Dear Families, It is hard to believe that the school year has ended so quickly. This has been a productive and successful year. Your children have grown so much since September. You should be proud of them! This special crew has brought so much joy, curiosity, and laughter to the fourth grade. I hold a special place in my heart for each one of them. Fourth graders ended the week by visiting the fifth grade classrooms and learning about what to expect next year as fifth graders. Fourth graders also had a chance to pair up with a third grader and tell them about about life in the fourth grade. On Monday, fourth graders will be bringing home home their portfolios and any personal belongings. Please consider sending your child to school with reusable shopping bags to transport the variety of items that will be coming home. I hope to have a chance to say goodbye to each family before starting our summer vacation. I will be working at school this summer so please pop in and say hello! Thank you for a remarkable year! Brigid Please take a minute to read about a special memory from each fourth grader! "My favorite memory is making the math video about fractions. I liked this because I learned how to edit on iMovie and it was fun. " "My favorite memory from 4th grade was the Gold Rush because Mrs. Parker came in yelling, 'Gold! Gold! I found gold! I found gold in California!'' It was awesome and little scary." "My favorite memory is walking into the classroom on the first day of school and seeing Ms. Conlon's huge smile." "One of my favorite memories was making t-shirts in Technology because I made one for my dad." "My favorite memory in 4th grade was when we did the mystery cubes because it showed everyone has a different perspective of things." "My favorite memory from 4th grade was the soccer unit in PE because one time when we were in a soccer game I was goalie and kicked the ball from one side of the gym to the other and made it in." "My favorite memory from 4th grade was Blue and Gray Day. I chose this because it was fun and it was on the perfect day to be outside. I also enjoyed this because everyone was working together and having fun." "One of my favorite memories is going to Gillette Stadium. This is what I chose because I remember playing with friends on the field. I also remember the exercises we did." "My favorite memory from 4th grade was making the dulcimers in Music because it as really fun and hard at times." "I have a great memory about our Blue and Gray Day because I made my own tie-dye shirt and blue rocked the Tug of War!"
Dear Families, Fourth grade had quite an busy and exciting week of school! We visited the Cultural Bizarre, introduced the Gold Rush in social studies, put on Spring Concert, and had a blast during Blue and Gray Day. Below you will find our week in photos. Please refer to my email sent to families on Thursday which provides details about our final two days of school on June 3rd and 4th. Have a wonderful long weekend! Warmly, Brigid Dear Families,
It is hard to believe that there are only eleven more days of school left. Somehow this time of year always seems busier than it should and our schedules both in and out of school are jammed packed. Our time left together is going to be gone in a flash. As we wrap up our curriculum, I want to slow down and cherish these final moments with these amazing fourth graders before they head into summer. School-wide announcements: On Thursday, May 23rd at 6:00 p.m., is our annual Spring Concert, featuring performances by students in early childhood through grade five, plus our Band of Friends. The concert should last for about an hour and a quarter. Students should arrive at school by 5:45 and go directly to the classrooms. This is a "dress event" for students. Dress pants and shirts with collars (no coat and tie required), dresses, skirts, and blouses, or comparable dress attire are required for this special performance. Students who may be sitting on the stage to play instruments should wear slacks or leggings. The Friends Academy Blue and Gray games will be on Friday May 24th. Students are encouraged (but not required) to wear their team’s color. Students should bring layers and a water bottle. Parents are welcome to attend the Blue & Gray games on Friday May 24th at 1:30 pm. A few curriculum highlights: Math
Language Arts
Social Studies
Have a wonderful weekend! Warmly, Brigid Below are a few pictures from our Portfolio Showcase. Dear Families, Wednesday, May 15th is the Student Portfolio Showcase. This will begin in the Commons with an All-School Meeting at 8:15. Parents are then invited to drop by the classroom to look through their child's portfolio. Along with the portfolio, each fourth graders will share their National Park slideshow and project with their parents. Similar to Grandfriends' Day, parents will have an opportunity to partake in a choice menu, which includes activities connected to our curriculum. The Student Portfolio Showcase will be in the classroom from 8:45-9:45. Many of you have multiple children at Friends and may be splitting your time. Please note that there is no formal program in fourth grade and you may drop in at any point during the hour. I am looking forward to this day to celebrate the learning and growth of all the students! Language Arts Fourth graders are currently reading Roald Dahl books. The class was introduced to three of his books: Witches, Danny the Champion of the World, and The BFG. Each child chose the title that interested them the most. Students will be reading their chosen book in school and at home for homework. Students have continued to publish stories. Students who have completed the writing process and have a published story have signed up to read to the class. Math Fourth graders have been learning about fractions for the past few weeks. A variety skills have been introduced and practiced. Students are now working in pairs to create a fraction lesson to teach others about what the have learned. After choosing a fraction topic, partners had to write a script and find ways incorporate visual aids. Finally, students used Photo Booth to record the lesson. We will share these lessons with the rest of the class next week. Social Studies Fourth graders are currently learning the states and capitals of the western states. They also took time to read through resource books to identify important information about a chosen state. Fourth graders are practicing putting the fact they learned in their own words. Below are a few pictures from the week. Have a wonderful weekend!
