We are starting Noetic math again next week thanks to a generous donation from Intracoastal Realty and one of our AIG parents. ❤ For 4th grade parents not familiar with Noetic math:

• What it is: The Noetic Math Program is a national mathematics competition aimed at elementary and middle school students. It's designed to challenge students beyond standard classroom work by encouraging logical reasoning, problem-solving, and creative thinking.

• How it works: Students participate in math contests twice a year (fall and spring). The problems cover a wide range of mathematical topics, from geometry to algebra to logic puzzles, all requiring deep thinking rather than simple memorization of formulas.

• Benefits for students:

  • Critical thinking: The program helps students develop the ability to think critically and work through complex problems.
  • Confidence boost: Solving challenging problems builds students' confidence in their mathematical abilities.
  • Teamwork & competition: Students work as individuals but also compete in teams, fostering collaboration and friendly competition.

• Why it’s valuable: By engaging in this type of mathematical exploration, students strengthen their overall math skills and prepare for more advanced concepts in the future, while also developing a love for the subject.

In order to prepare for the competition we have weekly Noetic challenge assignments that students work on. This prepares students for the type of questions they will see on the competition. We will work on these weekly challenge problems in class but students will also need to spend some time at home working on them. There are two 5 question assignments each week. My expectation is that students get at least one of the assignments done each week as part of their homework. Two would be optimal, of course!

• students will usually get the assignments on Monday and complete them by Friday but they can be accessed any time online
• next week students will receive all of their log in information
• I will print out paper copies of the assignments as well because some students prefer to work on paper or don't have access to a computer. Students can enter their answers in at home or they can bring them to school and have me look over them before they enter them in on a device at school.
• help is allowed but please don't give too much help because we also use these as a little competition in our AIG class.
• students are also allowed to correct their answers

I would be glad to answer any questions you have. Thank you in advance for supporting your child. This is a great opportunity for students to participate in a national contest and I know they all really enjoyed it last year. I am attaching an example of a 4th grade Noetic math assignment from last year so you can see the kinds of problems students will have to answer.

I was presented with a great opportunity for our AIG students to participate in a mentorship program with AIG students from the high school. It would be similar to a big brother/sister thing but they would work on critical thinking skills, brain teasers, etc. Things that are fun, and great enrichment for kids but not necessarily academic.

Once our list is finalized I would work with the high school liason to match our students up with theirs based on personality, interests etc. It would be two days a month. Due to the high schoolers' schedule they can not get here until 2:05. So this would be from about 2:05-3:00 which means a slightly extended school day for our students on those two days. Students would need someone to be able to pick them up at 3:00. I would be here at all times so there would be adult supervision.

I think that it's a great opportunity for our students to spend time with an older AIG student that could serve as a role model but I know that many families have after school obligations.

I brought this up to students today to gauge their interest and they were all really excited about it. 😃 If you would like your child to participate in this, please reply to this message either via Dojo or email. We will probably send home a parent permission slip later, but I need to get a good count first. Please reach out if you have any questions!

Students who would like to be on our Battle of the Books team need to make sure they have memorized at least 8 of the authors and titles from the book list by Tuesday (or at least given it a really good effort). Our after school practices will be on Thursday and will probably start Oct. 17 but I will let you know officially next week. A few things to remember:

• students need to have afternoon transportation as practice ends at 4
• students do NOT have to come to every practice, it's encouraged but not mandatory
• students need to bring the current BOB book they are reading to practice
• please be sure your child comes with an extra snack that day

4th grade math: We will learn abuot metric measurement conversions and then students will take the module 1 assessment. Our next module is all about multiplying and dividing larger numbers. It is imperative that students have a good grasp of their multiplication facts in order to be successful with this unit. Please make sure your child is practicing their math facts at home.

4th grade ELA: Students will present their enneagram projects to the fifth graders and other school staff. Then we will get started with our first novel, The Witches.

5th grade math: We will take our module 1 test early in the week and then begin module 2 which focuses on addition and subtraction of fractions and mixed numbers with unlike denominators.

5th grade ELA: Students will present their enneagram projects to the fourth graders and other school staff. Then we will get started learning about US regions.