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
Monday, August 29, 2016
Q1 Week 4
"Joy does not simply happen to us. We have to choose joy, and keep choosing it every day." -Henri J.M. Nouwen
Dear Parents,
Four weeks into the year and your scholars are already demonstrating excellence in their behavior that I would expect from the third quarter. We have been very impressed by the wonder they bring to our classrooms and by how they choose to pursue learning and virtue every day.
One concern we have though is homework completion. Many scholars are missing one or more homework assignment. This is due in part to some students forgetting to put their name on their work, but also to many not turning work in. Because of this there are many students whose grades are in deficient levels right now. If you receive a deficiency notice, make sure your scholar turns in their homework for the rest of the quarter and that should bring their grade up significantly.
This Week
History: This week your students will be learning about the Middle Ages and the amazing innovations produced by people who faced the struggles of living in the post-Roman Empire. They will also be learning about the role played by the Catholic and Orthodox Christian churches in the Middle Ages and how those institutions deeply shaped culture.
Writing: We will be starting to learn how to read, understand, and summarize passages in school this week. This is a crucial skill that will be key to their success on AZ Merit and the rest of their academic career. We will be spending a lot of time on summary, so feel free to ask any questions you have to help or let me know if your scholar is struggling with the skill.
Literature: This week we will seminar on Prince Caspian! The questions they will be discussing as a group (with minimal teacher help) are "What is the most important characteristic to have to be a good king?" and "What role does belief play in the actions of the characters in the book?"
Spalding: We should be getting into the rhythm of Spalding soon. We have been reviewing cursive and making sure all the students can write proficiently and legibly. Starting next week between 20 and 30 spelling words should be coming home as homework on Mondays and Wednesdays. Make sure students are getting those done and preparing for their spelling tests every Friday.
The year and all of its stresses keeps coming, but the prize at the end of the journey is worth all the challenges we face. Lets follow the example of your students and keep choosing to be joyful every day.
Best,
Mr. Ohbayashi
4th Grade History/ELA Lead Teacher
Dear Parents,
Four weeks into the year and your scholars are already demonstrating excellence in their behavior that I would expect from the third quarter. We have been very impressed by the wonder they bring to our classrooms and by how they choose to pursue learning and virtue every day.
One concern we have though is homework completion. Many scholars are missing one or more homework assignment. This is due in part to some students forgetting to put their name on their work, but also to many not turning work in. Because of this there are many students whose grades are in deficient levels right now. If you receive a deficiency notice, make sure your scholar turns in their homework for the rest of the quarter and that should bring their grade up significantly.
This Week
History: This week your students will be learning about the Middle Ages and the amazing innovations produced by people who faced the struggles of living in the post-Roman Empire. They will also be learning about the role played by the Catholic and Orthodox Christian churches in the Middle Ages and how those institutions deeply shaped culture.
Writing: We will be starting to learn how to read, understand, and summarize passages in school this week. This is a crucial skill that will be key to their success on AZ Merit and the rest of their academic career. We will be spending a lot of time on summary, so feel free to ask any questions you have to help or let me know if your scholar is struggling with the skill.
Literature: This week we will seminar on Prince Caspian! The questions they will be discussing as a group (with minimal teacher help) are "What is the most important characteristic to have to be a good king?" and "What role does belief play in the actions of the characters in the book?"
Spalding: We should be getting into the rhythm of Spalding soon. We have been reviewing cursive and making sure all the students can write proficiently and legibly. Starting next week between 20 and 30 spelling words should be coming home as homework on Mondays and Wednesdays. Make sure students are getting those done and preparing for their spelling tests every Friday.
The year and all of its stresses keeps coming, but the prize at the end of the journey is worth all the challenges we face. Lets follow the example of your students and keep choosing to be joyful every day.
Best,
Mr. Ohbayashi
4th Grade History/ELA Lead Teacher
Monday, August 22, 2016
Q1 Week 3
Dear Parents,
"Since it is so likely that children will meet cruel enemies, let them at least have heard of brave knights and heroic courage." -C.S. Lewis.
A new week begins, with new challenges and new adventures. We are beginning to fall into our routines now, and as the freshness of the year wears off we are likely to see slips and mistakes on everyone's part. If you see one or two infractions coming home, that is okay. Everyone is getting comfortable in fourth grade, and everyone makes mistakes.
As we push forward let us always keep our minds on our mission, to help these students become excellent human beings. They are very likely to face many enemies and difficulties as they grow up and take leadership of the world, we must at least prepare them to face them with heroic courage.
This Week
History: We will be learning about the fall of Rome this week. The students will learn about the instability and chaos left in Rome's wake and how the people of that time adapted and built the beginnings of the kingdoms and nations that would form into the modern world. There will be a quiz on Friday.
Writing/Spalding: We are going to really focus on handwriting this week. By the end we will have gone through cursive and manuscript letter formation and should all be writing proficiently. The best way to help your student improve their handwriting is by checking their homework (or anything they write) and insisting on their best work. It might be painful to rewrite a sentence, but the benefit of what it teaches them will save them a lot of time in the future. There will be a handwriting quiz on Thursday.
