Hello! Welcome to West Hills Intermediate and Fourth Grade. I teach ELA (Reading and Language) and Science.
I am excited to be working with your child this year. Fourth grade brings many new challenges and I am here to help your child with these challenges.
Fun Facts About Me:
I have two adult children, Kristie and Kenneth and a Daughter-in-law Rikki.
I am a first time Grandmother to Kennedy Amber. She is nineteen months old.
I have a Blue Tick Hound Dog named Bandit. He is seven years old and very spoiled-he has to go for a RIDE every night!
8:15-8:40 Arrival and Breakfast
8:40-8:50 Opening Exercises
8:50-10:10 ELA (Reading and Language )Mrs. Byrne's Class
10:10-10:50 Special Class
Monday- Health (Mr. Bowers)
Tuesday – Art (Ms. Shaffer)
Wednesday – Library (Mrs. Wolfe)
Thursday – Physical Education (Mr. Bowers)
Friday – Music (Mrs. Bricker)
10:50-11:30 Flex
11:30-12:00 Lunch
12:00-12:30 Recess
12:30-1:10 Science (Mrs. Byrne)
1:10-1:50 Science (Ms. Maxwell)
1:50-3:10 ELA (Reading and Language) Ms. Maxwell's class
3:10-3:30 Dismissal
Some skills are, but not limited to:
Point of View
Author´s Purpose
Main Idea and Supporting Details
Cause and Effect
Text Features
Inference
Plot
Setting
Character Analysis
Genre
Fluency
Basic Comprehension
Vocabulary and Acquisition
Sequence/Order of Events
*As teachers, we believe in a holistic approach. We use any opportunity to circle back and practice reading skills in unison instead of always individually.
Students must learn to write a TDA (text dependent analysis) in fourth grade. They will continue to write them throughout their schooling, so a strong foundation is important. The writing process works slowly:
Students are asked to write. Therefore, we can identify writing levels and practice restating questions.
Close reading is taught. That way, students can use learned skills to comprehend grade level text.
A TDA prompt is properly deconstructed. This helps students understand what the prompt is asking.
Restating the prompt and creating a thesis is practiced and assessed.
Students are guided through body paragraphs.
To end the prompt, students create a conclusion paragraph.
Each student is given guidance to reflect on their work and reflect on work of their peers.
*This is a brief overview of procedures that are taken slowly. Please reach out with any questions.
Some skills are, but not limited to:
Figurative Language
Main Verbs
Adverbs
Helping Verbs
Common and Proper Nouns
Pronouns
Relative Pronouns
Capitalization
Modal Auxiliary Verbs
Adjectives
Fragments
Subject and Predicate
Sentence Structure
Multiple Meaning Words
Prefixes, affixes, and suffixes
Some of the topics we will be studying are:
Safety, Scientists, Scientific Method, Plants and Animals, Adaptations, Force and Motion, Electrical Circuits, Simple Machines
We will complete some STEM activities as well.
Please join our Remind if you have not already! We will be posting schedule updates, important reminders, and test/homework information weekly. We can also privately message you to keep you in the loop with your child's progress and behavior throughout the school year. Let me know if you have not joined yet and I will send you an invitation.