Mr. James Filoso
GRADE 4
Language Arts, Challenge Reading, Social Studies, Math
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DISTANCE-LEARNING INFORMATION
LETTER SENT BY EMAIL TO FAMILIES 3/16/20
Dear Families,
I hope you and your families are doing well during this challenging time. Below you will find a schedule of the major
academic classes for each day over the coming weeks. In essence, students will log into their google classroom accounts
visit the subject folder for daily assignments/activities.
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Subject
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Day
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Location
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Reading
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Posted Monday, Tuesday & Thursday by 9 am
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Your reading teacher’s Google Classroom
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Language
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Posted Wednesday & Friday by 9 am
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Your language teacher’s Google Classroom
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Math
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Posted daily by 9 am
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Your math teacher’s Google Classroom
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Science
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Posted Wednesday & Friday by 9 am
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Mrs. Bellantoni’s Google Classroom
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Social Studies
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Posted Tuesday & Thursday by 9 am
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Mr. Filoso's Google Classroom
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In addition, there will be assignments/activities for media center and physical education on Mondays, music on Tuesdays,
art on Wednesdays, Spanish on Thursdays, and technology on Fridays. You will be advised about how to access those classes.
I will be available for immediate responses to emails Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., should you have any concerns or
questions.
It is important that we concern ourselves with mental/emotional/spiritual well-being in addition to physical health.
With this in mind, feel free to reach out if I can provide support in this way to our young people.
Best wishes,
Jim Filoso
SCHEDULE of CLASSES
Lesson Topics - April
CHALLENGE READING
Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays
(40 min classes)
Independent reading and writing a response; iReady; VocabULit
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS/WRITING
Wednesdays & Fridays
(40 min classes)
Writing a Memoir - including all items on Master List/Rubric; revisions/editing; polishing for publication
Free-writing options
SOCIAL STUDIES
Tuesdays & Thursdays (20 min classes)
History of April Fools' Day; History of Atlantic Highlands; Future Ephemera: Journals, Videos, & Photos of our Personal History project
MATH (40 min classes)
iReady; Area & Perimeter; Fostering Fraction Sense
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OUR CLASS OPERATING PRINCIPLES
HERE YOU WILL SEE US....
Being a team that makes sure everyone learns, succeeds, and feels proud
Creating an encouraging place where we feel safe
Apologizing and forgiving
Knowing when to express and when to listen
Caring even when it is difficult
Making sure no one feels badly
Celebrating hard work and achievement
Asking for clarity and listening
Helping others to understand without being degrading or pompous
Looking out for those who need
Smiling, welcoming, including
Having compassion
GRADING POLICIES, STUDY GUIDES, TESTS, SIGNATURES, ETC.
Please review grading policies sheet that you should keep at home. This sheet explains the grading philosophy, how marking period grades are determined, homework, making up work when absent, and tests.
Study guides are distributed about one week before major tests. Students may earn extra credit points on tests if study guides are signed and returned at the time of the test. Study guides are not distributed for short, in-class graded assignments or quizzes.
All tests and assignments that are graded need to be signed and returned.
HOMEWORK
Please ask your child exactly what he/she learned in each class each day. Read the assignment pad and check that assignments are completed. Test dates, project due dates, and other information can be found in the assignment pad as well.
PLEASE DISREGARD THE LESSON TOPICS BELOW UNTIL DISTANCE-LEARNING ENDS. SEE DISTANCE-LEARNING INFORMATION ABOVE.
CURRENT LESSON TOPICS
Please note that quiz/test dates may need to be adjusted from time to time. Check here, assignment pads, study guides for updates.
CHALLENGE READING
INDEPENDENT READING LOG/RESPONSE:
Select independent reading book, read, complete log, written response from many choices; due Fridays New reading log options beginning in late January.
Use of Fountas & Pinnell reading levels
VOCABULARY:
VocabULit workbook
Lessons assigned most Mondays, workbook pages usually due Thursdays, quizzes from time to time covering several vocabulary lessons.
Lesson 12 - week of February 24
Lesson 13 - week of March 2
Lessons 12 & 13 Quiz - Wednesday, March 11.
CURRENT INSTRUCTION:
SIGN POST TEST - Corrections due no later than Monday, March 9.
STRATEGIES FOR CLOSE READING: POETRY
Introduction to Poetry. Biographical background on Emily Dickinson. Videos, close reading, discussions, and instruction & practice of strategies for reading poetry. Anchor text: Emily Dickinson, "In the Garden".
Assessments: Project on Emily Dickinson (due Friday, March 6); Test applying strategies to another Emily Dickinson poem (TBA/week of March 16)
Next:
Strategies for Close Reading: Non-Fiction/Informational Texts
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS
CURRENT INSTRUCTION:
EXPOSITORY WRITING (ON-GOING)
Frequent, in-class writing exercises to build foundational skills: stamina, organization, craft, and mechanics.
Writing practice exercises based on Expository Writing Master List
Assessments: Writing exercises, trimester assessment
WRITING A MEMOIR
Mentor texts: Saturdays & Teacakes and student-written memoirs.
Creation of Master List of features of great memoirs.
Lessons and Workshops: planning and organizing a memoir, using transitional words, writing dialogue, etc.
Assessments: Memoir features test. Student-written memoir graded against master list.
Test Date: Tuesday, March 3
Memoir due date: TBA/mid-March.
NEXT:
Writing a Non-Fiction/Informational Text booklet.
MATH
CURRENT INSTRUCTION:
iReady
Individualized computer program (45 minutes/week; on-going)
Multiplication Facts
One-A-Day program.
Unit 3 - Multiplication Strategies
Multiplying 1-digit numbers by up to 4-digit numbers
Multiplying 2-digit numbers by 2-digit numbers
Area Model
Expanded Algorithm
Videos, instructional/practice packets, group work, targeted support
Test date: Friday, March 6
Next
Division: Area Model
(Quiz date: around March 11)
SOCIAL STUDIES
Mr. Filoso teaches social studies to both fourth-grade classes.
CURRENT INSTRUCTION: INTEGRATING HISTORICAL INFORMATION:
Black History Month
The history of Black History Month
Exploration and investigation of prominent Black historical figures.
Focused research on one person of interest.
In-class project: poster of one important historical Black individual
Women's History Month
The history of Women's History Month
Exploration and investigation of historically-important women.
Focused research on one important woman of history.
Assessments: In-class project: poster (graded) on one individual (due around March 6) along with results of BrainPop quiz.
New Jersey's Government
Videos, texts, organizers to understand the branches of government, the history of our Constitution, etc.
Research & writing activity: Scavenger hunt to find answers to questions about our state and local governments, presented in well-written sentences. Using government websites to understand the roles of government in New Jersey and in Atlantic Highlands.
Assessment: Activity/Responses to state and local government exploration questions
Later:
Document-based questions
SPECIALS / ADDITIONAL CLASSES & INSTRUCTION - SCHEDULE FOR 4FILOSO
MONDAY - GYM AND SPANISH
TUESDAY - ART AND TECHNOLOGY
WEDNESDAY - ART AND MUSIC;
- INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC LESSONS (as scheduled)
THURSDAY - TECHNOLOGY AND HEALTH
- INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC LESSONS (as scheduled) & AM BAND
FRIDAY - MUSIC AND GYM
- MEDIA CENTER (according to alternating schedule)