/History Lead
Dear Parents,
We are half way done with out first semester of 4th grade at Archway Trivium East. Let's all take a moment to wonder at what our students have accomplished even in this short time. They have read an entire book and had a seminar discussion on kingship. They have discussed the fall of Rome and what causes were most significant in its destruction. They have begun to learn the process of writing a clean and beautiful sentence. In these few weeks they have learned a lot, and impressed us even more. Find the time this week to congratulate them on a year well begun.
In Class
1) History: In history we will be learning about the rise of Charlemagne and the Holy Roman Empire. We will also learn about the institution of a feudal society and the different roles played by peasants, knights, and royalty in such a society. There will be a quiz this Friday (9/16) and a test NEXT Friday (9/23).
2) Reading: We are starting King Arthur! This will match up well with out study of Feudal Society and knighthood. Be sure to ask your students about the story if you are not already reading with them.
3) Writing: This week we will be reading the story "the leap frog" and learning to identify the main narrative thread of the story and then summarize it in an original sentence. The key process is for the students to 1) Think what they want to write, 2) Say what they want to write, and finally 3) Write what they want to write. Following these steps will help train your students to become organized writers.
Keep up all the good work you are doing at home, and thanks so much for all the support you give us here.
Best,
Mr. Ohbayashi
4th Grade ELA/History Lead
Tuesday, September 6, 2016
Q1 Week 5
"Fire is the test of gold; adversity, of strong men." Martha Graham
Dear Parents,
Week five of our school year is upon us and with it deficiency notices. For those who are not aware, a deficiency notice is a communication to you that your student has a deficient grade in a one of the 4 subjects they are graded on in 4th grade. Our struggles with putting names on our homework have led to a few more deficiency notices than is normal, so there may be some surprising notices coming home.
This is a time that can be stressful for both you and your scholars, but I urge you and your students not become discouraged if you receive one. Deficient grades are easily solvable this early in the quarter. For most students it will be as simple a matter as making sure they have their name on all of their assignments.
The 4th grade is the best time for students to learn to struggle through adversity. A deficiency notice is often the lesson they need to get them to take are part of their education more seriously. I urge you to treat deficiency notices, and grades in general, as lessons to learn from rather than failures to be punished for.
This Week
History: We are moving into the Middle Ages proper this week and will be learning about the life of peasants after the fall of Rome. Students will learn the role prayer and work had in the lives of peasants and how the vulnerability of the average person in the chaos of the Medieval age lead to the rise of Feudalism. We will have a quiz on Friday on pgs. 10 and 11 of their history notebook which SHOULD come home with them Thursday night.
Writing: In writing we will be introducing the importance of a sentence and why they can be so difficult to write. We will learn what a sentence is and how to identify a well structured sentence vs. a poorly structured sentence. We will have a quiz on nouns and pronouns next Monday (9/12/2016)
Literature: This week we will ACTUALLY seminar on Prince Caspian! Last week the chaos of MAP testing delayed our seminar. We have decided that the only question that will be discussed is "What trait is most important to have to be a good king?" Ask the question to your students and see how they respond!
The next book we will be reading is King Arthur, which will be assigned from the class.
Spalding: We will begin adding pages to our Spalding book this week. Next week you should see Spalding spelling words coming home.
Best,
Mr. Ohbayashi
4th Grade History/ELA Lead Teacher
Dear Parents,
Week five of our school year is upon us and with it deficiency notices. For those who are not aware, a deficiency notice is a communication to you that your student has a deficient grade in a one of the 4 subjects they are graded on in 4th grade. Our struggles with putting names on our homework have led to a few more deficiency notices than is normal, so there may be some surprising notices coming home.
This is a time that can be stressful for both you and your scholars, but I urge you and your students not become discouraged if you receive one. Deficient grades are easily solvable this early in the quarter. For most students it will be as simple a matter as making sure they have their name on all of their assignments.
The 4th grade is the best time for students to learn to struggle through adversity. A deficiency notice is often the lesson they need to get them to take are part of their education more seriously. I urge you to treat deficiency notices, and grades in general, as lessons to learn from rather than failures to be punished for.
This Week
History: We are moving into the Middle Ages proper this week and will be learning about the life of peasants after the fall of Rome. Students will learn the role prayer and work had in the lives of peasants and how the vulnerability of the average person in the chaos of the Medieval age lead to the rise of Feudalism. We will have a quiz on Friday on pgs. 10 and 11 of their history notebook which SHOULD come home with them Thursday night.
Writing: In writing we will be introducing the importance of a sentence and why they can be so difficult to write. We will learn what a sentence is and how to identify a well structured sentence vs. a poorly structured sentence. We will have a quiz on nouns and pronouns next Monday (9/12/2016)
Literature: This week we will ACTUALLY seminar on Prince Caspian! Last week the chaos of MAP testing delayed our seminar. We have decided that the only question that will be discussed is "What trait is most important to have to be a good king?" Ask the question to your students and see how they respond!
The next book we will be reading is King Arthur, which will be assigned from the class.
Spalding: We will begin adding pages to our Spalding book this week. Next week you should see Spalding spelling words coming home.
Best,
Mr. Ohbayashi
4th Grade History/ELA Lead Teacher
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