Sunday, February 25, 2018

Grade 4 Newsletter Feb 25 - March 1


Grade 4 Weekly Newsletter


February 25 - March 1



Curriculum

Reading:

This week we will begin our social issues book club unit. Students will be doing the following when they stop and think about the texts they read. They will be sharing their ideas with their book club members and building upon each other’s ideas.


The lessons for this week are:

Lesson 1: Students will be investigating articles, short films, texts etc on Blendspace. They stop, think, and ask themselves this question as they read: What is the big message you are learning from this?
Students will Stop and Jot what they think they are learning.

Lesson 2: Students will find their own articles, books etc that contain social issues.
Discussion Questions:
  • Who has the power?
  • How is the power shown?
  • What seems fair/unfair?
  • Whose voices/perspectives are heard/not heard?
  • What does the author want you to feel when reading this text? Why?
  • What connections can you make with the place where you live? Do you see any of these social issues in your community?
Lesson 3: Connecting to their own lives - reading with empathy

Lesson 4: Character struggles and how they deal with them, leads to reveal the social issue(s) so that we can jot and be ready to discuss

Lesson 5: First we read for the story, NOW we read asking questions.

Essential Questions

  • How can I determine and reflect on the social issues in texts?

Writing:

This week students will begin our Literary Essay unit.




In this historical nonfiction writing unit students learn that information texts are often conglomerates, containing a lot of other kinds of texts. These might include an all about chapter, a how to chapter, a diary, and/or an essay.

The lessons for this week are:

Lesson 1: Pre-Assessment - On Demand Literary Essay

Lesson 2: Students will look at examples of literary essays, anchor charts, and graphic organizers before beginning the unit.

Lesson 3: Close Reading to Generate Ideas about a Text

Lesson 4: Gathering Writing by Studying Characters

Lesson 5: Elaborating on Written Ideas Using Prompts


Essential Questions

  • How do writers select a claim to write a literary essay?
  • How can I show evidence that supports the idea or claim I am making about a text?
  • How do writers analyze text for reasoning?

Mathematics:

This week we have our MID-Module Assessment
Sunday, 25th and Monday, 26th

This week we will be continuing Module 5 - Fraction Equivalence, Ordering, and Operations.

This module builds on students’ grade 3 work with unit fractions as they explore fraction equivalence and extend this understanding to mixed numbers. This leads to comparison of fractions and mixed numbers and the representation of both in a variety of models. Benchmark fractions (ie. ½) play an important role when students reason about fraction and mixed number sizes. Students have the opportunity to apply what they know to be true to new situations and problems.

Essential Questions:
  • Why express quantities, measurements and fraction number relationships in different ways?
  • How can fraction number relationships be expressed in different ways?
The lessons for this week are:

Lesson 1: Mid-Module Assessment

Lesson 2: Mid-Module Assessment

Lesson 3: Reflection on Assessment

Lesson 4: Add and multiply unit fractions greater than 1 using visual models.

Lesson 5: Decompose and compose fractions greater than 1 to express them in various forms.


Parent Tip Sheets: Topic A, Topic B, Topic C, Topic D, Topic E, Topic F, Topic G, Topic H.

Here is the LINK to the Growth Mindset video (Jo Boaler). 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? What type of dialogue will you use? You might like the following sentence starters to help you!






Social Studies: The Road to Independence

In this unit we will be looking at the causes of the American Revolution and discussing the issues of the day from multiple perspectives. In the culminating project the students will be selecting a famous person from the time (American or British) and created a ‘Facebook’ page for them on Glogster. This poster will include famous quotes, pictures, and some oral recordings that the students make as they attempt to become their character.

Essential Questions:
  • How do people, government and key events connect to build a nation?
Week 2 Focus: Stamp Act and Glogster

Lesson 4: Focus: The Stamp Act. Look at pictures from the stamp act. Have students move around the room and add comments on post-it notes. (I see, I think, I wonder). Do class simulations of the pictures. Discuss perspective.

