4th

Important Dates

• Thursday, April 17 – 4th Grade Annual Pancake Breakfast
• Thursday, April 17 – Spring Egg Hunt and 11:30 AM Early Dismissal
• Friday, April 17 – Monday, April 21 – Spring Long Weekend 
• Tuesday, April 22nd – 10:00 AM Start Time 
• Friday, April 25 – International Day
• Thursday, May 15 – 4th Grade Attack Theatre Final Presentation

CLICK HERE FOR UPCOMING WCDS EVENTS

On Wednesday, we welcomed our Attack Theatre friends for our first in-person session with them. What a blast! The students learned different ways to show their movements by adjusting the levels of tempo, size, level, quality, and repetition. They concentrated on “name dances” that they choreographed themselves. For our next seven sessions, our Attack Theatre instructors will teach remotely from their studio in Pittsburgh. We’ll see them again in person on May 14 for our dress rehearsal, and on May 15 for our final presentation. All parents are invited to attend our final presentation, please mark your calendars. The students were all smiles as they started learning how to express themselves through movement. We feel so FORTUNATE to have this opportunity to work with them. If you would like to know more about our Attack Theatre learning opportunity, please click here for a video on their website – Attack Theatre Imagination Station 

4th Grade also visited Wheeling Park on Monday, April 7th to listen to the Wheeling Symphony. This year’s theme was a passport around the world where students listened to various pieces from Brazil, Alabama, Hawaii, and more! A piece from Hamilton seemed to be a crowd favorite from our class! Exposing them to various composers and genres gives them a great foundation of music and its history. Thank you to Ms. Dena for setting up this great experience! 

4th Grade CELEBRATE Pottery

We are still accepting donations towards your child’s pottery piece. We think this is a great way to raise money for WCDS Celebrate in a collaborative effort – and everyone wins their child’s piece! We are asking for a minimum donation of $50 – a special thank you to those who donated above and beyond! Please email Mimi Parsons to make arrangements for payment – mparsons@wcdsedu.com 

In ELA:

• We started our novel study of Holes this week! The emphasis on this novel study is to learn new vocabulary and what skills (context clues, inferences, and how to use a dictionary) are needed to help students. 
• Students are continuing their practice of grammar and spelling skills with their daily ELA spiral. 
• We are also trying something new for the last trimester! Homework will more frequently require the use of Google Classroom and/or their laptop in general. We want to make sure they can use Google Classroom on their own to prepare them for 5th grade! 

In Math:

• We are finishing up with our long division unit – but that doesn’t mean they are done with long division! This is a skill they will need throughout their math academics and we’ll continue practicing it.
• Next week, we will work on a long division project before moving on to fractions and geometry.

In Castle Rock by Matthew Upton:

• This week, countries and tribes had the opportunity to put money into the stock market. 
• One crises was solved this week. 

In Creative Writing by Amira Kalcum: 

• We started our Odes to something or someone we admire. 
• My Ode is about my stuffed animal. I am currently answering questions to complete my first draft. 

Important Reminders:

• On Thursday morning, April 17, we will have our annual 4th-grade pancake breakfast. The 4th-grade teachers will prepare a delicious pancake breakfast for all of the 4th-grade students, and we also share it with the faculty of WCDS. Please send your child in hungry and ready to eat some delicious pancakes!
• On April 17th, the fifth-grade class will be hosting a Spring Egg Hunt for our PS-4th-grade students on main campus. We have lots of plastic eggs from previous years but we need your help in gathering items to fill the eggs. If you are able to donate a dozen small toys, trinkets, stickers, or candy for the school, we would love to have them by Monday. April 14. Thank you in advance for your help in making this a special event for our students! 
• The weather is cold, then warm, then cold, then warm again – welcome to spring! Please make sure your child’s coats, raincoats, sweatshirts, etc. are labled with their name. As the kids shed their layers, we find clothing everywhere! Labeled items are a HUGE help! Thank you!

