VW 4th Grade Blog 2023-2024

Good Afternoon, We are officially on spring break, and I hope everyone is able to take some time for themselves. The students have been working extremely hard all year, but especially these past few weeks in preparation for state testing. We were able to get things off to a great start, and the general feeling was they were not overwhelmed, but prepared which is exactly what we want to hear. They are the ones coming in daily, and putting in the hard work which has put them in a position to have success, and what we have been saying is the hay is in the barn! It was great being able to connect during conferences as well, and so many celebrations were in order for the 4th Graders because of the growth and hard work they are displaying every day! Week in Review: Leader in Me:  This week we learned about how unique life experiences lead us to have different viewpoints. Having empathy means showing respect for different life experiences and viewpoints. As a family, Take turns responding...

Good Afternoon, Next week the 4th Graders begin their spring Wisconsin Forward testing. They have been preparing for these since they first started school, and they are ready. The 4th Graders have been working extremely hard all year, and in this past test prep unit that I am extremely confident in every single one of them. To put it simply, the hay is in the barn, which means the hardest work has been completed in preparation for something. They are prepared, and I couldn't be more excited for them to be able to highlight and show off their knowledge during testing.   Week in Review:  Leader in Me: Our class talked about humility. Ask your child, “Why is it important for leaders to have humility?”  Writing: Writers practiced through analyzing a text, and writing a text dependent analysis of that passage. We went through the process of what it will be like on testing day, so they were able to get a live look at what it will be like, and what will be asked of them. Ma...

 Good Afternoon, Another week has flown by, and it doesn't appear to be slowing down anytime soon. We stopped to do some reflecting this week as learners to recognize the learning they are accomplishing daily. It's important to pause, and reflect within the journey and learning process because otherwise it can just get overlooked just how far each one of them have come in their learning journey. I'm proud of the growth they have made, and the daily efforts and energy they continue to bring daily! Week in Review:  Leader in Me: Our class talked about teamwork. Ask your child, “What is the value of sharing ideas when working on a team?”  Writing: Writers have been working hard this week on putting all of their writing work together to best answer the prompt that the test makers are asking. They are using their writing skills from units across the year to help prepare them for what the test makers will be looking for. It was great to see them revising work to lift the level ...

Good Afternoon, As we are a couple weeks into our test prep units, I want to address just how hard every single student is working daily. The test anxiety is a real thing for students because they all want to do so well. We had a whole class conversation today about how they have been preparing for these types of tests all year, and all of their years of school. They need to trust and believe in themselves, and know the hard work and effort they are putting in daily is putting them in a position to have great success when test day comes! If we can all continue to encourage, build up, and be empathetic knowing they are doing rigorous work during the day because we want them to come into testing knowing they can accomplish amazing things! Week in Review:  Leader in Me: Our class talked about celebrating differences. Ask your child, “Why are different ideas helpful when working on a team?”  Writing: Writers worked to identify details from a passage they had read to then apply dir...

Good Afternoon, What a special week it was at NDLC with the Knowledge-A-Thon happening, and students being able to showcase their knowledge. The 4th Graders were beaming with pride afterwards, and the excitement was very evident; everyone should be extremely proud of themselves for all the hard work and effort that went into making it such a success, students and parents alike. It's the first year since Pre-Covid where things were back to how it usually was, and it truly was a great experience for all involved. Being able to celebrate with a field trip to Skate City was just the icing on top of a fantastic week! Week in Review: Leader in Me: Our class talked about the skill of public speaking. Ask your child, “What topic would you choose to speak about if given the chance?” Writing: Writers finished their literary essays focusing on the themes of the stories they were reading, and we began our test prep unit for writing. We began analyzing exactly what the question is asking us, an...