Read-A-Thon 2019

Leverett Elementary School celebrated an all-school read-a-thon! The day was filled with reading and reading-related activities. Many students arrived at school in with blankets and stuffed animals to snuggle with while they read. Fourth graders spent time reading independently and with classmates, they reflected on favorite books and why they recommend them, and read with first grade reading buddies.

 

MCAS Food

Hello Fourth Grade Families,

Food will be available to students in the classroom before and after MCAS testing on Thursday since we will not stop to eat at our usual snack time. Students will be welcome to eat their snack from home in addition to the snacks I provide. Gum, a Hershey’s chocolate kiss, and possibly pretzels will be distributed as students are testing. I have not purchased the gum yet but it will be Extra, Trident, or another well-known brand. I believe those gum brands are all sugar free. If your child would prefer a different snack, gum type, etc. it needs to be brought from home. If it is an alternative to the gum I provide or the chocolate, have your child show it to me on Thursday morning. I will hold onto it while they are testing, and hand it to your child when the similar treat is handed out to the whole class.
Please let me know if you have any questions.

Thank you,
Katrin Griswold

Important News About the Week Ahead

Hello Fourth Grade Families,

Spelling tests from last week and the unit 7 math test went home today.
ELA MCAS (reading and writing) is this Thursday, April 11 and the Tuesday after break. Students have all day to take the test if they need the time. (Math MCAS will be May 6 and 7.)
There is no homework this week because of MCAS. Students are encouraged to read a good book, laugh, spend time with their families and friends, go to bed early, and eat a good breakfast on MCAS day.
Friday is an all-school read-a-thon day! Students are welcome to come to school in pajamas or comfortable clothes. They are welcome to bring sleeping bags, blankets, stuffed animals, and favorite books from home. Most of our day will be filled with reading and reading related activities. We will spend time reading with our first grade buddies. Students will still have PE and recess, so they should bring shoes and clothes to move around in.
Next week is school vacation. 

Please let me know if you have any questions.
Thanks,
Katrin Griswold

Invention Fair 2019

Fourth grade inventors shared their creative inventions at the 2019 LES Invention Fair. Each student came up with an invention idea, built the invention, assembled a rigorous poster presentation, and prepared a verbal presentation. Many hours of handwork and determination went into this culminating project. The students enjoyed the invention unit and sharing their work with LES staff and students, family, friends, and special guests.

 

Important Dates

Hello Fourth Grade Families,

There are many important dates coming up:

  • Friday, March 29 – Author visit – Natasha Lowe – during school, 9-9:45
  • Tuesday, April 2 – Early Dismissal for Conferences
  • Wednesday, April 3 – Invention Fair!

The invention fair will be on Wednesday, April 3. (For some reason, the handout that    went home says April 11, it is really the 3rd.) Families and all classes at LES are invited to join us. Most stop by for 15 or 20 minutes and then leave. It will be available from 8:50 or 9:00 until 9:20, and 10:30-12:00. You are welcome to join us for all of those times or just part of it.

Your child should be building their invention at home. All written work, the poster, and the presentation are being done in school.

  • Thursday, April 11 – ELA MCAS for Grade 4, Session 1 

It is on the computer this year. Students have all day to take the assessment if they need it.

  • Friday, April 12 – Whole School Read-A-Thon Day!
  • April 13-21 – April Vacation – No School
  • Monday, April 22 – First day back after the break
  • Tuesday, April 23 – ELA MCAS for Grade 4, Session 2
  • Thursday, April 25 – Session with the Hitchcock Center 2:00-3:00

Through a grant, all classes at LES get to work with the Hitchcock Center. They are based out of Amherst, MA. They come to our classroom and guide students through hands-on science work that connects to our unit of study.

  • May 2 – Session with the Hitchcock Center 2:00-3:00
  • Monday, May 6 – Math MCAS for Grade 4, Session 1
  • Tuesday, May 7 – Math MCAS for Grade 4, Session 2
  • Thursday, May 9 – Session with the Hitchcock Center 2:00-3:00
  • Friday, May 10 – Session with the Hitchcock Center 2:00-3:00
  • Thursday, May 16 – Session with the Hitchcock Center 2:00-3:00
  • Friday, May 17 – Field Trip!

