Off and Running into January

 Good Afternoon,

We had a great week in 4th grade! The students did an amazing job working through their winter testing, and it was fantastic to see how much they’ve grown so far. It’s always rewarding to reflect on their progress and hard work. Beyond the testing, we had a lot of fun with our science lessons and hands-on activities, which helped bring the learning to life. As we move into the second half of the school year, I’m really excited about the growth and progress still to come. The students are showing such great dedication, and I’m confident that we’ll continue to make strides in all areas. Thanks for your continued support – it makes a big difference!

Week in Review:

Leader in Me:  This week we learned about Wildly Important Goals® (WIGs®) and how to take steps to achieve our goals! Invite your learner to share their Wildly Important Goal (WIG) with you. Encourage your learner to teach you how to set a WIG.

Writing: This week in writing, the 4th graders worked on drafting literary essays. They practiced pulling quotes from the text and analyzing them to back up their ideas. We also took some time to revise our essays using a checklist to make sure everything made sense. On top of that, students worked on spelling longer words by focusing on parts they already know, which is helping them spell more easily.

Math: In addition to taking the winter math diagnostic on i-Ready, 4th grade mathematicians worked on understanding place value relationships by charting up to one million. They explored different strategies for addition, focusing on the standard algorithm, rounding, and comparing numbers to strengthen their addition skills. Students also practiced thinking critically before adding and compared various addition strategies to expand their mathematical toolkit.

Reading: In addition to taking the winter reading diagnostic on i-Ready, 4th grade readers worked on post-assessment reading questions to evaluate their progress. They focused on analyzing character traits and character change in stories, as well as exploring how parts of a story contribute to the whole, as well as the overall theme of a story backing it up with text evidence. This helped them assess their growth in understanding these key reading concepts.

Content: This week in science, 4th graders explored how solid rock breaks apart into smaller pieces through a process called weathering. They learned about different types of weathering, including root-wedging and ice-wedging. In the "Sugar Shake" activity, students used sugar cubes as models for rocks and conducted experiments to see how weathering works. This helped them understand why rocks at the tops of mountains are jagged, while those at the bottom are more rounded.

  • 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:

  • Friday, January 17th - Half Day for Students
  • 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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