Hello May!

 Good Afternoon,

As we head into the final full month of the school year, I’ve been reflecting on how quickly time has passed. It’s hard to believe that eight months have flown by since we first began, but every year I’m reminded just how fast it goes. During these months, you entrusted me with your most precious gifts, and I’ve had the privilege of being their teacher—getting to know each one, guiding, teaching, watching them grow, and hopefully providing a space where they could become the best version of themselves every day. I’m truly grateful for that opportunity and for your ongoing support this school year. This last month is always bittersweet. After putting in so much time and seeing incredible growth and connections each day, it’s difficult to realize it will soon come to an end. My hope is that we can all savor this final stretch, knowing that while the end is inevitable, we can take pride in making every day count. With that mindset, we can finish the year with gratitude and the satisfaction of knowing we gave our best to every moment.

Week in Review:

Leader in Me: This week, we learned about 3rd Alternatives. A 3rd Alternative is a win-win solution that works for both parties. Combining strengths and being open to new ideas allow us to create better ideas called 3rd Alternatives. Watch the Landfill Harmonic video on Leader in Me Online and discuss these questions:

  • Where did you see examples of synergy?
  • Do you agree or disagree with this statement: Without synergy, there would be no Landfill Harmonic.

Writing: This week, writers have been deeply engaged in developing their graphic novels. They started by drafting their stories, applying all they’ve learned about graphic novel structure and storytelling. From there, we focused on thoughtful revision—first working on overall improvements to strengthen their narratives, then using a checklist to ensure key story elements were in place. Writers also revised their speech balloons to improve clarity and, finally, edited their dialogue to add tone and emotion.

Math: This week in math, mathematicians launched Unit 7 by taking a pre-assessment to show what they already know about fractions. From there, we explored how to represent and compare fractions in different ways, building a strong understanding of fractional parts. Our work continued with games and activities that helped us practice comparing fractions, and we dug deeper into the concept of equivalent fractions—both identifying them and learning strategies to generate our own.

Reading: This week, our readers continued diving into historical fiction. We began by learning how to think across timelines, connecting historical events with the experiences of characters in our stories. We explored how a character’s perspective is shaped by their role in the story’s time period, deepening our understanding of character motivation and viewpoint. As we read Number the Stars, we focused on making meaningful connections, learning to spot small details that support big ideas. To wrap up the week, we practiced identifying themes and shaping thoughtful interpretations of the text. 

Content: This week in social studies, we learned about how the economy works like a system. We talked about producers, consumers, goods, and services, and how they all work together in a market. We did an activity to see how buying and selling happen. We also learned about supply and demand and thought about how prices change. We worked on understanding how all these parts of the economy affect people and the community.

  • 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:

  • May 5th - Final Call for Culver's Orders Due
  • May 12th - Family Night RSVPS Due
  • May 20th - Family Night with Community Clothes Closet 5:00-6:30
  • May 23rd - Early Dismissal (11:30)
  • May 26th - No School
  • May 29th - 4th Grade Concert
  • June 3rd - Field Day
  • June 4th - 4th Grade Walk to Library & End of Year Picnic 
  • June 4th - Cafe Krueger Celebration
  • June 5th - Last Day of School; Early Dismissal (11:30)


That's all for this week!

Have a great weekend!


Mr. VW




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