Welcome Back!

The play was fantastic! 

Everyone did an amazing job! I am so proud of everyone. Please send me photos to share here!

I hope everyone had a terrific and relaxing break!

We are moving into the final stretch of 4th grade! (33 days left)

English Language Arts

We are starting the novel Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan. We will be reading, answering questions, having discussions, working on vocabulary, grammar, and spelling each week. 

Click below for online flashcards for the first section. Use them to study.

Esperanza Flashcards Set 1- Aguascalientes, Mexico-Las Uvas

Writing

April is National Poetry Month!

We still have a few days left... :)

Math

We will spend this week finishing up comparing and ordering fractions, getting reading to add and subtract fractions and decimals next week.

Click below to play some fun online games!

Balloon Game

Dirt Bike Game

Science

Finish up electricity and geology

Social Studies

Moving from the California mission System to the Rancho time period

Curriculum This Week

What's Going on in Class:

• ELA - This week, we will read and respond to Because of Winn-Dixie chapters 11-15.  We will review last week's chapters and have a class discussion on Tuesday and then move on to the new chapters.  The quiz for Chapters 6-10 will be on Wednesday.  This will cover vocabulary and comprehension questions. Click here for Vocabulary Flash Cards and here for Comprehension Flashcards
• Math - Topic 6 Multiplying by 2-digit numbers using the algorithm, arrays, models, partial products, and other methods.
• Science - We will continue our study on Magnets and the behaviors of magnets.  We will have the Investigation 1 test on Magnetism next Tuesday. Students should be studying and reviewing their Science Notebooks nightly.
• Social Studies - Wrap up the CA regions project in the computer lab.
• Writing - Narrative Writing

This Wednesday night is McTeacher Night from 4:30-7:30! I will be working there

THE WHOLE TIME!

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

What's Ahead For The Week

In Language Arts...

We will be focusing on the long i and its spelling patterns for phonics. Our vocabulary words are: endless, realistic, sensible, protested, paralyzed, and display. Vocabulary books are due every Friday, first thing in the morning.

Sample of a Vocabulary Book correctly completed!
The 4th square is "teacher's choice" and was supposed to be empty last week. 
This week the 4th square should contain one antonym and one synonym for each word.

We will be focusing on character traits, distinguishing between implicit and explicit characteristics. Determining what is directly stated and what is inferred. Please practice this at home, too.

In Math...

We will continue focusing on mental math, properties of addition, rounding, adding and subtracting. 

In Science...

We have learned so many interesting things about magnets. Ask us about the forces of attraction and repulsion! We will continue on our quest for magnetic knowledge.

In Social Studies...

We remain focused on latitude and longitude, hemispheres, and the regions of California. As you know, your student picked an exact location in the state of California. They will be researching information specific to their unique location, as they are exposed to to concepts in class. Toward the end of the week, look for criteria for a California Region project to come home. This project will be completed in class, however, students are asked to bring in items of their choice to develop this creative representation!

September 19th from 11am-10pm is Restaurant Night at Pizza Rev! Look for the flier in your child's backpack on Monday!

What We are Learning-Week of August 19th

In English Language Arts this week, we are kicking off our English Language Arts program.  Each morning we will focus on a variety of topics including literary genres, story elements, decoding words, vocabulary  words, comprehension strategies, figurative language, Greek and Latin words, and much more.  

In Math, our class is finishing up Topic 3 - Meanings of Multiplication and Division.  The test for Topic 3 will be Friday or Monday. Be sure to check out our math interactive journals for everything we have learned this week and last. Please review them at home with your child.  The following websites are great ways to practice multiplication...

• http://www.multiplication.com/games/all-games

• http://www.mathsisfun.com/timestable.html
 

In Social Studies, our class has been talking about the three kinds of government: local, state, and national.  We have been discussing who makes the rules and why they are so important. Students have brainstormed different jobs within our Los Angeles local government and we are using them to develop classroom jobs! Look for them to come home soon to share!

