Weekly Reminders 3/28/11

Weekly Reminders: Rooms 20 & 21

Dear Room 20 & 21 Parents,

Can you believe it? There is only two weeks until our spring break! These next two weeks are filled with preparations for our upcoming fine arts performance on the evening of April 7th, Family Science Night this Wednesday, and a huge assortment of curricular activities, including some in depth reading from our latest core literature book, Bridge to Terabithia. This is a great time for all of us to strive to do our personal best in each area; this is the most likely way to get the results that all of us want in our work! Let's start putting those end of the year goals into action right away, and we'll all enjoy the next two weeks to their fullest.

Our blogsite addresses are:

Room 20 (Scourkes) http://rockhopperroom20.blogspot.com
Room 21 (Roels) http://gtfroom22.blogspot.com

Disaster Relief in Japan- A letter from Mrs. Ales

Dear Murdock-Portal Penguins,

Portal School will begin, starting tomorrow, a coin drive to donate to the disaster relief fund for the victims of the recent earthquake and tsunami in Japan. We will donate all of our proceeds through the American Red Cross who have offices in Japan where funds can be directly applied. Each classroom -- as well as the office -- will have a coin-jar -- so please consider donating to this cause! We are accepting coins and bills (not checks). The fundraiser will be held from March 22nd to April 8th.

Additionally, from tomorrow until April 1st, at lunchtime, the Multipurpose Room will be open for 2-5th graders to make origami cranes and other art projects. (There will be parent supervision at this time.) Kinders and first graders may also participate by coloring posters that show our support. These also will be sent to Japan!

Finally, on April 6th during our Lunch on the Lawn, we will display our posters and sell handicrafts made by the students and also donate the proceeds to the disaster relief fund.

Thank you kindly for your support of this important relief fund effort for Japan!

my best,

Julie Ales


Announcing Family Science Night: Let’s Go Green!

When: This Wednesday, March 30th 6:30-8:00 pm
Where: Murdock-Portal Multi-Use Room
Who: All Penguins and Families!

All students and families are invited to join us for "Let's Go Green" Family Science Night. Children and parents will enjoy ten interactive science activities promoting hands-on experiences focusing on the theme "Let's Go Green." The activities will be led by Murdock-Portal teachers, in conjunction with the Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose. This event is optional and free-of-charge, open to all Murdock-Portal families, and pre-registration is not required. Children must attend with a parent. We look forward to seeing you on March 30th in the Multi-Use Room!

Geology Rocks Helpers: Urgent

Dear Parents,
We need more help with food donations, clean up and set up help for the evening of our play! Would you please be so kind as to sign up on the document, as soon possible using the link listed below?

Thank you!

Parent Sign Up

Sacramento Trip:
As you may recall, the tour company provides T-shirts for the students to wear on the Sacramento trip. Tomorrow we will be "sizing" t-shirts for our students in room 20 (room 21 is finished.) In an effort to speed this process along, I've asked them to double check the size of t-shirt that they wear. I have samples in the room, and will be using those as a guide. The sizes run large - I will be wearing a "youth large"! They have youth medium, youth large, adult medium as choices. I imagine many students will be in youth medium and youth large.

Curriculum Notes:

Language Arts- We began reading our next core literature book, Bridge to Terabithia, and we'll be fitting some lively discussion and reading in between our fine arts practices over the next two weeks. We'll also revisit our ability to summarize reading passages effectively so that we can apply what we've learned during previous writing work earlier in the year. Spelling resumes this week, and writing and grammar work will figure prominently in the remaining language arts time.
Math- As 4th graders, we are getting exposure this week to circles, symmetry, congruence, and maybe the basic points of perimeter and area. This unit has very specific vocabulary, so don't hesitate to ask your student about the appropriate terminology presented; the students can use the review. Our restaurant menus, which feature algebraic expressions as food orders, will be completed during our extended Friday math time this week- I'm getting hungry already!
Math - 5th grade continues to work on integers and the properties/axioms that guide algebraic thinking.
Science- Electromagnetism investigations are wrapping up this week; we are now using electromagnetism to create and use an old-fashioned communications device- the telegraph! It's amazing how much Twitter and texting have in common with this "short and sweet" message style of old, isn't it? Hands-on work and reading will both be used to summarize the concepts presented throughout this unit.
Social Studies- We continue to learn about the Post-Mission Era, a time period commonly called "Mexican California".

Calendar of Events:

Tues. 3/29 Student/Chaperone food & t-shirt orders due for Sacramento trip
Wed. 3/30 Family Science Night @6:30pm in the Multi-Use Room
Fri. 4/1 Report Cards go home
Wed. 4/6 5th Grade Math Placement Test - Level 1
Wed. 4/6 Earth Day Lunch on the Lawn @11:45am
Thur. 4/7 Geology Rocks! Performance @6:30pm in the Multi-Use Room
Mon. 4/11- Fri. 4/22 Spring Recess - No school.
Tues. 4/26 STAR Testing Begins
Thur. 5/5 Sacramento Field Trip
Thur. 5/12 5th Grade Math Placement Test - Level 2

California Trivia Clue (student responses are REQUIRED):

What California site hosted the Winter Olympics in 1960?



Sincerely,

Mr. Roels and Miss Scourkes
Rooms 20 & 21
Rockhopper Village
Portal School