Hello Everyone,

I am pleased to welcome you and your children back to school!

Please pick up your child's packet which is out on the 4th grade table under the eves at school. In future, these items will go home with your child on Fridays unless you are staying in distance learning. If you are, you will still come to the school Fridays to pick up materials and packets.

-All lessons and in-person work will be scanned and placed in the pdf folder on the website, should your child be absent for any reason.

Parking lot info is attached. PLEASE check it out before your first trip to school.

Here is the agenda for the week:

Hybrid Starts Next Week 3/23/21

• Monday 3/22: distance learning on same zoom link @ 8:30 -10:00

• T-F in-person hybrid cohorts

am 8:30-11:30

pm 12:15-3:15

4th Grade Hybrid Cohorts

Morning 12  (8G, 4B)	Afternoon 9 (4G, 5B)
Chloe	Xander
Harlan	Asher
Sophie	Will
Austin	River
Amaya	Emma
Zoe G.	Olivia
Jack	Lucas
Rowan	Quinn
Luke	Gabriella
Zoe C.
Aurelia
Aviva

• Do not bring computers to school. They stay at home.

• Your child needs their blue binder

• your child needs: a mask,1 glue stick, 5 dividers, 4-5 mechanical pencils, #7 mechanical pencil lead, 1 pack thin water-based colored markers, 1 pack colored pencils, blunt-tip scissors, ruler, 20-30 sheets of paper in the blue binder, a black sharpie, 2 highlighters, a pack of sticky notes, spiral notebook, composition book, protractor, and earbuds that can stay here in their bucket.

• Their math workbook B

• Their math lesson

• Their history lesson

• A printed copy of the schedule on google classroom and in the schedules with checklist folder on the website--may need help printing schedule as chromebooks don't have that feature.

• A substantial, healthy breakfast or lunch before arriving at school

•  Easy-to-open snack and water bottle daily for break

Please remember, if your child has a fever, runny nose, sore throat or any other flu/covid-like symptoms to contact the office right away. We want to do everything we can to keep everyone safe.

We are looking forward to seeing all of you at school again.

Warmly,

Heather

 Hello Everyone,

We are very excited to be opening, and we have many details to iron out in the next few weeks.  Here is cohort info as well as answers to commonly asked questions.

 

**We planned carefully and many factors have been taken into account (siblings in other grades, balance, etc.). Should you have questions regarding cohorts, please direct those to Diane and Sharon in the office (dmorgenstern@mountainesd.org, sespinosa@mountainesd.org).

March 1, 2021	4th Grade Cohorts 20 Total
	Morning 11  (8G, 3B)	Afternoon 9 (4G, 5B)
1.	Andrews, Chloe	Buhr, Xander
2.	Bonigut, Harlan	Lee, Asher
3	Cartagena, Sophie	Matthews, Will
4.	Forest, Amaya	Russell, River
5.	Goldring, Zoe	Smith, Emma
6.	Harn, Jack	Summers, Olivia
7.	Hazelton, Rowan	Swanson, Lucas
8.	Coatney, Luke	Taylor, Quinn
9.	Coatney, Zoe	Trask, Gabriella
10.	Pawlak, Aurelia
11. 12.	Williams, Aviva Clark, Austin

**Please read and familiarize yourself with the attached "Reopening Plan and Appendix A" for detailed instructions about what you need to know about returning to school.

1) MASKS: 

-Children will be required to wear masks at all times (inside & outside)

-Please send your child to school in a mask (or 2 if you wish)

 

2) SEATING IN THE CLASSROOM

-Students will be seated 6 feet apart with shields. 

-For group work, students will wear masks and have shields between children AND between children and teachers.

 

3) DROP OFF & PICK UP

-Students may be dropped off 15 minutes before class time.

  *no earlier than 8:15 (morning cohort) and 12:00 (afternoon cohort)

-Parents will be asked to stay in cars for drop off and pick up. 

-Staff members will meet students at their cars, administer safety checks, then bring students on to campus (if children meet all health guidelines).

 

4) EATING & DRINKING

-We will eat and drink outside.  

-We will take breaks daily as we transition and develop students' stamina. There is a 10 minute recess break for each cohort as well.

*PLEASE SEND AN EASY-TO-OPEN SNACK AND WATER BOTTLE DAILY.

 

5) PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT

-playground structures will be open for grade level cohorts and cleaned between a.m. and p.m. groups.

-other equipment (balls, jump ropes, etc..) will be available only during p.e. lessons and sanitized between cohorts. 

6) DISTANCE LEARNING MONDAYS will start and end at the same time 8:30-10:00. If you are dropping off another child, please have your student in this class go ahead and get started on zoom as they ordinarily would.

