Friday, March 24, 2017

Classroom News for the Weeks of March 27

News and Upcoming Events: 
  • Orchestra is Monday. Remember to bring your instruments.
  • 3/31 Cesar Chavez Birthday - School Closed
  • 4/10- 4/14 Spring Break School Closed
  • Thank you to Meha's mom for coming and teaching the students about Bollywood film and dance!
  • Thank you to everyone who donated cleaning and health supplies to the classroom and for the design projects. We really appreciate it! If you were the sender of the Amazon box (I didn't see a sender's name attached) filled with goodies, it arrived and thank you! 

We Still Need:
 kleenex, paper towels, and disinfecting desk wipes. 
  • masking tape - any size, any color
  • clear tape in individual dispensers
  • aluminum foil
  • wax paper
  • string
  • straws (any size)
  • Paper towel rolls
  • egg cartons
  • packing peanuts
  • fishing line
  • wire
  • cotton balls
  • Q tips
  • Berry baskets
  • bottle caps/ corks
  • Any other interesting junk you have lying around - it's welcome :)
Thank you!!!


What's Going On This Week In Class:

Math: 
Comparing and Ordering Fractions; Adding and subtracting like fractions

Reading:

This week we will read Chps. 12-16 of By The Great Horn Spoon. Related lessons: Answering comprehension questions in complete sentences

Reading non-fiction and integrating information from multiple sources

Reading Fluency:
Review of decoding large words; closed syllable patterns

Writing:

Writing historical fiction (Letters home from the gold fields of California); Personal biographies
Arts:
Drama:  Ramayana rehearsal, using a rubric to guide us (Focus, Enthusiasm, Gesture, and Content).

Visual Arts: Illustrating out student-authored books

Social Studies/ Science:

No SS this week
Science: PBL project: Mousetrap 2.0 Final Presentations
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!

Sunday, March 19, 2017

Classroom News for the Week of March 29

News and Upcoming Events: 
  • Orchestra is Monday. Remember to bring your instruments.
  • Student Authored Book (Fairy Tales) -  Important dates-
3/22 Completed stories due to Ms. C. Please bring in a printed copy of your story and a version on your flash drive. * This date was originally 3/20. I apologize for the confusion. Students can bring their work in any time before Wednesday.

We Need:
The cold season has wiped out our supply of kleenex, paper towels, and disinfecting desk wipes. If you can donate any of these items asap, it would be appreciated!

We are in need of "junk" for the upcoming JPL - inspired design challenges that will take place after Spring Break. Please send in any items this week and next. We need:

  • masking tape - any size, any color
  • clear tape
  • aluminum foil
  • wax paper
  • string
  • straws (any size)
  • Paper towel rolls
  • egg cartons
  • packing peanuts
  • fishing line
  • wire
  • cotton balls
  • Q tips
  • Berry baskets
  • bottle caps/ corks
  • Any other interesting junk you have lying around - it's welcome :)

Thank you!!!


What's Going On This Week In Class:

Math: 
Fractions - Using the area model and division to show equivalence; Reasoning using benchmarks to compare fractions

Reading:

This week we will read Chps. 6-10 of By The Great Horn Spoon. Relate lessons: Ethical decisions; Using an atlas to create maps; Writing historical fiction

Genre Genius: Your child will be constructing the reading goals for the final reporting period

Reading Fluency:
Review of decoding large words; closed syllable patterns

Writing:

Writing historical fiction (Letters home from the gold fields of California); Writing Alliterations
Arts:
Drama:  Ramayana rehearsal, using a rubric to guide us (Focus, Enthusiasm, Gesture, and Content).

Visual Arts: Drawing the Lady Wilma and the Sea Raven

Social Studies/ Science:

SS: California Gold Rush: Mining Methods
Science: PBL project: Mousetrap 2.0
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!

