Ms. Dufour's 4th Grade Class
My name is Kelly Dufour. This next year will mark my eight year of teaching, and it will be my third year teaching fourth grade. I earned my bachelor’s degree in Liberal Studies and my elementary teaching credential from Sacramento State University. As thankful as I was for my time there, I was over the moon about moving back to Nevada City. I went to high school at Nevada Union and have some of the best memories from our little neck of the woods. I was especially thankful for my time in the NU marching band. I am so excited to be working at a school that truly understands the value of incorporating art in education and meeting the needs of every child. My husband Kevin and I have a daughter (Lily), and three furbabies (Obi, Jyn, and Mace). I love singing along to musicals in my free time and spending time with my family. I can’t wait to meet our class! I know it will be an exciting year!
We are a class of 22 students who enjoy exploring our world. We learn about the geography and the historical events that shaped our state through hands-on and interactive studies. As an art school, we incorporate the arts in social studies, language arts and science. Students receive instruction from the following specialists each week:
- Music Electives: 2x/week
- Art: 2x/week
- Physical Education: 2x/week.
In Science, we are excited to continue our watershed studies. We follow the local Yuba River watershed from its source in the Sierras to the estuary before it flows into the bay. We learn about water and the challenges our society faces in keeping our water clean and sustainable. Some of the larger science units include raising salmon in the classroom before releasing them in the river, human body systems, erosion and natural Earth systems, electricity and energy. Nature journaling is an intricate part of our science studies.
Language Arts supports into our social studies and science units focusing on paragraph and essay writing skills. Literature includes Island of the Blue Dolphin, Frindle, and Sylvia and Aki. We build a love of reading, and later in the year challenge the students to read books from different genres.
Math is explored daily in group settings using YouCubed and Estimation 180 activities. We encourage looking at math in different ways and encouraging a growth mindset. We use the SFUSD Math Curriculum.
We love exploring our world in person, so we average 8 field trips a year. Trips include both day trips and overnight trips. Past trips have been to the Wild & Scenic Film Festival, Salmon Walks or Float, Nimbus Fish Hatchery, the Sacramento Capitol Building, CA State Museum, Esquire IMAX, and more… This year, our overnight field trip will be to the Pigeon Point State Park.
Keep your eyes open to the discoveries we make as we explore our world.