Hello Everyone,

I am really enjoying your bright, funny and inquisitive children!  

Thank you again, Parents Club, for your constant support with supplies, wipes, hand sanitizer, and so much more to our classrooms!! Your generosity knows no bounds.

With our second week of school accomplished, we are all settling into 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. 10 from 9-12.  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. Roles were assigned last Friday so that specific lines can be practice and memorized for each actor. I have added some dialogue and a few parts--the 4 Pony Express parts.  We will practice this so that students know those lines as well.  Our opening song will be "This Land is Your Land" and there is a link to follow to this video for learning the lyrics. This Land is Your Land Youtube video can be listened to here but all additional dialogue and music lyrics are in the shared folder here .

**Play dates: Thursday Sept. 27th evening performance @ 7 p.m. in the Pac room for families and friends and Thursday 9/27 and Friday 9/28 performances @ 11 a.m. in the Pac room for students. We appreciate the help! Please volunteer to help with our play 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 and fifth 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 colorful homework pocket for each day's assignments, and a reading log for parent signatures/initials every night. This binder has four sections: notes, homework, lessons, and tests. This is the only binder that will travel back and forth every day between the classroom and home (doesn't come home on Fridays). 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 and an initial for the reading log.  Academic success can be impacted if this is a regularly forgotten item. The front of your child's binder has a sheet which outlines all the expectations for homework, please revisit that, if you have questions.  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.

Math: we have been reviewing whole numbers and place value up to the millions for fourth and billions for fifth. 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: Westward Expansion and the Gold Rush as it aligns to our play and our Coloma trip this year. Gold Country here we come!! 

Science: we have moved into our Foss curriculum on solid earth--land forms and soils. Our November Seacliff State Beach fossil field trip (details below) supports this.

Current Read Aloud: Kit Carson. We are mapping Kit's journey through the Sierra Nevada Mountains from California to Santa Fe, New Mexico. 

Accelerated Reader: Your child  has successfully logged into Accelerated Reader and has had practice with taking a comprehension quiz.  All quizzes should be completed within 24 hours of finishing a book and must be taken in the classroom, not at home.  Time will be given each morning for this purpose.

Accelerated Reader Book Find: click here Your child should be reading "good fit" books--on their reading level and interest level.  You can check to see that the books your child is choosing to read are in AR. If you put the title in and see the book pop up with information on reading level, points, and quiz #, you know that this is a good pick.  If you cannot find the book in the AR book find, this is a book that has no quiz associated with it and no points.  This is not a good pick.

Novel: By the Great Horn Spoon.  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. If your child is a fourth grader, 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 will view this in the classroom this week.

**Back to School Night and Coloma Meeting: Wednesday September 19. At 6:15 Ms. M. will meet all new families in the PAC room with current Mt. topics, presentation and discussion--all parents are welcome to attend. Then, teachers will give classroom presentations for parents at 6:30 and again at 7:00.  At 7:30 p.m.  I will give information about the 4/5 trip to Coloma this year.  I look forward to greeting everyone and talking about the curriculum, Coloma and our fabulous year! (Mark your calendars Coloma: Oct. 17-19).

**Our First Field Trip: Seacliff State Beach 11/2/2018 10:00 -12:30. Drivers/chaperones will be needed and more information on this field trip will be forthcoming as it gets closer.

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 click here to put your name on the volunteer list. Thank you.

Warmly,

Heather

Hello Everyone,

I would like to extend my sincere appreciation to all those who brought in supply donations to our classroom! We really go through things, and it helps us all considerably. 

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

We will be assembling our blue math and planner binders tomorrow (Monday) as a class. Please be sure your child has his/her blue binder so that we can get started with the process this week. Shauna and I will be handing out the planners and dividers and supporting each student with this task. You do not need to supply a planner for your child. 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 and review the 4/5 welcome packet for additional procedures, routines and guidelines that went home with your child last week.

4th and 5th Math: place value.  The planner in the blue binder will reflect the math homework assignments with page numbers should you need to reference them. The lesson (there is a new one every week) 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.

4th and 5th Nightly reading is 40 minutes a night. 

4th and 5th Reading logs come home in the planner for parents to initial each night upon nightly reading completion. These logs are meant to be used for 3 weeks, hence the reason for 12 different questions. Please follow directions at the top of the reading log. Your child chooses 1 question a night (M-Th) and those can be in any order. Please check off the question you are answering and have your child write their answer to the question on a separate piece of notebook paper and staple it to the back of the reading log. These questions vary in complexity due to the differentiation that is necessary in a 4/5 class. You can assist your child with a trickier question just by talking to them about the book they are reading. This can help young readers be successful with comprehension. Thank you for your support.

4th and 5th nightly vocabulary: there is a vocabulary packet this year which emphasizes shades of meaning. It is passed out on Mondays and your child is responsible for finishing the packet up by Friday and turning it in.

4th Science: homework as a general rule because we do our hands-on projects in class. The only time your student will have homework in science is for the science fair which does not come into the picture until February. 

5th Science: please check in with Mr. Halbig if your child is a 5th grader.

Social studies: no homework, we will do that in class.

