Important School Dates
4/27 Middle School Musical for Students
4/28 Trimester 3 Interim Reports Delivered
5/9 - 12 Spring Book Fair
5/11 Spring Arts Festival
5/12 Grandfriends Day - early dismissal
SAVE THE DATE!
Looking Ahead: Friday June 2, 2017:
4th Grade Learning Celebration with performance beginning at 10:00am!
SAVE THE DATE!
April Enrichment Blogs:
In Wellness this month the 4th graders learned about both the importance of asking clarifying questions when learning about others and the importance of understanding difference. The 4th graders did an activity where they all drew a bug based on instructions that I read out loud. They were not allowed to talk or ask questions when drawing the bug. As a result, everyone’s bug looked different in the end because they had to assume or interpret each direction in their own way. This led to a discussion about how we all view the world through a different lens and the 4th graders were very engaged in this conversation!
In Art your young artist is busy completing artwork to display at the Spring Arts Festival on May 11th. You are invited to check out original works of art created by Trinity artists. When looking at your child’s art please ask them to tell you about his/her work. It’s as simple as asking, “Will you tell me about your beautiful work and how you made it?”
In Spanish, fourth and fifth graders are getting used to access their online accounts more often to work and reinforce what we do in class. Students have been working on the topic Places and Activities at School - “Lugares y Actividades en la Escuela”. We are using full sentences to describe subject areas such as: matemáticas (math), ciencias (science), arte, (art), música (music) and more, along with school items: cuadernos (notebooks), libros (books), lápices (pencils and crayones (crayons).
Please encourage your child to use his/her online account every week to continue practicing at home.
In Strings we've been working towards the upcoming Spring Arts Festival. The students have been through a lot of transition in this class over the last couple of months and it's been great to see them settling in and getting excited to play next month. They're working on several new short pieces and learning about Themes & Variations, new fingering patterns, and slurs and ties. Please remind your student to take his/her instrument home over the weekend to practice, so that they’ll be ready for the Festival!
4/27 Middle School Musical for Students
4/28 Trimester 3 Interim Reports Delivered
5/9 - 12 Spring Book Fair
5/11 Spring Arts Festival
5/12 Grandfriends Day - early dismissal
SAVE THE DATE!
Looking Ahead: Friday June 2, 2017:
4th Grade Learning Celebration with performance beginning at 10:00am!
SAVE THE DATE!
April Enrichment Blogs:
In Wellness this month the 4th graders learned about both the importance of asking clarifying questions when learning about others and the importance of understanding difference. The 4th graders did an activity where they all drew a bug based on instructions that I read out loud. They were not allowed to talk or ask questions when drawing the bug. As a result, everyone’s bug looked different in the end because they had to assume or interpret each direction in their own way. This led to a discussion about how we all view the world through a different lens and the 4th graders were very engaged in this conversation!
In Art your young artist is busy completing artwork to display at the Spring Arts Festival on May 11th. You are invited to check out original works of art created by Trinity artists. When looking at your child’s art please ask them to tell you about his/her work. It’s as simple as asking, “Will you tell me about your beautiful work and how you made it?”
In Spanish, fourth and fifth graders are getting used to access their online accounts more often to work and reinforce what we do in class. Students have been working on the topic Places and Activities at School - “Lugares y Actividades en la Escuela”. We are using full sentences to describe subject areas such as: matemáticas (math), ciencias (science), arte, (art), música (music) and more, along with school items: cuadernos (notebooks), libros (books), lápices (pencils and crayones (crayons).
Please encourage your child to use his/her online account every week to continue practicing at home.
In Strings we've been working towards the upcoming Spring Arts Festival. The students have been through a lot of transition in this class over the last couple of months and it's been great to see them settling in and getting excited to play next month. They're working on several new short pieces and learning about Themes & Variations, new fingering patterns, and slurs and ties. Please remind your student to take his/her instrument home over the weekend to practice, so that they’ll be ready for the Festival!
