Welcome to Fourth Grade!
I am very excited to begin a new school year with your children. Here you will find information about what is going on in our classroom. I will try to include information about what we will be covering in class and any other important updates you may need to know about. This year I am hoping to have the students do some blogging, as writing for a purpose is highly motivating and we are fortunate to have the Chrome Books! 
I truly appreciate all of the supplies you have sent in with your children and they will all be put to good use! We have color coded folders for each subject. All of the students have been given a planner and will write their homework down every night. Thank you for all of the tissues and wipes, as we are always in need of those throughout the year!
Homework!
Please sign your child's planner Monday through Thursday to indicate that they have completed their homework and have read for a half an hour. The planner can also be used as a communication log between home and school. Planners will be checked daily for signatures and notes. Written homework should not take more than 25-30 minutes per night. If it does take longer or your child does not understand something, please send it in and I will gladly help them complete it during enrichment. This year we will be completing math homework online through the Ten Marks program occasionally and also through our new math program called "My Math". Each student will soon take home a letter with their username and password on it for both programs. Most of the students are familiar with the Ten Marks and we are all learning the new "My Math" online tools together in class. It is wonderful that both programs provide tutorials and tips for them if they forgot a concept that was learned that day.
Scholastic
Scholastic News! This year students will be receiving Scholastic News each week. I feel this resource is a valuable way for students to learn about current events, while practicing their Non-Fiction reading strategies. Students really enjoy the articles, photographs, debates and online component in each article. Please consider making the $5.75 donation to Scholastic Magazine if you have not already done so and send it to school with your child.
Scholastic Book Orders: I am pleased to inform you that all scholastic orders for your child can be placed online with our special class code. You simply enter the class activation code NJYGH or click on the link below, which will bring you directly to our class page, then add your child and verify that he/she belongs in Mrs. Clapprood's Class. https://orders.scholastic.com/NJYGH
Please note**** If you are uncomfortable ordering online, but would still like to order books, please send the order in written on the traditional order form and I will enter the order online for you! All orders help to gain bonus points for our class in which we can order free books and keep our class library current!
Scholastic
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Scholastic Book Orders: I am pleased to inform you that all scholastic orders for your child can be placed online with our special class code. You simply enter the class activation code NJYGH or click on the link below, which will bring you directly to our class page, then add your child and verify that he/she belongs in Mrs. Clapprood's Class. https://orders.scholastic.com/NJYGH
Please note**** If you are uncomfortable ordering online, but would still like to order books, please send the order in written on the traditional order form and I will enter the order online for you! All orders help to gain bonus points for our class in which we can order free books and keep our class library current!
Here's a quick overview of what we will be starting off the year with
Reading: We will be reviewing comprehension skills that we have learned over the years. We will also be using details from the text to answer and ask questions and form constructed responses as we learn about story elements and summarizing. An important skill that is consistently emphasized this year is that students will cite evidence from the text when responding to their reading.
Writing: We will be reviewing paragraph structure and working on the components of writing narratives.
Math: We will be starting with place value, rounding numbers and adding and subtracting multi-digit numbers fluently. Homework may be assigned frequently online. If a computer is unavailable to your child at home, we can work together to come up with alternative times and/or tools.
S.S.We will be studying the geography of the world. The students will learn and be tested on the seven continents and the oceans.
Science: We will be studying erosion and how it affects the world around us.
Volunteering- Please remember that in order to volunteer in our classroom or attend field trips, you must have a current BCI check. There is a lot of thought, planning and checking on the teacher's part when preparing for these trips and our children's safety is of the utmost concern. So please don't wait until it is too late to get one done if you plan to join us for any activities! The form is available on the school website! http://rles.smithfield-ps.org/