7) COMPUTERS will be needed at home for Monday distance learning. It has been decided that students will not bring their computers to school.

 

6) HOMEWORK

-Math homework will continue in workbooks

-i-Ready practice will continue on line

-Reading logs will continue on line when assigned

-AR quizzing will continue on line

SUPPLIES LIST

 

Thank you all!  Feel free to email me with any questions.

 

Warmly,

Heather

Hello Everyone,

I hope you thoroughly enjoyed your three-day weekend!

Announcements:

NO SCHOOL: MONDAY 2/8/21 LINCOLN'S BIRTHDAY

NO SCHOOL: MONDAY 2/15/21 PRESIDENT'S DAY

Read-A-Thon: this year Mountain School is participating in The Read Across America program and the theme is "practice empathy." We will be using the Read-A-Thon reading log to help kids log their reading minutes for the next 2 weeks on google classroom.  Please read the parent letter below to find out how this works. Donations are not required, but are very appreciated. There is a pledge letter below to keep track of pledges should you and your child elect to contribute in this way. Your child should focus on selecting books that have to do with practicing empathy and compassion. 

Parent letter 

Pledge Letter

Paper Version of Reading Log

Here are some links to various book choices on themes of empathy:

Links to Recommended Reading: Books with Trailblazing Women - https://www.worldcat.org/profiles/ReadAcrossAmerica/lists/3212914 

American Indian/Alaska Native, First Nations - https://www.worldcat.org/profiles/ReadAcrossAmerica/lists/3899488 

El día de los niños/El día de los libros - https://www.worldcat.org/profiles/ReadAcrossAmerica/lists/3211142 

Stand Tall and Read - https://www.worldcat.org/profiles/ReadAcrossAmerica/lists/3173002 

LGBTQ Reading - https://www.worldcat.org/profiles/ReadAcrossAmerica/lists/3712777 

Books for Césear Chávez Day - https://www.worldcat.org/profiles/ReadAcrossAmerica/lists/3212929

Valentine's Exchange:

Valentine bags will be on the fourth grade table in the PAC room next week. Your child can bring valentines to put/drop into bags for their classmates T-TH (1 per student). They can be homemade and very simple. They should put their name on the valentines they are giving and leave the name of who they are giving them to blank. We have 20 students and 2 teachers.

*Please make sure that your child includes everyone in the exchange if they are going to participate.

You may pick up your child's valentine bag (names are on bags) on Friday 2/12 when you pick up packets. Children may open bags at home. 

Directions for our Valentine's Exchange

class list for valentine's exchange

Hello Everyone,

Announcements: we will be enjoying a virtual mission field trip that is offered through the California Missions Foundation on Thursday, February 11th from 10:00 am – 11:00 am. They will be sending a zoom link that is different from our classroom link, and I will share it with you as soon as they have given it to me next week. I will also tell the kids about it and give reminders so that they can successfully participate. Please see the flyer below for more information:

Virtual Mission Field Trip

Weekly assignments:

Math: multiplying fractions. Students complete the video lesson with the teacher and independent workbook practice pages daily. i-Ready digital math practice is daily. Quizzes are embedded in the assigned i-Ready content. Please make sure that your child is completing their daily i-Ready teacher assigned practice and quiz and their differentiated instruction on "My Path."

History Readers and Writers Workshop: California Missions. Your child has been assigned a California Mission to research here. They should use the link provided and the California Missions website to fill out their Mission Fact Sheet which is located on google classroom. They may use other sources of information as well like our lessons and books from the past 3 weeks. After they have filled in their fact sheets, they will begin the project of creating a mission book on digital book creator. All of this is modeled and scaffolded on zoom so that your child is supported and successful. Please check in with your child to see how they are doing with this and let me know if they need extra support. When it comes to reading about the missions, there is some tricky vocabulary that will be encountered. We are going to keep talking about some of the most common terms that they might have to understand.

Writing: California Mission books on digital Book Creator.

Modified Individual Science Project: this will be introduced as we complete California Mission book projects.

Reading: use the AR Book Finder to be sure there is a reading quiz associated with the books your child is reading.

Reading Quizzing and Comprehension: AR Quiz Site

*Students should aim for AR point goals of 16 this trimester. If your student has not logged in to AR (Accelerated Reader) in a while, please check in with them to make sure that this important reading-comprehension quizzing is being completed.

Have a great week.

Warmly,

Heather

 Hello Everyone,

My blog is delayed a bit due to gusty winds and power outages in my area. I hope that most of you have had your power restored if you lost it. We have had good attendance on zoom.

