Hello Everyone,

Important announcements:


"The American Revolution" Opening Night: Thursday Sept. 28 at 7 p.m.  Actors arrive at the school at 6:30.  School performance Friday Sept. 29 at 11 a.m.
Cast Party: Friday Sept. 29 from 12:20 - 1:15. Thank you to those who have volunteered in any way for the play and the cast party. To volunteer to help with our play, click here

Thank you Beth and Sarah for helping with costumes, lines and the cast party!!!

**We're off script! All lines and songs have to be memorized. Please see email for costume needs.

**Back to School Night: Wednesday September 27. From 6-6:30 Ms. M. will meet all new 2017-18 parents in the PAC room for a Mountain School orientation meeting. From 6:30-7:00 parent mentors arrive for Parent Mentor program. Teachers will give classroom presentations for everyone at 7:00 and again at 7:30. This is a parent curriculum night, so please arrange child care. 

Student Council speeches are due this Thursday: students deliver their speeches on October 5 in the PAC room.

See you for Back to School Night and the play!

Best,

Heather

Hello Everyone,

I hope you all had an enjoyable weekend.

Reminders:

4th grade students need to practice math facts music to mastery by the end of October. 5 minutes each night as homework is assigned. 5th graders should have these memorized, but should brush up on them if they need the review. Click here

"The American Revolution" Opening Night: Thursday Sept. 28 at 7 p.m.  Actors arrive at the school at 6:30.  School performance Friday Sept. 29 at 11 a.m.
Cast Party: Friday Sept. 29 from 12:20 - 1:15. Thank you to those who have volunteered in any way for the play and the cast party. To volunteer to help with our play, click here

**Please make sure your child is rehearsing lines and songs over the coming weeks. We will rehearse at school, but the additional practice is so important to student success.

**Back to School Night: Wednesday September 27. At 6:15 Ms. M. will meet all families in the PAC room with current Mt. topics, presentation and discussion--all parents are encouraged to attend. Then, teachers will give classroom presentations for everyone at 7:00 and again at 7:30. 

Field Trip: The Tech Museum

Fri. September 22 from 8:15-12:00. Drivers needed. Please be sure that you have filled out the necessary DMV paperwork with the office. Permission slips went home last week. I select drivers on a first-come-first-serve basis. Once we have selected drivers, we will assign students to cars. If you still need to return the permission slip, please do so asap. There is a $6.50 fee per student this year.

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 visit the exhibits and have lunch in the park across the street. We head back to school at 12:00.

For tech parking and info

All students need a parent signature on their planner each night and a parent initial on the reading homework when it comes home. Please be sure to check with your child.

All students are expected to bring their blue binders, red "My Reading Life" folder, and AR book home and back to school daily.

Student Council Election packet coming home Monday: 4th and 5th grade can run for secretary. There is an application and speech guidelines in the Monday folder. Speeches are on the calendar for October 5 in the PAC room.

ELA: We are continuing our reader's workshop and the study of the American Revolution, vocabulary, spelling and grammar.

Math: 4th and 5th place value, rounding and estimating, factors and multiples and prime factorization. Please check your child's planner for specific page numbers for homework assignments.  In an effort to keep everyone organized, binders will be cleaned out upon the completion of a unit of study and old lessons and papers will be paper clipped together and sent home. You may choose to keep papers in a drop folder or file at home if you like.

4th Science: We will continue our study of magnets this week. We experimented with permanent and temporary magnets and we will learn about north and south poles, and how magnets attract and repel. If your child is in Mr. Halbig's class as a 5th grader this year, please check his blog for further information.

Social Studies: We will continue our study of the American Revolution.

Writing: Narrative essays are beginning this week.

Vocab./Grammar: we will rehearse exclamatory, declarative, imperative, interrogative in conjunction with simple, compound, and complex sentences in the coming weeks. Daily spelling homework will be assigned each Monday and wrap up with a quiz on Friday. Prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections have been introduced.

Enjoy your week!

With Gratitude,

Mrs. Young

Dear families,

I am really enjoying your talented and inquisitive children!