Attack Theatre!

Important Dates

• Monday, April 7 – 4th & 5th Young People’s Concert,  9:10 AM departure, by bus
• Friday, April 17 – Spring Egg Hunt and 11:30 AM Early Dismissal
• Friday, April 17 – Monday, April 21 – Spring Long Weekend 
• Tuesday, April 22nd – 10:00 AM Start Time 
• Friday, April 25 – International Day
• Thursday, May 15 – 4th Grade Attack Theatre Final Presentation

CLICK HERE FOR UPCOMING WCDS EVENTS

The highlight of our week was the 4th Grade Pie Baking Contest. Wow! What terrific creations they made! They spent a week researching and planning. They were responsible for dividing up responsibilities and supplies and were required to bring everything they needed to make their pie. We saw mixers and pots, and pans, peanut butter, marshmallows, and lots of chocolate! We are proud of the problem solving and resourcefulness we saw and applaud the teamwork and willingness to lend a helping hand. It was a great learning experience in so many ways – math, health, organization, communication, critical thinking, social-emotional learning, and so much more! Thanks to you parents for sending in supplies and allowing your child to experience hands-on learning! 

Have a great weekend!

Grace and Stella

4th Grade CELEBRATE Pottery

We sent out a text regarding donating money to get your child’s pottery piece. We think this is a great way to raise money for WCDS Celebrate in a collaborative effort – and everyone wins their child’s piece! We are asking for a minimum donation of $50 – a special thank you to those who donated above and beyond! Please email Mimi Parsons to make arrangements for payment – mparsons@wcdsedu.com 

In ELA:

• Students worked on homophones and showed of their knowledge through dictating sentences. Being able to hear the homophone, use context clues, and then spell it correctly is no small feat! They have been doing great with this. Be on the lookout for the same format for next week as well! 
• We also continued to review and learn some new skills with our daily ELA spiral. These four questions per day are a great way to review certain skills as well as expose them to new ones! 
• Students are now working on a poem about themselves. Their poems consist of favorite foods, sports, pets, and more! As they work through these they are also working on their cursive handwriting for their final drafts. 

In Math:

• The students continued to practice the long division algorithm using a two and three digit dividend.
• We are gradually moving them away from the “box” template and having them write the problem without prompts.
• We practiced writing and solving division problems on whiteboards and then moved to writing with chalk on their desks. They loved practicing this way!

In Castle Rock by Palmer Wolle:

• This week, the Sabator did not cause any chaos. 
• 1-2 crises were solved this week which involved Lochlan losing their position. 
• The United Nations reported a loss of 10 million. 

In STEAM by Audrey Ilovar:

• This week, our class went out to the field to test how far different athletic balls would travel. 
• We watched about a falcon who could dive over 200 mph. I liked this video because it taught me a lot about momentum and speed.

Important Reminders:

• MONDAY, April 7 – The 4th and 5 Grade classes will be attending the Young People’s Concert at Wheeling Park High School. We will depart from WCDS at 9:10 AM and return before lunch. We’ll be transported by an Ohio County School Bus. 
• The weather is cold, then warm, then cold, then warm again – welcome to spring! Please make sure your child’s coats, raincoats, sweatshirts, etc. are labled with their name. As the kids shed their layers, we find clothing everywhere! Labled items is a HUGE help! Thank you!
• On April 17th, the fifth-grade class will be hosting a Spring Egg Hunt for our PS-4th-grade students on main campus. We have lots of plastic eggs from previous years but we need your help in gathering items to fill the eggs. If you are able to donate a dozen small toys, trinkets, stickers, or candy for the school, we would love to have them by Monday. April 14. Thank you in advance for your help in making this a special event for our students! 

Writing long division – “On our desks?!”

