Plenty of Days Under October Skies Ahead

Good Afternoon,

As we turn the calendar on our first month of school, I want to express my gratitude to all of the families. 4th grade is a big year for so many reasons, but having the support of families as we partner in your child's learning experience I do not take for granted. I am proud of the work the 4th graders have accomplished as we laid the groundwork for our year in September, but I am excited to see where we can go as we continue this learning journey together. Their are so many moments of celebration and growth, and I look forward to continuing to make those as we head into a brand new month of learning and growth both academically and socially.

Week in Review:

Leader in Me: This week, we discussed student-led learning strategies that help students take charge of their own learning experience, including learning targets and student-designed assessments. With your learner, discuss these questions for deeper connections: How can student-led learning strategies help with homework? With practicing a sport? Doing a hobby?

Writing: Writers took another piece of writing through the writing process from drafting, revising, and editing to get it ready for publication. Some revision strategies we talked about involved studying a mentor text to lift the level of our writing, using all that they know from previous revision strategies, and lastly studying endings to make sure the reader of our writing comes away with a big idea or lesson that they could learn from our story. 

Math:  Mathematicians prepared this week with some review problems and games for the unit assessment where they were able to showcase their learning and growth from the beginning of the unit. The first two units are closely related in our math curriculum so if we haven't reached mastery in all areas, it is OK. We have more opportunities for practice in growth which is always our focus having a growth mindset.

Reading: Readers this week began to think beyond just the characters, and focusing on other parts that are essential to building a strong interpretation of the books they are reading. We discussed part to whole work as we analyzed how parts are connected, and building ideas and theories off of those connections as well as analyzing our own thinking work to build connections and understanding. Lastly, trying to find meaning in the recurring objects, images, and details in stories to again gain a stronger interpretation of the text.

Content: Students were introduced to the five regions of the United States and begin investigating each region’s characteristics, including natural resources, climate, geographic features, and agricultural products. They considered how humans interact with and depend on their environment. Then, students compared regions to determine what makes each region unique.

  • Thank you to a parent who shared this great resource which can benefit your 4th grader and family! Every fourth grader in the US is eligible to receive a free pass for their family to visit America’s natural wonders and historic sites, which accesses hundreds of parks, lands and waters for an entire year! Visit everykidoutdoors.gov/rules.htm for more information and to get your pass!


A Look Ahead:

  • October 1st Simple Simon Fundraiser begins
  • October 8th - Picture Re-Take Day
  • October 21st Simple Simon Orders due
  • October 24th & 25th - No School
  • TENTATIVE DATE FOR MADISON FIELD TRIP
    • Thursday, December 19th. 
    • We try to accommodate all chaperones as we know this is a popular field trip for all. I am finalizing details on my end, and when it is finished I will send an official announcement, but I wanted you to be able to get a hold on a date.


That's all for this week!

Have a great weekend!


Mr. VW




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