Classroom News for the Week of October 23rd

News and Upcoming Events: 
Parent conferences begin the week of November 6th. Please click on the the link below to choose a slot for your child's conference. Please make note of your selected time. An email reminder will be sent a few days prior. No paper notice will be sent home.
Parent Conference Sign-up

10/23 - Return empty Friday Folders; Orchestra students: Bring your instruments.

10/26 - Science Quiz - Study notes sent home 10/20
10/27 - First grade buddies
10/31 - Halloween parade
11/6 - 11/9 &11/13- Parent Conferences
11/10 - Veterans' Day Holiday - No School

Items Needed: Do you have any of the following to donate to the class for an upcoming design/engineering challenge? If so, please send the item with your child by asap. Thank you!

• balsa wood scraps
• crafting or florist wire
• masking tape 
• aluminum foil

What's Going On This Week In Class:

Math: 

Multiplication: Multiplying 1 digit x 2,3, and 4 digit factors.

Fluency with Math Facts

Reading:

Chapters 17-22 of Scott O'Dell's Newbery-Award winning book, Island of the Blue Dolphins. We will be using Depth and Complexity icons to help us dig deeper into the text.

Genre Blackout: Students are challenged to read books from 9 different genres in the first reporting period. Ask your child about his or her progress.

Accelerated Reader: Students have reflected on their AR points and habits from grade 3 and have made a new, individualized goals. Ask your child about his/her yearlong goal.

Looking for great books to read with your child? Check out the list of Newbery winners from 2006 on:
Newbery Winners. 

(Cladecott's are awarded for illustration)

Writing:

Scripts for the "What Makes Our State Special?" project.

Spelling & Vocabulary:

This week's words are -

• multipurpose
• multimedia
• multitude
• polygon
• polyhedron
• embellish
• engulf
• immigrate
• influence
• inhibit

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.

Social Studies/ Science:

California regions; Science review in preparation of quiz

Project-Based Learning:

Presentations will likely happen the week of November 13, or after the Thanksgiving break-the week of November 27. Please check this blog in the upcoming weeks. I will publish it here, once Mrs. Paz and I determine the students are near-ready. Thank you.

Lesson Focus:  Drafting of presentation script; Finding info for unanswered questions; Getting Feedback

Arts:

Drama with Ms. Beret on Wednesday- Workshopping ideas for our class play.

Dance: Rehearsing the Giant's dance

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.

Birthday Celebrations: If you would like to send treats to celebrate your child's birthday, please email me a day or 2 in advance so that I can make time in our schedule for it. Treats must be something small and easy to pass out. Donuts, cookies, muffins, and mini cupcakes all work great. We currently have 30 students in our class. Your child will distribute them at the end of the day as their classmates are leaving the room.

Donations: If you would like to make a donation to our class (this allows me to turn in receipts for purchases I have made for the students), you can write a check to "Mt. Washington El." In the subject line write, "Donation to Room 12". Any amount is appreciated! Thank you!

Classroom News for the Week of October 16th

News and Upcoming Events: 

10/16 - Return empty Friday Folders; Orchestra students: Bring your instruments.

10/17 - Picture Day

10/26 - Science Quiz - Study notes come home 10/20
10/27 - First grade buddies
10/31 - Halloween parade
11/10 - Veterans' Day Holiday - No School

Math Books: The students have received their math books. All work should remain in the book. The "Problem Set", done in class, can be used as a model for the night's homework. Students need their books every day in class in order to complete the day's assignment. Please help your child remember to bring it back to school each day.

Items Needed: Do you have any of the following to donate to the class for an upcoming design/engineering challenge? If so, please send the item with your child by Friday 10/20. Thank you!

• balsa wood scraps
• crafting or florist wire
• masking tape 
• aluminum foil

Volunteer Opportunities: Do you sew? Ms. Beret and I are looking for someone to sew basic costumes for our upcoming play. This would involve very basic sewing skills (making long tunics/caftans out of muslin). If your are interested, please email me at slc5001@lausd.net.

What's Going On This Week In Class:

Math: 

Perimeter and Area continued; Multiplication Patterns

Fluency with Math Facts

Reading:

Chapters 11-17 of Scott O'Dell's Newbery-Award winning book, Island of the Blue Dolphins. We will be using Depth and Complexity icons to help us dig deeper into the text.

Scholastic News: Surviving a Hurricane - Identifying text structure and identifying important details

Genre Blackout: Students are challenged to read books from 9 different genres in the first reporting period. Ask your child about his or her progress.

Accelerated Reader: Students have reflected on their AR points and habits from grade 3 and have made a new, individualized goals. Ask your child about his/her yearlong goal.

Looking for great books to read with your child? Check out the list of Newbery winners from 2006 on:
Newbery Winners. 

(Cladecott's are awarded for illustration)

Writing:

Writer's Workshop: The Arc of A Story. Publishing, sharing, and celebrating our stories.

Spelling & Vocabulary:

This week's words are -

• interior

• intersection

• international

• interval

• intermediate

• telemarket

• telescope

• telephoto

• televise

• telethon

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.

Social Studies/ Science:

California regions; Science review in preparation of quiz

Project-Based Learning:

Student teams will be working on a weeks-long project in class. Our driving question is: What makes our state special? Students have received a letter from the California Director of Tourism asking them to research a particular region of California and create a 2 to 3 minute presentation designed to encourage visitors to visit that region. Ask your child about the project and check the blog frequently for presentation dates. This interdisciplinary project addresses state standards for research and inquiry, speaking, reading, writing, visual literacy, social studies, and science.

Lesson Focus: Distinguishing between important and unimportant information; Drafting of presentation script; Finding info for unanswered questions

Arts:

Drama with Ms. Beret on Wednesday- Workshopping ideas for our class play.

Dance: Rehearsing the Giant's dance

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.

Birthday Celebrations: If you would like to send treats to celebrate your child's birthday, please email me a day or 2 in advance so that I can make time in our schedule for it. Treats must be something small and easy to pass out. Donuts, cookies, muffins, and mini cupcakes all work great. We currently have 30 students in our class. Your child will distribute them at the end of the day as their classmates are leaving the room.

Donations: If you would like to make a donation to our class (this allows me to turn in receipts for purchases I have made for the students), you can write a check to "Mt. Washington El." In the subject line write, "Donation to Room 12". Any amount is appreciated! Thank you!