April 2023 Newsletter

Dear Families,
I hope this newsletter finds you well and enjoying April vacation. I'm looking
forward to relaxing at home with my family and taking some long walks with the
dog. Students and I have completed our report card conferences and are working
on third term goals. Here’s the latest news from room 116 as we enter into these
last few months of school, which will be very busy.
We are working on poetry in reading (and a bit of writing too). We finished
up our fiction group books and enjoyed literature circles. In poetry, we’ll focus on
figurative language and certain types of poems. In writing, we are also working on
our last big unit which is opinion writing. Students have many opinions about a
variety of topics and they are brainstorming lots of great reasons to support their
opinion. One will be turned into the final product which will be a letter to whoever
the audience is for that topic.
We are in Verb Valley in Grammar Zone, learning about the different types
of verbs and verb tenses. The children have spent much of the year working
independently and in groups to learn all there is to know about nouns, verbs, and
adjectives. Our last stop will be Adverb Bluff in May. Cursive continues to go well.
Students may write in cursive now for regular writing activities (just not spelling)
if they choose to do so.
The children have been practicing to get ready for the math MCAS test
which will be in May. They did a nice job working through the ELA test over the
last couple weeks. The hardest part of MCAS is making sure students take their
time and check work carefully. Please make sure they get a good night’s sleep and
eat a healthy breakfast the days of the test.
In our Math class, we are finishing unit 6 about division, angles, and number
stories. The test will be soon after April break. Unit 7 will focus on fractions and
measurement. Please keep practicing all math facts (addition, subtraction,
multiplication, and division) with your son/daughter at home to increase the recall
of basic facts. We will do a few more practice packets to review for the math
MCAS tests in May.
In Science, we are excited to start our last unit called Earth’s Changes. We
will use TCI to guide us, but are also trying a new program called Project Lead the
Way (PLTW). Students will have some hands-on opportunities to learn about
weathering and erosion, and faster earth changes such earthquakes & hurricanes.
PLTW looks like a lot of fun. We will end the unit with a project where students
will create a documentary about what they learned. Sounds interesting!
We finally moved onto our final unit in Social Studies, learning more in depth
about each region of the USA. We have completed the Northeast & Southeast
regions, learning more about the people, culture, foods, and more. We are working
our way west and currently studying about the Midwest. At the end of the year,
each student will complete a project focused on 1 state from each region to
compare and contrast the similarities and differences in life in those states &
regions.
As we head into the final months of fourth grade, I want to let you know
that the overall behavior has begun to improve in class, so that’s great. Most
students are realizing that self-control is important, not only for their success but
for the success of our class as well. We continue to work on putting forth our best
effort into school & homework. Thank you for your support at home to make sure
your child is doing their best to succeed with work habits & behavior.
One concern that has been brought to my attention is how some students
have been dressing for school with the warmer weather. Just a reminder that the
handbook has this dress code information for elementary students:
Students are expected to meet reasonable standards with regards to
health, safety, and cleanliness, and to dress in a way that is appropriate for the
learning environment. Students shall have the right to express themselves through
their dress and appearance choices, and should also respect the school district’s
intent to sustain an inclusive learning community that supports a diverse range of
identities. The district is responsible for ensuring that student dress choices do
not interfere with the health and safety of any student, do not create a hostile or
intimidating atmosphere for any student, and do not cause any disruption or
disorder within the school.
I bring this to your attention as with the warmer weather, students wear
less clothing. Shorts, t-shirts, and tank tops are typical and acceptable. However,
lately we’ve had some students wearing what appear to be sports bras, gym attire,
and very short shirts. Many teachers have commented to me about the students’
clothing and how they don’t feel it’s appropriate attire for school. I don’t want
others in our learning community to feel uncomfortable. Please ensure that your
child is dressed comfortably for school, but also wearing clothing that makes
others around them feel comfortable too. Thanks!

Important upcoming dates:

1) Week of 4/17- Vacation week- no school
2) Tue. 5/2- No school for students- teachers have professional development
3) Wed. 5/10- MCAS Math test session 1; School store too
4) Wed. 5/17- MCAS Math test session 2
5) Mon. 5/29- No school- Memorial Day
6) Thu. 6/1- Field Day
7) Thu. 6/15- Field trip to Southwick Zoo
8) Mon. 6/19- No school- Juneteenth
9) Thu. 6/22- Half day- last day of school

Enjoy your vacation week!

Sincerely,

Nicole Keefe