New Year, New URL!

Welcome, 4th grade parents! This year's blog is located at http://rancho4-11.blogspot.com.

We finished STAR testing today, and now we can get back to learning! (Or maybe just more test taking.) Students have been working on practice math tests for the math we've covered recently. Instead of giving the individual chapter test for each chapter covered, I'll be giving the unit tests. We'll start with the Unit 7 test on Tuesday, probably take the Unit 8 test on Friday, and the Unit 6 test the following Tuesday. Students will also be taking a placement math test for middle school. Fifth grade teachers have not yet set the date, but the results must be sent to the middle schools by May 22, so it will be before then! And students will be taking the end-of-the-year District assessments before June 3. Positive spin: lots of great review before summer!

Students are just about finished with their rough drafts of the trout essay. They should finish the final copies next week, and then we'll start on a persuasive essay. Students are usually very good at persuasion!

Thank you for getting all the Walker Creek forms and money in. If there are any changes in your child's health status (new medications, etc.), please let me know before May 26!. The packing list went home earlier, so hopefully everyone is comfortable with what is needed. If you have any questions, please let me know. Please remember: no food, except for the bag lunch your child needs to bring for the first day and no electronics (they may bring a digital camera, but disposable cameras are recommended). Your child is not allowed to bring a cell phone, even if they were planning to use it as a camera. Students are encouraged to bring a book, cards, a board game, or other non-electronic activity for the short free time periods they have each day. Again, if you have any questions, please contact me.

Have a wonderful weekend, and Happy Mother's Day!

We have made it through our first week of STAR testing--the language portion has been completed. Students will be taking the science test on Tues. and Wed., May 5 and 6, and the math test on Thurs. and Fri., May 7 and 8.

Because of STAR testing, I have switched PE on Tuesday, May 5 from 8:30 to 1:05. Please make sure your child is prepared to participate in PE on Tuesday.

We have been learning about air pressure, convection currents, and the water cycle. There was a lot of talk after yesterday's investigations about trying some other ideas at home--if your child did some investigations on their own, try to get them to explain what they think is happening.

We have been doing a lot of math, but have not taken a math test this week. We will catch up with math tests after STAR testing.

Mrs. Adams has announced in this week's Friday Flash that I will be moving to 4th grade next year. It will be hard to leave 5th grade, but life is about change and so I'm looking forward to making the most of this new opportunity.

Happy May Day!

Many thanks to our drivers yesterday: Mrs. Dunn, Mrs. Gutierrez, Mrs. Kirby, Mrs. Mercurio, Mrs. Stevenson, and Mrs. Thomson. Students learned about the tatters on a blacksmith's apron, flux, coke, the temperature of a blacksmith's fire, and so much more. It was an interesting day.

Walker Creek Forms
If you have not yet turned in your Walker Creek forms, please do so as soon as possible. These forms must be sent to Walker Creek. If you have lost the forms, please let me know. If you have decided against sending your child to Walker Creek, please let me know. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated. Walker Creek payments are due by May 1.

Family Life
Fifth grade teachers will be teaching the Family Life unit the week after Walker Creek. This is an opt-in program. You will receive a form that must be returned, letting us know if you want your child to participate or not. Students will be separated by gender (all 5th grade boys will be in one classroom with Mr. McDonald and all the 5th grade girls will be in another classroom with Mrs. Dees and me). Students will have printed material and will view a video. We'll meet for about an hour each day. There will be a parent meeting, to give parents an opportunity to see the materials used for Family Life, on Wed., May 20, at 2:00 P.M., in Mr. McDonald's classroom. If you cannot make this meeting but are interested in viewing the materials, please let me know and we can make other arrangements. If you have any questions, please let me know.

STAR Testing
STAR testing begins next week. The fifth grade schedule is:

1. Language Arts--Wed., Apr. 29 and Thurs., Apr. 30
   
2. Science--Tues., May 5 and Wed., May 6
3. Math--Thurs., May 7 and Fri., May 8.

All tests will be given in the morning, before the morning recess. Make-up tests will be given the following week. One way to help your child do their best is to make sure they are well-rested and have had a good breakfast. These tests show not only what students have learned in fifth grade, but what they can do with what they have learned up to this point in school. I encourage students to do their best (as they should with everything they do), but I do not want students to feel stressed about the tests. They know a lot; here is their chance to demonstrate that.

