Wet n Wild Photos and Writing Share Information

Wet N Wild Day/ Swim Carnival 

and 

The Grade 4 Writing Share

This week is a full week. This newsletter is not a curriculum newsletter (please see last week's letter to read about our curriculum)  but  this letter refers to two events, one that has already happened and one that is coming up:

Wet n Wild Day - this event was phenomenal. Held last Friday the students had so much fun!  Agung Fauzi has taken some spectacular photos of the event. Search through his album HERE
For less professional photos taken by me from this event on my iPhone-  click HERE

A HUGE thank you to all of you who came to volunteer and to support

Grade 4 Writing Share: 

• When ? June 3rd at 1:45-2:40pm
• Where? Grade 4 classrooms and common area
• Who? Parents and relatives

• What? 

Learn a little about the writing process and the different aspects of writing.
Read and give feedback to your own child on their Literary Essay
Give feedback to other students too. ( 2-3 other students)
Use two stars and a wish - two things that they did well, and one thing that they need to improve.
A google survey has been sent to you already- we hope to see as many of you as we can so that you can help our students CELEBRATE their hard work in this new writing unit: Literary Essays.

• 

Grade 4AW Weekly Newsletter May 20-May 31st

Grade 4

Weekly Newsletter

May 20 - May 31, 2019

These next two weeks have lots of holidays  and this posting covers the next two weeks.

Language Arts 
In Language Arts this next fortnight, students will continue to research and compare historical fiction texts, consolidating their knowledge on common themes and symbols seen throughout. We will finish our study on our mentor text, Number the Stars, noticing changes in the characters, setting and theme as the story concludes. We will complete our study of historical fiction book clubs, comparing universal themes and ideas across texts. We continue to refine our writing skills in our Literary Essays, through both peer and teacher conferencing, taking feedback from earlier drafts to refine our work.

Math 
In math we continue our geometry unit and initially will focus on quadrilaterals- looking at the criteria for a quadrilateral. Later, we will also be drawing and identifying shapes based on their angles. We will be sorting shapes based on angles and will be learning how to use a protractor (angle measure) to more accurately measure and classify angles into acute, right, obtuse and reflex angles.

Social Studies
These few days we recap natural resources and introduce both capital resources and human resources. Capital resources are goods made and used to produce other goods and services. Examples include buildings, machinery, tools and equipment.  Human resources refers to the talents, skills and work of humans.

Announcements

• May 10th - June 14th: Car riders pick up will now be in the gym 
• Mon, May 20th:  NO SCHOOL - ISKL Holiday in lieu of Wesak Day 
• Tues, May 21st:  NO SCHOOL - ISKL Faculty In-Service
• Wed, May 22nd:  NO SCHOOL - Nuzul Al Quran
• Fri, May 24th: Wet ‘n’Wild Day/ Swim Carnival 8:15-9:00
• June 3rd: 4th Grade Writing Share - Parents invited from 1:45- 2:30.
• ES Dress Up Days: Plan your days in advance click HERE for dates and details.
• EXTRA BONUS:  Get a head start on the SUMMER READING LIST 

Resources
Reinforce our Geometry unit in math with the power of song on Numberock. Music makes memories...give it a try...with Closed Caption for the added benefit of visual text support.  https://numberock.com/

Quizlet is a digital studying tool. Open the link below to access digital flashcards that include the vocabulary words covered in our Geometry unit. https://quizlet.com/284437039/iskl-grade-4-geometry-flash-cards/

Again to reinforce our ongoing Geometry unit take a look at the link below. Some teachers use Math Learning Center as a digital math manipulative that helps build a concrete understanding of new concepts. The link is directly connected to the websites applications or apps page. Open the geoboard app and the math vocabulary cards (select geometry) and allow your children to explore and practice new skills.
https://www.mathlearningcenter.org/resources/apps

A few of our historical fictions texts can be found on a website site that all readers can access and enjoy. Take a look at the Storyline Online, a website that has videos of actors reading books aloud while showing illustrations from the story.
https://www.storylineonline.net/ 

4AW Weekly Newsletter May 13-17 2019

Grade 4 AW

Weekly Newsletter

May 13 - May 17, 2019

Language Arts 

In our historical fiction unit, we will continue to read and study our book club texts, examining how character’s perspective is shaped by the times and by his or her role. Students will also examine the main themes and ideas of their historical fiction texts. We continue to dissect our mentor text, Number the Stars, noting character and setting changes.

