Rockhopper Reminders
December/January News
Mark Your Calendars:
Wednesday, December 18th: I-Check 3 in Science
Thursday, December 19th: Social Studies - Geography test on 22 states
December 23rd-January 3rd: Winter Break!
Monday, January 6th: School resumes
Friday, January 10th: Spirit Day- Twin Day!
Wednesday, January 15th: Rooms 20 and 24 field trip to Chabot Space and Science Center
Monday, January 27th @ 6:30 p.m.- Outdoor School Parent Information Meeting in the multi-use room
Thursday, January 30th: Rooms 22 and 23’s Performing Arts of “US Geography
Curriculum Flash!
Language Arts
Students are currently finishing the writing and publishing of their Stone Fox Newsletters. This project incorporated several different styles of writing and gave students the opportunity to demonstrate their understanding of the book in multiple ways. Students’ creativity and the depth of their understanding of the story and characters have been a pleasure to witness! In addition to finishing their newsletters, for the next two weeks, students will continue to increase their understanding of root words, read about current events, blog and learn about the six traits of writing.
Math:
4th grade:
The fourth grade students have been doing a great job of showing their understanding of the Base Ten concepts this trimester. Students have been assessed, but will continue to use these concepts throughout the year. Our current focus is on factors, prime and composite numbers, and divisibility rules. Knowing how large numbers relate to one another to help us to have a better understanding of which operations to use when solving more complex problems.
5th grade:
The fifth grade students are finishing up algebra, and would have taken a final test in graphing coordinates, interpreting the values of the coordinates, writing an equation by finding the values from a given linear graph today. We are now planning the Fractions unit. We are aware that many students already know the mechanics of mathematical operations using fractions, however, in class they will be asked to use the mathematical practices to show their understanding of those operations. We will use number lines, pattern blocks, and other manipulatives to learn the concepts, connect the abstract with the tangible and verbalize our reasoning.
In this newsletter, we would like to briefly address the Placement Test that is given to all fifth graders sometime in March. Many of you may have read the letter that was sent to parents by the District Office, or may have watched the Superintendent’s video that addressed the placement test. If fifth grade parents missed this for any reason, here is part of the text:
In the Cupertino Union School District, we believe that we should address the needs of all students and will, therefore, continue to offer accelerated options for our students. This spring all fifth grade students will be given a Common Core aligned math assessment. Those students who demonstrate readiness for acceleration will be placed in an accelerated sixth grade math course and all other students will be placed in a sixth grade math course. The students placed in the sixth grade accelerated course will be on a path to complete Geometry in eighth grade and will take Algebra II in the ninth grade. ..
In the past, two levels of placement tests were administered by the District Office, but they were not Common Core based. We are happy to see a change that is aligned with Common Core. It is important that students not stress over this test since this is a placement test, and will be used only to place students in the appropriate math classes. Their placement is determined and communicated to you by the middle schools. Students will learn about their placement in August when the sixth grade students receive their middle school schedules. Per the District rules, there will be no challenge test for incoming sixth grade students. The middle school counselors and teachers will work with students and parents concerning all placement issues in the fall. Parents often wonder how they can prepare their children for this test and look to us for answers. We do not think nor know of a way for you to help your child accelerate to the higher math class. If your child has good number sense, and they are able to explain the reason for a mathematical operation in a given problem, we feel they are in good shape. What really matters is that you do not create stress over this test, for you or your child.
Social Studies
Our Explorer Brochures are so enticing!! Students were incredibly creative as they designed brochures to persuade travelers to board exploring ships bound for the “New World.” We learned a great deal about the motives, experiences, and accomplishments of many European explorers. We are proudly displaying our work in the classrooms if you happen to have the chance to peek in ( :
In the next two weeks, we will be assessing what we have learned about the age of exploration, evaluate the quality of the relationships that formed between settlers and the Native Americans already inhabiting this “New World,” and understand the conflict over the land both parties sought to control.
Also in Social Studies, we have begun to study the locations (and spelling) of our 50 states, plus Washington D.C., their capitals, and postal abbreviations. Students receive a full point for all three pieces written accurately (ex: Sacramento, California CA), and one point for the correct spelling of all three. Therefore, each location is worth two points. Considering the fact that this aspect of our learning is based on rote memorization and does not reflect critical thinking, quizzes are simply graded in this quantitative format.
Science:
In the past several weeks we have been learning about the vascular system in plants. Students were fascinated by our celery investigation. We placed stalks in colored water and then observed as the fluid was drawn up through the xylem tubes. We also spent several days learning about why scientists categorize specimens and why this is so important to science. We had a “hands on” experience categorizing leaves by their shapes, vein patterns, and margins. We are continuing to focus on living systems as we learn about and explore the processes of photosynthesis and cellular respiration. We will be creating models with “linker cubes” to represent these two processes. After the holiday break, we will begin learning about the Earth and our solar system.
Outdoor Science School:
This spring the Rockhoppers will be attending Outdoor Science School at Camp Koinonia in the Santa Cruz Mountains from Tuesday, April 22nd through Friday, April 25. This exciting and educational trip is an opportunity for students to learn and study science in an outdoor setting. It’s also a chance for students to develop their communication and cooperation skills as they work and live together throughout the week. A representative from Camp Koinonia will be coming to Portal on January 27 at 6:30 p.m. to talk about the program and answer any questions you may have. Please be sure to mark your calendars! This evening is for parents only. Students will have their own special presentation during school hours. We look forward to seeing you on January 27th!
Mystery State Clues:
A sculpture of two whale tails sticking up out of the ground can be seen in this state, which shares no borders with an ocean.
Before joining the union, this state was an independent republic from 1777 to 1791.
This state is the top producer of maple syrup in the United States.
The Green Mountains dominate the landscape in this state.
The capital of this state, Montpelier, has the smallest population of any state capital.
Which state is it?
Monday, December 9, 2013
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Rockhopper Reminders November 2013
Rockhopper Reminders
November 2013
Mark Your Calendars:
Wednesday, November 6th: Chabot Field Trip (Rooms 19 & 22)
Friday, November 8th: Show your spirit- Hat Day!
Monday, November 11th: No School- Veteran’s Day
Wednesday, November 13th: I-Check in Science
Friday, November 15th: Reading contracts due
Friday, November 15th: End of 1st Trimester
November 25th-29th: Thanksgiving Break
Monday, December 2nd: School resumes
Curriculum Flash!
Language Arts
Rockhoppers are busily preparing writing pieces for our newest Tech/Language Arts project we are calling, “The Stone Fox Newsletter.” Within Pages or through an App in our Google Accounts, students will be using templates to design a magazine or newspaper issue reflecting the novel’s important scenes, themes and character development. Student “Newsletters” will host a variety of writing formats and voices including a news report of the final race between Little Willy and Stone Fox, an interview with a character, a book review, and a short expository. As we prepare to write each component, we are using the primary reading strategies of “looking back” as we re-read important events, “inferencing” to imagine the emotions and perspectives of various characters, and “synthesizing” to illuminate themes. Be on the lookout for publication as we near the Thanksgiving holiday ( :
Math:
4th grade:
We have been working hard on understanding base ten concepts. Students have been working with both whole numbers and decimals calculating, estimating and rounding. Our Shopping Spree project was a chance for students to “show what they know” while having fun shopping and selling products in our virtual “real world” stores. Throughout the month students have been strengthening their understanding of the Eight Mathematical Practices. We are currently working on both team and individual problem solving with an emphasis on communication and collaboration. Our next unit of study will cover multi-digit arithmetic using the order of operations including multiplication and division.
5th grade:
We are moving forward learning algebra concepts. We have thus far reached an understanding of large whole numbers, prime factorizations, exponents, and order of operations. We have also looked for patterns in nature and for patterns in real life experiences, and tried to find a rule for a given situation. Students have deepened their understanding of expressions, equations and variables, are able to create a function table, and graph an equation. We now proceed to learning operations with positive and negative integers. Students will learn to add and subtract integers using three different methods, and finally graph functions that use negative integers. Intermittently students will be given a formative test to inform us of their understanding and misunderstandings of concepts. We know that all students are enjoying learning math and look forward to new challenges every day.
Social Studies
The students created Google Sites for Native American tribes. The Google Site project was multi-faceted and it really integrated all subjects into a single assignment. This project of reading, researching information, writing, typing and learning technology was a huge accomplishment for the students. In the beginning of the assignment, students read texts and collaborated together to share ideas and facts. Once they retrieved the necessary information, they wrote about the Native Americans and posted this information online. Using the various tools and functions, we were also able to input photos, videos and put in tabs that enhanced the learning even more.
We are now learning about the explorers and how they shaped our country today. Students are asked to create a voyage brochure for an explorer. The learning outcomes are for students to learn the reasons for exploration, how people travelled in the past, why they explored, the routes they took and the difficulties they experienced during travel. Students wrote persuasive paragraphs in their brochures to convince people to come on the voyage. There was a lot of creativity that went into this project.
In the next few weeks, we will conclude the unit in explorers by learning about the Atlantic Trade, European Land Claims Map, the New World Exploration timeline and the conflicts between Native Americans and the Europeans. We will also start learning the geographical terms and state/capitals.
Science:
We have wrapped up our unit on the various body systems; students will be taking an I-check on November 13th to demonstrate their understanding of what they’ve learned. A blue study guide was sent home last week. We also discussed and shared strategies of how to prepare for a test over time by re-reading chapters in the textbook, reviewing notes, having friends or family members quiz you, and writing down answers to the study guide.
In class, our focus has moved to vascular plants and the process of photosynthesis. This week, we are conducting a hands-on celery experiment using the scientific method to observe a plant’s transport system. Please ask your child to share more details with you!
Mystery State Clues:
The first baseball stadium was built in this state in 1909.
This state is the only one of the 13 original colonies not bordered by the Atlantic Ocean.
Punxsutawney Phil, a famous groundhog who checks for his shadow every Groundhog Day, lives in this state.
A town in this state is considered the Chocolate Capital of the United States.
The Declaration of Independence was signed in Philadelphia in this state in 1776.
Which state is it?
November 2013
Mark Your Calendars:
Wednesday, November 6th: Chabot Field Trip (Rooms 19 & 22)
Friday, November 8th: Show your spirit- Hat Day!
Monday, November 11th: No School- Veteran’s Day
Wednesday, November 13th: I-Check in Science
Friday, November 15th: Reading contracts due
Friday, November 15th: End of 1st Trimester
November 25th-29th: Thanksgiving Break
Monday, December 2nd: School resumes
Curriculum Flash!
Language Arts
Rockhoppers are busily preparing writing pieces for our newest Tech/Language Arts project we are calling, “The Stone Fox Newsletter.” Within Pages or through an App in our Google Accounts, students will be using templates to design a magazine or newspaper issue reflecting the novel’s important scenes, themes and character development. Student “Newsletters” will host a variety of writing formats and voices including a news report of the final race between Little Willy and Stone Fox, an interview with a character, a book review, and a short expository. As we prepare to write each component, we are using the primary reading strategies of “looking back” as we re-read important events, “inferencing” to imagine the emotions and perspectives of various characters, and “synthesizing” to illuminate themes. Be on the lookout for publication as we near the Thanksgiving holiday ( :
Math:
4th grade:
We have been working hard on understanding base ten concepts. Students have been working with both whole numbers and decimals calculating, estimating and rounding. Our Shopping Spree project was a chance for students to “show what they know” while having fun shopping and selling products in our virtual “real world” stores. Throughout the month students have been strengthening their understanding of the Eight Mathematical Practices. We are currently working on both team and individual problem solving with an emphasis on communication and collaboration. Our next unit of study will cover multi-digit arithmetic using the order of operations including multiplication and division.
5th grade:
We are moving forward learning algebra concepts. We have thus far reached an understanding of large whole numbers, prime factorizations, exponents, and order of operations. We have also looked for patterns in nature and for patterns in real life experiences, and tried to find a rule for a given situation. Students have deepened their understanding of expressions, equations and variables, are able to create a function table, and graph an equation. We now proceed to learning operations with positive and negative integers. Students will learn to add and subtract integers using three different methods, and finally graph functions that use negative integers. Intermittently students will be given a formative test to inform us of their understanding and misunderstandings of concepts. We know that all students are enjoying learning math and look forward to new challenges every day.
Social Studies
The students created Google Sites for Native American tribes. The Google Site project was multi-faceted and it really integrated all subjects into a single assignment. This project of reading, researching information, writing, typing and learning technology was a huge accomplishment for the students. In the beginning of the assignment, students read texts and collaborated together to share ideas and facts. Once they retrieved the necessary information, they wrote about the Native Americans and posted this information online. Using the various tools and functions, we were also able to input photos, videos and put in tabs that enhanced the learning even more.
We are now learning about the explorers and how they shaped our country today. Students are asked to create a voyage brochure for an explorer. The learning outcomes are for students to learn the reasons for exploration, how people travelled in the past, why they explored, the routes they took and the difficulties they experienced during travel. Students wrote persuasive paragraphs in their brochures to convince people to come on the voyage. There was a lot of creativity that went into this project.
In the next few weeks, we will conclude the unit in explorers by learning about the Atlantic Trade, European Land Claims Map, the New World Exploration timeline and the conflicts between Native Americans and the Europeans. We will also start learning the geographical terms and state/capitals.
Science:
We have wrapped up our unit on the various body systems; students will be taking an I-check on November 13th to demonstrate their understanding of what they’ve learned. A blue study guide was sent home last week. We also discussed and shared strategies of how to prepare for a test over time by re-reading chapters in the textbook, reviewing notes, having friends or family members quiz you, and writing down answers to the study guide.
In class, our focus has moved to vascular plants and the process of photosynthesis. This week, we are conducting a hands-on celery experiment using the scientific method to observe a plant’s transport system. Please ask your child to share more details with you!
Mystery State Clues:
The first baseball stadium was built in this state in 1909.
This state is the only one of the 13 original colonies not bordered by the Atlantic Ocean.
Punxsutawney Phil, a famous groundhog who checks for his shadow every Groundhog Day, lives in this state.
A town in this state is considered the Chocolate Capital of the United States.
The Declaration of Independence was signed in Philadelphia in this state in 1776.
Which state is it?
Monday, September 30, 2013
Rockhopper Reminders 9/30/13
Rockhopper Reminders
September 30- October 4
Mark Your Calendars:
September 30th-October 4th: Great Schools Week!
October 7th-18th: Fall Break
Monday, October 21st: School resumes
October 23rd: Kitchen Science due!
October 21st-25th: Red Ribbon Week
Tuesday, October 29th: Halloween Parade 1:00-2:00 (kids change into costumes after school & need to be supervised by a parent)
Curriculum Flash!
Language Arts
Students are still enjoying the Reading Zone and we are reading daily in class to foster the love of reading. The Rocks have started Stone Fox by John Gardiner and are currently midway through the book. The encouraging story is about a boy who is determined to help save his grandfather’s farm. The characters were analyzed and we identified relationships that are significant to the story. In preparation for the book and to build background knowledge, students did a research essay on Wyoming. The writing process was introduced and students were offered mini lessons on topic sentences, explanation sentences, transition words, punctuation and grammar rules along the way. In the end, essays were typed and illustrated for the end-of-the-year anthology.
To build vocabulary, we are teaching root words and prefixes. We are focusing on the root word cir-, circum (meaning around) this week (9/30). Understanding root words are essential to creating a wider selection of choice words when writing. At home, help brainstorm word forms using cir- and circum-!
Continue to support your child by reading their work especially in their Home School Journal and Free Write entries.
Math:
4th grade:
The 4th graders are currently strengthening their number sense. We’ve reviewed addition and subtraction of large numbers and will now be working with decimals. Students will practice the addition and subtraction of decimals. We will also work with decimals in real world contexts. When we return from break, students will have the opportunity to apply what they have learned in the project based “Shopping Spree” activity. Problem solving and using the eight mathematical practices are embedded in our lessons. Currently students are creating their own word problems and determining if too much, too little, or just enough information has been provided to solve the problem. Along the way, they are applying the mathematical practice of “Constructing viable arguments and critiquing the reasoning of others.”
5th grade:
We hope that your child was able to articulate the mathematical practices listed on the first quiz. The format of upcoming quizzes will be different, but we will continue to attach the practices and standards to the quiz, so students know which standards they have met. At the end of each quiz, they will reflect in writing what they have mastered, what they need to learn, and the ways they plan to meet the gap. As we continue in the Algebra unit, students are learning and mastering concepts in Order of Operations, and Properties of all the operations, stressing more on the distributive property. The learning target here is not just to be able to identify a property, but to connect the quantitative expressions with the abstract. They will be quizzed on these concepts and will be assessed on the mathematical practices addressed in these areas. The October break is a good time for students to practice areas where the need is, such as memorize the multiplication facts to improve math fluency as they tackle harder problems.
Social Studies
We are so excited this week to have our Google accounts up and running! Not only are we learning to use Google Drive to create documents for our work, Social Studies students are now learning to create their own websites on the “Sites” component of our accounts. These websites are being designed as a medium to showcase what we are learning about tribes native to the four regions of the United States: The Eastern Woodlands, The Great Plains, The Desert Southwest and the Pacific Northwest. We’re not sure which is more enjoyable- learning about the cultures, customs, and traditions of the tribes, or finding and arranging images and captions to technologically present the information. As we continue the on-going project of designing our websites, we begin this week to study the early European Explorers of North America.
Science
We are intrigued and immersed in learning as the current topic centers around ourselves- the various body systems. By the end of the unit, we will have covered the circulatory, digestive, respiratory, and excretory systems. In addition to our textbook reading, we have been learning visually through videos and interactive National Geographic websites. Here are some links you might want to check out:
http://science.nationalgeographic.com/science/health-and-human-body/human-body/heart-article/
http://learni.st/learnings/83339-digestive-system-national-geographic-interactive
Another important skill that students are learning and applying is note-taking. Taking notes requires students to identify main ideas, consolidate large amounts of information into phrases, and they need to refer back to their notes to study for tests/quizzes. As a reminder, kitchen science is due on October 23rd!
