Snippets

Brendan Patterson Dylan trimester 2 2017

Created by Brendan Patterson
Mr. Dylan B. Patterson
Academic year: 2016-2017
Grade level: 4
Homeroom : Mr. Kai Johnson

Trimester 1 To the Family of Dylan Patterson,
Dylan is steadily rising to meet the challenges and responsibilities of fourth grade. Although it took him a little time to
adjust to his new environment, peers, and teachers in the first weeks of school, Dylan now seems more at ease
throughout the day. He formed solid connections with a few key peers who share his interests and is increasingly
comfortable working with a wide range of peers on academic tasks throughout the day. Dylan is learning to manage
materials between two classrooms and is responsible with his homework, but he needs support to carefully organize his
thinking in written work. In both math and language arts, Dylan's inconsistency with how he presents his work can lead
to errors and confusion. Dylan's energy level varies considerably depending on the day's schedule. Recently he has been
more engaged in his work, but especially in the afternoon Dylan seems more tired and likely to zone out and daydream.
Though a quick redirection helps refocus him, Dylan should try to remain more cognizant of times when he can refocus
without external prompting. Another challenge for Dylan is managing the increasing responsibility with technology.
Although Dylan benefits from using his iPad to improve his written presentation, there are too many times when he
searches on the internet about topics unrelated to the assignment. Often, this proves not just a distraction for Dylan, but
for his peers as well. Overall, however, Dylan has made solid progress in his approach to school work and we will
continue to help boost his confidence to participate in class and engage consistently throughout the school day.
Dylan made steady progress in math this term. As his participation and engagement in class grew, he more readily
retained concepts. We have found that Dylan learns best when in small groups or one-on-one with a teacher. During
small group rotations, we are supporting him with repeated exposure to new concepts, utilizing math vocabulary in
conversations and regular practice with basic math facts. Additionally, we are working with Dylan to organize his
thinking on the page so that it is less confusing and prone to creating errors in his thinking. This term, Dylan met the
benchmark for taught concepts which included place value, estimation, number theory and multiplication and division
with whole numbers. The procedures of the traditional long division and multiplication algorithms can be confusing for
him, but with practice and reminders to work at a steady pace, his understanding improved. Dylan's automaticity with
basic math facts has a direct correlation to his accuracy in multi-digit multiplication and division, so we appreciate the
extra effort you are making to help him at home with this.
Dylan is a strong reader who tracks character development, understands plot sequence, and generates important ideas
about literature. In class, our focus is to practice reading strategies to monitor our "inner voice," ask questions that
further our understanding, and form inferences that dig below the surface of the text. Dylan listens carefully during
lessons and is able to apply what he learns to his own reading. Going forward, Dylan should continue to practice
recording his thinking on sticky notes. He started doing this with excellent focus in the past few weeks, and we hope
that he continues this progress. Writing down his thoughts is essential to help Dylan develop stronger inferences about
what he reads and analyze books on multiple levels.
In writing, Dylan needs ongoing support to improve the consistency of his written work. On some assignments,
especially his weekly vocabulary words, he goes into detail and shares his thinking more fully. On other work he offers
a short sentence or two without elaborating. His goal needs to be applying his focus across all assignments. Given clear
direction to add more detail, Dylan goes back and improves his first effort, but he should apply himself more fully on
his initial draft. We are working to help Dylan rephrase information and organize his thoughts before beginning an
assignment. We worked with him on a few strategies to support this process: first he needs to reread the directions and
then start a planning page or graphic organizer to get down his ideas. With more practice, these strategies should help
Dylan make progress completing work independently. On his own, he is prone to skipping parts of a direction or
leaving out examples that could add substance to his ideas. With more focus to improve, paired with supports and
scaffolds from class, Dylan will be able to become a strong, confident writer.
In social studies Dylan is learning to think critically about history, consider alternate perspectives reflecting the 
experiences of different groups of people, and draw conclusions based on research. Dylan's imagination and curiosity
about the wider world fuels his engagement learning about history. Although his interest is strong, Dylan needs
consistent support with reading informational texts and taking notes as part of the research process. He explains that he
is not sure how to rephrase information from what he reads, so instead he copies and pastes from articles online and
then changes the words. Although we worked with him to verbalize what he read and then rephrase, more practice will
be needed on this to ensure Dylan is able to conduct research independently. We will also practice reading strategies to
help Dylan distinguish important information from the merely interesting, and hopefully this will help give him clearer
strategies for what information to focus on rephrasing.
It has been a pleasure getting to know Dylan this term. We look forward to his continued growth in the upcoming
months!
Sincerely,


