“Welcome to the Fourth Grade”

The kids are back in school! Hooray! (Great!) Most schools in the U.S. begin their school year either in last two weeks of August or right after Labor Day, celebrated on the first Monday in September (yesterday).

To get you and especially our youngest listeners in the mood for (in the right emotional state for; ready for) school, here is a song created by a teacher who works just outside of Chicago, Illinois, that’s making the rounds (being shared by many people). He made this video and sent it to his new fourth grade students (ages nine and ten) and their parents to introduce himself and get students excited about the new school year.

I give it an A+! It’s fun and entertaining. (See the words to the video below to help you understand it.)

~ Jeff

Welcome to the Fourth Grade
by Dwayne Reed

Welcome to the fourth grade
So happy to meet you
Can’t wait ’till I see you
We’re gonna have a good time (have fun)

We’ll learn about science
Find ways to apply it (use science in the real world)
I bet (I’m sure) that you’ll like it
We’re gonna (going to) have a good time

Welcome to the fourth grade
Hello, I’m your teacher
My name is Mr. Reed
It’s very nice to meet you

I’m from Chicago
I love eating pizza
I dress to impress (to get others to have a good opinion)
But I still rock (wear and look good in) sneakers (tennis shoes)

This is my first year teaching
So it’s all really exciting
Got some ideas
And I’d really like to try them

Like making songs to remember what you hear
We’ll be learning so much by the end of the year

To my friends and my peers, the parents and the students
I’m ready, you’re ready, we’re ready, let’s do this (let’s begin) [yeah!]

But absolutely no daydreaming (not paying attention and thinking of other things)
Working hard until the bell starts ringing*

Welcome to the fourth grade
So happy to meet you
Can’t wait ’till I see you
We’re gonna have a good time

We’ll study mathematics
Division (÷) and adding (+)
And don’t forget fractions (for example, {\tfrac {1}{2}})
We’re going to have a good time

Welcome to the fourth grade

I’ll always greet you (say hello) with a smile
I’ll always try to make the lessons worthwhile (have value; worth learning)
When you do good work, I’ll acknowledge (show appreciation of it)
(Be)cause you’re headed off to (going to) work or to college
So we’ve got to keep it positive, that’s the key (most important thing)

Have respect for (be kind to and behave well toward) each other, and don’t forget me
Have respect for yourselves and the staff (workers in the school) and the school
Having fun can be cool when you’re following the rules
Time’s going to fly (time will go by quickly)
Before you know it you’ll be moving into grade five

But for now we’ll be working and learning and singing
All the way ’till the bell starts to ringing

Welcome to the fourth grade
So happy to meet you
Can’t wait ’till I see you
We’re gonna have a good time

We’ll learn about English
Write papers and read them
A-plus (A+, the best possible grade) and we’ll see them
We’ll have a good time

Welcome to the fourth grade
Go teacher [repeat]

* Schools ring (make sound) bells at the beginning and end of classes in U.S. schools

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12 Responses to “Welcome to the Fourth Grade”

  1. emiliano says:

    Watching the video I would like to be a boy and going back to the school with
    this nice and funny teacher.
    It´s great, I like it very much and it is so catchy tune that I don´t know how
    godd teacher he could be but sure as a singer, nice voice too, has future.

    Thank you Jeff, just a pleasure, I have listened to it twice or more.

    emiliano

  2. Elham says:

    hi,
    thank you Jeff for this lovely post
    you reminded me all of my school years. when I was a school girl I looked for in my teachers’ behavior something to attractive me to learn lessons better. some of them treated very bad that I didn’t enjoy to be in their classes. but a few were very nice and I never forget those times of schools.
    I think people never forget their school years, especially good teachers.

    So I thank the teacher whom you introduced in this post, he is one of the best teacher in the world and his sing is impressive.
    this kind of teacher should be supported and encouraged to be able to continue their jobs or responsibilities.
    I wish them best wishes
    hope to see these kind of teachers more and more
    Sincerely,
    Elham

  3. Tania says:

    Hi,
    The Hoover Dam, the Hoover Dam Bypass, and the Lake Mead are very nice.
    Thank you for revealing us such nice places.

    We have similar dams between mountains with reservoirs.
    For instance, the Vidraru Dam. It was ranked 5th in Europe and 9th in the world in 70’s,
    with a height of 166 m, and the arch length of 305 m. A little smaller than the Hoover Dam.
    A wonderful statue, Prometheus statue, near the Vidraru Dam.
    I visited the Vidraru Dam years ago.
    I’d like to see the Hoover Dam.

  4. Laura says:

    I like it, it is funny. Thank you Jeff.

  5. Pooyan says:

    Hello Dear ESLPod Team,
    Thank you for your awesome podcasts, it’s been more than a year that I have been listening to them. I can claim as they are my dictionary. Jeff and Lucy have done a wonderful job. I noticed something interesting while I was listening to the Podcast 1239-Sharing an online account. It is never mentioned by father that he has two children, but the person who is helping him points out that both of his kids are now logged in. Thanks again for your wonderful podcasts.

  6. Tania says:

    Hi,
    I can’t believe how the years pass by.
    English Cafe 339 / 2012. Topic: Herbert Hoover, the 31st President of the U.S.

    Talking about dams… We have the Iron Gates Dam between the Serbia and Romania
    on the River Danube.
    East of this site the Roman emperor Trajan had built the legendary bridge
    erected by Apollodorus of Damascus.

