Welcome to 4th Grade! 🎉

Hello amazing 4th grade families. We are so thrilled to kick off this school year with your wonderful kids. We can’t wait to see all the learning and fun ahead. Let’s make this year unforgettable together!

Things to remember 💡

• Please make sure your child brings a water bottle with a secure spill proof lid ( no straw ) each day to stay hydrated.

• Label all personal items to avoid mix-ups.

•  When you see notes on the calendar page in the folder, please initial them so we know you’ve seen the important info. 

• Check back each week for updates and reminders — staying connected helps your child succeed! 

Highlights from Last Week 🌈

Our first week was about getting to know each other and setting the stage for a successful year. We explored classroom routines, talked about how to be kind and respectful classmates, and started laying the foundation for a positive classroom culture. It was a week full of smiles, new friendships, and lots of learning about how we can all work together.

Looking Ahead: What’s Next? 👀

We’re about to fully dive into our curriculum! Next week, your child will experience engaging reading journeys, interactive math lessons, hands-on science investigations, and creative social studies activities. We’ll also keep building our classroom community through collaborative projects and teamwork.

Math: We’ll begin exploring place value and number sense, setting the foundation for all our math learning this year.

ELAR (English Language Arts and Reading): In this twelve day unit, we will begin introducing strong literacy habits (strategies that good readers and writers use).

Science: Last week, we introduced the scientific method and discussed our top priority for class experiments: safe lab practices. This week, we will begin our Properties of Matter unit with the concepts of mass and temperature. 

Social Studies: Last week, we introduced strands of Social Studies and discussed its importance. This week we will begin our Geography unit and will introduce using maps and the geographic regions of Texas.

What to ask (Sci/SS): Ask your child what "social" means, and then ask them to teach you about "STAR Listening." Your family might even practice using STAR listening and social graces during dinner!

Upcoming Events 🎊

Howdy Week - August 25-29:

• Monday - Mismatch

• Tuesday - Tie Dye

• Wednesday - Way Back

• Thursday - Team Up

• Friday - Fun-Tastic

Things to remember 💡

• Please send your child with a labeled water bottle every day to keep them hydrated and ready to learn.

• Label all personal items so nothing gets lost.

• When you see notes on the calendar page, please initial them so we know you’ve seen the important info.

• Check back each week for updates and reminders — staying connected helps your child succeed!

Highlights from this week 🌈

This week, we focused on helping students get familiar with the rhythm of our lessons. Setting the stage for a smooth and successful year. QR codes were also sent home so students can access Clever at home. It’s been fantastic to see everyone settling in and ready to learn!

Looking Ahead: What’s Next? 👀

Math: We will start comparing and ordering numbers.

ELAR (English Language Arts and Reading):  In this twelve day unit, we will begin introducing strong literacy habits (strategies that good readers and writers use).

Science: Thank you for returning the Science Safety handout! After MAP Testing this week, we will continue our Properties of Matter unit by exploring and classifying materials based on their magnetism and volume. 

Social Studies: The students have started a major project to produce their choice of an informational map of Texas. The due date for this project will be postponed due to our MAP Testing this week.

A Fun Activity (Sci/SS): Your child might want to make a "treasure map" for your family's home, with a hidden "treasure." Ask if the map is "drawn to scale?" (It's ok if not, but perhaps it should be labeled that way or otherwise include a scale.) See if you can find the treasure based on your child's map!

Upcoming Events 🎉

MAP Testing Window: Aug 25 - 29

Howdy Week: Aug 25 - 29

• Monday - Mismatch

• Tuesday - Tie Dye

• Wednesday - Way Back

• Thursday - Team Up

• Friday - Fun-Tastic

No School: September 1-2

Things to remember 💡

• No toys are allowed to come to school.

• Please send your child with a labeled water bottle every day to keep them hydrated and ready to learn.

• Label all personal items so nothing gets lost.

• When you see notes on the calendar page, please initial them so we know you’ve seen the important info.

• Check back each week for updates and reminders — staying connected helps your child succeed!

Highlights from this week 🌈

This week, students completed their first round of MAP testing. We are so proud of them and results will be sent home during our first Student led Conference. We also celebrated Howdy Week, it was so fun to see everyone dressed up!

Looking Ahead: What’s Next? 👀

Math: We will practice rounding numbers to any place value using a vertical number line. 

ELAR (English Language Arts and Reading):  In this twelve day unit, we will begin introducing strong literacy habits (strategies that good readers and writers use).

Science: We will continue our Properties of Matter unit by exploring volume and relative density. 

Social Studies: The students will complete their informational map of Texas and will take an assessment on their knowledge of maps.