Kai Johnson, Nikki Spiers, Amy St. John and Jen Kandel
Trimester 2 To the Family of Dylan Patterson,
Dylan made substantial social progress this trimester. He is noticeably more comfortable in class and is forming
friendships with a wide variety of peers. His confidence and comfort is evident in his sense of humor and he relishes
moments where he makes a joke or comment that brings laughter to the class. He's made such quick progress on this
that he now needs to turn his attention to finding a balance between humor and focus. While many of his teachers
appreciate his wry sense of humor, he needs to be mindful of times where it might distract the class from a lesson.
Academically, Dylan appears more engaged throughout the day. He is quicker to locate materials and begin work on his
own, although at times Dylan needs reminders about the directions or next steps. The biggest challenge for Dylan is
maintaining this level of focus and engagement when working on more complex projects. If he needs to follow multiple
steps, he seems to tune out the linear progression of steps and then is unsure where to even begin. Working with Dylan
to help him develop a system for following directions, as well as planning his initial action, will be a major goal for the
remainder of the year.
In math this trimester, students used their mathematical foundation to read and create graphs, analyze data and calculate
with fractions. Dylan made great progress this term. He is increasingly attentive during lessons, asking questions and
offering his strategies to problems. As a result, he is understanding concepts more readily and can work more
independently throughout class. Precision in his calculations and in his use of mathematical vocabulary continues to be
an area of growth for Dylan, but he is showing some improvement. This term he met the benchmark for concepts on
probability and data and exceeded grade level expectations for our chapters on tables, line graphs and fractions.
Dylan consistently performs these skills with accuracy:
- Interpreting tables and line graphs
- Adding and subtracting fractions with unlike denominators
- Renaming mixed numbers and improper fractions
Dylan is working on the following mathematical goals:
- Finding the mean, median and mode for a given set of data
- Creating line plots
- Solving real world problems
Reading instruction this trimester extended our work from the fall on strategies like monitoring understanding, asking
questions, and forming inferences, as well as learning to synthesize information across a text to understand themes.
Reading Wonder as a class book, students developed reading fluency and expanded vocabulary with a more rigorous
text. In class, students practiced annotating the texts with their thinking and questions and honed their listening and
speaking skills in group discussion. Wonder is a challenging book and Dylan's understanding is inconsistent. He is
grasping the overall themes and ideas of kindness and empathy, but he can be inattentive to the details in the book.
Although he is completing his annotation work when he reads, Dylan is prone to dashing off the work and needs 


reminders to write neatly enough so it is legible. Continuing to refine his focus and approach is essential to Dylan
understanding all aspects of class texts.
As a reader, Dylan's strengths include:
- Using text clues to form meaningful inferences
- Adjusting oral reading rate and tone to match story events and character feelings; he's made strong progress in his
reading fluency
- Synthesizing information in a text to infer themes
Dylan's reading goals for the final trimester are to:
- Participate more fully in class discussions after completing homework
- Asking questions that encourage re-reading or check comprehension; he needs to practice this more independently
- Monitor understanding while reading, using strategies like visualizing or re-reading to deepen comprehension
Our recent focus in writing is responding to literature. Consistency across his writing remains the biggest challenge for
Dylan. On some assignments he offers strong ideals with numerous details and examples, and at other times he offers a
few brief sentences. He is showing the greatest progress in the following areas:
- Rephrasing the prompt / question to form a clear topic sentence
- Offering original thinking and analysis
- Using key vocabulary from Wonder in responses
Dylan continues to need support to:
- Use details and events in the book to answer prompt
- Organize ideas to clarify analysis
- Edit accurately for run-on sentences and punctuation
- Revise content and add details to enhance writing
As part of our social studies curriculum, more time this trimester was spent doing in depth researching and projects.
Dylan's ability to research and record information showed improvement. He is able to put most of the facts into his own
words and is not copying and pasting like at the beginning of the year. He still needs assistance connecting the discrete
information into a big idea about history. Dylan is capable of thinking abstractly to understand big ideas when
presented to him directly, but he is not synthesizing information on his own into a clear theory about history. For
instance, he is able to list information about the climate and geography in the Connecticut colony, but he did not link
that information to the economies and industries that emerged as a result of the geography, natural resources, and
climate.
The greatest challenge for Dylan on our social studies project involved the directions. It is a complex assignment with
numerous steps over a long period of time. Even with clear instructions and consistent review and modeling by the
teacher, Dylan did not know how to initiate the work on his own. He also had a hard time going between his notes and
the reading, and then using those notes to write out his ideas in paragraph format. Going forward, it will be helpful for
Dylan to sit with a teacher on projects such as this and talk through a plan for how to keep track of his work and ensure
he knows what is coming next.
We look forward to Dylan's continued growth in the remaining months of the year.
Sincerely,
Kai Johnson, Nikki Spiers, Amy St. John and Jen Kandel 


