UCS Grade 3/4 Newsletter
February 14, 2025
Spreading Cheer with the Kindness Wall!
Our Kindness Wall is a wonderful way to share positivity throughout the school! Students write kind notes to recognize their peers, teachers, and staff, and our 3rd and 4th graders give shout-outs by reading some of these notes during the morning announcements each day.
Families are also welcome to add to the Kindness Wall when visiting the school—your note might even be read on the announcements! It’s been amazing to see our community come together to spread kindness and encouragement. Keep those kind words coming! 💛
UCS SPIRIT WEEK: February 17-21
February Lunch Menu
Snow Motion Reminder:
We are excited to be doing Cochran's each week!
Grades 3,4 from 9-10am
Grades K-2 from 10-11am
If your child is using their own equipment, please bring it to school Thursday morning. There will be large containers near the drop off for you to put skis/snowboards into. Please note: skis and snowboards are not allowed on the bus, they must be dropped off. **Please label your child’s equipment, including helmets!** Ski boots and helmets will go to your child’s classroom. If your child is borrowing equipment, but has their own helmet, please send them with it!! We will have some helmets for students to use if they don’t have their own. Equipment will be outside at end of day during dismissal for pick up. Any equipment not picked up then will be left in the hallway inside main entrance (outside multipurpose room). It can be picked up any time before 6pm.
If you are volunteering at Cochrans, please arrive 15 min early. Thank you so much to all of you who have volunteered your time to help our students. We couldn’t do this program without you!! Please email Mrs. Cowan at Amanda.Cowan@mmuusd.org if you have any questions.
Volunteer Form Updates
Are you interested in volunteering for Snow Motion, Field Trips, or any class events at UCS? Please take a moment to complete the quick and easy VOLUNTEER FORM ... Note that the form is valid for 5 years, so if you previously filled it out for older siblings, it may have expired. If you'd like to volunteer, please submit the form again. Thank you!
Battery Blitz: SAVE YOUR OLD BATTERIES!
BATTERY COUNT: over 1,000 pounds so far!
Mrs. Bernier’s class will be collecting used batteries from January 20 to February 18 as part of the Call2Recycle program! We’re excited about the chance to win a pizza party and up to $1,000 for our classroom. To reach our goal, we need your help!
GIRLS ON THE RUN: Interest Survey
GOTR Participant Interest Survey
PLEASE EMAIL MRS. BERNIER IF YOUR CHILD WOULD LIKE TO PARTICIPATE IN GIRLS ON THE RUN. We are looking to get an estimate on the number of girls who will be joining.
Our tentative schedule for the Spring will be:
Practice on Mondays and Thursdays (when school is in session) right after school until 3:45. *This is subject to change, but we will have it solidified closer to registration in February.
We will start meeting with Girls the week of March 17th.
The 5K celebration is on Saturday, May 31st. Every runner will need a running partner on this day.
Important Dates
IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER
February 17th - 21st ~ UCS Spirit Week
February 20th ~ Snow Motion #3 @ Cochran's
February 24th - March 4th ~ Winter Vacation - NO SCHOOL
March 6th ~ Snow Motion #4 @ Cochran's
PTO News
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!
Despite the snow and frosty temps, it's not too early to start planning your garden! Be on the lookout for the High Mowing Seeds Fundraiser information coming home this week with your student. You will find a handout with some general information and a catalog/order form. Completed order forms and payment are due by Friday, February 21, 2025, so we can make sure seeds arrive in early March. Please reach out to the PTO with any questions at ucspto@mmuusd.org. Thanks for your support!
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?
Math
Third Grade
This unit focuses on understanding and finding perimeter and area using standard units of measurement, and on classifying 2-D figures. Students use standard measurement tools to measure the length of objects and the distance around 2-dimensional figures (perimeter). They use square units to measure the amount of space a given object covers (area). Students build on work connecting arrays and multiplication, and find area by multiplying length and width. They also recognize area as additive: a shape can be composed and its area found by adding the areas of the parts. Students look at rectangles that have the same area and different perimeters, and the same perimeter and different areas. Students also identify attributes of triangles and quadrilaterals, and explore different categories of quadrilaterals.
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.
Fourth Grade
Fourth graders are focused on understanding the meaning of addition and subtraction, understanding the base-10 number system with numbers to 1,000,000, and adding and subtracting multidigit numbers fluently, including with the U.S. standard algorithms.
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:
kristy.giguere@mmuusd.org
Location: 6 Irish Settlement Rd, Underhill, VT 05489
Phone: 802.899.4676