Dear Room 7, How much fun was the Barn Dance on Friday?? I’m so glad so many of us were able to attend! As I’ve mentioned more than once before…it’s definitely one of the highlights of 4th grade! Reader’s and Writer’s Workshop will complement each other very well over the next week as we begin writing more in-depth responses to literature, based on the work of Chris Van Allsburg. Such writing will require us to look closely at his characters, mood/tone of the stories, themes across multiple pieces, as well as his word choice and craft that create all of those impressions. So far, the students have LOVED each of his stories, and have done a lot of wonderful thinking/discussing around his themes! Take a minute to ask your child to share a few of his/her thoughts, as Chris Van Allsburg is quite an interesting author to study! Social studies will soon bring us to the Rancho period in California, and in celebration of that time, we’ll be participating in a ½ day “fiesta” on February 14th. During that time, all 4th grade classes will rotate through the other classrooms to engage in activities related to Rancho life (making tissue flowers, cattle brands, leather tooling…). Parent help will be needed to supervise groups as well as assisting within each classroom – please let me know if you are interested (fill out and send in the notice that will go home tomorrow)!! In addition, I’m looking for donations of colorful tissue paper and pipe cleaners for the station that I conduct (tissue flowers). Like ‘em or not…fractions continue to be the focus of our math time! Again, this is another unit of study during which multiplication and division fluency will be crucial (simplest form, common denominators, improper fractions…). The good news is that I was recently told by one of our 5th grade teachers that the students have come to them very well-prepared in this area, so I’m determined to continue laying such a strong foundation. The fun never ends! Finally, due to the Rancho festivities on the morning of the 14th, we’ll try to keep our Valentine’s celebrating somewhat small scale – having a “mini party” before dismissal that afternoon. Students are welcome to bring valentines, and I’ll send home a list of names next week. Small, packaged treats may also be brought, but since we’ll only have about an hour, let’s try to make sure things are able to be taken “to go” to eliminate waste (that way, if treats aren’t eaten in class, they can still go home inside Valentine bags, rather than into the trash)!! Finally, I can’t tell you enough how proud I was of all the students’ mission projects and presentations. It was clear how much effort was put into each one, and I loved how every student became an “expert” about their mission. They might not remember all of the facts forever, but at least they all learned a bit about researching and presenting information in a fun, creative, and meaningful way! Ms. Wagnon [email protected]