Fourth Grade
Mrs. Graham
egraham@trinityhudson.org
My Favorite Bible Verse
“For I know the plans I have for you”, declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” - Jeremiah 29:11
My Greatest Joy in working in a Christian School
I enjoy building a foundation in Christ in mind, body, and spirit that will last students and parents a lifetime.
I Love Trinity Academy because
We have a very supportive community of staff and parents who love to help each other!
About Me
Wisconsin has always been my home state. I graduated from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls where I majored in elementary education. Teaching is something I have been looking forward to since elementary school. I have also desired to work in children’s ministry, and working at Trinity provides a wonderful opportunity to tie them both together!
Dear Parents and Students,
Welcome to fourth grade at Trinity! I am looking forward to working with you throughout this new school year. I am excited to get to know each of you and I would like to give you a chance to read a little more about me.
I grew up in River Falls, Wisconsin and am thrilled to be in my third year teaching here. Four years ago I was married and my husband and I moved to Georgia for two years where I taught middle school. We were thrilled to get the call to come back home!
When we have free time we enjoy reading, movies, eating ice cream, walking, playing tennis, and going to concerts and plays together. We also enjoy a yearly trip to the North Shore where we sit by the lake and enjoy the work of local artists. In January, we are looking forward to the arrival of a baby!
I hope that you have all had time to rest and relax during this summer break as well. As we enter this new school year, I anticipate a wonderful year of working together to make it a successful year for each student and family here. I know that God has chosen each of us for this place and time, and I look forward to seeing where he takes us!
Peace and blessings,
Mrs. Emily Graham
egraham@trinityhudson.org
Welcome to fourth grade at Trinity! I am looking forward to working with you throughout this new school year. I am excited to get to know each of you and I would like to give you a chance to read a little more about me.
I grew up in River Falls, Wisconsin and am thrilled to be in my third year teaching here. Four years ago I was married and my husband and I moved to Georgia for two years where I taught middle school. We were thrilled to get the call to come back home!
When we have free time we enjoy reading, movies, eating ice cream, walking, playing tennis, and going to concerts and plays together. We also enjoy a yearly trip to the North Shore where we sit by the lake and enjoy the work of local artists. In January, we are looking forward to the arrival of a baby!
I hope that you have all had time to rest and relax during this summer break as well. As we enter this new school year, I anticipate a wonderful year of working together to make it a successful year for each student and family here. I know that God has chosen each of us for this place and time, and I look forward to seeing where he takes us!
Peace and blessings,
Mrs. Emily Graham
egraham@trinityhudson.org
Monday: Pajama and Hot Cocoa Day
Tuesday: Field Trip to Concordia University - pack a cold lunch with a drink
Wear Trinity uniform tops with jeans or uniform pants
Wednesday: Sunday best for Chapel; Lit Circle groups meet
Thursday: Decade Day; Pop and Popcorn Day
Friday: spelling definitions and sentences due; spelling test
Publish Fables
Team USA Day
School Talent Show
We are in desperate need of kleenex boxes. If you are able to donate, we would very much appreciate it!
Spelling list: shells, crabs, liquid, fact, butterfly, discovered, cast, lobster, hatch, expert, mineral, dolphin, systems, clam, imprint, kelp, caterpillar, depth, skeleton, fungus CHALLENGE: ancestors, disaster, microscope, snout, weird BONUS: technology, circumference, temperature
*We will start a new unit in science after spring break called Structures of Life.
*tudents have individual assignments for math. Please check your child's assignment book to see what they are working on right now.
*Students should be marking their "Homerun Reading" calendar every day with at least 20 minutes of reading time. These need to be turned in at the beginning of every month. It is part of report card grading.
*March's Bible verse is:
"He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands so that you will not strike your foot against a stone." Psalm 91:11-12.
*Music - practice 10 minutes of recorder 5 days/week. Songs change every 1-3 weeks and vary by class.
Health: We have been discussing keeping clean, including what germs are out there!
Language Arts:
1. http://www.internet4classrooms.com/skills_4th_original.htm
2. http://www.toonuniversity.com/free/elementary-education-4th-6th.asp
3. http://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/ language_arts/pmp/interactive_guide/g04/g04home.htm
4. http://writingfix.com/
5. http://www.canteach.ca/elementary/prompts.html
Students have a weekly writing assignment. We will begin on Tuesdays, with the final, published copy due Friday.
Each student is part of a Literature Circle group that meets Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Every child has a role for his/her group. It is important that your child come to his/her group prepared with their assignment finished. Please check your child's planner to see what the assignment is for our next Lit Circle meeting.
Math:
1. http://www.internet4classrooms.com/skills_4th_original.htm
2. http://www.aaamath.com/grade4.html
3. www.mmhmath.com then choose McMillan/McGraw Hill-Math under “program” and choose WI as the state. This site correlates with our math curriculum.
