Happy Valentine's Day!

Good Afternoon,

Wishing you all a Happy Valentine's Day! It has been another wonderful week in 4th grade, and I’m so proud of the continued growth our students are showing—not just academically, but socially as well. Every day, we work together to build a classroom culture that everyone is proud to be a part of. Thank you for your continued support in making this such a positive and exciting year!

Week in Review:

Leader in Me: This week we learned about being loyal to the absent, which means speaking as if the person you are talking about can hear you. Being loyal to the absent is a key behavior for building high trust. Invite your learner to share how they could be loyal to the absent using one of the scenarios below:

  • A friend is making fun of a new classmate.
  • Your friend asks what you think about the new student from another country.
  • At a party, your two friends are making fun of another student’s speech issue.

Writing: This week, our 4th grade writers focused on key writing skills. They explored acknowledging multiple perspectives to understand how others might have experienced an event, and practiced varying sentence length to make their writing smoother and more engaging. The class also worked on final publishing, preparing their History pieces to share with others. We ended the week with a celebration to recognize the growth and progress made throughout the unit by sharing their work with 3rd grade writers. It was a week of reflection and achievement!

Math: 4th grade mathematicians worked on various activities to deepen their understanding of angles. They explored benchmark angles to help find unknown angles, solved angle puzzles to extend their knowledge of angle measures, and learned about the parts of a circle through Sir Cumference and the Great Knight of Angleland. Additionally, they applied their knowledge of pattern block angles to a protractor to measure angles accurately. All of these activities helped students connect their understanding of angles with real-world applications.

Reading: This week, 4th grade readers focused on strategies to improve their reading skills. They worked on building background knowledge to better understand challenging texts, practiced techniques for tackling more complex material, and learned how to identify main ideas in different parts of a text. Additionally, students adjusted their reading strategies based on the type of text, using their knowledge of various genres to help with nonfiction books. These skills are designed to help them become more confident and effective readers.

Content: Students began their new social studies unit with their Inquiry Question being: How can we help tell the story of our state? The historical roots of state and local development are not buried; they are alive in the artifacts, monuments, and buildings around us, as well as the stories that we tell. In this Inquiry, students will learn about the first peoples to live in their state and region, and they will investigate major events at the roots of their state’s history. They will explore a variety of historical sources and the various perspectives reflected in them, learning to ask critical questions of their sources and look for limitations as well as benefits.

  • 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:

  • February 13th - Skate City Night (5:30-7:30)
  • February 14th - No School
  • March 7th - No School
  • March 14th - Knowledge - A - Thon
    • Get ready for the Knowledge-A-Thon (KAT) on March 14th! This year’s theme is "Today Readers, Tomorrow Leaders." We’re raising funds for new document cameras, high-interest books, and screen-free activities for our classrooms. And if we hit our $10,000 goal, Mrs. Steif will get a pie to the face! We need parent, grandparent, and adult volunteers to help with in-person questions that morning. Interested? Check out the school blog for the sign-up link! Don’t forget to practice the questions with your students — the class with the highest average of correct answers wins a pizza party, a traveling trophy, and bragging rights!
  • March 21st - Early Dismissal (11:30)
  • March 24th - No School
  • 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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