Ask Your Child (Sci/SS): Ask your child how we measured the volume of an irregularly shaped object and to tell you about "displacement."

Upcoming Events 🎉

September 1-2: No school.

September 12th: $5 Dress like a video game character.

Things to remember 💡

• No toys are allowed to come to school.

• MAP results will be sent home during Student led Conference.

• Please send your child with a labeled water bottle every day to keep them hydrated and ready to learn.

• Label all personal items so nothing gets lost.

• When you see notes on the calendar page, please initial them so we know you’ve seen the important info.

• Check back each week for updates and reminders — staying connected helps your child succeed!

Highlights from this week 🌈

We hope you all had a fantastic short week filled with fun and relaxation! It’s always great to have a little extra time to recharge, and we’re excited to jump back into a full week of learning together.

Looking Ahead: What’s Next? 👀

Math:  First, students will take the Module 1 Mid-Module test. After that, we’ll be diving into multi-digit whole number addition and subtraction.

ELAR (English Language Arts and Reading):  Monday and Tuesday students will complete their Unit 1 Performance assessments. In Unit 2 (12 school days) students will learn about an author's purpose and craft.

Science: Students will take a unit test on the properties of matter to show their learning. 

Social Studies: We will explore and describe the four geographic regions of Texas. 

Ask Your Child (Sci/SS): Ask your child how the Texas Panhandle got its nickname.

Upcoming Events 🎉

September 12th: $5 Dress like a video game character.

Things to remember 💡

• No toys are allowed to come to school.

• MAP results will be sent home during Student led Conferences.

• Please send your child with a labeled water bottle every day to keep them hydrated and ready to learn.

• Label all personal items so nothing gets lost.

• When you see notes on the calendar page, please initial them so we know you’ve seen the important info.

• Check back each week for updates and reminders — staying connected helps your child succeed!

Highlights from this week 🌈

What an exciting week we've had in 4th grade! The students have been shining bright, showing teamwork and creativity in everything they do. Plus, our video game character dress-up day was a huge hit—so many fantastic costumes and smiles all around! 

Math: A note was sent home explaining the grading process. 

Looking Ahead: What’s Next? 👀

Math:  We will spend the first few days wrapping up addition and subtraction. After that, students will take the end-of-module test to showcase all they’ve learned. To finish the week, we’ll have a word problem workshop to help equip students with tools to solve word problems.

ELAR (English Language Arts and Reading):  Monday and Tuesday students will complete their Unit 1 Performance assessments. In Unit 2 (12 school days) students will learn about an author's purpose and craft.

Science: We will begin exploring changes in states of matter, mixtures, solutions, and the conservation of matter. Students will conduct an experiment to show the difference between a mixture and a solution.

Social Studies: We will celebrate Constitution Day (September 17), and Freedom Week, by introducing the founding documents of the United States: the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the Declaration of Independence. 

Ask Your Child (Sci/SS): Ask your child why Ms. Laporte doesn't like ice in water bottles (hint: it has to do with condensation)!

Upcoming Events 🎉

September 19th: Wear Gold and/or Sky Blue.

Things to remember 💡

• No toys are allowed to come to school.

• MAP results will be sent home during Student led Conferences.

• Please send your child with a labeled water bottle every day to keep them hydrated and ready to learn.

• Label all personal items so nothing gets lost.

• When you see notes on the calendar page, please initial them so we know you’ve seen the important info.

• Check back each week for updates and reminders — staying connected helps your child succeed!

Highlights from this week 🌈

We went ahead and handed out MAP test results on Friday. These reports give a snapshot of your child’s progress and help us tailor instruction to their needs. Keep an eye out for a different, more detailed MAP report that will be shared during our upcoming Student-Led Conferences — it’s a great opportunity for your child to showcase their learning journey!

On Friday, our classes proudly wore light blue and gold to support Childhood Cancer Awareness. It was a special day where we thought about what makes us brave.

Looking Ahead: What’s Next? 👀

Math: We will start Module 2. This week is all about metric conversions and adding and subtracting like units.

ELAR (English Language Arts and Reading): In Unit 2 (12 school days) students will learn about an author's purpose and craft. 

Science: We will introduce the concept of contact forces and continue to review elements of our prior work in matter.

Social Studies: We will introduce the overarching themes of early Texas by using maps and geography to relate to the movement of people: native peoples, Spanish explorers, and early [European] settlers. 

Ask Your Child (Sci/SS): Make a game to see who in your family can make the longest list (on paper) of all the examples of contact forces that they see in one afternoon! 