STEAM

Important Dates

• Saturday, March 29 – CELEBRATE!
• Friday, April 17 – 11:30 AM Early Dismissal
• Friday, April 17 – Monday, April 21 – Spring Long Weekend 
• Tuesday, April 22nd – 10:00 AM Start Time 

CLICK HERE FOR UPCOMING WCDS EVENTS

Your students have put in an incredible amount of effort and dedication into creating their Celebrate pieces, and we couldn’t be more proud of their hard work! We are eagerly anticipating this Saturday, when we’ll come together in a whimsical, “Wonderland”-inspired event to highlight not only the impressive work of our 4th graders but also the diversity and richness of the entire WCDS community. From the art to the stories, every contribution reflects the spirit of our school, as if we’ve fallen down a rabbit hole and found ourselves in a world where creativity knows no bounds. Whether you’re bidding for your child’s piece or simply joining in the festivities, we can’t wait to share in this “curiouser and curiouser” celebration of the many ways WCDS makes our community so special. So, don’t be late—join us as we “celebrate” all the wonderful and unique ways WCDS contributes to our magical world. 

See you there!

Grace and Stella 

In ELA:

• Students reviewed action verbs, subject, and predicate. They will continue to brush up on their grammar while we take a short break from novel studies. Be on the lookout for weekly knowledge checks for these as they will be noted in your student’s agenda! 
• PIE has been completed! Your 4th graders worked independently and hard on this novel study. They grew from Chapter 1 to the Epilogue in summarizing, comprehension, restating the question in their answer, and reviewing their own work and their peers before turning it in. 
• Students have chosen their favorite nature poem to display! They have written their final copy in cursive and are working on their displays. 

In Math:

• The students continue to work on the long division process. They are becoming very proficient with the process.
• As they learn and remember what step is next, we are moving them away from the “boxes” and having them write their steps without the prompts. This encourages them to learn what to do next.
• Next week, we’ll write long division equations on their own – maybe some writing on their desk will happen! Please continue to help them practice their multiplcation/division facts!
• We introduced the 4th Grade Pie Baking Contest this week. This is a long-standing tradition that we are bringing back this year. Please see the more details below in our “Reminders” section.

In Castle Rock:

• A war took place on Monday. The country of North Macalsia initiated againist Locken. They lost resulting in a hefty fine of 20 million dollars. 
• Learning that war is not the quickest or the best way to come to a resolution. 
• The sabator has made contact and sent a missle to South Macalsia. Alex was put on trial and the results concluded that he was NOT the sabator. 

In STEAM (Written by Vinny Caruso):

• On Tuesday, we learned about aerodynamics. Mr. Rouse chose four objects (cushion, Powerade bottle, 1kg weight, and a ruler). We made a hypothesis about how far the object would go if someone threw it. Then we counted how many steps it took to get to the object. Then, we compared our results.
• On Thursday, Mrs. Rutherford taught us about how our brains react to different things, such as catching a ruler when someone drops it. I enjoyed testing my brain to see how fast it can react to things!

Important Reminders: 

• As the third trimester begins, our 4th graders are now close to becoming 5th graders. Please help us in pushing your student to not only be the best student they can be but leader as well. We look forward to watching them grow into campus leaders next year but we have to make sure they are well prepared first!
• Our 4th grade pie baking contest will be held next Wednesday, 4/2! Students have been split into six different teams to bake the best pie. They have divided their responsibilities amongst themselves and should have brought their list of needed ingredients home. Giovanni’s mom, *, has graciously offered to donate flour for our contest. If you see her or Giovanni, please thank them for their generous donation!

CELEBRATE 🐛🐰

4th Grade was responsible for the Monday announcements!