  7. Tania says:

    Hi,
    In my country, the gigantic Prometheus statue near the Vidraru Dam, Vidraru Hydro Power Plant…
    Why Prometheus?
    Prometheus is a Titan in Greek mythology who stole the fire from Olympus Mount and gave it
    to mankind (to people) against the will of Zeus.
    Prometheus represents the eternal punishment for his theft of fire from Olympus.
    Prometheus remains a major inspiration source for his poetic significance as a symbol
    of the fight, of the sacrifice.

  8. emiliano says:

    Children going to the school, that´s very good indeed at the end there will be silence
    under my bedroom and I could have a nap relaxed.

    I like the post very much Jeff, but It´s even better the fact of new blogers are writting
    now like Pooyan, Laura and Elham, that´s make me happy.
    Welcome to the three, it is a pleasure to have new friends here.

    Tania, you make me happy too.

    emiliano

  9. Tania says:

    Hi,
    Have you ever heard of “dreams of homeless people portrait photography” by
    Horia Manolache, a Romanian student at Academy of Art University in San Francisco?
    I have seen his photos on TV news. He is working on a new project
    “The Prince and the Pauper”, considering he has photographed real life homeless people
    and connected with them to understand , what they would have been , if they had the riches.
    He shot two photographs of the people, one which showed their present day state and the other
    was their dream job which they never had.

  10. Tania says:

    Hi,
    All schools from Romania begin their school year in September 15th.
    A rap song at the beginning of a new school year?
    I don’t know what to say.
    According to Wikipedia, “hip hop” or “rap” music is a subcultural movement.
    It is a very nice music performing it on a scene at a show, but at school for little children…
    But we have to be “open minds” for the new ideas.
    Thank you.

    All the best,

    Tania

  11. Aecio Flavio Perim says:

    Tania, you are so great by telling us the story fo Prometheus a Titan in Greek mythology who stole the fire from Olympus Mount and gave it to mankind (to people) against the will of Zeus. Prometheus represents the eternal punishment for his theft of fire from Olympus. Prometheus remains a major inspiration source for his poetic significance as a symbol of the fight, of the sacrifice.
    If you happen to have another one, please tell us on more.
    From Brazil
    Me

  12. emiliano says:

    Pets better than humans?

    Years ago I was reading in the paper that the increase of Taxes (IVA) here in Spain affects to our best friends who humans may have at home, their pets.
    The prices of veterinaries have increase so much that a lot of persons, old people mostly, can´t carry their pets to these professionals but also to buy the medicines for the animals have encreased a lot.

    But not only veterinaries or medicines for the pets have increased, also pets food now it is now very expensive.
    Too much expensive for people that have not enough even to buy food for themselves and retired people use to have pets and their money has decrease absolutely.
    Last year more than 100.000 dogs have been taken off from their houses only in Spain and it is for sure that even more are going to be abandonee, what is evidently a tragedy for the pets and for their owners.
    I can´t imagine doing that with Gatufo, I prefer to be hungry before doing such a thing, of course.

    Also it is said that euthanasy of the pets has encrease just a lot, the same with poor cats (nearly 30.000), just because for some more decent people it is imposible to mantaing their pets and they prefer that the poor animal doesn´t suffer being abandoned.

    For retired old people it is good to have a nice pet at their home, they feel better taken care of their friend and frequently it is the only reason to go out from home to walk.
    Healthy and good not to be so alone in doors. Going out from home is good for all these old people that frequently I could see if I go to the park or going for a walk near home.

    I am really concern about these news that affects me just a lot.

    Cats don´t need to walk but they need a lot o care, just playing with them is good and they give us their love againts so little from our part.
    That is just what Gatufo needs from me and the cat gives me all his love and nice company.
    This misery situation that we are going through has these kind of situations and it is really too sad.
    Old or poor families can´t have their pets at home because prices have encrease so much or their pesonal situation has gone from bad to worst.
    So bad for the animals, but even worst for us that can´t have our best friends at home because it is absolutely imposible now.

    Thanks God it is not my situation for the moment, and I prefer to avoid all kind of things before taken off muy dear Gatufo out home.
    This will be the last, unthinkable by all means. He gives me so much love that now I can not understand our life without our dear cat.
    He has changed our life for good, that is sure.

    I think it is another great mistake of this goverment, just to encrease the price of this little subjects that make our life better.

    This goverment, now is there not any, but it did so when it forget all the promises they made about not encreasing prices, IVA, and so forth. They are transpasing the red line month after month, and even not encreasing the pension of pensioners has been their great mistake. I could be just the drop that fills the glass and sure we are going to see it next elections.

    They say, the goverment, that the instructions come from Brussels. the European Bank, the
    rich countries from Europe that give us the loans and so forth.

    May be we could dispense the Government of ruling our country, the same with Greek, Italy, Ireland or Portugal and doing what Brussels or the European Bank order all of our poor countries.
    Doing this way we could save a lot of money that is being paid to our politicians, mayors, parliamentarians, community Presidents, senators, and plugged people.
    Just doing what Brussels said, Germany or other rich countries from the North of Europe said it should be sufficient to save our money not encreasing life in the way it is happening now.

    Evidently who gives the money gives the orders, and now it is not our time.

    But what come be done?. What about our pets? old people? un-employers?.
    I do think it is a REAL SHAME for us already but time is changing and being so proud about our past gives us really no any loans to survive.
    TILL WHEN?
    No body knows, but I am really piss off with all of this events.

    see you later. emiliano

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