We are going to the Connecticut Science Center on Friday, May 17. We will travel by school bus, leaving promptly at 9:00 AM and returning in time for dismissal. All parents are invited to join us; there will be plenty of room for you on the school bus. It will only cost $11, which is cheaper than going on your own, not part of a school group. There is no fee for students this year. The price of admission and the cost of the bus is covered by your hard work at Harvest Festival and a Target grant.

Permission slips are coming home today. There is a due date, though the sooner they return to school the better. There will be a place on the slip to indicate if you plan to come on the field trip with us. Your child will need a lunch for the trip. There will be a place on the slip to sign up to have the school pack your child a lunch; it costs the same as a normal school lunch. There will also be a place to put a best contact number. We expect to be back between 2:00 and 3:00. Because we are traveling to Hartford, CT, and there is always potential to get stuck in traffic or behind an accident, there is potential for a delayed arrival. 

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Thanks,

Katrin Griswold 

Creating Rube Goldberg Machines

Today, students were tasked with creating Rube Goldberg machines. Rube Goldberg machines are complex systems of reactions that eventually perform very basic tasks. Through creating these machines, students had to share their ideas, think flexibly, try and revise their thinking, and put together unexpected materials to achieve a goal. All students successfully built a Rube Goldberg machine today.

(An iPad and two cameras were used to document the inventions. I will add those pictures and videos as they come to me. Thank you for your patience.)

(Click on a picture to enlarge it.)

Rube Goldberg Machines

Rube Goldberg was an American cartoonist, sculptor, author, engineer, and inventor. Goldberg is well known for his popular cartoons depicting gadgets that perform simple tasks in indirect and complex ways. Many inventors and engineers have created Rube Goldberg machines that use a series of reactions to achieve one simple task. These inventors and engineers must be creative and use flexible thinking to brainstorm, test, and revise their creations. Below is a video that shows some Rube Goldberg machines and explains how to create your own.

 

Updates and Reminders

Hello Fourth Grade Families,

 

  • Students began brainstorming invention ideas. They brainstormed tasks that are undesirable, and then possible inventions that could make those tasks more fun or enjoyable. As students settle on an invention idea, they will need to have it approved by me before beginning to build the invention. This week, students are tasked with sharing their initial ideas with you. The building of the invention will happen at home. Please let me know if you have any questions as the project progresses. We will put on an invention fair at the end of this unit.

 

  • Math tests went home today. It is in your child’s homework folder.

 

  • There will be a history test on Friday, on the content from this unit.

 

  • The PTO is looking for fourth, fifth, and sixth grade student volunteers for an LES Bingo Breakfast on Sunday, March 24. Some student volunteer jobs include handing out Bingo cards, writing numbers on the dry erase board as they’re called, calling out the numbers, and checking winning Bingo cards. The PTO is hoping fourth grade volunteers can help from 9:00-9:30 AM on the 24th. There is a sign up sheet in the classroom, or you can email me if your child is interested in volunteering.

 

  • There is a lunch menu change for Thursday, March 7. One of the food delivery trucks broke down this week so there will be a change to the lunch menu. Thursday’s hot lunch choice will be macaroni and cheese, instead of pancakes and ham. Pancakes will be served again on Thursday, March 21.

 

  • The MCBA Books in Action party is this Friday, March 8 at Shutesbury Elementary School. I look forward to seeing many of you there.

 

  • A link to sign up for a spring conference was emailed to everyone. If you did not receive the link or if you have any trouble signing up on the Google Sheet please let me know.

 

  •  There will be an author visit on Friday March 29 with Natasha Lowe, author of the Poppy Pendle series. One of the books in this series is on our MCBA list this year. This special event will take place during the school day.

 

  • The invention fair will be at the end of this month.

 

  • ELA MCAS will be on April 11 and April 23.

 

  • Math MCAS will be on May 6 and 7.

 

  • Fourth grade students will do MCAS on the computer. Students will spend time in the computer lab learning how to navigate the testing program and use the tools that are available to them. Please let me know if you have any questions.

 

  • We will go on a field trip to the Connecticut Science Center in May, after MCAS is completed. I am currently scheduling this field trip and will email you as soon as the date is confirmed. All parents/guardians are welcome to come with us as chaperones. The class will be divided into small groups and assigned to stay with one parent chaperone for the duration of the field trip. The cost to join us on the field trip has always been $11; I assume that will be the price for this year as well.

 

Please let me know if you have any questions.

 

Thanks,

Katrin Griswold