Classroom News for the Week of October 15th

News and Upcoming Events: 

10/15 - Return empty Friday folders; Orchestra students - bring your instruments.
10/15 - Social studies assignment coming home (due Thurs. 10/18)
10/18 - Field Trip to Rancho Santa Ana Botanical Gardens. Students should will be outside, on trails all day. Please dress accordingly. Bring a lunch (reusable lunch containers are great!) and a small snack that can be eaten quickly right off the bus - granola bars work great.

10/26 - Science Quiz - Study notes come home 10/19

Items Needed: We are in the process of designing and making props for the class play. We would love to have the following items donated by this Wednesday 10/17.

• cardboard boxes
• Paper towel rolls
• empty cereal boxes
• aluminum foil
• gold foil
• Acrylic paint: Gold, white, black, and purple
• 1 small pumpkin (larger than an apple)
• 1 roll of clear packing tape
• 3 feet of thick rope
• Unusually shaped plastic bottle  (to be used as a special potion bottle)

More 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 10/26. Thank you!

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

What's Going On This Week In Class:

Math: 

We will be solving word problems containing metric measurement; CGI problem solving.

Reading:

Chapters 11-14 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.

On Wednesday, students will be taking the English Language Arts Interim Assessment. This assessment mirrors the format of the spring SBAC test and assesses students' progress in reading, comprehending, and analyzing literature.

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. 

(Caldecott's are awarded for illustration)

Writing:

Writer's Workshop: The Arc of A Story. Revising and editing 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: Notetaking, citing sources, developing focused research questions

Arts:

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

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.