Fourth Grade March Newsletter:

Important Dates & Reminders

• March 5th: No School
• March 22nd: 3rd quarter ends
• March 25-29th: Spring Break

Language Arts

What are we learning?

Reading and Writing: Unit 7- Content Area Research

• Students are learning to…
  • Engage in a process of inquiry to ask and seek answers to compelling questions. 
  • Synthesize information across multiple texts and experiences in order to construct emerging understandings. 
  • Collaborate and discuss to seek new ideas or clarify unresolved questions. 

Books We’ve Been Reading 

• Front Desk by Kelley Yang
• I Survived the American Revolution by Lauren Tarshis

Math

What are we learning?

Unit 6: Multiplication and Division Part 2

• Students will be able to…
  • Estimate and determine the products of whole numbers (2 digits x 2 digits). 
  • Estimate and determine quotients of whole numbers, with and without remainders (1 digit divisor and 3 digit dividend). 
  • Create and solve single-step and multistep practical problems involving multiplication and single-step practical problems involving division with whole numbers. 
  • Identify, describe, create, and extend patterns found in objects, pictures, numbers, and tables. 
  • Recognize and demonstrate the meaning of equality in an equation.

Home/School Connection

Things to do with your student:

• If your child has access to a computer, have them practice fact fluency on Reflex math and practice on ST Math. 

Science

What are we learning?

Oceans

• Students will be able to understand…
  • Ocean geographical features and their impact on ocean depth.
  • As the ocean’s depth increases, the salinity and pressure increases, as the amount of light and temperature decreases. 
  • The depth of the ocean varies, and the oceans have no defined boundaries.
  • Ocean organisms are producers, consumers, and decomposers and they move in different ways and live at different depths. 
  • The ocean ecosystem is impacted by wind, currents, waves, and tides. 
  • The causes of waves and tides.

Social Studies

What are we learning?

New Nation and Civil War

• Students will…
  • Explore the connections between liberty and slavery in the ideas and lives of George Washington, James Madison, Thomas Jefferson, and George Mason. 
  • Explore the influence of geography and technological advances on the migration of Virginians into other states and western territories and how it impacted different cultures. 
  • Use a critical lens to analyze the major events leading to the Civil War and interpret the legacy of it in Virginia today. 
  • Understand the impact of Virginia’s role during the civil war.
  • Evaluate and interpret the roles of Native Americans, Whites, enslaved Africans, and free Africans prior to and during the Civil War
  • Identify acts of resistance and moral courage that resulted in the emancipation of African Americans. 

AAP Corner

What are we learning?

• Students have engaged in a socratic seminar about if elementary students should be allowed to use social media. 
• Students are participating in their second round of book clubs.
• AAP students are completing a Jacob’s Ladder to understand different perspectives on school uniforms. 

Specials 

What are we learning? &  Home/School Connections:

• Library: 
  • 4th grade students are continuing to research famous people for their G.O.A.T. (Greatest of All Time) project. They are researching using multiple database sources to find evidence that their chosen person deserves to be named the G.O.A.T.!
• PE: 
  • Hello Forestdale Families!
    Your PE Team has completed the Winter round of fitness testing. We are now beginning our “Striking with Hands Unit” and will master these concepts through the sport of volleyball. Students will complete skill repetitions, play team games, net games, and practice their athletic communication habits during this unit. We’ve also discussed safety factors for this unit and how EMOTIONS always factor into our playing.
  • Perhaps discuss with your student: “How do you act when you’re playing a game that you feel GOOD at?” “How do you act when you’re playing a game that feels DIFFICULT for you?” “What is it like when a friend shows anger or disappointment while you’re playing with them?” “What does it feel like when a teammate encourages you?”
  • Thank you and talk soon! ❤ Mr. Bergin and Ms. Brod
• Music: 
  • Ms. Shaw’s fourth grade classes are taking a short break from recorders and are focusing on rhythmic notation and the song Scoo-be-doo to play on the xylophone.
  • In Mr. Sawasky’s class, alll grades will be working on our frame drumming composition.  All students will know how to create their own rhythms.
    • We will practice singing our national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner.” All students will have the opportunity to express themselves through playing xylophones, frame drums and percussion instruments.
    • 3^rd and 4^th grades will be learning how to create a melody and continuing with rhythm practice.
• STEAM:
  • 4^th grade students will finish environmental stewardship projects and create ocean mind maps.
• Art: 
  • In the Forestdale art program, the primary goal is to create an environment in which every student feels confident, safe, and supported by Ms. Barrett and by the other students. The goal is that each student will reach a level of technical mastery and self-confidence that allows them to take risks with their own artwork and create work that they value.
  • In March,  all students will be creating planning drawings for the upcoming Clay units! 
  • 4th graders will create clay islands . This is in conjunction with their island maps that they made during the printmaking unit in the fall.
  • All students’ ceramic pieces are delightful.
  • Thank you to all families for returning the Parent Interview Forms for each art unit! Students in grades 1st - 6th continue to use their Art Planning and Reflection Books, increasing their literacy skill practice during art classes!
  • As always, Ms. Barrett ([email protected]) is here for any questions or concerns regarding the art program.

ESOL - English for Speakers of Other Languages All ESOL students have now completed their WIDA ACCESS for ELLs assessments. The ESOL Team is very proud of how hard every student worked on each of their tests! Results from this assessment will be sent to families before the end of the school year. We are looking forward to seeing how much growth our students have made in learning academic English.