Welcome February

Hello Fourth Grade Families!

It’s so hard to believe it, but February is upon us! This means that we are more than halfway through the school year, and from here the days only get longer and (hopefully) warmer. Your fourth graders are busy as always, learning and preparing for upcoming events. This week, they enjoyed the school Tu B’Shvat fair, where they sampled fruits of Israel, played games, got their faces painted, and made bath bombs!

February break is only two weeks away (!) now, and so we ask that if your child will be leaving early or coming back late from vacation, you let us know so we can give them any work they will miss.

Stay warm and Shabbat Shalom! -The Fourth Grade Team

This week, fourth graders learned about the Jewish view on environmentalism and the laws of wastefulness (Bal Taschit), along with the concept of taking only what we need. We used the four laws of constructive conflict (Makhloket L’Shem Shamayim) we learned last week to analyze the classic Dr. Seuss story of The Lorax, and determine whether the Onceler committed an act of Bal Taschit and how both sides of the conflicted could have better followed the rules of Makhloket L’Shem Shamayim. In addition to practicing our Torah Trope on school iPads, we also continued the story of David and Saul, which is fast approaching its exciting conclusion. Shabbat Shalom!

Wow! The fourth graders blew us away at this afternoon’s Convention of Revolutionaries! They have poured so much into their research, drafting, revising and memorizing. I am incredibly impressed and so proud of all their hard work. A video is being edited and will be sent out early next week so you can see for yourselves. In math, we have finished our fraction units and our first workbook! Come see our fraction quilt on display in the hallway. It’s gorgeous! Fourth graders are coming close to finishing reading all of the Jane Addams Book Award nominees. In their small groups, they are reading through each nominee and analyzing how closely it represents the values of the JA Peace Association. They are doing a great job!