After the fall break, we will continue learning about our body. Our focus will also center on ways to make safe and healthy choices not just during Red Ribbon Week, but for the rest of our lives.
Mystery State Clues:
In the late 1700’s, settlers here formed a "state" known as Franklin.
The stars on this state's flag represent the major landforms found there.
This state has five state songs, including "Rocky Top."
The Grand Ole Opry in this state is the longest continuously running live radio program in the world.
This state is the site of Graceland, singer Elvis Presley's home.
Which state is it?
September 30- October 4
Mark Your Calendars:
September 30th-October 4th: Great Schools Week!
October 7th-18th: Fall Break
Monday, October 21st: School resumes
October 23rd: Kitchen Science due!
October 21st-25th: Red Ribbon Week
Tuesday, October 29th: Halloween Parade 1:00-2:00 (kids change into costumes after school & need to be supervised by a parent)
Curriculum Flash!
Language Arts
Students are still enjoying the Reading Zone and we are reading daily in class to foster the love of reading. The Rocks have started Stone Fox by John Gardiner and are currently midway through the book. The encouraging story is about a boy who is determined to help save his grandfather’s farm. The characters were analyzed and we identified relationships that are significant to the story. In preparation for the book and to build background knowledge, students did a research essay on Wyoming. The writing process was introduced and students were offered mini lessons on topic sentences, explanation sentences, transition words, punctuation and grammar rules along the way. In the end, essays were typed and illustrated for the end-of-the-year anthology.
To build vocabulary, we are teaching root words and prefixes. We are focusing on the root word cir-, circum (meaning around) this week (9/30). Understanding root words are essential to creating a wider selection of choice words when writing. At home, help brainstorm word forms using cir- and circum-!
Continue to support your child by reading their work especially in their Home School Journal and Free Write entries.
Math:
4th grade:
The 4th graders are currently strengthening their number sense. We’ve reviewed addition and subtraction of large numbers and will now be working with decimals. Students will practice the addition and subtraction of decimals. We will also work with decimals in real world contexts. When we return from break, students will have the opportunity to apply what they have learned in the project based “Shopping Spree” activity. Problem solving and using the eight mathematical practices are embedded in our lessons. Currently students are creating their own word problems and determining if too much, too little, or just enough information has been provided to solve the problem. Along the way, they are applying the mathematical practice of “Constructing viable arguments and critiquing the reasoning of others.”
5th grade:
We hope that your child was able to articulate the mathematical practices listed on the first quiz. The format of upcoming quizzes will be different, but we will continue to attach the practices and standards to the quiz, so students know which standards they have met. At the end of each quiz, they will reflect in writing what they have mastered, what they need to learn, and the ways they plan to meet the gap. As we continue in the Algebra unit, students are learning and mastering concepts in Order of Operations, and Properties of all the operations, stressing more on the distributive property. The learning target here is not just to be able to identify a property, but to connect the quantitative expressions with the abstract. They will be quizzed on these concepts and will be assessed on the mathematical practices addressed in these areas. The October break is a good time for students to practice areas where the need is, such as memorize the multiplication facts to improve math fluency as they tackle harder problems.
Social Studies
We are so excited this week to have our Google accounts up and running! Not only are we learning to use Google Drive to create documents for our work, Social Studies students are now learning to create their own websites on the “Sites” component of our accounts. These websites are being designed as a medium to showcase what we are learning about tribes native to the four regions of the United States: The Eastern Woodlands, The Great Plains, The Desert Southwest and the Pacific Northwest. We’re not sure which is more enjoyable- learning about the cultures, customs, and traditions of the tribes, or finding and arranging images and captions to technologically present the information. As we continue the on-going project of designing our websites, we begin this week to study the early European Explorers of North America.
Science
We are intrigued and immersed in learning as the current topic centers around ourselves- the various body systems. By the end of the unit, we will have covered the circulatory, digestive, respiratory, and excretory systems. In addition to our textbook reading, we have been learning visually through videos and interactive National Geographic websites. Here are some links you might want to check out:
http://science.nationalgeographic.com/science/health-and-human-body/human-body/heart-article/
http://learni.st/learnings/83339-digestive-system-national-geographic-interactive
Another important skill that students are learning and applying is note-taking. Taking notes requires students to identify main ideas, consolidate large amounts of information into phrases, and they need to refer back to their notes to study for tests/quizzes. As a reminder, kitchen science is due on October 23rd!
After the fall break, we will continue learning about our body. Our focus will also center on ways to make safe and healthy choices not just during Red Ribbon Week, but for the rest of our lives.
Mystery State Clues:
In the late 1700’s, settlers here formed a "state" known as Franklin.
The stars on this state's flag represent the major landforms found there.
This state has five state songs, including "Rocky Top."
The Grand Ole Opry in this state is the longest continuously running live radio program in the world.
This state is the site of Graceland, singer Elvis Presley's home.
Which state is it?
Monday, September 9, 2013
Rockhopper Reminders September 9-13
Rockhopper Weekly Reminders
September 9- September 13
Mark Your Calendars:
Monday, September 9th - Tuesday,September 17th: Goal Setting Conferences. Minimum days. Dismissal 12:30.
Book Fair dates are Sept. 9-16 hours: 12:30-3:30 p.m.
Online book fair page: http://bookfairs.scholastic.com/bookfairs/cptoolkit/manage.do?method=manage
Friday, September 13th - fifth grade math quiz on chapter 1 and place value through billions in chapter 3 lesson 2.
Friday, September 20th - Learning Day. No school for students.
Dear Parents,
Here is our first newsletter.
Curriculum Flash!
Language Arts
We’re excited to introduce the Reading Zone! The Reading Zone is designed to allow students to examine their reading and understand themselves as readers. The intention is to offer students opportunities to read for the pure enjoyment of reading and to dive deeper into their thinking. A variety of mini lessons that relate to reading text will be included as part of the reading lesson. For example, book recommendations, book reviews, identifying purpose, main ideas, vocabulary development, etc. While students read in the zone, the teacher roams the room quietly to conference with individual students. The goal is to foster a love and passion for reading literature with quality.
In addition to the Reading Zone last week, we read “Akiak” by Robert Blake in the Houghton Mifflin books. Students read the story in pairs and summarized it through a “road map”. This story will launch us into the core literature book “Stone Fox” which we will start very soon. Both stories have common threads and students will understand the connections between the two stories. To begin, we will build background knowledge by researching where the story takes place (Wyoming) and the lifestyle of rural living.
In preparation for the conferences/upcoming year, students were asked to write goals. Students thought about their strengths and weaknesses. They wrote thoughtful reflections of themselves and identified areas of growth. In addition to writing goals last week, students wrote in all academic areas of science, social studies, and in math.
Math:
4th grade:
This year the 4th graders have started the year with a bang! Students are incorporating the 8 Mathematical Practices as they complete their daily work and begin problem solving. The “Problem of the Day” has been introduced as a multi-step problem solving format that will be used throughout the year. We have reviewed place value and are currently reviewing rounding skills.
5th grade:
We have begun the year with our Algebra unit. In order to get students excited in math we did several activities that made them curious and engaged. Students looked at 100s chart for patterns, discovered the Fibonacci sequence, integrated art with math, learned place value through billions, and learned how mathematicians write large numbers using exponents. In the coming week, we will learn about common factors, and the greatest common factors, hone in on some vocabulary words, and prepare for a quiz that is tentatively planned for Friday (9/13). Students will also have opportunities to show their communication skills through problem solving.
Science:
The first two weeks of science were devoted to the scientific method; students performed a splatter experiment to become familiar with each step of the process. We will be reinforcing the scientific method throughout the year; students can apply it to their kitchen science experiment, which will be due on October 23rd. Through occasional kitchen science experiments, our hope is that science will be relevant, fun, and recurring at home and at school.
Our first unit of study this trimester will be Living Systems! We will begin the unit by exploring the needs of all living organisms. Students will participate in an activity called “Alive or Not,” which will require them to make predictions, work collaboratively, justify their thinking, and communicate clearly. We will then move on to the various systems of the human body.
Social Studies:
It’s been an exciting beginning to our study of American history! We kicked off our first week of Social Studies by exploring the questions: What is history? What is America or American? What is Social Studies? Students collaborated in groups and delved deep into their background knowledge to name American people, places, dates, and terms that they already knew. We then entered our ideas into the computer to create a Wordle. What is a Wordle, you ask? Have your child explain how a wordle converts words and phrases into a sort of linguistic graph! Our “Gallery Walk” in week two was a big hit as students visited the Multi-Purpose Room to circulate around tables loaded with American “artifacts.” The children were asked to draw connections between what they were observing and what is America(n). Our lesson continued in week three when students chose “artifacts” from home to create galleries in our classrooms. This week we are wrapping up our introductory lesson by mapping our artifacts onto a timeline to establish a perspective of the 500 years of American history we will be studying this year!
Mystery State Clues:
The second-oldest city in the nation is located in this state.
This state is named after a British king.
Five other states share a border with this state.
The Girl Scouts were founded in this state in 1912.
Former President Jimmy Carter is a native of this state.
Which state is it?
September 9- September 13
Mark Your Calendars:
Monday, September 9th - Tuesday,September 17th: Goal Setting Conferences. Minimum days. Dismissal 12:30.
Book Fair dates are Sept. 9-16 hours: 12:30-3:30 p.m.
Online book fair page: http://bookfairs.scholastic.com/bookfairs/cptoolkit/manage.do?method=manage
Friday, September 13th - fifth grade math quiz on chapter 1 and place value through billions in chapter 3 lesson 2.
Friday, September 20th - Learning Day. No school for students.
Dear Parents,
Here is our first newsletter.
Curriculum Flash!
Language Arts
We’re excited to introduce the Reading Zone! The Reading Zone is designed to allow students to examine their reading and understand themselves as readers. The intention is to offer students opportunities to read for the pure enjoyment of reading and to dive deeper into their thinking. A variety of mini lessons that relate to reading text will be included as part of the reading lesson. For example, book recommendations, book reviews, identifying purpose, main ideas, vocabulary development, etc. While students read in the zone, the teacher roams the room quietly to conference with individual students. The goal is to foster a love and passion for reading literature with quality.
In addition to the Reading Zone last week, we read “Akiak” by Robert Blake in the Houghton Mifflin books. Students read the story in pairs and summarized it through a “road map”. This story will launch us into the core literature book “Stone Fox” which we will start very soon. Both stories have common threads and students will understand the connections between the two stories. To begin, we will build background knowledge by researching where the story takes place (Wyoming) and the lifestyle of rural living.
In preparation for the conferences/upcoming year, students were asked to write goals. Students thought about their strengths and weaknesses. They wrote thoughtful reflections of themselves and identified areas of growth. In addition to writing goals last week, students wrote in all academic areas of science, social studies, and in math.
Math:
4th grade:
This year the 4th graders have started the year with a bang! Students are incorporating the 8 Mathematical Practices as they complete their daily work and begin problem solving. The “Problem of the Day” has been introduced as a multi-step problem solving format that will be used throughout the year. We have reviewed place value and are currently reviewing rounding skills.
5th grade:
We have begun the year with our Algebra unit. In order to get students excited in math we did several activities that made them curious and engaged. Students looked at 100s chart for patterns, discovered the Fibonacci sequence, integrated art with math, learned place value through billions, and learned how mathematicians write large numbers using exponents. In the coming week, we will learn about common factors, and the greatest common factors, hone in on some vocabulary words, and prepare for a quiz that is tentatively planned for Friday (9/13). Students will also have opportunities to show their communication skills through problem solving.
Science:
The first two weeks of science were devoted to the scientific method; students performed a splatter experiment to become familiar with each step of the process. We will be reinforcing the scientific method throughout the year; students can apply it to their kitchen science experiment, which will be due on October 23rd. Through occasional kitchen science experiments, our hope is that science will be relevant, fun, and recurring at home and at school.
Our first unit of study this trimester will be Living Systems! We will begin the unit by exploring the needs of all living organisms. Students will participate in an activity called “Alive or Not,” which will require them to make predictions, work collaboratively, justify their thinking, and communicate clearly. We will then move on to the various systems of the human body.
Social Studies:
It’s been an exciting beginning to our study of American history! We kicked off our first week of Social Studies by exploring the questions: What is history? What is America or American? What is Social Studies? Students collaborated in groups and delved deep into their background knowledge to name American people, places, dates, and terms that they already knew. We then entered our ideas into the computer to create a Wordle. What is a Wordle, you ask? Have your child explain how a wordle converts words and phrases into a sort of linguistic graph! Our “Gallery Walk” in week two was a big hit as students visited the Multi-Purpose Room to circulate around tables loaded with American “artifacts.” The children were asked to draw connections between what they were observing and what is America(n). Our lesson continued in week three when students chose “artifacts” from home to create galleries in our classrooms. This week we are wrapping up our introductory lesson by mapping our artifacts onto a timeline to establish a perspective of the 500 years of American history we will be studying this year!
Mystery State Clues:
The second-oldest city in the nation is located in this state.
This state is named after a British king.
Five other states share a border with this state.
The Girl Scouts were founded in this state in 1912.
Former President Jimmy Carter is a native of this state.
Which state is it?
Monday, June 17, 2013
Weekly Reminders 6/17/13
Rockhopper Weekly Reminders
June 17 - June 21
Mark Your Calendars:
Monday, June 17th: Parent Volunteer Brunch- 9:45-10:30 a.m.
Thursday, June 20th: 4/5 Band Performance- 7:00-8:30 p.m.
Monday, June 24th: CA Academy of Sciences End of the year trip
Wednesday, June 26th: 5th grade Promotion Ceremony- 8:15-10:00 a.m.
Wednesday, June 26th: Report Cards go home!
Wednesday, June 26th: Last Day of School- Dismissal at 11:20 a.m.
Promotion Potluck:
Dear Fifth Grade Parents,
The end of the year is rapidly approaching. In honor of the fifth grade graduates, a Promotion Ceremony will be held on the last day of school, June 26th, from 8:15-10:00 a.m. We sure hope that you will be able to attend! We are asking fifth grade families to bring in finger food type snacks and refreshments that can be enjoyed after the ceremony concludes. Please sign up on the Google doc by clicking the appropriate link below. Thank you in advance for helping out! Looking forward to celebrating this milestone with our fifth grade students!
Room 19 link:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AlQcB4_g0QRNdHV3Vm50WFlxaFl6QWZ4ekkwekhMU0E&usp=sharing
Room 20 link:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AoFa38wpcQ_PdEh1YlVFcXRaN2lVdFFrcVp5WGVRNnc&usp=sharing
Room 21 link: https://docs.google.com/a/cusdschools.org/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AmCVmX-idGF0dFRhNm9EMXRqTHV5UHpfUDJFZjN3b2c&usp=sharing
Room 22 link: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0ApkeyZNuOOUcdGxuTUpQYUhJZm5KZmlNU095YS1hSXc&usp=sharing
Room 23 link:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AufQtUTKCjSCdGNwWVNOZjN2TnBZQUJBeEJlMS1NaEE&usp=sharing
Room 24 link:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AkqL1lM8y3VHdE0wOWV1c2JHRGtSVjJXemhzYWRDcXc&usp=sharing
Curriculum Flash!
Language Arts
This week we are taking a Socrative iPad-based quiz to check our understanding of Bridge to Terabithia. Any other available language arts time will be devoted to effectively revising previously completed work, creating covers, Tables of Contents, About the Author pages, and dedications for our year-end anthology books.
Math:
4th grade:
Students continue to be engaged in a terrific interact experience called “Game Factory.” Our students will be evaluating the fairness of a series of games as they play them with their peers. Every day, we make predictions based on our understanding of probability before play begins, play the games, then debrief after game play to understand if a game is either fair or unfair in design. If we have enough time before the school year ends, we’ll even create our OWN fair games to put our gaming “education” to good use! Please ask your child to share more details and specifics with you!
5th grade:
This week in Biz World, students have started manufacturing bracelets in preparation for the fierce sales competition this week at the Biz World Bazaar. Students will have the opportunity to market their products through an advertising campaign, price their products appropriately to make a profit, and display their products in an aesthetically pleasing way at the Bazaar. Let’s wish all of budding entrepreneurs good luck!
Science:
We have finished teaching the Human Growth and Development curriculum and are wrapping up the Environments unit. We will try to get through the last investigation, which analyzes the concept of range of tolerance. Students will design a controlled experiment using the scientific method to determine the range of tolerance for water in growing plants.
CA Trivia:
What is the name of California’s state song?
Monday, June 10, 2013
Weekly Reminders 6/10/13
Rockhopper Weekly Reminders
June 10 - June 14
Mark Your Calendars:
Students should return overdue books to the library promptly.
Monday, June 10- Friday, June 14: Fifth grade Human Growth and Development
Tuesday, June 11th: Lunch on the Lawn
Friday, June 14th: Math DVDs due back to the library
Monday, June 17th: Parent Volunteer Brunch- 9:45-10:30 a.m. -Please come join us!
Monday, June 24th: CA Academy of Sciences End of the year trip
Wednesday, June 26th: 5th grade Promotion Ceremony, report cards go home & last day of school (more details to come!)
Attention: Volunteers!
Won’t you please come and join us for a special brunch in your honor on Monday, June 17th from 9:45-10:30 a.m.? If you have helped us in any way this year with Literature Circles, inside and outside class jobs, our “Gold Dust or Bust!” performance, or any other school-related task, we’d love to have you join us on the morning of June 17th. It’s our way of saying “thank you” to our wonderful group of parent volunteers.
Curriculum Flash!
