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Mr. Burton’s Grade 4 Portable Parchment
our school virtue for May is: CONSIDERATION
Quoi de Neuf?
April was a very exciting month, with a large focus on our castle projects, and our technology unit with gears and pulleys. We said goodbye to Mme. Giancola, but hope that she will be back for a visit before the year is over!
Our water festival trip to Mohawk park takes place this month on May 13th. We will be leaving the school at 9:00am and eating lunch at Mohawk park. It is a full day event. Please remember to pack a litter free lunch, as this was specifically requested by those responsible for hosting the event. We will be returning to the school at around 2:20pm.
It is important that I have all the money for the Medieval Times trip as soon as possible. The venue requires payment in full several weeks prior to our actual trip date. Thank you for your cooperation. Sadly, due to a limited number of tickets, not every parent who wishes to go on this trip will be able to. My sincerest apologies!
French: guided reading and reading comprehension evaluation, guided writing focus, introduction to the passé composé, sharing written work (oral)
Social Studies: medieval art and architecture, fairs, medicine, decline in power of the royal family, cause and effect
Math: grids and coordinates, making grid based maps, using grid paper to show translations (slides, flips, rotations), drawing two dimensional shapes, using a mira to explore symmetry in our world
Science: scientific inquiry, using computers to do research, developing scientific theories, using the scientific method, recording observations
Drama/Dance: writing a skit based on a theme, performing an original written work, modern dance, dance routine assignment
English: Prince Caspian novel study, shared reading, consonant blends and word families, developing ideas in writing, readers chair (students read books they have written)
A Date to Remember!
- May 1st – Open House (education week)
- May 9th – Recyclable fashion show
- May 13th – Water Festival trip
- May 16th – Jump Rope for Heart, Pizza Day
- May 19th – Holiday
- May 23rd – Track & Field
- May 26th 28th – EQAO testing
| Quotable Quote
"A little consideratoin, a little thought for others, makes all the difference." –Winnie the Pooh |
YEARBOOKS! – Yearbook orders are now being taken. The Dufferin 2007/2008 Yearbook is $12. This covers the cost of printing. The yearbook is not sold to generate profit– it is a labour of love!
Mr. Burton’s Grade 4 Portable Parchment
our school virtue for April is: Forgiveness
Quoi de Neuf?
Despite March being a short month, grade four students were able to accomplish many things, and try their hands at creating medieval catapults. We had a fun time testing our catapults in class, and comparing the force, velocity, and trajectory of the launches. We learned that smaller catapults could sometimes out-perform larger catapults, and that the size or design of a catapult can differ greatly! Well done class. Catapult project marks will be sent home this week on the rubric that was used to grade them. You will find these in your child’s Dossier des devoirs.
I would like to formally welcome Mme. Giancola to our classroom! Mme. Giancola will be with us until April 25th and will be learning about the grade four curriculum, sharing her knowledge with us of different subject areas, and gaining insight into her own professional practice. Mme. Giancola is a student of the faculty of education at Redeemer University, and will be teaching full time within our school board in the fall. We love having her in the classroom, and are excited to share in this great opportunity!
French: shared reading (magazine articles), examining picture books, creating picture books, spelling numbers, ordinals, Top 10 lists, creating lists as a class
Social Studies: comparing medieval life to present day, medieval food and clothing, life of a knight, role of the church, crime and punishment, significance of the Magna Carta
Math: intro to long division, dividing whole numbers, division with remainders, mass and capacity, measuring liquids and solids, displacement method
Science: rocks and minerals (almost finished!) gears and pulleys, technological applications to present day
Drama/Dance: writing a skit based on a theme, voice techniques
English: (will mirror French program this month) and continue with word drills and in class phonics/spelling
A Date to Remember!