Lesson 5: Review the Big6 and Set up Glogster.

Lesson 6: Research and use Glogster.
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!

Grade 4 Guidance Update

In Guidance students are learning ways to manage peer conflicts and prevent/respond to bullying. We began with a focus on healthy versus unhealthy friendship groups and the difference between normal peer conflict and bullying. This unit is designed to prevent all forms of bullying, including physical/verbal, relational and cyber-bullying. Through the use of the Second Step curriculum, various read-aloud books, videos, discussions and role-plays, students will:

- Recognize the difference between a group of friends and exclusive cliques

- Learn and practice specific assertiveness skills to refuse the exclusion of peers

- Recognize the difference between normal peer conflict and bullying

- Learn strategies for dealing with bullying

- Understand and practice helpful bystander responses to bullying

- Recognize the similarities and differences between cyber bullying and other forms of bullying

- Demonstrate ways to prevent cyber bullying.


Shelter Drill

We will be having a drill on March 12 to practice shelter procedures. Teachers will discuss this as “shelter practice” with students in age-appropriate ways, but you may also want to also talk to your child about the subject. Last year, we shared this article with helpful suggestions for talking to children about safety procedures and practices. One of the things addressed is the impact of the terminology we use. Staff members will be going over this in advance, as we work together to ensure that students feel safe, protected, and aware of what to do in different situations.http://www.huffingtonpost.com/judith-simon-prager-phd/talking-to-kids-about-a-lockdown_b_4117330.html

The drill will be held at 12:00 pm, so if you are on campus, we ask that you follow instructions when asked to go to a safe place. Everyone who is outside will be moved to the ES Hall.

Upcoming Events

Mid-Module Math Assessment, Sunday and Monday 25th & 26th Feb

Wednesday, Mar. 7th - Early Release Day

Thursday, Mar. 8th - CAC Holiday

March 12th - Shelter Drill 12pm.

Repeat Announcements

Core Value of the Month

During the month of February we will focus on the Core Value of Creativity.









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Thursday, February 22, 2018

February 18-22

Grade 4 Weekly Newsletter
February 18 - 22


Curriculum
Reading:
This week we will wrap up our Historical Fiction Clubs reading unit.
Students will continue reading, reflecting, and discussing their books with their historical fiction book clubs.


The lessons for this week are:
Lesson 1: Some People’s Perspective is Not All People’s Perspectives
Lesson 2: Seeing Power in Its Many Forms
Lesson 3: Finding Thematic Connections across Texts
Lesson 4 & 5: Reteach as needed


Essential Questions
  • How does history influence the characters, setting, and events in a story?
  • Who has power in the story?
  • How are the books we read in our groups related?
  • What makes our book club discussions meaningful?

Writing:
This week students will be wrapping up their second historical informational report.
Our minilessons will support students with analyzing one’s research to grow ideas from it and editing.


In this historical nonfiction writing unit students learn that information texts are often conglomerates,
containing a lot of other kinds of texts. These might include an all about chapter, a how to chapter, a diary,
and/or an essay.
The lessons for this week are:
Bend 3: Building Ideas in Informational Writing

Lesson 1: Information Writing Gives Way to Idea Writing
Lesson 2: Digging Deeper: Interpreting the Life Lessons that History Teaches
Lesson 3: Using Confusion to Guide Research
Lesson 4: Questions without a Ready Answer
Lesson 5: Editing


Essential Questions
  • How can historical events be incorporated into our nonfiction writing?
  • How can research help me write historical nonfiction?

Mathematics:


NEXT week will be our MID-Module Assessment
Sunday, 25th and Monday, 26th


This week we will be continuing Module 5 - Fraction Equivalence, Ordering, and Operations.


This module builds on students’ grade 3 work with unit fractions as they explore fraction equivalence
and extend this understanding to mixed numbers. This leads to comparison of fractions and mixed numbers
and the representation of both in a variety of models.
Benchmark fractions (ie. ½) play an important role when students reason about fraction and mixed number sizes.
Students have the opportunity to apply what they know to be true to new situations and problems.


