Walk A Day in My Shoes- A Global Literacy Project

 Dear Parents,

              4AW have the fantastic opportunity to participate in A Global Literacy Project  called Walk A Day in My Shoes. More information about it is included below. 

Lane Clarke - an Associate Professor from USA will visit our classroom on March 14/15th. She is launching the  project in many places around the world. Before she comes to us here in Kuala Lumpur she is visiting  Maine, Paris, Romania and Morocco. 

A hard copy of this letter will be sent home too- as it also have a permission slip at the end that we need to have returned as to the privacy settings you would like on the end product- the video. 

Thank you for your support in  developing these cross-cultural understandings.
Mr. Ward

Walk a Day in My Shoes: A Global Literacy Project

Dear Parents,

Your child's classroom has a wonderful opportunity to participate in a global literacy project called “Walk a Day in My Shoes”. In this project your child will be creating their own iMovie about a day in their life and these will be shared with other students in classrooms in different countries. The children will get to watch other children’s stories and learn about what their lives are like in their country as well.  The goal of this  project is to provide an opportunity for teachers to cultivate cross-cultural understanding between elementary age students.

Since this is a digital project stories will be shared online and I wanted to give you the opportunity to express you preference for how these stories will be shared. I will be using a Youtube channel to share these stories with other students and I am going to ask that the students when they are creating their stories do not show faces, and will only use first names however there are different options for levels of involvement and I want to respect your comfort level with this project.

Please see the below choices and return to your child’s teacher if you have a preference. I look forward to working with your child’s teacher and class on this project.  Please feel free to contact me if you have questions.

Sincerely,

Lane W. Clarke
Associate Professor, University of New England, Biddeford, Maine, USA
globalinmyshoes@gmail.com

Website for this project- https://www.globalinmyshoes.com/
Youtube channel link-https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPz_tgFkSbJK2-7--VZ_6KQ


_________________________________________________________________________________

I am fine with my child’s story shared on the Youtube Channel as part of this project

I am fine with my child’s story shared on the Youtube Channel but only on private setting

I do not want my child’s story to be shared with other students.

Child’s Name _________________________________________________

Parent’s Signature _____________________________________________

4AW Class Newsletter Feb 25- March 1

Grade 4

Weekly Newsletter

February 25 - March 1, 2019

Language Arts 
This week in language arts students are continuing to research and learn more about their selected non fiction topic for their own projects. Students will continue to learn how to deconstruct non fiction texts, learning about note taking and how to recognise different text structures. br />
Math
This week we are moving on to our new, but related, unit of operations with fractions. We start with adding and subtracting fractions with like denominators and then unlike denominators. The students will continue to use visual models to decompose and show equivalency with fractions.

Science
This week students read about, consider details of, and model sedimentary rock formation in different environments. Students add a new layer to their Sedimentary Rock Formation Models, showing two different kinds of sedimentary rock, to apply what they learned about what makes sedimentary rock different and how different rock forms in different environments. Students will reflect on what they’ve learned by returning to the Rocks and Fossils anticipatory chart and engaging in a short reflective writing activity in response to the question: How do rocks provide information about what an environment was like in the past?  Students will then begin to apply their understanding about what rock layers suggest about previous environmental changes.

Announcements
March 7th & March 8th - Student Led Conferences (SLC): Be sure to sign up for a time slot on POWERSCHOOL. If you are unable to attend, please contact your child’s teacher so that an alternative date can be set up.
ES Dress Up Days: plan your days in advance -see Christian's email for the dates.

Resources
To further support our exploration of non-fiction text log on to Newsela, which is an online news website that has the capability of breaking down the text into different reading levels that all readers can access.  https://newsela.com/ (focus on Science)

4AW Class Newsletter Feb 18- 21

Grade 4

Weekly Newsletter

February 18 - February 22, 2019

This week is a busy and exciting week. We have the Grand Opening of the school as well as Chinese New Year assemblies and celebration and even a visiting author!

Language Arts 
This week in Language Arts we will continue to examine text structures. We will examine further the features of each type and analyse a variety of examples to determine which type of text structure they are. Students  will find evidence within the text to support their thinking. We will also continue to learn about different forms of note taking that allow us to gather important information from texts and begin to start this process.

