Grade 4 Weekly Newsletter
October 1-5
Curriculum
Reading:
This week, fourth graders will be starting their second reading unit of the year, Interpreting Characters: The Heart of the Story. Students will be encouraged to check if they are reading just right books and take book recommendations from others. When retelling, readers will keep track of characters names to help them summarize important events.
Teachers will be reading aloud, The Tiger Rising by Kate DiCamillo to model how readers think, question and interpret the author’s craft. We will be look at metaphors, symbolism, and theme.
Lesson 1: Reading Intensely: Building a Foundation to Grow Substantial Ideas
Lesson 2:Taking Responsibility for Reading Lots of Within-Reach Books
Lesson 3: Collaborating to Create a Culture of Reading: An All-Hands-on-Deck Call
Lesson 4: Retelling and Synthesizing to Cement Comprehension
Essential Questions
- How do story events affect characters?
- How and why do readers track how their characters change over time?
- How do readers share and grow ideas with others?
Writing:
Our next writing unit is titled, Boxes and Bullets: Personal and Persuasive Essays. Students will start by learning the structure of an essay. Then they will set up goals that they would like to meet or even exceed during this unit. Writers will be encouraged to use several different strategies to help them brainstorm ideas for persuasive essays. Our goal this week is to come up with many seed ideas in order to turn them into thesis statements next week. Talking to your child about topics they have strong feelings about would be most helpful.
This week’s lessons:
Lesson 1: Essay Structure Boot Camp
Lesson 2: Collecting Ideas as Essayists
Lesson 3: Writing to Learn
Lesson 4: Using Elaboration Prompts to Grow Ideas
Essential Questions
- How can I use my ideas to develop an essay which is well-organized and persuasive?
- How can I become more independent?
Mathematics:
Unit Conversions and Problem Solving with Metric Measurement
We are beginning Module 2 in Math. This module is where students convert within the metric system (mass, weight, volume, length). They will also solve two step addition and subtraction word problems involving measurement.
Essential Questions:
- How does measurement data presented in tables illustrate units by size?
- Why is it important to understand relative size?
- What strategies help to efficiently and accurately solve word problems?
The lessons are as follows for this week:
Topic A: Metric Unit Conversions
Lesson 1: Pre-Assessment for Module 3.
Lesson 2: Express metric length measurements in terms of a smaller unit; model and solve addition and subtraction word problems involving metric length.
Lesson 3: Express metric mass measurements in terms of a smaller unit; model and solve addition and subtraction word problems involving metric mass.
Lesson 4: Express metric capacity measurements in terms of a smaller unit; model and solve addition and subtraction word problems involving metric capacity.
Topic B: Metric Unit Conversions
Lesson 5: Use addition and subtraction to solve multi-step word problems involving length, mass, and capacity.
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?
Science:
We have completed our Magnetism and Electricity lessons and are now going to devote our time to our Inquiry Project. Our Inquiry Project is when we are searching for an answer to our question on magnetism, electricity or both. Students may wonder, “How can I make a boat that moves in water?” Students would then explore ways to make this work using magnetism or electricity.
Students think about what project they want to do, make a plan on how to proceed, decide on which supplies to use, make the project, and present the project to class.
This is a student project. Parents may advise their children, but the students are to make the projects. Students will do all of the work (magnetic and electrical) at school. However, a student may do ‘non-magnetic or electrical’ work at home. ie. they may build their house at home, or a miniature stadium. But the lights and magnetic portions of their project need to be done at school.
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!
Upcoming Events
- Tuesday, Oct 3: 4F assembly 7:55-8:25 AM. Parents are welcome.
- Tuesday, Oct 4: Grade 3-5 MAP reports go home.
- Thursday, Oct 5: CAT4 Assessment Grade 4 students.
- Sunday, Oct 8: ES Family Picnic 12:10-12:50. ·
- Tuesday, Oct 10: DEAR (Drop Everything And Read) assembly. Parents welcome, bring a book.
- Wednesday, Oct 11: MAP meeting for Grade 3-5 parents, ES 1st Floor Common Room (1:15 - 1:45 PM).
- Wednesday, Oct 11: Presentation by Christy Curran: Promoting Writing With Your Child, ES 1st Floor Common Room (2:00 - 3:00 PM). Bring a pen.
- Tuesday, Oct 17: 3C assembly. Parents welcome.
- Tuesday, Oct 17: Global Math Week Parent Workshop 8:30-9:30 AM.
- Thursday, Oct 26: Halloween parade at 2:30 PM. Parents are welcome.
News
Counseling Corner
Interesting Article
We are always looking for relevant articles to share with the community. I recently found an interesting article in The Atlantic regarding screen time and happiness. Take a look and let us know what you think.
Interesting Article
We are always looking for relevant articles to share with the community. I recently found an interesting article in The Atlantic regarding screen time and happiness. Take a look and let us know what you think.
"If you were going to give advice for a happy adolescence based on this survey, it would be straightforward: Put down the phone, turn off the laptop, and do something—anything—that does not involve a screen."
