Classroom News for the Week of February 25th

Updates and Notices:

* Save the Date: Grade 5 Invention Convention February 28th

Timeline:

Now - Build invention, make display following criteria we created in class, and practice your speech (about one minute).

2/26 - Projects due at school.

2/28 - Invention Convention!!!, MPR, 8:30- 2:00. 

Friends and family: Please feel free to come by anytime and see all the inventions the fifth graders have created. This will be a fun day to celebrate the hard work the students have put into their projects.

* Free Magic Mountain Tickets

Students received a reading log on Friday. Please estimate dates and times read during the month of February and sign the logs. Students must have read at least 600 minutes and have this log turned in no later than Thursday 2/28 to earn the free MM ticket.

* Grade 4 Students:

4th graders need two 9 volt batteries to complete their circuit boards. Please have batteries here at school (apply masking tape and write your child's name on them) no later than Monday, March 11.

What's Going On In Class:

Math:

Grade 4: Topic 15 - Area of Irregular Shapes; Topic 16 - Data and Graphing

Grade 5: Topic 15- Integers on a number line, Adding and Subtracting Negative Integers

Both Grades: Surface Area; Accelerated Math; Daily Fact Practice

Writing:

Writing with prepositions continued; Revising Stories for our hard-bound book.

Writing Homework:  

The 5 paragraph essays look great! Great job, everyone! Students will receive feedback and  scores on Monday. 

This week students will write a three paragraph essay stating their opinions on the following question: 

"Should the school day be extended for an hour and no homework assigned, or should the system remain as it is with students taking home work to complete independently (and leaving school at 2:30)?"

The following week these will be expanded into 5 paragraph essays. For those students typing, be sure to save your work.

Reading:

Close reading and answering text-based questions for:

Grade 4: By the Great Horn Spoon by Sid Fleischmann

Grade 5: Hatchet by Gary Paulsen

Art:

Thank you to Kai-ti Olsen for coming into our class and conducting an art class with room17's students! The finished products will be up for bid at this year's silent auction.

Science:

Grade 4: Life Science: Habitats and Ecosystems

Grade 5:  Invention Convention Display lesson

Social Studies: 

Wrap up of Unit 3

Classroom News for the Week of Feb. 18

Special Notices:

* No school on Monday for Presidents' Day Holiday

* 5th Grade Field Trip to Rancho Santa Ana on Thursday, February 21st 

Missing trip slips from: Hannah, Imani, Janna, and Madeline

* Save the Date: Grade 5 Invention Convention February 28th

Timeline:

Now - If your invention has been approved, you may begin building your prototype. You should use it and document your use if possible. If you were sent back to the drawing board, please submit your new idea on Monday 2/11.

2/20 - We will have a lesson on how to make your display boards and on presentations skills. You will receive a tri-fold board to use for your display. Please do not begin making your display until we have completed this lesson on 2/20.

2/26 - Projects due at school.

2/28 - Invention Convention, MPR, 8:30-12:00.

* Donors Choose

Our project has been funded and materials for the students are being shipped. Thank you to all the contributors!

* Supplies Needed: 

We are in need of pencils, scotch tape in individual dispensers, and hand sanitizer. 

Also, many of the students are using ripped and raggedy folders. Students need two folders: one to carry homework in and the other is for "IWT" (Independent Work Time). They keep many of their daily papers, Accelerated Math work, and more in this folder. Please ask your child about the condition of his/her folders and consider replacing them. Thank you!

What's Going On In Class:

Math:

Grade 4: Topic 15 - Perimeter and Area of Plane Shapes

Grade 5: Topic 14 - Finding Volume of Solid Figures

Both Grades: Accelerated Math; Daily Fact Practice

Writing:

Writing with prepositions continued; Revising Stories for our hard-bound book.

Writing Homework:  

This week you will be using your three- paragraph essay to write a well organized five- paragraph essay. You will receive a sample from me on Tuesday. Essays are due on Friday. Please try to work on this assignment a little each night, rather than doing it all in one night. The assignment will be easier and of better quality if you break it up and do a little each night.

Reading:

Close reading and answering text-based questions for:

Grade 4: By the Great Horn Spoon by Sid Fleischmann

Grade 5: Hatchet by Gary Paulsen

Art:

Thank you to Kai-ti Olsen for coming into our class and conducting an art class with room17's students! The finished products will be up for bid at this year's silent auction.

Science:

Grade 4: Life Science: Habitats and Ecosystems

Grade 5:  Invention Convention Display lesson

Social Studies: 

Wrap up of Unit 3

Genre Blackout:

Here are the new reading categories for the 2nd trimester. To become well-rounded readers, students should try to read at least one book from each of the following categories:

• Biography or Autobigraphy
• Non-fiction Science
• Non-fiction Social Studies/History ( i.e. a book about the Gold Rush)
• Science Fiction
• Historical Fiction
• Realistic Fiction
• Newbery Award winning book

Classroom News for the Week of Feb. 11th

Upcoming Events:

* 4th Grade Field Trip to Rancho Santa Ana on Thursday, February14th

Missing trip slips from Malia, Sonia, Renato, Judah, Matthew, Ryan

Students will need to bring a snack and sack lunch.

* 5th Grade Field Trip to Rancho Santa Ana on Thursday, February 21st 

Trip slips will be sent home this week.

* Save the Date: Grade 5 Invention Convention February 28th

Timeline:

Now - If your invention has been approved, you may begin building your prototype. You should use it and document your use if possible. If you were sent back to the drawing board, please submit your new idea on Monday 2/11.

