Fun in Fourth Grade
A Newsletter About Our Fantastic 4th Grade "Chastain-ians"
Heartfelt Thanks & Shout Outs
Thank you so much, Jeanine Brown and Sonia Gutierrez, for your help grading math facts tests. Your support is so valuable!
NWEA to begin next week!
Tuesday, May 17th: Reading
Friday, May 20th: Language
Tuesday, May 24th: Math
Curriculum Updates
English Language Arts
- Students will be working on vocabulary relating to our novel study of By the Great Horn Spoon. Students should use Quizlet to practice the terms and meaning in class and for homework. This vocabulary list will be tested on Friday, May 20.
- We will be working on Spelling City List #24 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 20.
- 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's theme is long division. Daily, students will take a quick pre-assessment that will help me to determine the level at which they will be working for the day.
- 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 will be finishing up our "Witnessing the Gold Rush" curriculum next week. I expect the assessment to be on Tuesday, May 24th. Students will be reviewing in class using this study guide next week. After the assessment, students will begin working on a play called "Villians in the Gold Field." We will also be exploring answers to the following essential questions:
- What impact did the Transcontinental Railroad have on western development?
- How did advancing methods of communication and transportation bring the east and west together?
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
Hi Parents and Families of Chastain-ian Scientists!
As a science-enthusiast, I am thrilled to be teaching our Energy science unit to your children! Through hands-on experiments and more we will explore:
What is energy? How is it used? Where does it come from?
What are the types of energy, and are they renewable or nonrenewable?
What are the short and long-term effects of using each different sources of energy?
Potential vs. Kinetic energy
How does energy change from one form to another?
Assignments: (Handouts given in class)
Home/School Connection #2 due: Friday, May 20
Home/School Connection #3 due: Friday, May 27
We will also have vocabulary quizzes on Quizlet starting next week. Students should see Google Classroom for the link.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at skonkel@westlakecharter.com.
Warmly,
Suzanne Konkel
Pioneer Day!
Thank you all for signing up to volunteer! We still have one more volunteer needed for the Games Station. Otherwise, we are all set for a fantastic event!
Please sign up to assist in making this event memorable for our students!
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 17: NWEA Testing: Reading
- May 20: NWEA Testing: Language
- May 20: Spirit Day: Mix & Match Day!
- May 23: Deadline to submit orders for Sacramento Rivercats Game
- May 24: NWEA Testing: Math
- May 25: Open House
- 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