With our third week of school accomplished, we are all settling in to our routines and working on practicing our play. Our music has been shared with all families. Please let me know if you are having trouble accessing the shared folder on google drive. Micha will be here helping with choreography starting Monday Sept. 11 from 9-12 M and W and in the afternoons on T and F. It is important for all students to know their lines and the words to all the songs. We practice daily at school, but your child should read the play as nightly reading in order to memorize and get comfortable with the dialogue.

**Play dates: Thursday Sept. 28 at 7 p.m. in the Pac room for families and friends and Friday Sept. 29 at 11 a.m. in the Pac room for all students. To volunteer to help with our play, click here

Art, Music, and P.E.: your child is enjoying a full, well-rounded curriculum that includes the arts and physical education.  We are so very lucky to have these very talented teachers supporting our students. Thank you Mary Beth Duncan, Ket Tom-Conway and Kim Fleming!

Reading Buddies: our buddies are Ms. Martin's first graders this year! Both the first and fourth graders are doing very well with this and enjoy reading to their buddies on Friday afternoons before going home for the weekend. Happiness is a reading buddy!

The Blue Binder: includes the planner, a homework pocket for homework assignments. This binder has four sections: notes; homework/classwork; tests; lessons. This is the only binder that will travel back and forth every day between the classroom and home (comes home on Fridays, too). Your child's planner is the best place to see what is assigned and when it is due. We fill in our planners every morning and Shauna, our wonderful aide, will be checking to see that homework, planners, and signatures/initials are complete every morning. This is a system to help your child manage and organize class work, homework and a schedule. We support each child with this, but it is very important that your child brings his/her binder each day with a parent signature.  Academic success can be impacted if this is a regularly forgotten item. It is helpful to complete and pack the binder in the back pack and place it by the door the night before so that in the rush of the morning it is not left behind. We appreciate the support you give your child with this at home.

The red My Reading Life Folder: this folder should travel between home and school M-F. Although there is not reading homework on Wednesday, your child should be reading every night and logging their time. A parent initial is required on the homework sheet and the log for nightly reading.

Math: we have been reviewing whole numbers and place value up to the millions. We will continue to review math facts and begin to go forward this week with estimation, approximation and rounding. We will, as a general rule, have a test every Friday to assess the week's concepts. In addition, we are working on a POM (problem of the month) and continue to do math story problems each period to reinforce concepts.

Social Sciences: American history with an emphasis, currently, on The American Revolution.

Science: we will move into our Foss curriculum on electricity and magnets this week. Our Tech museum field trip (details below) supports this.

Read Aloud Novels: Wringer, The Tiger Rising 

Accelerated Reader: Information on how to use and support your child with Accelerated Reader will come home this week, and I will be modeling this with students so that they become comfortable with it. 

Novel: Patty Reed's Doll.  This will be our first novel and deep dive into literature. We will read this aloud together on the doc camera so that all students are supported regardless of varying reading levels. This was read to your child last year as a read aloud, and now we are using a second-read (common core strategy) to study this more in depth and develop a deeper understanding of the text  (comprehension, literary devices, academic vocabulary and discussion).

Growth Mindset video: I support best practices and a growth mindset in the classroom. Please click here to view an excellent video on this concept. Your child has viewed this video already.

**Our First Field Trip: Tech Museum Fri. September 22 from 8:15-12:00. Drivers needed. Please be sure that you have filled out the necessary paper work with the office. You will find our field trip drivers sign up page on our blog if you are interested in driving and joining us. I select drivers on a first-come-first-serve basis. Look for the field trip permission slip in the Monday folders today. Please return asap. There is a $6.50 fee per student this year.

**Back to School Night: Wednesday September 27. At 6:15 Ms. M. will meet all families in the PAC room with current Mt. topics, presentation and discussion--all parents are encouraged to attend. Then, teachers will give classroom presentations for everyone at 7:00 and again at 7:30. 

Classroom volunteers: please find the volunteer expectations for our classroom here.  If you are interested in volunteering in our classroom, know that we appreciate it very much! It's what makes Mountain so special.  You can find the volunteer list on the Beginning of Year Business page of our blog. Thank you.

Student Council Election packet coming home today: 4th grade can run for secretary. There is an application and speech guidelines in the Monday folder. Speeches are on the calendar for October 5 in the PAC room.

