Newsletter January 31, 2013

Happy (almost) February!

Here are a few important dates to put on your calendar:

February 15 - Early Release at 2:10

February 20-21 - 3rd grade Reading TCAP

March 1 - Field Trip to Manitou Cliff Dwellings

March 4-22 - DIII - DV TCAP and makeup days; 3rd grade will take Math and Writing tests at this time.  4th and up will take all (Math, Reading and Writing, plus Science for 5th and 8th)

April 24 - Science Fair Projects Due

Science Fair Projects

February is just around the corner, and we hope that students have determined what questions they would like to answer for their Science Fair projects.  With a month of time to work on this project under their belts, students should also have a hypothesis prepared and have done a bit of research to help them in creating experiments that will answer their questions.  These portions of their science fair boards should be planned out, and perhaps even done in draft at this point.

During the month of February, students should be planning out their experiments, and gathering observations and data.

Here is a link to the Science Fair planning packet you were provided at conferences:  

http://www.hollyschools.org/www/Holly/site/hosting/sciencefairguide12.pdf 

We expect that students will be analyzing concepts that truly interest them, and that the design of their experiments are unique and demonstrate the kind of advanced and creative learners we know them to be.  As your student works through this process, please help them to prepare their science fair board so that it presents both a neat and creative appearance.  We expect the work to be student created, however helping students with the finer points of board organization at this age is most helpful.  

Science fair projects will be due April 24.

LifeSkills

Dr. Ricotta's students have been discussing conflict with peers and how to solve problems together.  They are exploring four problem solving steps and are in the process of creating their own unique "Problem Solving"posters to keep in their binders. Ask your child to share it with you!

Students have started analyzing what "Leadership" really means in Ms. Brown's room.  What does it look like to others?  What does it sound like to someone outside of our learning environment?  How can we recognize the five leadership skills in ourselves and others?  Modeling the way, enabling others to act, inspiring a shared vision, challenging the process, and encouraging the heart--how can we make those part of our everyday lives?  During Care and Compassion Month, we will continue to explore these characteristics of leadership and tie them to the FISH! Philosophy.

World of Math

Ms. Brown's class is currently analyzing fractional parts of the whole, learning how to write fractions properly, and recognize them in both written form and regional models.  As this unit progresses, students will explore equivalent fractions as well as be introduced to the concept of mixed numbers.

Students in Dr. Ricotta's room have just completed an exploration of the use of partial quotients as a strategy to solve division problems and are also beginning their own study of fractions.

Ms. Burns' students are beginning a study of geometry, specifically the use of coordinate grids and ordered pairs.  Playing games involving grids like this, such as Battleship, are fun ways to explore this concept!

Art of Language

Ms. Burns' Language Arts students are continuing their exploration of Frindle by Andrew Clements.  Students are currently making predictions about characters and their motivation, while supporting their predictions with information directly from the text.  One student made a very astute observation that a character from the book often chooses to create his own "drama" to get out of doing work in class!

Dr. Ricotta's students just completed a Reader's Theater integration with Mr. Jesse using excerpts from his own book, The Night the Moon Ate My Room!  Her students performed for Mrs. McKellip's students last week and thoroughly enjoyed the experience of literature from an entirely new direction.  Her students are also in the process of presenting their essays to explain directions to play a game each of them created on their own!

Ms. Brown's students recently completed pantoum poems on topics of their choice, and are currently finding their inner lawyers, infomercial hosts, and editorial writers by studying the art of reasoning and persuasive techniques.  Students will be working in small groups, pairs, and then independently to tackle important hypothetical issues such as later bedtimes for children, required novel studies during summer break, and appropriate snack-times during school in addition to their own ideas.  Hopefully, these reasoning (*ahem*...arguing) skills will transfer to your dinner table conversation!  Feel free to require multi-paragraph persuasive essays from your children!