- April 17th – Quincy Mack presentation
- April 18th – P.A. Day (no school)
- April 22nd – Earth Day
- April 25th – Drama presentation in Paris
- April 25th – Pizza Day
- April 28th – Education Week begins
| Quotable Quote
The unselfish effort to bring cheer to others will be the
beginning of a happier life for ourselves. |
Mr. Burton's Grade 4 Portable Parchment
Our school virtue this month is Self Discipline – mars 2008
Quoi de Neuf? (What's new?)
February has been a great month, and even with the extra day this year (neat!) it sure went by quickly. March is going to pass us by very soon as well, but as always, we have a lot to learn and accomplish!
We had a great trip this past month to
W.Ross Macdonald School, and your grade 4 students did an amazing job of
representing the school. I was very impressed with everyone’s behaviour
and the amount of information and knowledge gained from this short
excursion. Definitely the best trip of the year so far!
Some students have claimed that they are having difficulty with their "Rock Candy" experiement. Please don’t worry. It takes weeks to form, and depending where you have placed it in your house, your results will be different. My ideal location is in a window that faces the sun. Also, touching the glass and shaking it will slow the process down significantly.
Have fun working on your catapult projects! I can’t wait to see them!
Merci! :0)
CURRICULUM
French:
Non fiction literature, magazines, articles, primary resources, possessive adjectives and pronouns, oral dictation: word drills based on consonant blends and vowel soundsEnglish: Non fiction literature, modeled letter writing: formal and informal letters, writing a postcard, oral dictation: word drills based on consonant blends and vowel sounds
Social Studies: The Middle Ages: features of daily life, exploring the class divide, vocabulary of the middle ages, life in a medieval castle
Math: Multiplication, mass & capacity
Drama&Dance: using voice to convey emotion, dramatic gestures, interpretive dance
Science: Sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic rocks, "Mohs" scale for measuring hardness, how rocks are formed
|
QUOTABLE QUOTE "Poetry is when an emotion has found its thought and the thought has found words." |
A Date to Remember
| March 7th | Board Holiday (no school) |  |
| March 10th -14th | March Break | |
| March 20th | Reports go home | |
| March 21st | Good Friday (no school) | |
| March 24th | Easter Monday (no school) |
Mr. Burton's Grade 4 Portable
Parchment
Our school virtue this month is Loyalty – février 2008 Quoi de Neuf? (What's new?) January has come and gone, and with it our second term is quickly coming
to an end. Thank you to all students for their increased productivity and
efforts in striving for academic excellence this term. Students will have an opportunity this month to walk over to W. Ross
Macdonald school for a brief tour hosted by Beth VanSickle. I anticipate
this will be a valuable learning experience and will build compassion and
understanding for how students with different abilities learn. In lieu of dictées this month, there will three home based projects.
This first is a dramatic monologue that students will have to memorize and
present on Wed. February 13th. Please find the monologue choices
on the back of this newsletter. Merci! :0) CURRICULUM French:
English: modeled and shared writing of poetry, types of poems, famous poets, comparing music and poetry, developing skills of inference with relation to music, and poetry
Social Studies: Medieval times: features of daily life, exploring the class divide, roles in a medieval town
Math: probability, median, mean, and frequency (numerical and real life applications), graphing skills
Drama&Dance: voice projection, speaking with clarity, skits, moving to music, dance choreography basics
Science: materials that absorb and reflect light and sound, rocks and minerals, rock formations, geology and careers in science
|
QUOTABLE QUOTE "Those whom believe in absurdities, commit atrocities." |
A Date to Remember
|
P.A. Day–no classes Grade 7-8 trip to Québec Kindergarten Information Night 6:30PM DPC "Half Pints" Anti-bullying presentations Teacher Appreciation Week Family Day-no school Grade Eight grad photos DPC meeting Pizza Day Adventure Putt 5-7pm Board designated holiday March Break Good Friday |
Mr.
Burton's Grade 4 Portable Parchment
Our
school virtue this month is Justice – janvier 2008
Quoi de Neuf? (What's new?)
Welcome
to 2008! I hope everyone enjoyed the two week holiday break, and had some
time to share, reflect, and visit with family and friends.
