Meet Our Pen Pals from Bele, Ethiopia!

We received letters from our pen pals in Bele, Ethiopia! My daughter, Hailey is serving in the Peace Corps since July, 2013 and will return in September, 2015.

The Third Goal of the Peace Corps is to promote a better understanding of other people on the part of Americans.

I made this video to introduce you to your pen pals from Bele, Ethiopia and to give you a glimpse into life in this rural town, including photos from our visit last summer!

Feel free to share it!

Click on the YouTube icon to view in regular size!!

Thankful to Be Back to School!

Student Led Conferences

It was fabulous to meet and talk with all of you last week during our student led conferences and I am thankful for our team! I enjoyed talking with parents and students together.  I also learned a lot about my students and I hope the process was beneficial for you as well.  When we get back from the Thanksgiving vacation we will continue to work on our goals.  Thank you for your support and interest.

Why is this new math so different?

Many parents asked me about the common core math we are doing right now.  Our classroom is using a combination of Pearson/Envision Math for CCCS and Engage NY.  Both programs are aligned to the Common Core standards and will prepare your child for future learning in math, as well as the Smarter Balance testing.  I think this video explains it well.  If you have 10 minutes to spare and are interested in learning some reasons why the "new way" of doing math has many benefits, please check it out...

Why Is Math Different Now? VIDEO

What can I do to help my child become a better reader?  

• Consistent daily reading helps increase your child's comprehension and builds confidence.  Read with your child as often as possible.  Or at the least, check in with he/she daily.
• Ask questions about the story or non fiction book.  Here is a document Mrs. Hauser gave to some parents at her conference last week to use as a guide. I liked it, so I wanted to share it! Click on this link to download it.  Have a discussion using these questions.
• Read a variety of fiction and non-fiction texts.  The Common Core Standards consist of a  balance of the two types.  

If you have any more questions please let me know.  Thank you again for attending the conference and I hope you and your family had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

This Week in:

Math, 

we will be continuing multiplication, focusing on problem solving

There are some FABULOUS math games on Pearson Realize

Click here:

Pearson Realize Math Games

You will need to use your Pearson Realize username and password

Language Arts, 

we will be continuing to work on figurative language, preparing to create a resource book. We will have a test on Chapters 6-10, Winn Dixie on Wednesday. Vocabulary to focus can be accessed by clicking on the VOCABULARY tab above

Science, 

we will learn about electricity conductors and insulators

California Location Movies are DUE ON 

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 5TH

Giving Thanks!

Room 20 had a delicious day today!

We got to chop stir, and enjoy 5 scrumptious soups today!

Thanks so much to 

Mrs. Keating

Mrs. Le

Mrs. Avellanda 

Mr. and Mrs. Patino

Mrs. Howell

Mrs. Berumen

Mrs. Escobar

Bala family

Dave family

Bhandari family

And Miss Wendy

For making it all happen!

We are THANKFUL!

Halloween Week is Here!

THANK YOU to all of the wonderful parents who helped at the Fall Festival today! You are all what makes our school so amazing!

Field Trip News
Thank you to everyone who turned in their permission slip for our trip and for volunteering to chaperone.  There are many volunteers, so I will pick 3 volunteers at random on Monday and let you know.  However, if you have not done so, please send in your donation by the end of this week.

Halloween Day

This Friday is Halloween.  Our students will participate in the Halloween Parade in the morning at 8:15am.  If you wish to attend the parade, please go straight to the yard in the morning.  We will see you there.  Students should come to school dressed in their costumes and must bring a change of clothes in their backpacks.  After the parade, we will have centers with Mrs. Dant's class. An email went out today asking for a $5  donation and parents to help run the centers. Friday will be a regular day and dismissal will be at 2:30.

Curriculum News

• Reading - Winn Dixie test on Chapters 1-5 on Tuesday.  We will then  continue to read and discuss the story, 
• Writing - Writing a lead and crafting our stories
• Math - Concept: 2 Digit Multiplication
• Science - Continue study of electric circuits
• Social Studies - CA Regions

TEAMWORK

Last week, we participated in some team building activities! Having teamwork skills and being able to get along with others is so important, and can be SO much fun. Check out a little peek into how much fun Room 20 had together on Friday!

Science Vocabulary

From Nerves to Excitement and the Week Ahead!