Language Arts
This week we read the last two chapters of Bridge to Terabithia. We will be processing the complex feelings that Jess has around the loss of his closest friend. Our writer’s workshop time on Friday will be used this week for Human Growth & Development with our 5th graders. Any available language arts time will also be devoted to effectively revising previously completed work, creating covers, Tables of Contents, About the Author pages, and dedications for their year-end anthology books.
Math:
4th grade:
We are now engaged in a terrific Interact experience called “Game Factory.” Our students will be evaluating the fairness of a series of games as they play them with their peers. Every day, we make predictions based on our understanding of probability before play begins, play the games, then debrief after game play to understand we a game either fair or unfair in design. If we have enough time before the school year ends, we’ll even create our OWN fair games to put our gaming “education” to good use!
5th grade:
This week in Biz World, students have formed companies, incorporated, come up with a business plan, and are currently making pitches to a venture capitalist to raise money. They will begin designing and start the manufacturing process later this week. They are doing a great job so far! Be sure to ask them about their companies!
Science & Social Studies:
All 5th grade students whose families have agreed to their child’s participation will be learning about Human Growth & Development during the majority of our Science & Social Studies periods this week. During these sessions, 4th graders will be working with Ms. Lu and Ms. Regosin on an assortment of extension activities in our other subject areas.
Science - Rooms 20/21
Investigation 5 in the Environments unit will be the focus of our remaining science studies. Our classes will try to get a better understanding of the issues of water and salt tolerance among various plants. Both live investigation materials and supporting book materials will be used to advance our classes’ knowledge in this area.
CA Trivia:
What is a county, and how many does California have?
June 10 - June 14
Mark Your Calendars:
Students should return overdue books to the library promptly.
Monday, June 10- Friday, June 14: Fifth grade Human Growth and Development
Tuesday, June 11th: Lunch on the Lawn
Friday, June 14th: Math DVDs due back to the library
Monday, June 17th: Parent Volunteer Brunch- 9:45-10:30 a.m. -Please come join us!
Monday, June 24th: CA Academy of Sciences End of the year trip
Wednesday, June 26th: 5th grade Promotion Ceremony, report cards go home & last day of school (more details to come!)
Attention: Volunteers!
Won’t you please come and join us for a special brunch in your honor on Monday, June 17th from 9:45-10:30 a.m.? If you have helped us in any way this year with Literature Circles, inside and outside class jobs, our “Gold Dust or Bust!” performance, or any other school-related task, we’d love to have you join us on the morning of June 17th. It’s our way of saying “thank you” to our wonderful group of parent volunteers.
Curriculum Flash!
Language Arts
This week we read the last two chapters of Bridge to Terabithia. We will be processing the complex feelings that Jess has around the loss of his closest friend. Our writer’s workshop time on Friday will be used this week for Human Growth & Development with our 5th graders. Any available language arts time will also be devoted to effectively revising previously completed work, creating covers, Tables of Contents, About the Author pages, and dedications for their year-end anthology books.
Math:
4th grade:
We are now engaged in a terrific Interact experience called “Game Factory.” Our students will be evaluating the fairness of a series of games as they play them with their peers. Every day, we make predictions based on our understanding of probability before play begins, play the games, then debrief after game play to understand we a game either fair or unfair in design. If we have enough time before the school year ends, we’ll even create our OWN fair games to put our gaming “education” to good use!
5th grade:
This week in Biz World, students have formed companies, incorporated, come up with a business plan, and are currently making pitches to a venture capitalist to raise money. They will begin designing and start the manufacturing process later this week. They are doing a great job so far! Be sure to ask them about their companies!
Science & Social Studies:
All 5th grade students whose families have agreed to their child’s participation will be learning about Human Growth & Development during the majority of our Science & Social Studies periods this week. During these sessions, 4th graders will be working with Ms. Lu and Ms. Regosin on an assortment of extension activities in our other subject areas.
Science - Rooms 20/21
Investigation 5 in the Environments unit will be the focus of our remaining science studies. Our classes will try to get a better understanding of the issues of water and salt tolerance among various plants. Both live investigation materials and supporting book materials will be used to advance our classes’ knowledge in this area.
CA Trivia:
What is a county, and how many does California have?
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
Weekly Reminders 6/3/13
Rockhopper Weekly Reminders
June 3 - June 7
Mark Your Calendars:
Students should return overdue books to the library promptly.
Thursday, June 6: Rooms 20 & 21 Performance of Gold Dust or Bust
Monday, June 10- Friday, June 14: Fifth Grade Human Growth and Development
Tuesday, June 11th: Lunch on the Lawn
Friday, June 14th: Math DVDs due - library
Monday, June 17th: Parent Volunteer Brunch
Monday, June 24th: CA Academy of Sciences End of the year trip
Wednesday, June 26th: 5th grade Promotion Ceremony, report cards go home & last day of school
Curriculum Flash!
Language Arts
Our reading of Bridge to Terabithia takes us to the climax of the story. We have been discussing and reflecting on the impact of fear in our lives to help prepare ourselves for the intense chapters to come. We’ve also compared the main characters’ responses to the wicked conditions they’ve faced to visit the refuge that is Terabithia. Rockhopper classes will be reading through Chapter 11 this week.
Math:
4th grade:
We start our final math unit this week- probability. After reviewing basic terminology, our classes will describe probability in fractional terms. We’ll also learn how to chart possible outcomes using at least two different techniques. Then, we’ll apply our knowledge to a terrific Interact experience called “Game Factory.” Our students will be evaluating the fairness of a series of games as they play them with their peers. If we have enough time before the school year ends, we’ll even create our OWN fair games to play. Cross your fingers- I think we have a “chance!”
5th grade:
This week we wrap up our unit on graphing and data collection and begin “Biz World” - our business model simulation game. Students will work together to create bracelet making companies, manufacture a product, and price, market, and sell their bracelets. The students will be working on this project until June 21.
Social Studies:
What a fantastic job our students did on their Wax Museum for Open House! We hope you were able to come by and hear one of the “characters” from the Gold Rush teach their listeners all about what they’ve learned over these last several weeks. It was so great to see the students actively present the information they’ve researched and studied for the last month! This week we’ll continue to tie together everything that we’ve learned about the Gold Rush.
Science:
Investigation 5 in the Environments unit will be the focus of our remaining science studies. Our classes will try to get a better understanding of the issues of water and salt tolerance among various plants. Both live investigation materials and supporting book materials will be used to advance our classes’ knowledge in this area.
CA Trivia:
Who is the current governor of California, and what years did he serve previously?
June 3 - June 7
Mark Your Calendars:
Students should return overdue books to the library promptly.
Thursday, June 6: Rooms 20 & 21 Performance of Gold Dust or Bust
Monday, June 10- Friday, June 14: Fifth Grade Human Growth and Development
Tuesday, June 11th: Lunch on the Lawn
Friday, June 14th: Math DVDs due - library
Monday, June 17th: Parent Volunteer Brunch
Monday, June 24th: CA Academy of Sciences End of the year trip
Wednesday, June 26th: 5th grade Promotion Ceremony, report cards go home & last day of school
Curriculum Flash!
Language Arts
Our reading of Bridge to Terabithia takes us to the climax of the story. We have been discussing and reflecting on the impact of fear in our lives to help prepare ourselves for the intense chapters to come. We’ve also compared the main characters’ responses to the wicked conditions they’ve faced to visit the refuge that is Terabithia. Rockhopper classes will be reading through Chapter 11 this week.
Math:
4th grade:
We start our final math unit this week- probability. After reviewing basic terminology, our classes will describe probability in fractional terms. We’ll also learn how to chart possible outcomes using at least two different techniques. Then, we’ll apply our knowledge to a terrific Interact experience called “Game Factory.” Our students will be evaluating the fairness of a series of games as they play them with their peers. If we have enough time before the school year ends, we’ll even create our OWN fair games to play. Cross your fingers- I think we have a “chance!”
5th grade:
This week we wrap up our unit on graphing and data collection and begin “Biz World” - our business model simulation game. Students will work together to create bracelet making companies, manufacture a product, and price, market, and sell their bracelets. The students will be working on this project until June 21.
Social Studies:
What a fantastic job our students did on their Wax Museum for Open House! We hope you were able to come by and hear one of the “characters” from the Gold Rush teach their listeners all about what they’ve learned over these last several weeks. It was so great to see the students actively present the information they’ve researched and studied for the last month! This week we’ll continue to tie together everything that we’ve learned about the Gold Rush.
Science:
Investigation 5 in the Environments unit will be the focus of our remaining science studies. Our classes will try to get a better understanding of the issues of water and salt tolerance among various plants. Both live investigation materials and supporting book materials will be used to advance our classes’ knowledge in this area.
CA Trivia:
Who is the current governor of California, and what years did he serve previously?
Monday, May 20, 2013
Weekly Reminders 5/20/13
Rockhopper Weekly Reminders
May 20- May 24
Mark Your Calendars:
Monday, May 20: Wax Museum Costume and Props Due
Thursday, May 23rd: Sacramento Field Trip. Students are to be at school at 7:00 a.m.
Friday, May 24th: Learning Day (No School)
Monday, May 27: Memorial Day (No School)
Wednesday, May 29th: Open House 7-7:45pm for Rockhoppers!
Friday, May 31st: Spirit Day- Sports Day!
Tuesday, June 11th: Lunch on the Lawn
***** Attention parents! ****
We are in need of parents to help with the following duties in conjunction with our play, "Gold Dust or Bust!" on Thursday, June 6:
-chair takedown after the performance (6-10 people; 10 minute time commitment)
-video person for one dress rehearsal and the night of the performance (1 or 2 people; 2 day time commitment of approximately 1hour each day)
In addition, our parents who have volunteered for props support will be given items by the teachers or backdrop coordinator to purchase, make, or repair depending on our needs. Please make sure to check with us if you have any questions about our props requirements.
Art Help Needed!- Letter from Mrs. Schulze
Hi There,
I'm really looking forward to our art show again this year. Your students have done some amazing work! I love watching the multi-purpose room come to life!
I need your help to find parent volunteers who can help in one or both of the following ways:
Mounting and labeling artwork:
One volunteer from each class who can take artwork home to mount and label for the show. I will need to have it back by Thursday, May 23rd.
Hanging the art show:
Volunteers who can help me hang the art show on our black display boards. Volunteers can drop in and help for any amount of time between 12:15-2:15 on Tues, May 28 and 8-12 on Weds, May 29th.
Please ask parents to email me if available.
Thank you for your help!
Judy Schulze
judy.schulze@gmail.com
CCSS PARENT INFORMATION NIGHT [MATH AND THE COMMON CORE]
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
6:30 – 8:00 p.m.
Lawson Middle School Event Center
10401 Vista Drive
Cupertino, CA 95014
The District will be holding a Parent Information Meeting focused on the Common Core State Standards and mathematical shifts. This is a follow-up to the town hall meetings held in February and is open to all parents in the Cupertino Union School District (videos of the earlier town halls are available at www.cusdk8.org)
The guest speaker for the evening will be Hung-Hsi Wu, a Professor Emeritus of Mathematics at the University of California at Berkeley. He began his mathematics education in 1992 and worked from 1997-2005 with the State of California covering all aspects of mathematics education. Mr. Wu has worked with the National Mathematics Advisory Panel, and the writing team for the Common Core Mathematics Standards. He is currently in the process of completing several textbooks to help with the implementation of the CCSS for middle and high school teachers.
Please RSVP your attendance to https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/cusdccssmath
Curriculum Flash!
Language Arts
As our reading of Bridge to Terabithia takes us closer to the climax of the story, we are using our time to try and understand the depth of the relationship between the two main characters, Jess and Leslie. The primary methods of exploration are discussion and thoughtful reflection shared in our writing. Rockhopper classes will be reading through Chapter 7 this week. Our writer’s workshop time on Friday continues to be divided between display board work and speech preparation in Social Studies and ongoing work on the Interdependence technology project in Science.
Math:
4th grade:
This week we continue to concentrate on completing measurement applications in our Perimeter Park projects, finishing our statistical analysis of class “All About Us” data, and practicing coordinate graphing of points and functions. All of this happens in THREE days. By the time we reach Sacramento on Thursday, we’ll be measurement and data specialists!
5th grade:
This week the students continue to gather data and create line plots to help interpret their findings. Students will be asked to complete a series of performance tasks that demonstrate not only their understanding, but the application of these ideas. They will need to explain, reason and justify throughout this process.
Social Studies:
Our Gold Rush Wax Museum projects are under way; the final presentation will be shared with you at Open House! The project has many different components (research essay, informational board, costume, speech, props) and a series of due dates to help students manage their time and accomplish tasks piece by piece. Time in class will be given to work on the project, but students will also need to complete some parts for homework.
Science:
This week students have largely wrapped up their research for their technology presentation on interdependence among organisms. Formatting of factual material, adaptation of notes to bullet point, sentence, or short paragraph style is now a prominent task for students. Likewise, supporting charts, photographs, and illustrations are being included on applicable slides. These presentatiions will definitely have a personal stamp of the partners involved in the project! Of course, the students must never lose sight of the fact that the entire project relates to the interdependence of organisms in various environmnets. As time allows, we will read interesting articles from the science textbook that speak of animal and bird migration, range of tolerance, and the various ecosystems within California as part of Investigation 5 in the Environments unit.
CA Trivia:
Which University of CA campus is the smallest geographically?
May 20- May 24
Mark Your Calendars:
Monday, May 20: Wax Museum Costume and Props Due
Thursday, May 23rd: Sacramento Field Trip. Students are to be at school at 7:00 a.m.
Friday, May 24th: Learning Day (No School)
Monday, May 27: Memorial Day (No School)
Wednesday, May 29th: Open House 7-7:45pm for Rockhoppers!
Friday, May 31st: Spirit Day- Sports Day!
Tuesday, June 11th: Lunch on the Lawn
***** Attention parents! ****
We are in need of parents to help with the following duties in conjunction with our play, "Gold Dust or Bust!" on Thursday, June 6:
-chair takedown after the performance (6-10 people; 10 minute time commitment)
-video person for one dress rehearsal and the night of the performance (1 or 2 people; 2 day time commitment of approximately 1hour each day)
In addition, our parents who have volunteered for props support will be given items by the teachers or backdrop coordinator to purchase, make, or repair depending on our needs. Please make sure to check with us if you have any questions about our props requirements.
Art Help Needed!- Letter from Mrs. Schulze
Hi There,
I'm really looking forward to our art show again this year. Your students have done some amazing work! I love watching the multi-purpose room come to life!
I need your help to find parent volunteers who can help in one or both of the following ways:
Mounting and labeling artwork:
One volunteer from each class who can take artwork home to mount and label for the show. I will need to have it back by Thursday, May 23rd.
Hanging the art show:
Volunteers who can help me hang the art show on our black display boards. Volunteers can drop in and help for any amount of time between 12:15-2:15 on Tues, May 28 and 8-12 on Weds, May 29th.
Please ask parents to email me if available.
Thank you for your help!
Judy Schulze
judy.schulze@gmail.com
CCSS PARENT INFORMATION NIGHT [MATH AND THE COMMON CORE]
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
6:30 – 8:00 p.m.
Lawson Middle School Event Center
10401 Vista Drive
Cupertino, CA 95014
The District will be holding a Parent Information Meeting focused on the Common Core State Standards and mathematical shifts. This is a follow-up to the town hall meetings held in February and is open to all parents in the Cupertino Union School District (videos of the earlier town halls are available at www.cusdk8.org)
The guest speaker for the evening will be Hung-Hsi Wu, a Professor Emeritus of Mathematics at the University of California at Berkeley. He began his mathematics education in 1992 and worked from 1997-2005 with the State of California covering all aspects of mathematics education. Mr. Wu has worked with the National Mathematics Advisory Panel, and the writing team for the Common Core Mathematics Standards. He is currently in the process of completing several textbooks to help with the implementation of the CCSS for middle and high school teachers.
Please RSVP your attendance to https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/cusdccssmath
Curriculum Flash!
Language Arts
As our reading of Bridge to Terabithia takes us closer to the climax of the story, we are using our time to try and understand the depth of the relationship between the two main characters, Jess and Leslie. The primary methods of exploration are discussion and thoughtful reflection shared in our writing. Rockhopper classes will be reading through Chapter 7 this week. Our writer’s workshop time on Friday continues to be divided between display board work and speech preparation in Social Studies and ongoing work on the Interdependence technology project in Science.
Math:
4th grade:
This week we continue to concentrate on completing measurement applications in our Perimeter Park projects, finishing our statistical analysis of class “All About Us” data, and practicing coordinate graphing of points and functions. All of this happens in THREE days. By the time we reach Sacramento on Thursday, we’ll be measurement and data specialists!
5th grade:
This week the students continue to gather data and create line plots to help interpret their findings. Students will be asked to complete a series of performance tasks that demonstrate not only their understanding, but the application of these ideas. They will need to explain, reason and justify throughout this process.
Social Studies:
Our Gold Rush Wax Museum projects are under way; the final presentation will be shared with you at Open House! The project has many different components (research essay, informational board, costume, speech, props) and a series of due dates to help students manage their time and accomplish tasks piece by piece. Time in class will be given to work on the project, but students will also need to complete some parts for homework.
Science:
This week students have largely wrapped up their research for their technology presentation on interdependence among organisms. Formatting of factual material, adaptation of notes to bullet point, sentence, or short paragraph style is now a prominent task for students. Likewise, supporting charts, photographs, and illustrations are being included on applicable slides. These presentatiions will definitely have a personal stamp of the partners involved in the project! Of course, the students must never lose sight of the fact that the entire project relates to the interdependence of organisms in various environmnets. As time allows, we will read interesting articles from the science textbook that speak of animal and bird migration, range of tolerance, and the various ecosystems within California as part of Investigation 5 in the Environments unit.
CA Trivia:
Which University of CA campus is the smallest geographically?