Reading: We will continue with Prince Caspian. This week Caspian and the Pevensie's situation will become even more dire and they will encounter some truly cruel enemies. If you read with your students (a great idea!) then talk to them about the courage that was required by the children to face such terrible enemies. Such courage is worth emulating.
Thank you for your continued support! Please feel free to email me with any questions or concerns.
Best,
Mr. Ohbayashi
4th Grade History/ELA Lead Teacher
"Since it is so likely that children will meet cruel enemies, let them at least have heard of brave knights and heroic courage." -C.S. Lewis.
A new week begins, with new challenges and new adventures. We are beginning to fall into our routines now, and as the freshness of the year wears off we are likely to see slips and mistakes on everyone's part. If you see one or two infractions coming home, that is okay. Everyone is getting comfortable in fourth grade, and everyone makes mistakes.
As we push forward let us always keep our minds on our mission, to help these students become excellent human beings. They are very likely to face many enemies and difficulties as they grow up and take leadership of the world, we must at least prepare them to face them with heroic courage.
This Week
History: We will be learning about the fall of Rome this week. The students will learn about the instability and chaos left in Rome's wake and how the people of that time adapted and built the beginnings of the kingdoms and nations that would form into the modern world. There will be a quiz on Friday.
Writing/Spalding: We are going to really focus on handwriting this week. By the end we will have gone through cursive and manuscript letter formation and should all be writing proficiently. The best way to help your student improve their handwriting is by checking their homework (or anything they write) and insisting on their best work. It might be painful to rewrite a sentence, but the benefit of what it teaches them will save them a lot of time in the future. There will be a handwriting quiz on Thursday.
Reading: We will continue with Prince Caspian. This week Caspian and the Pevensie's situation will become even more dire and they will encounter some truly cruel enemies. If you read with your students (a great idea!) then talk to them about the courage that was required by the children to face such terrible enemies. Such courage is worth emulating.
Thank you for your continued support! Please feel free to email me with any questions or concerns.
Best,
Mr. Ohbayashi
4th Grade History/ELA Lead Teacher
Sunday, August 14, 2016
Q1 Week 2
"No one in the world can change Truth. What we can do and should do is to seek truth and to serve it when we have found it." -St. Maximillian Kolbe
Dear Parents,
The first week of school is past, and here we are. There are still procedures to master, but your students have been incredibly impressive these first four days. As we begin to fall into the routines of schoolwork, here are some things to keep in mind:
1) Infractions and Virtue Codes
This year we will be using an infraction and code system to track and communicate behavior. An infraction is given to a student when they are not following our expectations for the class.
An infraction is a gentle reminder for them to recognize that they are not meeting expectations so they have a chance to adjust their own behavior. The infraction will be put into their agenda and needs to be signed by you before the next day.
We are all human and make mistakes, and it is likely that each of your students will receive at least a few infractions this year. I strongly advise these infractions should not be treated as major offenses at home.
A single infraction can be an opportunity to have a discussion about the expectation and how your student can follow it in the future, but typically won't require any further consequence.
2) Friday Folders
Every Friday a manila folder will come home with your student with their graded work. This should be the work they did that week up to Thursday, plus Thursday and Friday's work from the week before.
Make sure you are asking for your students Friday folder, as sometimes they forget to show it to their parents. The folder should be returned the following Monday.
3) Names on homework.
Make sure to remind your students to put their names on their homework! We already have 3 assignments that will not get credit because they had no names. We will not hunt down the owners of assignments that do not have names on them, so it is important that students learn this basic skill quickly.
In class this week:
History: We will finish learning how to use latitude and longitude to find coordinates on a map and go on a world tour from London to Mecca to Beijing, some of thee major cities we will study this year. There will be a quiz on Thursday assessing their ability to locate specific coordinate points on a map and their general understanding of the layout of a basic map.
Reading: We will continue to read Prince Caspian. A great strategy for approaching focus questions is to have your scholar read the questions before doing the reading and talk to you or someone else about what kind of answer they will be looking for. Then they can read and find answers as they go. This saves time and keeps them from having to search through the text after they have already read it.
Spalding: We will be re-learning correct Spalding manuscript and cursive this week. Handwriting will be a grade this year, so continue to encourage your student to do their best. Sometimes having them rewrite assignments that are very messy can be frustrating, but it will benefit them greatly.
Writing/Grammar: We will be learning about common and proper nouns this week, as well as pronouns. Their noun notes will go into their blue Writing/Grammar notebook. There will be a quiz on Friday assessing their understanding of the difference between common nouns, proper nouns, and pronouns.
Please feel free to email me if you have any questions or concerns.
Best,
Mr. Ohbayashi
4th Grade Lead Teacher
Dear Parents,
The first week of school is past, and here we are. There are still procedures to master, but your students have been incredibly impressive these first four days. As we begin to fall into the routines of schoolwork, here are some things to keep in mind:
1) Infractions and Virtue Codes
This year we will be using an infraction and code system to track and communicate behavior. An infraction is given to a student when they are not following our expectations for the class.
