Grade 4 Weekly Newsletter
September 17-20
Curriculum
Reading:
This week we will focus on retelling. Retelling helps students orient themselves when they feel like some many things are happening in their book and it helps their partners understand what they are talking about. Students will take notice that retelling happens everywhere around them. Retelling takes place when good friends are talking about exciting events or when families are talking at the dinner table.
Student will learn that there are several ways to retell such as chronological retells and synthesising retells. When retelling chronologically, students will start at the story’s beginning and take big steps through the story, telling the key events. This helps orient their partners who are not familiar with the book and helps students who tend to get bogged down with the details and the small events. When retell by synthesising, students will think through the part they just read and reach back to add in earlier parts that add meaning to the passage they want to share.
Lesson 13: Retelling stories by starting at the beginning
Lesson 14: Retelling stories by starting with now and backing up
Lesson 15: Learning to listen intensely
Essential Questions
- How can I take charge of my reading life?
- What strategies best support and strengthen reading comprehension?
Writing:
This week students will finish revising their first fiction story of the year! Students will celebrate with their classmates and give each other meaningful feedback using our narrative checklist. By the end of the week students will choose another story to write. Their goal will be to write independently using all the skills and strategies they have learned so far.
This week’s lessons:
Lesson 13: Using mentor texts to flesh out characters
Lesson 14: Editing with Various Lenses
Lesson 15: A Celebration of our first fourth grade fiction story
Lesson 16: Launching Independent Fiction Projects
Essential Questions
- How can I write long and strong and with independence?
- How can I write a fiction story that is similar to published short stories and picture books?
Mathematics:
We are continuing Module 1 in Math. This module is where students extend their work with whole numbers. They develop their understanding of place value and number patterns of ten times. We move into addition and subtraction of multi-digit numbers using the standard algorithm. Students will begin to use these strategies and the tape diagram to solve word problems.
Mid-Module Reflection: Grade 4 students will be bringing home their mid-module assessments along with a reflection form. Please return this to classroom teacher.
This is a time that you can sit down with your child and reflect upon their math learning journey so far this year. Highlighting their success on this assessment is very important as is identifying areas of challenge. Through setting goals and exploring accomplishments students continue with a growth mindset. “They believe that their qualities can be cultivated through their efforts.” (Carol Dweck, Mindset, 2006)
Here is the LINK to the Growth Mindset video we began to watch at Back To School Night. We suggest you watch it with your child and discuss what might create a positive math classroom at school. How can you build a positive math relationship with your child?
Mathematics Essential Questions:
- What strategies can be used to compare multi-digit whole
numbers?
- How do patterns in our number system help in understanding
mathematics?
- How can strategies be used to solve multistep word problems?
- How can the reasonableness of a solution be determined?
The lessons are as follows for this week:
Topic E: Multi-Digit Whole Number Subtraction
Lesson 1: Use place value understanding to decompose to smaller units up to three times using the standard subtraction algorithm, and apply the algorithm to solve word problems using tape diagrams.
Lesson 2: MAP Mathematics Testing
Lesson 3: Use place value understanding to fluently decompose to smaller units multiple times in any place using the standard subtraction algorithm, and apply the algorithm to solve word problems using tape diagrams.
Lesson 4: Solve two-step word problems using the standard subtraction algorithm fluently modeled with tape diagrams, and assess the reasonableness of answers using rounding.
Science:
This week in Science we will continue to work with the electricity portion of our unit. We will review the parts of a circuit, and then look at series and parallel circuits. Students will connect one, two and up to three lights in a series. We will also look at conductors and insulators. We will test various items to see if they are conductors or insulators. We will also discuss our upcoming inquiry project. We will look at the interests of the students in this area, and try to narrow down their projects.
Essential Questions:
- What is magnetism?
- What is electricity?
- What do scientists do when working in a lab?
- How are magnetism and electricity related?
Grade 4 Homework:
Daily homework tasks will be written into student planners each day. Tasks may include reading for 20-30 minutes per night, writing for 10 minutes per night along with additional mathematics work. Homework may differ according to teachers and students. Any mathematics homework that students find challenging please advise their homeroom teacher so they can progress accordingly. Homework is not meant to be impossible, challenging for students to grow their brains, but not impossible!
Guidance News: Digital Safety Update
This week students will learn how to manage online privacy in order to protect their personal information. They will learn what kind of information is considered personal and why it is important to protect it. Students will learn a simple way to remember personal information that should not be shared online without talking to your parent or other trusted adult. This is called Y.A.P.P.Y = personal information unique to YOU that should not be “yapped” about online.
It stands for:
Y – Your full name
A – Address
P- Passwords
P- Phone Number
Y – Your Plans
Students will bring home a copy of Y.A.P.P.Y to be posted on the refrigerator as a reminder of the personal information that should not be shared online without first talking to a parent or other trusted adult.
Upcoming Events
Sept. 10-20: MAP testing grades 3-5. See blogs for schedules.
Sept. 19: Peace Day assembly in the main gym at 8:00 AM.
Sept. 21: Holiday Islamic New Year. No school for students.
Sept. 25: Early release day. School ends at 11:30 AM.
Sept. 26: Announced Fire Drill 10:50 AM.
Sept. 28: Student health records due. If records have not been received students cannot attend school on Sept. 28.
