Hello Everyone,

I hope all of you and your families enjoyed the spring break and that everyone is rested and healthy.

I am continuing to streamline paper assignments as I move us increasingly toward google classroom and digital website and assignments. Moving forward, there will be a paper math lesson for the week which can be printed off at your home from the PDF folder on the 4th Grade Website under the "Home" menu. If you prefer to pick up a copy at the fourth grade table outside our classroom, I will have copies there as well that you may help yourself to.

**Reminder: our zoom will have a password starting on Tuesday, 4/14/20.
ZOOM

Password: mountain4

Here are the participation and expectations for distance learning as we move forward together for the next nine weeks:

Participation and Expectations:

1. Participation in each content area is expected and grades will be assigned.
2. We are committed to engaging student learning as a Mountain School community.
3. We embrace the challenge to help prepare students to return to on-campus learning in the fall. 
4. It is invaluable that students continue to participate in teacher-led learning so that their academic skills can be maintained and increased. Zoom, etc.
5. Performance Assessment/Grades: teachers will track participation and submitted work so that students receive credit for at-home learning.

Paper assignments for each week (click on the PDF Folder to print at home or pick up a copy from the school, if you prefer):
1. Math lesson for the week 4/13/20: Thousandths pages 24-26

Digital classroom assignments on google classroom that require your child to complete and then hit the turn-in button include the following:
1. Science questions for comprehension--when assigned

2. History--customized assignments on the Missions, for example

3. Writing--on extreme weather report
4. Spelling/grammar/word work--embedded in units of study, on websites and google classroom--when assigned
5. Schedules
6. P.E. logs from Ms. Fleming--When complete, turn in

These teachers do not require their assignments to be turned in on google classroom:
1. Music lessons from Ms. Conway
2. Art lesson from Mary Beth--MB would like finished art shared to her by email: mbduncan@mountainesd.org

Websites where work is displayed automatically:
1. Singapore Primary Math Digital
2. ReadWorks
3. Book Creator
4. FOSS Science (ebook)
5. My World History Social Sciences by Pearson Realize--when assigned

**The office is open from 8:30-2:30 with social distancing protocols still in place.

Directions on how to keep your child reading good-fit books that have AR reading quizzes associated with them on myON:

1. First, go to AR Book Find, select "advanced search" SEE SCREENSHOT BELOW

2. Scroll down to "additional criteria"

3. Select: myON books, myON book all, fiction, English

4. Select: "reading practice" for quiz type

5. Select: "middle grade (4-8)" for interest level

7. You can narrow the search further by putting in an author, title, publisher or ISBN; but remember, myON will not have every book your child may want to read. They have thousands of titles, but not all books will be there, so please help your child be a bit boarder in their searches for books.

8. Once your child has found a myON book in the AR book find that they want to read, copy the title to paste into the myON search bar. 

9. Go to myON 

School Name: Read at Home

Username: readnow

Password: myon

10. Paste the title of the book into the search bar on myON. Check to be sure the AR quiz number is the same. Many books have the same or similar titles. The book will come up immediately, and your child can select "i" for information on the book to check to be sure the AR quiz numbers match. Then, your child can select "read". Your child can begin reading knowing that when they are finished with their book, they can visit the AR quiz site and take their reading quiz within 24 hours. 

I frequently check on reading quizzes for all students within AR. I give updates/progress reports with a screenshot if your child is NOT quizzing every 2-3 weeks so that parents are aware of progress. For students who are on track with their reading and quizzing, I will not create a progress report/screenshot. If you are concerned, please let me know, and I am happy to update you.

Thank you for supporting your child and me with their distance learning and reading.

Warmly,

Heather

Hello Everyone,

I hope all of you and your families are well.

Thank you for your partnership last week and in the weeks to come as we embark upon distance learning. It has been very different from what we are all accustomed to. Your adaptability and flexibility are very appreciated.

Here are the participation and expectations for distance learning:

Participation and Expectations:

1. Participation in each content area is expected and grades will be assigned.
2. We are committed to engaging student learning as a Mountain School community.
3. We embrace the challenge to help prepare students to return to on-campus learning. 
4. It is invaluable that students continue to participate in teacher-led learning so that their academic skills can be maintained and increased. Zoom, etc.
5. Performance Assessment/Grades: teachers will track participation and submitted work so that students receive credit for at-home learning.

