Four Mile Students, Staff, and Families Embrace Learning with Literacy-Related Activities

On Friday, April 27, Four Mile students and staff devoted an entire day to literacy. We had Ryan Sloth, former ISU and Barnstormer football player, coach, actor, and children's author come and read to each grade level.

Four Mile students and their families also participated in our first Literacy Night. Students and their families enjoyed literacy-related activities including Book Jeopardy, a Book Exchange, a Build-a-Book Station, and Reader's Theater. The gym was decorated in the theme "Reading Under the Stars," and students and their families were invited to enjoy their favorite books while sitting under the stars with their sleeping bags and flashlights.

Students and their families also got to enjoy the Scholastic Book Fair, including special guest, Clifford the Big Red Dog. Clifford greeted families as they entered the building. Door prizes including coupons and gift certificates from local vendors were drawn every half hour. A special thanks goes out to all of our parents and volunteers that helped make this night a success!

3rd Graders Finish Government Unit with a Tour of Terrace Hill

by Michele Simpson

The 3rd graders recently completed their levels of government unit. They learned about the responsibilities of the local and state government. They also learned about the national government and the various roles of Congress, Supreme Court, and President. The students were encouraged to create a mobile, a game, a poster, or something similar to demonstrate their learning and new knowledge to prepare for their assessment.

Following the unit, the third graders toured Terrace Hill and the state capitol building as a final, fun, and educational event. The students enjoyed learning about what the buildings represented and the meanings behind these two impressive Iowa landmarks.

5th Grade Classes at the Leadership Reaction Course

by Kim Powell

For the 8th year, our 5th grade classes at Four Mile took a field trip to the Leadership Reaction Course at Camp Dodge in Johnston. At the course, the students worked in groups to complete missions for each station. The missions give students a reason to complete a difficult task under stressful circumstances. They learn about leadership, followership, and teamwork as they work through the missions. The students encounter problems while attempting each mission, which leads to problem solving and learning about different communication styles. They learn that effective communication with their teammates is a must in order to be successful.

After attempting each mission, a debriefing is held. The students are asked questions about their experience, and they discuss what they did well on the task and what they can improve on. They take this as they move on to the next obstacle in the hopes of working better as a team and using more effective communication. The students also talk about how this could be applied to their own life now as a 5th grader as well as in the future.