Room 25 Class News
January 2013
Reminders:
- Monday, January 21 is a school holiday honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
- Spend the MLK holiday at the Art Museum w/ Mrs. Vinetz! Monday, January 21, join Mrs. Vinetz on a tour of the San Diego Museum of Art...Click here for all the details!
- Scholastic Book Orders are due next Friday, January 25th. Remember, every online order helps our class earn a free book! Thank you for your orders. https://orders.scholastic.com/HWMVR
- Be sure you are logging in to Edmodo to see student grades and assigned work! Students submit their science lab and vocabulary popplets weekly, and take the language arts reading selection test every other week!
- MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) Testing is coming! Our winter MAP Assessments will be held over the next two weeks. I'm eager to see the growth from students' fall assessments - we've done SO MUCH learning! Reading MAP: Thurs., 1/24 10:30 - 11:30am. Math MAP: Tues., 1/29 8:45 - 9:45am. Please ensure your child has a healthy breakfast and snack, and adequate sleep the night before.
- Our class has earned a "Coyote Party!" Meaning: class behavior has been outstanding during support classes, and Room 25 has received over 50 "coyote points" to earn them a party. On Thursday, January 24, students may bring in treats from home to share with their classmates while they watch a movie in the afternoon. Please click here to sign up on my wiki page to send your child with a treat to share. Feel free to send in a movie (RATED-G only) for the class to vote on, too! Thanks :)
- Monday, February 4th is our 4th Grade study trip to Rancho Buena Vista. More details to come! Thank you for sending in your permission slips before the break - you rock! :)
- Thursday, February 7th is 4th-6th grade Family Science Night. 6:00 - 8:00pm in the FAB; please plan to attend with your child! A "no homework" incentive will be offered for proof of attendance.
- A few dates in the future...Mark your calendars! President's Holiday Week - No school Feb. 18-22nd. Parent Teacher Conference Week & minimum days - March 11-15. I will let you know when sign ups are live on the wiki.
Academics and Curriculum Update
Technology:
Our iPads are used throughout the day to assist students in completing projects and research. These new 'pencils' are valuable tools in our 21st century learning environment! Many assignments can now be accessed on Google Drive to enable sharing of school work in a cloud. Check in with your child and ask what their favorite recent iPad project has been.
We have been working hard on fractions, and are heading toward decimals. Our current studies moving forward are preparing your child for 5th grade math. Some concepts are more difficult than others; we will keep practicing. Please be sure your child is watching the Edmodo lessons and performing the "guided practice" at the conclusion of the lesson. Consider watching the lessons WITH your child to provide extra support at home!
English-Language Arts:
We are finishing up our 3rd Thematic Unit (Powerful Words), and students will be given the Unit Assessment next week (Jan 22 - 25th). We've learned six new vocabulary words per week over the last five weeks, and students have created popplets on their iPads to practice. Our reading comprehension focus has been: generating questions, drawing conclusions, making inferences, and evaluating text critically. Grammar and spelling are a part of nightly homework.
Social Studies:
Chapter 4 Test: Wednesday, January 20th!
We're currently studying Chapter 4, "Mexican Rule in California." Spain is out, Mexico is in! Each week, students are being taught HOW to take notes from the text and prepare their own study guides; these notes will become their study guide for the Chapter 4 Test. Lesson 3 notes are due Wednesday, January 23. On the 23rd, students will receive a study guide accountability chart, requiring parent signatures for each night the child studies for their test. Thank you for your support during this process as we teach your child how to study!
Students have also embarked on a "Diseno" partner-project due Thurs., January 31st. Students have received the project guidelines and rubrics - check their binders - and have started working with their assigned partners to complete the following:
1.) A typed letter to the Mexican government (aka, me!) explaining why they should receive a land grant
2.) A diseno, or map, of the boundaries of the land grant
3.) A 2-minute iMovie using visuals and sound to convince the Mexican government to grant them a land grant.
Since students are working with a partner, this project will be completed in class; it is very important for students to use their class time wisely to complete each component. Students are welcome, however, to get together outside of class to collaborate. Check in with your child nightly to see how the process is going!
Science:
Chapter 7 Test: Wednesday, February 6th!
We're currently studying Magnetism in Chapter 7: magnets, electromagnets, motors, and generators! Each week in lab, students are getting hands-on experience and practice using elements of magnetism. Study guides will be handed out Tuesday, January 29th and are due Thursday, January 31st with a parent signature.
Contact Mrs. Rainville
Email: monicarainville@sbsd.net
Website: http://web.sbsd.k12.ca.us/groups/ssf_r25/
Phone: (858) 794-4700