Spotlight on

grade year as leaders of the primary school. When they welcomed their

students to the 2019-2020 school year, they had this important advice: The younger grades will look to you as examples of what it means to learn and grow at MP&MS. In the first weeks and months of school, we will get accustomed to new routines and expectations to ensure all of you have a successful school year. We will build on your strong academic foundation while continuing to cultivate your social and emotional abilities. There will be problems to solve, seeds to grow, books to gobble, lands to discover and much, much more…. When the fourth grade team was asked what they feel stands out about the program, they agreed that the balanced curriculum–offering strong academics along with social emotional learning– is invaluable. Here are some of their favorite highlights from fourth grade this year: Combining social studies and science, we focused on an exciting project surrounding landforms. We discussed how to be a good researcher, as well as techniques for finding information across a range of sources. In Library, Margot taught us about “responsible research” and how to recognize whether a source is credible. She also introduced us to Google Earth and gave us tips for navigating the program. Then, students received their own California landform to research and replicate with a shoebox diorama. On National Cookie Day, students came together to bake delicious “top secret” cookies. They began by brainstorming wild and wacky ingredients as a whole class before landing on the now-famous Potato Chip Chocolate Chip Cookie. Students used math skills to double the recipe and navigated how to allocate jobs to properly mix and bake the cookies. Later, we came up with math word problems based on the cookie-baking and shared our opinions on the tasty treat in the form of written food reviews. It was such a fun day! “ “

Students dove into opinion writing by learning how to effectively argue strong viewpoints. They learned that organization is key, as is the ability to see the other person’s perspective while maintaining a calm and heartfelt tone. We wrote letters to people who have the power to make change. The most popular and enthusiastic example was the right to go outside in the pouring rain during recess without a jacket! In math, students learned to build ratio tables in partnerships. Through ratio tables, we have learned that a whole number is a multiple of each of its factors. Students wrote out the factors on strips of paper and got their competitive juices flowing to see how long they could make it in the time given. Fourth graders also investigated how to multiply single digits by multiples of 10. School counselor Kate Brubaker led a lesson on how to successfully cultivate a Growth Mindset. The lesson included a discussion about the definition ofGrowth Mindset, and a conversation about “Famous Fails.” The closing activity was aimed at getting students to think about mistakes as an opportunity to learn and foster self compassion while moving away from the habit of negative self talk. Last, but not least, fourth graders made delicious sculptures for display in the primary hallway! After looking at mouthwatering paintings of cakes and pies by Bay Area artist Wayne Thiebaud, fourth graders created their own sweet treats. We began by drawing and planning our designs, keeping in mind the rich and beautiful colors we saw in Wayne Thiebaud’s work. Then we used low-fire clay to sculpt our fantastical cakes, adding some really yummy details. A feast for the eyes!

Gray Huffard is new to the Marin Primary & Middle School faculty this year. Gray spent the last few years teaching at Katherine Delmar Burke School in San Francisco. Before that, she lived and taught in New York City while getting her master’s degree at Bank Street College of Education. Gray’s family includes her one year old son, Wick, and her husband, Tate. She has a flair for reading, storytelling, and her big dog named “Mudge.” Gray is a big fan of hands-on, project-based learning; this year’s science curriculum has been largely student-led, revolving around the Golden Gate Bridge and incorporating topics such as the surrounding landforms, the actual building structure, and the water that runs through it. Gray is thrilled to be part of the MP&MS community this year!

Kristine Munro is in her second year in fourth grade at MP&MS. She joined us from Ross School, where she taught third grade. Kristine is focused on the math and social studies program and has a passion for hands-on, real-world applications of math concepts. She loves to integrate the curriculum and collaborate with our extremely talented teachers. Prior to living and teaching in Marin for the past three years, Kristine taught in New York City after receiving her master’s degree at Hunter College School of Education. Kristine’s 4-year-old son, River, attends preschool at MP&MS and is often seen running by the fourth grade classroom as his class eagerly approaches the playground. You may see pictures of Kristine’s 10 year old French Bulldog, Ruby, plastered around the classroom. She also makes an appearance in many of the word problems worked on in the fourth grade math class.