Monday, May 13, 2013
Weekly Reminders 5/13/13
Rockhopper Weekly Reminders
May 13- May 17
Mark Your Calendars:
Monday, May 13th: Gold Rush Essay (final draft) due
Tuesday, May 14th: Lunch on the Lawn
Tuesday, May 14th: 5th Grade Geometry Unit 9 Test
Thursday, May 16th: Wax Museum Speech due
Thursday, May 23rd: Sacramento Field Trip
Friday, May 24th: Learning Day (No School)
Wednesday, May 29th: Open House 7-7:45pm for Rockhoppers!
Art Help Needed!- Letter from Mrs. Schulze
Hi There,
I'm really looking forward to our art show again this year. Your students have done some amazing work! I love watching the multi-purpose room come to life!
I need your help to find parent volunteers who can help in one or both of the following ways:
Mounting and labeling artwork:
One volunteer from each class who can take artwork home to mount and label for the show. I will need to have it back by Thursday, May 23rd.
Hanging the art show:
Volunteers who can help me hang the art show on our black display boards. Volunteers can drop in and help for any amount of time between 12:15-2:15 on Tues, May 28 and 8-12 on Weds, May 29th.
Please ask parents to email me if available.
Thank you for your help!
Judy Schulze
judy.schulze@gmail.com
CCSS PARENT INFORMATION NIGHT [MATH AND THE COMMON CORE]
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
6:30 – 8:00 p.m.
Lawson Middle School Event Center
10401 Vista Drive
Cupertino, CA 95014
The District will be holding a Parent Information Meeting focused on the Common Core State Standards and mathematical shifts. This is a follow-up to the town hall meetings held in February and is open to all parents in the Cupertino Union School District (videos of the earlier town halls are available at www.cusdk8.org)
The guest speaker for the evening will be Hung-Hsi Wu, a Professor Emeritus of Mathematics at the University of California at Berkeley. He began his mathematics education in 1992 and worked from 1997-2005 with the State of California covering all aspects of mathematics education. Mr. Wu has worked with the National Mathematics Advisory Panel, and the writing team for the Common Core Mathematics Standards. He is currently in the process of completing several textbooks to help with the implementation of the CCSS for middle and high school teachers.
Please RSVP your attendance to https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/cusdccssmath
Sacramento Trip- Lunch Order Reminder!
Lunch order forms went home today for all students and chaperones- please place your order and send it back with your student by WEDNESDAY, MAY 15TH!
“Gold Dust or Bust!” Performance Volunteers
We have compiled all returned volunteer forms and we are setting up meetings with those persons interested in coordinating food, backdrop, costumes, and props. If you indicated you were “flexible” about your volunteer job, we have sent you an e-mail invitation to meet with us on Thursday, May 16 at 11:45am. Thursday, May 16 after school (3pm) will be our meeting time for brackdrop, costume, and prop coordinators. When we’ve completed these meetings, coordinators will contact all remaining volunteers to organize our play effort.
Curriculum Flash!
Language Arts
Bridge to Terabithia is the focus for all our language arts work at this moment. We are doing vocabulary work, figurative language reflection, and a variety of response work to the main characters, Jess and Leslie, in the text. We’ll be reading part of the way through Chapter 7 this week as a village. Our writer’s workshop time is being divided between display board work and speech preparation in Social Studies and ongoing work on the Interdependence Keynote project in Science- both are great applications of our writing skills and organizational abilities.
Math:
4th grade:
This week’s central topic is data analysis. On Friday, we had our students go through a series of short survey centers. They added their information to a class set of data that will be turned into graph form by small groups of their classmates. Analysis questions related to the graphed data will also be composed by the small groups and responded to by their fellow students. In our remaining class sessions, we’ll practice the calculation of mean, median, mode, and range for data sets, and we will learn how to use coordinate grids to plot and identify data points AND to graph algebraic functions!
5th grade:
Over the next two weeks, students will gather data and create line plots to help interpret their findings. Students will be asked to complete a series of performance tasks that demonstrate not only their understanding, but the application of these ideas. They will need to explain, reason and justify throughout this process.
Social Studies:
Our Gold Rush Wax Museum projects are under way; the final presentation will be shared with you at Open House! The project has many different components (research essay, informational board, costume, speech, props) and a series of due dates to help students manage their time and accomplish tasks piece by piece. Time in class will be given to work on the project, but students will also need to complete some parts for homework.
Science:
This week students continue to work on their technology project using a presentation application to demonstrate their understanding of the interdependence of organisms in a variety of ecosystems. So far, students have used iPads in our classes to research endangered animals, create food webs using the Popplet app, and label photographs using the Skitch app. I’m sure we’ll see some effective use of the Keynote (or other presentation) application this week as we move onto our laptops to assemble the project. As time allows, we will read interesting articles from the science textbook that speak of animal and bird migration, range of tolerance, and the various ecosystems within California as part of Investigation 5 in the Environments unit.
CA Trivia:
What is the oldest museum in California?
May 13- May 17
Mark Your Calendars:
Monday, May 13th: Gold Rush Essay (final draft) due
Tuesday, May 14th: Lunch on the Lawn
Tuesday, May 14th: 5th Grade Geometry Unit 9 Test
Thursday, May 16th: Wax Museum Speech due
Thursday, May 23rd: Sacramento Field Trip
Friday, May 24th: Learning Day (No School)
Wednesday, May 29th: Open House 7-7:45pm for Rockhoppers!
Art Help Needed!- Letter from Mrs. Schulze
Hi There,
I'm really looking forward to our art show again this year. Your students have done some amazing work! I love watching the multi-purpose room come to life!
I need your help to find parent volunteers who can help in one or both of the following ways:
Mounting and labeling artwork:
One volunteer from each class who can take artwork home to mount and label for the show. I will need to have it back by Thursday, May 23rd.
Hanging the art show:
Volunteers who can help me hang the art show on our black display boards. Volunteers can drop in and help for any amount of time between 12:15-2:15 on Tues, May 28 and 8-12 on Weds, May 29th.
Please ask parents to email me if available.
Thank you for your help!
Judy Schulze
judy.schulze@gmail.com
CCSS PARENT INFORMATION NIGHT [MATH AND THE COMMON CORE]
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
6:30 – 8:00 p.m.
Lawson Middle School Event Center
10401 Vista Drive
Cupertino, CA 95014
The District will be holding a Parent Information Meeting focused on the Common Core State Standards and mathematical shifts. This is a follow-up to the town hall meetings held in February and is open to all parents in the Cupertino Union School District (videos of the earlier town halls are available at www.cusdk8.org)
The guest speaker for the evening will be Hung-Hsi Wu, a Professor Emeritus of Mathematics at the University of California at Berkeley. He began his mathematics education in 1992 and worked from 1997-2005 with the State of California covering all aspects of mathematics education. Mr. Wu has worked with the National Mathematics Advisory Panel, and the writing team for the Common Core Mathematics Standards. He is currently in the process of completing several textbooks to help with the implementation of the CCSS for middle and high school teachers.
Please RSVP your attendance to https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/cusdccssmath
Sacramento Trip- Lunch Order Reminder!
Lunch order forms went home today for all students and chaperones- please place your order and send it back with your student by WEDNESDAY, MAY 15TH!
“Gold Dust or Bust!” Performance Volunteers
We have compiled all returned volunteer forms and we are setting up meetings with those persons interested in coordinating food, backdrop, costumes, and props. If you indicated you were “flexible” about your volunteer job, we have sent you an e-mail invitation to meet with us on Thursday, May 16 at 11:45am. Thursday, May 16 after school (3pm) will be our meeting time for brackdrop, costume, and prop coordinators. When we’ve completed these meetings, coordinators will contact all remaining volunteers to organize our play effort.
Curriculum Flash!
Language Arts
Bridge to Terabithia is the focus for all our language arts work at this moment. We are doing vocabulary work, figurative language reflection, and a variety of response work to the main characters, Jess and Leslie, in the text. We’ll be reading part of the way through Chapter 7 this week as a village. Our writer’s workshop time is being divided between display board work and speech preparation in Social Studies and ongoing work on the Interdependence Keynote project in Science- both are great applications of our writing skills and organizational abilities.
Math:
4th grade:
This week’s central topic is data analysis. On Friday, we had our students go through a series of short survey centers. They added their information to a class set of data that will be turned into graph form by small groups of their classmates. Analysis questions related to the graphed data will also be composed by the small groups and responded to by their fellow students. In our remaining class sessions, we’ll practice the calculation of mean, median, mode, and range for data sets, and we will learn how to use coordinate grids to plot and identify data points AND to graph algebraic functions!
5th grade:
Over the next two weeks, students will gather data and create line plots to help interpret their findings. Students will be asked to complete a series of performance tasks that demonstrate not only their understanding, but the application of these ideas. They will need to explain, reason and justify throughout this process.
Social Studies:
Our Gold Rush Wax Museum projects are under way; the final presentation will be shared with you at Open House! The project has many different components (research essay, informational board, costume, speech, props) and a series of due dates to help students manage their time and accomplish tasks piece by piece. Time in class will be given to work on the project, but students will also need to complete some parts for homework.
Science:
This week students continue to work on their technology project using a presentation application to demonstrate their understanding of the interdependence of organisms in a variety of ecosystems. So far, students have used iPads in our classes to research endangered animals, create food webs using the Popplet app, and label photographs using the Skitch app. I’m sure we’ll see some effective use of the Keynote (or other presentation) application this week as we move onto our laptops to assemble the project. As time allows, we will read interesting articles from the science textbook that speak of animal and bird migration, range of tolerance, and the various ecosystems within California as part of Investigation 5 in the Environments unit.
CA Trivia:
What is the oldest museum in California?
Monday, May 6, 2013
Weekly Reminders 5/6/13
Rockhopper Weekly Reminders
May 6- May 10
Mark Your Calendars:
Wednesday, May 8th: Gold Rush Essay (rough draft) due
Wednesday, May 8th: 5th grade Geometry Test - Unit 8
Monday, May 13th: Gold Rush Essay (final draft) due
Tuesday, May 14th: Lunch on the Lawn
Thursday, May 16th: Wax Museum Speech due
Thursday, May 23rd: Sacramento Field Trip
Friday, May 24th: Learning Day (No School)
Wednesday, May 29th: Open House 7-7:45pm for Rockhoppers!
Thank you to those parents who have offered to volunteer and assist us in some way with our fine arts performance, “Gold Dust or Bust!” If you haven’t returned your form to us, we would appreciate it if you could send it along with your student by tomorrow, Tuesday, May 7. We can then begin to organize our great group of volunteers for the performance on June 6th!
Curriculum Flash!
Language Arts
Bridge to Terabithia remains the central topic in all our work. We are doing vocabulary work, character analysis, and a variety of response work to the situations in the text. We’ll be reading through Chapter 5 this week as a village. Our writer’s workshop time is being divided between informational report work in Social Studies and a new Keynote project in Science- both are great applications of our writing skills and organizational abilities.
Math:
4th grade:
Students are having a great time creating their own Perimeter Park; we are seeing a lot of creative designs! This project will allow us as teachers to see if our students understand customary and metric units of measurement and the calculation of perimeter. We’ll begin statistics and graphing this week, and our classes will be doing data collection, single and double bar graph creation, and statistical analysis of data (mean, median, mode, and range.) We’ll even question each other about graphical data- what can you learn from this graph?
5th grade:
This week students will have fun as they deepen their understanding of geometry and data concepts through a series of performance tasks. Two of the activities include creating a model while comparing surface area to volume and completing a line plot based on data gathered from their classmates. On Wednesday, there will be a geometry test on Unit 8, the measurement and classification of geometric figures.
Social Studies:
Our Gold Rush Wax Museum projects are under way; the final presentation will be shared with you at Open House! The project has many different components (research essay, informational board, costume, speech, props) and a series of due dates to help students manage their time and accomplish tasks piece by piece. Time in class will be given to work on the project, but students will also need to complete some parts for homework.
Science:
This week students will be asked to work on a technology project using a presentation application to demonstrate their understanding of the interdependence of organisms in a variety of ecosystems. They will make slides to show pollination and food webs. Simultaneously, we will also read interesting articles from the science textbook that speak of animal and bird migration, range of tolerance, and the various ecosystems within California.
CA Trivia:
What wealthy Californians were moved by the death of their son to found a university?
May 6- May 10
Mark Your Calendars:
Wednesday, May 8th: Gold Rush Essay (rough draft) due
Wednesday, May 8th: 5th grade Geometry Test - Unit 8
Monday, May 13th: Gold Rush Essay (final draft) due
Tuesday, May 14th: Lunch on the Lawn
Thursday, May 16th: Wax Museum Speech due
Thursday, May 23rd: Sacramento Field Trip
Friday, May 24th: Learning Day (No School)
Wednesday, May 29th: Open House 7-7:45pm for Rockhoppers!
Thank you to those parents who have offered to volunteer and assist us in some way with our fine arts performance, “Gold Dust or Bust!” If you haven’t returned your form to us, we would appreciate it if you could send it along with your student by tomorrow, Tuesday, May 7. We can then begin to organize our great group of volunteers for the performance on June 6th!
Curriculum Flash!
Language Arts
Bridge to Terabithia remains the central topic in all our work. We are doing vocabulary work, character analysis, and a variety of response work to the situations in the text. We’ll be reading through Chapter 5 this week as a village. Our writer’s workshop time is being divided between informational report work in Social Studies and a new Keynote project in Science- both are great applications of our writing skills and organizational abilities.
Math:
4th grade:
Students are having a great time creating their own Perimeter Park; we are seeing a lot of creative designs! This project will allow us as teachers to see if our students understand customary and metric units of measurement and the calculation of perimeter. We’ll begin statistics and graphing this week, and our classes will be doing data collection, single and double bar graph creation, and statistical analysis of data (mean, median, mode, and range.) We’ll even question each other about graphical data- what can you learn from this graph?
5th grade:
This week students will have fun as they deepen their understanding of geometry and data concepts through a series of performance tasks. Two of the activities include creating a model while comparing surface area to volume and completing a line plot based on data gathered from their classmates. On Wednesday, there will be a geometry test on Unit 8, the measurement and classification of geometric figures.
Social Studies:
Our Gold Rush Wax Museum projects are under way; the final presentation will be shared with you at Open House! The project has many different components (research essay, informational board, costume, speech, props) and a series of due dates to help students manage their time and accomplish tasks piece by piece. Time in class will be given to work on the project, but students will also need to complete some parts for homework.
Science:
This week students will be asked to work on a technology project using a presentation application to demonstrate their understanding of the interdependence of organisms in a variety of ecosystems. They will make slides to show pollination and food webs. Simultaneously, we will also read interesting articles from the science textbook that speak of animal and bird migration, range of tolerance, and the various ecosystems within California.
CA Trivia:
What wealthy Californians were moved by the death of their son to found a university?
Monday, April 29, 2013
Weekly Reminders 4/29/13
Rockhopper Weekly Reminders
April 29- May 3
Mark Your Calendars:
April 29th - May 3rd: STAR Testing Week
Thursday, May 2: I-Check Inv. 2
Friday, May 3: I-Check Inv. 3
Friday, May 3: Social Studies Research Due
Thursday, May 23rd: Sacramento Field Trip
Friday, May 24th: Learning Day (No School)
Wednesday, May 29th: Open House 7-7:45pm for Rockhoppers!
*Sacramento T-Shirts: Tell us your size and get a FREE SHIRT!!!
As part of our tour package, each child and adult attending is entitled to a FREE t-shirt to commemorate this event! The sizes available are:
Youth M, L, XL
Adult M – 2XL.
Note: there are a few Adult Small available, but not many. The Youth XL is pretty much the same as an Adult S.
Please let your classroom teacher know what your t-shirt size is (and your parent’s size if they are a chaperone!) by Friday, May 3. We’ll be placing our order at the end of the week. Thank you!
Curriculum Flash!
Language Arts
Rooms 20 & 21:
Due to STAR testing this week, we will only have three class periods of Language Arts. Therefore, our focus will be on Bridge to Terabithia. There is a lot of figurative language in the novel that we are examining closely, and we are also continuing to relate our own lives to the family situations that are presented in this piece of realistic fiction. We’ll be reading through Chapter 4 this week as a village.
Math:
4th grade:
Once again, STAR testing will limit our math meetings this week to three sessions. Our students will finish up customary and metric measurement concepts in Chapter 15 of our textbook during the first two class days. The last day of the week will allow us to test our understanding of measurement concepts and apply them to a fun, challenging task! Our classes will also take a Chapter 15 quiz to conclude the week on Friday covering both customary and metric units of measurement. The emphasis in this chapter is on remembering names and abbreviations of the various units, understanding their application (length vs. weight vs. capacity), and practicing conversion techniques between different units of measurement (centimeters to millimeters, for example.) The application of our measurement abilities will come after the quiz when we create our own “Perimeter Park.” Attending to precision in measurement and calculation will be the overriding theme of the project......along with exciting, individual design!
5th grade:
This week we will teach students how to find the surface area and volume of rectangular prisms, as well as taking a look at three dimensional nets and figures. We’ll analyze and calculate the size of what it is that we see from the top or the sides of these figures.
Social Studies:
Today, we will introduce the Gold Rush Wax Museum project to our students; the final presentation will be shared with you at Open House! The project has many different components (research essay, informational board, costume, speech, props) and a series of due dates to help students manage their time and accomplish tasks piece by piece. Time in class will be given to work on the project, but students will also need to complete some parts for homework. Please be sure to have your child show you the list of guidelines and expectations, which will be handed out today in class.
Science:
Investigation 3 of our Environments unit will wrap up this week for all classes. Aquatic environments have been established and are being observed. We will examine food chains and food webs to conclude this investigation. Assessing understanding with applicable I-Checks or response questions will also occur during the week. Each teacher will be scheduling these assessments with their groups, so check the village calendar for dates to plan supporting reading outside of class to prepare for the open book/note test.