Important Dates

• Friday, March 28 – 11:30 AM Early Dismissal
• Saturday, March 29 – CELEBRATE!
• Friday, April 17 – 11:30 AM Early Dismissal
• Friday, April 17 – Monday, April 21 – Spring Long Weekend 
• Tuesday, April 22nd – 10:00 AM Start Time 

CLICK HERE FOR UPCOMING WCDS EVENTS

Spring is in the air and it’s time to CELEBRATE! Speaking of Celebrate… Have you bought your Celebrate tickets for our event next Saturday, March 29? If you haven’t please go to this site  https://app.betterunite.com/wcds-celebratewonderland to secure your tickets. On this same site, you can also purchase raffle tickets for a chance to win a Walt Disney World trip! Your child is working hard on the 4th grade class art project, which will be up for auction at the event. We hope you can join us! CELEBRATE WCDS: Wonderland

In ELA:

• Students worked hard on comparative and superlative adjectives this week. They completed a Knowledge Check to show what they have learned! Parent signatures are encouraged on these as we want to make sure you see their hard work (and they want the bonus points that come with it!)
• We finished reading Pie this week, and the students loved the book! They finally solved the mystery of the Pie recipe! Next week, we will review their question packets and chapter summaries before we give a final assessment grade.
• WCDS Nature poems are continuing as the students bring the magic of our campus to life through their words! They will be crafting a display along with their final piece to showcase their hardwork. 

In Math:

• The students are working hard on remembering and moving through the process of long division.
• This week, they moved away from the “big” boxes and worked without the prompts.
• They also worked on division problems with remainders and started division with 3 digits divided by 1 digit.
• Next week, we will move away from the prompts and begin writing the algorithm on their own. They should remember to use their “buttons”!
• We encourage them to continue practicing their multiplication and division facts. Knowing them is making a great difference while they move through the division process.

In Castle Rock:

• Students continued to work together to make deals with other countries that suited both their needs and the other countries needs. 
• We discussed how its great they want to help other countries, they also have to remember to make deals that will also greatly benefit their own country. Even if that means making the tough decision. 

In STEAM:

•  Marble runs have been completed! Wrapping up their study of gravity, students led a thoughtful discussion on what they have learned and what questions they still have. 
• Marbles became an interest of the class so they will explore their history, uses, and more starting next week! 

Important Reminders: 

• As the third trimester begins, our 4th graders are now close to becoming 5th graders. Please help us in pushing your student to not only be the best student they can be but leader as well. We look forward to watching them grow into campus leaders next year but we have to make sure they are well prepared first!

Working on CELEBRATE art!

Important Dates

• Friday, March 28 – 11:30 AM Early Dismissal
• Friday. March 21 – Coffee Conversations 
• Saturday, March 29 – CELEBRATE!

CLICK HERE FOR UPCOMING WCDS EVENTS

In ELA:

• Adjectives were our main focus for this week as students were tasked with identifying them in writing and also constructing their own sentences using adjectives themselves.
• Students went on a nature walk to brainstorm ideas for their upcoming poem. Students will be completing a poem about the outdoor space of WCDS and the feelings it brings them. 
• Our novel study of PIE continued. Students continue to practice writing summaries of each chapter to showcase their understanding of the main idea as well as their comprehension. They are also working on restating the question in their answer. Their work will be marked off half a point for questions not answered in this proper format. 

In Math:

• We started long division! The students are doing great with learning the process.
• You will hear them mention “buttons” as they are doing the process. Ask your child to name the buttons.
• Next week, we will learn about remainders.

In Castle Rock:

• Students are working on multiple crises within their tribes and countries. 
• Managing their emotions and team work are creating paths to fix their oil and property crises. 

In STEAM:

•  Students worked on their marble run projects. They completed multiple tasks together to try to avoid the alligator at the bottom. 
• They are working hard to learn how to work together and work through their ideas. 

Important Reminders: 

• As the third trimester begins, our 4th graders are now close to becoming 5th graders. Please help us in pushing your student to not only be the best student they can be but leader as well. We look forward to watching them grow into campus leaders next year but we have to make sure they are well prepared first!
• It’s cold and flu season, and we’ve seen some of it come through 4th grade. We encourage everyone to cover their mouth and nose when sneezing or coughing, as well as keeping their hands clean with frequent hand washing. We are also disinfecting all surfaces multiple times a day to try to keep those germs away.