We will continue to work on all our usual curriculum during STAR testing. And yes, students will still have homework.

Enjoy the weekend.

It was great to see everyone at Open House; thanks for coming to see a bit of what happens in our classroom. Wasn't it great to get the DVD of Ranchoburg? Thanks, Dan Edblom!

Our classroom library grew during the book fair. Not only did the PTA give each teacher $75 to spend, but several families purchased books for our classroom. Thank you very much! Your generosity is greatly appreciated, and I know the books will be read repeatedly in the years to come. Thank you.

Callling parent drivers! We need parent drivers for our April 23 field trip to the Petaluma Fairgrounds to see blacksmithing demonstrations. We will leave Rancho about 9 A.M and return by 2:30 P.M. All three 5th grade classes will be going. So far we have one confirmed driver. Please let Marianne Hill know if you can drive. Because one other school is joining us for the morning demonstration (1 or 2 classes from a Petaluma charter school) and the space in the bleachers is limited, we won't be able to bring extra parents on this field trip, beyond the drivers.

Even though Open House is over, we still have lots of work to do. We finished the math chapter about fractions, decimals, and percents, as well as the chapter about solid figures: nets, surface area, and volume. We have been using the concept of surface area to help us understand some science concepts as well. Students did well on the Unit 2 science test, and we have been working on Unit 3--water, weather, and the solar system. We did an exploration of pendulums yesterday to get a handle on the scientific method and the difference between the independent variable and the dependent variable in an investigation. Ask them what they tested!

Students finished their first literature circle books today. It has been very interesting to listen to their discussions each time they meet. We will begin new literature circles when we get back from vacation.

Students have started working on a 5-paragraph essay (yes, still a form taught and hopefully learned) about their trout experience. So far they have only worked on their introductory paragraph--still a long way to go.

Thanks for sending in the Walker Creek forms! For those who have not yet done so, please return the forms--the travel form (the smaller piece of paper), the 2-page Student Health form, and the Dietary form--as soon as possible. I know the packing list is on the back of one of the pages of the health form, so I will provide a copy of the packing list for anyone who needs it in the weeks before we go. If you have chosen to purchase something from Walker Creek (water bottle, sweatshirt, etc.), please send that form in as well. If you have any questions, please let me know. Walker Creek payments are due by May 1.

State STAR testing will begin the final week in April and end during the first week of May. A good breakfast and a good night's sleep will help them do their best each day.

Enjoy the week off!

It was great to see so many folks at Ranchoburg. The students did a wonderful job, and learned a lot in the process. It was very interesting to hear their reflections on the activity--always like to hear new ideas to tweak the curriculum!

We will be releasing our trout on Monday, March 30, from 8:45-10:35 A.M. We'll walk to Scottsdale Pond. Please feel free to join us!

Open House is Wed., April 1, 6-7:00 P.M. Student dismissal time is 12:30 P.M. I hope to see everyone on Wed. evening!

Fifth graders will be going to Walker Creek Ranch for outdoor education Tuesday, May 26 - Friday, May 29. The Walker Creek information packet and forms are in this week's Friday folder. PLEASE DO NOT THROW THE INFORMATION AWAY. Even after you have turned in the forms, you will need the information in the packet (what to bring, how to contact Walker Creek Ranch, the address to use when sending your child a letter--please send a letter!)
Every child must return:
1) Student Health form (2 pages)--please be as specific and complete as possible,
2) Dietary Information form--again, please be as specific and complete as possible (Does your child have any food allergies? Is your child a vegetarian? Is there some food your child does not eat for religious reasons?...), and
3) the Travel Emergency Care form (your child will be traveling to Walker Creek and back on a school bus). Please return these forms to the classroom by Friday, April 10. If you have any questions, please contact me.

You also have your Walker Creek bill in the Friday folder. Please send in your payment no later than May 1. If you have any questions, please contact Tia Sanford.

Your child should be working on their explorer newspaper project; it is due on Wed., Apr. 1. They will be presenting their work to the class.