CA Trivia:
What dam backs up four rivers to form the largest manmade lake in the state, a prime water recreation area?
April 29- May 3
Mark Your Calendars:
April 29th - May 3rd: STAR Testing Week
Thursday, May 2: I-Check Inv. 2
Friday, May 3: I-Check Inv. 3
Friday, May 3: Social Studies Research Due
Thursday, May 23rd: Sacramento Field Trip
Friday, May 24th: Learning Day (No School)
Wednesday, May 29th: Open House 7-7:45pm for Rockhoppers!
*Sacramento T-Shirts: Tell us your size and get a FREE SHIRT!!!
As part of our tour package, each child and adult attending is entitled to a FREE t-shirt to commemorate this event! The sizes available are:
Youth M, L, XL
Adult M – 2XL.
Note: there are a few Adult Small available, but not many. The Youth XL is pretty much the same as an Adult S.
Please let your classroom teacher know what your t-shirt size is (and your parent’s size if they are a chaperone!) by Friday, May 3. We’ll be placing our order at the end of the week. Thank you!
Curriculum Flash!
Language Arts
Rooms 20 & 21:
Due to STAR testing this week, we will only have three class periods of Language Arts. Therefore, our focus will be on Bridge to Terabithia. There is a lot of figurative language in the novel that we are examining closely, and we are also continuing to relate our own lives to the family situations that are presented in this piece of realistic fiction. We’ll be reading through Chapter 4 this week as a village.
Math:
4th grade:
Once again, STAR testing will limit our math meetings this week to three sessions. Our students will finish up customary and metric measurement concepts in Chapter 15 of our textbook during the first two class days. The last day of the week will allow us to test our understanding of measurement concepts and apply them to a fun, challenging task! Our classes will also take a Chapter 15 quiz to conclude the week on Friday covering both customary and metric units of measurement. The emphasis in this chapter is on remembering names and abbreviations of the various units, understanding their application (length vs. weight vs. capacity), and practicing conversion techniques between different units of measurement (centimeters to millimeters, for example.) The application of our measurement abilities will come after the quiz when we create our own “Perimeter Park.” Attending to precision in measurement and calculation will be the overriding theme of the project......along with exciting, individual design!
5th grade:
This week we will teach students how to find the surface area and volume of rectangular prisms, as well as taking a look at three dimensional nets and figures. We’ll analyze and calculate the size of what it is that we see from the top or the sides of these figures.
Social Studies:
Today, we will introduce the Gold Rush Wax Museum project to our students; the final presentation will be shared with you at Open House! The project has many different components (research essay, informational board, costume, speech, props) and a series of due dates to help students manage their time and accomplish tasks piece by piece. Time in class will be given to work on the project, but students will also need to complete some parts for homework. Please be sure to have your child show you the list of guidelines and expectations, which will be handed out today in class.
Science:
Investigation 3 of our Environments unit will wrap up this week for all classes. Aquatic environments have been established and are being observed. We will examine food chains and food webs to conclude this investigation. Assessing understanding with applicable I-Checks or response questions will also occur during the week. Each teacher will be scheduling these assessments with their groups, so check the village calendar for dates to plan supporting reading outside of class to prepare for the open book/note test.
CA Trivia:
What dam backs up four rivers to form the largest manmade lake in the state, a prime water recreation area?
Monday, April 22, 2013
Weekly Reminders 4/22/13
Rockhopper Weekly Reminders
April 22-April 26
Mark Your Calendars:
Friday, April 26th: Crazy Sock Day!
April 29th - May 3rd: STAR Testing Week
Thursday, May 23rd: Sacramento Field Trip
Friday, May 24th: Learning Day (No School)
Wednesday, May 29th: Open House
Curriculum Flash!
Language Arts
Rooms 20&21:
All our classes will be starting our last core literature book, Bridge to Terabithia, this week. As a Rockhopper Village, we’ve planned activities to begin our unit that will allow our students to think carefully about the ideas introduced in the novel. The first few chapters are on our reading list for this week.
For our two classrooms, we begin our preparations for our fine arts performance entitled “Gold Dust or Bust!” this week. Our actors will be rehearsing their songs, lines, and start their group planning for choreography. The goal this week will be to become comfortable with song melodies and lyrics.
Math:
4th grade:
As we welcome our math students back, we shift our attention gradually from geometry to measurement concepts. We will review customary and metric measurement terms, practice accurate measurement with appropriate tools, and compare customary and metric measurements of particular items. Toward the end of the week, we will review the geometry terminology we studied prior to the break, and our classes will take a short Geometry Quiz on Friday.
5th grade:
This week we will review some previously learned concepts in geometry and continue to teach the fifth grade standards that involve finding the area of parallelograms, triangles, and complex figures, along with finding the sums of the interior angles of both triangles and quadrilaterals. In addition, we’ll review classifying polygons and solve multi-step problems. Finally, we’ll review of Unit 8. Whew! What a busy first week back!
Social Studies:
Students will wrap up the projects they’ve been working on before break which will serve as closure to our unit on Mexican California. We will segway into The Gold Rush by reading and taking notes.
Science:
Our Environments unit will resume this week for all classes. Investigations 1 & 2 are largely complete at this point, and all classes will be examining aquatic environments and the effect of various organisms on the health of the environment. Depending on the class progress on these investigations, science teachers will assess understanding with applicable I-Checks for the investigations. Each teacher will be scheduling these assessments with their groups.
CA Trivia:
The “Big Four” in CA history refers to whom?
April 22-April 26
Mark Your Calendars:
Friday, April 26th: Crazy Sock Day!
April 29th - May 3rd: STAR Testing Week
Thursday, May 23rd: Sacramento Field Trip
Friday, May 24th: Learning Day (No School)
Wednesday, May 29th: Open House
Curriculum Flash!
Language Arts
Rooms 20&21:
All our classes will be starting our last core literature book, Bridge to Terabithia, this week. As a Rockhopper Village, we’ve planned activities to begin our unit that will allow our students to think carefully about the ideas introduced in the novel. The first few chapters are on our reading list for this week.
For our two classrooms, we begin our preparations for our fine arts performance entitled “Gold Dust or Bust!” this week. Our actors will be rehearsing their songs, lines, and start their group planning for choreography. The goal this week will be to become comfortable with song melodies and lyrics.
Math:
4th grade:
As we welcome our math students back, we shift our attention gradually from geometry to measurement concepts. We will review customary and metric measurement terms, practice accurate measurement with appropriate tools, and compare customary and metric measurements of particular items. Toward the end of the week, we will review the geometry terminology we studied prior to the break, and our classes will take a short Geometry Quiz on Friday.
5th grade:
This week we will review some previously learned concepts in geometry and continue to teach the fifth grade standards that involve finding the area of parallelograms, triangles, and complex figures, along with finding the sums of the interior angles of both triangles and quadrilaterals. In addition, we’ll review classifying polygons and solve multi-step problems. Finally, we’ll review of Unit 8. Whew! What a busy first week back!
Social Studies:
Students will wrap up the projects they’ve been working on before break which will serve as closure to our unit on Mexican California. We will segway into The Gold Rush by reading and taking notes.
Science:
Our Environments unit will resume this week for all classes. Investigations 1 & 2 are largely complete at this point, and all classes will be examining aquatic environments and the effect of various organisms on the health of the environment. Depending on the class progress on these investigations, science teachers will assess understanding with applicable I-Checks for the investigations. Each teacher will be scheduling these assessments with their groups.
CA Trivia:
The “Big Four” in CA history refers to whom?
Monday, April 1, 2013
Weekly Reminders 4/1/13
Rockhopper Weekly Reminders
April 1-April 5
Mark Your Calendars:
Monday, April 1: Rooms 20 & 21 Literature Circles #3
Wednesday, April 3: Rooms 20 & 21 Literature Circles #4
Wednesday, April 3: Field Trip to see “Pocahontas” 10:15 -12:00. Lunch from home needed.
Wednesday, April 3: 5th grade “Dream Bedroom” project due
Thursday, April 4th: Family Science Night
Friday, April 5th: Report cards go home
April 8th-19th: Spring Break!
Monday, April 22nd: School resumes
Do You Love Science?
On Thursday, April 4, our school will be holding our annual Family Science Night! This is a terrific way to spend an evening with family and friends doing something you really love - SCIENCE! Please check the Portal website, or the attached .pdf document if you’re reading this Reminder in your e-mail, for all the details.
Curriculum Flash!
Language Arts
Our classes are wrapping up our second group of Literature Circle sessions this week. The discussions have been lively, thought-provoking, and often humorous! Students have been able to work on their oral language skills and respond to literature at the same time; it’s been a great use of our time. A new oral component of our curriculum comes into play this week as well- our Room 20 & 21 fine arts performance entitled “Gold Dust or Bust!” We are conducting auditions during every spare language art class moment, along with some lunch sessions thrown in for good measure. Every student will end up with an important role in our play, whether it be a lead character, small group ensemble member, or masters of ceremony for the evening. Strong voices, singing ability, and acting are what we’re looking for- ask your son or daughter for their impressions of their audition!
Math:
4th grade:
Geometry Takes Shape! Our classes our immersed in plane geometry concepts this week. We’re wrapping up any questions our classes have about geometric shapes, symmetry, and congruence, and we’re moving along into the calculation of area and perimeter as the week draws to a close. As always, we’ll be using our Problem of the Day work to revisit concepts, check for understanding of current ideas, and examine expressions of mathematical reasoning.
5th grade:
This week we will strengthen students’ understanding of the relationship between fractions, decimals and percents. Students will continue to work on their math menu projects and we have the Level 2 Placement Test on Thursday. We will also be providing an optional packet of 5th grade math skills for students work on over the next several weeks.
Social Studies:
Students are continuing to work on their project of creating a diseno, reata, and typing up a narrative of rancho life experiences. Please have your child tell you more about the three parts of the project!
Science:
Our Environments unit continues with additional observation of our terrariums, including data acquisition related to plant growth. We will also debate and implement any changes necessary to our terrarium environment like more/less water, removal of the sealed lid, additional lighting, etc. As the week goes on, our classes will also test variations in conditions that would impact our other living organisms- beetles and isopods. Soil condition (wet v. dry) and lighting are factors that may influence beetle and isopod behavior. Finally, some of us have already introduced our third type of environment- aquariums. Ask your student about their class; we’re all covering the same material, but our schedules are a bit different at this moment!
CA Trivia:
In addition to the panning and hydraulic mining methods, what was another gold-mining technique?
April 1-April 5
Mark Your Calendars:
Monday, April 1: Rooms 20 & 21 Literature Circles #3
Wednesday, April 3: Rooms 20 & 21 Literature Circles #4
Wednesday, April 3: Field Trip to see “Pocahontas” 10:15 -12:00. Lunch from home needed.
Wednesday, April 3: 5th grade “Dream Bedroom” project due
Thursday, April 4th: Family Science Night
Friday, April 5th: Report cards go home
April 8th-19th: Spring Break!
Monday, April 22nd: School resumes
Do You Love Science?
On Thursday, April 4, our school will be holding our annual Family Science Night! This is a terrific way to spend an evening with family and friends doing something you really love - SCIENCE! Please check the Portal website, or the attached .pdf document if you’re reading this Reminder in your e-mail, for all the details.
Curriculum Flash!
Language Arts
Our classes are wrapping up our second group of Literature Circle sessions this week. The discussions have been lively, thought-provoking, and often humorous! Students have been able to work on their oral language skills and respond to literature at the same time; it’s been a great use of our time. A new oral component of our curriculum comes into play this week as well- our Room 20 & 21 fine arts performance entitled “Gold Dust or Bust!” We are conducting auditions during every spare language art class moment, along with some lunch sessions thrown in for good measure. Every student will end up with an important role in our play, whether it be a lead character, small group ensemble member, or masters of ceremony for the evening. Strong voices, singing ability, and acting are what we’re looking for- ask your son or daughter for their impressions of their audition!
Math:
4th grade:
Geometry Takes Shape! Our classes our immersed in plane geometry concepts this week. We’re wrapping up any questions our classes have about geometric shapes, symmetry, and congruence, and we’re moving along into the calculation of area and perimeter as the week draws to a close. As always, we’ll be using our Problem of the Day work to revisit concepts, check for understanding of current ideas, and examine expressions of mathematical reasoning.
5th grade:
This week we will strengthen students’ understanding of the relationship between fractions, decimals and percents. Students will continue to work on their math menu projects and we have the Level 2 Placement Test on Thursday. We will also be providing an optional packet of 5th grade math skills for students work on over the next several weeks.
Social Studies:
Students are continuing to work on their project of creating a diseno, reata, and typing up a narrative of rancho life experiences. Please have your child tell you more about the three parts of the project!
Science:
Our Environments unit continues with additional observation of our terrariums, including data acquisition related to plant growth. We will also debate and implement any changes necessary to our terrarium environment like more/less water, removal of the sealed lid, additional lighting, etc. As the week goes on, our classes will also test variations in conditions that would impact our other living organisms- beetles and isopods. Soil condition (wet v. dry) and lighting are factors that may influence beetle and isopod behavior. Finally, some of us have already introduced our third type of environment- aquariums. Ask your student about their class; we’re all covering the same material, but our schedules are a bit different at this moment!
CA Trivia:
In addition to the panning and hydraulic mining methods, what was another gold-mining technique?
Monday, March 25, 2013
Rockhopper Weekly Reminders
March 25-March 29
Mark Your Calendars:
Monday, March 25th-Friday, March 29th: Parent Conferences: Dismissal at 12:30 each day!
Monday, March 25 : Rooms 20 & 21 Literature Circles #1
Wednesday, March 27 : Rooms 20 & 21 Literature Circles #2
Thursday, March 28: Vocabulary Test: By the Great Horn Spoon
Thursday, March 28th: Miller Middle School Parent Info. Night @ 6:00 p.m.
Friday, March 29th: Spirit Day: Ribbons or Pins Day
Monday, April 1: Rooms 20 & 21 Literature Circles #3
Wednesday, April 3: Rooms 20 & 21 Literature Circles #4
Wednesday, April 3: 5th grade “Dream Bedroom” project due
Thursday, April 4th: Family Science Night
Friday, April 5th: Report cards go home
April 8th-19th: Spring Break!
Monday, April 22nd: School resumes
Do You Love Science?
On Thursday, April 4, our school will be holding our annual Family Science Night! This is a terrific way to spend an evening with family and friends doing something you really love - SCIENCE! Please check the Portal website, or the attached .pdf document if you’re reading this Reminder in your e-mail, for all the details.
Curriculum Flash!
Language Arts
This week our focus is on literature. Students have been given new literature circle books to review and study. Over the next two weeks, students will gather four times to share thoughts, ask questions and make connections to what they’ve read. They made a great start today- be prepared for Wednesday, students! On Thursday, students will take a brief 10 word vocabulary test of selected words from By the Great Horn Spoon. As time allows, we’ll continue revising and editing our finished drafts of other writing.
Math:
4th grade:
Geometry Rules! Our classes continue this week with plane geometry concepts of bilateral symmetry, rotational symmetry, and congruence. We’ve created geometry posters over the last week with key ideas to display proudly at home, and we’ll attempt to add even more information this week! The two-dimensional world is really taking shape. For our Friday session, we’ll get some initial practice with the measurement of angles using appropriate tools, and we’ll also spend some time exploring triangle construction and the Triangle Inequality Theorem.
5th grade:
In the coming week, our focus will be on division, using two-digit divisors, larger dividends, and decimals in divisors and dividends. We will also see the relationship between fractions, decimals, and percentages. We’ll also have Decimal Math Menu activities for students to work on throughout the week.
Social Studies:
We are moving on to our next unit, which focuses on Mexican California; the transition from missions to life on a rancho. Students will create a diseno, reata, and type up a narrative of rancho life experiences in the next couple of weeks.
Science:
Our Environments unit begins this week with Investigation 1: Terrestrial Environments. Our classes will be setting up terrariums with a variety of living and nonliving components. We’ll record our setup using a map and key, observe and record changes to the environment over time, and measure volume and length of certain components in the environment using metric tools. While our sessions are limited during conferences, we still plan on making the most of our science time together!
CA Trivia:
Who turned from unsuccessful gold mining to candy making during the Gold Rush?
March 25-March 29
Mark Your Calendars:
Monday, March 25th-Friday, March 29th: Parent Conferences: Dismissal at 12:30 each day!
Monday, March 25 : Rooms 20 & 21 Literature Circles #1
Wednesday, March 27 : Rooms 20 & 21 Literature Circles #2
Thursday, March 28: Vocabulary Test: By the Great Horn Spoon
Thursday, March 28th: Miller Middle School Parent Info. Night @ 6:00 p.m.
Friday, March 29th: Spirit Day: Ribbons or Pins Day
Monday, April 1: Rooms 20 & 21 Literature Circles #3
Wednesday, April 3: Rooms 20 & 21 Literature Circles #4
Wednesday, April 3: 5th grade “Dream Bedroom” project due
Thursday, April 4th: Family Science Night
Friday, April 5th: Report cards go home
April 8th-19th: Spring Break!
Monday, April 22nd: School resumes
Do You Love Science?
On Thursday, April 4, our school will be holding our annual Family Science Night! This is a terrific way to spend an evening with family and friends doing something you really love - SCIENCE! Please check the Portal website, or the attached .pdf document if you’re reading this Reminder in your e-mail, for all the details.
Curriculum Flash!
Language Arts
This week our focus is on literature. Students have been given new literature circle books to review and study. Over the next two weeks, students will gather four times to share thoughts, ask questions and make connections to what they’ve read. They made a great start today- be prepared for Wednesday, students! On Thursday, students will take a brief 10 word vocabulary test of selected words from By the Great Horn Spoon. As time allows, we’ll continue revising and editing our finished drafts of other writing.