Transitions
The beginning of the school year should be an exciting time, but it can also be stressful for kids. Whether your child is new to CAC or is just adjusting to coming back from the summer break, a level of anxiety or stress is to be expected. While the first five tips address things to do before the year begins they are relevant for anytime. Please don’t hesitate to let us know if you have any concerns about your child's transition.
The article was written By Hannah Boyd for Education.com
Carey Harris Dana Purpura
Guidance Counselor School Counselor
charris@g-cacegypt.org dpurpura@g-cacegypt.org
Announcements
ES Family Picnic - 8 October
Every trimester parents are invited to picnic on the ES lawn and tables. It is a lovely time to meet other families and share a little of your child’s day. Our first ES Family Picnic for the year will be October 8. Grades KG-5 lunch from 12:10-12:50 PM.
Every trimester parents are invited to picnic on the ES lawn and tables. It is a lovely time to meet other families and share a little of your child’s day. Our first ES Family Picnic for the year will be October 8. Grades KG-5 lunch from 12:10-12:50 PM.
Parents of Students in Grade 3-9
Individual student MAP reports will be distribute on Wednesday, October 4. Please look for them from your child.
On Wednesday, October 11, David Chadwell (Director of Teaching and Learning) will hold a session for parents with students in grades 3-9 to explain the reports, provide some overviews regarding MAP performance, and answer questions.
Elementary School 1st Floor Common Room - 1:15-1:45 PM
David Chadwell
Director of Teaching and Learning
Global Math Week
From the 15th to 19th October the CAC elementary school will be celebrating Global Math Week, the world’s biggest community mathematics event. The aim of the event is to unite one million students around the globe in a shared experience of joyful uplifting mathematics. During this week at CAC there will be a number of different mathematical activities going on for students and families to enjoy. These include:
- During their math class that week, students will participate in the Global Math Week focus activity - Exploding Dots!
- A Math Trail will be set up around the elementary school grounds. Students and families can complete the tasks during recess or after school and submit their responses each day. At the end of the week a display will showcase the most creative solutions.
- A Problem of the Day will be posed to challenge our most dedicated mathematicians. Parents are allowed (and encouraged) to help!
- A Parent Workshop will provide an opportunity for parents to share in the joy and fun of Exploding Dots alongside their children, and will share some tips for keeping the math fun going at home.
The ultimate goal of Global Math Week is to change the way the world sees math. We want to help our students appreciate math as joyful, relevant, meaningful and creative. Join us in celebrating the wonder of math!
Global Math Week Parent Workshop
Tuesday 17th October, 8:30 - 9:30am
Challenge Series (CCS) - Grade 2 - 5 Students
This year, the ES is offering a new lunchtime sports program called the Cairo Challenge Series. The CCS is a series of 5 events throughout the year for Grade 2-5 students. The five events are: 40m sprint (October), Cross Country race (December), Badminton (grade 3-5 in January), Long Jump (March) and 25m swim (May). All events are designed to recognize participation as well as excellence.
The first event is the 40m sprint, occurring the week of October 8. The first and second rounds will be done by grade with top finishers in each heat progressing to subsequent rounds.
October 9 - Grade 2
October 10 - Grade 3
October 11 - Grade 4
October 12 - Grade 5
October 16 - Semi-finals for Grade 2-5
October 17 - Finals for Grade 2-5
We hope that we have 100% participation! No sign up is necessary, students should just come to the track and we will be marking who is there at this time. On the day of your child’s races, please pack a lunch for them as there will be limited time to get hot lunch on these days. There will be an area for students to eat when they are not racing.
We are very excited to get this program started. If you have any questions, there is additional information on our website or you can email Matt Lautenbach @ mlautenbach@caceygpt.org.
Age Group Swim Team
Swim-a-thon cancelled this season - We are going to move the swim-a-thon to the Spring Age Group season. When we set the date, we didn’t know about how many interruptions to the Monday/Thursday practice schedule we would have this season. We felt that it was better to move it to the Spring when days get longer and warmer as the season goes on rather than having another change to the Monday/Thursday practice schedule. Additionally, the MS/HS swimmers are on Prime Trips and WWW this week so moving it to the Spring will allow all swimmers to take part. Thank you for your understanding.
Age Group and Tuesday Swim School
Reminder to make sure that you have paid the fees to the school cashier. Final reminders will go out next week with swimmers being held out of the programs if not paid by October 5. The payment sheet can be found here if needed.
CAC Peace Day Assembly
Click the link to watch CAC’s Peace Day assembly!
The Kindness Rock Project
Sponsored by the Peace Day Committee, High School Student Council, and the National Arts Honor Society
“One Message at the right moment can change someone’s entire day, outlook, life.”
The intention of the Kindness Rock project is to decorate rocks with positive messages and place them randomly for others to enjoy. Just imagine feeling sad while walking around Ma’adi and seeing the rock above that says “smile”. How could you not smile even if just for a moment. Feel free to take any of the smaller rocks to place where you wish or to give as a gift.
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