Fun in Fourth Grade
A Newsletter About Our Fantastic 4th Grade "Chastain-ians"
Hello, Families,
I hope this update finds all of you well. Thank you for taking the time to stay apprised of what those terrific Chastain-ians are up to!
Heartfelt Thanks and Shout Outs
A HUGE shout-out to all of our kids for persevering through Smarter Balanced Testing! Well done, kiddos! Also, thank you for the glue sticks, Manning Family! That was extremely kind of you to send a 24-pack to school!
Pioneer Day Update
- Please volunteer! This event is only possible with the help of many parents. We are especially in need of chairpeople for each station. Chairpeople make sure that all volunteer tasks are covered, and determine with volunteers if they will work in shifts or all remain at the station during the day. All supplies are provided by the school. Please sign up here!
- Students are asked to wear "pioneer" costumes on this day. Girls can wear pioneer dresses, Native American dresses, aprons, bonnets, and/or shawls. Boys can wear military uniforms, trapper clothing, leather vests, trousers/knickers, hats, and etc. Most will find great options by hitting Salvation Army, consignment shops or borrowing from friends who have attended this event in the past. However, here are a couple of links for those who wish to consider costume rentals: http://www.clothesenoughcostumes.com/#!costumes/c12kd or https://squareup.com/market/pioneer-costume-rental or http://www.evangelines.com/ or http://www.capitalcostumesanddancewear.com or contact Elva Salgado at americanhistorycostumecloset@yahoo.com.
Curriculum Updates
Language Arts
- Students will be working on writing an opinion piece next week. There will be class time allotted for work on this but some students may need to work on this at home as well. Because of Smarter Balanced Testing happening in 3rd grade next week, we will not have access to Chromebooks. For this reason, students have the choice of handwriting neatly or typing it at home. The five paragraph essay will be due on Friday.
- In class we are reading aloud Across the Wide and Lonesome Prairie, a journal from the perspective of a young girl crossing the Oregon Trail.
- Mid-Trimester Accelerated Reader Goals will be checked on Friday, May 1st! Encourage your kids to read, read, read!
- We are finishing up our Greek & Latin Roots study! Our final Unit #8 list goes home next week. Roots from Unit #7 and #8 will be tested on Friday, May 1st.
- We will be working on Spelling City List #21 next week. Just a friendly reminder of our procedure...students work on practice activities for homework during the week and take the test at home with a parent or adult family member monitoring. Students then return the printed test with a parent signature (or a note from their parent) indicating that they proctored the test.
- Today, I went over a long term, at-home project that will be due on May 19th. Students will find and print a current event from anywhere on the continent of Asia. Students will write a five paragraph essay, include two or more visual aides, and a bibliography in response to the current event he or she selects. This will be presented orally to the class. Please see project guidelines and grading rubrics sent home today for further details.
Math:
- We have finished our unit on customary units of measurement. Students will take the practice test on Monday and the chapter test will be on Tuesday. 4th grade IXL strands that correlate with our current work in class: N.1, N.2, N.3, N.4, N.5, N.6 and N.7. 5th grade IXL strands that correlate to these concepts are available for students needing an extra challenge: W.1, W.2, W.3, W.4, W.5 and W.6.
- Fast facts will be tested on Friday, May 1st!
Social Studies
- Westward Ho! We continue our final week of our simulation of life on the Oregon Trail!
Looking ahead
Beginning during the week of May 4th, we will begin "switching" with Miss Porter's class for instruction to help prepare for students for 5th grade procedures next year. Miss Porter will be teaching our physical science unit and I will be teaching the gold rush unit.
Westlake Charter School's 10 Year Celebration!
Westlake Charter is 10 years old and we’re ready to celebrate! We hope to see you at our Westlake Charter 10 Year Celebration on Saturday, May 16th at the Four Points at Sheraton in Natomas. This “adults only” event is all about fun and celebrating our school! The cost of the event is $40 (early bird pricing until April 30th) and covers dinner and live entertainment by 80’s cover band, 8 Track Massacre. Dinner and dancing? Yes! We hope you’re up for an evening of fun with your fellow adult Explorers!
Please note that this evening is not about fundraising for Westlake Charter. It’s about celebrating the outstanding accomplishments by everyone who has been and is a part of the Westlake Charter Community. Proceeds from this event, including the silent auction, will be used to cover any costs so that our teachers and staff can attend without charge.
We hope that you’ll join us with our Westlake Charter families from our past, present and future!
Tickets can be purchased online at www.westlakereunion.com. Early bird pricing is $40 until April 30th, so don’t delay!
Odds & Ends
Dates to Remember
- April 28: Chapter 11 Math Test
- May 1: Mid-Trimester AR Points Goal Due
- May 1: Picture Day!
- May 1: Fast Facts Tested
- May 1: Greek & Latin Roots for Units 7 & 8 Tested
- May 7 at 6:30 p.m. on Del Paso campus: WAVE meeting
- May 16: Celebration of Westlake Charter School's 10th Anniversary. More info here.
- May 19: Current Event from Asia Project Due
- May 20: Open House from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m.
- May 25: Memorial Day - No School!
- June 11: 4th Grade Pioneer Day on Del Paso Campus
Warmly,
Heather Chastain