An infraction is a gentle reminder for them to recognize that they are not meeting expectations so they have a chance to adjust their own behavior. The infraction will be put into their agenda and needs to be signed by you before the next day.
We are all human and make mistakes, and it is likely that each of your students will receive at least a few infractions this year. I strongly advise these infractions should not be treated as major offenses at home.
A single infraction can be an opportunity to have a discussion about the expectation and how your student can follow it in the future, but typically won't require any further consequence.
2) Friday Folders
Every Friday a manila folder will come home with your student with their graded work. This should be the work they did that week up to Thursday, plus Thursday and Friday's work from the week before.
Make sure you are asking for your students Friday folder, as sometimes they forget to show it to their parents. The folder should be returned the following Monday.
3) Names on homework.
Make sure to remind your students to put their names on their homework! We already have 3 assignments that will not get credit because they had no names. We will not hunt down the owners of assignments that do not have names on them, so it is important that students learn this basic skill quickly.
In class this week:
History: We will finish learning how to use latitude and longitude to find coordinates on a map and go on a world tour from London to Mecca to Beijing, some of thee major cities we will study this year. There will be a quiz on Thursday assessing their ability to locate specific coordinate points on a map and their general understanding of the layout of a basic map.
Reading: We will continue to read Prince Caspian. A great strategy for approaching focus questions is to have your scholar read the questions before doing the reading and talk to you or someone else about what kind of answer they will be looking for. Then they can read and find answers as they go. This saves time and keeps them from having to search through the text after they have already read it.
Spalding: We will be re-learning correct Spalding manuscript and cursive this week. Handwriting will be a grade this year, so continue to encourage your student to do their best. Sometimes having them rewrite assignments that are very messy can be frustrating, but it will benefit them greatly.
Writing/Grammar: We will be learning about common and proper nouns this week, as well as pronouns. Their noun notes will go into their blue Writing/Grammar notebook. There will be a quiz on Friday assessing their understanding of the difference between common nouns, proper nouns, and pronouns.
Please feel free to email me if you have any questions or concerns.
Best,
Mr. Ohbayashi
4th Grade Lead Teacher
Monday, August 8, 2016
Q1 Week 1
Dear Parents,
Welcome again to the 4th grade. It is my hope that we can work together this year to continue to help your students down the path toward success and virtue.
The purpose of this blog will be to create a reliable stream of communication from myself to parents. I will update the blog every Monday with an outline of the content we will be covering that week, test dates, and other important announcements.
I plan on creating an automatic notification for all 4th grade parents every time my blog is updated. Please email me at bohbayashi@archwaytriviumeast.org if you would prefer not to receive this update.
This Week
So much of this week will be dedicated to getting the students back into school mode. We will be practicing procedures a lot, but also introducing the main themes and ideas that are going to define our learning this year.
Writing/Grammar: Why do we write? What is the purpose of communicating through written word and what skills are fundamental to excelling at it? We will be discussing these questions and setting up our Writing and Grammar notebooks. We will also be reviewing the Spalding phonograms. Make sure your students are brushing up on them!
History: Why do we study history? In class we will be exploring the purpose of learning about the history humanity. What can we learn from it practically, and are there reasons that go beyond what is practical to learn about history?
Literature: This week we will be jumping right into Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis. We will be reading together in class and reading at home, so make sure to purchase a copy of the book for your student if you haven't already!
If you want to know what homework is being assigned to your students, check their agenda! They should be recording all homework in their agendas and putting any worksheets they need to complete in their red homework folders.
This week is going to be a lot of work for your students! Make sure to congratulate them Friday for getting through it!
Best,
Mr. Ohbayashi
Welcome again to the 4th grade. It is my hope that we can work together this year to continue to help your students down the path toward success and virtue.
The purpose of this blog will be to create a reliable stream of communication from myself to parents. I will update the blog every Monday with an outline of the content we will be covering that week, test dates, and other important announcements.
I plan on creating an automatic notification for all 4th grade parents every time my blog is updated. Please email me at bohbayashi@archwaytriviumeast.org if you would prefer not to receive this update.
This Week
So much of this week will be dedicated to getting the students back into school mode. We will be practicing procedures a lot, but also introducing the main themes and ideas that are going to define our learning this year.
Writing/Grammar: Why do we write? What is the purpose of communicating through written word and what skills are fundamental to excelling at it? We will be discussing these questions and setting up our Writing and Grammar notebooks. We will also be reviewing the Spalding phonograms. Make sure your students are brushing up on them!
History: Why do we study history? In class we will be exploring the purpose of learning about the history humanity. What can we learn from it practically, and are there reasons that go beyond what is practical to learn about history?
Literature: This week we will be jumping right into Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis. We will be reading together in class and reading at home, so make sure to purchase a copy of the book for your student if you haven't already!
If you want to know what homework is being assigned to your students, check their agenda! They should be recording all homework in their agendas and putting any worksheets they need to complete in their red homework folders.
This week is going to be a lot of work for your students! Make sure to congratulate them Friday for getting through it!
Best,
Mr. Ohbayashi
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