We used the Monarch butterfly to practice our observation skills.

In Science this week are starting our first Science unit called Magnetism and Electricity.  Yesterday we talked about making good scientific observations and using details to describe our observations.

Last Week was SO Busy!

Room 28 had a lot going on last week!

Click on the PHOTOS tab to see newly uploaded pictures!

REMINDER: You should be working on your Science Fair Project
Click HERE for exact direction.
The entire project, including written report and display board is due on 
Monday, May 13, 2013

On Tuesday, we settled back into the school routine after Spring Break, focusing on reviewing the many concepts we have learned this year! We also discussed test taking strategies.

On Wednesday, we walked and visited Hale to have a tour. We got to visit the 6th grade classes, watch performances from the Mariachi Band, the drill team, the chorus, and the drama department! We even got to take home a plant from the Horticulture Department! When we came back to school, we began our experiments about chemical reactions! Something we have been anticipating all year!

On Thursday, we had psychomotor, ballroom dance, and computer lab all while wearing pajamas and having CrAzY hair! We continued to review concepts and renew our confidence in our abilities!

On Friday, in pajamas again, we began the day with Books and Blankets. Some parents came to the class to enjoy some special reading time with their kids! We then got to rotate and listen to more books! Big thank yous to Mrs. Gallo, Mrs. Hirsch and Eunice for reading to us! We played Math Center games as a fun way to remind us how many new concepts we have mastered this year! 

Because many of the students said they were experiencing stress about the upcoming CST testing beginning on Wednesday of next week, we talked very candidly about what the tests actually meant. We discussed that the scores on the tests did not MAKE them, but only gauge what they know, NOT who they are! 

I told them how proud I was of all the strides they have made this year and all the new concepts they have mastered, and the young adults they were growing up to be! I truly mean this! Their growth, as scholars and, more importantly as people, has been phenomenal! Please help them to understand this! They are prepared! Unnecessary stress will just produce anxiety! They can review the math with and interactive PowerPoint by clicking HERE or click HERE to practice using the CST Release Questions. 

Sleep well, eat well, and have fun proving what we know!

We should be confident in our abilities because we are ready! 

Next Week's testing Schedule

Wednesday, April 10th- English Language Arts Part 1

Thursday, April 11th- English Language Arts Part 2

Friday, April 12th- Math Part 1

Friday night was the Welby Way Talent show and boy, does Welby have talent.

Here are some excerpts of Room 28 talent!

Wish list:

paper towels

hand soap

Sharpies black and colored (fine point)

Events in Room 28

Wednesday, March 20th is Colonial Day!

You must dress like a colonist. If you need help, please let me know.

Students will be performing song, dance, and spoken word at 8:15 AM on Wednesday! Parents are welcome and encouraged to attend!

If you did not sign up to volunteer to be part of this amazing event, it is not too late! 

Just email me by clicking here!

Thanks!

Do you have a lemon tree?

If so, we are in need of lemons for the LEMONADE STATION for Colonial Day.

Please send them in by Tuesday.

Thanks!

We could also use a few electric frying pans if you have one.

Thank you to everyone for making this such a special day for the kids!

I know they will remember it for a lifetime!

This week we reviewed Fact and Opinion and Main Idea and Details!

We  will continue to work next week on understanding even more about many of the 5th Grade comprehension strategies we have learned throughout the year!

We rocked addition and subtraction of INTEGERS last week, and are are grasping SOLVING AND WRITING EQUATIONS! Their perseverance and positive attitudes are helping them master these concepts! 

I even overheard, "I love hard Algebra!" 

We will move on to PERCENTS next week!

This week in Science, we conducted experiments to study saturation and learned that we can use the property of SOLUBILITY to identify a specific solid!

We will be moving on, next week, to learning about Chemical Reactions!

You should have received an email about the upcoming SCIENCE FAIR!

If you didn't receive it, let me know and I will re-send it to you. 

Click HERE for detailed instructions on all of the necessary components of your project!

