Hello! 

 

I hope you had a great weekend. Here is what we are up to this week. 

 

This Friday, MAY 3rd: Third grade is excited to bring back the Third Grade Expo! Third Graders have established businesses and will be selling goods and services. Third grade teachers are encouraging all students to bring money to purchase amazing products ranging from $1 to $5.

 

Spelling: This week we will look at words with final /ǝl/ and /ǝn/. We will also have 10 Spelling Crew words. Keep your eye on Dojo for individual lists.

 

journal
dazzle
abdomen
identical
travel
kitchen
often
broken
 

iReady: We will tackle the iReady End Of Year Diagnostic this week in reading and in math. Although this year was unique in many ways, I believe we will have amazing classroom growth. Students have worked so hard, and found authentic ways to demonstrate their understanding. Although iReady does give us a picture, it is not the only one, and quizzes and classroom work will play a big role in Report Cards this year. That being said, we will not have iReady lessons assigned this week as a must do. Instead if students complete lessons after their diagnostic, they can earn extra tickets. 

 

PBL Government Plays: We are super excited to invite families tomorrow at 3 to see our three government plays. We will start with Mr. Sylvan's Forest, then How The Supreme Court Can Help You, and conclude with What Can I Do? Students are actors and stage hands, so make sure you check in with your kiddo to see what their role is. If you cannot attend, please do not worry. I will post a video on Class Dojo of each play.

 

Reading: This week we will launch our final Benchmark unit, Exploring Electricity. We plan on cycling through this unit, as we have all others, with three assessments. Now that I have had a chance to review Mesa's reading and writing curriculum, I am SUPER confident that our kids moving up will be very successful as it mimics much of the Benchmark's cycle. We are always trying to think of our future selves, and in this case, I think the district is on a great path, streamlining these programs. Thank you for continuing to support the Benchmark curriculum. 

 

Writing: This week we will start our research on Earth Science properties, looking at the fossil cycle. I plan on working with students to decide how to better work together. Some classes prefer individual projects this time of year, while some want to work in small groups. We will brainstorm on how to better showcase our understanding through a gallery walk/presentation for the school 5/20. Stay tuned for more details after we conclude our plays. 

 

Math: The beginning of the week we will review and create a math wall of resources to help us through the diagnostic. Mid week, we will take on length, mass, volume and weight. This lesson can be challenging, as students have to connect to math in a new way. We will take the quiz next week to accommodate review and the diagnostic.

 

Looking Ahead: As we conclude the year, I often like to create a Spring Fun/Spirit Week the last few days of school. This is my plan:

 

5/17: Board Game Day: Students can bring in board games to play together and wear their PJ's or comfortable clothes. In the afternoon we will watch a movie.

5/20: Presentation Day. Students will be presenting their fossil project for 1/2 of the day. We will have a fun craft the second half of the day. 

5/21: Beach Day - We will enjoy some tropical type drinks with some fun Beach Crafts! 

5:22: Sports Day - We will play games outside with other 4th grade classes. In the afternoon we will watch a movie and enjoy popcorn.

5/23: Last Day

 

If you would like to help out with this week, here is a sign up! SPRING FUN SIGN UP

 

Please keep in mind that I will not be here 5/22, as my daughter is graduating. I am such a proud mama, as she is #2 in her class and headed to CU Boulder to work with the Honors Engineering Department in the fall. Miss Bailey will be subbing for me. Thank you for your understanding. 

 

Betsy Simons

Fourth Grade 

Sage Canyon Elementary 

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