Mr.

Currys 4th Grade

Class
Welcome Students
and Families!
Welcome to 4
th
Grade!
This is an important year
for you!
I will give you an
introduction to 4
h
Language
Arts and Social Studies and
to our classroom.
If you have any
questions, please be sure to
ask me.
All About Me
My Background
I grew up in San Francisco.
I attended parochial
grammar school and
attended St. Ignatius College
Prep.
I attended San Francisco
State University and
graduated with a Multiple
Subjects Teaching
Credential and 2 BA degrees
in Liberal Studies and in
History.
All About Me
My Experience
Ive been teaching since
1981, in San Francisco,
Oakland and San Jose.
I am now returning for my 9th
year at Vinci Park. I spent 8
years at Piedmont Middle
School in the middle.
I have taught 4
th
through 8
th

grades, but 4th and 5
th
are my
current favorite grades to
teach.
My Family

4 brothers and 3 of
us are teachers











I teach
7
th
grade
Near
Phoenix
I taught 1st
h

grade in
Yuma
Arizona
I teach 5
th

grade at
Vinci Park
I work for
Denny's in San
Diego, but I live
in Tijuana,
Mexico
My Family

My Wife Noel She often
will help us out by going on field
trips when she can.
She works at NASA and at
Stanford University.
I met her when I was 18 and
finally asked her to marry me
17 years later. Talk about
procrastination! We have been
married for 20 years now.

I have been
a surrogate
father to a
former
student since
his parents
died when he
was in his
teens. I am
now playing
the role of
being a
grandfather
to his kids,
now aged 15
and 13.
My Other Job Union President

I am the President of the
400 member California
Teachers Association of
Berryessa
Most Tuesdays I am not
at school as I have a
release day to do teacher
union business.
Mrs. Patterson will be my
regular substitute every
Tuesday so students will
have an uninterrupted
program.

My Interests

I am a huge San
Francisco Giants
fan and of the San
Jose Giants minor
league team as well.
I am also a life-long
fan of the 49ers and
Warriors as well.

I love to travel. In the past 10 years I
have been to Ireland, England, New
York City, Chicago, New Orleans, LA
and 3 trips to Washington DC

Goals
Students will learn the content and the skills
needed to succeed academically and socially.
Students will learn in a supportive, safe and
nurturing learning environment.
We will have fun while we learn.
Students will be introduced to the jobs of the
future and they will be encouraged to start
preparing for their future.
Class Content
We will cover all the subjects and topics that
our state believes are important for students to
learn during 4th grade.
We will use a Project Based Learning
approach, especially in the content areas. This
will also involve cooperative learning activities
and the use of technology throughout the
curriculum.
Reading/
Language Arts
We use the state adopted Houghton-
Mifflin Reading program.


We also have students read a variety
of quality literature as well.

Reading/
Language Arts
This year, we will be fully implementing the
Common Core Standards in which literacy skills will
be focused on in Science and Social Studies as
well.
The literacy block will normally be for 75 minutes each
morning
We will also be using Accelerated Reading to help
students find their appropriate reading level from which
they can succeed.

Reading/
Language Arts
This year, Mr. Currys class will be
participating in 3 additional reading
programs.
Reading Is Cool Students keep track of
the # of pages they read each month and
they can qualify for awards. Last year Mr.
Currys class got a trip to the Shark Tank!
Book It! Students can earn free Pizza Hut
pizzas for reading books.
Newspapers In Education- SJ Mercury
News and San Francisco Chronicle Free
online newspapers for all students and
families

Writing
We will be using the district's
adopted Step Up to Writing
writing program throughout the
district in grades K-8.
Mr. Curry requires a
minimum of 1 composition per
week plus book reports and
research projects.
History / Social Studies
Students will study California from prehistoric
times through the 1850s.
We will study the land forms, California Indians,
Explorers, Colonization, the Missions, The Gold
Rush, statehood and modern California.
We will also do special units on native people,
immigration and modern Civil Rights, focusing on
the treatment of Japanese Americans and Latinos.
Students will also do a long term
County Project.

4th Grade Math
We will cover the
CCSS standards in
Math through our
curriculum and a
series of other
resources.
Educational Websites Mr. Currys Class
IXL 4th
Grade
Math
IXL 5th
Grade
Math
IXL
4th
ELA
IXL 5th
ELA
4th
Grade
5th
Grade
http://www.bbc.co.uk/
skillswise/maths
Text Resources for Students
http://www.bbc.co.uk/skillswise/maths
PBL Units Being Planned
We will connect these units with our Eco-
Project in cleaning up Vinci Park City Park
adjacent to our school as part of the citys Adopt-
A-Park program.
We will be learning about our planet, our
ecosystem as well as about electricity and
magnetism. Part of our study of our planet will be
as part of Project Astro. In this program, our
class will partner with a Stanford astrophysicist
who does work for NASA.
Science Camp
Scheduled for this year
Fundraising Encouraged
Check it out at:
Official Walden West Website ,
Vinci Park at Camp 2003-04
Mr Curry missed Walden West so much, he returned
from 8 years in exile teaching middle school.