November 18th - 22nd, 2013

No blog, reaction sheet or homework over our Thanksgiving holiday break! ONLY READING MINUTES WILL BE REQUIRED!   Enjoy.

Report cards will be sent home on Friday, November 15^th. Please sign and return the outside envelope.

• Grandparents Day:  Friday, November 22^th. Students will be working on a special computer presentation  in our classroom and plan to share these with their guests on Grandparent’s day. Students are encouraged to dress up on this day in order to represent our school and show respect to our guests.

• Thanksgiving Holiday:  No school November 25th - 29th.

1.  Math:  Students need to log onto think central and work through a math lesson that I reloaded for them.   Here are the steps:

a.  google search think central

b.  click on think central math

c.  fill out the log in sheet with Colorado, Jefferson Dist R-1 Golden, 80401, Van Arsdale,

d.  Log in:  first intial last name:  bsmith

e. passwork:  va first name:  vabill

     

2.  President Writing:  On Monday our new class president will present information about their life, family members, passions, hobbies, and two stories they want to share.  Student will take two column notes on the new president.  Then by Friday, November 15th each student in our class will:

a. turn their notes into a rough draft.

b.  Revise their notes (add, change, take out to improve writing)

c. edit their drafts.  (correct spelling and punctuation)

d.  write a final polished copy to be turned in on Friday.

All of these steps are to be done at home, each week, except the note taking.

We've have modeled and worked through two president pieces and one is graded and in this weeks Friday Folder with a rubric.

3. 

• 2. Turkey writing:

  This Turkey Needs Dressing!  On Monday students will receive a turkey copied on card stock.  Cut out the Turkey, use scraps of cloth, paper, foil, glitter, and your imagination for a spiffy he or she.  Be sure to name him or her and then write a story about your terrific turkey. Your dressed turkey, and turkey story are due Wednesday, November 20th. Remember to use a circle and flee map to focus your thinking before you write.  These maps will be due with your turkey.

November 11 - 15th, 2013

• Thank you for all the donations of highlighters and gel pens!  We have put every single item to go use during our Writer's Workshop.  We are now collecting sticky notes for marking text  during reading. I have asked the office for extra supplies of sticky notes and they were able to give me a few, however, if you don't mind donating these items, we would all appreciate it!

No blog or homework over our Thanksgiving holiday break!  Enjoy.

Report cards will be sent home on Friday, November 15^th. Please sign and return the outside envelope.

• Grandparents Day:  Friday, November 22^th. Students will be working on a special computer presentation  in our classroom and plan to share these with their guests on Grandparent’s day. Students are encouraged to dress up on this day in order to represent our school and show respect to our guests.

• Thanksgiving Holiday:  No school November 25th - 29th.

• Writing:  Thank you for having conversations with your son/daughter regarding the writing they have completed in the classroom and at home.  I have included these graded writing pieces in their Friday folders. I was pleased to see so many students are using strong descriptive words, had a clear beginning, middle, and end to their writing, and took the time to edit and revise.  These are all strategies we are working on in class.

1.  President Writing:  On Monday our new class president will present information about their life, family members, passions, hobbies, and two stories they want to share.  Student will take two column notes on the new president.  Then by Friday, November 15th each student in our class will:

a. turn their notes into a rough draft.

b.  Revise their notes (add, change, take out to improve writing)

c. edit their drafts.  (correct spelling and punctuation)

d.  write a final polished copy to be turned in on Friday.

All of these steps are to be done at home, each week, except the note taking.

We've have modeled and worked through two president pieces and one is graded and in this weeks Friday Folder with a rubric.

2. 

• 2. Turkey writing:

  This Turkey Needs Dressing!  On Monday students will receive a turkey copied on card stock.  Cut out the Turkey, use scraps of cloth, paper, foil, glitter, and your imagination for a spiffy he or she.  Be sure to name him or her and then write a story about your terrific turkey. Your dressed turkey, and turkey story are due Wednesday, November 20th. Remember to use a circle and flee map to focus your thinking before you write.  These maps will be due with your turkey.

 

November 4th - 8th, 2013

• Thank you to all the parent helpers and contributors to our fall party.  What a wonderful afternoon of games, crafts, parade, and food. Thank you for spoiling us.

        Needed:  highlighter markers!   Students are noticing and highlighting rich language and strong vocabulary in text and many don't have the tools to do this with.  I'm happy to share, but many highlight markers are running out of ink. We would greatly appreciate any and all donations.

• Hearing and vision: November 6^th.
• Report Cards: November 15th.
• Comp Day, no school:  November 25th.
• Thanksgiving Break November 26-29th.

Multiplication pacman

Here is the link to Mega Math.  Feel free to continue exploring the sight!

Focus on the multiplication games.  The better you know your facts, the easier daily math will be for you!  

MEGA MATH

The multiplication topics are in The Number Games

1.  Math:  Students will continue to bring home math pages to complete from their math homework book. These pages need to be completed and turned in the next day.  Keeping up with this important work supports the learning we are doing in class.

