FOUR WINDS

Today we had a Four Winds lesson themed "Predators and Prey." Students had the opportunity to view and participate in a puppet show featuring some local predators and prey. 

100 ACRE PLOTS

Students designed 100 acre plots based on their understandings of the factors Vermont settlers considered when looking for a settlement location

Students meet to reflect and give feedback on their 100 acre plots.

National Park Field Trip

As part of our study of Vermont settlement, we recently visited the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park to look at factors the early Vermont settlers would have had to consider in their homesteading here. We looked at water sources, topography, trees, and soil. Students made excellent observations about the advantages and disadvantages of various sites in the park.

 

Happy Halloween From 4th Grade!

4th Grade Newsletter

Hulbert Outdoor Center

Our trip to Hulbert Outdoor Center was a resounding success thanks to the full and enthusiastic participation of your children, our chaperones, and the staff at HOC. They did a wonderful job throughout the experience, making it a memorable and meaningful time for all.

The trip would not have been possible were it not for the contributions of many of our fourth grade parents. Sonya Stover and Naomi Mallik did a great job coordinating our fundraising effort. Matt Seiple, Eden Piconi, Amanda Kuhnert, Julie Shoemaker, and Tamica Warren did an awesome job keeping students focused, relaxed, and challenged throughout our stay.

We are closing out our HOC fundraising Friday and will make a final deposit Monday, November 2. Everyone send in your multiplication pledge money by this Friday if you have not done so already.

Four Winds Nature Institute

Our class has had one great session of Four Winds with Beth Harper, Julie Shoemaker, and Chris Orcutt Henderson. We learned all about the different types of spiders here in Vermont. Students did a great job looking for spiders at Vail Field. Be sure to ask your child about the features and adaptations of spiders in and around your home.

Halloween

The annual WES Halloween parade around the green will take place on Friday, October 30, at 1:30. If your child needs assistance putting on his/her costume you are invited to come to the classroom at 1:00 to help. Thank you to our room parents for coordinating treats for the class party on Friday. Night of the Great Pumpkin is on Friday, October 30, from 5:30 – 7:00.

Report Cards & Student Led Conferences

Report cards will be sent home on Friday, November 6. Student-led conferences will begin the following week. A sign-up form went home previously and those that have come in have been sent back home with a confirmation note from Ms. Mills or Mr. Mumford. Please be sure to let us know if you are unsure when your conference is scheduled. There is no school on Wednesday, November 11.

Academics Update

We are currently immersed in a geometry unit in math. The focus of our studies is measurement, classifying polygons, measuring angles, and finding and understanding area. Having wrapped up a Vermont geography and geology unit, we are now digging into the history of our state. The class is using the historical fiction novel Green Mountain Hero as a way to deepen our understanding of the people and events leading to the creation of the state of Vermont. We are nearing the end of our realistic fiction literacy unit. We have studied characters in class and in our book groups. Students are in the midst of publishing realistic fiction pieces to share with you at conferences. Our next literacy unit covers nonfiction reading and opinion writing. We will continue with our three signposts in book groups for the time being.

Celebrating Second Grade Authors

We had a visit today from the second graders. They were kind enough to share their published writing pieces with us. Fourth graders were great audience members for the second grade authors.

CONFERENCES AND HOC PLEDGES

Dear Parents,

We hope you are enjoying the rapidly changing season. The class seems very excited about the approaching arrival of winter sports!

This past Friday we completed our final facts test on the 1s - 12s. Students self-corrected their tests and brought them home on Friday. We ask that you assist your child in collecting HOC pledge money and send it in by Friday, October 30. Checks can be made payable to Woodstock Elementary School.

Today we are sending home sign up sheets for student-led conferences. Returning forms promptly will increase the likelihood that we can accommodate your preferences.

Best,

Jay & Maggie

Student-Led Conference Schedule

Please review and return this form by Monday, October 26, so that we can

schedule your child’s conference.

Indicate your preferred times by ranking 1, 2, and 3.