Mountain nightly homework duration policy: 10 minutes per grade level plus reading--40 min. + 30 min. for reading = 70 min. 

Warmly,

Mrs. Young and Shauna

Hello Everyone,

I would like to extend my sincere appreciation to the Parents Club for the wonderful monetary donation to our classroom as well as the classroom supplies that came in last week! 

Thank you to our wonderful parent volunteers! We truly appreciate you. 

With our first short week of school off to a great start, we are looking forward to a successful second week and beyond. This is a bright and curious community of learners, and I feel so happy to be their teacher! 

We will be assembling our blue binders and planners today (Monday) as a class--our organizational tools. Please be sure your child has his/her binders (blue, red and black) and supplies so that we can get started with the process this week. Shauna and I will be providing and handing out the planners and supporting each student with the task of assembling their binders. The blue binder will travel back and forth with your student on a daily basis. They will need a parent signature for the planner and an initial for the reading log EVERYDAY, so please be sure to ask your child about it.

The red and black binders: stay at school and do not travel. They are organizational systems for English Language Arts (red) and FOSS science (black).

Math: place value.  The planner in the blue binder will reflect all homework assignments with page numbers should you need to reference them. In particular, the daily math lesson and homework assignment will be in the pocket so that your child and anyone who might support them with homework will have a reference to the teaching point of the day/week. 
Math will start tomorrow (Tuesday). 
Math homework is always due the next day. Please be sure your child brings the homework and lesson back and forth between home and school as lessons can build and extend all week.  
There is a math practice test every Thursday (Test B)
There is a math test every Friday (Test A)

Grammar: worksheet on 4 types of sentences will come home this week. Please look to the planner to see when assignments are due for grammar. It will typically be the next day.

Read, read, read, read: Nightly reading is 40 minutes a night for 4th and 5th graders this year. A reading log, reading assignment, and their Accelerated Reader book will come home in the "My Reading Life" red folder each day. The reading log keeps track of the time your child is reading (M-F). The reading homework assignment reflects the day's reading lesson/teaching point and should be carefully read through, completed according to the directions, and returned the next day. There will be reading homework on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays (not Wednesdays).  A parent signature is required on the planner and a parent initial is required on the reading log. Your child will often be asked to jot ideas, questions, connections, etc. on post-its or write long off a jot in their reading notebooks and "do the work the book requires" to expand their thinking which will be taught, modeled and scaffolded through our work together in class. As a partner in this work of building a reading life with your child, you want to be sure your child is reading a lot of high interest, good-fit books cover to cover and reading intensely. If they are not bringing their book back and forth to school everyday, that is a red flag.

Accelerated Reader: or AR is a big component of our classroom reading. We will launch this program this week together as a community of readers. I will be teaching students how to use this tool to find on-reading-level texts, achieve reading goals, and accomplish comprehension quizzes in class. Our 5th graders are pros, so they will serve as mentors to our new students and show them the ropes. The AR book find site is a free site to help your child find appropriate books. Before your child selects a book to read, they will check to be sure it is in AR on this site. Upon completing the book, your child will quiz within 24 hours in class. This will be explained in greater depth at Back to School Night. Please feel free to check out the site, however. http://www.arbookfind.com/

Play: "The American Revolution." Our play dove-tails with our history curriculum, and we will be learning about these historical events the first trimester. Roles will be assigned this week as our opening night is Thursday Sept. 28 at 7 p.m. (performers arrive at 6:30), and our school performance is Friday Sept. 29 at 11:00. Please feel free to invite additional special family members to this event. In this week of school, the play is assigned as nightly reading. That said, in regard to reading homework, your child will use the play as their reading material to complete reading assignment homework. This will give all students an opportunity to read through the play and to also think about what role they might be interested in playing. 

Play scripts: went home last week. Your child has a school and a home script. Home scripts should be used for nightly reading and home play practice with parts. Their school script lives at school and is used for in-class practice.

If any one is interested in being our room parent this year, please let us know.  

Thank you for supporting our classroom, me and your child. 

Warmly,

Mrs. Young

Dear Families,

I hope you have enjoyed your summer! I would like to welcome all of you back as we embark on a new school year. My name is Heather Young, and I will be your child's teacher this year for their fourth/fifth grade experience in the Intermediate School.