2.  We've been working on writing and showing our thinking in Math.  Please read the example below and then complete a math writing on the problem given. This is due Friday, November 2nd.

Example Problem #1

Mary is crazy about books! She has a bookshelf in her room with 7 shelves. Each shelf holds 46 books. How many books does Mary have in her "library" altogether?

Example of Math writing to the above problem:

     To solve this problem I knew I needed to multiply because I saw the clue words altogether, each, and how many. Then I multiplied 6 x 7 = 42 then I mulitplied 40 x 7 = 280. Then I knew to add zero to equal 280. Next, I added to 280 + 42 = 322. That is how I got the answer 322. That's how I know Mary has 322 books on her shelf.

                                         40         6

                                       x  7     x  7

                                      ____    ____

                                       280  +   42   =   322  books

#2 Your problem:

      Sally collected sea shells each morning for a week while she was visiting her grandmother.  By the end of the week she had collected 5 buckets of shells. In each bucket she had 42 shells.  How many shells does Sally have altogether?



(Use the following sentence stems to complete problem number 2):


     To solve this problem I knew I needed to_______________. I knew this because__________________________________________________.
First,____________________________________________________.
Then,____________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________.
Finally,___________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________.
The final answer to the problem is________________________________
_________________________________________________________.

Show your math work:

                                          

October 28th - November 1st, 2013

• Our Shark investigation was fantastic! Students worked hard to complete this lesson while science note booking. 
• Halloween Fall Festival, Wednesday, October 31st - parties 2:15-3:30. Students may bring a costume to school on the morning of the 31^st and will be given 15 minutes to change before the school-wide parade begins.  Please no masks. This is a school rule.
• Banana Costume and writing are due October 31^st.
• Hearing and vision: November 6^th.
• Report Cards: November 15th.
• Comp Day, no school:  November 25th.
• Thanksgiving Break November 26-29th.
• Hawk Quest Assembly: October 31st from 10:30 - 11:30.

1.  Math Homework:  most days, if we complete the in class math lesson, students are expected to bring home a practice homework page.  This page is a great support to exactly what we are working on in class.  Students are also encouraged to work on several of our online sites to promote their math learning.

IXL.Com is an excellent resource new to our classroom.  Students can pick grade levels of practice to either pick up on skills in past grades or push their thinking on grade level or advance to 5th or 6th grade learning. Student work is tracked thru this program and I am able to see the work they have done. To log on:

Google Search:  IXL.com

username:  mathrocks2013

Password: nisely04

Students are also encouraged to go to  https://www-k6.thinkcentral.com/content/hsp/math/hspmath/na/common/mega_math_9780547585062_/launch.html                    for additional practice on the skills we are directly working on in class.

2.  Science:  Please watch the following video and be ready to discuss your learning in class. Go to the following link and search for "Star Dust": http://www.symphonyofscience.com/videos.html

3.  Creating and writing project:  Due:  October 31st.

 Here’s an “ap-peel-ing” contest, and a fun and creative way to celebrate October’s top holiday. First, design a costume for either a real or plastic banana. Use a variety of materials, such as paper, cloth, paint, glue, markers, glitter, yarn, or whatever. Create a setting and a nameplate for your banana. Bring your completed project to school on October 31^st. We will have a “parade” of costumed bananas and a panel of judges will choose the four “top bananas”.  Awards will be given for the Top Banana, Scariest Banana, Most Creative Banana, and Funniest Banana.

For a language arts connection, each student will write a story featuring their banana as the main character. This project will be completed at home as homework. The afternoon of the 31^st, we will share our stories while we enjoy banana splits (with new bananas of course!).

Attached you will find a rubric that will be used to grade you project.

Reminders:

·         The paper should be typed in 12 point, Times New Roman Font.

·         The paper should be a minimum of 1 page typed, double spaced

October 21 - 25th, 2013

• Thank you to parents that took the time out of your busy schedules for conferences this past week. I loved the opportunity to talk about your son/daughter!
• Shark Investigation:  Wednesday, October 23rd, in the morning.  Shark tables will be set up outside, so we need a warm sunny day for our lesson.    Please wear old clothes and bring an old shirt to cover clothing.
• Early Release Day:  Wednesday, October 23rd, 1:00.

Fall Parties, 2:15-3:30. Students may bring a costume to school on the morning of the 31^st and will be given 15 minutes to change before the school-wide parade begins.  Please no masks. This is a school rule.

• Banana Costume and writing are due October 31^st.

1.  Please read the following prompt and respond in a one page, paragraph form. Remember to construct interesting, and detailed sentences! You must use a circle and flee map.  The final copy, flee map and circle map will be due next Friday, October 26th.  Share with your parents!

If you could choose one food to never eat again, what would it be? Why?

2.

MATH

Let's practice our math facts!  Play the game below for 15 min. 3 times before Friday.  Here's the clencher...you have to click all the clouds!  Have mom or dad sign in your planner that you fulfilled the requirement and I will pay you 5 PAWS.

http://www.multiplication.com/games/play/flying-high