Fourth & Fifth Grade: August 17-21, 2026
Dear Fourth and Fifth Grade Families,
After learning about the concept of a bird's-eye view and blueprints, the class began building a map of The Garden School's campus. Before starting this project, the students were asked what they knew about our school's history and faculty. Some were surprised to learn that the school is not much older than they are! After gaining some insight into our school's history, our class took a tour of the regions of campus that we typically do not frequent, such as the Early Childhood side of the forest, and learned what neighbors the school's property lines. After seeing what makes up the entire campus, the daily circle consisted of having a "navigator of the day," where one student had to give directions to a specific place on campus using only the cardinal directions, while the rest of the group had to follow the navigator's directions.
Once the students had a general understanding of the school's campus, they worked in groups to draft a map of the campus. This task was received as enjoyable yet challenging by the class. While the class knew where every major point of interest was located on campus, drawing it from the point of view of a flying bird added an inevitable learning curve to overcome. Despite the challenge, the students were pleased with their results and only had to make a few minor revisions before individually drawing their final copy of the campus map into their Main Lesson books.
Next week, the class will expand outward and learn about the Greater Atlanta area, including geography facts and the history of each student's respective hometown. Some students have already returned to school, showing miniature maps of their daily routes to and from school! With next week's focus on the history and geography of our hometowns, continuing to work with your child's navigation skills around town is a great way to apply what was learned to their everyday lives outside of school.
Class Reminders and Announcements:
Parent Conferences are October 8 and 9! Please sign up here to schedule a time to meet.
Conferences are for adults only and are an opportunity to come together to talk about your child’s experiences at school, celebrate their growth, and share any questions, observations, or concerns.
September 7: Labor Day (No School)
September 8: Early Childhood Curriculum Meeting, 6:00 pm. (adults only)
September 9: Grade Curriculum Meeting, 6:00 pm. (adults only)
September 12: Community Workday
Warmly,
Ki Nicole