4. www.funbrain.com A word of caution: a few "games" for older children ask for an email address in order to "return game results". Parent supervision is recommended to teach students about this type of activity online.
5. http://math.about.com/od/wordproblem1/ss/gr4wp.htm
Religion:
Bible Study will begin the first week of November. Youth Pastor Brandon Perry will lead boys in grades 3-5 while Mrs. Bystrom and Mrs. Graham will lead the girls in grades 3-5.
Science: We are starting a new unit called "Earth Materials". We will study different types of rocks and discuss what rocks are made up of. If you have an interesting rock, please encourage your child to share it with our class.
Social Studies:
We are beginning our study of the Midwest.
Spanish:
1. www.bilingualplanet.com On the left-hand side of the home page, there is a button called "Student Activities". Just click it and another page will open up -- on top is "English" and on the bottom is "Spanish" - choose this one. There are numerous links to web-sites with on-line practice, pronunciation or games. Some of them I have already used, i.e. www.spanishspanish.com, kiddiegames.com, digital dialects, etc. For example, in many of them, you can click on the alphabet letters and hear them pronounced, play hang-man, concentration, etc. and choose your category of vocabulary practice.
2. Another fun activity is to go to the River Falls Public Library web-site, and they have a link to "Tumble Books". They have storybooks on-line to read, and quite a nice selection in Spanish. You can read along with the books and follow the sound and animation as the pages are turned.
Language Arts:
1. http://www.internet4classrooms.com/skills_4th_original.htm
2. http://www.toonuniversity.com/free/elementary-education-4th-6th.asp
3. http://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/ language_arts/pmp/interactive_guide/g04/g04home.htm
4. http://writingfix.com/
5. http://www.canteach.ca/elementary/prompts.html
Students have a weekly writing assignment. We will begin on Tuesdays, with the final, published copy due Friday.
Each student is part of a Literature Circle group that meets Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Every child has a role for his/her group. It is important that your child come to his/her group prepared with their assignment finished. Please check your child's planner to see what the assignment is for our next Lit Circle meeting.
Math:
1. http://www.internet4classrooms.com/skills_4th_original.htm
2. http://www.aaamath.com/grade4.html
3. www.mmhmath.com then choose McMillan/McGraw Hill-Math under “program” and choose WI as the state. This site correlates with our math curriculum.
4. www.funbrain.com A word of caution: a few "games" for older children ask for an email address in order to "return game results". Parent supervision is recommended to teach students about this type of activity online.
5. http://math.about.com/od/wordproblem1/ss/gr4wp.htm
Religion:
Bible Study will begin the first week of November. Youth Pastor Brandon Perry will lead boys in grades 3-5 while Mrs. Bystrom and Mrs. Graham will lead the girls in grades 3-5.
Science: We are starting a new unit called "Earth Materials". We will study different types of rocks and discuss what rocks are made up of. If you have an interesting rock, please encourage your child to share it with our class.
Social Studies:
We are beginning our study of the Midwest.
Spanish:
1. www.bilingualplanet.com On the left-hand side of the home page, there is a button called "Student Activities". Just click it and another page will open up -- on top is "English" and on the bottom is "Spanish" - choose this one. There are numerous links to web-sites with on-line practice, pronunciation or games. Some of them I have already used, i.e. www.spanishspanish.com, kiddiegames.com, digital dialects, etc. For example, in many of them, you can click on the alphabet letters and hear them pronounced, play hang-man, concentration, etc. and choose your category of vocabulary practice.
2. Another fun activity is to go to the River Falls Public Library web-site, and they have a link to "Tumble Books". They have storybooks on-line to read, and quite a nice selection in Spanish. You can read along with the books and follow the sound and animation as the pages are turned.
