UCS Grade 3/4 Newsletter
March 21, 2025
🪻🌷SPRING FLING FAMILY DANCE!🌷🪻
Please help us host an epic dance party in March. On Friday 3/21, we will raising money for Girls on the Run and Kids on Bikes with a Spring Fling family dance! Mark your calendars — all are welcome! And please volunteer in any way you can. Sign up here to volunteer at the event with set up or clean up. Sign up to bake something for the bake sale. If you have an item or service you can donate to the raffle, please email the PTO (ucspto@mmuusd.org). Lastly, if you are an amateur or professional DJ and want to volunteer to help us take our tunes to the next level, please email the PTO (ucspto@mmuusd.org). We are so grateful for any help you can provide!Â
VTCap Testing for 3rd and 4th Graders
The Vermont Comprehensive Assessment (VTCAP) is happening again this spring. This is the third year of the statewide VTCAP assessment, and will be conducted similarly as last year. VTCAP is required by the State of Vermont Agency of Education (VT AOE). UCS Students in grades 3 & 4 will be taking the assessment during the week of April 7th; and will be assessed in both English Language Arts & Mathematics. A parent/caregiver letter was sent home in your child's folder earlier this week. An electronic version of the letter can also be found HERE.
FROM THE HEALTH OFFICE
Emergencies
Students learned about Simple medical issues and how to respond (nosebleeds, cuts/ scrapes, falls, asthma emergencies). We talked about hand washing and the importance of not touching anyone else's blood. We talked about when to call 911. Students were instructed to talk with family members about how they can call 911 at home. Please be sure to review this with your student. Additionally, all students should have family members' phone numbers memorized. Students will be bringing home a form for them to fill out with important emergency information that can be posted at home. Here is a link to the form: Emergency Phone Numbers.pdf
KIDS ON BIKES
Kids on Bikes
When: Tuesdays after school from 2:25pm to 4:00pm on May 6th, May 13th, May 20th and May 27th (rain date June 3rd)
Where: Underhill Central School
Cost: $20 (T-shirts and one snack per day included)
Sign Up by April 1: HERE
We Need Volunteers! This program is solely run on volunteer effort. If you can help out (any skill set welcome!), please indicate on the sign-up form
Contact: Email Nick Tanner at KidsOnBikesVT@gmail.com with any questions
Calling all 2nd, 3rd and 4th grade UCS students who want to ride their bikes and explore Underhill! Our goal is to expose 2nd-4th graders to mountain biking to develop safety and technical skills, build confidence, have fun, and gain an appreciation for the great outdoor resources right here at UCS.Â
Each participant is required to have a bike in working order, a helmet and water bottle. If your child would like to participate and any of these are a barrier, please contact Nick Tanner at KidsOnBikesVT@gmail.com – the goal is to get every kid on a bike who wants to ride.
March Lunch MenuÂ
Important Dates
 IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER
March 21st ~ Half Student Day (dismissal is 3 hours earlier at 11:20)
March 21st ~ PTO Spring Fling Family Dance Party @ BRMS Cafeteria (5:30-7:30p)Â Â Â
March 31st ~ NO SCHOOLÂ
April 1st - April 4th ~ UCS Spring Book FairÂ
April 7th - April 10th ~ VTCAP Testing at UCS
April 11th ~ PTO Donuts at Drop-Off
PTO News
Current Curriculum Units
Social Studies
Vermont Geography
We are learning about the geography of Vermont. We will explore its geographic features and how they affect its residents. We will also explore what features make Vermont unique and what it is known for.
The Focus Questions for this unit are:
What are Vermont's geographic features?
How do they affect its residents?
What do different maps tell us?
Which Vermont features make it unique?
What are Vermont's 14 counties?
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Math
Third Grade
Our current third grade unit focuses on the meaning and structure of multiplication and division and the relationship between them, solving multiplication and division problems, multiplying by multiples of 10, and learning the remaining multiplication facts to 10 × 10. Students use connecting cubes to identify and analyze arithmetic patterns and the relationship between multiplication and division. Problems about multiplying single-digit numbers by multiples of 10 and multi-step problems are set in the context of a toy factory.
Fourth Grade
This unit focuses on understanding the meaning of fractions and decimals; and comparing fractions and decimals including finding equivalents. Students use contexts and representations such as rectangles (an area model) and number lines (a linear model) to add, subtract, and multiply fractions.
Check out this letter that includes samples of the types of math that we’ll be exploring if you are interested in more details. Click Here.
Literacy
Third and Fourth Graders have been busy learning how to identify the main idea and supporting details in informational texts, helping us become stronger readers. We are also practicing responding to texts using the R.A.C.E model (Restate, Answer, Cite, Explain) to support our thinking with evidence. In writing, students are working hard on their informational books, researching and organizing facts about a topic of their choice. Additionally, we continue to practice writing in cursive, building fluency and confidence in this important skill. It’s wonderful to see students developing their abilities in reading, writing, and handwriting each day!
Social Media Sites
Underhill Central School 3/4 Teachers
Abbie Bernier, Mia Melone, Kristy Giguere
Emails:Â
kristy.giguere@mmuusd.org
Location: 6 Irish Settlement Rd, Underhill, VTÂ 05489
Phone: 802.899.4676