Essential Questions:


  • Why express quantities, measurements and fraction number relationships in different ways?
  • How can fraction number relationships be expressed in different ways?


The lessons for this week are:
Lesson 1: Use visual models to add and subtract two fractions with the same units.
Lesson 2: Add and subtract more than two fractions.
Lesson 3: Solve word problems involving addition and subtraction of fractions.
Lesson 4: Use visual models to add two fractions with related units.
Lesson 5: Add a fraction less than 1 to, or subtract a fraction less than 1 from, a whole number using
decomposition and visual models such as tape diagrams and number lines. (Topic E).



Here is the LINK to the Growth Mindset video (Jo Boaler). 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? What type of dialogue will you use? You might like the following sentence starters to help you!




Science: Where the Wind Blows
Essential Questions:
  • Can weather be predicted accurately?
  • How does the temperature and precipitation determine the climate?
Some classes will be recording their weather forecast on green screen early this week.


Social Studies: The Road to Independence
In this unit we will be looking at the causes of the American Revolution and discussing
the issues of the day from multiple perspectives. In the culminating project the students
will be selecting a famous person from the time (American or British) and created a
‘Facebook’ page for them on Glogster. This poster will include famous quotes, pictures,
and some oral recordings that the students make as they attempt to become their character.
Essential Questions:
  • How do people, government and key events connect to build a nation?
Week 1 Focus: Introduce this unit.
  • Lesson 1: Introduce the idea of perspective. Look at various pictures of the American Revolutionary War and make comments. Write about the pictures.
  • Lesson 2: Look at some original texts from the time of the Boston Massacre. Discuss.



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!

Grade 4 Guidance:
No way, cliques are not okay. Everyone can play!”
In Guidance students are learning about healthy and unhealthy friendship groups.
They are learning about  “exclusion” and how to recognize the difference between cliques
and a group of friends. We are discussing personal responsibility, integrity and the power of
one to make a difference. Students will practice assertive statements for standing up for
themselves and for others.
An Exclusive Clique
A Group of Friends
1. Members give up their uniqueness
1. Each person feels he/she can be him/herself.

2. Unkindness is shown to others and there is an unwillingness to solve conflicts

2. Shows kindness to others and a willingness to solve conflicts

3. A closed group - excludes others from joining and prevents its’ members from playing
with people outside the clique

3. An open group – anyone can join and friends feel free to play with others


Upcoming Events


·    Tuesday, Feb. 13th - Spelling Bee Semi Finals, 3:30, ES Hall

·    Thursday, Feb. 22nd - Trimester 2 Ends

·   Mid-Module Math Assessment, Sunday and Monday 25th & 26th Feb

·    Wednesday, Mar. 7th - Early Release Day

·    Thursday, Mar. 8th - CAC Holiday


Repeat Announcements

Core Value of the Month
During the month of February we will focus on the Core Value of Creativity.



Sunday, February 11, 2018

Grade 4 Weekly Newsletter
February 11 - 15
Curriculum

Reading:
Historical Fiction Clubs will be ending in two more weeks. Students will continue reading and discussing their books with their historical fiction book clubs. Some groups are starting new books while others are finishing up their second book. Our mini-lessons will encourage students to be more nuanced in their claims and assumptions in order to avoid over generalizations and to be more self-critical.

The lessons for this week are:
Lesson 1: Some People’s Perspective is Not All People’s Perspectives
Lesson 2: Seeing Power in Its Many Forms
Lesson 3: Finding Thematic Connections across Texts
Lesson 4 & 5: Reteach as needed
Essential Questions
  • How does history influence the characters, setting, and events in a story? 
  • Who has power in the story? 
  • How are the books we read in our groups related? 
  • What makes our book club discussions meaningful?
Writing:
This week students will be wrapping up their second historical informational report. Our minilessons will support students with analyzing one’s research to grow ideas from it and editing.
In this historical nonfiction writing unit, students learn that information texts are often conglomerates, containing a lot of other kinds of texts. These might include an all about chapter, a how to chapter, a diary, and/or an essay.

