Important announcements first:
1) We have enough drivers for our field trip to decorate the ferry--thank you parents!

2) The date of our State Fair has changed to Wed., Dec. 17. Please mark your calendar accordingly (our original date was Dec. 18). The State Fair will take place all morning, beginning about 8:45am and ending about noon. Parents (and any other interested folks) are encouraged to visit. Please contact me if you have any questions.

Lots going on as we make the most of the few weeks before the December break. Students will be working with their kindergarten partners today, making decorations for Monday's field trip. The class has been working on multiplying decimal numbers, and will take that chapter test on Tuesday, Dec. 9. The next geography test is scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 11. We will have a language test the following Tuesday, Dec. 16. We are continuing to read The Sign of the Beaver and discuss both the story and the wonderful use of language. We will also begin practicing narrative writing. We have begun working on the next science unit, Living Systems.

Our initial focus in science is on cells. Although a typical "ideal" cell contains other organelles, we'll concentrate on the following, in order to understand cellular respiration and photosynthesis: both plant and animal cells have a cell membrane, cytoplasm, a nucleus with a nucleolus where the chromosomes and DNA are located, multiple mitochondria, and vacuoles, but only plant cells contain chloroplasts and have cell walls. We spent time yesterday on an investigation of diffusion and osmosis (diffusion across a living cell membrane). We'll move on to body systems and plants.

Just to keep parents informed...the state note-taking guide must be completed no later than Wed., Dec. 10. As soon as students complete their state note-taking guide (and some are finished or nearly finished now), they can begin working with their partner on creating their State Fair board. The assignment sheet students were given lays out the requirements, and I'll be working with each group to help them decide which partner is responsible for which parts of the board presentation.

Again, many thanks to those parents making our field trips next week possible. The students are also looking forward to the potluck lunch on Monday, when we get back from the ferry. Just to remind everyone: on Monday, Dec. 8, we'll leave Rancho by 8:45am. Students need to dress warmly and in layers. We'll be back by about noon. On Friday, Dec. 12, we'll be gone all day. We'll leave Rancho as soon as possible (8:30am) so students must arrive at school on time! We'll be back by the end of the school day (2:50pm). Each person going to Chabot must bring a bag lunch and drink.

Have a wonderful weekend!