Math:
4th grade:
Geometry Rules! Our classes continue this week with plane geometry concepts of bilateral symmetry, rotational symmetry, and congruence. We’ve created geometry posters over the last week with key ideas to display proudly at home, and we’ll attempt to add even more information this week! The two-dimensional world is really taking shape. For our Friday session, we’ll get some initial practice with the measurement of angles using appropriate tools, and we’ll also spend some time exploring triangle construction and the Triangle Inequality Theorem.
5th grade:
In the coming week, our focus will be on division, using two-digit divisors, larger dividends, and decimals in divisors and dividends. We will also see the relationship between fractions, decimals, and percentages. We’ll also have Decimal Math Menu activities for students to work on throughout the week.
Social Studies:
We are moving on to our next unit, which focuses on Mexican California; the transition from missions to life on a rancho. Students will create a diseno, reata, and type up a narrative of rancho life experiences in the next couple of weeks.
Science:
Our Environments unit begins this week with Investigation 1: Terrestrial Environments. Our classes will be setting up terrariums with a variety of living and nonliving components. We’ll record our setup using a map and key, observe and record changes to the environment over time, and measure volume and length of certain components in the environment using metric tools. While our sessions are limited during conferences, we still plan on making the most of our science time together!
CA Trivia:
Who turned from unsuccessful gold mining to candy making during the Gold Rush?
Monday, March 18, 2013
Weekly Reminders 3/18/13
Rockhopper Weekly Reminders
March 18-March 22
Mark Your Calendars:
Thursday, March 21st - Friday, March 29th: Parent Conferences: Dismissal at 12:30 each day!
Thursday, March 21st: 5th Grade Level 1 Math Placement Test
Monday, March 25: Lit. Circle Day 1
Wednesday, March 27: Lit. Circle Day 2
Thursday, March 28th: Miller Middle School Parent Info. Night @ 6:00 p.m.
Friday, March 29th: Spirit Day: Ribbons or Pins Day
Monday, April 1: Lit. Circle Day 3
Wednesday, April 3: Lit. Circle Day 4
Wednesday, April 3: 5th grade “Design a Bedroom” project due
Thursday, April 4th: Family Science Night
Friday, April 5th: Report cards go home
April 8th-19th: Spring Break!
Monday, April 22nd: School resumes
Volunteer Opportunity - Literature Circles!
It’s once again time for our famous “Literature Circle” discussions! To make this activity successful we need parent volunteers to help out in class for about an hour twice a week for two weeks. Last session we had a wonderful turnout of parents and we think they were the best literature circles we’ve had in a long time. As a parent volunteer, your job is to listen to children discuss what they have read and let us know how they’re participating in the discussion session. It’s easy and a great deal of fun - that’s what the parents who volunteer tell us! The dates and times are listed below. Please do let us know as soon as possible, via email, if you can help out. A complete direction sheet will then be sent home for you to review.
Literature Circle Dates:
Monday- 3/25, Wednesday- 3/27, Monday- 4/1, Wednesday, 4/3
All times are from 8:00 - approximately 9:00.
Curriculum Flash!
Language Arts:
We have some fun projects planned over the next two weeks as we wrap up By the Great Horn Spoon and move into our shortened days of conferencing As we revisit the major themes of the book, students will be reviewing vocabulary, writing the final entries in their perspective journals, and completing a “One-Pager” open response to share their reflections of the novel.
A wide selection of award-winning, thought-provoking picture books have been chosen in which to continue our practice of the various writing formats within the fourth and fifth grade standards. As fifth graders reach towards mastery of these structures and fourth graders sharpen their understanding and developing skills, all students continue to write within these various styles to strengthen their mechanics, sentence structure, vocabulary, and voice.
We teachers are looking forward to meeting with you to share your child’s progress in the Language Arts as we look ahead and set new goals for the final few months of the school year.
Math:
4th grade:
Welcome to Geometry! Our classes shift their attention this week to plane geometry concepts like points, lines, line segments, rays and angles, polygons, quadrilaterals, circles, and bilateral symmetry. Each person will create their own geometry poster with these key ideas to display proudly in their rooms at home! This way, visions of equilateral triangles and rhombuses will dance in their heads as our students sleep peacefully each night. Well, that’s our hope anyway! For those of us working in small groups on our Click, Clack, Moo algebra explanations, we’ll take on another challenge problem and complete our work on Friday.
5th grade:
We will continue learning about and seeking real life examples of decimals. We focus on both the operations and application of decimals in real life problem-solving. We look forward to witnessing student creativity in the Decimal Menu projects. Please note the new due date of April 3 for the “Design a Bedroom” project.
5th Grade Math Placement Test:The Level 1 placement test for the fifth graders will be administered on Thursday, March 21st. Students should feel confident with their skills in the strands they have learned. They may review the 4th grade geometry concepts learned last year to re-familiarize themselves with the vocabulary. It is important that students realize that this test is designed to place them in the correct level of math so that they will be successful in the upcoming year.
Students will be given more placement tests throughout middle school. The Level 2 placement test will be given on Thursday, April 4th. This test generally tests students’ proficiency in the sixth grade math standards. The middle school counselors and teachers will work with students and parents concerning all placement issues in the fall.
Social Studies:
We are moving on to our next unit, which focuses on Mexican California; the transition from missions to life on a rancho. Students will create a diseno, reata, and type up a narrative of rancho life experiences in the next couple of weeks.
Science:
Students will be finishing up their 2 minute oral presentations of our Electricity and Magnetism investigations this week. They are sharing the purpose of the investigation, the materials used in the presentation, the procedure for the investigation (including a look at the actual investigation setup), and the lesson learned from the investigation. These oral presentations should be available for viewing during the technology portion of our conferences beginning on March 21 for most classes. If time allows, we’ll also begin our preliminary discussions for our Environments unit.
CA Trivia:
What is the insect that takes four generations to migrate from Canada through CA to Mexico and back?
March 18-March 22
Mark Your Calendars:
Thursday, March 21st - Friday, March 29th: Parent Conferences: Dismissal at 12:30 each day!
Thursday, March 21st: 5th Grade Level 1 Math Placement Test
Monday, March 25: Lit. Circle Day 1
Wednesday, March 27: Lit. Circle Day 2
Thursday, March 28th: Miller Middle School Parent Info. Night @ 6:00 p.m.
Friday, March 29th: Spirit Day: Ribbons or Pins Day
Monday, April 1: Lit. Circle Day 3
Wednesday, April 3: Lit. Circle Day 4
Wednesday, April 3: 5th grade “Design a Bedroom” project due
Thursday, April 4th: Family Science Night
Friday, April 5th: Report cards go home
April 8th-19th: Spring Break!
Monday, April 22nd: School resumes
Volunteer Opportunity - Literature Circles!
It’s once again time for our famous “Literature Circle” discussions! To make this activity successful we need parent volunteers to help out in class for about an hour twice a week for two weeks. Last session we had a wonderful turnout of parents and we think they were the best literature circles we’ve had in a long time. As a parent volunteer, your job is to listen to children discuss what they have read and let us know how they’re participating in the discussion session. It’s easy and a great deal of fun - that’s what the parents who volunteer tell us! The dates and times are listed below. Please do let us know as soon as possible, via email, if you can help out. A complete direction sheet will then be sent home for you to review.
Literature Circle Dates:
Monday- 3/25, Wednesday- 3/27, Monday- 4/1, Wednesday, 4/3
All times are from 8:00 - approximately 9:00.
Curriculum Flash!
Language Arts:
We have some fun projects planned over the next two weeks as we wrap up By the Great Horn Spoon and move into our shortened days of conferencing As we revisit the major themes of the book, students will be reviewing vocabulary, writing the final entries in their perspective journals, and completing a “One-Pager” open response to share their reflections of the novel.
A wide selection of award-winning, thought-provoking picture books have been chosen in which to continue our practice of the various writing formats within the fourth and fifth grade standards. As fifth graders reach towards mastery of these structures and fourth graders sharpen their understanding and developing skills, all students continue to write within these various styles to strengthen their mechanics, sentence structure, vocabulary, and voice.
We teachers are looking forward to meeting with you to share your child’s progress in the Language Arts as we look ahead and set new goals for the final few months of the school year.
Math:
4th grade:
Welcome to Geometry! Our classes shift their attention this week to plane geometry concepts like points, lines, line segments, rays and angles, polygons, quadrilaterals, circles, and bilateral symmetry. Each person will create their own geometry poster with these key ideas to display proudly in their rooms at home! This way, visions of equilateral triangles and rhombuses will dance in their heads as our students sleep peacefully each night. Well, that’s our hope anyway! For those of us working in small groups on our Click, Clack, Moo algebra explanations, we’ll take on another challenge problem and complete our work on Friday.
5th grade:
We will continue learning about and seeking real life examples of decimals. We focus on both the operations and application of decimals in real life problem-solving. We look forward to witnessing student creativity in the Decimal Menu projects. Please note the new due date of April 3 for the “Design a Bedroom” project.
5th Grade Math Placement Test:The Level 1 placement test for the fifth graders will be administered on Thursday, March 21st. Students should feel confident with their skills in the strands they have learned. They may review the 4th grade geometry concepts learned last year to re-familiarize themselves with the vocabulary. It is important that students realize that this test is designed to place them in the correct level of math so that they will be successful in the upcoming year.
Students will be given more placement tests throughout middle school. The Level 2 placement test will be given on Thursday, April 4th. This test generally tests students’ proficiency in the sixth grade math standards. The middle school counselors and teachers will work with students and parents concerning all placement issues in the fall.
Social Studies:
We are moving on to our next unit, which focuses on Mexican California; the transition from missions to life on a rancho. Students will create a diseno, reata, and type up a narrative of rancho life experiences in the next couple of weeks.
Science:
Students will be finishing up their 2 minute oral presentations of our Electricity and Magnetism investigations this week. They are sharing the purpose of the investigation, the materials used in the presentation, the procedure for the investigation (including a look at the actual investigation setup), and the lesson learned from the investigation. These oral presentations should be available for viewing during the technology portion of our conferences beginning on March 21 for most classes. If time allows, we’ll also begin our preliminary discussions for our Environments unit.
CA Trivia:
What is the insect that takes four generations to migrate from Canada through CA to Mexico and back?
Monday, March 11, 2013
Weekly Reminders 3/11/13
Rockhopper Weekly Reminders
March 11- March 15
Mark Your Calendars:
Monday, March 11th: Start of 3rd trimester!
Thursday, March 14th: CA Missions Test
Thursday, March 21st: 5th Grade Level 1 Math Placement Test
Thursday, March 21st - Friday, March 29th: Parent Conferences: Dismissal at 12:30 each day!
Thursday, March 28th: Miller Middle School Parent Info. Night @ 6:00 p.m.
Friday, March 29th: Spirit Day: Ribbons or Pins Day
Portal Enrichment Program (PEP): The final date for enrollment in our fabulous enrichment program has arrived. During the April break, students enrolled in our PEP program are offered a wide variety of interesting and fun classes to help “enrich” their lives. If your family will not be traveling during the April break, you may want to consider this opportunity. The firm deadline for registration is TODAY- March 11!
Curriculum Flash!
Language Arts:
We have some fun projects planned over the next two weeks as we wrap up By the Great Horn Spoon and move into our shortened days of conferencing As we revisit the major themes of the book, students will be reviewing vocabulary, writing the final entries in their perspective journals, and completing a “One-Pager” open response to share their reflections of the novel.
A wide selection of award-winning, thought-provoking picture books have been chosen in which to continue our practice of the various writing formats within the fourth and fifth grade standards. As fifth graders reach towards mastery of these structures and fourth graders sharpen their understanding and developing skills, all students continue to write within these various styles to strengthen their mechanics, sentence structure, vocabulary, and voice.
We teachers are looking forward to meeting with you to share your child’s progress in the Language Arts as we look ahead and set new goals for the final few months of the school year.
Math:
4th grade: Algebra wraps up for our 4th grade mathematicians this week. We’ll be emphasizing the ability to interpret data in function tables; we’ll express our understanding of visible patterns in data with algebraic expressions and equations. We will also apply algebraic expressions and equations to complete data sets. Our week will finish with a short quiz to assess our understanding and a fun interactive reading/math experience on Friday. Hint: Farm animals, typewriters, and electric blankets may enter into the picture- don’t miss it!
5th grade:
We are currently learning about decimals. In addition to refreshing our addition, subtraction, multiplication and division skills, students will be creating a variety of decimal based projects from a “menu”. Some examples of projects might be to create a keynote presentation on how to solve decimal problems, to look for examples of decimals in the real world, or to create a crossword puzzle where all of the answers are found by solving decimal problems. We will also introduce the “Dream Bedroom” Project. Students will work within a budget to create a three dimensional model bedroom and write a persuasive essay as to why their bedroom is the best choice for both parents and children to “purchase”.
5th Grade Math Placement Test: The Level 1 placement test for the fifth graders will be administered on Thursday, March 21st. Students should feel confident with their skills in the strands they have learned. They may review the 4th grade geometry concepts learned last year to re-familiarize themselves with the vocabulary. It is important that students are not stressed over this test since this is a placement test, and will be used only to place students in the appropriate math classes. Students will be given more placement tests throughout middle school. The Level 2 placement test is generally given to those students who pass the Level 1 test. At Portal, all students take the second placement test, which will be given on Thursday, April 4th. This test generally tests students’ proficiency in the sixth grade math standards.
The placement of students in math classes is determined and communicated to you by the middle schools. It is the responsibility of the middle schools to share the testing information and students will learn about their placement in August when the sixth grade students receive their middle school schedules. Per the District rules, there will be no challenge test for incoming sixth grade students. The middle school counselors and teachers will work with students and parents concerning all placement issues in the fall.
Social Studies:
Students should be reviewing all information on the study guide that was sent home in preparation for the Missions test, which they will take on Thursday. In class, we will play Jeopardy to test our knowledge and understanding of the material. Our next unit will focus on Mexican California; the transition from missions to life on a rancho. Students will create a related project in the coming weeks.
Science:
This week in science is a unique opportunity for students to review their understanding of the concepts presented during our Electricity & Magnetism investigations. We’ll be using these investigations as the basis for oral presentations that will be saved in a video format using iPads as our recording device. Students will be giving a 2 minute recap of the purpose of the investigation, the materials used in the presentation, the procedure for the investigation (including a look at the actual investigation setup), and the lesson learned from the investigation. These oral presentations should be available for viewing during the technology portion of our conferences later in the month.
CA Trivia:
Campers and hikers might encounter which kind of bear in the wild regions of CA?
March 11- March 15
Mark Your Calendars:
Monday, March 11th: Start of 3rd trimester!
Thursday, March 14th: CA Missions Test
Thursday, March 21st: 5th Grade Level 1 Math Placement Test
Thursday, March 21st - Friday, March 29th: Parent Conferences: Dismissal at 12:30 each day!
Thursday, March 28th: Miller Middle School Parent Info. Night @ 6:00 p.m.
Friday, March 29th: Spirit Day: Ribbons or Pins Day
Portal Enrichment Program (PEP): The final date for enrollment in our fabulous enrichment program has arrived. During the April break, students enrolled in our PEP program are offered a wide variety of interesting and fun classes to help “enrich” their lives. If your family will not be traveling during the April break, you may want to consider this opportunity. The firm deadline for registration is TODAY- March 11!
Curriculum Flash!
Language Arts:
We have some fun projects planned over the next two weeks as we wrap up By the Great Horn Spoon and move into our shortened days of conferencing As we revisit the major themes of the book, students will be reviewing vocabulary, writing the final entries in their perspective journals, and completing a “One-Pager” open response to share their reflections of the novel.
A wide selection of award-winning, thought-provoking picture books have been chosen in which to continue our practice of the various writing formats within the fourth and fifth grade standards. As fifth graders reach towards mastery of these structures and fourth graders sharpen their understanding and developing skills, all students continue to write within these various styles to strengthen their mechanics, sentence structure, vocabulary, and voice.
We teachers are looking forward to meeting with you to share your child’s progress in the Language Arts as we look ahead and set new goals for the final few months of the school year.
Math:
4th grade: Algebra wraps up for our 4th grade mathematicians this week. We’ll be emphasizing the ability to interpret data in function tables; we’ll express our understanding of visible patterns in data with algebraic expressions and equations. We will also apply algebraic expressions and equations to complete data sets. Our week will finish with a short quiz to assess our understanding and a fun interactive reading/math experience on Friday. Hint: Farm animals, typewriters, and electric blankets may enter into the picture- don’t miss it!
5th grade:
We are currently learning about decimals. In addition to refreshing our addition, subtraction, multiplication and division skills, students will be creating a variety of decimal based projects from a “menu”. Some examples of projects might be to create a keynote presentation on how to solve decimal problems, to look for examples of decimals in the real world, or to create a crossword puzzle where all of the answers are found by solving decimal problems. We will also introduce the “Dream Bedroom” Project. Students will work within a budget to create a three dimensional model bedroom and write a persuasive essay as to why their bedroom is the best choice for both parents and children to “purchase”.
5th Grade Math Placement Test: The Level 1 placement test for the fifth graders will be administered on Thursday, March 21st. Students should feel confident with their skills in the strands they have learned. They may review the 4th grade geometry concepts learned last year to re-familiarize themselves with the vocabulary. It is important that students are not stressed over this test since this is a placement test, and will be used only to place students in the appropriate math classes. Students will be given more placement tests throughout middle school. The Level 2 placement test is generally given to those students who pass the Level 1 test. At Portal, all students take the second placement test, which will be given on Thursday, April 4th. This test generally tests students’ proficiency in the sixth grade math standards.
The placement of students in math classes is determined and communicated to you by the middle schools. It is the responsibility of the middle schools to share the testing information and students will learn about their placement in August when the sixth grade students receive their middle school schedules. Per the District rules, there will be no challenge test for incoming sixth grade students. The middle school counselors and teachers will work with students and parents concerning all placement issues in the fall.
