Reflecting on Last Week

Three of the high points of the week occurred on Friday. Students went to Jump Rope for Heart.  Those who went expressed pride for having raised money to help people affected by heart disease.  Meanwhile back at the ranch, so to speak, students participated in their math class.  Next they had seventy minutes to create a slide show about a topic of their choosing.  I suggested a slide show to accompany their persuasive essays but encouraged them to choose a topic they were interested in.  The only stipulation:  students could not choose a topic they'd already used many times (hockey comes to mind...)  This student centered, self directed project brought out the best in students.  They produced some of the best work they've done.  Soon I'll post their slide shows but first we need to learn about and create source lists.

In other writing news students have been working on their second persuasive essays.  We will use these ones to assess students ability to construct a well organized persuasive essay.  Students have used a graphic organizer to plan for these essays.  The topic is "My favorite Red Clover Book."

Fourth grade math students started a new unit this week on Geometry.  We used pattern blocks to problem solve measurements of different angles.  Our new vocabulary includes: right angles, acute angle, obtuse angle, straight angle and zero angles.  Third graders continue to work on measurement and calculations.  

Reading groups have continued to meet and we did plenty of SBAC preparations.  In grade level groups students met to take practice tests.  This week we had one session of collaborative work.  Students in grade four had discussions about what animals need to survive.  Third graders discussed ideas related to our solar system.  The following day each group entered the 'secure portal' to take a language arts test related to the topic of their age groups.  Student encountered nonfiction complex texts and were asked to answer questions about the texts.  Some were multiple choice while others were essay questions.  The tests are rigorous and interesting.  It is good that we have these practice sessions!

Vernal Equinox Today

Our Morning Meeting leader, Avery, eagerly told us that today (Friday) marks the vernal Equinox.  It is especially fun to talk about the Equinox when one is part of a group with the same name.  We wish the real spring would arrive soon!  We'll be learning more about what the Equinox is on Monday.

In writing this week students tinkered with the final drafts of their persuasive essays.  Many students posted them on their blogs.  Students shared them in class in a 'round robin' sort of arrangement.  In our class meeting after the shared readings, students clearly articulated that reading each other's work helps them reflect on their own.  Other themes emerged too.  Students were able to reflect on the whole process-how long it was and sometimes discouraging and the delight they now feel in having a finished piece.  That is helpful as we return to our realistic fiction and then move on to a report writing piece.  More about that later!

In math, Ms. Ward reports, "Third Graders are exploring measurement concepts including volume, mass and length this week.   An adventurous work place was introduced; focusing on hands-on opportunities for estimating amounts and measuring to find the exact quantity. Number Corner involves measurement of time intervals and ideas about fractions." In Grade Four students learned about metric conversions. Specifically they learned about conversions from grams to kilograms, meters to kilometers, milliliters to liters. They also reviewed all of the math content in Unit 4. This included many methods for calculating multi-digit addition and subtraction problems, elapsed time, using data from ratio tables to solve problems and measurement. On Friday, students completed the Unit 4 assessment.

We have renewed our interest in expanding our vocabulary.  We are using words that come up in Red Clover books as well as those identified in reading groups.

We look forward to our parent teacher conferences which begin on Monday.  Please remember, no regular school for students on Monday.  

2015 Be Money Wi$e Poster Contest, submitted by Ms. Baker

2015 Be Money Wi$e Poster Contest

Each year the State Treasure's office and the VT Bankers Association have a poster contest to celebrate April as financial literacy month.  The poster is judged on expressing the theme, artwork, content, and creativity.  The theme of this year’s contest was, “To Build a Money Plan, I will . . .”   The State Treasurer will recognize the student poster contest winners at an April 9thceremony. Students placing first in each division win a $100 cash prize and their school a $100 cash prize.

When I spoke with the contact from the treasurer's office, she told me that WCS artists have really outdone themselves.  She stated that WCS artists showed perseverance and grit.  She said that it was obvious that our students read directions, understood the theme, and pushed themselves.