The office is open this week from 8:30-2:30 with social distancing protocols still in place. We will be closed for spring break April 6-10

This week I am continuing with a pdf or paper packet option of classwork and homework in the content domains of:

1. Spelling and grammar

2. Math lesson, workbook practice, extra practice homework, and test B

Digital assignments on google classroom will include:

1. Science

2. History

3. Reading

4. Writing

Again, thank you for your partnership and flexibility.

Heather

Hello Everyone,

Welcome to the Fourth Grade Distance Learning website--a work in progress.  During these unprecedented times, we all have to adjust to a new way of work, school, and life!  The purpose of this new website is to keep students engaged in their learning, connected to school, and to minimize learning loss.  The goal of the resources provided is to give students and parents some options for educational activities each day and to keep us connected. 

We do not know how the next few weeks will look, so this is the first step in maintaining fourth grade learning and continuing to cultivate the enthusiasm for school that every student has!  Please know, there is NO expectation that parents will be able to replicate what happens each day in fourth grade. I  want to provide some resource recommendations and specific assignments for parents and students to access readily, create learning opportunities, and maintain the momentum in learning from this year.

On this website, I will be using Google Classroom (as usual) to assign lessons and practice and to keep students connected to: our classroom, other sites we currently use, log in information, instructions and their teacher. All students are familiar with Google Classroom and can log on to assignments and sites we use regularly.   The Digital and distance learning website which will provide additional resources are new to us all. I will do my best to support everyone as needed. Distance learning for fourth grade will be predominately digital. However, the items below are things I am recommending you pick up to enhance the experience and to keep your child moving forward with their learning.

Pick up for your child's: chrome book, its charger, blue binder and red binder, and the Singapore textbook A and B on Thursday, 3/19/20, between the hours of 10:00-12:00.  We are attempting to minimize heavy traffic to the office and maintain social distancing protocols. Shauna has prepared these items for every student and those items are on your child's desk.  Do not hesitate to contact me with questions or challenges. If you need to come by Wednesday, Sharon can show you into the classroom and you can collect your child's things.

I hope that this new site will help familiarize you with what distance learning might look like in your home.  As always, it is important to develop routines throughout the day, including the time and space that your child will use to settle into their learning time. This is a new frontier for all of us, and we will move forward together in the best way possible learning as we go, making some mistakes as well as brilliant discoveries along the way. I will continue to add on and build content, lessons, assignments and other resources over time.

I already miss all of my students and their smiling faces and hope that we will return to our normal routines and lives soon.

Thank you all for your flexibility, adaptability, and trust in this process. 

Heather

Hello Everyone,

I hope you enjoyed the 3-day Valentine's Day weekend.

Mountain Science Fair- Wednesday, March 4th:

Our science fair is rapidly approaching. All students in grades 4-6 are required to complete science fair projects at home. Refer to the clear guidelines and timelines your child brought home in the science fair packet. Please help support your child with this project. It is a wonderful opportunity for learning how to complete a very detailed experiment.

http://www.sciencebuddies.org/ and SC County Science Fair Link provide helpful resources for project planning.  Please contact me with any questions.

Upcoming Dates:
Symphony violinist classroom visit-- Tuesday 9:15-10:15

Mountain Science Fair-- Wednesday, March 4th

SC County Science Fair--Saturday, March 14

Symphony performance at the Civic--Thursday, March 5th
Seymour Center--Friday, March 13th

Winter Report Cards go home--Monday, March 16th

Important field trip dates: We will be sending home permission /driver/chaperone slips on Tuesday with your child. **Please look for them in your child's orange folder. We always appreciate our parent volunteers. Please let us know if you would like to drive/chaperone on either one of these field trips. 

Symphony Youth Concert at the Civic--Thursday, March 5th at 9:30-10:15. They will allow 2 chaperones in the venue with the teacher. That said, we still need volunteers to transport all the kiddos. Drivers will need to drop off their car loads at 9:15 and pick up their car loads at 10:15. Return by 11:00 for math.


Seymour Center--Friday, March 13th, at the Seymour Marine Discovery Center from 9:00-10:40. Return by 11:00 for Math.

IMPORTANT: UCSC requires parking permits. All drivers will need to enter a parking code and their license plate number into one of the parking machines in the Seymour Center parking lot to have their parking validated during your field trip. The parking code for your class is SM3331. Please see attached document with instructions.