The Week Ahead

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 16th is 

McTeacher Night at the McDonald's on Platt from 4:30-7:30!

 I will be working there 6-7:30 (possible earlier)

My favorite thing to do is to make the desserts! Come by so I can make you a cone!

Reminders

Please donate $10 for our classroom theme basket

Remember sign up to work our classroom booth at the Fall Festival as well

Curriculum News

In English Language Arts:

We will continue to focus on Figurative Language, Non Fiction Close reading and realistic fiction narrative writing. 

We will be beginning our novel, Winn Dixie this week! With this novel, we will cover many topics. Students will be analyzing characters, asking questions, making inferences, learning new vocabulary words, engaging in classroom discussions, and much more! On some nights, your child may bring home their Winn Dixie book to reread. Please feel free to read with your child, talk about the vocabulary, and ask them questions about the story.

In Math:

We will be starting an in-depth unit on multi digit multiplication and division.

Please click on the link below for a compressive, very helpful "Tips For Parents" guide! 

Parent Tips For Common Core Multi-Digit Multiplication and Division Unit

In Science:

We have begun the next investigation in Physical Sciences and are now learning about static electricity, moving on to creating circuits.

In Social Studies:

Mrs. Dant will continue to focus on California!

We will have our second Ballroom Dance lesson this Thursday!

I captured a few "moments" on the way into our VERY FIRST Ballroom Dance lesson!

Priceless, if you ask me! 

Click on YouTube to watch on a larger screen.
A purple form went home last week asking for donations for this wonderful program, please send in what you can!

Thanks

Talking to the Other Side of the World!

What one question asked of Hailey about her life in Ethiopia caused this reaction?

Ask one of the students of room 20!

Lucky Week Seven

Curriculum News

• English Language Arts: We will be learning about Implicit vs. Explicit character traits and questions and answers, 1st person Point of View and 3rd person Point of View, and continue to work on Figurative Language and response to the book, The Dot. 
• Math: NUMBERS IN BASE TEN finish rounding and comparing numbers. This week we will be focusing on multiplication by 2 digit numbers. Although it may seem different than the way we learned as children, please know we are focusing on a deeper understanding of the concepts, rather than simply memorizing the algorithm/steps. This may prove frustrating, at first, but in the long run students will develop a deeper understanding and develop persistence in solving difficult problems! Thank you for your support!
• Writing: Narrative stories
• Physical Science: Finishing up understanding of the Force of Magnetism and moving on to  experimenting with and understanding compasses. 
• Social Studies: Lesson 3 - Regions of California
• Health: Nutrition and a balanced meal
• Art: Make a Mark art with background Pointillism inspired by Georges Seraut and the book, The Dot.  
• Other: We have been talking a lot about making a mark on the world. Please read the previous post and comment. 

Reminders

• There is no school this Thursday, Sept. 25th.
• The first turn in day for the Magazine Drive is this Wednesday.

Thinking About Our Actions and Words

Last week we celebrated International Dot Day and will continue these activities.

We have been discussing ways we can make our mark on the world and how our words and actions affect other people!
Please comment on this post to share how YOU will make your mark!

Click this link to HEAR THE STORY
Click this link to HEAR THE SONG

Off To A Flying Start!

We are about to enter our 5th week of 4th grade!

Days are flying by.

Dates to Remember

Tuesday, September 9th Menchie's Day (on Fallbrook Ave)

I will be there around 4:00 PM, so come say hi and support our school.

Thursday, September 11th is Patriot Day

Wear red, white, and blue!

At 8:15AM we be gathering for a moment of silence and the singing of some patriotic songs.

Friday, September 12th is Spaghetti and BINGO Night

Please RSVP and come support our school.

YOUR TEACHER, MRS. SLEZINGER, will be the BINGO caller for the evening!

Thursday, September 18th is Picture Day
Wear your BEST smile!

Thank you to those who have donated to AGC!

We are filling up our light bulb toward no homework and a double recess.

It is not too late! Any amount is appreciated!

We still need math rotation volunteers!
If you are available from 10:10-11:30 on any day except Thursdays, please let me know. It's fun, I promise!

Also let me know if you are available on either Tuesdays or Fridays at either 12:15 to run the Classroom Store.

The school is looking for volunteers to help with Psychomotor. Our time is on Tuesdays form 8:50-9:50.

