Parents,             Here is a summary of the topics we will be covering this year in each subject area.  This is, of course, subject to change, and we may only cover some of the units that I have listed due to time constraints. Language Arts/Writing (Loyola Press—Voyages in English)             We will cover both grammar/mechanics units and creative writing units.  Grammar units will include sentences, nouns, action verbs, linking verbs, adjectives, pronouns, and adverbs.  Creative writing units will include personal narratives, letter writing, stories, descriptions, and persuasive paragraphs.  I will also include poetry writing/reading as a special unit.  During creative writing units we will have fun, interactive writing workshops where students will engage in brainstorming activities, peer conferences, small group conferences, and one-on-one conferences with me.  By the end of the year, we will have assembled a brief writing portfolio.  This will help students to review their writing and see the improvements they have made over the year.  As part of the language arts instruction, students will complete Daily Oral Language assignments at least three times a week.  These exercises will help them to improve their editing skills in areas such as grammar, usage, and punctuation.  To further improve writing skills, I plan to have the students communicate with another class through a pen pal project.  I have done this in the past, and the students get very excited about sending and receiving mail.  It gives them a practical application of their writing skills.   Reading  Macmillan/McGraw-Hill—Treasures—macmillanmh.com/reading/index.html             We will read from the basal reader and also from various novels.  We will read from various genres including folktales, nonfiction, fantasy, mystery, biography, fiction, and poetry.  I will use different types of reading instruction throughout the year to get students excited about reading.  These methods will include whole-group instruction, peer reading activities, read-alouds, silent/individual reading, and literature circles.  In these groups, students will self-select novels they wish to read and assemble into groups based on their choices.  The groups will be student-run and each student, regardless of reading ability, will have the chance to discuss his or her reading in a comfortable, open forum.  Math  McGraw-Hill—Everyday Math—www.everydaymathonline.com             This year, we will be using the Everyday Math series, which is a spiral approach to math instruction.  We will start by reviewing basic multiplication facts.  Students need to practice these facts at home and really commit them to memory before we can move on (as other areas of instruction will build upon knowledge of multiplication facts).  After that, we will move onto division facts, multiplication and division in more detail, measurement, geometry, fractions, and decimals (if time permits).  Religion  Benziger—Blest Are We—www.blestarewe.com             This year, we will focus on the Ten Commandments as well as the various stages of the liturgical year.  Students will learn how the Ten Commandments apply to their lives.  Students will also be expected to memorize basic Catholic prayers, including the Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed. Science  McGraw-Hill—Science—www.mhscience02.com             Students will begin by learning about life science.  We will also study matter, energy (including electricity, light, and sound) and water and weather (if time permits).  I plan to engage the students in many hands-on activities throughout the year.  I will also teach a series of lessons provided by the Sanitation District.  These lessons are hands-on and cover topics related to water conservation, pollution, and erosion. Social Studies  MacMillan/McGraw-Hill—Our Country and Its Regions--macmillanmh.com/socialstudies/2009/ss/student/grade4/g4_index.html  (Kentucky History text: The University Press of Kentucky—Faces of Kentucky)             We will study the various regions of the U.S, including learning each state’s location and dominant cultural influences in each area.  Students will also learn to locate/place each U.S. state on a map and give each state’s capital.  I have signed up for a nationwide postcard exchange; we will write postcards highlighting Kentucky’s climate and environment and will send these to schools all over the country.  In return, we will receive postcards from these schools.  We will plot the schools’ locations on a map.  If any friends or family members go to interesting places around the country during the course of the year, it would be wonderful to receive a short letter or postcard explaining the area to which they have traveled.  We will finish up the year with a study of Kentucky history during the fourth quarter.