A little about myself.... I live in Scotts Valley with my husband Scott and our two children, Casey and Whitney. Casey just celebrated his 18th birthday and starts 12th grade at Scotts Valley High School. He seems very excited to be heading back to school to see his friends.  20 year old Whitney continues to attend Cabrillo College and works at the Pet Emporium in Capitola. Stop by if you are in the market for pets.

Professionally, I have a background and education in the humanities, teaching, and the arts. I originally started my teaching experience at the community college level and found that I enjoy teaching at the elementary level most of all, as I love children.  I am quite tickled to be a part of the Mountain team of dedicated teachers, staff and parents again this year.

In closing, please find the supply list on the Home page of our blog under the Beginning of Year Business tab. I will also send home a hard copy of the list with your child on the first day of school (Wednesday August 23rd, 8:30-12:35) and you can gather things together this week or over the weekend. You may also fill out the parent interview on the same tab on the blog if you wish. Otherwise, I will send home copies of that and any other important paperwork with your child in his/her folder tomorrow.

Please stop in to say hello and see our beautiful classroom. I am eager to meet all of you and your wonderful children.

Kind Regards,

Mrs. Young

Hello Everyone,

Here we are in the last days of school! It has been a tremendous year for all of us, and I wanted to say that I have enjoyed each and every child and watched them blossom this year in the intermediate school. It has been my honor to be their teacher and a part of the Mountain community. Thank you for a wonderful year! I am truly grateful.

Thank Yous: A round of applause goes out to those who drove and chaperoned on our last field trip of the year to UCSC's garden. Nikki, Sarah, Sam, and Jaime! We appreciate you and were delighted to share the day with you.

**Important Announcements and Agenda:

• Report Cards Go Home (with your child): Monday June 5
• Talent Show: Tuesday June 6 from 9-12
• 4th Grade Ice Cream Party: Tuesday afternoon 12:45 - 1:15 (still need 1 more helper) Ice Cream Party
• 4th Grade CREEK DAY: Wednesday June 7 from 9-12 students need a towel, sunscreen, and an individual lunch/snack (as usual)
• Last Day of School Thursday June 8: Pancake Breakfast 7:45-8:45; Awards: 9:30-10:30; Softball Game (6th graders and teachers) 10:30-11:30; Pick Up: 12:35

See you at School,

Mrs. Y :)

Hello Everyone,

I hope all moms had a wonderful Mother's Day and that you felt very appreciated.

Bookshop Santa Cruz Young Writers' Presentations: congratulations to Jona and Sage who will present their essays this Tuesday at 6:30 p.m.

Mountain Parent Survey: Mt. Parent Survey Live Link

Drivers Needed: last field trip of the year to UCSC Arboretum. Please let us know if you are able to join us and help with transportation by emailing me with the number of students you can chaperone and accommodate. Thank you in advance :)

Snacks Needed for testing week: Volunteer Snacks for Testing Week

CAASPP TESTING: It's that time of year. Our testing window begins May 22. It is very important that your child is in school in these coming weeks. We are busy bees in the classroom and review as well as test taking practice and strategies are being modeled and taught. Please be sure your child is present, well fed and rested. This will help ensure success and keep stress at a minimum for your child. We will have a healthy snack sign up sheet for the week of the 22nd. Thank you to those who have signed up already :)

A Few More Snacks Needed: Please let us know what you would like to bring (in the a.m.). Suggestions: trail mix, peanut butter and celery/carrots/apples, protein bars, granola bars, cheese and crackers, fruit, bagels and cream cheese, milk, juice, etc. Volunteer Snacks for Testing Week

Fundraiser June 3 from 12-5 for Seth Danger Wilson-Frey. For those who don't know, Trinity's cousin was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor, Medulloblastoma, on March 24th. The family is reaching out to ask for help and donations during this difficult time. For more information about the fundraiser, to donate, and/or bring a meal please click this link. Seth Danger Wilson-Frey

**Important Announcements:

Upcoming Dates:
Book Shop Santa Cruz Young Writer's Presentations: Tuesday May 16 @ 6
CAASPP TESTING: Week of May 22
Open House: Wednesday May 24 from 7-8
Memorial Day: Monday May 29 NO SCHOOL
UCSC Arboretum Field Trip: Thursday June 1
Report Cards: Monday June 5
Talent Show: Tuesday June 6 at 9
6th Grade Graduation: Wednesday June 7 at 5
Last Day of School: 12:35 Thursday June 8

AR Reading goals: 14.5 for this trimester

Sick Days and Absences: When your student misses a day or more of school it is highly recommended that you come in and pick up the homework and missed classwork for the day/week. In a week, we have 7.5 hours of instruction in math alone.

