Dear Fourth Grade Students,

I hope you are having a wonderful summer, filled with fun activities, some rest and of course great books!  I am having a great summer.  I am busy planning my wedding, which happens in early August, and am enjoying time with my parents and sister who live in Center City Philadelphia.  Of course I am also busy getting ready for the school year and our time together and so I wanted to share with you some of the things that excite me about the upcoming school year.

 
First of all, I am really looking forward to having you all over in the Armat Street building!  I am also particularly excited about our social studies curricula.  We will be studying Ancient Greece and asking ourselves, “How is the way we live today influenced by the Ancient Greeks?”  We’ll look closely at the Greeks’ system of government, artistic endeavors, architecture and religion.  We will even build a model of an Ancient Greek city in our classroom.  Of course this will also include a study of Greek mythology and our 4th grade wax museum.

 
This Social Studies unit is just one part of the diverse curriculum for this year.  Get ready to read lots of “just right books,” write our own fiction stories, and learn partial quotients division.  We will also spend time with our cluster (3rd and 4th grade) playing at recess, going on fun field trips and working on community service projects.

Overall, we as a learning community will share in a variety of experiences that are unique to fourth grade.   We will explore what it means to be a leader in our community.  You will all get the chance to learn how to clerk a LS Town Meeting, introduce or close a LS assembly, and teach some third grade students about something you love during our choices program.

There are some preparations that need to be made before beginning the school year. Please gather the materials listed on the supply list (there is a list of Spanish class items at the bottom) and bring them to school with you on the first day.  Also I am eager to hear all about your favorite books from your summer reading and to see all the great work you did in your math packets.

While the end of the summer can be bittersweet, I am SO EXCITED to meet and work with you this school year.  See you soon!

Warmly,
Your teacher, Emma