Dear Third and Fourth-Grade Families,

The week before Thanksgiving Break went past very quickly. We welcomed Rowan, a new student, into the fourth grade on Monday. He and his family are a wonderful addition to our school. The class now has five students in fourth grade and 14 students altogether. We had our Thanksgiving Luncheon on Friday morning with the grade students and their parents. The weather was perfect, and the picnic was an excellent segway into Thanksgiving Break.

In our new block on local geography, the students studied the four cardinal directions and oriented themselves in the forest by the sun's position in the sky. The students drew a compass rose with cardinal and intermediate directions into the main lesson book. The class also discussed the seven directions of the Cherokee people. The Cherokee associate the directions with different colors, moods, and seasons, also considering above and below and the center as directions. In the second half of the week, the students began making maps. First, each student drew a picture of their bedroom. Then, they went on to draw a map of our classroom from the bird's eye perspective, including a legend for the different pieces of furniture. After the break, the students will explore their way from home to the school and draw a map of the school forest.

During the break, the students are encouraged to craft a model of their bedrooms, including furniture. How exactly they build their models is up to the students. This assignment is voluntary. All the students need is a shoe box (ask for an empty box at your local shoe store), paper, colored pencils, scissors, and glue. I look forward to seeing what the participating students will create.

We spend a lot of time outdoors. Please ensure your child comes to school dressed in warm layers, complete with a warm jacket, hat, and gloves. A short-sleeved t-shirt is not sufficient when worn as a single layer indoors or outdoors, with or without a coat. The same goes for sleepwear, thin leggings, and any other type of summer clothing.Wool- and fleece sweaters are more appropriate for this time of year. Please guide your child when dressing for the day, and bring them fully dressed for going outside each morning.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Gaby Farrokhi

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