Fourth Grade

Many of our faculty have administered the ERB quite a few times over their years at Rossman. They have gotten to know the detailed set of directions read before each testing section quite well. These typically conclude by saying that we cannot answer questions about the test during testing and encourage students to ask any questions before starting. This year, one student quietly raised a hand and asked his teacher, “I do have a question. Why do we take this test?” Thankfully, our Rossman faculty understand the importance of answering that question. Ever wondered this yourself? Below I...Read more

Year after year, we witness fourth graders burst with excitement when participating in our service project, supporting the Humane Society. It’s easy to see how much children love animals. More recently, we’ve noticed this affection in our fourth grade Zoom meetings. During any given virtual gathering, you may see dogs, cats, hamsters and other beloved family pets pop on the screen while hearing a collective “awww” from the class. While many of us feel a deep connection with animals, children in particular form especially strong relationships with our furry friends. The best part is that...Read more

You’ve heard English teachers talk about passive and active voice, but people don’t often pay the same attention to passive and active listening. As humans, we each experience passive and active listening every day, and both play important roles in our lives. People often assume that passive listening is a bad thing, but it’s not, and it occurs often. Whether you’re humming along absentmindedly to music while driving, or zoning out while smiling and nodding at an acquaintance who’s telling a long-winded tale, there will always be moments of passive listening in your day. Everyone is a...Read more

Comprehension is an essential part of the learning process. This constructive process is one that requires students to make connections in order to understand what they are hearing and reading. Comprehension should be interactive between teachers and students. This is where students learn to become problem solvers, infer, compare and contrast, relate what they are learning to background knowledge, among many other meaning-making benefits.

Comprehension is a vital skill to one’s everyday life no matter what walk of life he or she is in. Students must be able to make connections in...Read more

Thinking about elementary school may bring up memories of multiplication facts, phonics, or memorizing state capitals. But what about research projects? For Rossman students, research projects are a core component of education. Surprisingly, the experience may not be all that different from your own experience in middle or high school, with a few modifications to ensure that it’s safe and developmentally appropriate for our students....Read more

What do you think about when you hear the word dance? Most likely, half of you smile ear to ear and the other half cringe at the thought. That is pretty close to the reaction our Upper School students have when we announce our dance unit each year.

The first week of the unit is spent listening to music, learning to find the beat and practicing setting each move or combination of moves to an eight-count. Each year, we also study a specific dance style, so students have at least four different types of dance in their repertoire upon graduating.

After this introduction, students...Read more