Warmly,

Mrs. Young

Happy May and Hello,

Wow! What a lovely and enjoyable night at the Mountain School auction fundraiser this past weekend! A special thank you to all our parents and volunteers who attend and contribute to make such an event possible. We appreciate all of your hard work and dedication.

Drivers Needed: last field trip of the year to UCSC Arboretum. Please let us know if you are able to join us and help with transportation by emailing me with the number of students you can chaperone and accommodate. Thank you in advance :)

CAASPP TESTING: It's that time of year. Our testing window begins May 22. It is very important that your child is in school in these coming weeks. We are busy bees in the classroom and review as well as test taking practice and strategies are being modeled and taught. Please be sure your child is present, well fed and rested. This will help ensure success and keep stress at a minimum for your child. We will have a healthy snack sign up sheet for the week of the 22nd. Please let us know what you would like to bring (in the a.m.). Suggestions: trail mix, peanut butter and celery/carrots/apples, protein bars, granola bars, cheese and crackers, fruit, bagels and cream cheese, milk, juice, etc. Volunteer Snacks for Testing Week

**Important Announcements:

Upcoming Dates:
Spring Concert: Thursday May 11 @ 5:30
Book Shop Santa Cruz Young Writer's Presentations for 4 students: Tuesday May 16 @ 6
CAASPP TESTING: Week of May 22
Open House: Wednesday May 24 from 7-8
Memorial Day: Monday May 29 NO SCHOOL
UCSC Arboretum Field Trip: Thursday June 1

Typing Club

typingclub.com

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

Curriculum Updates:

ELA: we are reading/analyzing our literature book: The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle in class only. This book should not travel back and forth to school and home; rather, the AR book is for that purpose.  In addition, we continue to honor our VIP each week and listen and respond to presentations by students and practice writing friendly letters. We also have introduced Lucy Calkin's reading lessons as part of our aligned writing program here at Mountain School.

Read Aloud Books: Kit Carson, Walk Two Moons, Lovina's Song, The Tiger Rising, By the Great Horn Spoon, Harriet Tubman, Martin Luther King, Jr., Sojourner Truth, Rosa Parks, Abraham Lincoln, Eleanor Roosevelt,....

SC Symphony: daily musical compositions are introduced and enjoyed every morning in preparation for our SC Symphony experience on January 26th and beyond.

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 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 an 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: geometry, area perimeter, volume, graphs, plots and caaspp test prep. Please check your child's planner for specific page numbers.

Science: environments: terrariums, aquariums, brine shrimp.

Social Studies: Boston Massacre, Constitution, Bill of Rights, Revolutionary War.

Writing and Grammar: Persuasive writing, poetry unit.

Santa Cruz Young Writer's: all social justice and fairness essays are complete. Thank you to all writers, WPA's, and parents for making this a successful endeavor. On May 16th, 4 writers will present at the Santa Cruz bookshop from the 4th and 5/6 classes.

Sick Days and Absences: When your student misses a day or more of school it is highly recommended that you come in and pick up the homework and missed classwork for the day/week. In a week, we have 7.5 hours of instruction in math alone.