Course Teacher TRI-1 TRI-2 TRI-3
Content Summary
Science Ms. Sarah Onstad
Trimester 1 Throughout the school year in fourth grade science, students are expected to ask questions, research the answers, and
effectively communicate their findings. The first unit was a study of energy and how energy is the ability to do work.
Students learned about the difference between kinetic and potential energy, and discovered different forms of energy.
They explored electrical engineering by building circuits to light a light bulb, and how electricity and magnetism are
connected. Students worked in small groups to research alternative energies and presented their findings to the class.
The second unit of study was a collaboration between the social studies and science departments to incorporate the
design thinking process into Native American shelter building. Working as a team, students designed and constructed a
model shelter for a specific climate region with limited natural resources. After visiting the Denver Museum of Nature
and Science, students reiterated their design to more closely resemble a Native American shelter found in their group's
region.
Dylan demonstrates depth and understanding of our science concepts. He works well with others and thrives with hands
on activities. He is working harder to meet academic goals and is becoming more conscientious in completing his work.
Thank you for being a partner in Dylan's education.



Trimester 2 In the second trimester, fourth grade science students continued to ask questions and research answers as they studied
animal adaptations. Students learned the difference between physical and behavioral adaptations and practiced
classifying animals into group orders. Our research project involved students working in pairs to create an animal
adaptations alphabet book for their kindergarten buddies. Students used digital and print resources to find an animal for
each letter of the alphabet, as well as information on that animal's habitat, group classification, and adaptations.
Students practiced how to carefully read sources to determine interesting adaptations that help animals survive in
different habitats. After they compiled their research, student groups wrote and illustrated their books and presented
them as gifts to their buddies.
Dylan continues to demonstrate a grade level understanding of our science concepts. He is motivated to achieve high
standards, makes good use of resources, and demonstrates a high level of independence. He displays a willingness to
make improvements and works well with others. At times he needs to be encouraged to concentrate on his own work
and use technology effectively. Thank you for being a partner in Dylan's education. 


Course Teacher TRI-1 TRI-2 TRI-3
Content Summary
Art Ms. Andrea J. Crane
Trimester 1 This trimester, students created colored pencil drawings. They demonstrated their understanding of warm and cool
colors for this piece. Students were also challenged to create a moving part in their drawing. Coinciding with the bike
hike, students learned about the Urban Arts Fund of Denver. Funds are given to street artists to create murals around
the city. We specifically studied the works along the Cherry Creek path. We had a discussion about street artists and
their impact on the city. We looked at the work of Jake Parker. Students chose an art medium to work with and created
a series of small art pieces that will be displayed around school. Fourth graders were introduced to artist--Andy
Warhol--a major figure in the Pop Art fad. His works inspired students to create Pop Art-like photo booth drawings.
Dylan had a good start to the trimester. He did his best to apply the concepts and skills taught to his works of art. For
his art drop project, Dylan chose to work with clay. He successfully slipped and scored his clay pieces. Though he stays
on task during studio time, I would like to see him work on focusing during class lessons. He is easily distracted and
misses steps to projects. I will check for understanding prior to starting projects and encourage him to stand closer to
the demonstration area. I look forward to a successful second trimester.
Trimester 2 We began our trimester with a lesson on miniature painting, examined historical art works from the Book of Hours and
spoke about the miniature painting traditions of India and Pakistan. Students were introduced to artists Ayesha Durrani,
Shahzia Skinader, and Aisha Kalid, all contemporary miniature painters. After looking at these artists, students created
their own miniature paintings. For the next project, students were shown how to handle X-Acto knives. They used this
tool to create a positive vs. negative abstract image using Contrast-o paper. Then, students moved on to create
landscape drawings that demonstrated their understanding of foreground, middle ground, and background.
I continued to enjoy Dylan's abstract thinking and unique approach to his works of art. For his Contrast-o piece, he
created an image of a giant saw. It was easily recognizable in it's simplistic form. This was a concept shown in class.
However, I encourage Dylan to work on his communication with me. He sometimes came across as disrespectful and
unwilling to take feedback. I look forward to seeing his work up for the Spring Art Show.