The lessons for this week are:
Bend 3: Building Ideas in Informational Writing
Lesson 1: Information Writing Gives Way to Idea Writing
Lesson 2: Digging Deeper: Interpreting the Life Lessons that History Teaches
Lesson 3: Using Confusion to Guide Research
Lesson 4: Questions without a Ready Answer
Lesson 5: Editing

Essential Questions
  • How can historical events be incorporated into our nonfiction writing? 
  • How can research help me write historical nonfiction?

Mathematics:

Mid-Module Assessment will be on Sunday and Monday, 25th and 26th of February.

This week we will be continuing Module 5 - Fraction Equivalence, Ordering, and Operations.
This module builds on students’ grade 3 work with unit fractions as they explore fraction equivalence and extend this understanding to mixed numbers. This leads to the comparison of fractions and mixed numbers and the representation of both in a variety of models. Benchmark fractions (ie. ½) play an important role when students reason about fraction and mixed number sizes. Students have the opportunity to apply what they know to be true to new situations and problems.
Essential Questions:
  • Why express quantities, measurements and fraction number relationships in different ways? 
  • How can fraction number relationships be expressed in different ways? 

The lessons for this week are:
Lesson 1: Reason using benchmarks to compare two fractions on the number line.
Lesson 2: Reason using benchmarks to compare two fractions on the number line.
Lesson 3: Find common units or number of units to compare two fractions.
Lesson 4: Find common units or number of units to compare two fractions.
Lesson 5: Use visual models to add and subtract two fractions with the same units.

Here is the LINK to the Growth Mindset video (Jo Boaler). 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? What type of dialogue will you use? You might like the following sentence starters to help you!
Science: Where the Wind Blows
We are in the final week of this unit. This week, student groups will use their city’s weather data to make a weather forecast that will be filmed. Students are to write their script, incorporating their city’s weather data, and then practice presenting it to their group. Once they have rehearsed several times. They will perform their weather broadcast in front of a green screen. They will then be able to insert the pictures of weather in their city into their recording. The students are using the rubric to help guide them in their work.
Week 6 Focus: News Broadcast
Lesson 13: Students will plan their weather broadcast and start writing their script.
Lesson 14: Students will complete their scripts and practice presenting their weather broadcast with their group.
Lesson 15: Students will record their weather forecast on green screen and insert weather pictures into their final recording.
Daily: Students will continue to work on collecting weather data from their city and put it down in their computer spreadsheet. Students will then use this data in their weather forecast.

Essential Questions:
  • Can weather be predicted accurately? 
  • How do the temperature and precipitation determine the climate?

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!


Grade 4 Guidance:
“ No way, cliques are not okay. Everyone can play!”
In Guidance, students are learning about healthy and unhealthy friendship groups. They are learning about “exclusion” and how to recognize the difference between cliques and a group of friends. We are discussing personal responsibility, integrity and the power of one to make a difference. Students will practice assertive statements for standing up for themselves and for others.

An Exclusive Clique                                          
1. Members give up their uniqueness 
2. Unkindness is shown to others and there is an unwillingness to solve conflicts
3. A closed group - excludes others from joining and prevents its’ members from playing with people outside the clique

A Group of Friends
1. Each person feels he/she can be him/herself.
2. Shows kindness to others and a willingness to solve conflicts
3. An open group – anyone can join and friends feel free to play with others

Upcoming Events
·    Tuesday, Feb. 13th - Spelling Bee Semi-Finals, 3:30, ES Hall
·    Thursday, Feb. 22nd - Trimester 2 Ends
·    Wednesday, Mar. 7th - Early Release Day
·    Thursday, Mar. 8th - CAC Holiday

Repeat Announcements
Core Value of the Month
During the month of February, we will focus on the Core Value of Creativity.