Historical Inquiry

Students are currently focusing on the geography of Colorado and how it has impacted the lives of the people moving here from other places in the past and present.  We will begin exploring how our unique geography impacts our climate and the living things with whom we share our state in the coming weeks.

As we explore our state's rich history, we have planned a field trip on Friday, March 1 to the Manitou Cliff Dwellings to study an early resident of our area of Colorado, the Anasazi.  Permission slips and other pertinent information will go home in Thursday folders on February 14. The fee for this trip will be $12.00.  Please let your child's homeroom teacher know if he or she will need a sack lunch for this trip as soon as possible.

Due dates for permission slips and payment are not flexible.  All funds and permission slips will be due back to homeroom teachers no later than the Friday prior to the trip--February 22.  Students who do not return both of these items by that date will not be allowed to attend the field trip and will stay at school--no last minute exceptions will be made.  

Welcome back!  Our Big Idea this quarter is "Growth."  Students will be exploring this in LifeSkills classes and content area classes as well.

Important Dates:

January 18 - Upper Division Science Fair

January 21 - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day - No School

February 7 - 12 - Jump Rope for Heart

February 13 - 15 - Third Grade Reading TCAP

February 18 - President's Day - No School

February 19 -21  - Third Grade Reading TCAP Makeups

Conferences and the "Effort" Dilemma

Thank you so much for taking time to meet with us on Friday and Monday for our goal setting conferences.  We appreciate having the opportunity to speak with each of you to review your child's progress and goals for this quarter.  

It has been noted that there was a recurring dilemma with the idea of "effort."  While many letter grades were fine, the scores for effort were low, which troubled both us and you.  The nice thing about our report cards is that effort is now an entirely separate entity, rather than figuring into a letter grade.  While it was great when a student earned a "B" in a class, the question became how the "B" was earned--was it because the material was easy and the student was able to breeze through without much thought?  Or was it earned through hard work, perseverance, and resilience?  We wanted to address that, and thus the "effort" score was born.

For gifted and high-achieving students, the letter grade is important, and the effort score is even more so because for many, school has come easily to them for several years and they were able to easily achieve an "A" without much effort until now. Some are in the habit of giving up easily when things get difficult, and some still have the mindset that effort is not important.  Students have a copy of a matrix in their binders in the "life skills" section to help them rate progress, effort, and behavior. It is posted in each classroom and will be used by all teachers to facilitate a reflection at the end of each class period.  Please review it so that you are clear with what each rating means, and feel free to ask questions as needed. Note that behavior is a part of this reflection.  Each class period, whether they are in homeroom or with another teacher, students are to record the day's lesson objective upon arrival as part of their welcome work.  When lessons are introduced, this objective is stated and referred to throughout the lesson.  By the end of the lesson and that day's work, students should be able to "rate" themselves through both a letter grade AND an effort grade, as well as evaluate their behavior during class.  They will be required to write this in their planner and then will be able to discuss it with you each evening.  

We are beginning to place more responsibility on our students, particularly those going into Division IV, because they must learn to take on the responsibility of informing their families about what they are learning, what their assignments are, and what the expectations are regarding work needing to be done at home, projects, and upcoming events.  When students reach the upper divisions, the students will be your primary source of information, not their teachers.  They must learn to be responsible for their own work, projects, and learning.  The adults in their lives can facilitate this, but it is not up to us to ensure that their work, projects, and learning happens.  As teachers, regardless of grade level, we will always provide the information students need in order to complete assignments, projects, and be successful, however as they grow older, information will be given more and more to the student, rather than to their parents via email or other methods, in order to prepare students for the time when their work is solely the responsibility of the learner or worker.

Each evening, take 10 minutes to review your child's planner with them.  Ask what he or she learned learned, the level of mastery the child feels was attained, and what kind of effort was put into whatever assignment was given.  It is your opportunity to discuss what your child is learning with him or her.  Know that we review planners as well, though not in a conference scenario with your child.  We do assess both student's feelings on mastery of the lesson AND their effort, though it looks much different in the classroom than it will for you and your child across the dinner table.  

