Halftime of School Year

Good Afternoon,

The first half of the year has been truly wonderful! It has been a joy getting to know each of the students and building meaningful relationships with them. Watching them grow as learners has been a highlight, and I’m excited to continue this journey together as we move into the second half of the year. I look forward to all the great things we’ll accomplish in the coming months. Hope everyone enjoys the longer weekend!

Week in Review:

Leader in Me:  This week we learned to write a goal using our 4DX® process. As a family, consider learning the process alongside your learner by choosing your own personal goal. View the Four dimensions Personal Goal Menu on Leader in Me Online for examples.

Writing: This week in writing, 4th graders worked on research skills. They started by assessing what they knew, took organized notes, and asked key questions to guide their research. Students created writing plans to focus their investigations and synthesized information across different texts, preparing to draft their research books with their writing clubs.

Math: This week, 4th grade mathematicians focused on building their subtraction skills. They explored different strategies, including removal, differencing, and the constant difference method. Students also practiced the standard algorithm for multi-digit subtraction and learned to think through problems before subtracting. Finally, they compared different subtraction strategies to choose the best approach for various problems.

Reading: This week, 4th grade readers completed a Reading History Pre-Assessment to assess their current knowledge. They also worked on activating their background knowledge and identifying key subtopics across a set of texts. Additionally, students practiced using text structures to help organize their notes and understand important information from their reading about the American Revolution.

Content: Researchers gathered evidence to describe how environments on Earth have changed over time. Students explored how the process of sedimentary rock formation preserves a record of those past environments. In the activity, students observed fossils found within a model canyon. The characteristics of those fossils provided evidence to support the explanation that the landscape has changed numerous times.

  • 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:

  • Monday, January 20th - No School
  • January 21st-24th will be Celebrate NDLC Week. Thank you to the Student Lighthouse Team for choosing the theme (our mission statement) and matching dress up days.
    • January 21- Be independent- Wear class colors
      • 4th grade-red
      • 3rd grade-orange
      • 2nd grade-yellow
      • 1st-grade -green
      • K-Blue
      • 4K-white
    • January 22- Be empathetic- Wear a shirt with a positive message on it
    • January 23- Be compassionate- Wear something warm and cozy
    • January 24- Make an Impact and be proud- Wear NDLC apparel or colors
  • Madison Field Trip - Thursday, April 10th
  • See below on information from the District for subbing opportunities!


That's all for this week!

Have a great weekend!


Mr. VW











Do you want to make a difference in Kaukauna? 
Would you like to help your child's school out? 
Do you like kids?
Are you good with kids? 
 
Then you should become a KASD SUB!! 

Talented and skilled substitute teachers and educational assistants are critical to our district. Becoming a sub aids in the instructional and procedural continuity of the district. We are so thankful for our wonderful subs! 

To become a Certified Substitute Teacher the state requires a minimum of an associate's degree and the completion of an 8 hour Substitute Training Program - in person or self guided modules from the comfort of your own home - through CESA 6 (see first link below). Once the 8 hours are complete, you will receive the certification of completion. You will then log onto the Department of Public Instruction website (DPI) (see second link below) and apply for the Short Term Substitute License. In the application, DPI will require you to upload your completion certification from the substitute training program. 

Here is the link to the CESA 6 substitute training program: 

https://www.cesa6.org/teachers/educator-licensing/substitute-teacher-training

After the program is complete, here is the link to DPI - where you will need to go after you acquire the certificate from CESA: 

https://dpi.wi.gov/licensing/apply-educator-license/sub-permit

To become an Educational Assistant Substitute no degree or certification is necessary! You just have to like kids and be reliable! Please log onto WECAN, and apply today to become an EA sub. Your school and district thank you!

Both positions - Certified Subs and EA Subs - are posted on WECAN.  Here's the link:https://wecan.waspa.org/    Please apply when you're ready and I will reach out to you once your application comes through.  

Feel free to reach out to me with any questions. 

Thank you!



Holly Parks
Human Resources and Business Services Associate
Kaukauna Area School District





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