Sunday, February 4, 2018

Week of February 4

Grade 4 Weekly Newsletter
February 4 - 8


Curriculum
Reading:
This week students will continue reading and discussing their books with their historical fiction book clubs. Some groups are starting new books while others are finishing up their first books. Our mini-lessons will encourage students to delve deeper into their book’s historical time period. They will look at pictures and read primary texts to support their understanding of what their characters might be going through. Students will be encouraged to read nonfiction texts alongside their historical fiction books.

The lessons for this week are:
Lesson 1: Turning to Primary Sources to Better Understand History
Lesson 2: Turning Reading into a Project: Add Background Information to Deepen Understanding
Lesson 3: Readers Learn History from Historical Narratives
Lesson 4 & 5: Reteach as needed


Essential Questions
How does history influence the characters, setting, and events in a story?
Who has power in the story?
How are the books we read in our groups related?
What makes our book club discussions meaningful?


Writing:
This week students will continue working on writing their second historical informational report. Students will go through the writing cycle once again to write their new report. Our minilessons will support students with adding text features, quotes, and mini-stories.

In this historical nonfiction writing unit, students learn that information texts are often conglomerates, containing a lot of other kinds of texts. These might include an all about chapter, a how to chapter, a diary, and/or an essay.


The lessons for this week are:
Lesson 1: Text Features: Popping Out the Important Information
Lesson 2: Quotations Accentuate Importance: Voices Chime In to Make a Point
Lesson 3: Using All We Know to Craft Essay and Narrative Sections
Lesson 4: The Other Side of the Story
Lesson 5: Self-Assessing and Goal Setting: Taking on New Challenges.


Essential Questions
How can historical events be incorporated into our nonfiction writing?
How can research help me write historical nonfiction?



Mathematics:
This week we will be beginning Module 5 - Fraction Equivalence, Ordering, and Operations.

This module builds on students’ grade 3 work with unit fractions as they explore fraction equivalence and extend this understanding to mixed numbers. This leads to a comparison of fractions and mixed numbers and the representation of both in a variety of models. Benchmark fractions (ie. ½) play an important role when students reason about fraction and mixed number sizes. Students have the opportunity to apply what they know to be true to new situations and problems.

Essential Questions:
Why express quantities, measurements and fraction number relationships in different ways?
How can fraction number relationships be expressed in different ways?

The lessons for this week are:
Lesson 1: Use the area model and multiplication to show the equivalence of two fractions.
Lesson 2: Use the area model and multiplication to show the equivalence of two fractions.
Lesson 3: Use the area model and division to show the equivalence of two fractions.
Lesson 4: Use the area model and division to show the equivalence of two fractions.
Lesson 5: Explain fraction equivalence using a tape diagram and the number line, and relate that to the use of multiplication and division.



Here is the LINK to the Growth Mindset video (Jo Boaler). 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? What type of dialogue will you use? You might like the following sentence starters to help you!


Science: Where the Wind Blow
We continue to work on our unit on weather and weather forecasting. Students are placed in working groups, and each group has been given a city in a climatic zone. Students are tracking the weather data of their city on a computer spreadsheet. In the coming weeks, the students will use the data that they have collected and have informed discussions on their climatic zone. At the end of the unit, students will use their city’s weather data to make a weather forecast that will be filmed.
Essential Questions:
Can weather be predicted accurately?
How does the temperature and precipitation determine the climate?

Week 3 Focus: Wind
Lesson 10: Students will discuss the wind in their climatic zone, looking at the
Lesson 11: Students will watch a video on air pressure and discuss their learning.
Lesson 12: Students will visit the wind tunnel in the HS to see the speed of wind in a wind tunnel.
Daily: Students will continue to work on collecting weather data from their city and put it down in their computer spreadsheet. Students will then discuss the trends.

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!

Grade 4 Guidance:
“ No way, cliques are not okay. Everyone can play!”

