May 14th - 18th Newsletter

Weekly Update: May 14 - May 18, 2018

Language Arts

This week in reading, the children will be spending time identifying important events in the stories they are reading and adding them to a timeline to help track the story. In addition to the story timeline, the children will focus on historically accurate events that the author includes to add to a historical timeline as well.

Math

Now that the students understand the benchmark angels, they will continue working with the protractor. The students will be given various angles and will be using the protractor to measure the angles. Students will learn that the size of the angle does not change even if the length of the lines change. A fun way to practice measuring angles is to play Bunny and Angles.

Science/ Social Studies

We didn’t get as much done this week as we had hoped :) Next week, we will continue student’s reflecting on their google map of natural resources. We will also begin investigating vocabulary like: Needs and Wants, Consumers and Producers etc. This quizlet is a good resource for kids to practice learning the new vocabulary tied to the unit.

Announcements

• ES Melawati Spring Concert, Thur May 17, 7:00 PM , Melawati Studio 
• Head Of School Coffee, Fri May 18, 9:30-11:00, Melawati Community Room 
• Wet & Wild Day : Friday May 25 - Click here for sign up !

Newsletter May 7th - 11th

Weekly Update: May 7 - May 11, 2018

Language Arts
This week in reading, we will be using clues from the author about the setting, characters and history to help piece our understanding of the stories we are reading. The children will also be doing some writing about reading in the form of reading responses to share their thoughts about their book club books.

Math
This week students will be drawing and identify angles by comparing them to known right angles. They will also begin using protractors to measure the various angles that they create.

Science/ Social Studies
This week students will be reflecting on their google maps and start investigating vocabulary ………. Needs and Wants, Consumers and Producers etc. This quizlet is a good resource for kids to practice learning the new vocabulary tied to the unit.

Announcements
NO SCHOOL: Wed May 9: General Election, Public Holiday
ASAs end: Friday May 11
MAP Parent Workshop, Fri, May 11, 8:30am – 9:00am, Melawati Community Room
ES Melawati Spring Concert, Thur May 17, 7:00 PM , Melawati Studio

May 2-4 Newsletter

Weekly Update: April 30 - May 4, 2018

Language Arts

This week in reading, the students will begin their new Historical fiction book club and focus on the setting. As they focus on the time and place in the story, they will also have an opportunity to inquire into the real historical time period and important events from that era.

Math

This week the students will begin looking at points, lines, line segments, rays, angles, perpendicular lines and parallel lines. They will be identifying and classifying angles along with distinguishing between parallel and perpendicular lines. You might want to brush up on your geometry vocabulary through Quizlet.

Science/ Social Studies

This week is a short week, and students will continue their investigation into natural resources (renewable and non-renewable) and their connection to our physical environment. Some classes have begun looking at where these natural resources are located around the world.

Announcements

ISKL Holiday - April 30th and May 1st

Newsletter updates

Weekly Update: April 23 - April 27, 2018

Language Arts

This week, students will be getting into Historical Fiction book clubs and begin reading a new story while investigating the historical period connected to the book. In writing, the students will be showing off their learning in a final independent assessment of their nonfiction writing.

Math

This week the students will be finishing up the Decimals and Fractions Unit and will take the final assessment. Our next and final math unit for the year will be Geometry

Science/ Social Studies

We are launching our unit on Trade and Resources this week. The big ideas of this unit are: “Where you live impacts how you live” and “Resources impact the economy and trade in regions around the world”. Student will begin the week tapping into their current knowledge of natural resources and how they connect with products and trade. We will then look more closely at different natural resources and their location.


Announcements

Earth Dress Day - April 27th

ISKL Holiday - April 30th




Weekly Update: April 16 - April 20, 2018

Language Arts

In writing, the focus will turn to editing and revising of their work and most children will be publishing their nonfiction books this week. In reading, we will begin a new Historical fiction unit and get into our final book clubs for grade 4.

Math

This week the students will be using their understanding of fraction equivalence to investigate decimal numbers on the place value chart expressed in different units.

Science/ Social Studies

We are finishing up our unit by communicating our expertise to others. Students are drafting their books to describe how Earth changes connect to Earth layers, plate tectonics, and/or erosion, weathering and deposition.

Announcements

Maps Tests begin next week

Earth Week is next week. Students are encouraged to send in videos or pictures of them doing something good for the environment.

Earth Week Assembly - April 20th, from 11:50 - 12:20pm

Earth Dress Day - April 27th

ISKL Holiday - April 30th

5LT's No Plastic resources

Today 5LT presented to 4HR about the problem of single use plastics and why we should say No to Plastic. They want us to take action and make a positive impact in our community.

Here are their resources to help us change our habits and the habits of others.

The Hive, where you can get reusable straws.

Interviewing as Scientific Journalists

This week 4HR has been scientific journalists. We wanted to find out more from a first hand source about our research topic.

"It was interesting because I had never interviewed a person who had been on an active volcano." - Jenna

"It made me understand how other people felt and how things can get damaged." - Sophia

"I never knew how fast an avalanche falls." - Gregorio

"Now I know what it looks like and sounds like for a volcanic eruption." - Alice

Below are four interviews: Ms. Amy about a volcanic eruption in Indonesia, Ms. Stone about an earthquake in California, Ms. Heather O about the 2004 tsunami, and Mr. Wakefield about an avalanche in Colorado.

Backlog of Newsletters

Grade 4 Newsletter

Weekly Update: April 9 - April 13, 2018




Language Arts

This week in writing, the students will be working on publishing their Earth change information books. This will include revising their writing to ensure they have used scientific vocabulary and a variety of evidence to teach their reader about their topic. In addition to their writing, each student will be adding text features to emphasize important information in their text.




Math

This week the students will be using manipulatives to show how decimals can be represented through the base-ten model to the hundredths. They will learn that the square is referred to as the whole or one unit, the rods become the tenths, and the unit cubes become hundredths. They will then have the opportunity to draw their own models that will represent given decimals and the equivalent fraction.






Science/ Social Studies

We are finishing up our unit by communicating our expertise to others. Students are drafting their books to describe how earth changes connect to Earth layers, plate tectonics, and/or erosion, weathering and deposition.




Resources

As we are now studying decimal fractions in math, here is a Quizlet that will help you and your child be familiar with the vocabulary of this math unit:






Announcements




WIDA testing will begin Tuesday April 10th to April 13th. This test is only for some students, and those students and parents have already been informed through a take home letter.




Grade 4 Newsletter

Weekly Update: April 2 - April 6, 2018




Language Arts

The students will continue to use their reading research skills as they delve deeper into their Earth Change research. Throughout this week, the children will be drafting their information books and will focus on organizing their writing with a topic sentence and key detail sentences.




Math

This week the students will begin the Fractions and Decimal unit. They will be learning how to convert fractions into decimals and recognize their place value.




Science/ Social Studies

Students are writing as Scientists. They are taking notes from different resources, and creating their own text features to explain that information. They are beginning to draft their book by paraphrasing information in their own words.




Resources

As we continue to share resources on ways to engage kids without technology and keep them safe when they are using it, consider this article. Getting Kids Off Devices How about a tech-free March vacation?




Announcements




School Starts on Monday, April 2nd.


Take a photo of your child reading someplace interesting or pretty or just cool and send it to sdehart@iskl.edu.my They will be posted on the library facebook page.