Greetings Families,
I hope you are enjoying your weekend. I’m currently driving back from Sedona. Well, my wife is driving while I type. I was asked by a small church to come up and preach for in place of their pastor who is on an anniversary retreat with his wife in Mexico.
Before I dive into the lessons, I do have a few things to discuss.
Test and Quiz Performance
Not that there isn’t still progress to make, but I did see an improvement on this past week’s test and quizzes. The grades on the most recent Greek and Latin roots review check were very good. Most students got 100% on it. In addition, the history test over the Byzantine Empire went very well. I think the class average was in the high 80’s, and there were many students who got an A or A-. Thank you for the support in this area. We are now trending in the right direction.
Chivalry Week
This week, students will have the pleasure of enjoying chivalry week. This is something fourth grade has done since Arete opened a little over four years ago. Each year there are parents who are suspicious about what happens, so I want to make sure I let you know about it before the students start the activity.
The main thing we want fourth-grade students to learn is that during the Middle Ages honor and manners were woven together. Today, this is often not the case. It is sadly something we’ve lost culturally, but are hopefully installing in your children.
Knights were an esteemed segment of the Middle Age society. They were honored for their great bravery on the battlefield and legends surround their heroism, like killing terrible dragons. However, courage on the battlefield was not enough for them. They also held to a strict code of chivalry, which was not limited to but dealt with relationships with their maidens. Knights would often consider themselves their maidens vassals, which was one to whom they swore their loyalty.
This week, ladies will be assigned a knight. There will be no aspect of romanticism involved. Instead, each person will serve the other through acts of kindness. Examples of this sort of kindness are that boys carry the girls’ backpacks, and girls clean the boys’ trash at lunch. Boys will seat girls when they enter the class, and girls will sharpen the pencils for the boys.
If you have any questions about this activity, please reach out to me. I expect it to have the same sort of success it has had in the past.
Homework Survey
The leadership team has passed out the results of the homework survey, and the fourth-grade team will review the data this week. Once we have discussed it together, we will release a joint message regarding what we’ve learned.
Nightly Science Homework
This past week, you may have noticed that your child brought their science notebook home to complete a nightly science homework worksheet. They will have four nights worth of homework to read on most weeks. These assignments are assigned for a few reasons. First, they are useful in helping students prepare for the state science test that students will take in April. Second, they are useful in reviewing content that they learned last year and this year. Last, and most importantly, they help students develop the skill of reading and comprehending informational text. Most of what we read in class is narrative, whether it be our literature selections or history texts.
However, I understand that this puts an additional weight on your child literally and metaphorically. Physically, the notebooks are heavy, and you may not want your child to bring it home every night because of the burden it is playing on your child’s back. If this is the cause, I just ask that they do more than one on the nights they bring their notebooks home. The readings aren’t very long. A child should be able to finish two or three of these in one night. They may always work ahead, but shouldn’t fall behind. Metaphorically, they are an additional homework assignment to add to the list. These nightly readings, however many minutes they take, should be counted toward your child’s 25 minutes of nightly reading. They should not read these for science and then be expected to read for another 25 minutes (unless you want them to).
Europe Project
In the same vein as my prior section, please know that whatever your child reads to complete the Europe project counts toward the nightly reading amount. Whenever they reason, whatever they read, counts toward the nightly reading amount. However, the poster board and essays should not count toward that time.
Picture Day – September 20th
Lessons
Grammar/Writing: This week, students will be reintroduced to predicate adjectives and predicate nominatives. These are words in the predicate (the part of the sentence containing the verb) that modify the subject. An example of a predicate adjective is: The man is kind. Kind, which is an adjective and is located in the predicate, is modifying the subject, man. An example of a predicate nominative is: The man is a dentist. Dentist, which is a noun and located in the predicate, is modifying the subject, man. Students will have a review day and will be tested on grammar at the end of the week.
History: This week will afford the students an opportunity to learn about knights and the important role of surfs (peasants) during the middle ages. They will also partake in chivalry week, which I noted above. They will end the week with a time of playing games and eating snacks (most likely popcorn) after discussing how the week went and reading about how the game of chess is based on the roles of people in the Middle Ages.
Literature: In literature, students will read through chapter 30 this week in The Princess and the Goblin. Students should be continuing to add to their STEAL sheets as we approach the end of the book. The STEAL sheet will be due on Wednesday of next week (week 8).
Poetry: This week, students will start the memorization of “Dreams” by Langston Hughes. They will be expected to recite the poem during the ninth week of this quarter.
Greek and Latin Roots: Students will be reviewed on the last three Greek and Latin roots this week. Next week, however, they will be quizzed on the first 22 roots of the year. In addition to memorizing this week’s roots, they should be reviewing all of them regularly.
Science: Students started the life science unit last week and will be continuing with it this week. This week, they will learn about the four things all living organisms require: water, food, living space, and homeostasis (stable living conditions). They will then spend the rest of the week studying classification and learning the main stages of taxonomy: domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, and species. Students will also learn about Carolus Linnaeus (the father of modern taxonomy) and how each animal has a binomial nomenclature (a two-name name). To help students memorize the main stages of the taxonomy is the mnemonic device: Dashing King Philip came over for grape soda.
Spalding: The Spalding regiment will be as usual. Students should continue to do homework as they have been. In addition, students should be working toward mastering their phonograms if they haven’t already done so. These will start being tested during the second quarter.
There is likely more to be said, but I will end here. I hope this information is beneficial to you as you support your child’s academic growth. If there is anything I can do to offer more support, please let me know.