Yearbook Orders Are Open! 📚✨

It’s that time of year again—yearbook orders are now open for the 2025–2026 school year! Don’t miss out on capturing all the special moments from this year. Order your yearbook now for just $35 to lock in the lowest price. Prices will go up to $45 starting January 1, so be sure to order soon! Let’s make sure every student has a keepsake full of memories. To order a yearbook click here.

Upcoming Events 🎉

October 3rd: $5 fundraiser to wear your pj's. 

October 3rd: Dance-A-Thon starts.

Things to remember 💡

• No toys are allowed to come to school.

• Please send your child with a labeled water bottle every day to keep them hydrated and ready to learn.

• Label all personal items so nothing gets lost.

• When you see notes on the calendar page, please initial them so we know you’ve seen the important info.

• Check back each week for updates and reminders — staying connected helps your child succeed!

Highlights from this week 🌈

This week our students have had another amazing week of learning. They have continued to have great attitudes and amaze us in their ability to be wonderful students and friends to each other. Their kindness and enthusiasm truly make our classroom a special place!

Looking Ahead: What’s Next? 👀

Math: Will be working with input-output tables and number patterns, followed by taking the Module 2 test. On Friday, we’ll have a review day to go over the topics from module 1.

ELAR (English Language Arts and Reading): In Unit 2B (12 school days) This unit bundles student expectations that address how author's purpose influences a writer's choice of structure. Writers use their purpose as the driver for choosing how to organize and develop their ideas. Purposeful structure and organization of ideas help the reader follow and understand the author’s purpose and message.

Science: We will conduct an investigation (experiment) in class about friction and different surfaces, and we will identify and explain different types of contact forces.

Social Studies: We will begin to study the native peoples of Texas. 

Ask Your Child (Sci/SS): How were the lives of early hunter-gathers similar to and different from the lives of later natives who learned to farm?

Yearbook Orders Are Open! 📚✨

It’s that time of year again—yearbook orders are now open for the 2025–2026 school year! Don’t miss out on capturing all the special moments from this year. Order your yearbook now for just $35 to lock in the lowest price. Prices will go up to $45 starting January 1, so be sure to order soon! Let’s make sure every student has a keepsake full of memories. To order a yearbook click here.

Upcoming Events 🎉

October 3rd: $5 fundraiser to wear your pj's. 

October 3rd: Dance-A-Thon starts.

October 6th: Bring your birthday hat to celebrate Goose's birthday.

Things to remember 💡

• No toys are allowed to come to school.

• Please send your child with a labeled water bottle every day to keep them hydrated and ready to learn.

• Label all personal items so nothing gets lost.

• When you see notes on the calendar page, please initial them so we know you’ve seen the important info.

• Check back each week for updates and reminders — staying connected helps your child succeed!

Highlights from this week 🌈

Your amazing 4th graders have been busy getting ready for their student-led conferences. It’s been exciting to see them dive into their MAP data, set goals, and plan how to reach them!

Looking Ahead: What’s Next? 👀

Math: We’re kicking off Module 3! We’ll start by exploring area and perimeter through fun problem-solving activities. After three days, we’ll shift gears to look at multiplication patterns of 10 and 100.

ELAR (English Language Arts and Reading): In Unit 2B (12 school days) This unit bundles student expectations that address how author's purpose influences a writer's choice of structure. Writers use their purpose as the driver for choosing how to organize and develop their ideas. Purposeful structure and organization of ideas help the reader follow and understand the author’s purpose and message.

Science: We will preview the non-contact forces of magnetism and gravity.

Social Studies: We will compare and contrast native tribes from the Texas Coastal Plains with native tribes from the other regions of Texas that include mountains and plains. 

Ask Your Child (Sci/SS): How did you enjoy teaching about a native tribe to your classmates? What went well?

Yearbook Orders Are Open! 📚✨

It’s that time of year again—yearbook orders are now open for the 2025–2026 school year! Don’t miss out on capturing all the special moments from this year. Order your yearbook now for just $35 to lock in the lowest price. Prices will go up to $45 starting January 1, so be sure to order soon! Let’s make sure every student has a keepsake full of memories. To order a yearbook click here.

Upcoming Events 🎉

October 6th: Bring your birthday hat to celebrate Goose's birthday.

October 9th: Early release @ 11:30.

October 9th: Student-led conferences 3 PM - 5 PM.

October 10th - 14th: No school.

October 16th: PTO free dress for candy.

Things to remember 💡

• No toys are allowed to come to school.

• Please send your child with a labeled water bottle every day to keep them hydrated and ready to learn.

• Label all personal items so nothing gets lost.

• When you see notes on the calendar page, please initial them so we know you’ve seen the important info.

• Check back each week for updates and reminders — staying connected helps your child succeed!