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4C NEWSLETTER Unit of Inquiry:
We have begun our final unit of the year! We are working from the transdisciplinary theme of Sharing the Planet. Our central idea is... Reaching a resolution during periods of conflict is influenced by the actions and reactions of those involved. We have been using the following lines of inquiry to deepen our understanding of how skills help us to both to manage conflict and to maintain peace...
*the points of view of the par0cipants in a conflict *using perspec0ves to understand ourselves and others *strategies to manage or resolve conflict and maintain peace This week, we have been reading a number of picture books, to help us examine peacemakers from a historical perspective. We have discussed the lives of Mother Theresa, Martin Luther King, Jr., Ghandi, Nelson Mandela, Mairead Corrigan and Betty Williams.
Calendar Items
May 17 KISAC Swim Meet CI Aquatics Center
June 6 VS Concert Main Theatre 1pm
May 24 Family Fun Day Soccer field 12 pm
June 6 Conferences
June 9 Sports Day
June 10 International Day
June 11 Last day of school Half day
June 12 CI/Choate Joint Concert Main Theatre 4 pm
Additionally, we learned about five conflict management styles and the children took a test to determine which style matched their personalities and their style of dealing with personal disputes with their peers. Ask your child which style suits him/her! ! ! !
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The Turtle: Avoidance The strength of this style is that this person can easily look past conflicts and realizes most conflicts will solve themselves. They are calm on the outside help de-escalate emotions in conflict.
The Teddy Bear: Accommodation The strength of this style is how likeable and lovable this person is in most situations. How could you be mad at them? They want and need harmony. They will accept blame just to bring peace to angry situations. The struggle of this style is that a teddy bear may be taken advantage of, becoming a doormat. The can enable others by not allowing them to face and wrestle with conflict. The Shark: Competition The strength of this style is the ability to be strong, courageous, and bring a conflict out in the open quickly. A shark is a leader that can confront bullies. The struggles are becoming too pushy, tactless, and hurting peoples’ feelings. Sharks can escalate emotions and create barriers easily. The Owl: Collaboration The strength of this style is integrity. Owls can build trust, respect and deeper relationship. They are not tied to their way and tend to have an open mind for pragmatic solutions that create a win-win experience. The struggle is that owls must have two willing parties to collaborate. These parties must have high levels of communication skills and emotional intelligence. The Fox: Compromise Their strength is communication and a willingness to find win-win or lose-lose compromises. Often the fox is able to craft intelligent intermediate solutions. The struggles are deceptiveness and manipulation. People may feel “outfoxed” and cheated by foxes.
In the last week, we have reflected on the previous unit, How the World Works. The students completed science experiments, answering a number of questions while utilizing the scientific inquiry cycle. The students posted demonstration videos from their experiments and investigations on their personal Chadwick blogs, explaining their procedures, showing their data collection process and publishing their findings. The experiments can also be found on the Fourth Grade Science Library Blog at http://blogs.chadwickschool.org/scienceexperimentlibrary/.
On June 6, 2014, we will have Student-Led Parent Conferences. By the end of next week, we will send a letter home, informing you of your specific conference time. Please be on the look-out for this important end-of-the-year information.