Birthdays We �Celebrated This Month!

Upcoming Dates

Elijah - 14th

Mrs. Hancock - 18th

Kaiden - 27th

Holly - 28th

March 8th: AR BINGO is due and End of 3rd Quarter

March 11-15th: IAR Testing

March 14-15th: VIP Breakfast

March 15th: Report Cards for 3rd Quarter are Sent Home (via Skyward)

March 22nd: No School for Students → Teacher Institute Day

March 25th-April 1st: Spring Break

April 4th: Spring Picture Day

-4A’s February Newsletter-

Ms. Davidshofer

Should Bt corn be allowed to be grown? Should human be eating Bt corn? Should grocery stores be required to label genetically modified (GM) foods?

​

Ask your child! These are all conversations we had this month!

-4A’s February Newsletter-

Ms. Davidshofer

Wonders

We wrapped up Unit 3 this month and then have been progressing through Unit 4 this month. So far this month, we have been focusing on:

• Scientific Advancements
• We read and learned about Bt corn. We then determined whether we felt Bt corn was a good or bad thing for humans, animals, and the environment.
• During small group time, students had a choice in 2 different books. Both focused on inventions that have impacted our lives.
• Some groups read “The Battle of the Pests” which focused on different pesticides we have used like DDT and Alar while also looking at natural ways we tackle pests like crop rotation.
• Other groups read about “Jacob Riis” who was an immigrant from Denmark. Riis was monumental in helping to clean up the slum in New York City by reporting and photographing these horrible living conditions by using new technology, flash photograph, which was very dangerous as it involved grounding powders and then lighting them on fire.
• Government: look later in the newsletter for photos from our government projects
• The 3 levels of government: local, state, and national
• The 3 branches of government: legislative, executive, and judicial
• Cause and effect
• Creating book jackets in writing → each student has picked a person, who has made an impact on our country, and they are currently working on creating a book jacket about that person.
• Persuasive writing on the back of their book jacket → convincing their readers that their person had an impact on our country.
• Narrative nonfiction → expert from the book
• Quotes from readers
• Text features → incorporating a timeline of their person’s main events
• Pronouns
• Homophones

​

Reminder: Wonders is our English Language Arts curriculum. It focuses on �reading, writing, grammar, but it incorporates science & social studies.

ELA Taught in February

-4A’s February Newsletter-

Ms. Davidshofer

Reveal Math

It’s an exciting time for math in fourth grade as we are starting to learn about fractions! In early February, we start Unit 8 of Reveal, which was focusing just on equivalent fractions. Students learned how to compare fractions using:

• Benchmarks
• Fraction Tiles/Fraction Bars
• Foam Fraction Circles
• Number Lines, and
• Multiplication

​

Before the test over Unit 8, the students had a real-life experience with fractions as we made salsa from scratch at school. Look for these photos later in the newsletter.

​

After Unit 8, we completed Unit 9 of Reveal, which focused on adding and subtracting fractions with like denominators. Students were representing these problems by using:

• Fraction Tiles
• Number Lines, and
• Mathematical Equations.

Examples of these representations:

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Fractions will be here to stay for many more units in Reveal! We are slowly building up the knowledge and understanding of fractions before we get more in depth.

Math Taught in February

99Math:

​

Sadly, 99Math is currently not working on all the students’ devices, so we have been unable to challenge ourselves with 99Math this month. I am hoping to hear back from 99Math with a solution or fix. Until everyone is able to utilize the website again, the students will practice their math facts with Rocket Match exclusively.

Rocket Math:

​

We continue to utilize Rocket Math 2-3 times a week to help students to master their math facts by taking 1 minute timed “tests”. (I use “test” loosely as in reality, students are working on their own individualize Rocket Math goal, which was set based on their writing speed test as well as multiplication probe practice test.)

We started with multiplication and will advance to division. Once a student has reached their goal, they’ll move onto the next level. If your child doesn’t meet their goal, they’ll be required to finish the rest of the questions as practice to help them for the next time they complete the same level.

This works in conjunction with 99Math, but this focuses more on each student and less on the class as a collective group.

Ask your child about their Rocket Math goal/level. Has their goal changed (up or down)?

-4A’s February Newsletter-

Ms. Davidshofer

Second Step & Trojans Code

​

Weekly, Central Primary School students have a social emotional learning (SEL) lesson or a Trojans Code lesson. The SEL curriculum that we have is called Second Step. Both of these types of lessons work on building up the social emotional skills that the students need to be successful. Another way we continue to enforce these social emotional skill is by continuing to learn about how to be the best Central Trojan by following the Trojans Code.

During February, the students worked on having a positive attitude. We also worked on understanding that people have different viewpoints on issues, and that is acceptable and doesn’t make a person wrong. Instead, their viewpoint is often impacted by their past experiences.

On March 1st, the school recognized the students who represent attitude at the Trojan Code Assembly. Congrats to the following students in 4A who received the award:

• Hadley M
• Kaiden
• Violet
• Heli (not �pictured)

​

​

Social Emotional Learning (SEL) in February

-4A’s February Newsletter-

Ms. Davidshofer

Star of the Week

​

​

Thanks to all of the students who have been featured so far this school year!

​

Every student will get their own week throughout the year. In the weeks before your child’s assigned week, they’ll be given a piece of paper with more information about what to bring and information to have ready.

