Weekly Update

Dear Families,

We have had another wonderfully productive week in our classroom, finishing up some units and themes, while starting new ones.

Firstly, we ended our unit on Light Energy with a two-part assessment; a computer-based assessment using Voicethread, and a traditional paper-based test. The students should receive the results by next week when we will sit down and discuss the assessment data one-on-one. I am very proud of their ease of use of various computer platforms. They all navigated around the slides inside the thread independently, utilizing the many tools available to them. The paper-based assessment emphasizes two types of skills; first, the content knowledge of the unit, second, the application of inquiry-based thinking skills such as observational and critical thinking skills. 4th graders will participate in the NECAP Science assessment later in May, so these constructivist thinking skills will help prepare them for that assessment. More information regarding test dates, etc will follow as we approach the date.

Secondly, the students are immersed in response to literature now. They are all diligently working on their own 4 paragraph essays. We hope to finish in the next two weeks so please look for your child’s writing piece as it comes home. Our next writing unit will be on narrative writing, a unit that always allows students to creatively use their imagination as they create their own fictional characters and place them in settings, that may or may not be real, but where they face some challenges and problems which must be confronted and solved. We are very excited to start this new venture together!

The students did not have regular Book Clubs (guided reading groups) with me this week as we concentrated on writing. These book clubs will resume next week. Please note that all students will embark on fluency instruction. While fluency instruction has been embedded into our daily routines since the beginning of the school year, we started more direct instruction and practice a few weeks ago, concentrating primarily upon poetry. The students read poetry in small groups, in partnerships and alone. They practiced together and were recorded using Audacity, a computer program which allows you to create and re-create audio files. Some of these files are posted as MP3s on our Classroom Digital Portfolio wiki, under Red Clover, Silent Music. Please click on the links inside the folder and listen to them read. The book Silent Music, written by James Rumford, was a Red Clover nominated book. It tells the story of a boy who, while growing up in Baghdad, discovers that his native language looks like music when it is in written form. The students were encouraged to look at our language in written form and discover that it can sound like music! If carefully crafted, it can convey suspense or delight, impatience or hope and chaos or silence. We will continue these explorations next week. Please look for fluency packets for repeated reading at home. All students are encouraged to read out loud as they practice reading with expression and intonation. Thank you.

News & Reminders:
• April parent-teacher conference confirmation notes are enclosed in your child’s homework folder this week. Please make sure you check your date and time. If you did not return the slip or sign up yet, please let me know as soon as possible as the time-slots are filling up quickly.
• Please also return the permission slip from UVM regarding your child’s participation or non-participation in the UVM Peer Relationships Study. Thank you. If you need additional information, please do not hesitate to contact me.
• Students have vocabulary homework due next Friday. Our new unit is called Colonial Times. They are also posted on the wiki in the Link Library. Thank you.

Have a great weekend.
Regards,

Maria McCormack