We have finished our second science unit; the test will be on Tues., March 31. We have reviewed and every student has a completed I-Check review, along with the science book and their science journal, to help them study. Please have your child spend at least some time this weekend reviewing and preparing for the test.

We are working on percents, and will be reviewing and expanding our knowledge of geometry. Students have also begun working in literature circle groups. We keep busy!

Have a great weekend.

Ranchoburg is here! The students have worked very hard on their scripts, and I'm looking forward to a day of being transported back to pre-Revolutionary colonial Virginia. Many thanks to all the parents who have helped make this activity possible!

Second trimester report cards will be in the Friday folder today. Please return the report card envelope, signed, by Wed., March 25.

We will be finishing our "Living Systems" science unit next week and students will take a unit science test on Tuesday, March 31. The test will cover body systems (things covered on the last science test) as well as plants (the material we have covered since the last test). Students will work on a study guide next week.

Next week will be our last week with the trout. We'll be releasing them into Scottsdale Pond on Monday, March 30. Please feel free to join us.

Happy first day of spring!

What a wonderful week this has been! I hope your child came home with information to share from Colonial Craft Day. Marianne Hill did, as usual, an amazing job of organizing the day for all of 5th grade. And the day could not have happened without all the other parents who helped with preparing materials as well as those who helped out during the day. Thank you to everyone!

Students had another wonderful special event yesterday: Multicultural Day. Parents created wonderful displays and shared interesting information about 37 different countries. Students learned not only about the countries, but also about an animal indigenous to that country. They had a lot of facts to share once we got back to the classroom! Our class donated almost enough money to pay for our World Wildlife Fund animal (giraffe) donation. Many thanks to the students who contributed! If your child would still like to donate their suggested $2, have them bring in their donation by Monday.

Ranchoburg is happening on Friday, March 20. The schedule has not yet been finalized, but tentatively there will be 2 presentations, in the morning, beginning about 8:45 A.M. Students have begun very enthusiastically working on their scripts. It should be a wonderful day. All students know their parts now, and will know if they should dress as a male or female. Please spend time this weekend putting together their costume. As mentioned last week, for male parts students should wear dark pants (no jeans)--black sweatpants work well--a white, non-knit collared, long-sleeved shirt; kneesocks (baseball socks are great as long as they don't have a colored stripe); and dark leather shoes (no athletic shoes unless they are all black). A great addition would be a cravat (scarf-like tie) and/or a vest (maybe even one of Mom's patterned vests if those 80's artifacts haven't yet made it to the Goodwill box). For female parts, students should have a long skirt, a non-knit blouse (long-sleeved if possible), an apron, leather shoes (jazz dance shoes or ballet slippers work well), and a shawl (if possible). It is also a great idea of have the girls curl their hair (unless they are playing the part of a slave or servant). There is a flyer going home in today's Friday folder with more information. If you have any questions, please contact me. We have mob caps for all the girls, and some tricorn hats for boys. There some costume pieces available (some shirts, pants, dresses) at school, so please let me know as soon as possible (no later than Tuesday) if your child needs help with his/her costume.

Our trout are growing and appear to be thriving (only 2 eggs failed to hatch). We will be releasing them into Scottsdale Pond on Monday, March 30, in the morning. We will walk there and back (although the trout get to arrive by car). Parents are welcome to join us. I'd love to have at least 2 parents to help keep us together and safe on the walk there and back. Please let me know if you are interested. The more the merrier!

Report cards will be going home on Friday, March 20. The final trimester of 5th grade begins on Mon., March 16.

Reminder: Walker Creek Parent Information Night, in Rancho's multi-use room, will be held on Thursday, March 26, from 6-7 P.M.

Have a great weekend!

Last week I sent home a paper newsletter to everyone, but it is back to the online version this week. As you know from email alerts, Colonial Craft Day is coming on Wed., March 11. We are just finishing up our explorers unit, so it is coming a bit fast for our class, but we'll be delving into colonial times starting Monday! If you haven't already signed up to help on Wed. but you'd like to help out, please contact Marianne Hill. It is a fun day!

