Week 8 Buzz

Dear Parents,

Last week I announced math and science tests which were to occur this week. However, the students have had several tests recently. In order to give them time to rest and time to study appropriately, I have decided to postpone the tests until next week. (I want to teach them to study, not to cram.)

The science test will take place Wednesday, October 7. The math test will be the following day. The topics for the math test are evaluating expressions with letters and solving for unknown minuends, subtrahends, and summands. The topics for science are inertia and the difference between mass and weight. Stay tuned, as I will be posting study guides later this week!

In math class we are beginning our review of multiplication. Most of you have seen the multiplication flashcards I sent home with your students. Please review the flashcards with them at least twice each evening and sign the multiplication logs your students have in their homework folders. I have shortened the written math assignments in order to give students time to study multiplication facts.

In science we are transitioning from physics to electricity. We introduced atoms last week, and this week we will be using our knowledge of atoms to understand the nature of electricity. The students and I are enjoying the change of pace from the abstract study of physics to the concrete study of electricity. This change of topic will allow us more opportunities for experiments and activities.

I wish everyone a productive work week. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me.

Sincerely,

Miss Wycklendt

Seventh Week News

Dear Parents,

Can you believe we are already in the seventh week of this quarter? Time flies! As we approach the end of the quarter, we are entering a time of more frequent tests and quizzes. We have a math test this week on properties of addition and subtraction. We also have another math test next week and a science test on inertia and mass vs. weight next week.

Although this testing schedule may seem intense for fourth grade, this schedule is meant to give your students several advantages:

 First, it allows them to learn study skills they will need in middle school and high school. While middle school may seem far away, the sooner they start learning to study, the better the  foundation they will have for middle school and beyond.

Second, it allows them to focus their effort while diffusing the effect of each test on the grade. Rather than cramming for one large test, students can demonstrate their mastery of a few topics at a time. The more tests they have, the more chances they have to prove their mastery of math and science and the more chances they have to earn a good grade.

Third, it gives teachers frequent assessments of how the students are doing. This allows us to catch struggles early and partner with you parents to help any struggling students.

In other exciting news, Mrs. Walters has graciously volunteered to be the classroom coordinator for 4A. She will reach out to the families regarding things such as school events, classroom notes, and fundraisers. You will be hearing from her by email shortly.

We are still in need of a classroom coordinator for 4B. If anyone is interested, please email me or Mr. Ohbayashi.

Last but not least, Friday is the unveiling of our school mascot! The event will take place from 6-8pm at Archway Trivium East this Friday evening. There will be ice cream and games. I will be attending, and I hope to see you all there!

Sincerely,

Miss Wycklendt

Happy Labor Day!

Dear Parents,

Happy Labor Day Weekend! In honor of the holiday weekend, we have given all of our students a weekend without homework to enjoy. In case any of you were worried when your children didn’t bring homework home, don’t worry; we didn’t give them any! This coming weekend, of course, we will give them homework as usual.

Although your students didn’t have any new homework this weekend, they should have brought home some graded homework. Throughout the past few weeks, we have been giving your students graded homework back as we have finished grading it. However, many of the students still have their graded assignments sitting in their homework folder. Please take them out and review them with your students. They are yours to keep.

From now on, the system for returning graded homework will be changing. Every Friday students receive a “Friday folder” with their name on it and their graded assignments inside. They will be expected to return it empty Monday morning. This way you will know when to look for graded assignments.

At this point, we are almost halfway through the quarter. Having given the students a few weeks to adjust to their new school, we will start giving them more frequent quizzes and tests. This is to help your students get in the habit of studying more seriously, a habit that will serve them well in middle school and beyond. This will also give them more chances to get good grades because their quarter grade will depend on a larger number of assignments.

This week they have a test on place value in math class. They also have a test on “Prince Caspian” in literature class. Next week they will have a test on force, potential and kinetic energy, gravity and friction in science. They will also have a test on basic equations and properties of addition and subtraction in math class. We will do some studying for tests in both math and science classes, but please encourage them to go over their notes at home as well.

As always, feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns. If you need more contact than a short email or phone call can provide, we can also arrange a short meeting.

Sincerely,

Miss Wycklendt

Fourth Week Greetings

Dear Parents,

This is an exciting week for the fourth graders in math because we are starting the computer-based portion of our math curriculum. From this time on, your students will have a daily forty-five minute session of math on the computer-based Reasoning Mind curriculum. While the class works on the computer, teachers will work with small groups of students on more challenging math concepts. Every student will get a chance to participate in these small groups on a regular basis, so every student will get personalized math enrichment in addition to computer-based learning.

After the computer sessions are finished, students will go back into the classroom for a traditional math class. This class will solidify concepts the computer has introduced and lead the students to master concepts that are even more challenging than the ones introduced by the computer. The exception to this schedule will be early release Wednesdays, when students will have one traditional math class and no computer session.

In science we will continue our exploration of physics by discussing inertia, friction, mass and momentum. As always there will be experiments to make laws of physics concrete for students.

One final note for the week: Next Wednesday the entire fourth grade will have a math test on place value. Please encourage your students to review their math notes throughout the week!

As always, feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

Rebecca Wycklendt