Announcemements
Counseling corner
Interesting Article
We are always looking for more positive ways to help children deal with mistakes. Attached is an informative article from CreativeChild.com by Rebecca Eanes about alternatives to time-outs. 3 Alternatives to Time-Out That Work!
Growth Mindset
We used to think that our intelligence was fixed and little change happened throughout our lives. Scientists have proven that this is not true and our brains are like muscles- the more we use them the stronger they become. People with a fixed mindset avoid challenges and are threatened by feedback where people with a growth mindset embrace challenges and learn from feedback. Below are some ways that we can help our kids develop a growth mindset:
1. Praise the process, effort and goal setting instead of how smart they are.
2. Talk with them about their day with guided questions like, “Did you make a mistake today? What did you learn?”
3. Encourage failure. Kids need to know that failure happens and it is okay? They need to know that each time they try and fail, their brain is growing.
4. Help them change their dialogue. If they say, “this is too hard!” help them to change that to, “I can’t do this yet, but I will if I keep trying.”
Remind them that each time they learn something new their brain is making a new connection.
Here is a short article, “Parenting: What to Teach Your Children When They’re Not in School”, based on growth mindset.
Carey Harris Dana Purpura
Guidance Counselor School Counselor
charris@g-cacegypt.org dpurpura@g-cacegypt.org
CAT4 (Cognitive Ability Test)
Cairo American College is focused on meeting the needs of every student. In order to do this, educators need to have multiple sources of information. This information tends to be data from teacher observations, student work, discussions, in-class assessments and activities, and external assessments, like MAP, ACT and SAT.
After a year of studying ways to meet the needs of all students and provide appropriate levels of challenge, CAC has decided to administer an additional assessment in Grades 4 and 7: The CAT4 (Cognitive Ability Test.) This assessment provides information about a student’s cognitive and reasoning abilities. The information from this assessment tends to be valid for three years, as a result we selected Grades 4 and 7 for implementation.
Purpose: The CAT4 would provide educators with information about a child’s cognitive and reasoning abilities (MAP shows students performance.) The CAT4 is not about school achievement, rather it provides an indicator of general ability and potential. This information is helpful to correlate with in-class student performance and MAP indicators to create a more complete picture of a student.
Uses: Educators would use this information to ensure that students are being challenged appropriately within classes and courses. Parents would receive a report showing their child’s score on the CAT4. Student performance on the tests would not affect their report cards in any way.
About the Test: The CAT4 is from the United Kingdom. The test is divided into three 45 minute sections: Verbal Reasoning, Numerical Reasoning and Spatial Ability. The entire test is taken on the computer. More about the test is here.
Taking the Test: The test will take place in October. Students will likely take different portions of the test on different days. A schedule will be created on consultation with classroom teachers in order to minimize disruptions. After testing, parents will receive a copy of the results.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Thank you,
David Chadwell - dchadwell@cacegypt.org
Director of Teaching and Learning
Repeated Announcements
After School Activities
This week, students (Gr.1-5) will go directly to their after school activities. Looking forward to a great session,
Check ASA Website for updates.Click this link ASA Web.site
Ereeny Gawdat Gergess (egergess@cacegypt.org)
ES Activities Coordinator
Announced Fire Drill
Throughout the year, we do talk to students about what to do in case of fire, earthquake, or intruder, with the subject matter and terminology adjusted for the grade level. The safety and security of our students is our highest priority, and through preparations in advance, we can ensure that students and staff know what to do in the case of an emergency. Our first drill for the year will be September 26 at 10:50 AM. If you are on campus at that time please follow instructions from Ms.Ereeny.
Peace Day
The Peace Committee is planning a bake sale on Sunday, September 17th. Our theme this year is “Together for Peace: Respect, Safety and Dignity for All.” We are trying to build peace through meaningful actions such as raising money for the National Cancer Institute.
If you are willing to participate in this Peace Bake Sale, please let your son/daughter bring their baked goodies in the morning to the ES Office, September 17 morning. Sales are on:
ES – ES Lawn Area after school – 3:00 – 3:45. Items will be sold for 15 L.E. each. Your contribution always makes a difference!
CAC Peace Assembly: Tuesday, Sept. 19th, 2017
“Peace is not something you wish for; it's something you make, something you do…”
CAC will hold an all school assembly next Tues. Sept. 19th from 8.00am - 8.30 am in the Main Gym. All parents are invited to attend. (Please wear your Peace Day t-shirt or any white t-shirt to the event).
MAP Assessment Information
During the weeks of September 10 – September 20, CAC ES will administer Measures of Academic Progress® (MAP®). Students in Grades 3-5 will take tests in Reading, Language Usage, and Mathematics. We encourage students to be well rested and to have a good breakfast to be at their best (important guidelines for every day), but emphasize that this is only one way for them to show us what they know. It is taken together with classroom assessments and observations to help with our picture of who each child is as a learner. See grade level blog for schedule information.
Attendance Information
Spirit Store hours: 7:45-10am, 11am -12:30pm, and 2:30-4pm.
From the Health Office
Please remember to complete an updated Annual Student Information form for 2017 - 2018 school year. If you have more than one child attending CAC, please complete a form for each. Students entering grades 3, 6 and 9 also require a medical examination completed by a physician.
Please find the Annual Student Information Form 17-18: HERE and the Student Medical Exam Form 2017/18: HERE. You can also pick them up from the Health Office.
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