We
are well into term two, and our Drama and Dance program has gotten off to a
great start with students in 4B having already performed a short skit (which
they memorized), in front of their peers. I look forward to doing more skits
with the class during the next couple of months, as well as some theatre
techniques and games that will help students understand the importance of
speaking with clarity and conviction when performing in front of a group. We
will also be choreographing a song this month. Fun!
Spelling
dictations this month will continue to take the form of irregular verb
conjugations in the present tense. Please note that the verbs on the back of
this newsletter have changed slightly from the initial list, and as a
result, the old verb list from December should be discarded. Please keep
this verb list in a central location (refrigerator for example) so that you
will be reminded of when the verb quizzes will take place, and which verbs
your child should be memorizing at home.
As
students become more comfortable with the idea of homework assignments (in
addition to incomplete work which they are expected to finish at home)
expectations will continue to change. Homework
assignments will continue to come home once or twice a week, with the
expectation that it will be completed for the next day. Students not
completing homework may be required to stay in from recess.
Mr.
Burton
CURRICULUM
French:
conjugation of all regular “er” verbs, subject + verb agreements,
writing with new vocabulary, french journals, introduction to literacy
circles
English: word
families and phonics, retelling, points of view, persuasive writing, using
adjectives and adverbs creatively, editing symbols, advertising and
commercials
Social
Studies: understanding
Canadian climate, comparing regions, topographical maps
Math:
calculating angles, data collection, probability, perimeter/area
Drama&Dance:
voice
projection, speaking with clarity, skits, moving to music, dance
choreography basics
Science: sound energy, how sound travels, materials that absorb and reflect light and sound, understanding how sound is measured, types of sound
|
QUOTABLE
QUOTE “The quality of mercy is not strain'd, it droppeth as
the gentle rain from heaven...” --William Shakespeare |
A Date to Remember
-
-
01/31 – Pizza Day
Mr.
Burton's Grade 4 Portable Parchment
Our
school virtue this month is Compassion – décembre 2007
Quoi
de Neuf? (What's new?)
As
we are currently studying fractions in Math, it only seems appropriate that
I make mention of the academic year being one third over! Thank you for all
of your hard work with spelling dictations, and homework completion. I hope
the results we all wish to see continue to manifest themselves in term two!
We
will be starting Drama and Dance this month. This will be a nice addition to
our academic curriculum and I look forward to discovering some new talent in
grade four!
Spelling
dictations this month will take the form of verb conjugations. Students in
grade four immersion are required to know several irregular verbs in the
present tense. The best way to learn these verbs involves some good old
fashioned memorization. Special attention will be given in class to usage
and sentence organization. A separate page will be sent home with this
newsletter with dates for specific verbs. We will be doing two a week.
As
we are approaching term two, homework assignments will now occur on a more
regular basis. When students have assigned homework, the will make a note in
their agendas. Homework is to
be completed for the next day, unless otherwise specified.
Have
a wonderful Holiday Season! See you 2008!
Mr.
Burton
CURRICULUM
French:
negative sentence constructs, present tense conjugation of irregular verbs,
modelled writing, oral pronunciation, guided reading
English:
holiday
vocabulary, read aloud & reading response, punctuation and editing,
creating commercials, understanding advertising
Social
Studies: the
Canadian Shield, Hudson Bay lowlands, The Appalachian Mountains
Math:
fractions, data collection, place value, patterns
Art:
shading,
black & white, colour schemes, Christmas crafts
Drama:
voice
projection, dramatic monologue, choral presentation
Science:
light and sound energy, sources of light and sound, reflections and shadows
Holiday
Happenings
|
QUOTABLE
QUOTE |
A Date to Remember
-
12/03 – reports go home
-
12/05 – book fair begins in gym
-
12/06 – report interviews (evening)
-
12/07 – report interviews/ P.D. day
-
12/19 – pizza day!
-
12/21 – last day of school before Holiday Break
Download Irregular Verb list and Quiz Dates [PDF] file.
