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Week 14

Nov15

Thank you all who participated in our annual Chili Cook Off!  This is my all time favorite community building event.

This week we are busy working and learning many new and different things.

Cultural

We have an amazing parent volunteer (and close friend of mine) teaching Botany lessons this year.  We are so lucky to have Rachael Bush in our classrooms once a month giving foundation lessons!  She brings a passion and energy to this subject that cannot be matched!  We are learning about the importance of roots as supporters and nitrogen fixers (thank you symbiotic relationships!).  We will be following up in class with a traveling nitrogen activity as well as a beautiful work demonstrating the nitrogen cycle.

International Festival is a month away.  Please be sure your child is working on this project at home.  The expectations for this project were given to your student, and can also be found under the International Festival tab at the top of the blog.  This year the festival will be held on Monday, December 19 from 9-11.  Parents are welcome to attend.

4th Level  – We have just started our fractions studies in class.  With Thanksgiving right around the corner, this is a wonderful time to have your child practice using fractions in the real world by reading recipes, measuring ingredients and spending time with family in the kitchen!  Understanding of fractions is a crucial part of our world.

5th Level  – We are continuing our fraction studies this week with multiplication of fractions by whole numbers.  Do you have a recipe that is written for 4, and need to scale it up for 8? Allow your child to help you with this fun and important task during the holidays when it is natural for you to spend time in the kitchen.

6th Level – Currently, rates and ratios are the focus of our math studies   Like fractions, ratios are used in the kitchen.  What better time to practice in the real world than during the time of year we spend a lot of time cooking and preparing for guests.

Redwoods payment due Wednesday, November 16.

Finally, if you have any questions regarding any of the grade level home projects, or the international festival, please send me an email.

No School – Monday, November 21-Friday, November 25.

 

Week 13 Update

Nov9

Happy Wednesday!

First of all, my apologies for the lack of blog and email updates.  My computer has not been working properly and I’ve had extremely limited internet and server access.  I have a temporary solution for now.  Hopefully I can get quickly caught up and back on track with my communication.

Due to the late notice, there are only 2 IXL assignments this week.  They are posted on the IXL page at the top of the blog and your student should have them written in their planners.  This reduced assignment load should have allowed some time for those students who are behind to get caught up.

4th – We are deep in our studies of Utah History and have finished up talking about early explorers and the Spanish Trail (ask your kiddos about our adventure!).  Utah History Fair topics were due last Friday.  Your students should have brought home their project timeline.  This timeline can also be found at the top of the blog.  Research notes, the first big step in the project, are due November 28.

5th – The invention convention assignments have gotten off to a very slow start.  Out of nine students, only 3 have turned in their first assignment.  The second assignment, “Problem Selection” is due Monday, November 14.  Please check in with your kids to see what help they need.  Partial completion of each assignment will not be accepted.  The more details they include now, the easier their end product will be.  A timeline of due dates can be found at the top of the blog.

6th – Our Expert Project is deep in the second week of note card development.  The project has been carefully designed to break down every step of the research process.  I can provide the instruction and help with questions during class time, but it is up to your children to take the initiative to complete the work.  It is crucial that your kids stay on task.  It is my goal to not give any work related to this project over Thanksgiving Break; however, if your child is missing assignments, they will need to be completed during this time.

Lastly, don’t forget our annual Chili Cook-Off tomorrow, November 10.  It’s not too late to sign up to bring a pot of chili to support this fun community event!

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Welcome Back – Quarter Two

Oct24

I hope you all had an adventurous/restful/productive (insert adjective of your choice) Fall Break!

As we enter into our second quarter of school, I wanted to share some important reminders about classroom policy and expectations.   At the beginning of the school year, each of you signed an agreement to support your student in the classroom.  Please take a moment to review our classroom expectations.

IXL –   This assignment is given orally on Monday morning, is posted in the classroom, and is available on the blog.  IXL is due the Sunday following.  These assignments directly support the lessons your child has in the classroom.  In addition, seeing math in a different format from what it is seen in the classroom will help your child develop problem solving skills.  Please set aside a time for your child to practice nightly.  If your child needs extra help on a section, please have them write a note in their planner and Ms. Kari or I will help them in class.

Planners – This is an important communication tool between school and home.  Please review your student’s planner with them nightly and sign it.  By doing this, you can see what work your child has planned, whether it has been completed, and what you can do to help them at home.

