Week of 1/27 Newsletter

Dear 4/5 Families,

I hope this letter finds you well! We are halfway through this school year, if you can believe it!

What we’re learning:

SCIENCE FAIR:

I hope the science fair projects are going well. I will be asking your child to bring in his/her notebook of observations to have a brief meeting on Wednesday or Thursday, during the school-day.

MATH:

4th: Fractions! We are continuing our unit on fractions and I would like to encourage you to keep up the practice with multiplication facts, nightly. We will be comparing and ordering fractions and then learning how to add & subtract fractions.

5th: Division with decimals! As part of this unit, we are encouraging students to estimate the quotient as a tool to guide them to the correct, accurate answer. It is imperative that they have their multiplication & division facts memorized to support their mathematical practice.

SOCIAL SCIENCES:

We have learned about the 13 Colonies and will work on writing an essay to compare them. Then we will be learning about the lead up to the Revolutionary War.

ELA:

Your child has been working to revise his/her Historical Fiction and I hope to publish the class book this week! If you haven’t had a chance to check out their stories, you can access them on our website.

Dates to remember:

Feb 10: NO SCHOOL - Lincoln’s Birthday

Feb 11: Science Fair PROJECT IS DUE!

Feb 12: Mountain School Science Fair (parents & families are welcome!)

Feb 14: NO SCHOOL - Staff Development Day

Feb 17: NO SCHOOL - President’s Day

Thanks for your time and support both in the classroom and at home! If you have any questions or concerns, please send me an email at rhonig@santacruz.k12.ca.us.

Best,

Ms. Honig

Week of 1/21 Newsletter

January 21, 2014

Dear 4/5 Families,

I hope you had a wonderful weekend! This weather has been just beautiful! I am writing this letter to enlist your help in the upcoming weeks in 2 major areas.

SCIENCE:

First of all, thank you for working with your child to write up the science fair proposal. I was very impressed with the high caliber of project ideas. I encourage you, while your child continues to research and set up his/her project, to ask questions and discuss with your child the process they are following. One of the most important parts of participating in the science fair is for the children to understand how the Scientific Method works. While we will continue to use the method at school, my hope is that by completing the project, the ideas will be reinforced. Please keep the packet that I sent home readily available throughout this process and use it as a guide. I will be available after school this Thursday, Friday and next Monday to meet with students to discuss their progress. This is not required, but highly recommended. If you’d like your child to meet with me, please send me a note or email and I look forward to being as involved as I can.

MATH:

Both the 4th and 5th graders are working very hard in math, using the 8 Mathematical Practices outlined in the Common Core State Standards. I would like to ask you to work with your child at home on his/her multiplication facts. It is imperative that they know them with automaticity by the end of 4th grade, through the 12s. Our 4th graders have just begun a unit on fractions and will be asked to recall factors and multiples of numbers as they learn how to compare, order, add, subtract & multiply with common fractions. Our 5th graders are learning how to multiply and divide decimals and it will benefit them immensely if they know their facts automatically. So, I’m asking you to commit to making sure your child spends a minimum of 15 minutes a night, with flash-cards, practicing his/her multiplication facts. If you are unable to get flash-cards for your child, please let me know ASAP.

Thank you for your support at home and in class. We appreciate it so much! If you have any questions or concerns, please send me an email at: rhonig@santacruz.k12.ca.us.

Warmly,

Ms. Honig

Week of 1/13 Newsletter

Dear 4/5 Families,

I hope this letter finds you well! With cold season in full swing, please remind your child to dress in layers, wash their hands a lot, and get lots of rest! I am hopeful that we can keep healthy if we remember these habits.

Thank you for taking the time over the weekend to look over the Science Fair packet. Please work with your child to write a proposal, due this Wednesday. I am available for questions or help so please don’t let your child wait until the last minute! The project should be fun, focused on a topic your child is interested in and is capable of doing in the time allotted. I have many resources to share so please contact me if needed.

Just a quick reminder: Cell phones are not allowed on campus. If you must send one with your child, please be sure they understand that it should stay in their backpack and in the off position while on Mountain School campus. Thank you for your support both in the classroom and at home! If you need to contact me, please email me at rhonig@santacruz.k12.ca.us.

Best,

Ms. Honig

Wed., January 15: Science Fair proposal is due!

Mon., January 20: No School - in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Tues., January 21: Special Board Meeting, 3PM

Thur. - Mon., January 23, 24, 27: After school one-on-one meetings with me to discuss Science Fair Projects (not required, but encouraged).

Week of 1/6/14 Newsletter

Dear 4/5 Families,

Happy New Year! I hope you had a restful, fun filled holiday season! Thank you again for all of the support during our play production practices and performances. And thank you to the Lawson family for the DVDs!

Our Mountain School Science Fair is scheduled for Wednesday, February 12! I will be sending home more information regarding the schedule next Monday. In the meantime, please mark your calendars and take a moment to look over the County Wide Science Fair website: http://science.santacruz.k12.ca.us and discuss with your child about entering his/her project to the fair.

What we’ll be learning about this week:

Math:

4th Graders will continue to learn how to multiply with multi-digit numbers using a variety of strategies.

5th Graders will also continue to practice adding and subtracting with decimals; focusing on using estimation to help guide them to the correct answers.

Social Sciences:

We’ll begin mapping out the early colonial settlements with a timeline and focus on climate & geographical characteristics of the Northeast.

Language Arts:

Students will receive their Historical Fictions back with comments and will continue to revise their writing with peer conferences.

Science:

4th Graders will use their knowledge of electrical circuits to build simple motors.

5th Graders will continue working with Mrs. Dudley.

We’d like to schedule a few more field trips in the next couple of months, so if you are available to help with organizing, please contact me. Thank you for your support at home and in class!

Best,

Ms. Honig