​

Upcoming Weeks are:

• March 4 → Peyton
• March 11 → Jakoby
• March 18 → Mason

Reminder:

​

Are you unable to read your child’s planner? Was your child absent?

​

You are able to view a digital version of your child’s planner with the most up-to-date homework assignments on Bloomz as well as my classroom website. Click HERE to view it.

Here are some tips to ensure they are ready each day:

• Make sure your child:
• leaves all smart watches and devices at home
• is at school on during the testing times
• has working headphones at school
• gets an adequate amount of sleep
• charges their chromebook every night
• Encourage and support your child to do their best
• Assist them in eating a good breakfast on the days of testing

How Can You Ensure Your Child �is Ready for IAR Testing?

Tentative IAR Testing Schedule for 4th Grade

Morning Meeting Updates

-4A’s February Newsletter-

Ms. Davidshofer

US Capitals

​

After learning the 50 states before winter break, the students started learning the capitals that go along with these states. In January, we learned the capitals in the midwest and south. In February, we learned the capitals in the: west and northeast. Click on the images to the right to listen to the capital songs we are playing each morning to learn these capitals.

United States Presidents

​

Every morning, we have a morning meeting, which contains Pits and Peaks, our daily schedule, and a fun learning fact. This is where we previously learned about the 50 states and their capitals. Now that we have finished both of those, we are moving on to learn more about the United States in the form of learning about each of our presidents. The students started learning the presidents (in order starting with the 1st) in the middle of February. When learning about the presidents, the students see each president’s photograph and then they learn some fun facts about them.

Every Friday, the students sing a song that Mrs. Ekena,

Another 4th grade teacher at Central, wrote �to help them learn the presidents in �order. To hear the song, click HERE and HERE

to see the lyrics.

Independent Reading (AR Reading)

-4A’s February Newsletter-

Ms. Davidshofer

​

​

Student received a new BINGO�board prior to winter break. �Their BINGO for this quarter is�due on March 8th. For more �information about this quarter’s �BINGO board, please see the bright�orange BINGO board in your child’s take home �folder. Keep on Reading!

Remember: In recent years due to the pandemic and Covid-19 quarantines, AR quizzes have had a little more flexibility. However, with the pandemic mostly behind us, it is 4th grade policy that ALL AR quizzes must be taken at school. Therefore, all future quizzes must be taken at school. students have opportunities to take AR quizzes during morning work, Wonders centers, Ketchup & Pickles (aka study hall), so there are multiple opportunities throughout the day for them to take quizzes here at school

Some things to keep in mind as they are working on their BINGO:

• Books should be in their reading level, which was determined by their most recent STAR Reading test from on Dec. 12th. Their levels are written at the bottom of their BINGO board.
• Students needs to get a 4 square BINGO – horizontally, vertically, or diagonally.
• Only 1 graphic novel may be read for their BINGO, and no more than 8 graphic novels on the entire BINGO board (if a student is going for a black out BINGO)
• Books will need to be more than 100 pages (unless pre-approved by the teacher). → This is one that I have been pretty lax on, but I’ll start enforcing more as we move to the second half of 4th grade.

Central Primary’s Grade Scale

-4A’s February Newsletter-

Ms. Davidshofer

​

​

Central Primary School grades assignments and assessments by looking at the standards or skills that are being assessed, which means your child would receive a 3, 2, or 1.

​

What does a 3, 2, 1 mean?

• 3 → meets standard/skill expectations
• 2 → approaching standard/skill expectations
• 1 → does not meets standard/skill expectations

​

In order to help bridge the gap between CPS and CIS (where they are on a 7 point grade scale with A, B, C, D, F), 4th grade has put together a grade scale visual to help you understand standard/skill based grading in comparison to the 7 point scale your students will have at CIS next year.

-4A’s February Newsletter-

Ms. Davidshofer

We celebrated the 100th day of school on February 2nd by dressing like we were 100 years old!

-4A’s February Newsletter-

Ms. Davidshofer

Exploring to Find Equivalent Fractions

-4A’s February Newsletter-

Ms. Davidshofer

Fun with Fractions

-4A’s February Newsletter-

Ms. Davidshofer

Canadian M&Ms

American M&Ms

-4A’s February Newsletter-

Ms. Davidshofer

​

Canadian vs. American Snacks

Our thoughts …

Afterwards, the students made thank you cards to send to my sister in Canada!

-4A’s February Newsletter-

Ms. Davidshofer

​

Such talented artists as they continued to make thank you cards for my sister!

-4A’s February Newsletter-

Ms. Davidshofer

​

Feb. 14th: Applying fractions & fraction equivalence to real life by following a recipe to make homemade salsa!

-4A’s February Newsletter-

Ms. Davidshofer

​

Before

puree

After

puree

So delicious!

-4A’s February Newsletter-

Ms. Davidshofer

​

Such creative, fun �Valentine’s boxes!

-4A’s February Newsletter-

Ms. Davidshofer

​

Winners of the Valentine’s Day Boxes

Most Colorful

Prettiest

Box

Funniest Box

Most Creative Box

-4A’s February Newsletter-

Ms. Davidshofer

​

Painting at the Party!

-4A’s February Newsletter-

Ms. Davidshofer

​

More party fun!

Ethan hand drew and colored a personalized Valentine for every student in 4A! Man, these were a hit with everyone! Way to go Ethan! What a sweet surprise for us!