Grayson View is the area business that has adopted our classroom this year.  Amber Keister will be visiting us throughout the year. She will be discussing her business and making connections between the skills students are learning this year and the skills needed to be successful adults.

Writing and Language Arts

Writing Skills and Activities. We will be writing extensively this year. Our first writing project is a Book Chat. Students will write a book recommendation based on their favorite book. Included in this published piece will be a scan of the book's front cover. These will be on display in our school's library. The next writing project is entitled, "Life and Times." This is an autobiographical writing piece. Students write four articles about themselves, import personal pictures to accompany their articles, and viola! The end result resembles a newspaper's front page. Each year these pieces are spectacular! Some additional writing projects include poetry, journal writing, book projects, friendly letters, business letters, comparison/contrast paragraphs, how to paragraphs, personal narratives, persuasive paragraphs, and biographies. Please look to my newsletter for current writing activities.

Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics. The skills that will be reviewed and/or taught will focus on: Sentences, Capitalization and Punctuation, Nouns, Adjectives, Verbs, Punctuating Dialogue, Adverbs, and Pronouns to name a few. Please look to my newsletter for specific skills being discussed.

Spelling this year will include words exclusively from our Harcourt text. By learning to spell these words, your child will be learning spelling rules, patterns, letter sounds for spelling, prefixes and suffixes, and many other related language arts skills. Please look to my newsletters for current spelling words.

These spelling words will be tested on a regular basis using traditional tests. Several writing samples will be used each marking period to check retention of spelling words.

In Reading, we'll be exploring six themes in our Harcourt Reading Series, as well as reading various chapter books (Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, Stone Fox, Because of Winn-Dixie, Sarah, Plain and Tall, Harriet Tubman, The Family Under the Bridge, and Love That Dog to name a few). Please look to my biweekly newsletters for extension activities, book recommendations, and family activities.

Harcourt's Theme I is entitled You Can Do It! In this theme students will discover the benefits of embracing their unique ideas, interests, and abilities. They will read about characters who learn more about themselves and others by tackling challenges creatively.

Theme II, Side by Side, explores situations that highlight the benefits of teamwork. Students learn that cooperation strengthens relationships, and they are encouraged to apply this concept to their own lives.

Make Yourself at Home is Theme III. In this theme, students read about characters who grow and change along with their environment. In recognizing that change is a part of nature, students will come to appreciate their own tremendous potential for inner growth.

Theme IV, Creative Minds, students meet characters who overcome obstacles by thinking creatively. Using their own problem-solving abilities and creative imagination, students discover the characters' ability to enhance their environment for the better.

Community Ties is Theme V. In this theme, students discover both the joys and the responsibilities of belonging to a community. They gain a better understanding of the interactions that bind and strengthen a healthy society.

Theme VI, New Lands, students read about characters who travel to new lands. The characters come to view exploration and discovery as a lifelong processes, always beginning with an open mind and a courageous heart.

PA History  Students will learn about the government, geography, and history of our state. Learning all about Pennsylvania will be fun! Please look to my newsletter for specific topics being discussed, as well as upcoming  projects.

For information regarding Science and Math please check out Mr. Sees's web page!

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