The document provides information for parents of Grade 4 students at RIS for December 2012. It lists important dates in December including holidays and early dismissals. It reminds students to read at home for 30 minutes per night and complete assigned math, science, and social studies homework daily. In literacy, students are working on writing realistic fiction pieces and reading comprehension. In science, students are studying plant and animal structures. On February 22nd, students' science projects will be showcased. In social studies, students will create a family tree and timeline to apply their understanding of immigration concepts. The newsletter concludes by highlighting activities in each homeroom teacher's class.

1. Grade 4
DECEMBER
class newsletter
RIS
2012-2013

2. Important dates
 5 December—King’s birthday holiday
 21 December—1/2 day school
 22-31 December—Winter Break; return to school 14
Jan.
 16 January: Early Dismissal at 1:00pm
 25 January: No Uniform Day and Parent Coffee

3. HOMEWORK
 All students should be reading 30 minutes or more
each night, recording their book and time on their
reading log
 Math, Science, and/or Social Studies may also be
sent home each night for homework.
 All students are expected to complete homework on
time and submit it to their homeroom teacher DAILY.

4. Literacy
 Students have been busy writing their realistic/historical
fiction pieces.
 We will be working to increase their writing stamina and
engagement, as well as rehearsing their writing, collecting
ideas, drafting, revising and learning the overall structure of
writing a realistic fiction and historical fiction piece in
Writer’s Workshop.
 In Reader’s Workshop, students will focus on tackling
complicated literature with practice and instruction in
Historical Fiction. They’ll learn how to build interpretations
and how to listen closely to each other as they
read, carrying ideas across book club discussions and
across more than one text.

6. Science
 The kids have finished up Earth Materials and
have begun a unit on the structures of life. In
this, they will study different living organisms
and compare and contrast what makes them
“living”.
 Plants and Seeds
 Crayfish
 Snails
 All of these will be on display at the Science
Showcase on 22 February in Godbout Hall, 930-
11 am.

7. Grade 4 Learning
Project
Students will have the exciting
opportunity to apply their
understandings of Immigration
Social Studies
concepts by creating a Family
Tree using Thinglink or a Prezi, a
Time line by using
Dipity,Capsule, or Time Glider and
their Cultural Posters using
Glogster. RIS is all about 21st
Century Learning!
Students will need to address
the Big Ideas:
 What causes people to move?
 What effect does migration (or moving) have on
my own life and others?
 What connections can I make to my own
family?

8. Ms. Katie’s class

9. Ms. April’s class
Becoming
better
readers, wri
ters, and
scientists!

10. Mr. Joe’s class
Author’s Chair: Students sharing their stories with their peers.