**Just a reminder that the Seymour Center allows exactly 4 adult chaperones, in addition to the teacher in our classroom during the one-hour Discovery lab. This is to ensure the best possible learning environment for all students. The other chaperones (and we can rotate) will need to visit the exhibit or grab a cup of coffee off site and meet us back at the facility for the rest of the tour at 10:00. 

Typing Club

Typing practice!! typingclub.com

We will be typing in class each week.  

Curriculum Updates: February

ELA: Lucy Calkins, Everything Weather

SC Symphony: daily musical compositions are introduced and enjoyed every morning. Our violinist visits this week in preparation for our symphony experience next month.

Mindfulness: best practices in mindfulness are being incorporated in our classroom this year.

Harmony: best practices school-wide curriculum for building a strong social-emotional community within our classrooms.

AR Reading: Accelerated Reader continues to be an important part of our reading program.  Students should be reading informational AR books on the weather they are studying as well as any other nonfiction books they are interested in. You can still use the AR book find link to see if a book has a quiz associated with it. Quizzing on them within 24 hours of finishing a book is a part of the classroom.  It is critical to support your child in book selection (many books are in our school and classroom libraries), although you and your child may need to expand your horizons by going to some of our community libraries to find more informational books. Students have a goal of 14.5 points for the second trimester.  On average, your child should be reading anywhere from 3-5 books a Trimester--more if they are shorter informational books. That said, help your child select books that are on their reading level (their latest DRA2 level), and have high interest for them.  This will allow them to accomplish reading books from start to finish successfully.

    

Math: we will be studying multiplying fractions. Please check your child's planner for specific page numbers. We will continue to review these concepts. POM solving and presentations (problem of the month) continue. Silicon Valley Math Initiative (SVMI) MARS tasks continue all year.

**Keep Practicing: times tables should be rehearsed and memorized. 

Science: Foss module "Energy." This includes magnets, electricity, and circuits.

Social Studies: Missions

Writing: informational reports on weather will begin.

Grammar: Study of various grammar: prepositions, nouns, verbs, adverbs, adjectives and adjective clauses. Shades of meaning vocabulary, capitalization, quotation marks, citing evidence within texts.  Figurative language: simile, personification, hyperbole, alliteration, onomatopoeia, metaphor.

Warmly,

Mrs. Young

Hello Everyone,

We are all responding positively to the uptick in creating a positive classroom culture.

**Creating a Positive Classroom Culture: In an effort to enhance and support classroom culture this year, Ms. M. will finish meeting with students in small groups of 4 for lunch. She will be reviewing class expectations and supporting students to reflect and see their part in creating and sustaining a positive classroom and playground environment with their teacher and peers. See dates below:

Tuesday, January 14

Wednesday January 15 (12:10)

Thursday January 16

**Mrs. Dudley will be in the classroom in the afternoons as we collaboratively help students with positive approaches to challenges that can occur at school with peers. Our objective is to give students a voice and empower them to make the best possible choices when it comes to their own behavior and the behavior of others.

**Classroom rules and consequences were practiced and sent home with your child so that you can go over them with your child as well. If you have not done so already, please sign the front sheet and return it asap. You may keep the rules and consequences so that you can review them with your child regularly. The objective is to create the best possible environment for learning that we can by holding everyone accountable for clear expectations.

**Important Announcements/Field Trips:

Mountain Science Fair- Wednesday, March 4th:

Your child will bring home a Science Fair packet to read over with you and begin planning for a project today. e will be going over it in class as well.  All students in grades 4-6 are required to complete science fair projects at home.  Clear guidelines and timelines are included in the information. Please help support your child with this project. It is a wonderful opportunity for learning how to complete a very detailed experiment.

http://www.sciencebuddies.org/ and SC County Science Fair Link provide helpful resources for project planning.  Please contact me with any questions.

Tech Museum Field Trip: Friday January 31st at 9:00

Friday January 31st from 8:15-1:45. Drivers needed and appreciated. Please be sure that you have filled out the necessary DMV paperwork with the office if you would like to volunteer.  We are able to bring 7 chaperones this year. Permission slips go home Monday in your child's folder or you may sign up on our blog here.  There is a 20.00 fee this year as there is an IMAX.

