The Years That Form Everything
On our first family trip to Disneyland, I remember seeing a parent locked in a bitter argument with their young child near the end of the day. The parent was yelling, the child was crying, and it was jarring to watch such big, painful emotions unfold in "The Happiest Place on Earth". I remember thinking, very clearly, that I did not want that kind of relationship with my children. That moment stayed with me—not as judgment, but as a quiet reminder that relationships are formed long before conflict reveals them. I share this now because I am on the other side of those elementary years, into the teenage season where boundaries are tested and children begin demanding ownership of their lives.
The elementary years are a short and meaningful window. Our kids are still listening, still watching, still absorbing what life is supposed to feel like inside a family. Home shapes how they handle frustration, what they believe about work, how they understand faith, and how they speak to themselves when things are hard. The way we talk to our children becomes the voice they carry internally—the one that steadies them or undermines them. A worldview will form either way; the question is whether it is shaped intentionally through daily family life or pieced together from whatever influences are loudest.
Much of this formation happens in ordinary rhythms over impassioned speeches. Meals where conversation matters, chores that signal belonging, feelings that are acknowledged but do not dictate behavior, apologies that are modeled, expectations that remain steady. Trips and shared experiences during these years matter more than we sometimes realize—not because they are extravagant, but because they give families space to practice their values together: patience, gratitude, flexibility, generosity, problem-solving. These moments build memory and trust. They give children repeated evidence of what it means to belong to one another.
It is a profound privilege to steward a family. Our teenagers and young adults will not move into the future without mistakes—none of us do—but when course correction is needed, the strength of the relationship determines whether they come back to us. If trust has been built slowly and intentionally, parents become the sounding board, the safe place where hard questions can be asked and new paths considered. These years are not about control or perfection; they are about formation through repetition. Small, intentional acts create the framework our children stand on when our voice grows quieter. The time is now, and the work is deeply worth it. --Mrs. Heisler
Testing NEWS:
AASA/AZSci State Testing Announcement:
Dear Parents of 3rd – 5th Grade Students,
I want to share with you that AZ Science (5th only) and AASA (Arizona’s Academic Standards Assessment) for 3rd, 4th, 5th grade are upcoming. To learn more about these assessments, please refer to the following AZ Department of Education resources:
· Statewide Assessment Student Flyer.pdf
Testing Schedule:
Our testing window spans Monday, March 30th through Thursday, April 16th. The dates for 4th grade are: 4th Grade
Writing: Tuesday, March 31st
ELA/Math #1: Thursday, April 9th
ELA/Math #2: Tuesday, April 14th
4th graders will have on-campus practice sessions March 24th & 27th
Attendance:
Please ensure that your student is present and on time, and does not depart early on testing days. Please reschedule any appointments that conflict with your child’s testing schedule. State testing includes many restrictions that impact administration of the test. These rules include the inability to stop and resume testing beyond a single school day and the strict guidelines governing students leaving the testing environment, testing breaks, and well as test completion deadlines.
During testing, homework may not be assigned or will be significantly reduced on the evening prior to the AASA test administration. I ask that you support your student’s testing success by ensuring that (s)he arrives at school well-rested, on-time, fortified with a healthy protein breakfast and snack, and full of words of encouragement.
Practice Test Information:
Parents can help enable student success by exploring the TestNav portal at home with your student on a familiar device. The Practice Test - TestNav allows students to explore the testing portal to gain familiarity with the technological knowledge needed to truly display their academic knowledge. The goal is never to ‘teach to the test’, but testing anxiety can be lessened with exposure and encouragement.
There are sample tests available as well. 3rd & 4th graders will have on campus practice sessions with the student computers. However, additional at home practice is encouraged. Invite your student to click all the buttons to avoid that temptation on the day of testing. Explore the variety of answer formats (select one, select all, drag/drop, ordering, short answer, highlight from the paragraph, etc.). Please note that students will be using laptops with a trackpad (not a mouse), and are asked to write a rough draft of their written response before typing & are asked to utilize scratch paper to solve math problems.
To visit the sample tests, visit: https://home.testnav.com/. Select Arizona, scroll down, then click on Mic Check and Sample Tests. Select AASA TestNav Sample Tests or AzSCI (5th grade only) and your child’s grade level. Select the sample tests provided for Math, Writing or ELA.
Thank you in advance for your support,
Rachel Curtis (Dean of Academics & Testing Coordinator)
NEWS:
Stanza 9 of PRR is due this Friday!
Please send in "Carry On, Mr. Bowditch" books before Spring Break.
CURRICULUM:
ELA:
POETRY "Paul Revere's Ride" stanza 9 is due this Friday, March 6th. This poem spans 13 weeks (into Q4) and culminates in a grade-wide reciting of the poem in entirety for the parents.
This Poem is a behemoth of a memorization task for scholars. It should be taken seriously and can be enjoyable to accomplish such a task. In Fourth Grade, we do not have any "at-home" projects per se. Consider the memorization and recitation of this work a 13 week-long project endeavor. It can even become a family practice to memorize the weekly stanza.
Helpful Practices for Memorization:
-Listen to the poem in it's entirety, daily
-Scholars should write out the stanza memorization for the week (hang it on the bathroom mirror)
-Illustrate or act out the stanza
-Look up unfamiliar words or phrases to understand the meaning
-Re-write that section in your own words (modern language)
-Perform a word while another person says every other word until scholar can say it independently
-Practice reciting in the mirror
-Make up body or hand motions to certain lines and phraes
-Write the stanza out on a whiteboard and erase a word or phrase
-Tell yourself everyday, "I can memorize this, and so did the Fourth Graders before me!"
LITERATURE This week we finish reading "Prince Caspian" by C.S. Lewis. This week we will read chapters 13-15. There are no reading groups in Q3W9.
In the COMPOSITION program for the week we will write a 5-Paragraph essay using the 10 step method. Students will take a position and use two articles to draw evidence and make citations.
In GRAMMAR, we will work from AASA test preparation materials.
In LATIN AND GREEK ROOTS we have 3 roots this week:
Q3 W9 Roots
Mon
metron - measure (Greek)
me ter (n) – unit of measure (39.47 inches long)
meas ure (v) – determine the size, amount, or degree of something
ge om e try (n) – (GEO = earth) – measurement of the earth
sym me try (n) – (SYM = same, equal) measuring the same – made up of exactly similar parts
di am e ter (n) (DIA = through, across) – the measurement through the center of a circle or sphere
Tues
astron – star (Greek)
as trol o gy (n) – study of the stars and celestial bodies
as ter oid (adj) (EDIOS = form) – in the form of a star 2 (n) a small rocky body orbiting the sun
as ter (n) star-shaped flower
as tron o mer (n) (ONOMA = name) - one who names the stars/an expert in celestial studies
as tral (navigation) (n) navigating by the stars - added navigation due to Bowditch book coming up
Wed
stella – star (Latin)
con stel la tion – (n) (group of stars forming a recognizable pattern
in ter stel lar – (adj) between the stars
stel lar – (adj) – pertaining to a star, or stars
stel late – (adj) – star shaped
stel ler id – (n) – a star fish
Math:
In Math, we will continue Chapter 9 on Geometry and measuring angles. Here are links to instructive help for scholars.
History:
In History in W9 we will finish up our lap-books for the quarter. This totals a significant classwork grade for scholars.
Science:
Scholars will conclude our unit this week with a Comprehension Check. The prompt is: How do people use natural resources to make energy? Why is it important to pick the right kind of energy for a place?
Remember, the blog is updated weekly. Be sure to come back frequently to see any upcoming events or changes in fourth grade.