Social Studies:
Students should be reviewing all information on the study guide that was sent home in preparation for the Missions test, which they will take on Thursday. In class, we will play Jeopardy to test our knowledge and understanding of the material. Our next unit will focus on Mexican California; the transition from missions to life on a rancho. Students will create a related project in the coming weeks.
Science:
This week in science is a unique opportunity for students to review their understanding of the concepts presented during our Electricity & Magnetism investigations. We’ll be using these investigations as the basis for oral presentations that will be saved in a video format using iPads as our recording device. Students will be giving a 2 minute recap of the purpose of the investigation, the materials used in the presentation, the procedure for the investigation (including a look at the actual investigation setup), and the lesson learned from the investigation. These oral presentations should be available for viewing during the technology portion of our conferences later in the month.
CA Trivia:
Campers and hikers might encounter which kind of bear in the wild regions of CA?
Monday, March 4, 2013
Weekly Reminders 3/4/13
Rockhopper Weekly Reminders
March 4-March 8
Mark Your Calendars:
Tuesday, March 5th: 4th Grade STAR Writing Test, and 5th Grade District Persuasive Writing Test
Tuesday, March 5th: Cupertino Middle School Parent Info. Night from 6:30-8:00 p.m.
Wednesday, March 6th: 5th grade math test on multiplication and division of fractions
Thursday, March 7th: Science Final test in Electricity and Magnetism
Friday, March 8th: Reading Contract Due!
Friday, March 8th: End of 2nd Trimester
Thursday, March 14th: CA Missions Test
Writing Test Reminder: Please have students come tomorrow with a reading book in case they finish testing early. (No e-books of any kind allowed during this time. Thank you.)
Portal Enrichment Program (PEP): The date for enrollment in our fabulous enrichment program is once again approaching. During the April break, students enrolled in our PEP program are offered a wide variety of interesting and fun classes to help “enrich” their lives. If your family will not be traveling during the April break, you may want to consider this opportunity. The complete information and registration form are attached. The firm deadline for registration is March 11.
A School Volunteer Request:
Dear Parents,
Is there anyone who is available who could help our school with the morning duty in front of the office from 7:45-8:00 every morning? We have been staffing the area with parent helpers and Rockhopper student carhops recently. We are looking for one or two parents who can share this job during the week. We need parents for this week, the week of March 11, and the week of March 18. It’s a very easy job; please take a look at the requirements below:
· Arrive at 7:45
· Wear a vest
· Direct cars to move all the way forward before stopping
· Help students exit their cars
· Enjoy the smiles and good morning greetings
Please let us know by e-mail if you would be willing to perform this valuable service for our student community. You will receive a follow-up e-mail from our office reminding you of your volunteer duty for the week you request. Thank you in advance for your consideration!
Curriculum Flash!
Language Arts:
This week the language arts periods are shortened for two reasons: the two different Writing Tests and the Middle School Counselor’s visit to our school. Despite the shortened time, the fourth grade students will have a chance to review expository writing versus narrative writing, while the fifth grade students will practice their art of persuasive writing. Please know that the persuasive writing test is a formative test, and is meant to guide our teaching. We will conclude the book By the Great Horn Spoon with the remaining two chapters and choose some interesting vocabulary to study. Although we will finish reading the book, there are numerous activities that we will pursue in the following week/s.
Math:
4th grade: As we wrap up our conceptual exploration of algebraic functions using “Red Fences and Green Gates,” we begin studying Chapter 8 with an emphasis on algebraic vocabulary and showing specific steps to isolate and solve for the unknown variable.
5th grade:
Students had a blast using pattern blocks to demonstrate division of fractions and videotaping examples of these on ipads. Next week, they will practice more word problems and will be prepared for the unit test on multiplication and division of fractions. We will also start the decimals unit and teach a lesson on scale drawing in order to prepare them for the upcoming “Designing a Bedroom” project.
5th Grade Math Placement Test: The Level 1 placement test for the fifth graders will be administered on Thursday, March 21st. Students should feel confident with their skills in the strands we have learned. They may review the 4th grade geometry concepts learned last year to re-familiarize themselves with the vocabulary. It is important that students are not stressed over this test since this is a placement test, and will be used only to place students in the appropriate math classes. Students will be given more placement tests throughout middle school. The Level 2 placement test is generally given to those students who pass the Level 1 test. At Portal, all students take the second placement test, which will be given on Thursday, April 4th. This test generally tests students’ proficiency in the sixth grade math standards.
The placement of students in math classes is determined and communicated to you by the middle schools. It is the responsibility of the middle schools to share the testing information and students will learn about their placement in August when the sixth grade students receive their middle school schedules. Per the District rules, there will be no challenge test for incoming sixth grade students. The middle school counselors and teachers will work with students and parents concerning all placement issues in the fall.
Social Studies:
We continue our exploration this week of the establishment of California missions. Students are wrapping up various stages of activities that deepen and enrich their learning that include character poetry, mission watercolors, and California mission “trading cards” created by using a new and exciting app on our iPads! Towards the end of the week, we will be beginning to prepare for a social studies assessment of the information children have retained throughout this unit.
Science:
Our investigatory work with electricity and magnetism draws to a close in the next couple of weeks. This week, we will finish working with the telegraphs we’ve created by sending messages to one another over long distance lines! We’ll get a real taste of high technology communication circa 1861! Our classes will forego the Performance Assessment in Investigation 5 in favor of the unit’s Post Test. Teachers will review the unit content on Wednesday, students will have their final chance to reread unit materials and study guides Wednesday night, and on Thursday, we’ll take the closed book/note Electricity & Magnetism Post Test.
CA Trivia:
The grizzly bear, now extinct in CA, shares its space on the state seal with whom?
March 4-March 8
Mark Your Calendars:
Tuesday, March 5th: 4th Grade STAR Writing Test, and 5th Grade District Persuasive Writing Test
Tuesday, March 5th: Cupertino Middle School Parent Info. Night from 6:30-8:00 p.m.
Wednesday, March 6th: 5th grade math test on multiplication and division of fractions
Thursday, March 7th: Science Final test in Electricity and Magnetism
Friday, March 8th: Reading Contract Due!
Friday, March 8th: End of 2nd Trimester
Thursday, March 14th: CA Missions Test
Writing Test Reminder: Please have students come tomorrow with a reading book in case they finish testing early. (No e-books of any kind allowed during this time. Thank you.)
Portal Enrichment Program (PEP): The date for enrollment in our fabulous enrichment program is once again approaching. During the April break, students enrolled in our PEP program are offered a wide variety of interesting and fun classes to help “enrich” their lives. If your family will not be traveling during the April break, you may want to consider this opportunity. The complete information and registration form are attached. The firm deadline for registration is March 11.
A School Volunteer Request:
Dear Parents,
Is there anyone who is available who could help our school with the morning duty in front of the office from 7:45-8:00 every morning? We have been staffing the area with parent helpers and Rockhopper student carhops recently. We are looking for one or two parents who can share this job during the week. We need parents for this week, the week of March 11, and the week of March 18. It’s a very easy job; please take a look at the requirements below:
· Arrive at 7:45
· Wear a vest
· Direct cars to move all the way forward before stopping
· Help students exit their cars
· Enjoy the smiles and good morning greetings
Please let us know by e-mail if you would be willing to perform this valuable service for our student community. You will receive a follow-up e-mail from our office reminding you of your volunteer duty for the week you request. Thank you in advance for your consideration!
Curriculum Flash!
Language Arts:
This week the language arts periods are shortened for two reasons: the two different Writing Tests and the Middle School Counselor’s visit to our school. Despite the shortened time, the fourth grade students will have a chance to review expository writing versus narrative writing, while the fifth grade students will practice their art of persuasive writing. Please know that the persuasive writing test is a formative test, and is meant to guide our teaching. We will conclude the book By the Great Horn Spoon with the remaining two chapters and choose some interesting vocabulary to study. Although we will finish reading the book, there are numerous activities that we will pursue in the following week/s.
Math:
4th grade: As we wrap up our conceptual exploration of algebraic functions using “Red Fences and Green Gates,” we begin studying Chapter 8 with an emphasis on algebraic vocabulary and showing specific steps to isolate and solve for the unknown variable.
5th grade:
Students had a blast using pattern blocks to demonstrate division of fractions and videotaping examples of these on ipads. Next week, they will practice more word problems and will be prepared for the unit test on multiplication and division of fractions. We will also start the decimals unit and teach a lesson on scale drawing in order to prepare them for the upcoming “Designing a Bedroom” project.
5th Grade Math Placement Test: The Level 1 placement test for the fifth graders will be administered on Thursday, March 21st. Students should feel confident with their skills in the strands we have learned. They may review the 4th grade geometry concepts learned last year to re-familiarize themselves with the vocabulary. It is important that students are not stressed over this test since this is a placement test, and will be used only to place students in the appropriate math classes. Students will be given more placement tests throughout middle school. The Level 2 placement test is generally given to those students who pass the Level 1 test. At Portal, all students take the second placement test, which will be given on Thursday, April 4th. This test generally tests students’ proficiency in the sixth grade math standards.
The placement of students in math classes is determined and communicated to you by the middle schools. It is the responsibility of the middle schools to share the testing information and students will learn about their placement in August when the sixth grade students receive their middle school schedules. Per the District rules, there will be no challenge test for incoming sixth grade students. The middle school counselors and teachers will work with students and parents concerning all placement issues in the fall.
Social Studies:
We continue our exploration this week of the establishment of California missions. Students are wrapping up various stages of activities that deepen and enrich their learning that include character poetry, mission watercolors, and California mission “trading cards” created by using a new and exciting app on our iPads! Towards the end of the week, we will be beginning to prepare for a social studies assessment of the information children have retained throughout this unit.
Science:
Our investigatory work with electricity and magnetism draws to a close in the next couple of weeks. This week, we will finish working with the telegraphs we’ve created by sending messages to one another over long distance lines! We’ll get a real taste of high technology communication circa 1861! Our classes will forego the Performance Assessment in Investigation 5 in favor of the unit’s Post Test. Teachers will review the unit content on Wednesday, students will have their final chance to reread unit materials and study guides Wednesday night, and on Thursday, we’ll take the closed book/note Electricity & Magnetism Post Test.
CA Trivia:
The grizzly bear, now extinct in CA, shares its space on the state seal with whom?
Monday, February 25, 2013
Weekly Reminders 2/25/13
Rockhopper Weekly Reminders
February 25 - March 1
Mark Your Calendars:
Wednesday, February 27th: I-Check, Investigation 4
Thursday, February 28th: Band Performance
Friday, March 1st: 4th grade Decimals Test
Tuesday, March 5th: 4th Grade STAR Writing Test, and 5th Grade District Persuasive Writing Test
Wednesday, March 6th: 5th grade math test on multiplication and division of fractions
Thursday, March 7th: Science Final test in Electricity and Magnetism
Friday, March 8th: Reading Contract Due!
Friday, March 8th: End of 2nd Trimester
Curriculum Flash!
Language Arts:
This week we begin our study of the art of persuasion! Though we know that our students are skilled in this area (we are sure parents have first-hand experience too), students will be learning the formal structure of a persuasive essay. In learning to construct intelligent and sophisticated arguments, we will study an issue and decide where we “stand” on it, consider our audience as writers, provide evidence in support of our cause, and address our opponents counter-argument or concerns.
Fair warning to all parents: More friendly “persuasion” of various topics may ensue at home as a result of this training here at school ( :
Teacher suggestions: Have your child put it in writing!
Math:
4th grade: We will wrap up our unit on decimals this week and check our understanding; there will be a test on Friday. Students should review material from chapters 19 & 20 to prepare for the exam. The test will follow the same format as our last one; students will need to come up with a solution and explain their thinking. Moving forward in math, students will explore algebraic patterns and formulas using pattern blocks in an activity called “Red Fences and Green Gates.” Please ask your child to share their insights with you as they make discoveries in math!
5th grade: This week we continue to explore division of fractions. Our activities center around the students’ ability to communicate their understanding of the use of reciprocals when dividing fractions. They will use models, language, and manipulatives to explain their ideas. Students will be assessed on Wednesday, March 6th, on their ability to multiply and divide fractions using word problems, where they will be asked to show all work, and explain their thinking.
Social Studies:
This week we continue our studies of the establishment of California missions. Students are all involved in various stages of activities that deepen and enrich their learning. Students are currently engaged in multi-media activities that include character poetry, mission watercolors, and California mission “trading cards” created by using a new and exciting app on our ipads!
Science:
During the initial part of the week, students will review Investigation 4 pertaining to electromagnets. They will take the I-Check on Investigation 4 on Wednesday. We will then begin the next Investigation (5) entitled “Click It”, in which students will have the opportunity to re-invent the telegraph! Unfortunately, there will not be enough time to complete all portions of this investigation, since it is the end of the trimester next week. This also means that we will not assess the students solely on this investigation. On Thursday, March 7th, students will take a test on the entire Electricity and Magnetism unit. There will be review exercises in class to allow students to gain a greater understanding of difficult concepts prior to the test. This will also be our only closed book/note test for the unit. As teachers of this difficult unit, we are satisfied with the effort and knowledge students have demonstrated during the Electricity and Magnetism unit.
CA Trivia:
What was the name of the road linking the early Spanish missions, presidios, and pueblos from San Diego to Santa Clara?
February 25 - March 1
Mark Your Calendars:
Wednesday, February 27th: I-Check, Investigation 4
Thursday, February 28th: Band Performance
Friday, March 1st: 4th grade Decimals Test
Tuesday, March 5th: 4th Grade STAR Writing Test, and 5th Grade District Persuasive Writing Test
Wednesday, March 6th: 5th grade math test on multiplication and division of fractions
Thursday, March 7th: Science Final test in Electricity and Magnetism
Friday, March 8th: Reading Contract Due!
Friday, March 8th: End of 2nd Trimester
Curriculum Flash!
Language Arts:
This week we begin our study of the art of persuasion! Though we know that our students are skilled in this area (we are sure parents have first-hand experience too), students will be learning the formal structure of a persuasive essay. In learning to construct intelligent and sophisticated arguments, we will study an issue and decide where we “stand” on it, consider our audience as writers, provide evidence in support of our cause, and address our opponents counter-argument or concerns.
Fair warning to all parents: More friendly “persuasion” of various topics may ensue at home as a result of this training here at school ( :
Teacher suggestions: Have your child put it in writing!
Math:
4th grade: We will wrap up our unit on decimals this week and check our understanding; there will be a test on Friday. Students should review material from chapters 19 & 20 to prepare for the exam. The test will follow the same format as our last one; students will need to come up with a solution and explain their thinking. Moving forward in math, students will explore algebraic patterns and formulas using pattern blocks in an activity called “Red Fences and Green Gates.” Please ask your child to share their insights with you as they make discoveries in math!
5th grade: This week we continue to explore division of fractions. Our activities center around the students’ ability to communicate their understanding of the use of reciprocals when dividing fractions. They will use models, language, and manipulatives to explain their ideas. Students will be assessed on Wednesday, March 6th, on their ability to multiply and divide fractions using word problems, where they will be asked to show all work, and explain their thinking.
Social Studies:
This week we continue our studies of the establishment of California missions. Students are all involved in various stages of activities that deepen and enrich their learning. Students are currently engaged in multi-media activities that include character poetry, mission watercolors, and California mission “trading cards” created by using a new and exciting app on our ipads!
Science:
During the initial part of the week, students will review Investigation 4 pertaining to electromagnets. They will take the I-Check on Investigation 4 on Wednesday. We will then begin the next Investigation (5) entitled “Click It”, in which students will have the opportunity to re-invent the telegraph! Unfortunately, there will not be enough time to complete all portions of this investigation, since it is the end of the trimester next week. This also means that we will not assess the students solely on this investigation. On Thursday, March 7th, students will take a test on the entire Electricity and Magnetism unit. There will be review exercises in class to allow students to gain a greater understanding of difficult concepts prior to the test. This will also be our only closed book/note test for the unit. As teachers of this difficult unit, we are satisfied with the effort and knowledge students have demonstrated during the Electricity and Magnetism unit.
CA Trivia:
What was the name of the road linking the early Spanish missions, presidios, and pueblos from San Diego to Santa Clara?
Monday, February 11, 2013
Weekly Reminders 2/11/13
Rockhopper Weekly Reminders
February 11- February 15
Mark Your Calendars:
Wednesday, February 13th: 5th grade “Multiplication of Fractions” Test
Friday, February 15th: Explorer Quiz in Social Studies
Friday, February 15th: Red, White, & Blue Spirit Day!
February 18th-22nd: Mid-Year Break (No School)
Monday, February 25th: School resumes
Wednesday, February 27th: I-Check, Investigation 4
Thursday, February 28th: Band Performance
Thursday, March 7th: Science Final test in Electricity and Magnetism
Friday, March 8th: Reading Contract Due!
Friday, March 8th: End of 2nd Trimester
Curriculum Flash!
Language Arts:
We make our way into Gold Rush country in Chapters 11-13 of the core literature book By the Great Horn Spoon. We’ll be making visual dictionaries of unique vocabulary of the era, we’ll differentiate between subject vocabulary in a great sorting activity, we’ll check our comprehension with probing questions about Chapter 8-11, we’ll look at and label a ship design similar to the boat featured in our reading, and we’ll continue with our perspective journals. Also, figurative language in the book in all its forms will continue to be on our radar as we read further in the text. Finally, our Friday afternoons are currently devoted to crafting our own responses to literature after receiving guidance and instruction on the necessary elements of a response.
