Week 23

Dear Parents,


This last week during our Friday assembly, we had a special time together dedicating our school's new friendship bench. One of our very own fourth grade students had the idea for the friendship bench as a place where anyone in need of a friend could go and sit. Others, seeing someone sitting on the bench, would know they needed a friend and would come and sit with them. The fourth grader who had this idea presented it to Ms. Washburn, who liked it so much that she put the plan into action. And so, our beautiful friendship bench came to be. Congratulations to the student whose idea has enriched our campus so much!

This week in fourth grade, we are having some changes in our schedule of classes. The idea is to cut down on the transitions between classes that steal valuable learning time while still giving our student the benefit of preparing for middle school by switching between multiple teachers and classes throughout the day. As a result of this change, I will be teaching 4A science now in addition to 4B science and math, but I will no longer be teaching 4B literature, Please direct all future questions regarding literature to Mr. Ohbayashi and all future questions regarding science to me.


This week in science, we will continue our study of meteorology by discussing the various layers of the atmosphere. We will also be working on the water cycle. In math, we have finally started our study of fractions! This is very exciting as fractions will be our major topic for the rest of the year.

These are all the notes I have for you this week. Please send me a message through your Jupiter Ed account if you have any questions, comments, or concerns.


Sincerely,

Miss Wycklendt

Week 22

Dear Parents,

This week we have a normal week with school occurring at normal days and normal times. The only slight modification to our normal routine is the Athenian Spirit Day on Friday. Students may wear their Athenian t-shirts in lieu of their ordinary school polo shirts. All other aspects of the dress code remain as usual that day.

In math, we are working on some geometry for state standards. Our focus in geometry is angles, but we will also study parallel and perpendicular lines and shapes that contain them. After we finish with geometry and angles, we will spend more in depth time on problems which require students to find the number of possible unique combinations out of a group of choices. For example, if there is a menu with roast beef and chicken for the main course, salad and fries as side options, and water, milk or juice to drink, how many possible combinations of main course, side dish and beverage are there? Students need to accurately answer such questions and be able to prove their answers. They can prove their answers by creating lists of possible combinations, charts, and tree diagrams.

Also in math, we will have a slight change to our homework structure. All students should have a pretty good grasp of their multiplication facts by now, so they should no longer need math facts and parent supervision to study them. Instead, they will start taking home multiplication fact worksheets and filling out half a worksheet on nights when math facts are assigned. When the worksheets are full, the students will turn them in, as math facts will continue to be a part of their grade.

Hopefully you also remember that students’ math notebooks are being graded as part of their math homework this semester. This will comprise a major portion of their math grade, and it is very important for students to do well on these notebook grades. Below I have included a screen shot from the RM system on what the notebooks should look like. Some main features to note: The problems should be numbered and arranged in a single, neat, vertical row. Each page should have a proper heading with the student’s name, the date, and the title of the lesson on which they are working. If any student gets a problem wrong, they should cross it out neatly, and underneath it they should record the correct steps and answer provided by the computer. This makes the student think about what they did wrong and gives them a record of how to perform similar problems correctly next time.

In science, we are continuing our study of the atmosphere. We will place a special emphasis on atmospheric pressure this week. In addition, we are changing the homework structure slightly in science. In order to be good scientists, students need to be familiar with various units of measurement. They need to know the relationships between units of measurement in order to understand scientific arguments and in order to perform experiments. For this reason, they are going to start spending some time a few nights each week memorizing the relationships between units of measurement. I have selected units of time to start with because they should be familiar and easy. Students should spend 5-10 minutes memorizing these units on nights when memorization is assigned. They will be given a sheet of paper with the units they are required to memorize. Attached to that sheet will be a log, similar to their math fact logs, which parents should sign in order to confirm that students completed the required memorization for science class. The students will turn in these logs at the end of the week for credit.

I will only be assigning science memorization on nights when math facts are NOT assigned. In this way, the students will not increase their homework time but merely change some of its focus.

These are all the notes I have for you this week. As always, please message me with any questions, comments or concerns you may have.

Sincerely,

Rebecca Wycklendt

Week 21 Long Division Test

Dear Parents,

I hope you were able to spend some extra time with your children on our recent R&R weekend. I know how excited they all are to have an extra day off, especially without homework!

This week in science class we will finish our study of natural disasters and begin studying meteorology. While many people think of meteorology as weather, it is actually a broader topic. Meteorology is the study of earth's atmosphere. Since the motions of the atmosphere play a large part in creating weather, meteorology includes the study of weather, but it also includes other topics related to the earth's atmosphere, such as the water cycle.

In literature, we are excited to begin some new routines for the new semester. We will continue reading in class, of course, but we are going to structure our discussions differently. We will frequently be giving the students worksheets with questions about the reading to use in class. These questions will be on points that students may struggle to understand individually but which they will be capable of understanding when they work together as a group. Questions about words used metaphorically or incidents in a story that are implied but not directly stated can be difficult for many students. By using structured questions and working as a team to find answers, we hope to deepen our class discussions.

In math, we are finishing our study of numerical expressions and word problems. We will also have our test on long division on Friday. While our previous test included a few long division problems, the topic was not thoroughly covered on the previous test. Although the basic steps for long division are always the same, slight variations can occur when dividing by two or three digit numbers, or when the digit in the first place value of the dividend is too small to divide with the divisor.

Students should all be able to perform long division accurately, and they will need to be able to do so for the test. The topic was first introduced in the middle of second quarter and they have had plenty of time to practice. For this reason, we will spend very little time reviewing long division in class. However, please note your student's performance on our long division quiz. The results should be in the Monday folders we sent home this week. The quiz should give you a good idea of whether they understand long division or if they need some extra review.