3 honorable mention students:

Varsha Karthikeyen Swift 7th grader (note: she recently moved out west)

Grace Koutras (Voyager 6th grader)

Abby Niquette (Equinox 4th grader)

Elementary School division:

3rd place - Karina Bushweller - Equinox 4th grader

2nd place - Griffin Cote - Swift 5th grader

Middle School division:

FIRST PLACE- Maggie Warren - Harbor 7th grader

Writing, Writing, Writing

Phew!  Students made a huge effort to complete their persuasive essays this week and most were able to!  Today they shared their work with some of their peers and a short 'round robin' of reading.  As you may have noticed, the expectations (standards) for third and fourth grade writing are rigorous!  In this case students had to compose a four paragraph essay with a strong internal structure and persuasive language.  What do I mean by a strong internal structure?
Introduction:  The introduction needs a background information, a strong claim and two reasons supporting the claim.
First paragraph:  This paragraph needed a topic sentence about the first reason and evidence to support it.
Second paragraph:  This one was to prove the second reason supports the strong claim.
Conclusion:  The conclusion restates the introduction and adds a little final thought.
See what I mean?  That's a lot.  Add to it persuasive language, correct spelling and punctuation and you can see why this unit has taken eight weeks.  Some students may choose to post their essays on their blog.  At any rate you'll see the essays with the scoring rubrics attached at our conferences.

Speaking of conferences, I hope you have received a link to the sign up document.  Please let me know if you are having any trouble with that.

Students have also been doing some great writing that you can read on our blog.  There you might read about March Math Madness, The Red Clover books being read to us or how students shared their persuasive essays.

All students are now in guided reading groups.  The titles we are currently reading are Charlotte's Web, The Anybodies, Twister on Tuesday, Ralph S. Mouse and Frindle.  In addition, we have finished The BFG which we LOVED and we have begun Flora and Ulysses.  With guest readers reading Red Clover books almost every day, silent reading, group work and Read Aloud, we are getting some great literature studies in.  We all love stories, that's for sure.

In math grade four is practicing measurement.  We have worked with measurements of time, length and volume.  Students are consistently asked to make computations of these measurements.  They are also constructing ration tables.

We continue to talk as a class about mindful behaviors, the quality of our work and how we interact with each other.  Students have taken over running Morning Meetings and our Theme Shares were a great success.

Reminders:

Here are two FAP fund raising opportunities for you to contribute to!  (FAP helps  fund our programming.  Specifically those funds help with field trips and special projects such as building instruments with the engineers.)

• Next week is the last week to contribute to our Backyard Fun Big Basket.
• The Lucky You raffle takes place next week only.  Please see the School Bell for details.  

Enjoy the weekend!

Hello Families,

While the snow and cold weather outside is getting tiresome for some, it was great to return to school and your children this week.   It has been a very busy four days!  

In writing we continue with our Persuasive Essays.  Now that most students have four paragraphs which include an introduction (with background information, a strong claim and two reasons for the claim) two persuasive paragraphs (evidence) and a conclusion, they are working on editing their work in partnerships using checklists for things like punctuation, language and structure as well as a rubric for the standards applying to the persuasive essay at each grade level.  These essays will be finalized next week.

Blogging this week focused primarily on our schoolwide immersion in the 2014-2015 Red Clover Awards.  With that as a subject, we focused our attention on refining the writing, in the areas of grammar and punctuation.  Some students also learned how to add links to their posts.  We are in the process of critiquing these posts so they will be finalized for posting on Monday.  Feel free to urge your child to review his or her post at home this weekend.  We did a lot of revising as a group on Friday but not everyone got to correct the errors found by their peers.

We have had a very strong emphasis on literature this week.  The 2014-2015 Red Clover Award (Vermont’s picture book award for children, voted for by children in grades K-4) was launched in our school under the direction of Karen Hennig with the help of many on staff.  

Each of the ten books will be read to our class by a staff member who does not have his/her own classroom.  So far we have heard books read by Ms. Rossier, Ms. Nadine and Ms. Parks.  This project is a great way to build our school community, enjoy great literature and learn about the world together.  As a whole group and in small reading groups we are looking closely at author’s craft (a nice fit with our writing), making inferences and the overall message of a passage or a book.  

In both math classes we are working on subtraction, subtraction and more subtraction!  In the fourth grade class students are learning to assess problems to determine the most efficient strategy for solving the problem.  This is very different fromt the way we adults are used to thinking of subtraction but it has been challenging, fun and illuminating to discover new ways to look at numbers together!  Next week we will be working with more measurement of all types in Grade 4.

Many students continue to struggle with fact fluency.  In school many of them find it difficult to devote three minutes of focused work on Xtra Math.  I am encouraging students to put in their practice time at home where there are fewer distractions.  Because this program is online, they have access to it both at home and at school.  Please let me know if this would be a problem for your child.  

This week we have also revisited our norms for SMART behaviors at school.  Each student set a goal for herself or himself which you can see and review with your child on Monday.  These goals are written on the purple ‘to do’ sheets that will come home in their folders on Monday.  

As always, please don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions, concerns or comments.