From the Library

Fourth graders started off the year with some thought-provoking books.

First up was The Cloud Spinner by Michael Catchpool. Ask your daughter about the illustrations. How did they help tell the story?




We then read The Secret Keeper by Kate Coombs. Ask your daughter what Kalli does with the secrets given to her by the people of Maldinga.

Last week we read Nasreddine by Odile Weulersse. How many ways did they go to market? Which was the most ridiculous? We will continue to read stories from around the world. Meanwhile, girls in grades 3-5 are taking on the Bottom Shelf Challenge. Girls have chosen or will soon choose a book from the lonely neglected books on the bottom shelves of the fiction and non-fiction sections. They have until the end of the month to finish these bottom shelf books. We are finding really great books on the bottom shelves!

What's App in Computer Science

This year is 4th grade's first year using Chromebooks!  So far, the students have learned how to use their Google Bryn Mawr School account in Google Classroom, NewsELA, and Spelling City.  Your daughter can sign into all of these at home (web based or via the app) using her Bryn Mawr credentials.  Each student has a label with this information. 

If you are searching for resources, we suggest Common Sense Media .  "Common Sense is the leading independent nonprofit organization dedicated to helping kids thrive in a world of media and technology. We empower parents, teachers, and policymakers by providing unbiased information, trusted advice, and innovative tools to help them harness the power of media and technology as a positive force in all kids’ lives."

Also, be on the look out for more information about our typing program, TypingClub.com, coming soon!

Musicianship and Beyond!

The girls recently worked in groups to create their own arrangement of a melody we learned together in class. All of the girls can play the melody on the barred instruments, and know how to accompany the melody with a variety of different drone patterns.  (Drones are repeated accompaniment patterns that are played on the 1st and 5th scale degree.)

The girls arranged the melody and the accompaniment in their own way. They had to decide which instruments to use and who will play them, what type of drone to use, and how to begin and end their piece. There were so many creative ideas!

After sharing and analyzing each group's piece, the girls listed some of their learnings from this project.  Some major life lessons here!

Some reasons why we ask the girls to read for 20 minutes a night:

Stay tuned for what we are currently reading.......

Art_Meaning & Memory

Fourth grade's A.R.T. is MEANING. 

The girls started the Memory & Loss unit with a wonderful story by Mem Fox called Wilfred Gordon McDonald Partridge. It's about a young boy who is friends with an old woman who has lost her memory. He collects some objects that he shares with her and helps her find it. The girls learn about literal meaning and metaphorical meaning of objects and images and that one image or object can mean different things to different people.

Then the girls considered their own losses in life. They learned how the Ashanti people in West Africa honor the loss of an individual by stamping cloth with symbols that represent what the passed person leaves behind. Each student will design her own symbol of loss considering what she gained and share that with the community through stories and printed cloth.

French: Savoir saluer, savoir se présenter

This week, the girls did a fantastic job writing and performing original skits in which they greeted each other, introduced themselves, asked their partners how they were doing, and said goodbye (using an expression other than au revoir). As you can see in the pictures below, we had some very animated and creative performances. Bravo, les filles !

Welcome to Fourth Grade!

We are very happy to welcome so many wonderful 4th graders to the 2018-2019 school year!!!

                                     We have so many adventures ahead of us! Let's get started!