Thank you for letting us know if your child won’t be in class due to illness, vacation, etc. We set any missed assignments aside, and give them to each child when they return. We like to give a few days for them to complete their work. If they are struggling or having trouble with anything, please have your child reach out to us – we are happy to sit down to help them learn what they may have missed.

Outdoor Learning

Marble Runs in STEAM

Castle Rock Negotiations

Adjectives and Parabolas

Important Dates

• March 1 – 9 – Spring Break, No School
• March 10 – 10am Start, Classes Resume
• Friday, March 28 – 11:30 AM Early Dismissal
• Saturday, March 29 – CELEBRATE!

CLICK HERE FOR UPCOMING WCDS EVENTS

As we head into spring break, we want to take a moment to thank you for all your hard work and support this year! It’s been an amazing journey so far, and we hope that you enjoy this well-deserved break filled with relaxation, fun, and quality time with your loved ones. Whether you’re staying close to home or traveling to new places, we hope you return refreshed and ready for the next exciting chapter of the school year. Have a wonderful spring break, and we can’t wait to see everyone back in class soon!

In ELA:

• Students reviewed figurative language to prepare them to write poetry. They began working on an alliterating alphabet poem! 
• Pie continues as students are learning to find figurative language in context and discuss its true meaning. 
• Students have also worked on rechecking their work for correct capitalization, punctuation, their best spelling, and handwriting. They are also working on practicing their signature by writing their name in cursive for all assignment. Some have even taken the extra challenge and written their assignments in cursive! 

In Math:

• The students practiced reading and writing division problems.
• They learned how to use the symbol, the bracket, and a fraction to show division.
• They also defined and worked toward understanding what are dividend, divisor, and quotient.
• When we return from spring break, we’ll introduce the long division process. We ask that you spend 10 minutes a day practicing division facts with your child. We promise that this will help your child as they learn long division.

In Castle Rock:

• Students were given their roles for their countries and are beginning to form those relationships. 
• The first crisises were given out and this deep dive has officially began! 

In STEAM:

•  Students defined each term for the acronym “STEAM” 
• They also tied in topics and and ideas based on their interest to study throughout the trimester. 

Important Reminders: 

• As the third trimester begins, our 4th graders are now close to becoming 5th graders. Please help us in pushing your student to not only be the best student they can be but leader as well. We look forward to watching them grow into campus leaders next year but we have to make sure they are well prepared first!
• It’s cold and flu season, and we’ve seen some of it come through 4th grade. We encourage everyone to cover their mouth and nose when sneezing or coughing, as well as keeping their hands clean with frequent hand washing. We are also disinfecting all surfaces multiple times a day to try to keep those germs away.
• Thank you for letting us know if your child won’t be in class due to illness, vacation, etc. We set any missed assignments aside, and give them to each child when they return. We like to give a few days for them to complete their work. If they are struggling or having trouble with anything, please have your child reach out to us – we are happy to sit down to help them learn what they may have missed.

Important Dates

• March 1 – 9 – Spring Break, No School
• March 10 – 10 AM Start, Classes Resume
• Friday, March 28 – 11:30 AM Early Dismissal
• Saturday, March 29 – CELEBRATE!

CLICK HERE FOR UPCOMING WCDS EVENTS

Our chicken friends are going on Spring Break!  As Ms. Farris says, “They are the healthiest group of chickens we’ve ever had!” They are growing fast and have outgrown their red bins. Ms. Farris is taking the chickens home with her this week, where they will live in the comfort of her garage. They will return to the WCDS chicken coop when the weather turns more friendly and they can live outdoors.

In ELA: 

• Students continued to read Pie and work on their comprehension skills. Students are also making a summary booklet to practice summarizing as well as to have their own “copy” of Pie. 
• The 529 SMART contest has been completed. The students did a wonderful job showcasing their future careers and how they will impact the world. 
• Next week we will be starting poetry! Homework will be a packet labeled with each day. For Friday, students will work on it in class. 

