Dear Third and Fourth-Grade Families,
After our return from Winter Break, the class began a new math block introducing fractions, going from the whole to the part. The students explored ways to fold a square into equal parts by folding them in half, into quarters, eighths, and sixteenths. They discovered that while the number of equal parts increased with every fold, the size of the pieces became increasingly smaller. They also found that there is more than one way to divide a piece of paper into equal parts. The class learned how to write fractions and started working independently in their newly introduced “Key to Fractions” workbook. As we can look at the class as the whole and the students as individuals, the students had fun expressing fun facts about the class in fractions. For example, two of fourteen students wore mismatched socks on Thursday, which we expressed with the fraction 2/14.
The block is accompanied by stories from Norse Mythology, beginning with the creation of the world and its different realms, with Asgard as the dwelling place of the Nordic gods and Midgard as the world of humans. We bring Norse Mythology and the study of fractions in math to the students at a time when they feel a strong separation from being one with their families and surroundings and awaken to their individuality. The Norse Myths in which Loki's mischief disrupts the world's order and even the gods become mortal, are a beautiful mirror of the new experiences and challenges the students face as they grow.
Mark the date: February 4th is our All School meeting, please see the Main Messenger for more information . This is an event for our entire community and all families are asked to attend. We share in a soup bar, compliments of our faculty and staff, and focus on the State of the School. Please mark your calendars and plan to join us!
Warm Regards,
Gaby Farrokhi
Reminders:
2/4: Community Work Day / All-School Meeting–A Community Event
2/15-2/17: Half Days and Parent Conferences
2/20-2/24: Mid-Winter Break (No School)
2/27: Teacher In-Service (No School)