This week- to tie in with our work on Non Fiction reading and writing we have the amazing opportunity to listen and learn from Richard Sobol, a traveling photographer and photo-journalist who has written many non fiction books.

Math
This week in math sees us at the final bend in this unit on Equivalent Fractions and Ordering. Students will continue to use visual models (area models and number lines) as well as their knowledge of fractions to look at whether fractions are close to zero, close to ½ or close to 1 whole.   These benchmark or landmark fractions will help them with comparing and ordering fractions as well as identifying equivalent fractions.

Science
Students revisit the mystery in Desert Rocks Canyon and are introduced to the Chapter 2 Question: What was the environment of Desert Rocks National Park like in the past? Students then read Through the Eyes of a Geologist, which takes students on a journey back in time, highlighting how the environments in specific places have changed over millions of years. Students are also introduced to Fossil Hunter’s Handbook, the reference book they will use in the unit, and use it to identify the mystery fossil found in Desert Rocks Canyon.

Announcements
Thursday, February 21st - Grand Opening Celebration: Students will  be able to witness the ribbon cutting ceremony on the Zurich Field ( leave classes at 2pm) event at 2:10pm. Please be sure they have their hats as they will be outside on the field.

Friday, February 22nd - Chinese New Year Celebration: ISKL will be celebrating CNY in the elementary gym. We encourage your child to dress up in Chinese clothing for the event.

Thur Feb 28, ES Scholastic orders due, online ordering, no cash, credit card payment and delivered to school...see flyer in your child's backpack for details. click HERE to order online.
March 7th & March 8th - Student Led Conferences (SLC): Parents will be able to sign up for the conferences on POWER SCHOOL. If you are unable to attend, please contact your child’s teacher so that an alternative date can be set up.


Resources

Here is a collection of 5 different Subitizing* Fraction Games you can play at home. The games came from www.BuildingMathMinds.com 

*Subitizing: is the ability to instantaneously recognize the number of objects in a small group without the need to count them (example: rolling dice).

4AW Weekly Newsletter Feb 7-15, 2019

Grade 4

Weekly Newsletter

February 7 - February 15, 2019

As we return from our Lunar New Year celebrations I wish all of you who celebrate Gong Xi Fa Cai! This newsletter will span the rest of this short week and all of next week too.

Language Arts
This week as we delve into our unit, Research Reading, we continue to examine the different strategies involved in identifying the main idea in nonfiction texts. We will also continue to learn important ways to differentiate between important vs interesting information. We will  revisit familiar tools such as our Research Reading Mat, which allows us to focus on questions we may have from reading the non fiction text. We will also begin to examine different non fiction text

structures. Students  will learn strategies to assist them in  determining the best ways to gather information from text features and pictures and examine ways to generate relevant questions about the text and goal set for the unit. We will also learn, as researchers, how to take effective notes from non fiction texts.

This week we have the pleasure of hearing Matt Holm, our visiting author/ illustrator, present about characters and stories. Matt is the author of many children's books alongside his sister, Jennifer. Matt is the main illustrator of the books BabyMouse and Squish.

Here is his website: http://www.matthewholm.net/


Math
This week we will continue to use the area model to show fractions and introduce number lines  as an additional visual model to help students better understand how to order and compare fractions.  We will also start to look at landmark fractions so that students can compare if the fraction is less than 1/2 , exactly 1/2, more than 1/2 or more than a whole.

Science
In the next few lessons students will make a Class Sedimentary Rock Model.  They learn how sedimentary rock layers form. Students will also learn that as scientists learn and investigate more, they answer some questions but might generate even more questions. They learn about  scientific arguments and how they include a claim that is supported by evidence. As we start the next chapter of our science unit, students will learn about how geologists use observations of, and ideas about, rocks and fossils to make inferences about past environments. They learn that inferences can be made based on what you observe combined with scientific ideas and that science theories are based on a body of evidence and many tests.

Announcements
Legal Guardianship - If for some reason you have to be out of the country, please advise your child’s teacher as to who will be the legal guardian of your child.