Friday, March 10, 2017

Classroom News for the Week of March 13th

News and Upcoming Events: 
  • Orchestra is Monday. Remember to bring your instruments.
  • Student Authored Book (Fairy Tales) -  Important dates-
3/13 Order forms sent home. Each student will receive a free copy of his/her book. Please fill out the order form if you would like to purchase additional copies.
3/15 Students will receive their stories back with my notes. Students should then make any corrections/ additions that they feel will improve their fairy tale.
3/16 Ms. Convey out to UCLA Lab School; Ms. Wong will be teaching
3/22 Completed stories due to Ms. C. Please bring in a printed copy of your story and a version on your flash drive.

We Need:
The cold season has wiped out our supply of kleenex, paper towels, and disinfecting desk wipes. If you can donate any of these items asap, it would be appreciated!

We are in need of "junk" for the upcoming "Mousetrap 2.0" challenge and the JPL - inspired design challenges that will take place after Spring Break. Please send in any items this week and next. We need:

  • masking tape - any size, any color
  • clear tape
  • aluminum foil
  • wax paper
  • string
  • straws (any size)
  • Paper towel rolls
  • egg cartons
  • packing peanuts
  • fishing line
  • wire
  • cotton balls
  • Q tips
  • Berry baskets
  • bottle caps/ corks
  • Any other interesting junk you have lying around - it's welcome :)

Thank you!!!


What's Going On This Week In Class:

Math: 
Fractions - Decomposing unit fractions using the area model; Multiplication to show equivalence

Reading:

This week we begin reading By The Great Horn Spoon. This is historical fiction and is the story of a young boy from Boston and his butler and their adventure in California's gold fields at the height of the Gold Rush. This week we will be creating sensory figures and writing person responses journal entries.

Genre Genius: Your child will be constructing the reading goals for the final reporting period

Reading Fluency:
Review of decoding large words; open syllable patterns

Writing:

Sharing our essays; Finishing fairy tales
Arts:
Drama:  Ramayana rehearsal, using a rubric to guide us (Focus, Enthusiasm, Gesture, and Content).

Visual Arts: Drawing the Lady Wilma and the Sea Raven

Social Studies/ Science:

SS: California Gold Rush: 1st person narratives from primary Sources
Science: PBL project: Mousetrap 2.0
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!

Sunday, March 5, 2017

Classroom News for the Week of March 6th

News and Upcoming Events: 
  • Orchestra is Monday. Remember to bring your instruments.
  • Student Authored Book (Fairy Tales) - To facilitate student work on the fairy tales, no other language arts homework will be assigned this week. Students will receive math homework each night. Upcoming due dates-
3/10 Typed and printed fairy tales due to Ms Convey. Please follow formatting instructions carefully. Students do not need to bring in the flash drive. Students are encouraged to turn in their stories early if they can.
3/15 Students will receive their stories back with my notes. Students should then make any corrections/ additions that they feel will improve their fairy tale.

We Need:
The cold season has wiped out our supply of kleenex, paper towels, and disinfecting desk wipes. If you can donate any of these items asap, it would be appreciated!

We are in need of "junk" for the upcoming "Mousetrap 2.0" challenge and the JPL - inspired design challenges that will take place after Spring Break. Please send in any items this week and next. We need:

  • masking tape - any size, any color
  • clear tape
  • aluminum foil
  • wax paper
  • string
  • straws (any size)
  • Paper towel rolls
  • egg cartons
  • packing peanuts
  • fishing line
  • wire
  • cotton balls
  • Q tips
  • Berry baskets
  • bottle caps/ corks
  • Any other interesting junk you have lying around - it's welcome :)

Thank you!!!


What's Going On This Week In Class:

Math: 
Beginning of new unit: Fractions - Decomposing unit fractions

Reading:

Reading and Comprehending Informational Text; Determining Importance; Summarizing; Reading a Chart

Genre Genius: Your child will be constructing the reading goals for the final reporting period

Spelling & Vocabulary:
Review of common prefixes

Writing:

Sharing our essays; Finishing fairy tales
Arts:
Drama: Pantomimed scenes of the ancient Indian epic poem, the Ramayana, using a rubric to guide us (Focus, Enthusiasm, Gesture, and Content).

Visual Arts: What makes a good book cover? Planning for inviting book covers

Social Studies/ Science:

SS: California Gold Rush: Boomtowns, Winners and Losers
Science: Energy Transfer and work on class project: Mousetrap 2.0
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!