2/20 - We will have a lesson on how to make your display boards and on presentations skills. You will receive a tri-fold board to use for your display. Please do not begin making your display until we have completed this lesson on 2/20.

2/26 - Projects due at school.

2/28 - Invention Convention, MPR, 8:30-12:00.

* February 14th is Valentines' Day

The 4th grade will have a field trip on 2/14. Fifth graders will remain at school and work with Ms. Lowery on Science, Invention Convention, and more. It is my plan to reunite at school at 2pm and have time to pass out Valentines. If we are too late, we may need to wait until Friday morning. If your child is bringing valentines, please make sure s/he has them for all students.
* Small candies on valentines are fine, but please do not send extra sweets (cupcakes, cookies, etc.) on this day.

Student Names:

1. Sameer
2. Carpenter
3. Malia
4. Etta
5. Sonia
6. Rafael
7. Renato
8. Maya
9. Nicole M.
10. Emilie
11. Alexander
12. Judah
13. Elijah
14. Matthew
15. Ethan
16. Vinca
17. Ryan
18. Grace
19. Kayla
20. Paulina
21. Madeline
22. Janna
23. Devin
24. Eamonn
25. Imani
26. Nicole L.
27. Marco
28. Mason
29. Hannah
30. Thomas
31. Isabella

* Donors Choose

Please use this link Donors Choose - Ms. Convey  to visit my page and read about the materials I am requesting for our class. Once there, you will find a link to donate to the project if you like. Over $200 has already been funded thanks to Lisa :)!

* Friday 2/15 is a shortened day. School lets out at 12:50.

What's Going On In Class:

Math:

Grade 4: Topic 14 - Undertstanding Integers

Grade 5: Topic 13 Area of Quadrilaterals and Triangles cont. 

* Quiz on Topics 13 and 14 will be on Friday.

Both Grades: Accelerated Math; Daily Fact Practice; Chinese Tangram puzzles

Writing:

Writing with prepositions; Revising Stories for our hard-bound book.

Writing Homework:  

This week you will be revising your three-paragraph invention paper. You will receive last week's work with my notes on Monday. Revision and corrections along with your first draft are due Friday, 2/15.

Reading:

Grade 4: By the Great Horn Spoon by Sid Fleischmann

Grade 5: Hatchet by Gary Paulsen

Art:

Sewing Valentines' Day pillows

Science:

2/12 Astronomy Assembly

Grade 4: Electricity and Magnetism. Science assessment Wednesday 2/13.

Grade 5:  Friday.  Science assessment Thursday 2/14.

Social Studies: 

Grade 4: Unit 3: Women in California History; The Gold Rush Poster Project

Grade 5: Unit 3: Native American and European Conflict in the New World.

Health:

Grades 4 &5: Personal Health and Physical Activities

Genre Blackout:

Here are the new reading categories for the 2nd trimester. To become well-rounded readers, students should try to read at least one book from each of the following categories:

• Biography or Autobigraphy
• Non-fiction Science
• Non-fiction Social Studies/History ( i.e. a book about the Gold Rush)
• Science Fiction
• Historical Fiction
• Realistic Fiction
• Newbery Award winning book

Classroom News for Week of February 4th

* Field Trip Tuesday, February 5th

We will be returning to school to eat lunch however, the cafeteria will be closed. Please make sure your child has a sack lunch and snack on this day.

Parents attending:   Maya Gordon, Gladys Vazquez, Kathryn McGuire (Please be on campus ready to leave at 9:30.)

* Grade 4 Root Parade Project Thursday 2/7 8:30 am, MPR. Parents welcome!

* Save the Date: Grade 5 Invention Convention February 28th

5th Graders: Fire up those imaginations! You will receive your initial planning sheet on Monday. It is due this Thursday. Please be thinking about a possible idea for your project. You will submit the initial planning sheet to get approval from myself and Mrs. Lowery.

What's Going On In Class:

Math:

Grade 4: Topic 13 Algebraic Problem - Solving

Grade 5: Topic 13 Area of Quadrilaterals and Triangles

Both Grades: Accelerated Math; Daily Fact Practice

Writing:

Revising Stories for our hard-bound book.

Writing Homework:  

This week we will move into three paragraphs essays. Students will receive instructions and a sample paragraph on Monday. This assignement will be due this Friday 2/8.

In class, we will be evaluating each other's work and  using sample students' writing to focus on  the revision process.

Reading:

This week the children will begin reading two grade level literature selections:

Grade 4: By the Great Horn Spoon by Sid Fleischmann

Grade 5: Hatchet by Gary Paulsen

DBL (Design-Based Learning):

Challenge: Design an NBS Shelter

Science:

Grade 4: Electricity and Magnetism

Grade 5: The Human Body; "Human Body Corporation" assignment due on Friday.

Social Studies: 

Grade 4: Unit 3: Women in California History; The Gold Rush Poster Project

Grade 5: Unit 3: Native American and European Conflict in the New World.

Health:

Grades 4 &5: Personal Health and Physical Activities

Genre Blackout:

Here are the new reading categories for the 2nd trimester. To become well-rounded readers, students should try to read at least one book from each of the following categories:

• Biography or Autobigraphy
• Non-fiction Science
• Non-fiction Social Studies/History ( i.e. a book about the Gold Rush)
• Science Fiction
• Historical Fiction
• Realistic Fiction
• Newbery Award winning book