Weekly Update- 3/6/2020
MCAS information As MCAS gets closer, I will send a separate email with reminders and other important information, but if you have any pressing questions please let me know. In 4G we focus on developing strong reading, writing, and math skills that should transfer to the MCAS. I do spend some time talking about what they can expect, give them practice with the computer, and expose them to what questions will look like so they feel more comfortable the day of the test. The key message for students is to try your best, but not to stress about it. I assure students that it is not much different than the work that we do all year in 4th grade. If your child has any strong feelings about the test, please let me know. The dates for fourth grade are: April 7th and April 8th - ELA MCAS May 5th and 6th - Math MCAS Hygiene Drive Also 3rd and 4th grade are running a school-wide hygiene drive for "Hope and Comfort" from March 16th-March 31st. Hope and Comfort is a nonprofit organization located in Needham. Their mission is "to provide essential hygiene products to support and improve the health, self-esteem, and hygiene education of school-aged children and young adults in need within Greater Boston." We will talk to classes about this next week. But if you are out shopping and want to buy extra shampoo, soap, or a toothbrush for this cause that would be appreciated! Understanding our Differenes This week, we learned about how people with physical disabilities use tools to help them in every day life. They thought about how playgrounds could be desgined to help students with disabilities, they learned about communication boards and heard abou a guest speaker's experiences. Reading We have been studying natural disaster topics and paying attention to pulling out the most important information. Students are thinking about what someone would need to know about their natural disaster as they organize their note taking. Writing In writing, we have been working on ways to brainstorm topics for writing. We have used freewriting and other strategies to decide upon a topic and plan out an essay. Math We have been working on comparing fractions. Students are thinking about the size of the pieces and using visuals to help them compare and place fractions on a number line. Science In science, we have been learning about the different layers of the Earth. We explored how the Earth has changed over time due to weathering, erosion, and deposition. |