In Math: 

• We spent the week practicing division facts and fact families.
• The students worked with arrays to write division problems.
• They also worked with dividing numbers into groups to show division.
• Next week, they will learn how to write division problems using a divisor, dividend, and quotient. We’ll move on to their first set of long division problems.

In U.S. History:

• Students worked on ending their deep dive by reviewing the events leading up to the American Revolution. 
• Liberty’s Kids provides a great and kid appropriate version of American history that the kids have enjoyed watching. Students wrote summaries and held discussions about the different events that unfolded in the colonies during this time period.

In Embryology:

We wrapped up the trimester with special projects – if your child hasn’t shared with you yet, ask them their group. It was a fantastic way to close out the trimester with creativity, curiosity, and collaboration!

• Preschool & JK
  • Our 4th-grade students led a fun, hands-on activity with our youngest learners, helping them build chicks using playdough and loose parts. Using the live chicks as models, they answered questions and carefully guided interested children in petting the chicks.
• SK & 1st Grade
  • The 4th grade team presented an engaging slideshow, teaching students about the hard work it takes for a chick to hatch from an egg—and more! The SK and 1st graders were surprised to learn that chickens are the closest living relatives to dinosaurs. They asked thoughtful questions and even got a chance to pet the chicks.
• 2nd & 3rd Grade
  • Our 4th graders shared a fun and informative slideshow, exploring fascinating facts about chickens, including what they eat, their benefits in a garden, and more. Of course, the chicks also made a special appearance. 
• Research Team
  • Curiosity sparked an exciting scientific experiment: Do chickens have a favorite color? The research team put their observations to the test, and their final report is in the pictures. 
• Build Team
  • “Our chickens need something to play with!” Inspired by this idea, the Build Team got to work designing and creating a seesaw and balance beam for the chickens to enjoy this spring.

Reminders:

• It’s cold and flu season, and we’ve seen some of it come through 4th grade. We encourage everyone to cover their mouth and nose when sneezing or coughing, as well as keeping their hands clean with frequent hand washing. We are also disinfecting all surfaces multiple times a day to try to keep those germs away.
• Thank you for letting us know if your child won’t be in class due to illness, vacation, etc. We set any missed assignments aside, and give them to each child when they return. We like to give a few days for them to complete their work. If they are struggling or having trouble with anything, please have your child reach out to us – we are happy to sit down to help them learn what they may have missed.

Our fine feathered friends.

3rd Grade Market Day

Working on division facts.

Math on the computer!

Important Dates

• Friday, February 21st – End of Second Trimester 
• Friday, February 21st – 3rd Grade Market Day 
• March 1 – 9 – Spring Break, No School
• March 10 – 10am Start, Classes Resume

CLICK HERE FOR UPCOMING WCDS EVENTS

Love is in the air! The students showed their creativity and ingenuity with their Valentine’s Day boxes. We loved seeing their personalities shine through their work on their Valentine’s creations!

In ELA:

• We started our new novel study with the book Pie, by Sarah Weeks. The students are already enjoying it.
• Along with the book Pie, we are helping the students use reasoning and inference skills to make a guess about clues in the book about the mystery of the pie recipe. 
• The kids are also learning about idioms. They are on top of the world about passing out Valentine’s cards, and they saw time fly as they enjoyed their Valentine’s treats!

In Math:

• We moved to basic division using backward multiplication. We practiced these division facts with a sheet of facts and how many they could answer in seven minutes. We can’t emphasize enough the importance of knowing their multiplication/division facts. Please continue to practice facts for at least 10 minutes each day with your child.

