Week 2

Dear Parents and Students,

We have made it through our first full week, and already, we are beginning to establish our routines and standards in the classroom.

We have completed all of our primary assessment tasks, and we have commenced our regular curriculum for Grade 4.

Maths

We are almost finished our first topic, dedicated to numeration. This topic is largely review, so we have felt quite comfortable with most of the material. We will review the topic on Tuesday, before holding our first Math test for the year on Wednesday.

Literacy Workshop

We have been very busy, having already completed reading tasks, a number of short exercises in writing, a Spelling pretest, and two grammar workshops. Next week, we will be reading Grandfather's Journey, the first of our many selected stories from the Reading textbook. We will also try our hand at writing a Haiku poem.

Science

We had a lot of fun this week, as we investigated rocks and minerals. Whoever would have thought that rocks could be so interesting? Photos of our investigations are included in an album via the link at the bottom of this post. We will review our investigations early next week, before moving on to explore how many of these rocks and minerals came to be.

Social Studies

We have been learning some new vocabulary, along with different ways to describe a place's location. We will begin next week with testing our map skills, then we will turn our focus to landforms in the USA, and how they compare to other parts of the world.

Announcements

As mentioned in last week's update, our Parent Introductory Evening will take place next Thursday, 5^th September, at 6:30pm. We will begin with a general introduction in the auditorium, then move to the classrooms for presentations by homeroom teachers. I look forward to meeting you all then.


Dates to remember:

Tue. Sep. 3: Spelling test – List 2

Wed. Sep. 4: Math test – Topic 1

Thu. Sep. 5: Parent Introductory Evening, 6:30 pm, Auditorium (B1)

Mon. Sep. 16: Clubs begin

Fri. Sep 13: Moon Festival – school closed

Fri. Sep. 27: Monthly Assembly – parents welcome!

Mon. Oct. 1: PD Day, students not required at school

Click here for more pictures of our Science Lab

Our class rules have been established and are now displayed on our bulletin board.

Student of the Week, Week 2

Congratulations to Suin!

Suin has set some very high standards for herself, and is already working very hard to achieve them. She has also shown extraordinary awareness for the first few weeks at school, looking out for her classmates and paying attention to detail. An outstanding start to the year, Suin. Well done!

Homework, Thursday, 29th August

Maths: Practice 1-4 Rounding Whole Numbers; Enrichment 1-4 Rounding Around
Reading: Read Grandfather's Journey pp.62-74 before Monday.


Science: Click here if you would like to watch this morning's mini lesson again:
Why does this rock look like a sponge?

Homework, Wednesday, 28th August

Maths: Practice 1-3 Comparing and Ordering Whole Numbers; Enrichment 1-3 Follow the Leader

Social Studies: Click here to play a very fast Continents Quiz game. If you would like to, post your fastest time in the comments section below.

Homework, Tuesday, 27th August

Maths: Practice 1-2 Millions; Enrichment 1-2 Puzzling Place values

Spelling: Review List 2 Test next Tuesday

List 2 – Contractions   Click here for Spelling City quizzes and activities

Core Words

cannot can’t don’t haven’t won’t

wouldn’t I’d I’ll let’s we’re

I’m didn’t o’clock that’s there’s

Challenge Words:

minute

stretch

instead

ninety

divide

Social Studies: If you would like to review today's vocabulary, you can use this slideshow.
Also, you can try the activities on Quizlet.

Did you enjoy today's story? If you would like to, you can read it again here:

Homework, Monday, 26th August

Maths: Practice 1-1 Thousands; Enrichment 1-1 Changing Places
Read! for at least 20 minutes each night.
Science: Click here if you would like to watch our lesson about mushrooms again: How can we tell if a mushroom is poisonous?

Please return your locker deposit form at your earliest convenience.

PE on Monday. Don't forget your uniform!

Week 1

Dear Parents and Students,

Welcome to the Grade 4 Weekly Update. This update will be published each Friday afternoon, with all of the important news and information regarding Grade 4. You will also be able to find pictures of special activities, posters of special events, and photos of our Students of the Week. Please check below for pictures of the past few days.

Our first three days have run very smoothly. We have a respectful and attentive group, and this should ensure that we achieve all of our goals throughout the year.

We have spent time this week establishing our routines and procedures, and we have developed some very creative ideas for how to present our classroom rules – rules that have been devised and agreed upon by the class as a whole. We enjoyed a team-building exercise on Friday morning, and it was great to see everyone cooperating and working together.

On Monday we will begin our regular schedule, and I’m confident that it won’t take very long for us to find a rhythm in our routine, and we will soon be working at maximum capacity. Thank you, to all parents, for completing and returning all of the various forms, both in hard copy and online.

