Grade 4 Weekly Newsletter
April 22nd - 26th
Curriculum
Reading:
Students will be reading expository nonfiction. In this unit readers should use their knowledge of the structure of the text from prior years to evaluate and analyze the text and glean the big ideas and supportive details from the text.
It is important for readers to distinguish their own point of view from that of the author of a text and to compare and contrast first and secondhand accounts of the same event. These comparisons help the reader understand the different perspectives that are possible around a topic or event.
When reading a cluster of related texts, a nonfiction reader pulls together information from related parts of many texts in order to move within and across any type of nonfiction text.
The lessons for this week are:
Lesson 1: Launching into the unit
Lesson 2: Getting a broad overview of the topic
Lesson 3: Reading and synthesizing to gain knowledge and share with others
Essential Question
When reading nonfiction, how do I hold onto important and interesting information?
Writing:
Today, we will complete our last on-demand of the year. On Monday, students will begin an independent writing project with a focus on revision. They will select a seed idea they came up with throughout the year and work to revise it. This week we will focus on the structure of narrative, informational, and persuasive texts.
The lessons for this week are:
Lesson 1: Narrative On-demand
Lesson 2: Collecting ideas for the independent writing project
Lesson 3: Studying mentor texts within groups of the same genre
Essential Question
Using what I know about the genre of my choice, how can I write with passion and craft so that my reader becomes absorbed in my writing?
Mathematics:
This week we will be continuing Module 6 - Decimal Fractions. Today we completed a short mid-module assessment. Students will have time to reflect on their learning, understanding and practice standards before continuing on with the unit.
This module gives Grade 4 students their first opportunity to work with and explore decimal numbers and their relationship to our previous module on decimal fractions. They will express a given quantity in both fraction and decimal forms. During this module students will build a solid foundation for working with decimal numbers in Grade 5.
Trial Assessment Reflection Feedback: Please give your student’s teacher any feedback you have on the “I can” Student Reflection students will bring home to help them reflect on their end-module assessment. Do you feel it helps your child identify strengths and areas of growth? How could we improve it?
Essential Questions:
How can place value be used to create equivalent fractions?
How can place value be used to add fractions?
Why do we express quantities, measurements, and number relationships in different ways?
How can place value be used to compare and order decimals?
The lessons for this week are:
Lesson 1: Mid-Module Assessment
Lesson 2: Reflection
Lesson 3: Use the place value chart and metric measurement to compare decimals and answer comparison questions.
Lesson 4: Use area models and the number line to compare decimal numbers, and record comparisons using symbols.
Parent Tip Sheets: Overall Module Tip Sheet, Topic A, Topic B, Topic C, Topic D.
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: The Circle of Life
In this unit we will take a look at heredity and the traits that we have inherited. We will be using scientific methods to observe, collect, record, and analyze data. We will also discuss and compare the life cycle of plants, insects, reptiles, amphibians, birds and animals - from birth to adult. Students will explain that every organism requires a set of instructions that specify their traits.
Essential Questions:
o Why do we look the way we do?
o Do all living things have the same life cycle? Why?
Week 3 Focus: Delve into inherited traits, and data collection. Discuss our inherited traits.
Lesson 2 Focus: Introduce inherited traits. Look at a website that describes several inherited traits. Complete a survey on our personal inherited traits. Make a class graph. *Some classes are still finishing their class graphs.
Lesson 3 Focus: Explain the inherited traits. Look at the graph that we created. Explain what we have learned. Begin learning about our data collection activity.
Lesson 4 Focus: Investigate heredity. Look at a video on heredity. Partners will do the “Baby Mice” activity. Discuss observations. Write about what we learned.
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
Talent Show
Talent Show Update:
Our ES Talent Show date has been moved to April 30th. We are supporting our wonderful PTO with this change of date. Thank you all for your flexibility.
Please find below important dates and information regarding this year’s ES Talent Show:
Sunday, April 29th is the mandatory rehearsal in the CAC Theatre from 3:15 - 5:15. All students must have a way to go home; the late bus service is not available. Students will be dismissed from the CAC Theatre at 5:15.
All Choir students will attend the Choir rehearsal on Sunday, April 29th, then come directly to the CAC Theatre for the remainder of the rehearsal.
The Talent Show will be for ALL ACTS beginning at 5:30 - 7:30 on April 30th. The Show will end by 8pm. ALL ACTS must come to the Theatre at 5pm, performance ready.
ES Talent Show
April 30th, 2018
Tickets - 30LE per seat
Performances: 5:30-6:15
Intermission: 6:15-6:30
Performances: 6:30-7:15
Show ends 7:30pm.
Thank you for your continued support. Please contact Ms. Dolly for any further clarifications or questions.
Used Book Sale, May 8 to 10
We are getting ready for our annual used book sale, this year from May 8 to 10. We welcome donations of used books for all ages in saleable condition. This is a good time for departing families to dispose of books before packing. We will soon have a donation box at the front gate.
Important Information
ES Dismissal
Important message to ES parents,
We had two students who left campus without parental permission with a nanny. We have taken steps to ensure this does not happen again and ask for your cooperation in following our handbook guidelines for all Elementary students PreK to Grade 5. Our handbook states, that any change in the usual pattern of dismissal for your child at the end of the school day should be verified by a note or email from the parent or guardian to the classroom teacher. We have added that we need to receive this information before 12 p.m. which will give us the time to make sure all necessary personnel is informed before 2:30 p.m. each day. We appreciate CAC’s security as they have increased vigilance in making sure our students go home safely and with the person/s permitted. Ms. Samah will continue to be at the dismissal gate from 3:00 and Ms. Nadia from 4:00 for our after school activity dismissal time.
How to give permission?
Write to the classroom teacher informing the dismissal plan change.
Name the person you are giving permission to and the date/s.
In the case of a change in driver or nanny, full names and photos are needed.
What will happen if no permission has been given?
If we do not have a written record of a change in dismissal, security will not let the student leave campus. The student will be sent to the office. To avoid disappointment, please make sure to arrange the change in dismissal plans ahead of time.
Our student's safety is a school/home priority and we thank you for your understanding, support and welcome your feedback.
End of year dates for students from the library
May 8-10 Used book sale
May 15 Last day for check out
May 22 Last day for classes; All books are due
May 29 Summer check out starts
Guidance Update: Managing Strong Emotions
In the current guidance unit, Managing Strong Emotions, students are taught proactive strategies to help prevent strong feelings from turning into negative behaviors. Students will learn to:
- Recognize how strong feelings affect their brains and bodies by:
- Focusing attention on their bodies for clues about how their feeling
- Understanding that when they feel strong feelings, the feeling part of their brain, the amygdala, reacts, making it hard to think clearly.
- Recognizing that thinking about their feelings helps the thinking part of their brain, the cortex, get back in control.
1. Stop – use your signal
2. Name your feeling
3. Calm down (breathe, count, use positive self-talk or stress balls, etc.)
Home-School Connection:
Ask your child about his or her personal stop signal and how he or she plans to use it in order to STOP negative thoughts and calm down emotions in the amygdala.
Watch the following calm down song your child learned in class:
Calm It Down Song
Enjoy your week!
From the Grade 4 Team
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