Please welcome back 2 students to our 4th grade classroom, Aurelia Pawlak and Chloe Andrews. We are so happy to have both girls join us! 

i-Ready diagnostic results went out via email today. Please remember that this is a snapshot in time of your child's math performance. We are midway through the year and have yet to study and complete: fractions, decimals, measurement, and geometry. So, there is still time for your child to reach, maintain and exceed 4th grade math goals. Please urge them to login daily to their i-Ready math practice.

Weekly assignments:

Math: adding and subtracting related fractions. Students complete the video lesson with the teacher and independent workbook practice pages daily. i-Ready digital math practice is daily. Quizzes are embedded in the assigned i-Ready content. Please make sure that your child is completing their daily i-Ready practice and differentiated instruction as well as the embedded quiz. I have reminded students over zoom.

History Workshop: California Missions. 

Writing: mission writing project will follow in the next few weeks.

Foss Science e-Book: earthquakes and volcanoes, review of landforms formed by erosion and deposition.

Reading: use the AR Book Finder to be sure there is a reading quiz associated with the books your child is reading.

Reading Quizzing and Comprehension: AR Quiz Site

*Students should aim for AR point goals of 16 this trimester. If your student has not logged in to AR (Accelerated Reader) in a while, please check in with them to make sure that this important reading-comprehension quizzing is being completed.

Date Adjustment: Read-A-Thon--The read-a-thon will take place February 9th-23rd, with 99 pledges staying open until February 27^th.  The theme will be "practice empathy," as it is February's theme from the Read Across America campaign. The goal is to raise $5,000.

Warmly,

Heather

 Hello Everyone,

Happy New Year.  Students have made a nice transition back to school. Having a short week to reenter school seems to have agreed with everyone.

The i-Ready diagnostic that we completed before winter break went smoothly for the kids. Thank you for helping to prepare your child for this valuable assessment. As teachers and the district unpack this new teaching tool, I will be sharing information with parents regarding results and math progress. All students have been assigned digital practice on i-Ready. "My Path"  refers to practice that is generated based upon your child's diagnostic results and will give them specific, differentiated practice on the areas that are most beneficial to their immediate goals and stretch goals in mathematics. I will also be supplementing i-Ready digital practice that aligns with the Singapore paper lessons.  Although Singapore digital is a thing of the past--no tears will be shed, the Singapore paper lessons will continue to be used this school year.

Weekly assignments:

Math: review 3 on fractions thus far.

History and Reading: California Missions.

Science: Earthquakes and Volcanoes.

MLK Day: 1/18/21: NO SCHOOL

Read A-Thon--January 18th-31st

Here's to a great week.

Warmly,

Heather

 Hello Everyone,

As you know, we will be taking the i-Ready math diagnostic this week to assess your child's math skills:

Tuesday 12/15, Wednesday 12/16 and Thursday 12/17 8:30 - 9:30

-Students should have The Sign of the Beaver novel by their sides to silently read when they have finished each day's section of the diagnostic.

8:30 students will log onto our classroom zoom as usual

-I will share the link to the i-Ready site and get students oriented

8:45 we will begin the assessment

(it will run approximately 30 minutes on T, W, TH)

We will do this assessment in 2 groups in breakout rooms on zoom for the 3 days until we have completed the assessment. 

Please be sure your child:

1. has a good breakfast

2. has a quiet area on zoom from 8:30-9:30

3. has paper and pencil

4. tries their best and doesn't stress--it's not for a grade but for assigning them good-fit practice for math going forward

5. feels supported but completes the assessment completely independently

**I will send out a personal email to each family with your child's username and password on Monday. Please do not start the assessment prior to our class logging on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

Weekly assignments:

Math: improper fractions

History: explorers

Reading: Reading Log and The Sign of the Beaver novel

WINTER BREAK: MONDAY DECEMBER 21ST - JANUARY 5TH

FIRST DAY BACK: WEDNESDAY JANUARY 6TH

Thank you for your support with the diagnostic and weekly assignments. If you have questions, please let me know.

Here's to a great last week and a happy, healthy break.

Warmly,

Heather

Hello Everyone,

We are starting a novel by Elizabeth George Speare this week called The Sign of the Beaver to complement our study of California Native Americans.  If you have not picked up the copy that was left on the 4th grade table, please do so on Monday so that your child can keep up with the reading of this great book.

-Reading log: this week we have a reading log which asks comprehension questions about the novel.

-Math: mixed numbers this week and will look at improper fractions next week.

-History: California Native Americans this week and next.

-We have 2 weeks of school before we break for the winter holiday. Our last day is December 18th.