Mr. Burton’s Grade Four Portable
Parchment Quoi de Neuf? (What's new?) October has come and gone, and sooner than we would like, there will be
snow on the ground and crisp air nipping at our noses. With the addition of
winter clothing, we will also be wearing our favourite hivernale footwear:
the winter boot! To keep our portable floor clean for us during the day,
please be sure your child has a pair of indoor shoes they can change into.
Gym shoes are fine for this, and it will be a rule that is enforced during
the winter months. Thanks again to all volunteers who came with the grade fours to the
Norfolk County fair. Everyone had a great day, and our only regret is that
we weren't able to see everything in the amount of time we had available to
us! Our next trip will be to the Sanderson centre for a music concert on
November 13th. Thank you to all parents who have already remitted
the permission form and money for this trip. I hope everyone has a safe and happy Halloween night! Please try to
"pace" yourselves at school with the candy you bring in your
lunches. Please remember not to bring candy containing nuts to school as
well! CURRICULUM
Our school virtue for this month is: Tolerance – novembre 2007
French: reading comprehension and discussion, guided reading groups, individual creative writing and journals, show and tell
English: guided reading groups, vocabulary building and use of punctuation in writing, essay form, oral book reports
Social Studies: relief maps, characteristics of land masses, comparing provinces, country life and city life
Math: linear measurement using standard units, telling time and measuring temperature
Art: artistic emulation and interpretation, using texture for artistic expression, shading
Science: light and sound energy, sources of light and sound, understanding the spectrum (art tie-in)
MAD SCIENCE!
There will be a special Mad Science presentation for one day on November 16th for grades 1 -7. There will be a special focused science activity for each grade to participate in, pertaining to the Ontario curriculum. Please send $3 to school with your child on this day to help pay for this special opportunity.
|
QUOTABLE QUOTE |
A Date to Remember
- 11/02 – All orders for Dufferin spirit wear are due
- 11/08 – Volunteer Orientation
- 11/09 – Remembrance Day Assembly
- 11/12 – Food For thought Snack program begins
- 11/13 – Sanderson Centre Trip!
- 11/16 – Mad Science
Show and Tell (Français)
Below is the show and tell schedule. Students are asked to bring in a favourite photo, souvenir or keepsake to share with the class. The presentation will be done in French, and students will be asked to say 5 -10 sentences about their subject. They will also be asked to randomly select/answer three questions from their peers. Please see the enclosed rubric for how the show and tell presentations will be graded.
|
MONDAY |
TUESDAY |
WEDNESDAY |
THURSDAY |
FRIDAY |
|
12th |
13th |
14th |
15th |
16th |
|
19th |
20th |
21st |
22nd |
23rd |
|
26th |
27th |
28th |
29th |
30th |
Spelling Dictation
| Friday November 12th | Friday November 19th | Friday November 26th |
| 1. un oeil 2. les yeux 3. la lumière 4. le bruit 5. le spectre 6. voyager 7. la vitesse 8. une réflection 9. une ombre 10. un mirroir 11. mètre 12. centimètre 13. kilomètre 14. millimètre 15. mesurer |
1. Iqaluit 2. Victoria 3. Yellowknife 4. Whitehorse 5. Edmonton 6. Regina 7. Winnipeg 8. Toronto 9. la ville de Québec 10. Charlottetown 11. Halifax 12. Frédéricton 13. St. John’s 14. Ottawa |
1. able 2. above 3. act 4. address 5. against 6. agree 7. airport 8. alarm 9. alive 10. alphabet 11. although 12. always 13. among 14. animal 15. answer |
Mr.
Burton's Grade 4 Portable Parchment
Our school virtue this month is Thankfulness -
octobre 2007
It has been a great first month being back at school, and falling into our old routines once again! Congratulations to everyone on their own personal successes during the month of September!