Science Fair  

The project itself will be due on the 25th of April.  The FAIR will be held in the gym during the day of the 26th.  As a reminder, the judging that is done by outside judges is NOT used for grading purposes -- our DIII rubric (which will come via email separately later this week) is completely different, as we are looking for different elements in our students' projects.  Understand that this project is not intended to be a "parent project."  All work should be completed by the student with facilitation as needed by an adult at home.  If the parent is facilitating (e.g. helping to locate information and research at the library, helping prepare the board to ensure neatness, assisting the student in creating graphs from the data collected using a computer program, etc.) that is fine.  At no time however, should the parent be the primary scientist or worker on the project. While we want the end result (board, scientist's journal, data tables, etc.) to be neat and free of errors, it must also be the work of a third or fourth grade student and that student must be able to discuss their experiment fully. 

Life Skills

In addition to learning to rate ourselves both for mastery as well as effort, we will be analyzing the idea of growth from a social standpoint, learning how to handle conflict, solve problems, demonstrate assertive behavior, and deal with bullying issues if they arise.  We will also investigate the FISH! Philosophy, Big 5 Leadership Skills, Habits of Mind, fallacies, and other thinking and social skills between now and the end of the school year.  

World of Math

Ms. Burns' class is working with fractions, decimals, and percents currently and will take the progress check next week. 

Dr. Ricotta's class has started Unit 6, which begins with an introduction to division. Using diagrams to help set up story problems slowly introduces the students

to the relationship of multiplication and division.  Family letter and study links were sent home on Tuesday of this week and can found in their binder.  Please note, study links are now mandatory!

Ms. Brown's class will spend the next two weeks learning strategies for learning multiplication and division facts.  Home Links and other information on this unit went home Friday in students' binders and by email.  

Art of Language

Dr. Ricotta's class is beginning this quarter with a CREATE A GAME project that will emphasize nonfiction writing skills and imagination. Students are to create their own title, objective, number of players, age appropriateness, contents, rules, and scoring.

Upon directions being completed, they are free to design and create the actual game. 

Choices are board games, dice games, card games, floor games, etc.  The only limitation is their imagination without violence.

Ms. Brown's class has started their study of Caesar's English, and are using English translations of Latin sayings and phrases as the basis for their four-level sentence analysis each day as they study the correlations between Latin, English, and some Spanish words as well!  Students have also begun an analysis of poetry, looking for patterns of change and growth.  Our first poem is "all ignorance tobaggans into know" by e.e. cummings.  Students had incredible connections to and analysis of this poet's metaphor for learning! We will finish up the literature web for this poem next week and begin a study figurative language using this poem, as well as "In the Windowsill" by Mary Pleiss.

In Art of Language, Ms. Burns' students will be starting their very first "Book Club," reading the book "Frindle" by Andrew Clements.  They will analyze vocabulary, create meaningful sentences, compose reflections about what they read, and discuss the story together in small groups periodically.

Scientific Inquiry

In your child's planner in the science section, you will find a Lab Report template we have been using this week (blank one also attached, to be used for the science fair or modified if the scientist wishes).  Please review it with your child for each experiment we have done in class.  We have done these experiments together as a whole class, in small groups, and in partners.  Our focus in science this quarter is the actual "write-up" of our use of the scientific method: the experiment, data, results, and conclusion, to ensure that all scientists can recreate our experiment to check its validity and to perhaps take our ideas further.  As the quarter progresses, we will do other in-class experiments as well with this same focus in mind.

Historical Inquiry

The primary standard for fourth grade social studies involves the exploration of Colorado History.  We will spend the majority of the third quarter learning about our beautiful state.  While the topic does not change, our approach to it must from  year to year.  This year we have chosen to use a workbook to facilitate our study in addition to research and other activities in class.  We are hoping to have a field trip relating to our study of Colorado before the end of the quarter or shortly thereafter.  We will keep you posted on where and when, as well as costs as we have that information available.  