I am not going to include a formal study guide for long division. The process would be difficult to describe through a blog, and I'm sure you all know long division from grade school anyway. In case students are stuck, here are some pointers you can give them:

1. The steps for long division are: Divide, multiply, subtract, bring down. In each place value students must perform all these steps until they have no more digits to bring down. The last three steps are sometimes confusing. We multiply to check our division. We subtract to find remainder. By bringing down, we regroup are reminder so that we can including ti in our next division step, 

2. Students should always start performing the steps of long division in the highest place value first. When they have performed all four steps in the highest place value, they should move to the next place to the right and repeat.

3. Students should be able to perform basic long division, long division by a two digit number (252/12) long division in which they first place of the dividend is too small to divide (304/4) long division that ends with a remainder, and long division in which one or more of the digits in the answer will be zero (721/7).

4. In case any student's long division skills are rusty, you can easily help them find a good explanation on the internet.

These are all the notes I have for you this week. Please email me with any questions, comments, or concerns you have.

Sincerely,

Miss Wycklendt

Week 19: Project Night!

Dear Parents,

After a week of half days, we will return to school full time refreshed by our break and ready to meet the demands of a new semester. The highlight of this week will be project night, this Wednesday from 6:00-7:00. I had previously announced that it would be in the MPR, but that has changed. Students will go to their own classrooms at 5:50pm to be assigned a location for their presentation by their teacher. Fourth grade students will be in one of the following three locations: the 4A classroom, the 4B classroom or the science lab. Unfortunately, we can’t tell you in which of the rooms your student will be in ahead of time because where students end up will be based upon what kind of paraphernalia they bring for their presentation and also how much space we have. You will just have to come looking for them!

As you walk through the school, please enjoy the exhibits of other grades and other students as well. Each class has been assigned a different time period for their projects, from Ancient Egypt through the Renaissance. There have also been different styles of presentation assigned to each grade level so that the night will have a lot of variation and interest to it. The students have all worked very hard on their projects, and most will be dying for a chance to share their information with someone other than their own parents or teachers. Who knows? You make learn something new!

Please note that presenting the project on Project Night is part of the student’s grade for the project. If any unfortunate circumstances should arise that would keep your student from presenting that night, please contact Mr. Ohbayashi.

The administration has asked me to post the following information on project night as well:

“Archway Trivium East would like to invite you to our Tour through History Project Night event. You will have the opportunity to meet and interact with some of the most important figures in the history of the world from ancient times through the 16^th century and to celebrate the learning of our Kindergarten through 5^th grade scholars.

Please plan to arrive with your scholar (in costume for 1^st-5^th graders) at 5:50pm. They will then report to their classrooms (3^rd grade will report to the Multipurpose Room). Guests will assemble in the courtyard until 6:00 when the community will be invited to begin the Tour through History where they can visit the ancient civilizations of Egypt, Greece, and Rome; see the symbols of our very own United States come to life; and view a museum of the Middle Ages through the Renaissance. Our scholars are excited to share their learning from Project Week and we encourage you to visit as many classrooms as you can on this evening. Plan to make your way back towards your scholar’s classroom at around 6:45 to be ready to depart from the event at 7:00.”

Also, the following is a reminder of the school’s costume policy, since the fourth and fifth graders will be dressing as their character. It is the same one we used for Literary and Historic Figure Day, and it can be found in the family handbook as well.  

“Costumes may be simple and should reflect what the historical figure would wear or look like. Everyday objects and materials that families already have around are welcome, and purchasing elaborate costumes is not required. Appropriate props are also welcome if they add to the representation of the historical figure. The same guidelines as Historical/Literary Figure Dress Up Day should be used:

·         Your costume should cover at least the same areas as the Archway polo and shorts/skirts (just above the knee).

·         Items in your costume should not have any logos on them.

·         You may wear non-uniform shoes (such as sandals), provided that they are appropriate for your character.

·         No masks, face paint, or hair dye are permitted.

·         Small props are allowed, but should be put away during class. No props that are weapons are permitted.

·         Students who do not follow the guidelines may be sent home.                

·         Gentlemen should dress up as male figures and ladies should dress up as female figures.

·         Students should be careful not to wear any costume that could be offensive to others.”

In math this quarter I am establishing a weekly notebook grade as part of each student’s grade for the quarter. Keeping a neat notebook helps students focus on their problems, spot errors, and even avoid errors before ever committing them. I have reviewed the notebook standards in class with all the students, so they all know what is expected. They will be graded according to the standards of neatness I have communicated to them on a scale of 0-10. The notebook grade includes the work they do in their notebook when working on RM at home. I will try to post a picture of a proper notebook page as well, so that you can all understand the standard by which their notebooks will be graded. For now, please just encourage them to be neat, number their problems, and leave space between the problems.

In science, we will resume our study of geology, focusing on volcanoes and natural disasters this week. Looking ahead, we will be studying the water cycle, ecology, global warming natural disaster, pollution, and a small amount of biology. Of course, these are all good topics for students to know some things about, but they are also required for the states standardized fourth grade science test.

In other news, we welcomed a new T.A., Mr. Carson Cavaletto, to our team last week. Mr. Marcoe has been transferred to fifth grade, as the fifth grade team has been in need of a T.A. for some time. While we will certainly miss having Mr. Marcoe in our classrooms, we are excited to have Mr. Cavaletto as a replacement.

These are all the notes I have for you this week. Please send me a message through your Jupiter Ed account with any questions, comments, or concerns you may have.

Sincerely,

Miss Wycklendt