Monday homework

Reminders:

• Please consider driving and chaperoning on our trip to Muir Beach next Wed., Feb. 15. Please sign and return the permissions slip. You can download a copy here.
• Next week on Tuesday is Valentine's day. If you child chooses to make Valentines, please make sure they make one for all 24 students in the class. The TBS policy this year is no candy or treats on Valentines, although we will have cookies as part of our Community Lunch that day.
• No school Friday, February 17 through Friday, February 24 for Prof. Dev. & Presidents Day break
  

Homework:
Fourth grade math homework, due tomorrow
1. Unit 4, pages 3-4
2. Give parents their letters about our new unit (download letter 1, letter 2)
3. Practice multiplication facts, 10 minutes

5th Grade Math: Fifth graders began a new unit on 2D geometry today. They learned to classify triangles by sides and angles, using the following terms: isosceles, scalene, equilateral, obtuse, acute, and right. Their packet this week is in three parts:

Monday
Tuesday

Wednesday-Thursday

Also, check out the geometry and measurement information on this pdf to better understand what we will be teaching in this unit.

Word Study Homework & Reading Log: As usual, the students practice sorting the words for this week, and record their sort in the blue notebook (due tomorrow). The reading logs include word study work as well, and are due on Friday.

Fourth grade math (Blue & Purple groups)
This morning fourth graders took a pre-assessment for our new geometry and measurement unit, titled "Size, Shape, and Symmetry." Students in both groups used rulers and meter-sticks to find benchmarks (convenient, everyday items) equal to one centimeter, one meter, one inch, one foot, and one yard. Being able to estimate measurement is a very useful skill that requires lots of practice--students will be surveying their parents about estimating measurement tonight for homework.

Ocean Research project: Students began taking notes from their library books. If your child did not visit a library yet, it is still required.

Valentine card policy, Still Life, Metrics and Buddies

Please observe these guidelines if your child plans to bring cards on Valentine's day:
1. If someone wants to make Valentines, they must be 100% fully inclusive of all students in the class. Homemade Valentines (instead of store bought) are encouraged, but not required. List of students in Strawberry Creek.

2. No candy or sweets should be attached to (or in place of) Valentines. Things like pencils are acceptable.

Our Day:
This morning the students began the day with a still life drawing of machines and tools. We practiced the idea of focusing in on part of the object for a drawing study.

In math today we continued measuring with the metric system. Activities included finding personal references (cm = finger nail width etc.), measuring small items in millimeters, body parts in centimeters and large items in meters and centimeters. Our discussion today emphasized the connection to base-10 math, and how to convert cm to mm.

Strawberry students read to their Laurel buddies today. We have a service learning/fundraising project planned with our buddies that you may have heard about. The kids have decided to raise funds for the Marine Mammal Center. The teachers are in the process of determining dates for our fundraising efforts, and hope to announce that by the end of next week.


Our still life subjects!




Photos from the measurement activity!

Class Newspaper & Word Study Games

Please note there are two posts today. The second post follows the photos of the word games.

Class Newspaper: A few Strawberry students came up with an idea to start a class newspaper this week. Due to the growing popularity of the idea we had a meeting today with interested students. The students shared ideas on how the paper would come together, and what roles would be needed. There is general agreement that a few students will head the management part of organizing and keeping track of who is doing what, and that any and all classmates interested may submit articles. The goal of the meeting today is to prepare the class for a student run project with teacher support along the way including filling the role as final editors before publishing.

Word Study: Students were introduced to word sort games today for the words this week. Photos of Spin and Win below:

Elements & Measurement

Reminders:
Please consider driving and chaperoning on our trip to Muir Beach, Wed., Feb. 15. Please sign and return the permissions slip. You can download a copy here.

Homework:
Due tomorrow: Reading Log & Word Hunt. If your child was absent on Monday, the word hunt is not required.

No additional homework.

Measurement Hunt
Since the Cerrito class is out for their trip to Fort Ross, we had math with the fourth and fifth grade all together today. As part of our Measurement Hunt, students made measurements of length in millimeters, centimeters, and meters, of small objects, parts of their bodies, and things around and outside the classroom.

Science
We have been discussing atoms and molecules, and elements and compounds in science. Students hypothesized what would happen if we put a tablespoon of powdered sugar in a completely full (at the verge of overflowing) glass of water. Several students figured it would overflow, but it did not--the sugar dissolved into the empty space available around the atoms, even when we added more and more sugar. What would happen if we added sugar to cold water or hot water? Would more, less, or the same amount of sugar dissolve?

Students watched the Elements video, which you can also watch here:


Milo entertained us all by singing all the words to The Elements Song, which includes the names of more than 100 elements. There is an animated version of the song here:

Field Trip Persmission Forms and Library Plan

Reminders:

Parents, your student should have a permission slip for our upcoming trip to the Muir Beach/Redwood Creek area in Marin, for creek restoration work we will be doing. Please consider driving and chaperoning on this trip, Wed., Feb. 15--it promises to be a great experience. You can download a copy of the permission slip here; please sign and return it.

Homework:
Library Research: Due tomorrow: Library planning sheet (pink) to find books for the ocean study.

No additional homework tonight.

Due Friday: Reading log and word hunt. If your child was absent on Monday, the word hunt is not required.

Photos from the Dresher Music program:







Drilling!