Handwriting

Students who need to build foundational fine motor skills to improve their handwriting are working with Mrs. Burns two to three times per week.  Division III students who have not yet mastered cursive, using it as their primary handwriting, work with Dr. Ricotta to learn the basics of cursive handwriting.  Students who have demonstrated mastery (or close to it) of cursive handwriting are working with me to further develop this skill as well as learn calligraphy, the art of "beautiful writing."  Some will also begin typing practice during our handwriting time within the next few weeks.  This will continue through the end of the school year.

Post-Thanksgiving News

Dear Families,

As we wind down from Thanksgiving break and time with our families, teachers are busily getting back into our regular routines!  We loved having this time to attend the National Association for Gifted Children's Conference in Denver where each of us came back having learned quite a bit about how best to meet the needs of our students!  We also enjoyed time at home, relaxing with our own families, celebrating those things for which we are most thankful.

In LifeSkills this week, we are beginning to generate solutions to common social and emotional issues that arise in Division III, as well as learning to evaluate the consequences those solutions might bring. 

World of Math in Ms. Brown's class will involve reviewing place value of whole numbers to begin learning about decimals, while continuing to master basic math facts for all four operations.  Continue having your child use xtramath.org each night for practice!  

Dr. Ricotta's class experienced a guest teacher from Division IV prior to Thanksgiving break. Ryan Kricker joined them and taught the first level of "Hands On Equations" for three days. The students loved learning pre-algebra through hands-on methods taught by Ryan!

Ms. Burns' World of Math class is currently extending their understanding of algebraic expressions, applying their knowledge of variables learned during their work with Hands On Equations prior to break.  Taking the time to learn the Hands On Equations method has been helpful for all students!

During Art of Language this week, Ms. Brown's students will continue their novel studies, completing literature webs (due December 7) and vocabulary webs (due December 14), as well as participating in literature circles with others reading the same novels to discuss the patterns of change within their novels.  Students will also begin analyzing persuasive writing and planning their own using the "Hamburger Model" structure.  When your child begins requesting gifts and such for the holiday season, ask them to draw upon their newly found persuasive abilities and techniques in ethos, pathos, and logos!

Just before break, Dr. Ricotta's students completed their 5-paragraph essay for the classic "The Secret Garden."  Each essay details the theme of change throughout their particular chapter.  The essays are on display in the hallway outside of Room 6.

Ms. Burns' class has continued their work on the animal reports that were started prior to Thanksgiving break.  Students have started doing fluency work with reading, doing one-minute partner reads to increase reading speed and fluency.

Historical Inquiry brings Division III to one of our most enjoyable topics: Government, Politics, and Nursery Rhymes of the Middle Ages.  During this unit, students will study the government and politics of the time, the feudal system and the everyday life of those living during this time, as well as about castles and their purpose during the Middle Ages.  Students will learn the history behind many common nursery rhymes.  For instance, "Baa, Baa, Black Sheep" has a very interesting story behind it!  These topics are essential to understanding the history of this time period, so that students can make connections to our current governmental and political structure both in the United States, and specifically in Colorado.  

Students will be able to choose from a number of projects to demonstrate their learning during the course of this unit, and will have the opportunity to research at home and create a model of a castle of their choosing as well.  Information on the Castle Builder Project will go home in binders with students and via email to families today (Thursday, November 29). The project will be due on December 17.

Some important dates to keep in mind during the last several weeks of this quarter:

December 1 - Festival of Lights Parade: Academy ACL will have a float this year! See this week's Monday Message for more information.

December 3 - Scholastic orders due (to ensure delivery before we go to Winter Break)

December 14 - DIII Medieval Feast!  More information to follow soon.

