Late-May Curriculum Letter

Dear fourth grade families,

Please enjoy these updates from our classroom.

Reading

We have recently completed spring reading assessments. Most students have new reading levels and new goals for how to improve. Many students are working on fluency and would benefit from reading aloud to a younger sibling or neighbor. Other students are working on keeping track of characters and story lines and should be taking notes as they read. Yet oters are working on making inferences and will benefit from discussing characters' feelings and how they change throughout the text. Ask your child about his or her reading goals.

Math

Students have completed their independent survey projects. They also looked at some mystery data that was the length or height of a group of living things and had to figure out reasonable guesses for what the data could be. This week, we'll begin a short study of probability and revisit the fractions and decimals we learned earlier in the year.

Writing

After learning several structured types of poetry, we're now looking at strategies poets use when they write free verse poems. Students have looked at alliteration, simile, and line breaks as they continue to write their own poems. As we proceed through the unit, students are making decisions about which poems they'd like to publish, and many have poems up on the bulletin board outside our classroom.

Social Studies

Students are continuing to read about highlight the packets about the tribe they're studying. Soon, groups will make decisions about what information they'd like to focus on in projects about their tribes.

State Science Test

The New York State fourth grade science test happens in two parts. May 29 and 30, students will take the performance section of the test in small groups, and on June 4, students will all take the written section. In recent test prep sessions, students conducted experiments to see which materials are attracted to magnets and which conduct electricity. Test prep packets have gone home for students to use for practice.

Field Day

Field day is Friday, June 1. Please look for permission slips in Tuesday's backpack mail.

Snack

Thank you to all the families who brought in snack recently. Please take a look at our current snack calendar, and be sure to send in snack on your week. If you realize you've missed your week, we would appreciate any snack you can send in.

May 7	May 14	May 21	May 28	June 4
Parker	Luigi	Kasar	Christina	Amon-ra
Oscar	Liza	D'yanira	Brandon	Ashley
Narayan	Lila	Dreanna	Alana	Jonathan
Milla	Alexander	DeAndre	Adriana	Martha
Miljan	Eko	Dario	Adelina	Michael N.
Michael C.	Ismael

Water Cooler Funds
At the beginning of the year, many families contributed toward our water cooler fund so that students have water accessible throughout the day. Thank you!! At this point in the year, we are still $120 short. If you have not yet contributed and can do so, it would be much appreciated.

Best,

Nancy and Stephanie

May Curriculum Letter

Dear fourth grade families,

Please enjoy these updates from our classroom.

Reading

The Let the Circle Be Unbroken reading group is learning more about the Jim Crow south through the lens of the main character, Cassie. Her brother's best friend is on trial for a murder he didn't commit. We left off with a cliff hanger in the middle of the trial. Ask your child about his or her prediction about how the trial ends. Nancy's group has begun the book The Library Card by Jerry Spinelli. This book has three separate stories about characters’ experiences once they get a library card. In the story we are currently reading the main character found the library card and then entered a library because of curiosity about a bug. As a group our focus will be on change and identifying pivotal moments. We are also continuing spring reading assessments.

Math

We are continuing our data study. Students have created their own survey questions and interviewed students in our class and in the fifth grade. This week, students will create double bar graphs in order to compare the data from the two classes. We are also using vocabulary like median, mode, outlier, and range to talk about data. Ask your child about his or her survey question and what he or she learned.

Writing

So far, we have learned several types of poetry: diamante, haiku, acrostic, couplet, and concrete poetry. Some students have started to publish their poems to the bulletin board outside the classroom. Come and take a peak. This Tuesday, from 10:45-12:25, we're taking a walking trip to Tompkins Square Park collect poetry inspiration. If it rains, we'll postpone to Wednesday.

Social Studies

Students have split into groups to study several Native American tribes: Cheyenne, Hopi, Iroquois, Lenape, Sioux, and Taino. They're finding their own ways to organize the information they're reading through highlighting and note taking. Students who need extra support are using color-coded highlighting to separate information about food, shelter, clothing, traditions, and family. Students are learning new vocabulary specific to their tribe and practicing fluency by reading aloud to their group mates.

State Science Test

The New York State fourth grade science test happens in two parts. Between May 23 and June 1, students will take the performance section of the test, and on June 4, students will all take the written section. We have begun science test prep with Emily to get ready. So far, we've studied the three states of matter: solid, liquid, and gas, as well as ways to measure them. Students have used rulers to measure the length of solids, graduated cylinders to measure the volume of liquids, and balances to measure the mass of solids and liquids.

Extended Day Ends

This will be the last week of extended day. Starting on May 21^st, all students will be dismissed at 2:50.

Theater Performances

Monday, May 21^st will be our last theater class. Students will share the short pieces they've been working on around different parts of a Native American myth. Parents are invited to join us from 9:00-9:45 in the back of the auditorium for this final class.

Family Wednesdays

We continue to invite parents who are interested in visiting our classroom first and last period on Wednesdays to join morning meeting and class meeting.

Snack

We are currently out of snack. Please take a look at our current snack calendars, and be sure to send in snack on your week. If you realize you've missed your week, we would appreciate any snack you can send in.

May 7	May 14	May 21	May 28	June 4
Parker	Luigi	Kasar	Christina	Amon-ra
Oscar	Liza	D'yanira	Brandon	Ashley
Narayan	Lila	Dreanna	Alana	Jonathan
Milla	Alexander	DeAndre	Adriana	Martha
Miljan	Eko	Dario	Adelina	Michael N.
Michael C.	Ismael

Water Cooler Funds
At the beginning of the year, many families contributed toward our water cooler fund so that students have water accessible throughout the day. Thank you!! At this point in the year, we are still $120 short. If you have not yet contributed and can do so, it would be much appreciated.

Best,

Nancy and Stephanie