The Fleetwood Elementary School is beginning the Jump-Start June program for third grade into fourth grade students. The purpose of this interdisciplinary program is to provide all third-grade students at Fleetwood Elementary School with a “jump start” into fourth-grade reading material prior to leaving school for the summer break. All reading activities, including a read aloud of the novel, are located on the school's homepage and can be found at http://jumpstartjune.weebly.com
The fourth and third grade teachers collaborated on the best way to bridge student learning activities from the end-of-the-school year to September. One of the first literature selections in our fourth-grade Journeys program is a heartwarming and sensitive story about a young girl’s relationship with her dog entitled, Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo. Fourth-grade teachers will meet with all of the third-grade students and set the stage for this exciting new summer pilot program. During the last weeks of school, our third-grade teachers will present the book to the students and begin to engage them in standards-based literature discussions. The program will include text-dependent questions allowing for critical thinking and rich discussions upon the students return to school in September.
One of the key expectations for this program is for students to engage in literature over the summer that has a direct correlation with learning goals in September. Insight into the reading, writing, and literary analysis skills of their incoming students will allow fourth grade teachers to “hit the ground running”. It will also be an important opportunity for students to present their learning to their new teachers.
Fleetwood Elementary School's third and fourth-grade teachers are very excited about this two-grade collaborative project and have worked hard to prepare meaningful summer learning. Last year, the program was very successful in Fleetwood School. Students were well prepared for fourth grade language arts expectations. We are asking for your support and hope that you will encourage your child to read and engage in the learning activities in Because of Winn-Dixie. Please review your child’s reading text-dependent questions and, if possible, discuss the story with him/her.
Because of Winn-Dixieis on loan to your child and his/her book # is recorded with your child’s teacher. Your child is expected to return the following resources by Wednesday, September 13th:
The summer months are a perfect opportunity to create a lifelong love of literature. We are hopeful that Fleetwood's Jump-Start June pilot program will provide the perfect opportunity to bridge learning between grade levels, as well as enrich and extend your child’s reading experiences. The fourth grade teachers have some wonderful culminating learning activities planned for September. We are very excited to share this wonderful reading experience with your child!
Sincerely,
Michael Profico, Principal Dr. Alexis Bonavitacola, Curriculum Supervisor Third and Fourth Grade Teachers