Warmly, Brigid Dear Families, We had a wonderful Grandfriends' Day! Grandfriends got a tour of the classroom, took part in a morning meeting, learned about some of the National Parks of the west, and completed activities from our Grandfriends' Day Choice Menu (activities were all connected to our curriculum). Below are pictures of the National Parks each student built and our fourth grade park rangers. You will also find pictures of each student with a grandfriend. Wednesday, May 15th is the Student Portfolio Showcase. This will begin in the Commons with an All-School Meeting at 8:15. Parents are then invited into the classroom to look through their child's portfolio. The Student Portfolio will be in the classroom from 8:45-9:45. Have a wonderful weekend! Warmly, Brigid Dear Families, Grandfriends’ Day is Friday, May 3rd. Registration begins at 9:15 am in the Canteen area where grandfriends will receive a classroom schedule. Grandfriends then head to the Commons for a Band of Friends performance at 9:30 followed by opening remarks by Mr. Kennedy. They are then dismissed to the classrooms for 10. Many families have grandfriends that are splitting their time between siblings. Here is our 4th grade schedule: 10:00-10:40 - Morning meeting and National Park landmark share. 10:40-11:20 - Spanish 11:20-12:00 - Academic Choice (A sampling of various fourth grade activities) Dismissal will be at 12:00. If you have any general logistical or scheduling questions, please feel free to ask Jodi Pink or Jennie Pope, I can also do my best to answer any questions! Below are a few curriculum highlights: Language Arts Fourth graders have been busily publishing a narrative story. Through the writing process they are focusing on organization, word choice, and conventions. In addition to those three areas, students are asked to include at least one simile. Once the rough draft is complete, they are required to conference with two peers to receive compliments and suggestions. Rather than saying “I like your story”, students are asked to identify a certain part they enjoyed and why. When giving feedback, students are asked to be very specific about their suggestion by using phrases such as “Have you considered.” or “How would you feel about adding…”. After the story is published, each student reflects on their work by completing a writing rubric. Social Studies Fourth graders started to create their 3D national park projects. We look forward to sharing the projects with our grandfriends on Grandfriends' Day. Parents will get to see the structures on Portfolio Day. This project require the students to plan, reason, apply critical thinking skills, and to be creative. Check out the fourth graders in action! Math
The following concepts were introduced and/or practiced
Please enjoy a few pictures from the past few weeks! Warmly, Brigid Dear Families, Fourth graders have been very busy during Academic Choice. As mentioned earlier in the year, Academic Choice gives students an opportunity to choose what and how they learn. The Responsive Classroom Approach believes the following:
All options for Academic Choice have been introduced and practiced. Academic Choice should not be confused with making a free quiet choice. Although students are given a choice of what they learn and how they learn it, there are still clear expectations. Each option has meaning and purpose to enhance the learning of the students. For each choice made, students will share a plan of action, have conferences to monitor progress, and reflect on the work completed. This week students presented inquiry projects on Australia, Jerry Rice, Tobey Maguire, and American Sign Language. We also had a student create a Jeopardy game with a combination of topics we have learned about over the course of the year. There are many inquiry projects that are currently being worked on. Ask your child what they are doing for Academic Choice! Social Studies We have been learning about the people who lived in the west before it became the United States. Ken Fowler (an FA parent) visited fourth grade to talk about his connection to the Chickasaw Nation. During his visit he shared Native American stories and artifacts. In our classroom we have discussed the vast landscape of the west and the impact it had on how people lived. Language Arts
Now that we have finished Little House on the Prairie, fourth graders have settled back into the independent reading routine. We took time this week to have students share about their current books, which is a great way to spark the interest of others. I love hearing students excited about the books they are reading! Students continue to add to the Books We Read wall upon completion. Our April goal is to complete and review more books than we did back in January. April is Poetry Month! Since Lyn Hoopes visit, students have explored various forms of poetry. This week they practiced writing cinquain poems, concrete poems, and I am poems. Math