Course Teacher TRI-1 TRI-2 TRI-3
Content Summary
Drama Mr. Daniel P. O'Neill
Trimester 1 This trimester, we worked on group building exercises and projects in the rehearsal process that included short plays
written and directed by students. This exploration is the first step in preparing students for more in-depth public
performances of Annie Jr. later this school year.
Dylan is a confident and talented young actor. He is comfortable working solo and is proficient at group improvisation
exercises. He is doing an outstanding job in rehearsals and is in fine shape as we begin to close in on the spring musical
production. 


Course Teacher TRI-1 TRI-2 TRI-3
Content Summary
Music Mr. Joshua E. Gaffga
Trimester 1 First trimester music class students expanded their musical literacy skills by learning how to sing notes of the treble clef
using solfège vocabulary and hand signs. This literacy work, based on the S-Cubed curriculum, will continue once the
musical is complete, preparing students for their 5th grade musical ensemble experience. During the second half of the
trimester, students auditioned for "Annie" and began rehearsals. The performers have impressed me with their skill
level and work effort so far, and I look forward to collaborating with them!
I admire the risks Dylan took during his audition for "Annie" and the focused participation he has displayed so far
during rehearsals. We look forward to watching him develop his role as Winslow! Dylan's efforts have had a positive
effect on the ensemble, and I appreciate the initiative he takes in cooperating with his classmates and participating fully
in our rehearsals!
Performing Arts Mr. Daniel P. O'Neill, Mr. Joshua E. Gaffga
Trimester 2 Music and drama students combined into a performing arts class second trimester, working in ensemble to prepare for
"Annie." Students rehearsed twice a rotation and developed the following skills: collaborating with a team;
understanding and recording stage directions; projecting one's voice; memorizing lines and songs; and participating
actively in rehearsal even when not on stage. In addition to the work completed in class, students were asked to take
the initiative to rehearse on their own using practice mp3's. We have enjoyed watching both casts learn and grow
during our rehearsals and are proud of every student for the work they have put into this performance.
Dylan's strength during our rehearsals has been self-motivation. His initiative to work on the material outside of
rehearsal is paying dividends during our class time. We have loved watching him develop his character in "Annie" and
encourage him to keep up the same hard work in the final trimester. Dylan was wonderfully effective in creating
sounds for the radio scene.


Course Teacher TRI-1 TRI-2 TRI-3
Content Summary
Spanish Ms. Kelly Viseur
Trimester 1 The fourth graders are using a textbook in Spanish entitled "Descubre." Each chapter has a thematic and cultural focus.
Although some of the vocabulary is familiar to them from previous years, they are now expected to read and speak in
Spanish. For the first trimester, they have learned several ways to greet and say goodbye in Spanish. Students learned
the names of family members and used their iPads to film themselves as they described their family tree. For The Day
of the Dead, students decorated sugar skulls, gave them Spanish names, and then introduced them to their peers. Fourth
graders studied the countries of Mexico and Cuba through the textbook, You Tube videos, iPad applications and
authentic photographs.
I have enjoyed having Dylan in Spanish class again this year. In his first filmed video, he pronounced several
vocabulary words properly in his dialogue with a classmate. He struggled saying the first question, How are you?
(¿Qué tal?) I appreciated that he chose the new way to say goodbye (nos vemos) at the end of the conversation
although his enunciation was inaccurate. In his second video about his family tree, Dylan accurately said the word for
grandfather (abuelo) yet had trouble pronouncing some of the family member names such as brother (hermano) where
the H should be silent. He also did not present his family tree in complete sentences as instructed on the script and
appeared confused as he was reading. That said, when he introduced his Model Magic amigo to the class, his
presentation was appropriate saying, "Mi amigo se llama Styliz." (I enjoyed Dylan's sense of humor by using a
Pokeman name!) As we move forward in the new trimester, I will make sure the Dylan clearly understands the
directions for projects and has support with pronunciation.
Trimester 2 Fourth grade students continued to learn vocabulary and conversation skills through the study of Cuba. They learned
the names of the rooms of a house and whether a house is in the city or the country. Students memorized and recorded
a short skit about the rooms of the house and incorporated some of their new vocabulary words such as fried plantains
(plátanos fritos) and a Cuban sandwich (sandwich cubano). They had the opportunity to sample both of these Cuban
staples during the trimester. The pet unit was popular as students learned to describe different domestic pets and
prepared to read an animal book to their kindergarten buddy in Spanish.
Dylan was a good participator in Spanish class this trimester. In his filmed dialogue with a classmate, Dylan accurately
said his first line, "Hola Alberto, ¿Dónde estás?" (Hello Alberto. Where are you?) They enjoyed using old telephones
as props. He had numerous errors in pronunciation for verbs and nouns but ultimately completed the assignment. It
appeared that if he didn't know a line, he would mumble the words to move on. His partner was able to keep the
rhythm and they worked well together. He and his partner chose to use the creative green screen for their background
and learned how to use that app on the iPads. Dylan is a kind, quiet student and I will continue to monitor his Spanish
pronunciation in the final trimester.


