St. Christopher School

It is so hard to believe that we have less than fifty days left in the school year.  We have been spared harsh weather and have enjoyed some beautiful days.  However, we still have a lot to cover in all our classes, so we can't get too day-dreamy.  We do have some fun activities coming up to break the tedium.  We have the Mad Scientist coming; we have been learning fantastic things about our bodies with Fit Kids NH;  we can enjoy the play "Cinderella Kids" later this month. 

Now that we have talked about Lent and Easter, our focus in religion for the rest of this month will be on the last two commandments and how they apply to fourth graders.  Feelings are important, but we need to deal with them in appropriate ways.  A main theme running through our curriculum is respect for ourselves and others.  We need a "poor in spirit" attitude where we trust in God.  We need to think of our individual God-given talents and not be jealous of others.  Sister Elizabeth, our adopted religious, enforces these things when she visits us.

We are moving on to the study of geometry in math.  We are introduced to many concepts dealing with angles, lines, polygons, and formulas for perimeter, area, and volume. We'll coordinate some math with patterns of translations, reflections, and rotations.  We may even have some fun with tessellations.  Are you curious as to what I am talking about?

Our study of adverbs is going very well.  The incorporation of all parts of speech in our writing is encouraged so that we write clear, interesting paragraphs.  We will be aware of order in our writing so that ideas are related in sequential ways.  Key words, like first, next, then, and finally help with the process.  Because we are working with prefixes and suffixes in phonics, our vocabulary base is increased and enriched.

Finally, our book report this month will be on a free-choice selection.  The requirements for assessment will be sent home with each student, but plan on a summary, discussion of the main character's traits, and disclosure of the theme.  It will be due after April vacation.  Happy reading!   

Hopefully, all fourth graders had a restful and fun February vacation.  We should be ready to get back to the daily grind of studying new topics.  We are heading toward the end of our fourth grade journey, and we still have a lot to cover. 

The first week back, we are having a St. Patrick's Day Mass and Stations of the Cross on Friday.  We are privileged to pray the Stations on March 16 and invite you to join us.  Remember to give up a little something or do some good deeds during our Lenten season.  My request would be to say special prayers for the tornado victims in the Midwest.

We are still working on all phases of fractions in Math.  English has focused on punctuation and capitals, and soon we will tackle adverbs. It was also fun to write limericks for our March bulletin board in the hall.  (If it is convenient, stop by to read our humorous creations).  Next,  our trip through the Southwest States  in Social Studies will be coming up the week of March 12.  Finally, Mrs. Ternan will be doing some fantastic things in Science.

We will continue to have fun in Music, with Art, and with our little buddies in Mrs. Brown's classroom.  A special treat is to watch and read the great stories on Tumblebooks with them. 

Our Terra Nova testing is taking place at the end of March.  We encourage children to get some good nights' sleep, eat nourishing breakfasts, and apply skills learned in our daily lessons. With a positive attitude and careful reading, we should do well.