Week of March 23 to 27
What We Learned this Week:
Bible: This week, our classroom took a quiet and meaningful pause for a special Faith Writing Prompt. Instead of our typical lesson format, we invited the students to look inward and think about the people and experiences that have shaped their hearts.
Key Highlights:
Knowing and Loving Jesus: The students were asked to write about who or what has helped them know and love Jesus more. We spent time brainstorming together, sharing stories of family members, friends, church experiences, and even quiet moments of prayer.
A "Spiritual Time Capsule": We emphasized the importance of using their best handwriting for this entry. Our hope is that when the students are older, they can look back at these pages and see a clear "snapshot" of how their relationship with God was growing in the 4th grade.
Personal Connections: It was moving to see the students express gratitude for the "cloud of witnesses" in their lives—the people who model God’s love for them every day.
Math: Our mathematicians have been working overtime this week as we wrapped up the core concepts of Unit 6. From adding parts to multiplying wholes, the students are showing great stamina!
Key Highlights:
Conversions & Operations: We practiced moving fluently between Improper Fractions and Mixed Numbers. We also mastered adding and subtracting both fractions and mixed numbers, as long as they share a "common denominator" (the same size pieces).
Multiplying Fractions: This was a big "level up" this week! We learned how to multiply a whole number by a unit fraction (like 4 times 1/4) and eventually moved into multiplying whole numbers by any fraction. The students are seeing how multiplication is essentially "repeated addition" of those fractional parts.
Real-World Application: We tackled several word problems that required us to apply these skills to everyday situations, ensuring the math makes sense outside of the textbook!
Unit 6 Project: We ended the week with a hands-on math project that allowed the students to apply everything they’ve learned in a creative way.
📝 Looking Ahead: Unit 6 Test
To wrap up this unit, we have our Unit 6 Test scheduled for Thursday, April 2.
Practice Test: On Monday, students will bring home a practice test that is modeled directly after the real assessment.
Answer Key: I am including an answer key with the practice test so you can review together at home!
Classroom Review: We will also be spending time in class next week reviewing the most challenging concepts to ensure everyone feels confident and prepared.
Reading: We took a deep dive into Chapter 9 of Frindle this week! The tension is building, and the students have noticed that the conflict between Nick and Mrs. Granger has turned into a high-stakes mental game of chess.
Strategic Moves: We spent time analyzing the "moves" each character is making to stay one step ahead.
Deep Reflection: Through pre-reading vocabulary and written responses, the students are articulating exactly how both characters are using their wits to hold their ground.
On a separate day, we stepped back to look at how authors use "clues" before we even open a book. We had a fascinating discussion about symbolism in literature:
The Power of a Title: We talked about how a book's title is often more than just a label—it can represent a deeper theme or a hidden message the author wants us to find.
What’s in a Name?: We examined the names of people and places in our stories. The students discovered that an author's choice for a character’s name or a town’s setting can often reflect their personality or the role they play in the plot.
Social Studies: We took a deep dive into the mechanics of American democracy this week! To understand why our government is set up the way it is, we started with a cautionary tale.
Key Highlights:
The "Power Grab" Story: The students read a fascinating story about a fictional country where the president took over all the power! This led to a great debate about why it’s dangerous for one person to make all the rules, and it perfectly set the stage for our lesson on Checks and Balances.
The Three-Branch Investigation: We conducted a "Deep Research Investigation" into the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches. The students became experts on who works in each branch (like the President, Congress, and the Supreme Court) and what their specific "jobs" are.
Hands-On Government: We concluded our week of discovery with a creative, hands-on project. By building or illustrating the three branches, the students could see how they all connect to support the "roof" of our nation while keeping each other balanced.
Spelling: Here is the link to next week's spelling list!
📢 Important Reminders & Looking Ahead
As we head into the final days of March and look toward our exciting trip to the State Capitol, please take note of the following schedule updates:
Parent-Teacher Conferences (Round 2): Our second night of student-led conferences is this Monday, March 30. We look forward to seeing the rest of our families then!
Homework-Free Week: There will be no homework assigned for the week of March 30 – April 2. We want the students to focus their energy on our big field trip and their classroom learning.
Spelling Test: While there is no homework, we will still be having our weekly Spelling Test on Thursday, April 2. Please encourage your student to review their words at home!
Lansing Field Trip: Don't forget—we are headed to the Michigan State Capitol on Wednesday, April 1!
From the Office:
Tulip Time is coming! If you have a 1st through 4th grade student, please select how they plan to participate in the Tulip Time parade by using this form!
Upcoming Dates:
March 26 + 30: Parent Teacher Conferences
April 3-10 Spring Break
April 27 - May 8: Swim Lessons 1st - 4th at Holland Aquatic Center
Guinea Pig Sleepovers? Is your family interested in caring for a guinea pig over Spring Break? It’s a great way to try out having a pet for a short time! If so, please contact Mrs. VanderZwaag (kvanderzwaag@hollandchristian.org) to connect. Thanks!
Hello Rose Park Parents! Exciting news… we have a new book fair company this year—Literati—and the online fair is officially live! Shopping online is a great way to find books that won’t be available at the in-person fair. It’s also the best way to purchase from teacher wishlists, since some of those titles may not be on-site. A special bonus: Gift cards are available online! This makes it easy for students to shop at the fair without bringing cash to school. Start browsing here: https://literati.com/store/?school=rose-park-christian-school-holland-mi Happy reading!
The in-person book fair will take place at Rose Park on April 22, 23, and 24.
Community Opportunities: The below list of organizations are not necessarily affiliated with Holland Christian Schools but have requested the sharing of these community opportunities:
Hi, I’m Aubrey Taylor (HCHS student) and I have officially launched a specialized babysitting service! As the oldest of 3 kids (one with level 1 Autism) and a daughter to business owners I know what it takes to combine responsibility, safety, patience and fun! If you need someone for a couple hours one time, a weekly standing appointment, extra hands at a birthday party or wedding, extra hands at a pool/the beach, or you overbooked yourself and need help! If you want to know more or to request a day/time, please goto this link and under my link tree is the form https://www.instagram.com/lakeshoresittersmi?igsh=YnJkaTVyc3h5cHRr
From the Music Room:
GLOW DAY: Next week Tuesday we will be having Glow Day in music class. This is a reward that was earned for good class behavior throughout the year. All of our music activities that day will revolve around hands-on, glowing/light-up items. It is going to be a blast! Your child is welcome to wear clothing that will "glow" under the black lights. Most white and neon colored clothing appears to glow. I will be providing a simple glow necklace for each student, but If your child has anything they can wear that lights up/glows (glasses, hat, etc...) they are welcome to don that as well. No extra toys please. Thanks for your support.
Stacey Rietman
Literati Book Wishlist:
Hi, parents!
To prepare for the upcoming Literati Book Fair, I’ve created a digital wishlist of items I’d love to add to our classroom library:
https://literati.com/a/
These books will help students on their journey to becoming confident and enthusiastic readers. Thank you for your support!
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