Amanda, Tanner's mom, has graciously volunteered to be our room parent! We are so lucky.

Thank you for supporting our classroom and your child. 

Warmly,

Mrs. Young

Hello Everyone,

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 grade experience in the Intermediate School.

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 under the Beginning of Year Business tab if you would like to get a jump on that before school begins. If you are still enjoying the last lingering moments of summer and are not so inclined, worry not. I will send home a hard copy of the list with your child on the first day of school (Wednesday August 22nd, 8:30 - 12:35) along with other information regarding our classroom and you can gather things together next week as you are able. 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 with your child as well.

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 and looking forward to a wonderful year,

Heather

Hello Everyone,

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

CAASPP TESTING: We have completed the ELA portion and will begin the math testing during the week of May 21. 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. We have a healthy snack sign up sheet for the week of the 21st: Volunteer Snacks for Testing Week
Thank you in advance.

Pictures for Open House: if you have pictures from throughout the year, please share them with me, and I will use them for Open House. Thank you!

**Important Announcements:

Upcoming Dates:
CAASPP TESTING: Week of May 21
Open House: Wednesday May 23 from 6:30-7:30
Memorial Day: Monday May 28 NO SCHOOL
Report Cards: Monday June 4
Talent Show: Tuesday June 5 at 9:00
Creek Day: Wednesday June 6 from 10-12. Please be sure that your child has a bathing suit, sunscreen, a hat and towel.
6th Grade Graduation: Wednesday June 6 at 5
Last Day of School: 12:35 Thursday June 7

AR Reading goals: 16.5 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

Hello Everyone,

**Important Announcements:

CAASPP testing is on the horizon and with that added spiral review and practice in math and ELA. Please be sure your student is here, and if they do have to miss that homework and practice are picked up for them so that they do not fall behind.

Upcoming Dates:
Mt. School Auction: Saturday May 5 @ 5-9 p.m.
Spring Concert: Friday May 18 @ 5:30-7:30
CAASPP testing: Week of 5/21 in the morning M-F
Open House: Wednesday May 23 from 7-8
Memorial Day: Monday May 28 NO SCHOOL

Curriculum Updates:

ELA: we will be reading/analyzing our mystery book. 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: Which Way Freedom, Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt, Harriet Tubman, Abe Lincoln, Frederick Douglass, Many Thousand Gone by Virginia Hamilton, Johnny Tremain.

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: Decimals. 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: We will begin the Environments unit next week. 

Social Studies: History Alive curriculum and Houghton Mifflin. We will be going into the Modern era as well as studying the branches of government.

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

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

A Friendly Reminder: 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.

Hats with Bills: we do not wear hats with bills in the classrooms here at Mountain. It interferes with instruction, eye contact and listening. Students are welcome to wear them at recesses. During classroom hours, students are asked to tuck their hats away in their back packs. Thank you for your understanding.

**Important Announcements:

Upcoming Dates:

Report Cards-- Monday, March 19th
Spring Break--Monday, April 2nd-6th

Curriculum Updates:

ELA: we will finish reading/analyzing our literature book: Which Way Freedom in class only. 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: Which Way Freedom, Harriet Tubman, Abe Lincoln, Frederick Douglass, Many Thousand Gone by Virginia Hamilton, Johnny Tremain.

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 and Decimals. 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: landforms--Mt. Shasta, Mt. St. Helens

Social Studies: Civil War, Underground Railroad

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

 Spelling, Grammar and Cursive: Weekly lessons

Warmly,

Mrs. Young

Hello Everyone,

Thank you to all of our drivers/chaperones on last week's field trip to the Symphony. We appreciate your dedication to our classroom and the students. 

**Field Trips: Cabrillo College Friday, March 9 at 8:45-10:00. 
We need drivers and Chaperones for this event. Due to limited space, Cabrillo has asked that we have no more than 7 chaperones present with our class. If we have extra volunteers, we will need to have them drop off children and come back to pick them up at 10:00.

Mountain Science Fair- Wednesday, March 7th:

All students in grades 4-6 are required to complete science fair projects at home.  Clear guidelines and timeline are included in the information. Please follow the calendar to stay on track with deadlines.  

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

Santa Cruz County Science Fair: Saturday March 10th  (registration deadline: Fri., Feb. 9)

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:

READ-A-THON-- February 18th-February 28th
Mountain Science Fair-- Wednesday, March 7th
Cabrillo College Field Trip-- Friday, March 9th 8:45-10:00

SC County Science Fair--Saturday, March 10th
Report Cards--Monday March 19th

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

Mindfulness: best practices in mindfulness are 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. MARS tasks.

Science: Soils, Rocks and Landforms; science fair preparation. Please follow calendar timeline suggestions.

Social Studies: Civil War studies begin.

Writing and Grammar: summary writing, book reviews, science research report on extreme weather (expository), spelling, vocabulary, grammar and root word study.