In Embryology:

• Students showcased their annotation skills from ELA while reading articles about egg-laying animals, highlighting key information. 
• They then used their newfound knowledge to craft riddles about oviparous animals, complete with a sketch. 
• Students are working in small groups to showcase their learning in embryology through interactive presentations for other classes next week. 
• Shoutout to Teddy! His curiosity sparked a testable question—Do chickens have a favorite color? His group designed an experiment to investigate, and their findings will be shared next week. Stay tuned!

A message from 3rd Grade: 

Hello Families!

Our third-grade class has been working hard on their “Goods & Services” deep dive. As a final project, we will be hosting Market Day on Friday, February 21st! On this day, five student-run stores will be set up, offering a variety of homemade items for sale: bookmarks, bracelets, dog treats, energy snacks, and pencil cases. Prices will range from $1 to $3. All proceeds will go toward supporting a local charity, and we would greatly appreciate your support!

Please send your child with small bills if they choose to participate.

Thank you for helping make this a successful and meaningful experience for our students.

Reminders:

• It’s cold and flu season, and we’ve seen some of it come through 4th grade. We encourage everyone to cover their mouth and nose when sneezing or coughing, as well as keeping their hands clean with frequent hand washing. We are also disinfecting all surfaces multiple times a day to try to keep those germs away.
• Thank you for letting us know if your child won’t be in class due to illness, vacation, etc. We set any missed assignments aside, and give them to each child when they return. We like to give a few days for them to complete their work. If they are struggling or having trouble with anything, please have your child reach out to us – we are happy to sit down to help them learn what they may have missed.

Will you be my Valentine?

What’s your favorite color, little chick?

Important Dates

• Friday February 7th- 10th – Winter Long Weekend 
• Tuesday, February 11th – 10am Start 
• Tuesday, February 11th – Ohio County Math Field Day. Participants will leave at 1:30 pm. Please return the permission slip.
• Friday, February 14th – Valentine’s Day Exchange, Valentine’s Boxes NO EARLIER than Thursday, February 13.
• Friday, February 21st – End of Second Trimester 
• March 1 – 9 – Spring Break, No School
• March 10 – 10am Start, Classes Resume

CLICK HERE FOR UPCOMING WCDS EVENTS

And we have CHICKS! Eight of our new friends hatched last weekend, and the final little one arrived on Monday evening. The kids are over the moon excited about them! Names have been announced! Rockstar, Oreo, Brownie, Summer, Bolt, Sunshine, Elvis, and Daisy.

In ELA:

• Students are continuing their lastest Writing Workshop pieces, “When I Grow Up” for the Smart529 contests. They have worked hard to bring thoughtful and personal stories to life about how they want to change the world when they grow up.
• We are also continuing to learn how to annotate and take notes on a text. This is an important skill that they will build on throughout their academic careers and on. It’s exciting to see them begin to really grasp this method and use it to answer questions. They read texts about Black History Month as well as the History of the Super Bowl to relate to current events of the week. 
• They are also continuing to review skills such as run on sentences, diagloue, and restating the question to write their answer. 

In Math:

• You child might have shown you how to read and write Roman numerals. Because of Superbowl LIX, we thought it would be fun to learn about Roman numerals and how they are a math problem inside of a number. The kids are very excited about this skill, and we’ll continue to practice it.
• We are working towards mastering the multi-digit multiplication process. This important skill is something they’ll be using for the rest of their academic career.
• Next week, we’ll move into basic division (backwards multiplication). Plese practice multiplication facts with your child for at least 10 minutes a day.

In U.S. History:

• Students researched the various Acts that led to the start of the American Revolution. They shared what they learned with their classmates as we read about life in the colonies at this time. 
• The students then heard a modernized version of the “Petition to the King” that sounded very similar to a break-up letter. Students were on the edge of their seats as they awaited to hear who might have written the letter only to ultimately find out it was signed, “The American Colonists.”

In Embryology:

• The chicks have arrived! The 4th-grade class successfully hatched eight healthy chicks.
• Students researched their breeds and shared their findings with the class before working together to identify each chick.
• Each group had the exciting opportunity to hold their chick and even give it a name!