Winter Break: Monday December 21, 2020 - Tuesday January 5th, 2021

**Our first day back is Wednesday January 6th, 2021.

iReady diagnostic:

I will be giving the iReady (online) math diagnostic to your child next Tuesday-Thursday in approximately 3 half hour blocks on zoom. There will be about 10 children in a breakout room with me and one with Shauna. This is a diagnostic to evaluate your child's math skills thus far.  It is not graded and is not recorded on report cards. That said, it is extremely important that your child complete the diagnostic on their own with no parent help.  This diagnostic's purpose is to help the teacher understand what kinds of skills your child has developed in mathematics and to give them the appropriate differentiated practice that is just right for them.  It will be important that your child have a quiet uninterrupted space to complete each session on Tuesday 12/15, Wednesday 12/16 and Thursday 12/17 from about 9:00-9:30. Because this takes place during our regularly scheduled zooms, I hope that it will be convenient and easy for everyone. 

As a parent, you do not need to be present, and it is best if you are in the background rather than coaching, nodding, giving hints, etc. Any of those kinds of parent (very well intending) supports may prevent a diagnostic result that is best for the student. We want to be sure that your child will be getting assignments and practice that fits them as perfectly as possible. Any additional help will skew those results. Encouraging your child to just do the best they can, is really the best approach. Some problems will be easy, others hard, some just right, and we need nothing from them but their best effort. 

I will be explaining the diagnostic to them, and we will be practicing logging on so that they can take the diagnostic on their chrome books during zoom next week. As it is a brand new assessment to me and the intermediate school, I will be educating myself, you and your child at the same time. We're in this together, and I will do my best to make it as painless as possible.

Please feel free to reach out to me if you have questions or concerns. I will answer them the best that I can. 

Have a wonderful week.

Warmly,

Heather

Hello Everyone,

I hope you enjoyed the beautiful fall weather this weekend.

DRA Assessments: will continue during office hours this week. Thank you all for making sure your child is on zoom and ready for their assessment. It is really a pleasure to work one-on-one with each and every one of them!

Halloween Costumes: with Halloween on Saturday, we have decided to wear our costumes on zoom this Friday! It is also fine for your child to wear their costume during the week on the days that they have their special zoom classes in music, PE and art. All that teachers ask is that every student participate in a positive way. 

Report Cards: will be going out November 9th. Parent/teacher/child conferences are the week of November 9th. Please sign up on the document below.

Teacher/Parent/Student Conferences: Sign up for a conference here. 

Illuminate Report Card Student Portal: your child's private username and password will be shared at their conference. This is how you and your child can view and stay informed about grades and monitor progress.

Warmly,

Heather

Hello everyone,

I hope you enjoyed your weekend. I am going to be out for the week with family matters and wanted to let you know that your children and you are in good care with former Mountain 4-5 teacher, Reina Honig. She will be substituting for me all week. If you have questions or need assistance, please direct your inquiries to Reina at rhonig@mountainesd.org. I will look forward to seeing everyone next Monday.

Sign Up for the DRA: Reading assessments are right around the corner--October 19th - October 30th. Please sign up for a time slot here during my office hours for your child to meet with me one-on-one over zoom. Your child must be in a quiet, private environment for this assessment which is free from distraction for 1 hour. I will be:

1. Listening to your child read and conducting a running record.

2. Having your child read the book over zoom cover to cover.

3. Having them complete their summary writing assessment.

Tables: As the weather turns, the office has made the decision to move the tables which are outside the PAC room to inside the PAC room.

That said, the PAC room hours will be: Monday through Friday 8:00 - 5:30.

**4th grade will still have items available by 3:00 p.m., but you will no longer be able to pick things up/drop things off over the weekend and if not retrieved by 5:30 on Friday, will need to wait until 8:00 Monday morning.

Cabrillo College: For the past several years, Cabrillo College has hosted 4th grade students on campus for a College Experience and Guided Tour.  This year, they are bringing the College Experience to us virtually!  This year's theme is “I am going to College” and it will feature three exciting yet simple interactive activities. 

Your Child will Experience: 

• Pre-Event Activity - What is College? I will share a pre-recorded video on zoom, virtual tour of Cabrillo College with a 360 view of campus.  Students will have the opportunity to ask questions so the Cabrillo team can answer some of them during the Live Event. 

• LIVE Event October 27, 9:30 am  -- “I’m Going To College” will feature a brief 15 minute live presentation featuring Cabrillo faculty, staff, and students!  

• Post-Event Activity --will include a Kudoboard to thank students for participating in the 4th Grade Experience. 

Thank you and I will see you soon,

Heather