Warmly,

Mrs. Young

Hello Everyone,

Informational Books: On Monday January 22, we will be embarking on a scientific unit of study about extreme weather over the next 4-6 weeks that requires your student to have a number of informational texts on their reading level that are of high interest. That said, our Mountain class library and school library will not supply the 6 books each child will require. It is important to help your child gather reading material that may come from your home libraries or public libraries. Your child will need 2 informational books that relate to his/her science fair interests this year,  2 informational books on extreme weather (tornadoes, hurricanes, drought, earthquakes), and 2 informational books on their own area of interest to read in class and as nightly reading--these books can range on whatever topic your child is interested in learning about as long as it is informational and not fiction and is on their reading level.

**Important Announcements/Field Trips:

Mountain Science Fair- Wednesday, March 7th:
Signed Proposals are due

All students in grades 4-6 are required to complete science fair projects at home.  Clear guidelines and timeline are included in the information. Please follow the calendar to stay on track with deadlines.  

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

THE SANTA CRUZ SYMPHONY FIELD TRIP: Tuesday February 20th at 11:00, Kaiser Arena

To inspire our students’ musical talents and aspirations we will participate in this fantastic event.

Thank you to those who have volunteered to chaperone and drive!

Santa Cruz County Science Fair: Saturday March 10th  (registration deadline: Fri., Feb. 9)

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:
100th Day of School--Friday, February 2
HOLIDAY/ NO SCHOOL-- Monday, February 12th

HOLIDAY/ NO SCHOOL-- Monday, February 19th
SC Symphony field trip-- Tuesday February 20th, 11:00 @ Kaiser Arena
READ-A-THON-- February 18th-February 28th
Mountain Science Fair-- Wednesday, March 7th

SC County Science Fair--Saturday, March 10th

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/February

ELA: Book review on The Sign of the Beaver.  Lucy Calkin's reading lessons.

SC Symphony: daily musical compositions are introduced and enjoyed every morning in preparation for our SC Symphony experience on Tuesday February 20th and beyond.

Mindfulness: best practices in mindfulness are 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: Fractions. Please check your child's planner for specific page numbers. POM solving and presentations (problem of the month) continue. MARS tasks.

Science: Soils, Rocks and Landforms; science fair preparation. Please follow calendar timeline suggestions.

Social Studies: History report presentations.

Writing and Grammar: summary writing, book reviews, science research report on extreme weather (expository), spelling, vocabulary, grammar and root word study.

Warmly,

Mrs. Young

Hello Everyone,

I wanted to let you all know that I am feeling much better and am eager to return this coming week on Tuesday January 16th to the classroom and your children.  Thank you to all those who sent well wishes for my recovery from pneumonia. I would also like to extend the deepest gratitude to my colleague, Kim Dudley, for covering the class in my absence. It was very appreciated and good to know that the students were in such capable hands.

HOLIDAY/ NO SCHOOL-- Monday, January 15th

Informational Books: On Monday January 22, we will be embarking on a scientific unit of study about extreme weather over the next 4-6 weeks that requires your student to have a number of informational texts on their reading level that are of high interest. That said, our Mountain class library and school library will not supply the 6 books each child will require. It is important to help your child gather reading material that may come from your home libraries or public libraries. Your child will need 2 informational books that relate to his/her science fair interests this year,  2 informational books on extreme weather (tornadoes, hurricanes, drought, earthquakes), and 2 informational books on their own area of interest to read in class and as nightly reading--these books can range on whatever topic your child is interested in learning about as long as it is informational and not fiction and is on their reading level.

**Important Announcements/Field Trips:

Mountain Science Fair- Wednesday, March 7th:

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

THE SANTA CRUZ SYMPHONY FIELD TRIP: Tuesday February 20th at 11:00, Kaiser Arena

To inspire our students’ musical talents and aspirations we will participate in this fantastic event.

Thank you to those who have volunteered to chaperone and drive. We only need one more driver.

Santa Cruz County Science Fair: Saturday March 10th  (registration deadline: Fri., Feb. 9)

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:

HOLIDAY/ NO SCHOOL-- Monday, January 15th

SC Symphony field trip-- Tuesday February 20th, 11:00 @ Kaiser Arena
SCCOE Spelling Bee-- Saturday, January 27th at UCSC

HOLIDAY/ NO SCHOOL-- Monday, February 12th

HOLIDAY/ NO SCHOOL-- Monday, February 19th
Santa Cruz Symphony at Kaiser Arena--Monday, February 20th
READ-A-THON-- February 18th-February 28th
Mountain Science Fair-- Wednesday, March 7th

SC County Science Fair--Saturday, March 10th

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: reading/analyzing our literature book: The Sign of the Beaver.  We are working on jots (note taking from the text and elaboration) and uncovering the problems that face our main characters and the life lessons taught in the text. In addition, we continue to honor our VIP each week and listen and respond to presentations by students. 

SC Symphony: daily musical compositions are introduced and enjoyed every morning in preparation for our SC Symphony experience on Tuesday February 20th and beyond.

Mindfulness: best practices in mindfulness are 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: Continuing with fractions. 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: Soils, Rocks and Landforms; science fair preparation.

Social Studies: American Revolution and beyond.

Writing and Grammar: summary writing continues throughout the year. Social Studies written report (expository), spelling, vocabulary, grammar and root word study.

Warmly,

Mrs. Young