Grade 4

Dear Families,

It really has been a great trimester. We had a small celebration at the end of the day, along with a big cubby and classroom clean out. We are putting world geography on the back burner and moving on to the USA. We discussed that geography is not only defined as the study of the physical features of the earth but how people affect those features and how they are affected by them. Our physical maps are divided into my regions as well.

We have started reading, Maniac Magee, which I’m happy to say is awash with similes, metaphors and plenty of challenging vocabulary.

In Math, the kids have been working on a Prime Climb game. Effortful but some of the best fun in math class so far. Please ask them how it works and what they think they learned from doing it. We will start tackling double-digit division next week.

I was delighted the EVERYONE had snow pants the other day. Hallelujah!  Could you also send in a bag with a set of dry clothes as well, despite best efforts, wet clothes can really ruin a school day.

Also, please don’t let the students do their homework in pen. Pencils only, please.

The slideshow below includes some shots from our trip to the Colonial, working to complete our last World Geography maps, some collaborative work on the Prime Climb game, a few shots from Thanksgiving Soup and a new arrangement for the categories “Instead of” and “Try Thinking” from our Growth Mindset poster.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/8HHkNRGMyBQ4hSGo6

Happy Weekend to all!

Katharine

Bonjour à tous!

Today I received a lovely package in the mail containing the first responses from our French PenPals in France! I’m looking forward to sharing the letters, drawings, and photos with the class tomorrow.

The school that we are exchanging letters with this year is located in Uzès, France. It is a smaller school than BCD, started just three years ago. There are two classes; elementary age from 6-10 with 10 students and the middle school class with 20 students.

This is the first year where they have introduced English language studies into their curriculum.

Here is a link to the school’s website:

At the moment they are learning about the first human beings and mushrooms, so have included some of that in their letters – my idea for our next letter to them is to on the theme of the end of the year holidays in the United States. I will encourage each student to write about how they celebrate with their family and friends.

We will also write to them about Thanksgiving and our special tradition of ‘Soup’ at BCD.

The Head of their school has asked if with our next letter each student could include a photo of themselves? If you would like your child to send a photo with their next letter, please send one into school with them next week.

We will have our second letters in the mail by Friday, December 7th, so that they arrive in France before the students leave for the holiday break.

I look forward to the evolution of our PenPal exchange with the French students this year, and to the evolution of our own student’s skills in writing, reading and understanding French!

Best,

Madame Daire

***Please visit the French 2018-2019 photo album for pictures from class!

https://photos.app.goo.gl/Y8axH9vNz9NtJCs57

Dear 4th grade families,

The poetry is continuing to flow beautifully from our classroom and has progressively strengthened with each new poem. Originally we concentrated on line breaks, rhythm and rhyme, but now that we are also emphasizing the importance of word choices, it has opened up a whole new world. We re-read Robert Frost’s, The Pasture and everyone chose one, two or three words that really spoke to them. (The list from the board is included in the slideshow below.) We have banned boring words and the students also shared their poems with each other for word suggestions. They have learned how to use the thesaurus on our classroom shelf, the one on the computer, and most importantly, the one in their heads!

Next week is a bit special as the 5th and 6th graders are away on their trips to Hurlburt and Nature’s Classroom. It will be a bit quieter and we will have a lunch/recess with the 3rd graders on Friday.

As you know, we have a World Geography quiz on Monday. We have discussed different ways to remember Cape of Good Hope vs. Cape Horn, the Iberian Peninsula from the Arabian Peninsula, and I’m told the most challenging is keeping the Atlas and Andes mountains straight. The quiz I give on Monday is one I re-give a couple of times throughout the year, it can take a while to keep it all straight.

I know that last night’s math homework was challenging. I usually go over 1 or 2 problem’s in class so they have a foundation from which they can continue. But we were a bit rushed yesterday and they were on their own. I will say that when we reviewed it in class, the different strategies used were fascinating to all, myself included.

I know it is a fine that you walk as to when to help and when to pull back, but last night was definitely a night to help! I never want the kids to get to a point of frustration. I ask for a good 20 minutes of doing their best, and to bring in their questions the next day.

Finally, I want to thank Jill and Julia for a terrific lunch bunch on Thursday! Every student tried, and loved, the delicious bone broth soup along with the noodles and other goodies on the side. It’s rare to get everyone to try something new. Dessert was a perfect treat at the end of the day as well.

There are 2 slideshows attached below- somehow I don’t think I shared the ones from our OMI trip. The other one is just a mishmash of life inside the classroom,  the learning commons, and the garden.

Hope you all get some time outside this weekend,

Best, Katharine

Grade 4 Consecutive Numbers in Learning Commons

Grade 4 OMI Trip