Fourth grade students resumed work today on their investigations into land and water.
I have a feeling that April 25 is going to be a date that all of us will remember for a long, long time! I've been in touch with everyone in fourth grade and thankfully, all are OK. Teachers were at school Thursday and Friday this week preparing for the last few weeks of school and generally cleaning up and getting classrooms ready for Monday. The fourth grade room looks good with the exception of our fish aquarium, which fell off the shelf during the earthquake. School will open on Monday with buses running as scheduled. There will be no after-school activities for the week of May 4, but will resume the following week.
I'm looking forward to seeing everyone Monday morning and hearing your "Earthquake Stories". Until then, stay safe! Last week fourth grade students completed the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) tests. From early indications, I can happily say that scores have increased significantly since the fall testing session. Full MAP test results will be made available to you before the end of the school year. Next week I will begin to administer the Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA) to fourth grade students. The primary purposes of this test are to identify students' reading skills and plan for timely instruction, and to monitor student growth on a variety of skills and strategies that successful readers utilize.
We are now well into our science investigation of land and water. Last week students set up stream tables in the classroom and observed the effects of rain on the land and causes of erosion. To see first-hand the effects of erosion on the landscape I've arranged for another visit to the farm We will leave school Friday morning about 9 am and return before the buses leave at 3:10. Students must pack a healthy snack, a lunch and water. Additionally, appropriate walking/hiking shoes and a sun hat are advisable. Should the weather prove "less than ideal" on Friday morning, we will stay at school and have classes as usual. That decision will be made Friday morning. There is no school tomorrow due to the Nepali New Year. As a result, there will be no spelling homework this week. Enjoy the day off tomorrow and, as always, please don't hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns. Welcome back to school - I hope everyone had a restful holiday. Thank you to those who came in for student-led conferences before the break. I've had nothing but positive feedback from both students and parents. After school activities begin today - if you have any questions about what your child has signed up for or need to change an activity please let me know. On Monday, April 6, fourth grade students will have school pictures taken. Please refer to the school newsletter at the end of the week for more details. Also next week fourth grade students will take the MAP tests. As we did back in September, the tests will be spread out over three days...Tuesday is reading, Thursday is math andFriday is language usage. Please ensure your child has a good night's sleep and a healthy breakfast prior to each test.
This week we begin an exciting new unit in science - Land and Water. This is a rich unit for students as they learn to use models to study the interactions of land and water under various conditions. Given the topography around Kathmandu, I am excited for students to make connections between what they're learning in the classroom and what they see around them. We will also try to make another trip to the farm in Okhar Pauwa to see first-hand the effects of erosion and deposition. Last month Grade 4 students began collaborating with students from the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Bulgaria and Thailand on the Flat Connections "A Week in the Life..." project. This project joins elementary school classrooms globally with a view to exploring what life is like in each country through discussion, sharing, and collecting multimedia to create final products together. Additionally, students explore global issues and conduct meaningful discussions and collaboration. Outcomes will include student-driven solutions shared through creative use of technology. Below are some of our essential questions
I'll keep you updated as to our progress - in the meantime, ask your child what group they are in and what is their research topic. Soon I'll post a link to the Flat Connections web site where our work will be posted. Speaking of websites, I've dusted off our website, Fawcett's Fourth Grade... http://lsgrade4.weebly.com/ Should school be cancelled for any reason (bandha, snow, etc) students can find the day's work posted there. We will continue to use the Google Classroom as well. The next ten weeks are going to fly by. Please have a chat with your child and stress the importance of working all the way to the end of the year. It's during the next month or so that attitudes and efforts drop off and we must remain on task up to the final day! As always, please let me know if you have any questions or concerns. |
Mr. FawcettBrian Fawcett began teaching in 1993 in Cairo, Egypt. Since then he Archives
May 2015
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