Students continue to work in partnerships to plan, draft and edit their  literary essays, focusing on adding quotes and other evidence from texts to support their claims. We will look at another exemplar text before students start to plan their own literary essay.

Math 

 This week we start our Geometry unit, in this unit, students draw points, lines, line segments, rays, angles (right, acute, obtuse), and perpendicular and parallel lines. They identify and classify angles, distinguish between parallel and perpendicular lines, and recognise a right triangle as a category for classification. Fourth graders identify differences and similarities among two dimensional figures based on the absence or presence of characteristics such as parallel or perpendicular lines and angles of a specified size. 

This first week we focus on points, lines, rays and line segments and which symbols mathematicians use to represent and label these geometric features. 

Social Studies

 Our focus this week in social studies will be on   a natural resource,  OIL,  and we will use maps to show where this resource can be found around the world. Where are the oil rich nations?  Students will use natural resource maps to select another resource and map it on their maps to see where natural resources can be found around the world.  Students will form groups to focus on the following natural resources: Cotton , Gold, Copper, Tin, Salt, Wheat, Fish, Wood/lumber, Palm Oil, Rubber, Cattle (Meat), and Coal.


Announcements

• May 10th - June 14th: Car riders pick up will now be in the GYM
Tues, May 14: ES Spring Music Concert, 5:30-7:00, Melawati Theater 
• Wed, May 15: Instrument selection is due
• Mon, May 20:  NO SCHOOL - ISKL Holiday in lieu of Wesak Day
• Tues, May 21:  NO SCHOOL - ISKL Faculty In-Service
• Wed, May 22:  NO SCHOOL - Nuzul Al Quran
• ES Dress Up Days: Plan your days in advance click HERE for dates and details.

Resources

If you would like to get a jump start on our next math unit in Geometry take a look at the link below. Some teachers use Math Learning Center as a digital math manipulate that helps build a concrete understanding of new concepts. The link is directly connected to the websites applications or apps page. Open the geoboard app and the math vocabulary cards (select geometry) and allow your children to explore and practice new skills.
https://www.mathlearningcenter.org/resources/apps

A few of our historical fictions texts can be found on a website site that all readers can access and enjoy. Take a look at the Storyline Online, a website that has videos of actors reading books aloud while showing illustrations from the story.
https://www.storylineonline.net/ 

4AW Weekly Newsletter May 6-May 10 2019

Grade 4AW

Weekly Newsletter

May 6 - May 10, 2019

Language Arts 
In our Reading unit, students will  start to explore their Historical Fiction Book Clubs.  Each group has a historical fiction book that they will begin to read. They have already started to research the time and history in which the book was set.  Students will work on unpacking components of historical fiction, making agreements, revisiting tools and self assessing in order to lift their book club conversations.

While continuing to read the mentor text,  Number the Stars, students will be encouraged to think deeply about passages in the text,  finding big ideas in small details and symbolism. Students will also determine themes, developing deeper ideas through conversation with other readers who can contribute to build a richer, more powerful interpretation.

In our Literary Essay unit, students will begin to plan and draft their essays, as well as learn how to use direct quotes to support their claims about text. They will also use lists as evidence to support their claims.





Math 
This week in 4AW we continue to model decimals using area models and number lines.  We compare decimals and decimal fractions using the inequality symbols ( >, <, or =) as well as ordering using a number line. Later we will move on to comparing mixed numbers as well as adding decimals.

We are nearly at the end of this decimals unit and so we will also start preparing students for the vocabulary  demands of our final unit on Geometry. In the resources section below there is a Quizlet set that students can access at home and preview some of the  specialist vocabulary that they will need.

Social Studies
This week during morning meeting times we will recapping natural resources and renewable and non-renewable resources. We will also be looking at wants and needs.  We will look at Malaysia's Natural resources in preparation for looking at the rest of the world and their natural resources.

Announcements

• Monday 6th May: Night Of the Notables Dress Rehearsal - Grade 4 to be the audience for the grade 5 performance during school time. Students only.
• Wednesday May 8th: Band and Strings presentation for grade 4 students. Keep an eye out for some information from the music teachers after the presentation and some discussions  with your child about best-matched musical instruments. Students only.
• Friday,  May 10th: Free Dress Day, suggested donation 5RM
• Tuesday,  May 14th: ES Spring Music Concert, 5:30-7:00, Melawati Theater 
• ES Dress Up Days: Plan your days in advance click HERE for dates and details.

Resources
Learn the specialist vocabulary needed for your next math unit, by clicking this link. Parents this may help you too.
Geometry Quizlet Set