The key is to pick something that interests and excites you!

Your QUESTION is due Wednesday, March 20th

CST Testing is coming up, beginning around April 9th! Your child will be tested on standards they have learned throughout their 5th grade year. Please join me in keeping this a positive experience! Preparation is important, but putting too much pressure to perform well, may add unnecessary stress. 

Here is a cute video developed by some 5th grade students.

CLICK HERE to practice with some sample CST questions!

The Busy Week Ahead!

Thursday, March 7th is Open House 

Come visit our class between 6PM and 7PM.

Please keep in mind that, because it is not yet the end of the school year, the purpose of this evening is to show you our work in progress. 

Students will share activities that they experience daily in class.

In Language Arts, we will be reviewing Problem and Solution. We will also be reading stories so we can show off how much we know on Thursday night!

In Math, we will continue learning about integers. We will plot them, order them, add them, and subtract them. Click on the PHOTOS tab above to see pictures of us jumping integer addition problems! Click HERE for some cool integer games!

In Science, we will continue to study Mixtures and Solutions. We already learned about mixtures, solutions and how to separate mixtures and solutions. Ask us to explain! This week will study solubility and are super excited that this is all leading to stoichiometry! Very impressive, huh?

We will be having a Science Fair! Look for information to come home soon and start thinking of ideas. Remember you will need to conduct a controlled experiment!

In Social Studies, we are learning about Colonial Times and the Revolution with Mrs. Gallo. COLONIAL DAY is Wednesday, March 20, 2013! Students will participate in authentic colonial activities that they will remember forever! Please send your $10 tax donation to cover crafts, food and activities, if you have not already done so. Thank you! Students MUST dress in colonial attire. Some suggestions were on the blue sheet that went home. Click HERE for information and ideas! Some parents have a tip that they can be purchased by clicking HERE for Amazon.com.

We would appreciate donations of glue sticks and paper towel rolls for the classroom.

THANK YOU!

Happy New Year

I am looking forward to a terrific new year and hope everyone is ready to start 2013 strong. I know I am.

We will be looking at the goals we set for ourselves during conference time, assessing our progress, and making any necessary changes, kind of like New Year's resolutions.

We will be getting back to weekly vocabulary words and Language Arts Rotations. We will be focusing, this week, on EVALUATING and AUTHOR'S PURPOSE, while reviewing CHARACTER, PLOT, and SETTING. Refer to the picture above for a "Quick Peek at the Week."

I know you will all be excited to hear that we will be continuing Math Rotations, with a few slight changes. We will be working hard to master ADDITION AND SUBTRACTION OF FRACTIONS, while reviewing concepts from Topics 1-10. Please look for the assessment we completed in December (Topics 1-10) to come home, and work together on the assigned ixl topics to refresh and master the previously taught skills that need practice.

For those students who are required, or others who wish to take advantage, ANIMATION LESSONS have been assigned on enVision Math (Pearson) so you can preview the math lessons before they are taught in class. Remember to log in, look at your "TO DO LIST" and view the skill being taught the next day in class. For Monday, you may watch 11-0 and 11-1.

I hope you read the last post and are checking out the cool website about body systems because we will be beginning our new LIFE SCIENCE unit, focusing on BODY SYSTEMS.

Click here to see the post.

You will continue to focus on COLONIZATION in Social Studies and finish up working on your Colony Brochures in the computer lab. Make sure you have excellent, educational, and appropriate information. Remember your flash drives.

We will be signing up for Roving Reporter duties using our fun, new calendar so be ready to pick a date that works for you.

We would appreciate donations of glue sticks and paper towel rolls for the classroom.

THANK YOU!

Looking forward to seeing everyone!

What We Are Studying, and More!

What a Fun-Filled Week!

In Math, we finished up learning about decimal division and moved on to Geometry. We will be studying the properties of shapes and measuring angles. 

Review your decimal division with the following video.