October is always a busy month at Dufferin. Our first class trip (to the Norfolk County Fair!) is Wednesday, October the 3rd. Please remember to pack a sensible lunch for your child. Be advised that students will not be permitted to buy food and bring it home on the bus for allergy reasons. If you are giving your child money to make a food or beverage purchase, it must be accompanied by a note saying how much money they have, and what they may buy with it. Students that bring money, but do not bring a note will be unable to purchase anything other than water. Please remind your children that we are not going to the fair to play games or ride the midway. We are going to look at the agricultural exhibits, the livestock, and the art exhibits, and there will be follow up discussions and activities the next day in class.
We will be having a Halloween party at school on October 31st in the afternoon. We will be watching a movie (unknown at this time) and eating some store purchased peanut free snacks. Please send an extra drink for your student on this day, and something that they can share with the class for the party.
Merci!
Mr. Burton
CURRICULUM
French: guided reading
groups, thematic guided writing (Thanksgiving, Halloween), oral response,
aural comprehension
English: independent reading, formal writing process, intro to essay
form, paragraphs, Roald Dahl read aloud, show and tell
Social Studies: characteristics of provinces, capital cities
Math: Geometry B 2D/3D shapes and solids, linear measurement
Art: two and three dimensional art forms (hanging mobile, art in
nature, sketching)
Science: animal habitats and communities: Forest, Savanna, Desert,
Wetland, Jungle, Mountain region etc., animal adaptation and survival
You stand in your own light. Make it
shine.
--Chinese fortune cookie
SPECIAL NOTE: please bring the following items to school for art class by October 9th: 2 metal coat hangers, and a large tin can
10/03 - Fair Trip!
10/08 - Thanksgiving (no school)
10/09 - art project supplies due
10/26 - pizza day
10/30 - P.D. Day (no school)
10/31 - Halloween Party @ 1:30pm
Mr.
Burton's Grade 4 Portable Parchment
Back
to School edition – September 2007
Quoi de Neuf?
(What's new?)
I
hope everyone had a wonderful summer and that you won't be too disappointed
that school is starting again! I am sure I speak for everyone when I say
that summer flew by, and that it hardly seems like the first day of school
is upon us!
I
am very excited to have the opportunity to teach grade four at such a
wonderful school! Many of your children will have already had me as a grade
2 teacher during the 2005 – 2006 academic year. I will see many familiar
faces, but will also be teaching some students for the first time, which for
me is the best of both worlds! Your child's grade 4 year will be very
exciting, and they will undoubtedly be coming home every day eager to tell
you everything that they learned that day. We also have a couple of exciting
trips coming up very quickly which you will be notified about soon.
I
look forward to meeting you over the course of the next month, and if your
son or daughter has never had me as a teacher, you can expect a phonecall at
some point over the next couple of weeks, as I would like to introduce
myself. I am confident that we are all going to have a very successful year
at Ecole Dufferin.
merci!
CURRICULUM
French:
shared reading activities, word wall exercises, sentence construction,
listening for understanding
English:
Types
of sentences, forms of punctuation, Roald Dahl read aloud, shared reading
Social
Studies: Canadian
Provinces, territories, and cities
Math:
Geometry – 2D shapes/classification, addition and subtraction up to 10,000
with regrouping
Art:
two
and three dimensional art forms (hanging mobile, art in nature, sketching)
Science:
Animal habitats and communities
QUOTABLE QUOTE - The mind
is like the stomach; it's not how much you put into it that counts, but how
much it digests.
Spelling dictations normally take place every Friday, with dictation words going home on the back of the monthly newsletter. If there are four Fridays in the month, then there will be two dictations in French, and two in English. Words are chosen according to current units of study (in other subjects) and sometimes because they are grade level appropriate words that are misspelled often. These spelling dictations will contain ten to twenty words which you can practice with your child at home in preparation for the week end quiz. The week end quiz may often contain an aural component which cannot be studied for, such as writing several sentences with correct punctuation that are orally dictated. You will find the quiz schedule for the month of September on the back of this page.
A Date
to Remember
-
09/14 – PA Day
-
09/20 – Meet the teacher night
-
09/26 – Parent Council Meeting