St. Thomas More Cathedral School

4th Grade

St. Thomas More Cathedral School follows the Curriculum Guidelines of the Diocese of Arlington Catholic Schools. The core curriculum consists of instruction in the following subjects: Religion, Reading, Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Spanish

Students also participate in the following special classes: Art, Library Skills, Technology, Physical Education, Music

A variety of instructional methods are used including cross-curricular units, cooperative groups, direct instruction, discovery learning and hands-on activities. Homework is assigned to review lessons and practice skills.

An optional instrumental band program during the school day and an after-school choir program supplement music instruction. The instrumental band program is offered for grades 4 - 8 and the choir program is available for grades 3 - 8.

The instructional program is supported through the following: Title I Program, Resource Program, Educational Field Trips, Guest Speakers, Community Service

A word from the teachers about 4th grade...

Fourth grade participates in many fun activities to supplement the subjects that we learn. One of the favorite activities is our trip to Jamestown and Yorktown. We go back in time and live in the time of the American Revolution. To get a hands-on experience of graphing, we have an ice cream party for the lower grades. We tally how many people select the different flavors of ice cream and toppings. Then we put that data into graphs to determine what kind of ice cream and toppings are most popular. We meet with our prayer partners often and do lots of fun activities such as read together, play games, and do crafts. We have a “store” for our prayer partners where they will buy things – they get the practice of handling money, we the practice of adding and subtracting with decimals. We use lots of software programs to enhance our instruction and have fun at the same time. Toward the end of the year when we study the Civil War, we have a campout under a tent. We eat stew, write letters to our loved ones we left behind, dress in Civil War uniforms, march in lines, and sing songs. During the last week of school we have a reading beach party. We dress up in shorts, t-shirts, and sandals, and read “under the sun” while drinking lemonade and listening to the waves of the ocean. It reminds us to read during the summer. The students write a newspaper to tell about the different activities we do and what they think of fourth grade. Even though we are busy, we have lots of fun.

Ms. Magruder

Mrs. Winstanley

pmagruder@stmschool.org

Ms. Magruder as taught for over 20 years. She attended Mary Washington College (now University) for two years. She got her undergraduate degree from George Mason University, and her masters from Marymount. She keeps up her credentials by taking classes through UVA. Ms Magruder was an Episcopalian and converted to Catholicism after one year of teaching at St. John’s in McLean where she taught for five years. She has taught grades 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8. She has lived in Northern Virginia all her life. She is single and does not have any children (unless you count all her students).

lwinstanley@stmschool.org

My name is Laura Winstanley. I recently moved to Arlington, VA after my marriage in August. My husband is a nuclear engineer for the Navy and is stationed at the Naval Yard in Washington D.C. I grew up in Evansville, IN and attended Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN.

I graduated from Purdue University in 2008 with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education. Upon graduation I obtained a position teaching 4th grade at Good Shepherd School in Evansville, IN. This is currently my second year teaching.
I am very excited to be a part of St. Thomas More Cathedral School! I am a firm supporter of the mission of Catholic schools. I believe Catholic education to be essential for the moral, spiritual, and intellectual development of our children. I, myself, am a product of Catholic education having attended Catholic schools (with the exception of college) all of my life.