December 20 - Winter Festival: Encore teachers have been working with students to create celebrations of the holiday season from around the world. Performances and artistic expressions will be at the forefront of this event! 

December 21 - No School for Students: Teachers will be busily preparing Quarterly Learning Reports and planning for the third quarter.

December 21-January 3 - Winter Break: Teachers will have a work day to prepare for conferences on January 3.

January 4 and 7 - Family Conferences

November 1 Newsletter

Important Dates & Reminders

November 5 - High School Night

November 15-18 - NAGC Conference in Denver - No School

November 19- 25 - Thanksgiving Break (WOO!)

December 21 - Teacher Work Day

December 22 - January 2 - Winter Break

January 3 - Teacher Work Day

January 4 & 7 - 2nd Quarter Family Goal Setting Conferences

January 8 - Begin 3rd Quarter

Dear Families,

Division III teachers had wonderful goal-setting conferences with all of you last week--thank you for coming!

Please consider donating to our school's holiday food drive.  Many families in our school community are struggling financially, and we would love to be able to alleviate some of the stress that accompanies the holiday season by being able to provide food baskets for all who need them.  We can't do this without your generous donations.  Non-perishable foods can be donated to the boxes outside the office, and grocery store gift cards in $10 increments can be donated as well, being brought to the office.  Every item donated matters and will make a difference for a family.  Thank you for your generosity in advance!

Second quarter is off to a great start:

In LifeSkills, we've started discussing how to calm down when we begin to feel strong emotions and role playing our responses to situations that can cause strong emotions.  The more students can practice these techniques, the more automatic they will become.

In the World of Math, Ms. Brown's class is finishing up their first exploration into measurement.  Students have practiced measurement to the nearest inch, half inch, quarter inch, and explored measuring using metric units as well.  Students also learned to find the perimeter of polygons and experimented with different ways to calculate area.  Most students have begun working toward their quarterly goals of improving math fact automaticity and accuracy by using xtramath.org to practice each night as well.  By the end of the school year, all students should be fluent in math facts for all operations.  Continued practice at home will help in meeting this goal.  Our next unit will focus on common uses of multiplication and division. The Unit 4 family letter was sent home in binders and a digital copy emailed home today.  

In Mrs. Burns' Math class, students are delving in to algebraic concepts with learning "legal moves" with pawns and cubes that represent variables and number values. 

Dr. Ricotta's World of Math class is completing Unit 3 on Friday.  Mastering multiplication facts has been emphasized, division introduced, and beginning algebraic equations has been practiced through open-ended equations.

Ms. Brown's Art of Language class has started work analyzing patterns of change in literature.  During this unit, students will be analyzing the language of literature through four-level sentence analysis, other grammar and vocabulary activities, and class discussion, while reading literature which explores the concept of patterns of cyclic change.  Over the past two weeks, students have created a Frayer Model to explore cycles we see around us every day and started delving deeply into the vocabulary that writers use to communicate their messages.  Students analyzed a portion of Maya Angelou's "On the Pulse of Morning," this week and had some very interesting connections to the poem!

In Mrs. Burns' Art of Language class students are jumping into researching on an animal report. They are working on taking notes on important information and getting ready to compile it into a report. 

Dr. Ricotta's Art of Language class completed reading The Secret Garden. Each student will now be writing an essay relating the novel's theme of 'Change" for one chapter in the book. A home project for their chapter with many choices to choose from is optional.

Division III has chosen to level students for our current Scientific Inquiry which explores rocks and minerals.  Because many of our students have demonstrated mastery of the standards relating to this unit, they are exploring topics within it that appeal to them, becoming experts on the topic of their choice.  Others are experiencing these concepts for the first time, while others are going a bit deeper, synthesizing what they learn while working their way through a web quest and then experimenting hands on with rocks and minerals.

Important Dates and Reminders

September 25 - Mechanisms Fair, Academy ACL Gym, 2pm.