Spelling – Your child records new spelling words on Thursday, and spelling tests take place the following Wednesday.  Students are required to correct any mistakes and return their test with a signature from a parent (or guardian) the next day.  Having a signature on the test is a way to ensure your child is sharing their success, as well as their needs, with you.  Please be sure you are helping your child create a routine for spelling.  Those who study do far better than those who don’t, even when spelling is challenging.

Weekly Work Evaluation – Each Friday your child fills out a work evaluation.  This allows your child to self-reflect on their effort, previous week’s goals and what they have learned throughout the week.  Reviewing and signing your child’s evaluation is another critical communication piece between school and home.

Home Projects – 

  • Level 4 – Utah Studies project – I started out with a bang, and very quickly realized the information I sent home was a bit vague.  As such, I will be re-introducing this project to your children on Thursday, October 27th with a solid timeline and better explanations.  Please watch for this information to come home this week.
  • Level 5 – Invention Convention – Your 5th level student had their first assignment due Wednesday, October 19.  This assignment was to be a problem collector which will help them determine the invention they would like to engineer for their STEM based home project.   Your child will bring home their next assignment this week, as well as a printed timeline for the project.
  • Level 6 – Expert Project – We are well on our way on this project.  The last two weeks your child should have been working on a project proposal.  I am excited to read the first draft of these proposals, as it will give me a much clearer idea of where your child is taking their research.  This has been a great experience so far and I look forward to our presentations in April.
  • All Grades – International Festival/Country Reports – This year’s international festival is Monday, December 19.  Your child will receive his/her country assignment (randomly assigned) Friday, October 28.  Because each of your children are already working on an individual, long-term, home project, we will spend some time in class on Friday, November 4 doing preliminary research.  Please take an opportunity to go to the library with your child and check out books that will support their research.  They should bring these books to school on November 4 in order to make the best use of their time.  We do have limited resources (computers, books, etc) and it will help immensely if your child brings some of their own.

If after your child brings home information about his/her individual long-term home project, or the International Festival, you have questions, please don’t hesitate to ask.

Have a wonderful week!

 

 

Week 9 Update – AWHC Field Trip, Fall Festival, Book Fair

Oct10

With the 4th level field trip to the American West Heritage Center on Wednesday, Fall Festival Friday, and Parent Teacher Conferences next week, we are busy.

4th Level Field Trip – Please drop your child off by 8:05 on Wednesday, October 12 to ensure they are on the bus and ready to go at 8:15.  I will meet your kiddos at the front of the school and  walk them over to the bus at North Shore.  They will need a “sack” lunch and appropriate dress.  They can wear jeans, but must be in dress code shirt.  It will be chilly in the morning, but warm up in the afternoon.  Please make sure they are prepared with a jacket, water bottle and sunscreen.  This field trip is entirely outside.

5th Level Invention Convention – This year 5th level students will be participating in a STEM inspired Invention Convention rather than science fair.  I introduced the project to your students last week and gave them a rough timeline as well as their first assignment for the project.  Unfortunately, the timeline I gave them was quite rough and I have decided to change some of the details.  Please watch for an updated timeline to come home this week.  If you would like to view a digital version, you can see it under the invention convention tab at the top of the blog.

All Parents – During parent teacher conference next week, MAPA will be hosting our first book fair of the year. Please sign up to volunteer during book fair.  This vital event helps fund books for the library as well as pays for the beautiful scholastic magazines that all students receive.  This time will go towards your mandatory 40 hours per year.

 

Week 6 Updates

Sep20

Good Evening!  I hope you are enjoying the last two official days of summer!

This week in class your children are busy practicing word problems, new ways of solving division problems, factoring, multiplication, addition and subtraction, fractions and more.  In language they are identifying sentence by purpose, nouns (common, proper, collective, singular, plural, abstract), complete sentence writing and essay writing.  In addition to those things, we have officially begun our Scholastic News and Jr. Scholastic groups as well as our novel study groups.

If that sounds like a lot, it is!  We are doing even more good work in the afternoon.  From rock cycle to erosion, and King Hammurabi to the Black Plague our days are full of opportunities for your children to work and research.

Opportunity is the key word.  Ms. Kari and I work hard to provide lessons and tools necessary for your students to succeed.  Your students have a responsibility to themselves to complete their work.  Please take a few minutes to discuss your student’s work with them.  If you have any questions about their individual work expectations, please don’t hesitate to communicate with me through their planner or email.

Our first field trip of the year is next Thursday, September 29.  You should have received an email from our room mom, Meredith, with information about rides to and from the museum.  You will be meeting your child’s ride at the duck pond at Lee’s Market at 8:15, with a departure time of 8:30.  Student’s will return to school in time for regular pick up.