In Language Arts, we finished up our Tall Tales and reviewed inferences and summaries. Next week we will begin reading The Kite Fighters using a Literature Circle format as we review and enhance the skills we have learned during the past two units!

In Science, we conducted experiments that taught us about convection currents. You can review the lessons here.

Watch the lesson by clicking here!

Next week we will use water bottles, syringes and tubes to learn about atmospheric pressure and air compression! It's always fun when we get to learn by "doing!" Parents can help out by letting their scientists reteach them the information!

In Social Studies with Mrs Gallo, students may re-take the States and Capitals test on November 9th if they need to. 

Check out this video if you need a little help!
Next week, they will be discussing the election and the election process. Students will be able to "register" to vote and will even be given the opportunity to cast their own votes on Tuesday!

Next week, we will be working very hard getting ready for conferences. Students will be reflecting on the year so far to determine the areas in which they glow and the areas in which they need to grow. From these reflections, they will be determining reasonable goals and developing specific objectives to help them meet their individual goals. It is a life lesson for them and an amazing experience! I am sure you will be just as impressed with their visions and maturity as I am! We can't wait to share at our conferences. 

If you have not already done so, please return your request for conference time as soon as possible!

Please note the following dismissal times:

Friday, November 9th at 12:33 PM

Monday, November 12th- NO SCHOOL

Tuesday, November 13th- 1:30 PM

Wednesday, November 14th, Thursday, November 15th, and Friday, November 16th- 12:33PM

Monday, November 19th- Friday, November 26th- THANKSGIVING BREAK/NO SCHOOL

We will also begin the hard and rewarding work of putting on a play! Please be sure to practice ALL of the songs on a daily basis!

Last Week in Our "New" Room!

Thank you for all your contributions to our classroom! Through theme basket items, Trunk or Treat candy donations, attendance at Movie Night, or visiting me and supporting Welby Way at McTeacher Night! You guys ROCK!

We have a newly rearranged room! Our desks are now in 3 long teams, our books are in the shelves and we are preparing to empty our desks and keep all of our folders in our new magazine file "lockers!" We are pretty excited about being so grown up!
Come in and check out how cool our new learning environment looks!

Congratulations to Orion, our new Student Body Co-President!

Congratulations to Demetrius, our new Student Body Treasurer!

So, last week:

In Language Arts, we read Black Cowboy, Wild Horses, and worked on how to monitor our comprehension by looking at text clues, assessing what we know, and making inferences. We used the Depth and Complexity prompts of Details, Language of the Discipline, and Multiple Perspectives to help us answer the Critical Thinking questions. We are finishing up our personal narratives and should be ready for final draft by next week.

In Math, we finished learning about multiplying decimals and we got really good at it. We also took some time to review Topics 1-6 for our review test on Friday! I was very proud of how diligent everyone was!
For a quick review of decimal multiplication, you can watch the short video below.

In Science, we finished up Investigation 3, Water Vapor. We conducted an experiment where we actually controlled an environment to create frost, which is actually frozen condensation! We will be having the test on MONDAY! Please study your Science Notebook notes and pages Investigation 3, Water Vapor in your Science Resources Book! Click the  link on the left (FOSS Science) to hear the chapters read aloud!

In Social Studies, with Mrs. Gallo, they studied the government, what it is and how it runs. They will have a test on October 22nd. 

Next week, we will go back to Rotations with Mrs. Gallo and Mrs. King! I think the students are very excited about that! I will teach comprehension skills, Mrs. Gallo will teach Writing and Grammar, and Mrs. King will teach Vocabulary and Spelling/Phonics and work on test taking skills!

In math, we will move to a small group model and students will be rotating in groups of 6-8 for math instruction!

Thank you for being involved in your child's learning, It really does make a difference!

What We Did Duing the First Week of October!

During Language Arts, we learned about Cause and Effect. We learned to look for the key words (like because, so, for, since) to help determine the CAUSE/EFFECT relationship! We are working on showing, rather than telling in our writing. Ask us to share the example of, "I am angry!"

