There’s something special about ending the week with a little dirt on our hands and smiles on our faces! This Friday, our students had the joy of spending time outdoors with Mrs. Denise, learning all about hard-work, and the importance of teamwork to complete a project. They loosened soil with their shovels and pulled a ton of weeds. Our students learned that sometimes the best lessons don’t come from a textbook, but from the soil beneath our feet.
Exploring Kinetic and Potential Energy
This month we have explored how potential and kinetic energy work together. When you tap the first domino, it falls and hits the next one, transferring kinetic energy — the energy of motion. Each domino passes that energy along in a chain reaction. It’s a simple but powerful way to explore cause and effect.
The domino effect isn’t just fun — it’s science in motion. Engineers use this same idea to understand how one event can trigger another in systems like machines, computers, or even natural events like avalanches.
Teamwork matters! One small mistake could stop the chain, so communication was key.
Celebrating Constitution Day in Fourth Grade! 🇺🇸
Today we celebrated Constitution Day—a very special day in American history! On September 17, 1787, the Founding Fathers signed the U.S. Constitution, the important document that created the rules for our government. It’s kind of like the “rulebook” for our whole country!
In class, we learned that the Constitution begins with the Preamble, which explains the big ideas: justice, peace, safety, freedom, and fairness. We talked about how these ideas still matter in our lives today. Students imagined what laws they would add if they were writing the constitution.
The Constitution reminds us that our voices matter and that laws are made to protect everyone. Even as fourth graders, we can practice being good citizens by being kind, respectful, and responsible.
Acrostic Poems
Students created acrostic poems using words from the story like CHARLOTTE, Wilbur, and Templeton. Each line showed what they’ve learned about kindness, bravery, and friendship. Or in the case of Templeton, being naughty.
Word Webs
To grow our vocabulary, we built word webs describing ourselves. Students searched words throughout magazines and built their own word web. Our webs showed us how one powerful word can spin out into so many ideas—just like Charlotte’s web itself!
🪂 Parachute Spiders
We ended our study with a hands-on activity: parachute spiders! Students designed small spiders that “floated” down like ballooning spiders in nature. Just like Charlotte’s babies in the story, our spiders traveled through the air on silky parachutes.
Welcome to an exciting new school year in fourth grade! I’m so glad to see so many smiling faces ready to learn, grow, and take on new challenges. Fourth grade is a big step, and I know it’s going to be an incredible year for all of us.
📸 Recess time is a chance to build friendships and teamwork.
🌟 Here’s to a fantastic school year in fourth grade! Together, we’ll make this year filled with learning, laughter, and success. 🌟
It’s hard to believe the school year is already coming to a close. As I look back on these past months, I can’t help but smile at how much growth, learning, and laughter we’ve shared together in fourth grade. This class has truly been something special. We’ve tackled multiplication and division, explored fractions, experimented with science, and dove deep into history. We became stronger writers, thoughtful readers, and curious thinkers. We learned how to support each other, how to work through challenges, and how to celebrate success—not just our own, but each other’s too. What I’ll remember most, though, are the little moments—the jokes that made us laugh until we cried, the teamwork during group projects, the excitement during read-alouds, and the pride on your faces when something finally clicked. Each one of you brought something unique to our classroom, and it wouldn’t have been the same without you.
To my amazing fourth graders: I am so proud of all you’ve accomplished. You’ve grown not just academically, but as friends, leaders, and thoughtful human beings. You are ready to take on the adventures of fifth grade—and I can’t wait to hear about all the great things you’ll do. Wishing you a fun, restful, and well-deserved summer break. Keep reading, stay curious, and don’t forget to be kind—always.
Police officers do more than enforce the law—they are an integral part of the communities they serve. Beyond their daily duties, many officers dedicate time to community service, strengthening relationships and fostering trust.
We wanted to show our appreciation to these brave men and women. Police officers were treated to popcorn and a pop of their choice. Thank you to Texarkana Police Department. You are so appreciated!
Celebrating Grandparents Day: Honoring Love, Wisdom, and Legacy
Grandparents hold a special place in our hearts. They are our storytellers, our biggest supporters, and the keepers of family traditions. Grandparents Day is a beautiful opportunity to honor their love, wisdom, and the important role they play in our lives. Grandparents provide a unique blend of love and experience that shapes who we are. Whether through bedtime stories, life lessons, or simply being there when we need them, their presence is invaluable.
Fourth graders completed their piñata projects and presented them to their parents. Students had to recite their materials in Spanish and show off their hard work. Parents and students enjoyed a delicious Mexican meal prepared by Mrs. Perri. Thank you Senora Perri for the fabulous food! 🪅🌮🫔
Candlelight 2024! These beautiful girls and handsome boys put on a wonderful performance. Candlelight is such a special ending to the 2024 holiday season.
Book Character Day was a great way to celebrate the Fall Season. Fourth graders dressed up as their favorite book and shared the reasons why they chose their character. We followed up with a hayride and pumpkin patch visit.
Students researched their piñata of choice and gathered all materials to create their piñata. This process takes several weeks of hands on learning, problem solving, and of course using their imagination. They will present their projects in November to their parents with a delicious meal from the Mexican culture.
Students working on piñatas with Mrs. Denise and Mrs. Perri. Check back in November for our finished projects!
"Friday Fun: Fourth Graders’ Favorite Library Adventures!"📚
"Friday Recess Fun: The Best Part of the Week for Fourth Graders!"
The new school year has started and we have some excited fourth graders. We have spent the week getting to know some new faces at St. James and learning all about our class rules and procedures. This week has been super fun and ended with a matter experiment…Root Beer Floats Matter!
Root Beer Floats Matter!!
Solid-Liquid-Gas🧑🔬
Giving back to the community is an important part of our St. James culture. This year fourth graders planted flowers and helped beautify the outdoor patio area of Windsor Cottage, an assisted living facility. Our students also provided entertainment and were welcomed with many smiles.
Students discovered facts about each of the planets and created their own projects in class. Each student had a partner and learned how to share responsibilities to create their own display board. The groups had to make a model to go along with their display and present it to different groups of parents and students.
🪐🌎☄️
These St. James entrepreneurs worked super hard the last few months creating their very own Shark Tank product. They had to come up with an idea for their product and pitch it to their parents and other special visitors. Fourth graders created business cards and websites for their specific product. Check out these amazing innovative ideas. 🦈
Grandparents Day is an opportunity to recognize and celebrate the important role that grandparents play in our lives. Today our Grandparents and special friends were able to experience the St. James culture by attending chapel. Fourth grade performed a well known Spanish folk song entitled, De Colores. The lyrics are an expression of happiness and celebration that our world is full of so many colors. We had the Best Day celebrating our favorite people!