Simplicity of Electricity Lab

We leave school at 8:15 sharp so that we arrive at the museum in San Jose at 9:00. We will gather on Park Avenue and then go into the museum as a group. A brief orientation will follow where we will receive our wristbands and tech tags. Our Simplicity of Electricity Lab begins at 9:30 and runs 90 minutes. We will go straight to the IMAX which begins promptly at 11:00 and runs 45 minutes. Students and chaperones may eat their sack lunches during the movie. We will then visit some of the exhibits. Body Worlds Decoded is at the Tech but is optional. Students and/or their parents who do not wish to view this will be grouped accordingly. Please let me know if you do NOT want your child to see this exhibit by writing it at the top of the permission form. We will head back to school at 1:45.

**Please Note: Body Worlds Decoded is now part of the general museum admission. Please view the Body Worlds Decoded flyer here and in the Monday folder so that you are aware of what it is.

For tech parking and info

Parking Information:

The Tech offers $5 flat-rate parking validation at the Second and San Carlos Street garage, a five-story structure (enter from Second or Third Streets), and/or the San Jose McEnery Convention Center garage (enter from Market Street or Almaden Boulevard). Validation is available in the museum lobby during operating hours. Validation may not be valid during any city special event. Limited handicapped parking is available at The Tech’s main entrance on South Market Street.

Santa Cruz County Science Fair: Saturday March 14th @ SC Co. Fairgrounds in Watsonville
(registration deadline: Fri., Feb. 7)

SC County Science Fair Link  We encourage students to enter their projects into the Santa Cruz County Science Fair. Please view the website with your child to consider whether she or he is interested in this opportunity.  The website includes helpful ideas as well as guidelines for projects. If your child is interested in participating, he/she is strongly encouraged to begin a project as soon as possible.

Upcoming Dates:

MLK, Jr. HOLIDAY/ NO SCHOOL-- Monday, January 20th
SCCOE Spelling Bee-- Saturday, January 25th at UCSC

Tech Museum field trip-- Friday January 31st, 9:00
HOLIDAY/ NO SCHOOL-- Monday, February 10th

HOLIDAY/ NO SCHOOL-- Monday, February 17th
READ-A-THON-- January 17th-31st

SC County Science Fair--Saturday, March 14

Mountain Science Fair-- Wednesday, March 4th

Have a great week,

Heather

Hello Everyone,

    Happy New Year! I hope you all had a wonderful vacation filled with rest, relaxation, adventure, and memory-making experiences.  Thank you for your kind sentiments and generous gifts. I feel very honored and appreciated! 🎉

**Creating a Positive Classroom Culture: In an effort to enhance and support classroom culture this year, Ms. M. will meet with students in small groups of 4 for lunch. She will be reviewing class expectations and supporting students to reflect and see their part in creating and sustaining a positive classroom and playground environment with their teacher and peers. See dates below:

Monday, January 6

Tuesday January 7

Wednesday January 8. (12:10)

Friday, January 10

Tuesday, January 14

Wednesday January 15 (12:10)

Thursday January 16

**Mrs. Dudley will be in the classroom in the afternoons as we collaboratively help students with positive approaches to challenges that can occur at school with peers. Our objective is to give students a voice and empower them to make the best possible choices when it comes to their own behavior and the behavior of others.

**Classroom rules and consequences were practiced and sent home with your child so that you can go over them with your child as well. Please sign the front sheet and return it tomorrow. You may keep the rules and consequences so that you can review them with your child regularly. The objective is to create the best possible environment for learning that we can.

**Important Announcements/Field Trips:

Mountain Science Fair- Wednesday, March 4th:

Your child will receive a Science Fair packet to read over with you and begin planning for a project next Monday.  All students in grades 4-6 are required to complete science fair projects at home.  Clear guidelines and timelines are included in the information.   

http://www.sciencebuddies.org/ and SC County Science Fair Link provide helpful resources for project planning.  Please contact me with any questions.

Tech Museum Field Trip: Friday January 31st at 9:00

Friday January 31st from 8:15-1:45. Drivers needed and appreciated. Please be sure that you have filled out the necessary DMV paperwork with the office if you would like to volunteer.  We are able to bring 7 chaperones this year. Permission slips go home Monday in your child's folder or you may sign up on our blog here.  There is a 20.00 fee this year as there is an IMAX.