October 1 - Dress Like Your Hero Day and COUNT DAY!!  Attendance this day is very important!! 

October 5-8 - Fall Break

October 12 - Read-A-Thon.  Early dismissal at NOON; Get your sponsor sheets in to your homeroom teachers!! Also End of Quarter 1

October 15 - Teacher Work Day - no school

October 25-26 - Family Conferences

Attendance Policy: Please check your Family Handbook regarding excused vs. unexcused absences. Also, if your child will be absent for any reason, please email both your child's teachers AND the office.

Division III News

LifeSkills

Students in Dr. Ricotta's class have been introduced to the 'Celebrations & Concerns' bucket for situations and events happening in class, encore, and playground. They’ve also been discussing how bodily fluids from sneezing, coughing, and teeth hygiene spreads germs and bacteria. So using the tissues on the table would be advantageous for all of us!

'Perceive" has been their lifeskill of the week. How one looks, acts, & speaks reflects how others think of them. Perception is in the eye of the observer whether it is accurate or not.

Ms. Brown’s class focused on how to join in to conversations and activities, as well as how germs are spread.  We talked about using the “cough pocket” (the crook of one’s elbow) when we sneeze or cough to ensure that we are minimizing the amount of germs we spread.

World of Math

In Ms. Brown’s math class, students learned how to add using various algorithms, such as partial sums.  They will be taking their assessment with Ms. McDonough on Friday morning. Beginning Monday, we will complete the remainder of Unit 2, which focuses on subtraction algorithms.

Using family numbers, students in Dr. Ricotta’s class learned how to create a line plot graph. Together they graphed the number of family members living in one household. With this graph, they learned how to find THE MEDIAN from a set of data. Students also practiced multi-digit column addition as well as partial sums.

In Ms. Burns’ class, students are learning all about adding, subtracting, and multiplying decimals. We are working with Multiplication with Powers of 10 as well.  We are rocking this unit!

Art of Language

Mrs. Burns' class has been focusing on identifying main idea and supporting details in our reading and on writing 5 sentence paragraphs that include a topic sentence, 3 supporting details and a conclusion. 

Dr. Ricotta’s Art of Language class is still exploring The Secret Garden. It has kept the students engaged, entertained, and anxious as they read about a lonely, contrary little girl. The journal entries from each chapter of this book has been such a delight to hear the students share.  She reports, “We are having so much fun reading this classic piece of literature as we learn about English Gardens, the moors, and Yorkshire accents.”

Ms. Brown’s language arts class has forayed into reading non-fiction books, while still focusing on non-fiction writing. Students were allowed to bring non-fiction books of their choosing, and several students have brought some very interesting books such as The World’s Most Haunted Places, and a book about the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. It’s been fascinating to talk to students about what they’ve chosen to read.

Students focused on writing summaries of their daily reading as though they were reporting for a newspaper, answering questions such as who, what, why, when, where, and how. Our workshop lessons for writing for the next several meetings will focus on conventions and their proper usage in our writing, and proper use of “academic language” in our writing.   Today, students will be starting work on an expository piece about a topic they know a lot about--the topics will vary, but we think that students will have some very interesting pieces to share!  Some students are still working on their nutrition essays as well.

Scientific Inquiry

This week, students researched and have each prepared a page for our class medieval medicine book which we will complete when our paper making project is finished. We’ll then transfer our findings to our medieval paper!  Students worked diligently in class this week to locate information on their assigned herbs and have been surprised by not only their uses during medieval times, but also by their uses in the modern world!  Thank you to all who have located samples of these herbs.  Some are more difficult to locate than others!

Next week, we will begin a scientific inquiry unit in which we will study the effects of temperature on matter.  Students will investigate through the scientific process how heat and cooling affect matter, as well as conduct experiments to explore simple chemical reactions.  This unit will wrap up on October 12.  

Mechanisms, Medieval Inventions, and Medicine!

