News and Upcoming Events:
- Orchestra is every Monday. If you have already been assigned an instrument, make sure to bring it every Monday.
- 9/29 Picture Day. Order forms went home with students last Friday. Please return your envelope a.s.a.p. if you are planning to buy pictures.
- 10/3 and 10/12 Unassigned Days - No School.
- 10/21 Field trip to Rancho Santa Ana Botanical Gardens. We'll be visiting various hands-on stations to learn how local California Indians used native plants. We can take 5 chaperones. If you are willing and able to supervise a small group of students, please email me at slc5001@lausd.net. Chaperones will be assigned first come/first serve. This all day trip takes place outside and involves moderate walking on dirt paths. Chaperones may ride the bus, carpool, or take private cars.
- Weekly Photocopy Volunteer - Mrs. Paz and I are looking for a regular weekly volunteer to help make copies each week for the 4th grade. This person would come by the class anytime after noon on Thursday or anytime Friday and pick up the materials to copy using the school's duplo machine. If you are unfamiliar with using it, we could show you how. This would take approximately 30 min. to an hour each week. Please email me at slc5001@lausd.net if you can help.
- Art Volunteer - I am looking for a volunteer who can cut paper and mount the children's art work using glue stick. This job can be done at home or at school. This is an occasional no-rush job with approximately 1-2 week turn around time. Please email me at slc5001@lausd.net if you can help.
Donate to Our Class: Use this link to shop for items for our classroom on Amazon. You can have items sent directly to the school c/o Ms. Convey. Please be sure to include your name, so I can thank you! Ms. Convey's Class Supplies
What's Going On This Week In Class:
Math:
This week we will be wrapping up the place value, rounding, addition, and subtraction unit. This week's work will continue to include multi-step word problems, tape diagrams, and estimation to determine reasonableness. Students will have an end of unit assessment on Wednesday. Our next unit will be on metric measurement.
Using the CUBES* strategy to unlock word 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!
Accelerated Math (Individualized practice)
Reading:
This week students will be working on final "Beyond the Book" projects individually and with partners. Projects are being completed in class. Ask your child about the project s/he chose and his or her progress. Projects due Friday.
We will continue to read and use various strategies to comprehend non- fiction text features and identify text structures. Ask your child to explain the difference to you.
We will continue to read and use various strategies to comprehend non- fiction text features and identify text structures. Ask your child to explain the difference to you.
Genre Blackout: Students have been challenged to read books from 9 different genres in the first reporting period. Ask your child about his/her progress.
Spelling & Vocabulary:
This week's prefixes are mono, uni (one); bi, du (two); co, col (with together)
Our words are:
- condense
- companion
- confer
- collide
- conspire
- monopoly
- unicorn
- unify
- dual
- bisect
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:
Unit 1 of Writer's Workshop: Realistic Fiction continues.
This week's lessons continue to emphasize how to show, not tell, providing peer feedback and writing powerful endings.
Arts:
Using the Visual Thinking Strategy (VTS) to build meaning from visual text.
Human Figure cont.
Social Studies/Science:
Using the Visual Thinking Strategy (VTS) to build meaning from visual text.
Human Figure cont.
Social Studies/Science:
Social Studies: Geography: The 4 Regions of California
Earth Science: Geology - Volcanos
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.