In Guidance, students are learning about healthy and unhealthy friendship groups. They are learning about “exclusion” and how to recognize the difference between cliques and a group of friends. We are discussing personal responsibility, integrity and the power of one to make a difference. Students will practice assertive statements for standing up for themselves and for others.

An Exclusive Clique                                                
1. Members give up their uniqueness 
2. Unkindness is shown to others and there is an unwillingness to solve conflicts
3. A closed group - excludes others from joining and prevents its’ members from playing with people outside the clique

A Group of Friends
1. Each person feels he/she can be him/herself.
2. Shows kindness to others and a willingness to solve conflicts
3. An open group – anyone can join and friends feel free to play with others




Upcoming Events

·    Tuesday, Feb. 6th - 4M assembly

·    Wednesday, Feb. 7th - Family Math Night

·    Thursday, Feb. 8th - Family Picnic (12:10-12:50)

·    Wednesday, Feb. 7th - Family Math Night




Announcements

Family Math Night
Mark your calendars for Feb. 7, 4:15 pm to 5:15 pm. Come play math games with your child.
Games develop fluency with math skills and problem-solving. Experience the fun of learning through games!

Our Family Math Night games are intended to help build fluency in math in a fun and engaging way.
You’ll find the rules and instructions for a wide range of math skills games using a variety of different resources, including playing cards and dice. We’ve assembled games for different skill levels ranging
from Grades Pre-K through 5, all with an educational math twist.

Did you know? The games are available to be checked out from the library after Family Math Night if you would like to play them again at home. Ask your child to talk with the librarians.

Locations: Grades 1-5 are in the ES Hall, KG in the Drama room and Pre K in their own room.



ES Family Picnic
Pre K: 11:00 am - 11:30 am; KGGr. 5: 12:10 pm - 12:50 pm
Due to popular demand, we will be having another BBQ for picnic day next Thursday, February 8.
Kindly sign up through the google form (below) if interested! There is a google sign-up form for each grade. For siblings, please sign up each child in their respective grade order form.

The DEADLINE for orders will be on Tuesday, February 6th by 5:00 p.m. We kindly ask that parents drop off the money in a labelled envelope to the ES office (name, class code and order). Note the following grade level lunch times:
Pre-K will eat lunch at 11am,
KG to Grade 2 at 12:10pm and
Grades 3-5 at 12:30pm

IMPORTANT: Unfortunately we will not be able to take orders on the day of the BBQ and we will have to cancel orders that have not been paid by Tuesday the 6th.
We look forward to seeing you all!!



A Field Trip to Stabl Antar Dreams School
Saturday, February 10th, 2018
10:30 AM - 2:30 PM
The Service Learning office is planning a field trip to Stabl Antar Dreams School for Elementary School students to deliver Pass the Parcel donates. If you interested in the trip please email Mariam Hassan directly.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1U28WOHJkWAkr2A1PfN33EeDl4C-1YA1DTOpu9XXPOow/edit?usp=sharing


Race To Clean Air
This year the third annual Race to Clean the Air will be on Sunday, April 22nd, coinciding with Earth Day! Leading up to the event, we’re seeking one student ambassador for each grade level (grades 1-5) to communicate information to the elementary school public about current environmental concerns affecting us, ways we have and can make a positive impact, and specific activities connected with the race itself.

Student Ambassador responsibilities include:
-Attending weekly or bi-weekly meeting (during recess)
-Communicating information to the ES via assembly announcements and CACN
-Sharing ideas for activities to build awareness about the race and its efforts
-Collaborating with MS Student Ambassadors
-Promoting the race to CAC community
-Assisting in pre-race and race day activities

Interested students are to create a brief statement (i.e. drawing, writing, persuasive speech, dance, or any other form of presentation they feel inclined to display) explaining why they would like to be a student ambassador for Race to Clean the Air.
Submissions are to be turned in to Chelsea Hicks (3H, ES Room 202) by Thursday, February 8th.



Core Value of the Month
During the month of February, we will focus on the Core Value of Creativity.