Ranchoburg is Fri., March 20. Again, we'll be talking more about this in class on Monday. For Ranchoburg, students work in groups to write and then perform their own short skits about a part of colonial life (for example, as a blacksmith or someone who works in the print shop, or someone visiting the tavern, etc.). Families should start thinking about possible costumes: anyone playing a male part can get by with black pants, white socks, a white cotton (non-knit) collared shirt, and leather shoes. Vests are a wonderful addition to the costume. Those playing girl parts should think about long skirts, cotton (non-knit) shirts, shawls, and leather shoes. Students do not yet know what costume they need--but by the end of next week they will know. There are some costume pieces available at school and more information will be coming home regarding that later. All girls playing girl parts need a mob cap, and these are available at school (plenty for everyone). Some of the boys may wear tricorn hats (few actually need them), and there will be some available at school. Again, more information will follow soon!

I appreciate all the parents who helped us with our field trip to the Tiburon Audubon Center and Sanctuary on Wed. It turned out to be a beautiful day! We only had to dodge raindrops for about 10 minutes. If you haven't already heard about the field trip, be sure to ask your child about the relative density of fresh, brackish, and salt water, as well as about some of the interesting animals and plants they saw. Hopefully they can describe some of the interesting adaptations of the creatures that inhabit the tidal areas we explored.

Just an FYI...our next field trip is to Petaluma on April 23 to see some blacksmithing demonstrations. More on that later.

As always, students are encouraged to read every day. We already have 2 students in the class who have read over 1,000,000 words (as measured by AR tests taken) this year, with several other students VERY close. Every 5th grader should be reading at least 1,000,000 words during the school year. Academic success is very closely correlated with the amount of time a student spends reading material they can comprehend.

As always, if you have any questions, please contact me. It is best to send in a note or email me as there is currently a problem with my phone (It takes 2 days before I get messages!!). I have put in a work order to have my phone fixed, but in the meantime, a note or a message through Mrs. Curtice work best.

Have a great weekend.

The owl pellet dissection went well; it was wonderful to have parents in to help. Thank you! It was great to see students' enthusiasm as they became more confident about identifying the bones they found. I think they have a much better understanding now of their own skeletal systems.

Some reminders: Our Valentine's Day party will be on Thurs., Feb. 12, from 1:05-2:05 AND there will be no school for students on Friday, Feb. 13. Students will be back in school, after the February break, on Monday, Feb. 23. For Valentine's Day, students are invited to bring Valentine's Day cards for their classmates. The rule for our classroom is that if you bring cards, you must bring one for each student in the class.

We are marching onward through history, learning about explorers before we move on to colonial times. Students are reading Around the World in 100 Years, and will be working on comprehension questions based on the book. We are finishing up The Sign of the Beaver, and students received their final project assignment sheet on Feb. 4. We spent time discussing it yesterday. They are required to turn in a brief description of their project on Monday, Feb. 9, and the projects are due on Thursday, Feb. 12. Students are required to give a short oral presentation of their project. If you have any questions after looking at the assignment sheet, please feel free to contact me. I'm looking forward to seeing the projects--every year I am delighted by their creativity and the opportunity to see how they connected to the book.

Have a great, and hopefully wet, weekend!

Students will be dissecting owl pellets today--an opportunity to think about and discuss the food web, animal adaptations, and vertebrate skeletal systems. Students will learn a lot from the activity. We will, once again, have parent volunteers coming in to help keep the activity going smoothly, and I thank them for their time and support!

We have been spending extra time with the last 2 math chapters, discussing and practicing word problem strategies. The pace will go back to normal with the next math chapter. It is vitally important that students practice at home by doing their math homework carefully (and without the use of a calculator), making sure that if they don't understand a particular problem or concept that they ask questions and get clarification in class (or after school or during recess).

Our class won the latest boxtops collection contest and got to pick the charity to which the money earned would be donated ($203). Each student brought in their suggested charity and told the class why they thought that charity was the one the class should pick. What a wonderful, thoughtful variety of worthy causes! The class had an interesting discussion, and after a few votes, the decision was made to donate half to the Make-A-Wish Foundation and the other half to the Delta (Stockton area) Humane Society. These students demonstrated what truly thoughtful, caring individuals they are. I was very proud of them.

