The Rocky River Roadrunner Gazette
March 31st, 2017
Special Events Through Year's End...
Staff Highlights
Our Hilbish-Ford Teacher of the Month
Student Council Honors Staff
Mrs. Norris a Finalist for CCS Teacher of the Year!
Grade Level News
Kindergarten
First Grade
Reading/Writing: In reading, students are working on our Cross-Genre Topic Study Unit. Students will learn that readers can learn from many sources such as fiction stories, poems, and nonfiction. Students are working on asking and answering questions as they read and determining the meaning of unknown words and phrases. Students are also working on answering oral and written comprehension questions and finding evidence in the text to support their answers. In writing, students have been working hard on completing their nonfiction books on animals.
Math: Students are finishing up their problem solving unit on change unknown and comparing word problems. We will begin working on our unit using place value to add and subtract 2-digit numbers. Please continue to work on addition and subtraction fact fluency.
Science/Social Studies: In science, students have become geologists, studying earth's properties such as rocks, minerals, soil, and water. We will begin our unit of living organisms. Students will learn the basic needs of different animals and plants. In social studies, students have been learning about the different landforms and bodies of water.
First Grade SPLASH: First grade SPLASH students are taking advantage of the Spanish classes by becoming global learners. Our students continue having interactions with schools in other parts of the world. They always get excited to “talk” with their new friends. For example, the students in Hernandez’ class got mail from their fifth grade friends that study in a private school in Mexico City. They wrote our SPLASH students letters and sent them through the mail. They also sent them pencils as a token of their friendship. It was so exciting for our students to get mail from their Spanish speaking friends and they were so proud to read the letters they got!! As a teacher I felt so happy to see them smiling and walking with their letter around the classroom to find a spot to read it and to share it with the rest of the class.
The students have also been using geographic representations and terms to talk about maps and landforms. They are growing every day in Reading and Writing too! We have been analyzing different kinds of books are the students are becoming more independent when reading in Spanish. In Math they have been using their skills to solve math problems within 20. We are having so much fun in the Spanish classes!
Second Grade
Reading - We are working on Fiction and Non-Fiction Book Clubs. Students are working hard to better understand their books and characters across different book series. They are also learning how to discuss their books with their peers.
Writing - Students are working on opinion writing and trying to persuade others to read their book recommendations.
Social Studies - We are beginning our unit on Economics. Students will be learning about needs and wants, goods and services, consumers and producers, and supply and demand. At the end of the unit, we will have a “Market Day” where students will create goods and sell them to their team classes.
Math - In math we are adding and subtracting larger numbers. We are reviewing place value and number concepts with larger numbers. We are continuing to develop strategies for problem solving.
Science - We are finishing up our unit on Weather and will begin our next unit on Animal Life Cycles in April.
We are very excited about our upcoming field trip to Schiele Museum on April 11 where we will be learning about Weather and American Indian Cultures.
Third Grade
Math – Students are learning how to represent and compare fractions. Students will use circles, squares, rectangles, fraction bars, and number lines to represent fractions. It is important to rely upon experiences with linear models such as folding sentence strips with zero, one-half, and one whole as common benchmarks when comparing fractions including one-half, one-third, one-fourth, one-fifth, one sixth, and one eighth. Students must be able to use comparison symbols and justify their reasoning. Students must also learn to create fraction equivalents such as four-sixths and compare improper fractions such as five-thirds. Vertically, the physical and visual modeling experiences required to support the work of number and operations with fractions involve use of folded paper, pattern blocks, number lines, fraction strips, Cuisenaire rods, graph paper, and double sided counters for deep understanding and student discovery of fractions.
Science – Students are learning about Earth Systems. Students will be able to identify and compare characteristics and locations of bodies of water. Identify and compare characteristics and locations of the Earth’s land features. Use models, maps, pictures, and diagrams to identify and compare Earth’s land features.
ELA - our 3rd graders just wrapped up their study of mysteries. Next, we will begin our Biography Book Club unit. Students will have a chance to learn about the biography genre, read biographies and create a biography. Our final ELA unit will be our Social Issues Book Clubs. Students get to read and explore issues like bullying, poverty, feeling left out, being different, race and more.
During the final 9 weeks, we will continue working on reading and comprehension strategies and skills as a whole class and in small groups. Guided reading and strategy groups will continue. We will also incorporate some EOG practice. In writing, we will continue responding to our reading and focus on opinion writing.
Please encourage your child to read 20 minutes a night.
In Social Studies, we have two remaining units to cover: Historical Perspective and Resources (Economics).
Fourth Grade
Fourth Grade March 2017
ELA: In our reading class we have begun a new unit titled Interpretation Text Sets. In this unit students are learning to consider the implications of stories, analyze themes shared across books, and symbolism. Students also enjoy meeting with their book clubs to hold book discussions and share ideas. We have begun a new writing unit on literary essays. In their writing they will discuss the theme in relation to the story and will offer their own opinions about what they have learned.
MATH: In math, we continue to work on multi-step problem solving with fractions (proper and improper), and mixed numbers. We are learning to add and subtract, with renaming, using equations and visual models such as number lines and model drawings. Benchmark fractions guide us as we compare and discuss. We are simplifying fractions using visual representations, mental math, and division. Our next skill will be learning to multiply a fraction by a whole number for the purpose of real-world problem solving.