Course Teacher TRI-1 TRI-2 TRI-3
Content Summary
PE Mr. Christopher J. Hecht
Trimester 1 This term, fourth graders began applying skills they learned in the lower grades to game situations. In order to build
confidence, each student had daily opportunities to work on skills, as well as improve his/her knowledge of game
strategies. Value was placed on cooperating with classmates, being a positive teammate, and exhibiting good
sportsmanship qualities, while keeping safety as a top priority. Units of study first trimester included flag football,
recess games, soccer, field hockey, volleyball, and badminton.
As with previous years, Dylan continues to show improvement of his skills. He is an active participant, and he
understands the expectations of the class whether during a team activity or individual work. Dylan has also shown to be
an engaged teammate who wants the ball so he can make a play. If he can move to a better position, Dylan will be able
to get the ball more often, and his teammates will be able to see his talents in action.
Trimester 2 During the second trimester, fourth graders spent three weeks learning the various skills of basketball and competed in
small game situations. The focus was to develop their skills, as well as, enhance their sport knowledge. Students
enjoyed ample opportunities to develop their sense of positioning and to work with others. The other units students
participated in, were climbing, tumbling, fitness, and floor hockey.
Dylan continues to be a good student in P.E. class. He is starting to show that he can play with good intensity, and he
has been able to show signs of improved physical development and skill since the first term. Dylan's listening skills
have diminished a bit, as he is often distracted by his classmates thus causing him to miss instructions or rules. If Dylan
keeps his focus, this will be an easy adjustment for him in the final term, and put him back on track toward becoming a
complete student


Course Teacher TRI-1 TRI-2 TRI-3
Content Summary
Library Ms. Elizabeth J. Leddy
Trimester 1 Fourth grade library students began the year by reviewing and building independent library skills. They expanded their
knowledge of the library catalog system by learning how to perform a variety of searches. Students were taught to
recognize call numbers and independently identify the location of books in the library. In preparation for students to
receive their iPads, we reviewed basic technology skills and concepts that they will need in order to use their device
responsibly. We discussed digital citizenship and what it means to be responsible and respectful both online and offline.
After exploring our new space in the Learning Commons, fourth graders participated in a design challenge with a small
group.
Dylan is an inquisitive library student. He is eager to learn and listens to others in the classroom. He followed directions
and brainstormed different ways to solve the problem in the design challenge. In the next trimester, I encourage Dylan
to share his interesting ideas with the class.
Trimester 2 In the second trimester, fourth graders participated in the Hour of Code, a one-hour introduction to computer science
where students use critical thinking, logic, persistence, and creativity to solve problems. In preparation for research
projects in science and social studies, students learned about the research process. The process starts by brainstorming
questions, then using online databases, books, and websites to find information to answer their questions. Fourth
graders learned how to refine keyword searches on the internet in order to find the most pertinent information. At the
end of the trimester, they learned about persuasive techniques that the media uses to promote their product or idea.
Students used what they learned to create a print advertisement for the favorite special.
Dylan has many insightful ideas to share with the class and thinks creatively. He used critical thinking to complete the
coding tutorials and thought of alternative methods to solve the puzzles. Dylan participated in discussions about
keyword searches and helped brainstorm ways to find answers to the research questions. In the final trimester, I
encourage Dylan to continue to display a positive attitude when collaborating in the library.

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