Classroom News for the Week of 10/5

News and Upcoming Events: 

• 10/8 Picture Day
• 10/15 Science Quiz - Students will receive study notes this Monday. Please review a little each day.
• 10/16/15 FIELD TRIP - We can take up to 7 chaperones (5 would be sufficient) for our field trip to Rancho Santa Ana Botanical Gardens. Currently, we have 3 chaperones confirmed. Please email me (slc5001@lausd.net) if you are able to come and supervise a small group of students. This trip involves lots of walking/standing outdoors and chaperones will need to drive themselves or carpool. 8:30 a.m. to 2:30p.m. Volunteers will be assigned on a first-come/first-serve basis.

Volunteers Needed- 

• GARDEN - Renee Frisbie has generously offered her time as our class garden representative. She will be coordinating with me to provide your child with hands-on activities in our school garden. If you are interested in assisting, we'd love to hear from you. Please email Renee at renee.frisbie@monarchd.com

Please click on the link to view my Amazon wish list.Ms. Convey's Amazon Wish List

What's Going On This Week In Class:

Math: 

The students have been working very hard on complex math problems. I am very proud of their efforts and am impressed with their progress!

This week we begin a new unit on using formulas to solve perimeter and area problems.

Using the CUBES* strategy to unlock word problems:

• C - circle the numbers
• U - underline the question
• B - Box key words
• E - Eliminate unnecessary information
• S - Solve (lots of strategies to choose from)
• * Check!

Multiplication Madness (Fact Practice) 

Reading:

This week students will be reading articles from Scholastic News to determine the main idea and identify supporting details. We will also be reading closely to identify different non-fiction text structures: sequence, problem and solution, cause and effect, description, and comparison.

Genre Blackout:  Students have been challenged to read books from 9 different genres in the first reporting period. We are halfway there! Ask your child about his/her progress.

Spelling & Vocabulary:

This week's words are -

• century
• decade
• decimal
• milligram
• million
• triplet
• trilogy
• triathlon
• quadrangle
• quadruple

 

 

Tip: Spend 10 minutes verbally studying the words each day. Research suggests that studying for small periods regularly is more effective than cramming. In addition to having your child spell the word aloud, ask your child to use the word in an imaginative sentence. You can pick a "theme" for the sentences, such as Halloween or the Desert…"Give me a sentence with 'collide' that has to do with Halloween." This can provide some challenge and novelty to a routine task.

Writing:

This week we will be making final revisions and peer editing our realistic fiction stories.

We will also be writing "flash-draft" opinion pieces.

Social Studies/Science:

Social Studies: Geography of California & Native Californians

Science: Rocks and Minerals

Reminders:

Tardies:

 Please make sure your child is at school and in line by the 8:06 bell. We try to start the school day at 8:11 promptly. Thank you for your help!

Homework:

Please check your child's Homework Log nightly and sign or initial after the work has been completed. Remind your child that completed homework and the HW log are due in class daily.