Water Bottles & Hats - Please check that your child comes to school with their water bottles and hats every morning. Recently, many students seem to be forgetting them at home.

March 7th & March 8th - Student Led Conferences (SLC) will be held just before spring break. Please contact your child’s teacher if you are not able to attend on either one of these days so that an alternative date can be set up.


Resources
Here is a collection of 5 different Subitizing* Fraction Games you can play at home. The games came from www.BuildingMathMinds.com 

*Subitizing: is the ability to instantaneously recognize the number of objects in a small group without the need to count them (example: rolling dice).

4AW Weekly Newsletter Jan 28 - Feb 1st 2019

Grade 4 AW

Weekly Newsletter

January 28 - February 1, 2019

A belated "Happy Australia Day" to all those that celebrate! This is a short yet exciting week at ISKL. We are hosting the IASAS Rugby and Touch tournaments. We have adopted a school team from one of the visiting  IASAS school teams- we will be cheering on The International School Bangkok Girls Touch Team on Thursday. We hope that they will visit our classroom too.  We break for a short vacation on Friday to start our Chinese New Year/ Lunar New Year celebration. Gong Xi Fa Cai!

Language Arts

In Language arts this week, the children will complete their final assessment on their Realistic Fiction writing unit, using all of the tools they have learned throughout the unit. We begin our new reading unit this week, Reading for Research. We will begin by revising previous concepts taught this year including identifying the main idea within non fiction texts. In the first bend of the unit, students will work towards learning multiple strategies in order to identify the main idea and supporting details. They will also learn to differentiate between interesting versus important information.

Math

This week in math the students will continue to deepen their understanding with equivalent fractions. They will be using images and number lines to help visually and conceptually understand how different fractions can be equal. The students will then move on with comparing fractions using visual representations.

Science

This week in science, students will gather information from images of fossils, the online simulation, and a book to help them answer the question: How do fossils form? The purpose of these lessons is for students to construct and reflect on their understanding of how fossils form. Then, students will use the Simulation to gather information about sedimentary rock formation. They observe rocks forming and record their observations about how this process happens. In doing so, students begin to make sense of the role of water and sediment in rock formation.

Announcements

• Legal Guardianship - If for some reason you have to be out of the country, please advise your child’s teacher as to who will be the legal guardian of your child.
• Water Bottles & Hats - Please check that your child comes to school with their water bottles and hats every morning. Recently, many students seem to be forgetting them at home.
• March 7th & March 8th - Student Led Conferences (SLC) will be held just before spring break. Please contact your child’s teacher if you are not able to attend on either one of these days, so that an alternative date can be set up.

Resources

Here is a video explaining a game called Race To 1 that you can create at home to help reinforce the concept of fractions. It is a game primarily for teaching addition and subtraction of fractions but it can be modified to simply build fractions and conceptual understanding.

Here is a website resource, The Math Learning Center, where students can build and manipulate fractions. Open the link and select fractions. When building fractions we encourage only using rectangles as it will reinforce what we are doing in the classroom.

Grade 4AW Weekly Newsletter Jan 21-25

Grade 4 AW

Weekly Newsletter

January 21 - January 25, 2019

Language Arts
In Reading this week we will be launching our non-fiction reading unit " Reading for Research". In this unit student will be  starting the unit by revisiting some our previous work on identifying the main idea and details and throughout the whole unit students will be answering these questions: What strategies can you use to locate and define key ideas and details in informational texts? How does understanding Non-Fiction craft and structure help me better understand an informational text? How do readers use their research to develop their own ideas across texts?

In writing this week we are completing our drafts of our second realistic fiction story and will move on to peer editing using CUPS (Capitalization, Usage, Punctuation & Spelling), as well as revising with ARMS (Add sentences and words, Remove unneeded sentences and words, Move a sentence or word placement and Substitute words or sentences for others). We will be both giving and receiving feedback from peers and teachers in order to get our realistic fiction stories to the publishing stage.