What's going on in Room 215...
Poetry
It has been a joy celebrating National Poetry Month at TES this year. I am in awe of the talented Trinity poets. Students have been busy writing poetry to publish in their fourth grade poetry books (due May 9th). Students are enjoying writing and sharing their own poems in class and are eagerly anticipating the poetry slam during the Spring Arts Festival, where many students are planning to share their work or a favorite poem my a mentor poet. We are using "poet powers" such as intentional white space and repetition. Students are finding inspiration from William Carlos Williams, Eloise Greenfield, Robert Frost, and Nikki Grimes and more. This month our read aloud selections have both been books of poetry. We finished Love That Dog by Sharon Creech and have started The Last Fifth Grade of Emerson Elementary by Laura Shovan. Check out some poetry resources and mentor poems below that can inspire some poetry conversations or poetry slams in your home
Poetry
It has been a joy celebrating National Poetry Month at TES this year. I am in awe of the talented Trinity poets. Students have been busy writing poetry to publish in their fourth grade poetry books (due May 9th). Students are enjoying writing and sharing their own poems in class and are eagerly anticipating the poetry slam during the Spring Arts Festival, where many students are planning to share their work or a favorite poem my a mentor poet. We are using "poet powers" such as intentional white space and repetition. Students are finding inspiration from William Carlos Williams, Eloise Greenfield, Robert Frost, and Nikki Grimes and more. This month our read aloud selections have both been books of poetry. We finished Love That Dog by Sharon Creech and have started The Last Fifth Grade of Emerson Elementary by Laura Shovan. Check out some poetry resources and mentor poems below that can inspire some poetry conversations or poetry slams in your home
Fractions and Decimals
In math we are building our understanding of fractions and decimals. Students worked in teams to order fractions on number lines and we had a conversation about the strategies the children used to order the numbers.
In math we are building our understanding of fractions and decimals. Students worked in teams to order fractions on number lines and we had a conversation about the strategies the children used to order the numbers.
Our work continues as we learn to add and subtract fractions. The use of manipulatives, like foam fraction tiles and pies, and 2-D representations are helping students understand that fractions do not have to have like denominators in for you to add and subtract them. Today, students brought home a template for making their own paper fraction tiles at home. A wonderful way to support your Fourth Brainer with our fraction work is to give them materials, time, and support with making their own fraction tools at home. This video (even though it is from a sixth grade classroom) offers a great model for how to facilitate making fraction models and discussing them. The photos below capture the more serious side of these mathematicians, we had great fun with this lesson.
Reading History
Students are working in partnerships to research subtopics on the American Revolution. Fourth Brainers are gathering information using books in our classroom library and teacher approved resources compiled on Padlet. On May 3rd students will share what they have learned by presenting a poster that includes a summary of their research and visuals supporting their subtopic.
Students are working in partnerships to research subtopics on the American Revolution. Fourth Brainers are gathering information using books in our classroom library and teacher approved resources compiled on Padlet. On May 3rd students will share what they have learned by presenting a poster that includes a summary of their research and visuals supporting their subtopic.
Wax Museum Photo Gallery
Our Early American History Wax Museum was a great success and so much fun. Thank you for helping the Fourth Brainers prepare for this special day and for being so enthusiastic and engaged while visiting their exhibits. Now that we have had a look back into our nation's history, I can't wait to see what future holds for these incredible young people!
Our Early American History Wax Museum was a great success and so much fun. Thank you for helping the Fourth Brainers prepare for this special day and for being so enthusiastic and engaged while visiting their exhibits. Now that we have had a look back into our nation's history, I can't wait to see what future holds for these incredible young people!
Let me end this post with a favorite poem by Mark Strand, from Eating Poetry:
Ink runs from the corners of my mouth.
There is no happiness like mine.
I have been eating poetry.
Ink runs from the corners of my mouth.
There is no happiness like mine.
I have been eating poetry.