Simplicity of Electricity Lab

We leave school at 8:15 sharp so that we arrive at the museum in San Jose at 9:00. We will gather on Park Avenue and then go into the museum as a group. A brief orientation will follow where we will receive our wristbands and tech tags. Our Simplicity of Electricity Lab begins at 9:30 and runs 90 minutes. We will go straight to the IMAX which begins promptly at 11:00 and runs 45 minutes. Students and chaperones may eat their sack lunches during the movie. We will then visit some of the exhibits. Body Worlds Decoded is at the Tech but is optional. Students and/or their parents who do not wish to view this will be grouped accordingly. Please let me know if you do NOT want your child to see this exhibit by writing it at the top of the permission form. We will head back to school at 1:45.

**Please Note: Body Worlds Decoded is now part of the general museum admission. Please view the Body Worlds Decoded flyer here and in the Monday folder so that you are aware of what it is.

For tech parking and info

Parking Information:

The Tech offers $5 flat-rate parking validation at the Second and San Carlos Street garage, a five-story structure (enter from Second or Third Streets), and/or the San Jose McEnery Convention Center garage (enter from Market Street or Almaden Boulevard). Validation is available in the museum lobby during operating hours. Validation may not be valid during any city special event. Limited handicapped parking is available at The Tech’s main entrance on South Market Street.

Santa Cruz County Science Fair: Saturday March 14th @ SC Co. Fairgrounds in Watsonville
(registration deadline: Fri., Feb. 7)

SC County Science Fair Link  We encourage students to enter their projects into the Santa Cruz County Science Fair. Please view the website with your child to consider whether she or he is interested in this opportunity.  The website includes helpful ideas as well as guidelines for projects. If your child is interested in participating, he/she is strongly encouraged to begin a project as soon as possible.

Upcoming Dates:

MLK, Jr. HOLIDAY/ NO SCHOOL-- Monday, January 20th
SCCOE Spelling Bee-- Saturday, January 25th at UCSC

Tech Museum field trip-- Friday January 31st, 9:00
HOLIDAY/ NO SCHOOL-- Monday, February 10th

HOLIDAY/ NO SCHOOL-- Monday, February 17th
READ-A-THON-- January 17th-31st

SC County Science Fair--Saturday, March 14

Mountain Science Fair-- Wednesday, March 4th

Typing Club

Typing practice!! typingclub.com

We will be typing in class each week.  Please let me know if computer access is a problem.

Curriculum Updates: January

ELA: we will begin our literature book: Lovina's Song.  In addition, we continue to honor our VIP each week and listen and respond to presentations by students. 

Lucy Calkin's: Reading the Weather

SC Symphony: daily musical compositions are introduced and enjoyed every morning.

Mindfulness: best practices in mindfulness are being incorporated in our classroom this year.

Harmony: best practices school-wide curriculum for building a strong social-emotional community within our classrooms.

AR Reading: Accelerated Reader continues to be an important part of our reading program.  Students are reading appropriate AR books found through the AR book find link and then quizzing on them within 24 hours of finishing their book.  It is critical to support your child in book selection (most books are in our school and classroom libraries) and to remind them to read, read, read whenever the opportunity arises--in the car, while waiting for an appt., to and from school, before bed time, on a Sunday in your jammies, etc.  These books should travel to and from the classroom in a daily fashion for classroom DEAR (drop everything and read) sessions as well as nightly reading homework and beyond.  Students have a goal of 14.5 points for the second trimester.  Each book has a certain amount of points it is worth.  This information is listed with reading level and appropriateness (grade school, middle school, high school, for example).  Points per book range from 3 to 5, generally, with longer books being worth more points.  On average, this is going to mean your child is reading anywhere from 3-5 books a Trimester. That said, help your child select books that are on their reading level (their latest DRA2 level), and have high interest for them.  This will allow them to accomplish reading books from start to finish successfully.

    

Math: we will continue fractions. Please check your child's planner for specific page numbers. We will continue to review these concepts. POM solving and presentations (problem of the month) continue. Silicon Valley Math Initiative (SVMI) MARS tasks continue all year.

**Keep Practicing: times tables should be rehearsed and memorized. 

Science: we start the Foss module called "Energy" for the New Year. This includes magnets, electricity, circuits and a field trip to the Tech Museum Friday Jan. 31, 2020 with a lab and an IMAX as well as exhibits.

Social Studies: Missions

Writing: summary and informational essays on weather. 

Grammar: Study of various grammar: prepositions, nouns, verbs, adverbs, adjectives and adjective clauses. Shades of meaning vocabulary, capitalization, quotation marks, citing evidence within texts.  Figurative language: simile, personification, hyperbole, alliteration, onomatopoeia.

Warmly,

Mrs. Young