Just in case you want to set your calendars...our class will be going on a field trip to the Tiburon Audubon Center on Wed., March 4. We will need drivers, so please let Marianne Hill know if you are interested. Also, although students will not be going to Walker Creek until the end of May, the parent meeting about Walker Creek (to answer all your questions and give parents an idea about what students will be doing while at Walker Creek) is scheduled for Thursday, March 26, at 6 P.M., in the multi-use room. Also of possible interest: our Valentine's Day party will be on Thursday, Feb. 12, from 1:05-2:05 (students have PE from 2:05-2:50, and there is no school on Friday, Feb. 13). Contact Lorena Garbarino if you are interested in helping.

Have a great weekend.

Students had a great morning last Friday, participating in Native American activities. It was wonderful to have so many parent helpers; thank you! Students were able to make their own staves game to take home, as well as a cornhusk birdie (used like a hackysack); they got to play lacrosse, have popcorn (yes, Native Americans ate popcorn, although not prepared in a microwave), create sandpaintings, and winter counts. A morning well spent.

Just a reminder: For parents interested in having their child take the upcoming (March) GATE test, you must complete the district form (available on the NUSD website) and return it to me no later than January 29. If you have any questions, or if you need help getting the form, please let me know.

The Scholastic book order is in this week's Friday folder and is due back to me by Friday, Jan. 30.

We are busy preparing for the upcoming science test. The test will be given on Monday, Feb. 2, and will cover almost half of this FOSS module: cells, their structures and the function of those structures, and cellular respiration; and the circulatory, respiratory, digestive, urinary (excretory), and skeletal systems. Students need to understand the purpose of each system and be able to identify the major organs in each system (they do NOT need to learn specific names of the bones of the skeletal system--just the main purposes of the skeletal system). They have many resources to study: the science book, their science journal, various worksheets completed, and study guides (I-Checks and vocabulary/concept lists).

Students will be dissecting owl pellets next Friday, Jan. 30. A few parents have already volunteered to help out (Thank you!), but we could use a couple more. Very interesting activity!

And speaking of parents, it was fun to have some stay on Tuesday to watch the inaugural ceremony with us. Truly an amazing event--and a healthy reminder that everyone can get nervous, make a mistake, and then correct it later!

Remember, there is no school for students on Monday. I'll see everyone back on Tuesday!

Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a wonderful break. And now it is back to work! To finish our study of Native Americans, we'll be having a "Native American Day" next Thursday, Jan. 15. We'll spend the morning playing Native American games, making "birdies" and cornhusk dolls, trying sandpainting and creating winter counts. The morning will go more smoothly with parent helpers (I'd love to have 3 or 4 helpers), so if you are available Thurs., Jan. 15, from 9am until lunch (or any part of that time), please let me know.

And speaking of days when I could use parent helpers...as part of our study of body systems, the class will be dissecting owl pellets (skeleton). The activity always goes more smoothly with extra helpers! I'm planning to do the activity in the morning (8:45 - 10:35) on Friday, January 30. Students will work with a partner and dissect sterilized owl pellets. They will use charts to try to identify the various bones they find. It is a great activity and a lot of fun. If you can help, please let me know.

Today is the first day of our Youth in Arts class, Mixed Media (Thank you PTA!). Students will get 1 hour of art--painting, clay, watercolor, drawing--each Friday afternoon (1:05 - 2:05) for 6 weeks. It should be great!

The cold season is definitely upon us. If you have an interest in donating to the classroom, I would love to have a few more boxes of tissues--we have emptied 2 boxes this week already! Thanks!

As of the end of 2008, I am taking a new approach with missing homework. At the beginning of the year, students who forgot their homework were benched and had to complete their homework at school. The result has been that there are some students who are not unwilling to give up a recess to do homework--not the desired effect. From now on, I will be giving students who don't turn in their homework a homework alert, which will need to be signed by a parent and returned the next day. The student will still be benched, but they will have to complete the homework at home. Students who receive more than three homework alerts in one calendar month will face greater consequences. If you have any questions, please let me know.

Happy 2009! Have a great weekend.