Written by Hansith P., Ishan J., and Nicolas M.
INTRODUCTION:
Hello everybody! In this article, we will be talking about what 4th-graders here at D39C do daily! The activities that 4th and 5th-grade students do are split into 2 types of days: A days and B days. A days and B days have an alternative cycle, with one day being an A day and the next day being a B day. This article will have a daily basis on what they do on both A and B days and what they do in their subjects.
A DAYS:
Every morning, our school’s 4th graders move to their classrooms at the song’s sound. On A days, they start their day with reading. Each student is expected to have a book. After they read, most of the time, students have math. So far in the year, 4th graders have learned about division and multiplication. The teachers make it a priority to teach the students to think mathematically using different strategies and promoting mathematical thinking, not just making calculations. Math is usually from after they read to their snack break. According to a student in Mrs. Reed and Mrs. Jenkin’s class, they start with math games. After that, they have a warm-up. Next, they share how they solved their strategies with their class. When math ends, some classes have MIM (Mind In Motion).
For kids who don’t have MiM after snack, they have Integrated Learning (IL). IL combines writing, reading, and occasionally, social studies. IL runs from after snack to lunch. This year, they are doing a major project on waste management, a student in Mrs. Andersen’s class says. If a student in a Deep Dive wants to continue working on their project, they can go to that space and work on it. The students use the TCI textbook to explore California’s history and gather knowledge. An example of this would be the Gold Rush! Students will learn about how people came from the East to California hoping to get gold. There is also a writing aspect in IL. During their writing, 4th graders write personal narratives and informational writing pieces. Even students who do, usually start with math games. They follow this with a warm-up. After, the class shares their strategies and then gets an exit ticket (something to do to be able to go to lunch).
Some classes go to Minds in Motion (MIM) right after they have a snack break. MIM here at D39C is like PE at an average school. In MIM, 4th-grade students run 1 lap ( ⅓ of a mile), and then they have some activity. Sometimes, the MIM coaches setup games like scooter tags for the students to play or participate in. After coming back, students have a short IL or Math, depending on what they had in the morning.
After they have math, they have a 20-minute snack break in which they are allowed to eat their snacks and also play on the playground. Also, some students might not want to go outside or they can’t because they are hurt, so there are indoor activities, too. For example, next to one of the bridges, there is a space known as the Lab. On most days (except for Mondays), this space is open for kids to work on projects, play games such as chess, or even just relax inside the area. Rooms can be open depending on a Deep Dive. 4/5 Lunch starts at 12:25 and ends at 1:05. In some classes, students go to MIM after lunch. However, in those classes, they have a read-aloud after lunch. During a read-aloud, students sit quietly and listen as a teacher reads a book. The other students whose MIM is after lunch have read aloud after their MIM.
Every 2 weeks’ Wednesday, X-Day is a time when students participate in fun physical games and learn about something from STEAM.
Last but not least in their day, kids have a Deep Dive. They have an hour-and-a-half class about a particular topic. There is a Drama Deep Dive where students practice performing in a play for an actual audience. There is a Mad Science Deep Dive where students do fun experiments and learn about science concepts and make connections in science. There are many other Deep Dives, too.
B DAYS:
On B days, the 4th graders start by going to their respective classrooms. They put their backpacks in their bins, and after that, they read for 30 minutes without stopping. Then, they put their books away and get ready for the next part of their day. Students in different classes also have music.
In 4th grade music, students begin to use a recorder and learn how to play it. If students don’t have music in the morning, they have IL (Integrated Learning). Afterward, they have snack time. The snack is 20 minutes of greatness!
You are probably wondering what is after the 20 minutes of greatness (snack). Well, it may be either IL or Math. After finishing IL or Math (depending on what they had in the morning), they will go to lunch from 12:25 to 1:05. The song that D39C plays to signal the 4/5 students to go in is ‘Bye Bye Bye’ by NSYC. Once this song is played, the 4th graders will know that they will have to go back to their classrooms. Once they get to their classroom, they have read aloud. Then, they have mystery science! In Mystery Science, students learn about science. This year, 4th graders learned about the food web and the food chain.
CONCLUSION
4th and 5th Graders at D39C are kids learning to elevate humanity. They do this by having a complex schedule composed of Math, IL, Deep Dives, Music, MIM, Lunch, Science, and Reading.