Although it's true, it hardly seems believable that there are only 11 more days of school. This is the time of the year that we get misty-eyed as we begin to think about our wonderful 4th grade students, and how they have all grown and matured so much during the year. It's very hard not to become attached to these wonderful 4th graders, with whom we have shared so many days, so many joys, and so many exciting challenges these past nine months. We are truly going to miss each and every student.  

Of course, there are some fun and exciting things to look forward to over the next few weeks. We have the state cakes coming in just a week, and that's fun for everyone in the school!  The creativity that goes into even the tiniest of cakes is amazing. This is a highlight for the 4th graders.

We are working on our STEM career research projects, and look forward to finishing up the research this week, and the final presentations the following week. So much to do, so little time!

We will set sail on our Mississippi River Scenic Lock Cruise on June 1. This is the perfect field trip to enjoy on the day before school ends. It is not only a wonderful learning experience, but also a time for all of us to be together and enjoy each others' company one last time before summer.  

We learned so much about maple syruping, past and present, on our field trip to the Arboretum. We sampled freshly collected sap, and compared the taste of pure maple syrup to commercial brands of maple syrup containing barely, if any, maple sugar. It was most amazing to learn the Rule of 86, the number of gallons of water that must be boiled off the sap to produce one gallon of maple syrup. We identified different maple trees by their branches, and then hiked out into the woods to tap a tree for sap. What a great field trip! We also enjoyed breakfast at school the next morning, with pure maple syrup from the Arboretum to pour over our waffles and french toast.

Yikes! This school year is just flying by! Spring conferences are already over, and our spring break is approaching quickly. Where does the time go?

Speaking of conferences, it was, as always, a pleasure to get together with our wonderful families and guardians, to talk about the children we have become hopelessly attached to over the past 6 months, and plan together for that final stretch of the year. We are very fortunate to have such involved and supportive families. It is these positive partnerships that keep us doing what we are doing in the 4th grade at Hi-C. Thank you for entrusting us with your children this year. We have been truly blessed.

Lent has been a time of reflection and introspection for the 4th graders, trying to imagine ourselves in Christ's footsteps, as we walk and pray through the Stations of the Cross over at church. We will also visit the Adoration Chapel, to allow each one of us some quiet and private time to reflect on Christ's love and sacrifice for us.

Mrs. Skovholt has assigned each student a state, and the students are busy researching and preparing for the creation of their state report websites. We are all excited to see the final products. The 4th graders are also busy working on their circuit box rooms, which we hope to have on display very soon.  Watch for details.

Our maple syruping field trip to the U of M Landscape Arboretum is Tuesday, March 30. Any 4th grade parents interested in coming along to chaperone should contact their child's homeroom teacher for more information.  Then on Wednesday, March 31, our last day of school before the start of spring break, the 4th grade teachers will host the 2nd annual Wafflefest, a special breakfast for our students, which will feature pure maple syrup made at the Arboretum.

We have also recently completed our annual personal safety training for the 4th graders, using the Netsmartz Program, developed by the Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The students were actively engaged in discussions and activities, fousing on grade-level appropriate areas of safety.

That's it for now. But please keep checking back for more news during this last trimester.