Important Reminders:

• It’s time for our Valentine’s card exchange. If your child has a decorated box (to be completed at home), due to space constraints, do not send them in until Thursday, February 13. Boxes are not required, a decorated handle bag works well.
• Part of your child’s homework is making sure their computer is charged and ready to use. Please make this part of their daily homework routine.
• A message from 3rd Grade: 

Hello Families!

Our third grade class has been working hard on their “Goods & Services” deep dive. As a final project, we will be hosting Market Day on Friday, February 21st! On this day, five student-run stores will be set up, offering a variety of homemade items for sale: bookmarks, bracelets, dog treats, energy snacks, and pencil cases.Prices will range from $1 to $3. All proceeds will go toward supporting a local charity, and we would greatly appreciate your support!

Please send your child with small bills if they choose to participate.

Thank you for helping make this a successful and meaningful experience for our students.

Important Dates

• Friday February 7th- 10th – Winter Long Weekend 
• Tuesday, February 11th – 10am Start 
• Tuesday, February 11th – Ohio County Math Field Day 
• Friday, February 21st – End of Second Trimester 

CLICK HERE FOR UPCOMING WCDS EVENTS

We have been discussing the importance of staying healthy with the fluctuating weather. Washing their hands, covering their coughs, and eating a balanced diet have been at the top of our discussion lists to ensure our class stays healthy. As always, please let us know when your child is not feeling well. We can always send work home that they can complete as they begin to feel better.

Grace and Stella

In ELA: 

• Students are writing dialogue and learning the correct conventions to polish their writing skills. They also started to write their, “When I Grow Up” essays for the SMART529 contest. Forms have been sent home so please return ASAP. 
• They’re also reviewing spelling rules such as commonly confused words and possessive nouns. 
• In reading, students have spent more time in their “Free Read” books and exposing their classmates to them by giving short summaries aloud. 

In Math: 

• The students practiced 3-digit by 2-digit multiplication. They are starting to catch on. We hope that with more practice with their multiplication facts, this process will be easier.
• The students worked on their mapping skills, and working with cardinal and intermediate directions. They also learned how to make their own landmark symbols to identify mountains, rivers, cities, and state capitals.

In U.S. History: 

• In their final task during the French and Indian War, our class was defeated. Even though they did not end in victory, they navigated tough decisions up until the end. 
• Now the tables have turned and the students have become the teachers. They are researching what life was like in the colonies through articles. To do this, they are learning how to annotate texts to pull out the most important information or highlight was they may need help understanding. 

In Embryology: 

• Can you believe it’s been 21 days? The chicks could hatch any moment! Check our egg cam this weekend for updates.
• https://m.youtube.com/live/bBLZmtEPCYI?feature=shared 
• To prepare, students practiced data collection and analysis with a classic game of tic-tac-toe, then applied their findings to incubator conditions as they gear up to evaluate hatching success next week.
• They also explored egg strength and learned how chicks use an egg tooth to break through. Ask your child how many textbooks our egg tower held!

Important Reminders: 

• A message from Ms. Dena:

Our music class will be starting an “Instrument Creation” project on Wednesday, Jan. 29th and will continue for a few weeks. They will need to bring some materials (craft supplies or recyclables) to their classroom. Thank you for helping them be inventive creators… and we’ll post some photos as they work!

 – Miss Dena

• A message from 3rd Grade: 

Hello Families!

Our third grade class has been working hard on their “Goods & Services” deep dive. As a final project, we will be hosting Market Day on Friday, February 21st! On this day, five student-run stores will be set up, offering a variety of homemade items for sale: bookmarks, bracelets, dog treats, energy snacks, and pencil cases. Prices will range from $1 to $3. All proceeds will go toward supporting a local charity, and we would greatly appreciate your support!

Please send your child with small bills if they choose to participate.

Thank you for helping make this a successful and meaningful experience for our students.