Monday, November 9

            7:00 – 7:45 a.m.

            3:00 – 3:45 p.m.

            3:45 - 4:30 p.m.

            4:30 – 5:15 p.m.

            5:15 – 6:00 p.m.

Tuesday, November 10

            7:00 – 7:45 a.m.

            3:00 – 3:45 p.m.

            3:45 - 4:30 p.m.

            4:30 – 5:15 p.m.

            5:15 – 6:00 p.m.

If you know the date and time of a sibling’s conference please let us know in your comments so that we can accommodate you.

Comments:

                                                                                   

Child’s Name (please print)

Spiders with Four Winds

Fourth graders spent time at Vail Field searching for and categorizing spiders

We Love HOC!

We had three wonderful days of team-building challenges, ropes courses, new games, adventure walks, cabin sleeping, delicious meals, and jobs! Thank you to our parent chaperones and all the fourth grade families for your support of this opportunity!

Erosion Lab

Fourth graders are learning about weathering and erosion. Today we collected data about the impacts of wind erosion on protected and unprotected sand dunes.

Multiplication Pledge-a-thon

 Fourth Grade — H.O.C.

Multiplication Pledge-a-Thon

To help your child’s transition to fourth grade go as smoothly as possible we’d like to make sure every student has mastery of the multiplication facts up to the 12s. To inspire the class to memorize their facts, we’re going to build an incentive into our timed tests. The class will look for friends and family to pledge a donation for each math fact s/he gets correct in a final timed test and the money will be put towards our Hulbert Outdoor Center fundraising effort.

There are seventy-eight math facts fourth graders are responsible for. Several students know many of these already so we can eliminate the 1s, 2s, 10s and many of the 5s and 11s. That leaves only a handful of facts yet to be mastered! Most of these are clustered around the 4s, 6s, 7s, 8s, 9s and 12s.

Each student has a different level of comfort with the times table. The work of mastering these facts to automaticity will be done at home over the course of the next month. Please work with your child on this task for ten minutes per night as an ongoing homework assignment. Target efforts around facts that are less familiar to your student.

Pledge-a-Thon Schedule

·  Friday, September 11        —    Pledge sheets due

·  Friday, September 11        —    First practice test on 1s – 7s

·  Friday, September 18        —    Second practice test on 1s – 7s

·  Friday, September 25        —    First practice test on 8s – 12s

·  Tuesday, September 29    —    Second practice test on 8s – 12s

·  Friday, October 9               —    First practice test on 1s – 12s

·  Friday, October 16             —    Pledge-a-Thon Test on 1s – 12s! Test sent home with                           pledge sheet

·  Friday, October 30             —    PLEDGE MONEY DUE!

Online Resources:

http://www.math-drills.com/multiplication.shtml http://www.factmonster.com/math/flashcards.html

http://www.multiplication.com/flashgames/QuickFlash2.htm

http://www.multiplication.com/learn/fact-navigator

Please remove, sign and return the slip below. Thank you for your support during this class project!

                                                    

I have read the above letter and understand our responsibilities.

Comments:

                                                                                                                                                           

Parent Signature                                                        Student Name

4th Grade Special Schedule

4^th  Grade Special Schedule

Our class has been divided into two groups for specials. Please help your child prepare for each school day by reviewing his/her special schedule each morning.

                                           Group A                         Group B

Monday                             Spanish (8:30-9:10)                      P.E. (8:30-9:10)        

Tuesday                             Art (8:30-9:30)                             Spanish (8:30-9:10)

                                           Library /STEM (1:20-2:00)              Music (1:20-2:00)               

Wednesday                        Music (8:30-9:10)                        Art (8:30-9:30)

                                          

Thursday                           P.E. (8:30-9:10)                           Spanish (8:30-9:10)

                                           Spanish (2:00-2:40)                      P.E. (2:00-2:40)

Friday                                 P.E. (8:30-9:10)                           Library / STEM (8:30-9:10)