During Math, we worked on variables and expressions. We learned that a variable in math is very similar to a variable in Science!! Ask us to compare and contrast the two for you. We also learned about Order of Operations and how to use it to evaluate expressions. I think it might have been the favorite math lesson of the year, so far!

During Science, we conducted an experiment with paper towels and a balance to observe how liquid water turns into an invisible gas called water vapor in the process of evaporation. We conducted another experiment with location being the independent variable and determined that location did effect the outcome. Ask us about that relationship. At the end of the week, we set up another experiment with surface area as the independent variable. Results to be analyzed next week! Check out the photos to the left.

POWERPOINT PRESENTATIONS OF 5 TRUTHS AND A LIE are due this THURSDAY! Remember, you must print your slides with 3 slides per sheet with lines for notes.

Finishing Up September!

Progress Reports went home on Friday:
This Friday, you should have received your child's progress report. Please remember that this is just a progress report and there are still 6 weeks before the end of the quarter. Please look at your child's progress, sign the bottom, and return it to class by Friday. I just need to see the signature and it will be returned to you!

Recycling:
Every Thursday is RECYCLING DAY at Welby Way. The drop-off is in the morning starting at 7:30am until about 9:00am by the front faculty parking lot. You don't even need to get out of the car. If this doesn't work for you, bring them to class any morning and we will take them to the curb on Thursday morning. What a fun way to help our Earth, win prizes for our class, and make money for Welby Way!

Magazine Drive:
The second TURN IN DAY for the Magazine Drive is Friday, October 5th. Remember you can renew existing subscriptions. Thank to those students who have already turned in orders!

Last week in...
Language Arts, we reviewed Unit One and made sure we understood inferences, drawing conclusions, problem and solution and so much more!

Math, we finished up division! Moving on to variable expressions!

Science, we reviewed our test on Swingers, pendulums! We will always remember that there can only be ONE independent variable!

Last week in Room 28!

Sorry for the tardiness of this update. We moved our daughter, Makenna into a house with 5 roommates this weekend to begin her sophomore year at UC Santa Cruz! My son, Porter even came down from Berkeley to help my husband, Hailey and me! It was a lot of hard work, but it paid off and she now has a clean house, working lights, and an adorably decorated room. Check out the pictures below!

Progress Reports will be sent home on Friday, September 28th. 
You will have a week to review your child's report as well as soon graded assignments and tests.
The report needs to be signed and returned by October 5th.
Thank you!

Remember there is NO SCHOOL on Wednesday, September 26th.

In Language Arts, we worked on making and analyzing inferences. Click on the file below to watch the PowerPoint if you need a refresher! We also used graphic organizers to determine the relationship between text clues and drawing conclusions. We read a story called Sleds on Boston Common and got really good at using the text clues and our amazing brains to draw conclusions!

In Math, We continued to work on dividing large numbers. Remember that the steps are exactly the same as single digit division! DMSB. Make sure you practice and master your multiplication facts. It will make division SO much easier!
Check out these websites

• http://www.multiplication.com/games/all-games
• http://www.mathsisfun.com/timestable.html

In Science, We learned how to display our data on a Picture graph and how to plot our data into a two coordinate graph, making sure to always put the independent variable on the x axis and the dependent variable on the y axis! We are experts at controlled experiments and now know how to perform experiments that are fair and reliable! The test was moved to today, September 24th!

In Social Studies with Mrs. Gallo, they took their Preamble test and are continuing their study of the Constitution!

In Health with Mrs. Gallo they continued their studies of emotional Health, by discussing personalities and emotions! There will be a Health test on October 4th.

Students should be bringing their flash drives to and from school to work on their 5 Truths and a Lie PowerPoints!
There was so much creativity! I can't wait to see the final products!

Please remember to log on to ixl and Accelerated Reader.
Students should be logging  50 minutes per week on ixl, practicing grade level skills!

Students should be taking an "AR" test every two weeks. (Time will be extended for books that are longer and/or more difficult.)