Fourth Grade
Religion: We will cover the topics of Choices, Worship, Respect, the Ten Commandments and the sacraments, as well as Family Life. The students are expected to participate in Morning Prayer, daily classroom prayer, special liturgies and prayer services, and masses on Holy Days of Obligation.
Safe Environment for Children
The Diocese of Oakland’s Safe Environment for Children Project was developed using the Guidelines for Safe Environment Programs from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishop’s Office of Child Youth Protection. These guidelines state that: “Training programs for children and young people should include age appropriate materials pertaining to personal safety. This includes information about improper touching and relationships. Children are not expected to be fully knowledgeable about child abuse or of the laws governing care of children but they need to know when they should seek assistance from a trusted adult.”
The Safe Environment for Children Project requires that a personal safety curriculum implemented for students in grades K through 12, in both Catholic schools and parish religious education programs.
Learning Objectives:
Grades Four-Six
To promote knowledge about body integrity.
To raise awareness that all human beings, male and female, are created in the image and likeness of God.
To present the concept that some touching is not appropriate.
To help children understand child sexual abuse.
To empower children so that they may feel comfortable saying “no” in a potentially abusive situation.
To expand children’s image of God to include the image of God as a source of comfort.
To help children identify trusted adults they can go to disclose situations in their lives that make them feel unsafe.
Math: We will continue to work on addition (3 and 4 digits), subtraction (1 digit factors). Fractions, decimals, place value, geometry and measurement, positive and negative numbers will also be covered. All lessons will be in alignment with the California State Standards.
Language Arts/Literature: The language arts program consists of reading, writing, and grammar. We will cover sentence and paragraph structure, parts of speech and punctuation. Students will be using the writing process to complete various types of writing assignments. They will be reading various types of literature throughout the year in their reading textbook. Other literature titles the students will read will be Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell, The Cricket in Times Square by George Selden, and a couple of other selections. Also this year the students will be writing book reports. Spelling and vocabulary drills and activities will be given on a weekly basis. Another focus this year will be on research and report skills.
Social Studies: The focus is on California. We will look at its history and geography, including a study of the missions, the Native Americans, and the Gold Rush Era. A project relating to California history will be assigned during the year.
Science: The three main areas we will cover are:
Interactions of Living Things: Students will explore growth and interactions of plants and animals; biomes; and protection and preservation of the ecosystems.
The Changing Earth: Students will explore changes to the Earth’s surface, rocks and minerals, and soil.
Matter and Electricity: Students will explore physical properties of matter and electricity and magnetism.
Technology: Fourth grade students will follow the ISTE Standards and the National Educational Standards (N.E.T.S.).
Grading Policy
This year your child will receive letter grades (A, A-, B+,B, B-, C+. C, C-, D+, D, D- and F) for the first time in their core curriculum areas. The following grading scale will be used to assign the letter grades:
100-95% = A 82-80% B- 69-67% D+
94-90% A- 79-77% C+ 66-63% D
89-87% B+ 76-73% C 62-60% D-
86-83% B 72-70% C- 59% and below F
The grading policy for the fourth grade is as follows:
Religion: This grade will be based on class participation, religion comprehension tests, and worksheets.
Math: Daily class work, homework, tests and quizzes will be the basis for the math grade.
Literature/Reading: Written class work, book reports, and completed literature unit assignments will be the basis for this grade.
Language: This grade will be based on the language curriculum and student writing assignments.
Spelling: This grade will be divided between weekly spelling activities, spelling tests and using correct spelling in everyday written work.
Social Studies/Science: Grades for both of these subjects will be based on class work, research, activity worksheets, and completed projects.
Handwriting: This grade will come from and evaluation of all of the students class work and various handwriting assignments.
*40% of the grade for every subject will be
based on test and quiz scores.
*25% of the grade will be based on homework.
*25% of the grade will be based on class work.
*10% of the grade will be based on participation.
Homework will be assigned Monday through Thursday. It should take your child approximately 30 to 45 minutes to complete. The only homework that will be assigned on Friday will be make up work, incomplete class work, or long range projects. If your fourth grader cannot finish the work, please write and send a note explaining the reason why the work was not finished. This will allow him or her one more day to complete the assignment. Otherwise, late work WILL NOT be accepted. Students will be held responsible and grades will reflect the missing work. Students are expected to complete and turn in all assignments when due.
Discipline Policy
The following rules have been made for the fourth grade class so that they can learn in a positive and enriching environment.
Respect yourself and others
Keep your hands and feet to yourself
Come to class prepared
Listen carefully
Work quietly
Clean up your area
Consequences for breaking these classroom rules:
Warning
Sit on the bench for 10 minutes
Sit on the bench for the entire recess and write lines
Phone call home to parents
Go to the principal’s office
Rewards for cooperating with the rules:
Words of encouragement
Extra 5 minutes of recess
Extra credit
Friday afternoon free time, if everything else has been completed