Warmly,

Mrs. Young

Hello Everyone,

CAASPP TESTING: It's that time of year. Our testing window begins May 22. It is very important that your child is in school in these coming weeks. We are busy bees in the classroom and review as well as test taking practice and strategies are being modeled and taught. Please be sure your child is present, well fed and rested. This will help ensure success and keep stress at a minimum for your child. We will have a healthy snack sign up sheet for the week of the 22nd. Please let us know what you would like to bring (in the a.m.). Suggestions: trail mix, peanut butter and celery/carrots/apples, protein bars, granola bars, cheese and crackers, fruit, bagels and cream cheese, milk, juice, etc. Volunteer Snacks for Testing Week

**Important Announcements:

Upcoming Dates:
Mountain SChool Auction: Saturday May 6
Spring Concert: Thursday May 11 @ 5:30
Book Shop Santa Cruz Young Writer's Presentations for 4 students: Tuesday May 16 @ 6
CAASPP TESTING: Week of May 22
Open House: Wednesday May 24 from 7-8
Memorial Day: Monday May 29 NO SCHOOL

Typing Club

typingclub.com

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

Curriculum Updates:

ELA: we are reading/analyzing our literature book: The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle in class only. This book should not travel back and forth to school and home; rather, the AR book is for that purpose.  In addition, we continue to honor our VIP each week and listen and respond to presentations by students and practice writing friendly letters. We also have introduced Lucy Calkin's reading lessons as part of our aligned writing program here at Mountain School.

Read Aloud Books: Kit Carson, Walk Two Moons, Lovina's Song, The Tiger Rising, By the Great Horn Spoon, Harriet Tubman, Martin Luther King, Jr., Sojourner Truth, Rosa Parks, Abraham Lincoln, Eleanor Roosevelt,....

SC Symphony: daily musical compositions are introduced and enjoyed every morning in preparation for our SC Symphony experience on January 26th and beyond.

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 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 an 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: geometry, area perimeter, volume, graphs, plots and caaspp test prep. Please check your child's planner for specific page numbers.

Science: environments: terrariums, aquariums, brine shrimp.

Social Studies: Boston Massacre, Constitution, Bill of Rights, Revolutionary War.

Writing and Grammar: Persuasive writing, poetry unit.

Santa Cruz Young Writer's: all social justice and fairness essays are complete. Thank you to all writers, WPA's, and parents for making this a successful endeavor. On May 16th, 4 writers will present at the Santa Cruz bookshop from the 4th and 5/6 classes.

Sick Days and Absences: When your student misses a day or more of school it is highly recommended that you come in and pick up the homework and missed classwork for the day/week. In a week, we have 7.5 hours of instruction in math alone.

Warmly,

Mrs. Young

Hello Everyone,

**Important Announcements:

Upcoming Dates:
Earth Day: Friday April 21
Mt. School Auction: Saturday May 6 @ 5
Spring Concert: Thursday May 11 @ 5:30
Book Shop Santa Cruz Young Writer's Presentations for 2 students: Tuesday May 16 @ 6
Open House: Wednesday May 24 from 7-8
Memorial Day: Monday May 29 NO SCHOOL

Typing Club

typingclub.com

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

Curriculum Updates:

ELA: we are reading/analyzing our literature book: The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle in class only. This book should not travel back and forth to school and home; rather, the AR book is for that purpose.  In addition, we continue to honor our VIP each week and listen and respond to presentations by students and practice writing friendly letters. We also have introduced Lucy Calkin's reading lessons as part of our aligned writing program here at Mountain School.

Read Aloud Books: Kit Carson, Walk Two Moons, Lovina's Song, The Tiger Rising, By the Great Horn Spoon, Harriet Tubman, Martin Luther King, Jr., Sojourner Truth, Rosa Parks, Abraham Lincoln, Eleanor Roosevelt,....

SC Symphony: daily musical compositions are introduced and enjoyed every morning in preparation for our SC Symphony experience on January 26th and beyond.

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 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 an 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: Measures. Please check your child's planner for specific page numbers. POM solving and presentations (problem of the month) continue. The next MARS task will be introduced this month as well.  

Science: environments. We have created terrarium and aquarium ecosystems.

Social Studies: History Alive curriculum.

Writing and Grammar: summary writing continues throughout the year. Personal narratives, grammar and root word study.

Santa Cruz Young Writer's: all social justice and fairness essays are complete. Thank you to all writers, WPA's, and parents for making this a successful endeavor. 

Sick Days and Absences: When your student misses a day or more of school it is highly recommended that you come in and pick up the homework and missed classwork for the day/week. In a week, we have 7.5 hours of instruction in math alone.

Warmly,

Mrs. Young