March Events:
*Prayer families are families that are prayed for by the staff as well as our class. If you have a specific prayer request that you would like to share with me, the staff, or our class please let me know. Prayer families for this month are: Sullivan, Thompson, Thorsheim, Barksdale
5: Walk to Public Library
6: Feed My Starving Children
12: Early Release 1:45
15-19: Spring Break
16: Wendy's night
*Prayer families are families that are prayed for by the staff as well as our class. If you have a specific prayer request that you would like to share with me, the staff, or our class please let me know. Prayer families for this month are: Sullivan, Thompson, Thorsheim, Barksdale
5: Walk to Public Library
6: Feed My Starving Children
12: Early Release 1:45
15-19: Spring Break
16: Wendy's night
Fourth Grade Schedule
Monday
8:30-8:45 Morning Activity
8:45-9:00 Morning Meeting
9:00-10:15 Language Arts
10:15-10:30 DEAR/Snack
10:30-10:50 Literature
10:50-11:35 Math
11:35-11:53 Recess
11:53-12:23 Lunch
12:25-1:05 Social Studies
1:05-1:35 Health
1:35-2:15 Science
2:15-2:35 Recess
2:35-2:40 Water/BR break
2:40-3:25 Phy Ed
Tuesday
8:30-8:45 Morning Activity
8:45-9:00 Morning Meeting
9:00-10:15 Language Arts
10:15-10:30 DEAR/Snack
10:30-10:50 Literature
10:50-11:35 Math
11:35-11:53 Recess
11:53-12:23 Lunch
12:25-1:08 Art
1:08-1:55 Science
1:55-2:38 Religion
2:38-2:58 Recess
2:58-3:25 DEAR
Wednesday
8:30-8:50 Morning Activity
8:50-8:55 Morning Meeting
8:55-9:30 Chapel
9:30-9:45 DEAR/Snack
9:45-10:45 Language Arts
10:45-11:00 Literature
11:00-11:35 Math
11:35-11:53 Recess
11:53-12:23 Lunch
12:25-1:10 Social Studies
1:10-1:53 Music
1:53-2:35 Science
2:35-2:55 Recess
2:55-3:25 DEAR
Thursday
8:30-8:45 Morning Activity
8:45-9:00 Morning Meeting
9:00-10:15 Language Arts
10:15-10:30 DEAR/Snack
10:30-10:50 Literature
10:50-11:35 Math
11:35-11:53 Recess
11:53-12:23 Lunch
12:25-1:10 Social Studies
1:10-1:53 Spanish
1:55-2:38 Religion
2:40-3:25 Phy Ed
Friday
8:30-8:45 Morning Activity
8:45-9:00 Morning Meeting
9:00-10:15 Language Arts
10:15-10:30 DEAR/Snack
10:30-10:50 Literature
10:50-11:35 Math
11:35-11:53 Recess
11:53-12:23 Lunch
12:25-1:05 Social Studies
1:05-1:45 Science
1:45-2:05 Recess
2:05-2:45 Library/DEAR
2:45-3:25 Classroom Celebration
Monday
8:30-8:45 Morning Activity
8:45-9:00 Morning Meeting
9:00-10:15 Language Arts
10:15-10:30 DEAR/Snack
10:30-10:50 Literature
10:50-11:35 Math
11:35-11:53 Recess
11:53-12:23 Lunch
12:25-1:05 Social Studies
1:05-1:35 Health
1:35-2:15 Science
2:15-2:35 Recess
2:35-2:40 Water/BR break
2:40-3:25 Phy Ed
Tuesday
8:30-8:45 Morning Activity
8:45-9:00 Morning Meeting
9:00-10:15 Language Arts
10:15-10:30 DEAR/Snack
10:30-10:50 Literature
10:50-11:35 Math
11:35-11:53 Recess
11:53-12:23 Lunch
12:25-1:08 Art
1:08-1:55 Science
1:55-2:38 Religion
2:38-2:58 Recess
2:58-3:25 DEAR
Wednesday
8:30-8:50 Morning Activity
8:50-8:55 Morning Meeting
8:55-9:30 Chapel
9:30-9:45 DEAR/Snack
9:45-10:45 Language Arts
10:45-11:00 Literature
11:00-11:35 Math
11:35-11:53 Recess
11:53-12:23 Lunch
12:25-1:10 Social Studies
1:10-1:53 Music
1:53-2:35 Science
2:35-2:55 Recess
2:55-3:25 DEAR
Thursday
8:30-8:45 Morning Activity
8:45-9:00 Morning Meeting
9:00-10:15 Language Arts
10:15-10:30 DEAR/Snack
10:30-10:50 Literature
10:50-11:35 Math
11:35-11:53 Recess
11:53-12:23 Lunch
12:25-1:10 Social Studies
1:10-1:53 Spanish
1:55-2:38 Religion
2:40-3:25 Phy Ed
Friday
8:30-8:45 Morning Activity
8:45-9:00 Morning Meeting
9:00-10:15 Language Arts
10:15-10:30 DEAR/Snack
10:30-10:50 Literature
10:50-11:35 Math
11:35-11:53 Recess
11:53-12:23 Lunch
12:25-1:05 Social Studies
1:05-1:45 Science
1:45-2:05 Recess
2:05-2:45 Library/DEAR
2:45-3:25 Classroom Celebration
Faith Formation
At Trinity Academy, we incorporate the Christian life-style into all areas of the curriculum. To help students further their understanding about our Father as well as how we should live our lives, students participate in a Religion curriculum developed by Concordia Publishing House (CHP). The year begins with the history of the Old Testament through creation and the patriarchs. Students continue through the New Testament exploring the life of Paul, the beginning of the church, and Jesus’ life through his ministry and resurrection. Students are encouraged to develop their relationship with Christ, and to apply Biblical principles to their daily lives inside and outside the classroom.