Have a wonderful weekend! Warmly, Brigid Dear Families, There will be optional parent/teacher conferences after school on Wednesday, April 17th. Students will not be attending this conference. Please let me know if you would like to meet and I can send you a schedule of my availability. I will also offer slots throughout the week for those families who are unable to meet on Wednesday. A conferences at this time is not mandatory. I am always happy to meet with families. If you would rather meet closer to the end of the year, I can make time available to do so. It’s hard to believe that we have only eight weeks left of school! Below are a few curriculum highlights: Social Studies This week we wrapped up our Midwestern study with a field trip to Dartmouth Historical Society, which is a former schoolhouse. We split up into mix it up groups to partake in a variety of activities from that time period. We learned how to spin sheep’s wool in order to make bracelets, practiced penmanship using an inkpen, played outdoor games, and completed math and spelling activities. Next week we travel to the west to learn about who lived there before it became the United States. Math
Language Arts The work completed during language arts this past week was connected to social studies. Students reflected on the field trip by writing about their experience, observations, and favorite/least favorite parts. Students buddy read Little House on the Prairie and answered comprehension questions. Fourth graders also identified specific quotes from each chapter that they could clearly visualize. This confirmed that an author's word choice can have a big impact on how the reader interprets the story. Have a wonderful weekend! Warmly, Brigid Dear Families, Welcome back! I hope everyone had a restful and enjoyable spring break. I had a wonderful time listening to everyone’s adventures. We seamlessly transitioned back into our daily routines and fourth grade curriculum. Students took time on Monday to review their Hopes and Dreams from the beginning of the year and then highlight a spring goal to display in the classroom. Check them out! Social Studies This week we started a simulation of a one-room school house called Apple Valley School during our mix it up groups for Social Studies. The students are finding out what it was like to attend a one-room schoolhouse in the late 1800s. Each child has been randomly assigned a new name, age, and family history that they will use during this activity. Even after one period, students have discovered how vastly different school life was during that time period. As mentioned in the email I sent on Tuesday, fourth graders will visit a former one-room schoolhouse and will dress in prairie-era costumes provided here at school. On Friday, we had a visitor come from the one-room school house to provide us with more information about what school was like during that time and what to expect during our visit. Math
Language Arts Poet, Lyn Hoopes, worked with fourth graders to write poetry inspired by the wire dolls made in art class. Below are some photos from her session: Have a wonderful weekend!
Warmly, Brigid Dear Families, A Snow Day, New Bedford Symphony Orchestra field trip, Beauty and the Beast performance, and the 5th grade Wax Museum are just a few events that occurred this past week. At All-School Meeting on Wednesday, we had a student participate in a comedy sketch and two fourth graders helped to kick off the 1st grade Bookworm. As predicted, the week before break was a busy one! Below are a few curriculum highlights: Language Arts We have been using a program called Framing Your Thoughts to enhance our writing. Framing Your Thoughts teaches the fundamentals of sentence writing and paragraph development. The past few weeks we have been taking barebone sentences and adding predicate expanders. A barebone sentence would be The dog runs. Expanding the predicate adds more information about the action and creates a visual in the reader’s mind. Predicate expanders tell us more about the Where? Why? When? and How?. Students have also practiced adding physical characteristics to the subject. Each student added two predicate expanders and two physical descriptions to the barebone sentence: The dog runs. Here is what they came up with:
Social Studies
Math
I hope everyone has a wonderful spring break! Warmly, Brigid |
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May 2019
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