Best,
Michael Naaktgeboren
I hope you are enjoying your weekend. I’m currently driving back from Sedona. Well, my wife is driving while I type. I was asked by a small church to come up and preach for in place of their pastor who is on an anniversary retreat with his wife in Mexico.
Before I dive into the lessons, I do have a few things to discuss.
Test and Quiz Performance
Not that there isn’t still progress to make, but I did see an improvement on this past week’s test and quizzes. The grades on the most recent Greek and Latin roots review check were very good. Most students got 100% on it. In addition, the history test over the Byzantine Empire went very well. I think the class average was in the high 80’s, and there were many students who got an A or A-. Thank you for the support in this area. We are now trending in the right direction.
Chivalry Week
This week, students will have the pleasure of enjoying chivalry week. This is something fourth grade has done since Arete opened a little over four years ago. Each year there are parents who are suspicious about what happens, so I want to make sure I let you know about it before the students start the activity.
The main thing we want fourth-grade students to learn is that during the Middle Ages honor and manners were woven together. Today, this is often not the case. It is sadly something we’ve lost culturally, but are hopefully installing in your children.
Knights were an esteemed segment of the Middle Age society. They were honored for their great bravery on the battlefield and legends surround their heroism, like killing terrible dragons. However, courage on the battlefield was not enough for them. They also held to a strict code of chivalry, which was not limited to but dealt with relationships with their maidens. Knights would often consider themselves their maidens vassals, which was one to whom they swore their loyalty.
This week, ladies will be assigned a knight. There will be no aspect of romanticism involved. Instead, each person will serve the other through acts of kindness. Examples of this sort of kindness are that boys carry the girls’ backpacks, and girls clean the boys’ trash at lunch. Boys will seat girls when they enter the class, and girls will sharpen the pencils for the boys.
If you have any questions about this activity, please reach out to me. I expect it to have the same sort of success it has had in the past.
Homework Survey
The leadership team has passed out the results of the homework survey, and the fourth-grade team will review the data this week. Once we have discussed it together, we will release a joint message regarding what we’ve learned.
Nightly Science Homework
This past week, you may have noticed that your child brought their science notebook home to complete a nightly science homework worksheet. They will have four nights worth of homework to read on most weeks. These assignments are assigned for a few reasons. First, they are useful in helping students prepare for the state science test that students will take in April. Second, they are useful in reviewing content that they learned last year and this year. Last, and most importantly, they help students develop the skill of reading and comprehending informational text. Most of what we read in class is narrative, whether it be our literature selections or history texts.
However, I understand that this puts an additional weight on your child literally and metaphorically. Physically, the notebooks are heavy, and you may not want your child to bring it home every night because of the burden it is playing on your child’s back. If this is the cause, I just ask that they do more than one on the nights they bring their notebooks home. The readings aren’t very long. A child should be able to finish two or three of these in one night. They may always work ahead, but shouldn’t fall behind. Metaphorically, they are an additional homework assignment to add to the list. These nightly readings, however many minutes they take, should be counted toward your child’s 25 minutes of nightly reading. They should not read these for science and then be expected to read for another 25 minutes (unless you want them to).
Europe Project
In the same vein as my prior section, please know that whatever your child reads to complete the Europe project counts toward the nightly reading amount. Whenever they reason, whatever they read, counts toward the nightly reading amount. However, the poster board and essays should not count toward that time.
Picture Day – September 20th
Lessons
Grammar/Writing: This week, students will be reintroduced to predicate adjectives and predicate nominatives. These are words in the predicate (the part of the sentence containing the verb) that modify the subject. An example of a predicate adjective is: The man is kind. Kind, which is an adjective and is located in the predicate, is modifying the subject, man. An example of a predicate nominative is: The man is a dentist. Dentist, which is a noun and located in the predicate, is modifying the subject, man. Students will have a review day and will be tested on grammar at the end of the week.
History: This week will afford the students an opportunity to learn about knights and the important role of surfs (peasants) during the middle ages. They will also partake in chivalry week, which I noted above. They will end the week with a time of playing games and eating snacks (most likely popcorn) after discussing how the week went and reading about how the game of chess is based on the roles of people in the Middle Ages.
Literature: In literature, students will read through chapter 30 this week in The Princess and the Goblin. Students should be continuing to add to their STEAL sheets as we approach the end of the book. The STEAL sheet will be due on Wednesday of next week (week 8).
Poetry: This week, students will start the memorization of “Dreams” by Langston Hughes. They will be expected to recite the poem during the ninth week of this quarter.
Greek and Latin Roots: Students will be reviewed on the last three Greek and Latin roots this week. Next week, however, they will be quizzed on the first 22 roots of the year. In addition to memorizing this week’s roots, they should be reviewing all of them regularly.
Science: Students started the life science unit last week and will be continuing with it this week. This week, they will learn about the four things all living organisms require: water, food, living space, and homeostasis (stable living conditions). They will then spend the rest of the week studying classification and learning the main stages of taxonomy: domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, and species. Students will also learn about Carolus Linnaeus (the father of modern taxonomy) and how each animal has a binomial nomenclature (a two-name name). To help students memorize the main stages of the taxonomy is the mnemonic device: Dashing King Philip came over for grape soda.
Spalding: The Spalding regiment will be as usual. Students should continue to do homework as they have been. In addition, students should be working toward mastering their phonograms if they haven’t already done so. These will start being tested during the second quarter.
There is likely more to be said, but I will end here. I hope this information is beneficial to you as you support your child’s academic growth. If there is anything I can do to offer more support, please let me know.
Best,
Michael Naaktgeboren