Reading
Fourth grade students are developing and improving many reading skills and are exposed to a variety of both fiction and nonfiction books. Students practice specific reading skills through a short story from the Macmillan/ McGraw-Hill curriculum. Over a longer period, they also participate in literature circles as they read novels with a small group and interact with the literature through oral and written responses. These literature circles allow students to put the skills they have learned into practice.
Writing
Students engage in writing in various ways. Writer’s workshop is a portion of the morning devoted to developing writing skills. As students engage in the writing process through expository, persuasive, and narrative writing, they develop the skills they have learned in the grammar component of language arts. Each piece of writing provides the opportunity to plan, draft, edit, revise, and publish their work.
Writing and reading are combined as students respond to different texts read in the classroom. Some of these responses include the writing process, book reports, and keeping a journal.
Writing and reading are combined as students respond to different texts read in the classroom. Some of these responses include the writing process, book reports, and keeping a journal.
Spelling
The fourth grade spelling words are taken from the reading text as well as content in other subjects. Words are grouped together based on spelling rules such as long or short vowel sounds. Students will see these words used in context throughout the week and will learn how to use them in their own reading and writing responses.
Handwriting
Fourth grade students practice correct letter formation, and are improving on writing legibly in cursive. Letter size, slant, spacing, and alignment are important elements of writing that are practiced.
Science
The science curriculum takes students through six areas of exploration: the human body, trees, the earth’s land resources, animals, weather and climate, and light energy. Principles learned through these units are discovered through hands-on experiments, critical thinking, and teacher assigned projects. Through science, students are able to discover more of God’s creation, and to connect their scientific knowledge to God’s word. We use a variety of resources in science such as Harcourt, Concordia, and Foss Kits for hands-on experiences.
Math
Students’ mathematical skills are being learned and refined through the Macmillan McGraw-Hill curriculum in fourth grade. The year begins with a review in place value and working with money. Students build on their knowledge through improving their addition and subtraction skills, multiplying and dividing with two digits, graphing, working with decimals, practicing fractions and probability, and learning measurements. Geometry is introduced by the end of the year, and elements of algebra are found woven throughout the curriculum. Students learn these concepts through exploration, teacher-guided instruction, and hands-on activities using math manipulatives.
Social Studies
Social Studies Alive is a curriculum that students begin and end the year with. They journey across the United States learning about the land, resources, and people grouped in each region. During the exploration of the Midwest they will take a break and begin working with the Gibbs-Smith Wisconsin Journey fourth grade curriculum which allows students to learn about Wisconsin's rich history and how the state was created. Through a variey of activities, worksheets, and projects, skills are developed such as interpreting and using maps. A field trip to the Sunnyview one room school house and log home brings their journey into history alive.
Art
Continuation and expansion of the elements of art and artists such as Kandinsky and Klee illustrate and enhance the learning objectives. The principals of design continue to be taught.
Click here to learn more about Art.
Click here to learn more about Art.
Music & Band
In the upper level grades, students explore advance tonal and rhythm exploration, improvisation, two-part singing, rounds, and music theory. They play simple instruments while singing and play along to various types of music. Correct posture, breathing, and vocalizing techniques are taught throughout the year. These students complete a year long comprehensive study of comprehension study of composers from various time periods on a historical time line. Fourth and fifth grade students have the opportunity to play band or orchestra instruments and also to participate in private piano lessons that are available during the school day. Cooperation with a local private school allows the band and orchestra students to play in an ensemble band and orchestra. Students are required to participate in the annual Christmas Musical and spring choral concert.
Click here to learn more about Music.
Click here to learn more about Music.
Technology
Practices touch keyboarding techniques and uses a “presentation software” program. Fourth graders use “special features” of a word processing program in a document and are able to identify and use simple search engines and directories.
Click here to learn more about Technology.
Click here to learn more about Technology.
Physical Education
The primary focus continues to be mastering skills while using game strategies. Fourth graders are expected to know basic rules of game and skills sets so that participation in games may continue with less guidance. More time is spent playing actual games rather than skill-work activities. Knowledge-based assessments are continued in the sporting units.
Click here to learn more about Physical Education.
Click here to learn more about Physical Education.
Spanish
Spanish learners will be able to speak in short sentences. Heavy emphasis is placed on speaking in Spanish as well as talk about themselves in Spanish to one another. Correct pronunciation is stressed. Verb conjugation in the present tense is introduced. Students work on writing in paragraph form.
Click here to learn more about Spanish.
Click here to learn more about Spanish.