Fun in Fourth Grade
A Newsletter About Our Fantastic 4th Grade "Chastain-ians"
Heartfelt Thanks & Shout Outs
Ms. Jackson shared with us that three 4th grade Westlake students will be representing Westlake at the California State Fair - Student Art Competition! Vivian J., Isabella T. (both Chastain-ians) Megan G. (Hewitt) created Mandalas that the judges really loved. Their artwork will be displayed at the State Fair from July 8th-24th and will up for other awards/ribbons at that point. We are so proud of you, explorers!
Another HUGE achievement...Taylor T. hit her FIVE MILLION WORD milestone on Friday! Fantastic job, Taylor!
Open House Next Week!
NWEA continues next week!
*DATE CHANGE: Friday, May 27th: Math
Curriculum Updates
English Language Arts
- We will be working on Spelling City List #25 next week. Just a reminder that students should complete all assigned activities for homework and we will test on this list in class on Friday, May 27.
- We continue reading the class novel, By the Great Horn Spoon! by Sid Fleischman. Students will be allowed to refer to the text during brief quizzes administered in class.
- Over the remaining weeks we will be circling back to review some of the more challenging math standards covered this year. Next week we finish up with long division. Students are taking quick pre-assessments that help me to determine the level at which they will be working for the day. We will be taking a second assessment on long division on Friday, May 27th.
- I have grouped IXL Strands into sets for students to work on if this concept isn't yet mastered: Set 1 - E.4, E.5, E.6; Set 2 - E.13, E.14, E.17, E.18; Set 3 - E.8, E.9, E.10 and Set 4 - E.7 and E.11.
Social Studies
- We have concluded our "Witnessing the Gold Rush" curriculum and reviewed for the test in class on Friday. The assessment will be on Tuesday, May 24th. Students should review for the test using this study guide . All resources used in class are on Google Classroom.
- Next week students will begin working on a summary of an article about the Transcontinental Railroad on Google Classroom.
- Students will be assigned roles in a class play titled, "Villains in the Gold Fields." Lines will need to be memorized by May 31st.
Science
- Please see message from Ms. K below about science.
Art
Check out Ms. Jackson's website to see what's currently happening in art.
Message from Ms. Konkel
Due this week:
5/27: Home/School Connection #3
5/23: Kinetic/Potential Vocabulary Quiz - extended due date
Please study these: Kinetic and Potential Energy flashcards | Quizlet
We continue our investigation of energy this week through hands-on exploration of circuits.
Robot Building Supplies Needed!
Your children will be building small robots as part of our energy investigation, and they will need supplies you may already have around your home. Please contribute what you can - students will work in teams to build their robots:
any empty small plastic containers (yogurt, fruit cups, etc.)
empty water bottles with lids
corks, twist ties, popsicle sticks
empty glue sticks and lids
rubber bands, clothes pins
rolls of 3/4" masking
tape
strawberry baskets
small plastic spoons
other small plastic containers or lids not mentioned above
Thank you in advance for your help! Should you have any questions, please email me at skonkel@westlakecharter.com
A Message From Mrs. Connelley
With weather getting warmer, Ms. Connelley would like to remind everyone to please expect to have warm weather out in PE. PE will go indoors once the weather exceeds 95 degrees, and will remain outdoors until then. We must remember this month's core value is perseverance, and understand that this is a part of being active! Remember, there is always one opportunity for water during class, however, if a student brings a water bottle, they technically have 3 chances. One, when they enter class, one during class, and one at the end when they pick up their water bottles on exit. As always, if a student is exhibiting signs of distress, they will absolutely be allowed to take a break, get water, and go to the office if necessary.
Thank you!
Sabra Connelley
Physical Education Teacher
Field Day!
"Hello Wonderful Westlake Families!
As our school year comes to an end we look forward to celebrating our fantastic explorers at Field Day. We need your help to make Field Day awesome. Specifically, we are seeking 30 volunteers for the event on Wednesday, June 15
th
. We ask that volunteers arrive at 8:30 a.m. and plan to stay until dismissal (minimum day schedule). Most volunteers will be assisting a station as 4th grade leaders will be running the stations this year. A few parent volunteers will act as floaters to help as needed. We are also in need of a few donation items. Please use this link to sign up and help out. Thank you for all that you do to support your student and our Westlakecommunity."Thank you,
Your Field Day Committee
Sabra and Luci
Pioneer Day!
If you signed up for a take home project to prepare for this day, the teacher in charge of the station will be in touch soon with instructions.
Volunteer Hours Contest - Help our Class Win $100!
The Volunteer Hours Classroom Competition at WCS has launched. Families/volunteers need to record their hours by Friday, May 27th at 5pm for the contest. In order for our class to win the $100 prize and special treat, 100% of all families in our class must be registered in the recording system (even if they don’t have hours to record) AND our classroom must have the most total hours recorded.
It is really important that you register for an account within our WCS Volunteer Builder Recording/Management System, if you haven't done so. Registering for an account is SUPER easy. Just go to the Volunteer Builder website to register for an account today. Then youcan start recording their hours. Please see this flyer for information about our Parent Volunteer Hours Classroom Competition!
Ready, Set, Go
Phase 1 of our parking lot campaign is ready to launch on May 23rd!
The focus of Phase 1 will be on student safety.
1. Let your students know where they are going after school. (BASE, walking or car pick-up) If this changes for some reason, call the school office at (916) 567-5760
2. Pick up walkers from their line their regular dismissal time.
Car pick-up and BASE pick-up will remain the same.
Sacramento Rivercats Game on Sunday, June 5th at 1 p.m.
Yearbooks on Sale!
Yearbooks are now on sale at westlakecharter.com! This year's book was designed and created entirely by students. The books are $20 each and our supply is limited!
Upcoming Dates
- May 23: Deadline to submit orders for Sacramento Rivercats Game
- May 25: Open House
- May 27: NWEA Testing: Math
- May 30: Memorial Day, No School!
- June 5 at 1 p.m.: Sacramento River Cats Game Benefits WCS
- June 7: Pioneer Day from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on DP campus
- June 15: Last Day of School
Warmly,
Heather Chastain