Important Dates and Reminders:

Friday, September 28: Rube Goldberg Machines DUE & Mechanisms Fair - 2pm in the gym!

Monday, October 1: Count Day and Hero Day - Come to school dressed as your favorite hero, fictional or real!

Friday, October 5: Monday, October 8 - Fall Break

Saturday, October 6: Jesse Wilson's The Night the Moon Ate My Room! Performance and book release signing. 3-4:30 pm Marmalade at Smokebrush, 219 W. Colorado Avenue, Ste. 210 (Evening performance at 5pm)

Friday, October 12: Early Release 12:00pm and Read-A-Thon!  Be sure to find your ten sponsors!  End of 1st Quarter

Monday, October 15: No School for Students - Teacher Work Day

Tuesday, October 16: 2nd Quarter Begins - Big Idea: Patterns

Tuesday, October 23: Picture re-takes

Thursday and Friday, October 25 and 26: 1st Quarter Family Conferences

Division III News

Scribe's Corner by Keeghan M.

CLASH!  Fighting is what the medieval people did for possession of land.  And how do I know this?  In our study of medieval inventions, we discovered just that.  My group and I made our own mini catapult using popsicle sticks, glue, a wooden spoon, and wood.  

Did you know that Leonardo DaVinci didn't make the catapult?  He just designed it.  He also invented the tank. We are excited that we have been invited to go to the Leonardo DaVinci exhibit in Denver with Division V in October!

Lifeskills

Students in Dr. Ricotta's homeroom have been learning to understand different perspectives and how perception of others comes into play.  

All three classes have been composing persuasive letters to Mrs. Myers to convince her to allow us to travel to Denver in October with Divisions IV and V for the DaVinci Machines Exhibit.  Composing well-written persuasive letters is one of the requirements to be allowed to go on a field trip.  Permission slips for this trip, another requirement, went home in Thursday folders today and must be returned with applicable funds no later than October 4.  Students bringing permission slips or money after this date will NOT be allowed to go on the field trip.  Because all three Divisions are attending and it is such a large group, we will not accept late submissions.  Additional information will follow shortly.

World of Math

Ms. Brown's math class has moved into Unit 2, and is studying several different strategies for solving addition problems.  Family letters went home in student binders on Monday.  Several students have still not returned Unit 1 tests with signatures.  Please return those as soon as possible!

Art of Language

In Dr. Ricotta's language arts class, the use of the dictionary has aided the students in completing a vocabulary web for Caesar's English.  They are engrossed with reading and responding to "The Secret Garden."  Students are having hard time putting it down! It is that good!  Classic literature never dies!

Ms. Browns' class is finishing up their expository pieces about nutrition.  Students have chosen to include very valuable information, as well as integrated informational text features such as diagrams, pictures with captions, headings and subheadings, as well as charts and graphs!  Students have had a great time interviewing one another and putting their research together.  

Next week, students will need to bring non-fiction books of their choosing to class.  An email about this went home to families on Thursday afternoon.

Scientific and Historical Inquiry

Students completed their Medieval Inventions this week and they are FANTASTIC!  They'll be on display soon in the front cabinets.

Next week, we'll begin learning about medieval medicine and remedies.  Students will be assigned a medieval remedy and will research it, creating a page for our class medicine book.  We'll be learning the scientific name for each medicine, it's common uses during the middle ages, and whether or not it is still used today. We'll illustrate each remedy and provide small samples as well.  (Samples of most medicines can be purchased at most local health food stores (Mountain Mama, Whole Foods, Vitamin Cottage, etc.) Students are making paper, another medieval invention, with Ms. Hellen in Art, and that paper will be used to publish our research in our books. 

Newsletter September 13, 2012

Reminders and Important Dates

Thursday, September 13: Achievement Night, 5:30pm.  Guest speaker Jackie Law will be speaking about MAP testing information for parents, and staff will share math games and science fair information for each division.