Math
This week we begin teaching our unit on equivalent fractions and ordering. We start with building and drawing fractions with different fractional parts. We move on to recognising that when we compare fractions with a visual model we have to have the same size whole. This week also sees us look at the effect of changing the whole on fractional parts. Throughout this whole unit we use visual models, like the area model or fraction/ number lines to show and prove their thinking.

Science
As we launch our science unit, students are introduced to the unit and to their roles as geologists exploring a fossil that was discovered in a rocky outcrop in Desert Rocks National Park. They learn that a geologist is a scientist who studies the materials and processes that form the solid part of Earth. They learn that rocks and fossils can provide clues about the way Earth changes over time. They reflect on what they understand and don’t understand, allowing them to prepare for learning new things. Students also learn about observations and inferences and make inferences about the found fossil and are introduced to some simulations.

Announcements
Water Bottles & Hats - Please check that your child comes to school with their water bottles and hats every morning. Recently, many students seem to be forgetting them at home.
Camp Lost Property - There are some leftover items from camp that have been forgotten by students. Please remind your child to check the table in the grade four common area for lost or missing items.
January 25th: FREE Dress day -  If your child chooses to not wear their uniform they can make their 5 RM donation to one of the Red Hats

Resources
Here is a video explaining a game called Race To 1 that you can create at home to help reinforce the concept of fractions. It is a game primarily for teaching addition and subtraction of fractions but it can be modified to simply build fractions and conceptual understanding.

Here is a website resource,  The Math Learning Center where students can build and manipulate fractions. Open the link and select fractions. When building fractions we encourage only using rectangles as it will reinforce what we are doing in the classroom.

4AW Weekly Newsletter January 14-18, 2019

Grade 4 AW

Weekly Newsletter

January 14th - January 18th, 2019

Welcome back to a new year 2019! I hope that all of you had a grrrreat (!) vacation and that you  are looking forward to the grade 4 Camp-In experience that happens on Thursday (earlier arrival at 7am) and continues all day ...and night ...until Friday at the end of school. Included in this newsletter is a link to the packing list in the resources section. See below.

Language Arts
In writing we will be continuing our unit of realistic faction writing where students will be planning, rehearsing and drafting their stories - making their characters come alive by using a balance of description, action, thinking and dialog.

In reading, the  students will be  independently reading stories and looking at how the authors tell us more about the characters by what the characters say, do and think and how other characters in the story respond/react. We will also be starting a new class read aloud.

Math
Our new math unit being launched this week will be  Fraction Equivalence and Ordering, where students will be using models to show/ prove that fractions are equivalent or not and using benchmark fractions to compare size. Here is a link to a quizlet vocabulary set that will be a good preview of vocabulary. As always with quizlet, start with 'flashcards' and 'learn'. This week we will be assessing the students previous understandings of fraction ordering and equivalence using a pre-assessment. We will use this information to group students within the class to target key knowledge or skills that they need through the coming weeks as we teach this unit.

This week we will also be sending home the post assessment for the unit on  Measurement and  Conversion unit. This will be sent home, please look at it with your child. This will need your signature and should be sent back to school by the end of the week.

Science
Science will not start this week as it is such a short week due to our Camp-In Experience on Thursday and Friday.  Here is a preview of the unit  on Earth Changes that we will be starting to teach next week just to whet your appetites:

In the role of geologists, students investigate how a dinosaur fossil found in the fictional Desert Rocks National Park formed. This investigation serves as the anchor phenomenon for the unit. Students will make inferences about the history of the park based on the fossil itself and the rock layers in which it is embedded. Investigating how the fossil formed and how the Earth has changed.

Announcements

• CAMP-IN - Be sure that your child has a Home Snack and Home Lunch for Thursday.  It is also recommended that your child gathers up all that they will need for their sleepover on Thursday night. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact your child’s classroom teacher. Camp-In Packing List 
• Water Bottles & Hats - Please check that your child comes to school with their water bottles and hats every morning. Recently, many students seem to be forgetting them at home.
• ES Dress Up Days - plan your days in advance click HERE for dates. 

Resources
Repeat: Grade 4 Camp-In Resources

• Camp-In Information Presentation 
• Camp-In Permission Form - should be completed already. 
• Camp-In Packing List