THANKS!

Curriculum News

English Language Arts Rotations

Last week, we started rotations with Mrs. Dant and everyone seemed to enjoy it. In Room 20 we are learning about figurative language. We listened to Taylor Swift's song Mean, to learn more about similes. We discussed the difference between saying, "Your voice like nails on a chalkboard," and "Your voice is annoying," or "Your voice is irritating!" Laughter could be heard all around and hopefully, new concepts learned. In rotations, two days per week, I will continue to focus on figurative language and response to non fiction text, while Mrs. Dant focuses on word origins, vocabulary, and grammar.

English Language Arts Classroom

Last week we read My Diary From Here to There and worked on writing a concise summary and sequencing events in a story using a flow map. This week we read The Adventures of Ali Baba Bernstein, focusing on analysis of story structure, and character, setting, and plot.

Writing

We are conquering the universal fear of "figuring out what to write'" by brainstorming small moments and books we wish existed, focusing on characters that share our own struggles. All of our amazing author ideas are kept compiled in our notebook creating a wealth of ideas and inspiration.

Math

We will continue to focus on 

Number and Operations in Base Ten 

Generalize place value understanding for multi-digit whole numbers 

Use place value understanding and properties of operations to perform multi-digit arithmetic.

For activities to supplement at home, go to 

4th GRADE NUMBER ACTIVITIES: NUMBER AND OPERATIONS IN BASE TEN

Science

We finished up our section on Magnetic Force. Students should be able to explain: the forces of attraction and repulsion, what magnets "stick" to, north and south poles and the rules for how they attract and repel.

Social Studies with Mrs. Dant

Geography of the World Unit continues
Check out the following sites for fun games:
BrainPop Latitude and Longitude
Latitude Longitude Map Game

Birthdays At School

With more research showing the importance of nutrition, new Federal and District Guildlines will be

implemented at our school to help the children learn about smart snacks and healthier choices. 

If you wish to bring a treat for the class for your child's birthday, please make sure to contact me a day or so in advance.  We can arrange a five minute time period during recess, lunch, or before dismissal to sing Happy Birthday and share a treat.  

Here are some suggestions:(Please make sure all items are sent to school individually wrapped so they are easy to pass out)

• Raw vegetable sticks or slices with low fat dressing or yogurt dip
• Fresh fruit wedges: watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, pineapple, oranges, etc.
• Fruit and Cheese Kabobs: Skewers with grapes, strawberries and cheese wedges
• Sliced fruit: apples, pears, peaches, plums, nectarines, etc.
• Dried fruits/Trail mix: nuts, raisins, cranberries, apples, apricots
• Pretzels
• Fruit Cone: Serve cut fruit, melon balls or whole berries and grapes in ice cream cones
• Apple slices tossed in cinnamon
• Popcorn
• Popcorn tossed w/ cinnamon
• Pita Bread and Hummus
• Natural fruit leathers 
• Yogurt “Sundaes” – dollop Greek yogurt into plastic cups, sweetens w/honey & top w/nut-free granola & chopped fruit
• Unsweetened applesauce cups
• Strawberries, tangerines, grapes, cold pineapple spears
• Baked Tortilla chips with or without dips (hummus, salsa) 
• 100% fruit juice popsicles
• Bagels topped w/cream cheese (mix chopped fruit into cream cheese for sweeter treat)

Treats do not necessarily need to be food:

• Small bottles of bubbles
• Books donated to the classroom in the student's name
• Personalized pencils 
• School supplies

Thank you for supporting our efforts as we educate our students and model healthier habits.

Setting The Stage For Science

Mystery Bag Observations

In Science, it is important to be observant and use our senses to notice and record details. Using the lesson, Mystery Bags to Develop Observation and Inference Skills, we learned that scientists must always investigate further to check their findings and that inferences and predictions are not the same. Ask us. Photos from the Mystery Bag Observation Experiment are also on the PHOTO page, but below are a few, and also two short videos explaining some findings.

Recipe For A Successful Year!

Today we had a wonderful day. We had so many things to organize and set up. 

We learned that we are a team and we all have qualities in common, as well as characteristics that make us unique!

We discussed what it takes to have a successful year and are brainstorming ideas tonight, as we fuel our brains with a little "food for thought!"