SCIENCE: Fourth grade is currently studying the Solar System and Molecular Biology. Students planted plants in the Fourth Grade Garden to help promote healthy eating with smoothies.
SOCIAL STUDIES: We are learning about North Carolina as a State, the Civil War and Reconstruction.
Fifth Grade
5th graders have approached their final marking period of elementary school! Time sure does fly!
The students have had experiences this past marking period to prepare them for their futures. They have been learning about peer pressure and harmful substances in D.A.R.E. The students have been thinking about and discussing their futures during Career Day. CC Griffin and JN Fries can out to discuss with the students what they can expect in middle school.
In Math students are moving back into fractions and will be multiplying fractions, whole numbers and mixed numbers, dividing fractions by whole numbers . In addition the children will be working with fractions to find the area of a rectangular space/object. Remember to always simplify your answers!
In Science students are going to being learning about Ecosystems and will be building live terrariums. Donations of 2 Liter bottles for the terrariums are appreciated. Their final unit will be Weather, which has the most difficult concepts so make sure to study the vocabulary with your student. Don’t forget that Science Fair projects are due April13th!
In Social Studies students will be learning about the Civil War and the Reconstruction era. They will be discussing events leading up to the Civil War and will be writing research papers on the events of the Civil War.
Be sure to look for invitations to join us for DARE graduation as well as 5th grade graduation (the last day of school). Thank you for all you do!
Department News
Art
K: (North America) Kindergarteners are creating “Pete the Cat” Skateboard, based on a book, “Pete the Cat and his Magic Sunglasses” where Pete wrote on a skateboard throughout the story. Students are learning about “real-world” arts application and translating what they remember from the book into their skateboard designs. Students are learning about coloring slow and how to trace and outline.
1st: (Africa) First graders are starting a new project about the West African Drum, the Djembe. The students are learning about the parts, the sounds, and the purpose of the Djembe drum. Students are creating a watercolor painting of their own djembe drum, which includes patterns of their choice. Students learned about patterns earlier in the year and have to recall their prior knowledge.
2nd: (North America) Second graders are starting a new project with Comic Strips. Students learned about the history of comic strips and how writing and art work together. Students are having to rely on their own creativity and their writing skills for this project!
3rd: (Asia) Third graders are finishing up a very long project with handmade papermaking and Chinese character printmaking. Students are currently learning about printmaking and will be be creating a print of their Chinese character on the paper that they made.
4th: (North America) Fourth Graders are creating their own class totem poles. Students learned the importance and history of traditional totem poles are each fourth grade class is creating their own. Students each had to pick an animal that represented their personality and create this animal through collage. All the animals were combined to make the totem pole, which will represent the class as a whole.
5th: (All around the world) Fifth graders are inventing their own board game. Students have to come up with a never before seen game where they choose the design, the rules, the pieces, and they get to name the game. The students are learning about real world applications and have to critically think through all of the steps and use their creativity for themes and ideas.
Physical Education
Technology
English as a Second Language (ESL)
Media
Thank you for supporting our latest book fair! The proceeds will go towards purchasing updated non-fiction and fiction books for our library so that our collection remains current. We will also be replacing some of our well loved, worn-out titles. We will have one more book fair this year to help support summer reading. This will be the Scholastic BOGO event from May 4th - 10th. We will have our Book Fair Family Night from 6:00 - 7:30 on May 4th. Save the date!
Our 3rd- 5th grade students had the opportunity to participate in a six week reading program sponsored by the Charlotte Checkers. Our students read for a total of 575, 435 minutes! Way to go, Road Runners!! One top reader from each grade level won a 4-pack of tickets to a Charlotte Checkers Hockey Game. Congratulations to Gracie Lowe (3rd), Emma Rodriguez (4th), and Lexie Cox (5th) for being our top readers as well as everyone who participated. Keep reading!
Does your child enjoy Minecraft, Pokemon, Legos, Play-Doh, writing, crafts, or chess? Do you have a toddler or preschool child at home? If so, check-out the many FREE programs that the Cabarrus County Public Library has to offer. They even have programs for adults! The programs for toddlers and preschoolers are particularly beneficial in developing early literacy skills which help to further prepare children for kindergarten. The library is a great place to be!
Counselor's Corner
Middle School Transition: 5th Grade students recently visited their perspective Middle Schools. Students enjoyed a tour and received a general overview of the middle school experience. Parent and students will be given an opportunity to attend The New Student Orientation at JN Fries on Saturday April 29th between 10:30am and 1:30pm. CC Griffin will host a Parent Night on April 5th from 5:00-6:30pm. Working together Rocky River 5th Graders will successful middle school transition.
Kindergarten is for Kindness: 5th Grade students recently visited their perspective Middle Schools. Students enjoyed a tour and received a general overview of the middle school experience. Parent and students will be given an opportunity to attend The New Student Orientation at JN Fries on Saturday April 29th between 10:30am and 1:30pm. CC Griffin will host a Parent Night on April 5th from 5:00-6:30pm. Working together Rocky River 5th Graders will successful middle school transition.