Friday, September 14: Drawing and materials list for Rube Goldberg Projects are due!  This day is also an Early Release at 2:10.

Saturday, September 15: Paper Making Project Help Needed: Jimmy Cline, a Division III parent, has graciously volunteered to build the paper presses we need to create our medieval paper.  He needs help, however, with the construction of them.  If you are available in the afternoon on Saturday and willing to assist, please get in touch with him via email: jimmycline@comcast.net.

Friday, September 28: Rube Goldberg Machines DUE!  Mechanisms Fair in the afternoon in the gym.  More details will follow.  If your child has not shared this project with you, please check his or her binder for the information.  It can also be obtained on the school's website in the Forums under Division III.

In Other News...

The weather changes have started in our region!  Fall is almost upon us!  Please remember that our weather is unpredictable, and so students need to come prepared with rain gear and jackets each day.  As the weather turns colder, students will not be allowed to play outside if they are not dressed appropriately.

If you are picking your child up mid-day, please remember to check in at the office and allow the office staff to retrieve your child, rather than heading straight to his or her classroom.  It's imperative for the safety of our students and staff that the office is aware of who is in the building at all times and who is taking students out during the day.

If you wish to observe or volunteer in a particular class, be sure that you have scheduled your visit ahead of time with the teacher(s) in whose classes you wish to observe or volunteer.  We welcome our families, but would appreciate knowing when we will be having visitors and volunteers.  In this instance too, you must check in with the office and obtain a visitor's badge.  If you will be volunteering, you must have completed the volunteer orientation.  Please contact the office for the next orientation.

LifeSkills

Students in Division III discussed and role-played situations involving the giving and receiving compliments.  Students noticed that tone of voice plays a role in how compliments are received.  We have also started writing persuasive letters to Mrs. Myers to convince her that we should be allowed to take a field trip to the DaVinci Machines exhibit in Denver in October.

World of Math

Ms. Brown and Dr. Ricotta's Math classes took MAP tests this week.  Teachers will let you know when scores are available.  Ms. Brown's math class will take their Unit 1 test and a few students will finish up MAP testing on Friday.  Dr. Ricotta gave her Unit 1 test earlier in the week and Mrs. Burns' class is scheduled to take their Unit 1 test next week!

Art of Language

Ms. Brown's Art of Language class has continued with Writer's Workshop, focusing on expository writing.  Students have been busy interviewing others for their essays and many are actively drafting essays that incorporate many different non-fiction features and informational writing structures.  Word Study information went home on Monday and the first assessment will be next Wednesday, September 19.

Dr. Ricotta's class is learning analogies and Latin stems (bi-, pre-, super-, sub-, and de-).  They are continuing work on their non-fiction animal essays and have started reading The Secret Garden.

Mrs. Burns' language arts class has been learning to identify the main idea and details in nonfiction text using non-linguistic representations.  She put related items in a box, and through exploration, students identified what the main idea of the box was, as well as identified which items were details.

Inquiry

Division III has completed their study of mechanisms and simple machines, working on three culminating activities throughout the week.  In Dr. Ricotta's classroom, students played games such as Mouse Trap and Capsula to further explore mechanisms at work. Mrs. Burns arranged for students to take apart common household machines such as broken X-Boxes (which was a favorite!) and coffee machines, identifying mechanisms and the way they work within the system.  In Ms. Brown's classroom, students went on a simple machine scavenger hunt, finding the six simple machines on our playground.  Students sketched where they were located, labeled each using scientific vocabulary such as load, effort,  input and output, and then explained how those simple machines were integrated into the equipment students play on every day.

We will begin our first Historical Inquiry unit this Thursday, which will have students becoming experts on medieval inventions, technology, and medicine.  In Art class, Ms. Hellen will begin facilitating the paper making process on Monday, as an integration of history into art.  She is still looking for additional volunteers to help from 12:30 until 1:30 or so each day.  Please contact her to schedule a time to help out!