Math:
4th grade: Onward with decimals this week, as we continue studying the conversion of fraction to decimal equivalents, ordering by value, rounding and adding and subtracting decimals. For those of you who like to review at home the supporting book materials, we’ll be focusing on Chapter 20, Lessons 1-5 during our class sessions. At the end of the week, we will apply our developing skills and challenge our thinking by practicing the process of problem-solving by working backwards! Each of us will then attempt to create our own “backward problem-solving” riddle ( :
5th grade: This week we continue with multiplication of fractions. We’ll continue to use real life examples and performance tasks to deepen students understanding of the concepts. Students will have a test on multiplication of fractions on Wednesday, and then on Thursday, we will begin using models to demonstrate how to divide fractions.
Social Studies:
Explorer Quiz Friday!!
Be sure to review your Explorers Chart and Explorer Cards!
These next few weeks of Social Studies will be dedicated to our studies of the establishment of California missions. To share their new learning, students will be engaged in multi-media activities that include character poetry, mission watercolors, and California mission “trading cards” that we will be creating using a new and exciting app on our iPads!
Science:
Our sessions of science class this week are devoted to the completion of Investigation 4: Current Attractions. Monday and Wednesday will be devoted to further work with electromagnets and the scientific method of experimentation- Part 2 of the investigation involves the testing of one design variable, the number of winds of wire on the steel rivet core. Thursday we’ll work on Part 4, which is an opportunity to investigate the effect of several other potential variable changes. We’ll have a Response Question to complete this week as well to apply our understanding of the investigation concepts, and we’ll continue to read the supporting articles in the text after we complete our hands-on work. When we return from our February break, our classes will have an I-Check on Investigation 4 on Wednesday, February 27th.
CA Trivia:
At which mission was the altar painted by an American sailor who had jumped ship?
February 11- February 15
Mark Your Calendars:
Wednesday, February 13th: 5th grade “Multiplication of Fractions” Test
Friday, February 15th: Explorer Quiz in Social Studies
Friday, February 15th: Red, White, & Blue Spirit Day!
February 18th-22nd: Mid-Year Break (No School)
Monday, February 25th: School resumes
Wednesday, February 27th: I-Check, Investigation 4
Thursday, February 28th: Band Performance
Thursday, March 7th: Science Final test in Electricity and Magnetism
Friday, March 8th: Reading Contract Due!
Friday, March 8th: End of 2nd Trimester
Curriculum Flash!
Language Arts:
We make our way into Gold Rush country in Chapters 11-13 of the core literature book By the Great Horn Spoon. We’ll be making visual dictionaries of unique vocabulary of the era, we’ll differentiate between subject vocabulary in a great sorting activity, we’ll check our comprehension with probing questions about Chapter 8-11, we’ll look at and label a ship design similar to the boat featured in our reading, and we’ll continue with our perspective journals. Also, figurative language in the book in all its forms will continue to be on our radar as we read further in the text. Finally, our Friday afternoons are currently devoted to crafting our own responses to literature after receiving guidance and instruction on the necessary elements of a response.
Math:
4th grade: Onward with decimals this week, as we continue studying the conversion of fraction to decimal equivalents, ordering by value, rounding and adding and subtracting decimals. For those of you who like to review at home the supporting book materials, we’ll be focusing on Chapter 20, Lessons 1-5 during our class sessions. At the end of the week, we will apply our developing skills and challenge our thinking by practicing the process of problem-solving by working backwards! Each of us will then attempt to create our own “backward problem-solving” riddle ( :
5th grade: This week we continue with multiplication of fractions. We’ll continue to use real life examples and performance tasks to deepen students understanding of the concepts. Students will have a test on multiplication of fractions on Wednesday, and then on Thursday, we will begin using models to demonstrate how to divide fractions.
Social Studies:
Explorer Quiz Friday!!
Be sure to review your Explorers Chart and Explorer Cards!
These next few weeks of Social Studies will be dedicated to our studies of the establishment of California missions. To share their new learning, students will be engaged in multi-media activities that include character poetry, mission watercolors, and California mission “trading cards” that we will be creating using a new and exciting app on our iPads!
Science:
Our sessions of science class this week are devoted to the completion of Investigation 4: Current Attractions. Monday and Wednesday will be devoted to further work with electromagnets and the scientific method of experimentation- Part 2 of the investigation involves the testing of one design variable, the number of winds of wire on the steel rivet core. Thursday we’ll work on Part 4, which is an opportunity to investigate the effect of several other potential variable changes. We’ll have a Response Question to complete this week as well to apply our understanding of the investigation concepts, and we’ll continue to read the supporting articles in the text after we complete our hands-on work. When we return from our February break, our classes will have an I-Check on Investigation 4 on Wednesday, February 27th.
CA Trivia:
At which mission was the altar painted by an American sailor who had jumped ship?
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Weekly Reminders 1/28/13
Rockhopper Weekly Reminders
January 28- February 1
Mark Your Calendars:
Monday, January 28th: Author Visit- Mac Barnett
Monday, January 28th: 4th grade test on fractions
Tuesday, January 29: Career Day
Thursday, January 31st: Science Investigation 3 Quiz
Friday, February 1st: 5th Grade Fraction Test
Monday, February 4th: Learning Day (No School)
Saturday, February 9th: Tree Planting 9:00-12:00
Cicero’s Pizza Night:
Take a break from cooking and help our school too!!
PSCO is sponsoring a Cicero's Pizza Days Fundraiser on January 28, 29, and 30th from 11am to 9:30pm. 15% of all purchases will be donated back to our school. Please bring the coupon being sent home with your student on your grade level day. The coupon is also on the school website, click on "Parents" then click on "Community Letters"
Monday, Jan. 28th: K/1
Tuesday, Jan. 29th: 4/5
Wednesday, Jan. 30th: 2/3
Cicero's is located at 6138 Bollinger Rd. San Jose (408) 777-0690 Fax(408) 777-0698
Hope to see you there!
Curriculum Flash!
Language Arts:
Two subjects are occupying the majority of our time right now: the core literature book By the Great Horn Spoon and formal responses to literature. We’ll be reading Chapters 6-8 in the book this week, and our activities will revolve around these pages. For example, we’ll be making journal entries from the perspective of one of the main characters, Praiseworthy or Jack, that will reflect the character’s thoughts, moods, and feelings as the story unfolds. In addition, there will be useful vocabulary drawn from the book that our students will learn to use for themselves. Also, the wonderful figurative language of the book in all its forms will give us the chance to think about simile, hyperbole, onomatopeia, and the benefits of these elements in our own written work. Finally, our Friday afternoons are currently devoted to learning the components of a proper response to literature. All classes are reading fiction books that are leading us into discussions of theme, character, personal connections to text, and plot summarization. From our whole group work, we will eventually craft our own responses to literature in weeks to come.
Writer’s Workshop on Friday afternoons also resumes its prominent place in our planning. We’ll start developing our formal response to literature skills during this block of time. Focus areas initially will be discussion of themes in different short stories, chapters, or Gold Rush era picture books, description of character traits, setting details, and beginning plot elements. Personal connections to situations in literature will be necessary to incorporate into effective responses as well.
Math:
4th grade: Question: What is a fraction that is not actually called a fraction? Answer: It’s a decimal! This week, we’ll be solidifying our understanding of fractional concepts as we move into hands-on work with decimals. For those of you who like to review the supporting book materials, we’ll be focusing on Chapter 19, Lessons 1-3 during our class sessions. Please feel free to pre-read these lessons to improve your background knowledge and understanding of decimal expressions of fractional amounts.
5th grade: This week we will add and subtract fractions and mixed numbers by learning to rename whole numbers, using models and number lines. We will give a comprehensive assessment on Friday on all concepts that lead to the understanding of addition and subtraction of fractions and mixed numbers.
Social Studies:
These next few weeks of Social Studies will be dedicated to our studies of the establishment of California missions. To share their new learning, students will be engaged in multi-media activities that include character poetry, mission watercolors, and California mission “trading cards” that we will be creating using a new and exciting app on our ipads!
Rooms 19 and 24 have begun to prepare for their March performance of California Missions and More! The play showcases brief moments in California’s history that range from early explorers, missions, and ranchos to the early days of statehood! Stay tuned for invitations to attend and test your, what will be by then, “background knowledge” of our Social Studies curriculum thus far ( :
Science:
We have only two sessions of science class this week. We’ll be wrapping up our review of Investigation 3 and assessing understanding (open book/open note format) using I-Check: Investigation 3. If time allows, we’ll begin the next investigation on Thursday.
Our students have read the supporting articles in our text for our investigation, and they have study guides as well, so Monday and Tuesday evenings are great times to reread the articles, review their investigation writeups, and ask their science teacher clarifying questions if needed (we’re available).
CA Trivia:
What are the five cities that served as temporary capitals of CA between 1850 and 1854?
January 28- February 1
Mark Your Calendars:
Monday, January 28th: Author Visit- Mac Barnett
Monday, January 28th: 4th grade test on fractions
Tuesday, January 29: Career Day
Thursday, January 31st: Science Investigation 3 Quiz
Friday, February 1st: 5th Grade Fraction Test
Monday, February 4th: Learning Day (No School)
Saturday, February 9th: Tree Planting 9:00-12:00
Cicero’s Pizza Night:
Take a break from cooking and help our school too!!
PSCO is sponsoring a Cicero's Pizza Days Fundraiser on January 28, 29, and 30th from 11am to 9:30pm. 15% of all purchases will be donated back to our school. Please bring the coupon being sent home with your student on your grade level day. The coupon is also on the school website, click on "Parents" then click on "Community Letters"
Monday, Jan. 28th: K/1
Tuesday, Jan. 29th: 4/5
Wednesday, Jan. 30th: 2/3
Cicero's is located at 6138 Bollinger Rd. San Jose (408) 777-0690 Fax(408) 777-0698
Hope to see you there!
Curriculum Flash!
Language Arts:
Two subjects are occupying the majority of our time right now: the core literature book By the Great Horn Spoon and formal responses to literature. We’ll be reading Chapters 6-8 in the book this week, and our activities will revolve around these pages. For example, we’ll be making journal entries from the perspective of one of the main characters, Praiseworthy or Jack, that will reflect the character’s thoughts, moods, and feelings as the story unfolds. In addition, there will be useful vocabulary drawn from the book that our students will learn to use for themselves. Also, the wonderful figurative language of the book in all its forms will give us the chance to think about simile, hyperbole, onomatopeia, and the benefits of these elements in our own written work. Finally, our Friday afternoons are currently devoted to learning the components of a proper response to literature. All classes are reading fiction books that are leading us into discussions of theme, character, personal connections to text, and plot summarization. From our whole group work, we will eventually craft our own responses to literature in weeks to come.
Writer’s Workshop on Friday afternoons also resumes its prominent place in our planning. We’ll start developing our formal response to literature skills during this block of time. Focus areas initially will be discussion of themes in different short stories, chapters, or Gold Rush era picture books, description of character traits, setting details, and beginning plot elements. Personal connections to situations in literature will be necessary to incorporate into effective responses as well.
Math:
4th grade: Question: What is a fraction that is not actually called a fraction? Answer: It’s a decimal! This week, we’ll be solidifying our understanding of fractional concepts as we move into hands-on work with decimals. For those of you who like to review the supporting book materials, we’ll be focusing on Chapter 19, Lessons 1-3 during our class sessions. Please feel free to pre-read these lessons to improve your background knowledge and understanding of decimal expressions of fractional amounts.
5th grade: This week we will add and subtract fractions and mixed numbers by learning to rename whole numbers, using models and number lines. We will give a comprehensive assessment on Friday on all concepts that lead to the understanding of addition and subtraction of fractions and mixed numbers.
Social Studies:
These next few weeks of Social Studies will be dedicated to our studies of the establishment of California missions. To share their new learning, students will be engaged in multi-media activities that include character poetry, mission watercolors, and California mission “trading cards” that we will be creating using a new and exciting app on our ipads!
Rooms 19 and 24 have begun to prepare for their March performance of California Missions and More! The play showcases brief moments in California’s history that range from early explorers, missions, and ranchos to the early days of statehood! Stay tuned for invitations to attend and test your, what will be by then, “background knowledge” of our Social Studies curriculum thus far ( :
Science:
We have only two sessions of science class this week. We’ll be wrapping up our review of Investigation 3 and assessing understanding (open book/open note format) using I-Check: Investigation 3. If time allows, we’ll begin the next investigation on Thursday.
Our students have read the supporting articles in our text for our investigation, and they have study guides as well, so Monday and Tuesday evenings are great times to reread the articles, review their investigation writeups, and ask their science teacher clarifying questions if needed (we’re available).
CA Trivia:
What are the five cities that served as temporary capitals of CA between 1850 and 1854?
Monday, January 14, 2013
Weekly Reminders 1/14/13
Rockhopper Weekly Reminders
January 14-18
Mark Your Calendars:
Monday, January 21st: Martin Luther King Jr. Day (No School)
Wednesday, January 23rd: PSCO Meeting at 6:30 p.m.
Friday, January 25th: Spirit Day- Twin Day!
Curriculum Flash!
Language Arts:
Our current core literature book is By the Great Horn Spoon, by Sid Fleischman. We’ll be doing a number of large and small activities designed to tie together the ideas presented in the book. Center activities range from Google Earth exploration of sea routes to figurative language study in our novel and other Gold Rush poetry to vocabulary development based on chapter content. We’ll also be keeping a journal of the story developments from the perspective of one of the main characters- Praiseworthy or Jack. In addition, there will be a peer response writing task tied into the opening themes of the book.
Writer’s Workshop on Friday afternoons also resumes its prominent place in our planning. We’ll start developing our formal response to literature skills during this block of time. Focus areas initially will be discussion of themes in different short stories, chapters, or Gold Rush era picture books, description of character traits, setting details, and beginning plot elements. Personal connections to situations in literature will be necessary to incorporate into effective responses as well.
Math:
4th grade: Fractions, fractions, fractions! The world of fractions contains many interrelated mini-concepts including determining equivalency, finding the lowest common denominator, reducing to simplest form, and comparing and ordering values. We continue this week using manipulatives to understand the formulas associated with these concepts. Parents, please ask your child to model for you the many skills they are building in fractions this week!
5th grade: This week, students will transfer the conceptual information that they’ve learned about equivalent fractions from the concrete to the abstract. Students will be adding, subtracting, and comparing fractions with unlike denominators and completing a beautiful fraction quilt.
Social Studies:
Our new unit studying early explorers continues this week with the first European settlers and the study of presidios, missions, and pueblos. Students will be sketching a galleon to be showcased on our classroom walls. We are excited to make the historical connection between the voyages of early California explorers and those who traveled later in search of gold. Our very first chapter of By the Great Horn Spoon! introduces the main characters as stowaways traveling from Boston, around the tip of Cape Horn, headed towards California’s Gold Rush!
Science:
This week our classes use their basic knowledge of circuitry to explore more advanced connections. We’ll begin the week by building a variety of series circuits, and we’ll do trouble-shooting related to this type of circuit as well. Schematic diagrams will be used to record the types of circuits that we create. After reviewing the results of this past week’s I-Check on Wednesday, the students will have an opportunity to build parallel circuits on Thursday. We compare series and parallel circuits at this point, and we’ll think about the potential applications of each type of circuit in the world around us. As always, the textbook readings are primarily used to reinforce our hands-on learning and to expose our students more formally to the vocabulary and descriptive language of circuit design.
CA Trivia:
What object found a place on the CA state flag in 1911 with a grizzly bear?
January 14-18
Mark Your Calendars:
Monday, January 21st: Martin Luther King Jr. Day (No School)
Wednesday, January 23rd: PSCO Meeting at 6:30 p.m.
Friday, January 25th: Spirit Day- Twin Day!
Curriculum Flash!
Language Arts:
Our current core literature book is By the Great Horn Spoon, by Sid Fleischman. We’ll be doing a number of large and small activities designed to tie together the ideas presented in the book. Center activities range from Google Earth exploration of sea routes to figurative language study in our novel and other Gold Rush poetry to vocabulary development based on chapter content. We’ll also be keeping a journal of the story developments from the perspective of one of the main characters- Praiseworthy or Jack. In addition, there will be a peer response writing task tied into the opening themes of the book.
Writer’s Workshop on Friday afternoons also resumes its prominent place in our planning. We’ll start developing our formal response to literature skills during this block of time. Focus areas initially will be discussion of themes in different short stories, chapters, or Gold Rush era picture books, description of character traits, setting details, and beginning plot elements. Personal connections to situations in literature will be necessary to incorporate into effective responses as well.
Math:
4th grade: Fractions, fractions, fractions! The world of fractions contains many interrelated mini-concepts including determining equivalency, finding the lowest common denominator, reducing to simplest form, and comparing and ordering values. We continue this week using manipulatives to understand the formulas associated with these concepts. Parents, please ask your child to model for you the many skills they are building in fractions this week!
5th grade: This week, students will transfer the conceptual information that they’ve learned about equivalent fractions from the concrete to the abstract. Students will be adding, subtracting, and comparing fractions with unlike denominators and completing a beautiful fraction quilt.
Social Studies:
Our new unit studying early explorers continues this week with the first European settlers and the study of presidios, missions, and pueblos. Students will be sketching a galleon to be showcased on our classroom walls. We are excited to make the historical connection between the voyages of early California explorers and those who traveled later in search of gold. Our very first chapter of By the Great Horn Spoon! introduces the main characters as stowaways traveling from Boston, around the tip of Cape Horn, headed towards California’s Gold Rush!
Science:
This week our classes use their basic knowledge of circuitry to explore more advanced connections. We’ll begin the week by building a variety of series circuits, and we’ll do trouble-shooting related to this type of circuit as well. Schematic diagrams will be used to record the types of circuits that we create. After reviewing the results of this past week’s I-Check on Wednesday, the students will have an opportunity to build parallel circuits on Thursday. We compare series and parallel circuits at this point, and we’ll think about the potential applications of each type of circuit in the world around us. As always, the textbook readings are primarily used to reinforce our hands-on learning and to expose our students more formally to the vocabulary and descriptive language of circuit design.
CA Trivia:
What object found a place on the CA state flag in 1911 with a grizzly bear?
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