Our Parent Introductory Evening will take place next Thursday evening, 5^th September, at 6:30 pm. I look forward to meeting you all then.

Students, thank you for a very smooth first ‘week’ at school. Enjoy a restful weekend, and I will see you all on Monday!

 Click here for photos of our first week in Grade 4.

Homework, Friday, 23rd August

There is NO homework on weekends at HIS!

If, however, you would like to explore Achieve 3000 before our next lesson next Friday, you can find your account here: portal.achieve3000.com

Happy reading, and enjoy your weekend!

Homework, Thursday, 22nd August

Log in to Class Dojo.

That's all!   :-)  😊

Who made emojis?

CLick here if you would like to watch the lesson again:
Who made emojis?

No homework! But...

...if you would like to watch the aliens lesson again, you can find it here:

Mystery Science: Are Aliens Real?

Grade 4 2019-20 Weekly Schedule

Dear Parents and Students,

Here is the 2019-20 Grade 4 Schedule. The schedule can also be found via the Class Schedule tab on the homepage of the blog.

Please note that Computer Studies and PE (Physical Education) will NOT take place this  Wednesday, 21st August, but will begin next week.

Welcome to Grade 4 at HIS!

Dear Parents,

Welcome to Grade 4 at HIS! 

My name is Eddie Costello, from Melbourne, Australia. I first arrived in Taiwan in 2004, and I have since settled in Hsinchu and started a family.

I have been teaching in Hsinchu for the past 15 years, and this is my ninth year at Hsinchu International School. I greatly look forward to beginning the school year, and I am pleased to be teaching your children.

Please take time to read the following information. If you have any questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to contact me at this email address.

·      Please note that class begins each day at 8:20 am. We will begin each day with the morning meeting. All students are expected to be in class and ready to begin by this time. Students who are late to this meeting will miss important information about the day ahead. The classroom will be open and supervised from 8:00 am each day. Please try to avoid dropping your child at school before 8:00 am.

·      Please also note that school will start on Wednesday, August 21^st. I look forward to meeting all my new students on Wednesday!

Homework, homework book and communication:

Each day, homework assignments and other important information will be sent home in the Homework Assignment Book. Please ensure that you check this book each day, and sign your initials in the appropriate space. In addition to ensuring that all homework is completed, important messages in the book will keep you up-to-date and well informed in regard to your child’s progress. Space is provided for any questions, queries or comments you may have.

Class Blog

Homework, important messages and updates will also be posted on this blog. Please check here frequently, as it will also include useful links, important dates and events, and other information.

Nutrition Break

As part of our daily routine, we have a healthy nutrition break each morning. Please help to promote good eating habits by providing your child with healthy snacks, and avoid providing snacks that contain added sugar. A healthy snack will help your child to focus on class work during the long stretch between the beginning of school and lunch.

Physical Education Clothing

All students should wear appropriate clothing for PE class. The HIS PE uniform is ideal for warmer weather, but is not mandatory. Clothing for warmer weather includes shorts, t-shirt, and a hat. For colder weather, exercise pants or loose pants, and a loose shirt or sweater is recommended. Clothing layers are recommended in case the weather changes. Please note that, for safety reasons, running shoes should be worn for all PE lessons.

·      A spare change of clothes kept at school can be very handy in the case of your child wanting to change after PE class, and also in the case of any unexpected spills or accidents that may occur.

Please see the following post regarding stationery supplies.

Grade 4 Stationery List

Grade 4 Stationery List

·      4 pencils

·      1 pencil sharpener*

·      2 erasers

·      2 red or green ink pens

·      1 compass and protractor set (see picture below)

·      1 ruler - (showing both centimeters and inches, preferably 30cm long**)

·      1 pair of scissors

·      1 glue stick (solid glue, e.g. “UHU stic”; no liquid glue, please!)

·      markers – for decorating

·      packet of sticky notes (e.g. Post-It Notes)

·      school bag

·      box of tissues

·      personal water bottle (please fill with water only)

·      hat/cap for P.E.

·      warmer shirt / sweater to be left at school (for when students find themselves chilly in the classroom)

·      a top to be used for protecting clothes during art and science classes

* Please only bring a small sharpener that can fit inside a pencil case or desk drawer. A larger, mechanical sharpener is also available for the whole class to use.

** Please avoid bringing a ruler longer than 30cm, as it will not fit inside your desk.

For Art Class:

·      water soluble colored pencils (12 Color Set)

·      2 sketching pencils (4B)

·      2 white plastic erasers

·      2 permanent felt tip black markers

·      1 pair of scissors

·      1 water brush – It is a paint brush that you put water inside. They are available at most stationery shops.

 Compass and Protractor

  Water Brush

Please mark all belongings with your child’s name.

Thank you for your attention. I look forward to seeing you all on Wednesday!