First Monday of the School Year!

Homework
NEW - Homework Planners are in the binders.  Take a peek.
Reading at least 20 minutes.

Writer’s Book Cover Decoration: Details below and due by Friday, 9/14/12.

4th Grade Math:  Finish the subtraction facts sheet that we started in class and play the MADS game with someone. Make sure to record the date you played and who you played with on your envelope. A few students took home optional pages to work on, or had completed the classwork.
5th Grade Math:  Packet due on Friday (see Cerrito's blog for details)

Also:  Please bring in a summer artifact if you have not already!

Writer's Book Cover Decoration Homework:  We are personalizing our writer’s books! 

Use photos, collage material, drawing, painting, words . . . to decorate one side each of the 2 card stock pages (5 ½” x 8 ½”). 

 One will be attached to the front cover and the other will be the back cover of your writer’s book.

 Required:  Take care with your work and fill the whole page. 

 In class we will attach your wonderfully decorated covers to the books, and share what or how you chose to decorate your book and why. 

Our Monday
After a warm and sunny weekend, it was nice to see all the smiling faces of the students in Strawberry Creek this morning!
We continued to share some more summer artifacts this morning and learned all about our classroom jobs and responsibilities. In fourth grade math, we divided into odd and even numbers and played a chase game and reviewed some methods of subtraction ("counting up"). With time running out at the end of the hour, we were briefly introduced to Base 10 blocks and are anxiously awaiting to find out How 10 Was Born.

Odd and Even Chase Game

Today we divided into smaller groups to discuss Classroom Agreements and what we will need to do in order to have a successful year. There were some great ideas about how to treat each other and our surroundings. Tomorrow we will come up with a more concise list and vote on the agreements to narrow them down. 

A Great Day at the Lake!

Thank you for sending your children to The Berkeley School.  We have a terrific class filled with bright, warm hearted and happy students. 

In the classroom this morning the students had the opportunity to finish work began earlier in the week with the Hopes and Dreams and USA map puzzle.  After a few summer artifact shares it was off to the bus to head to Lake Anza.

Our day at Lake Anza:  After an unexpected change of plans (the bus could not drop us off at Lake Anza as the road was temporarily closed) we were dropped off near the Little Farm, and had a lovely hike up Wildcat Canyon Gorge trail.  The trail follows the stream and is towered over by sprawling bay laurel and ancient oak trees.  At the lake we had a pleasant day of sunshine, cool water, gritty sand, the infamous grey clay, and, of course,  smiling children.

The hike up the gorge.

In the lake.

To see the whole collection of photos from our trip click here: Lake Anza.

Lake Anza Tomorrow!

Reminder:  Lake Anza field trip tomorrow.  All students should bring a swim suit (wear under clothes if you like) or an extra set of clothes, towel and SNACK, LUNCH & WATER BOTTLE!

Homework:
Read for at least 20 minutes
5th Grade Math:  please check the Cerrito blog
4th Grade Math:  (Same as yesterday.) Finish cutting out the MADS card game and play with someone at home at least one time this week.  Record the day and person you played with on the envelope.  Keep the envelope with your game cards stowed in your red math folder in your binder.  Here are links to the instructions and playing cards for MADS.

This morning in Strawberry we shared more summer artifacts after a rousing round of a basketball style greeting.  We are working on our hopes and dreams for the year, and shared some of the hopes students came up with from yesterday.  A final piece will illustrate their ideas for hopes about family, friends, activities and school.

During Reading Workshop, Kellyne introduced the class to the book reviews we will write and display in the library as a way to celebrate the books we read this year.  Most students have settled on their "Just Right" book and are ready to go for next week.  Students who wish to bring books home to read for homework are asked to have a back-up chapter book at school at all times in the event they leave their preferred book at home.

USA - We began our focus on the United States today by watching the Fifty Nifty States song  and beginning a states puzzle project.  Each student will create a puzzle of their own of the 50 states.  There are a number of video versions of the song.  This is the one we watched today.

Here are a few photos from the end of our day. 

Making a USA puzzle.

Julianne stopped by to introduce the students to the sketch books they will be using this year in Art class and led an activity to get them drawing freely while exploring different drawing tools.

2nd Day of School and 1st Math Classes

Homework: Reading at least 20 minutes and math.





4th Grade Math Homework:  Finish cutting out the MADS card game and play with someone at home at least one time this week.  Record the day and person you played with on the envelope.  Keep the envelope with your game cards stowed in your red math folder in your binder.  Here are links to the instructions and playing cards for MADS.

Summer Artifacts:  Please bring them in if you have not already.  


Today we shared artifacts, learned how to use a globe and world map following lines of latitude and longitude and identify key features, such as the Prime Meridian.  Students used this information to complete a map hunt with a partner, and began to create their own version for others to solve. 

Special Guest:  The end of the day was highlighted by a visit from a classroom parent, Chelsea (quite pregnant and due any day now) to introduce to us to their soon to be new addition.  Chelsea plans to visit the class throughout the year (with baby) to allow the kids to watch him or her grow and change.  The kids had great questions for Chelsea and shared birth stories.  Don't be surprised if your child asks to tell or retell your family stories tonight.

Just Right Chapter Books:  Today we also discussed what a "just right book" is, and are using today and tomorrow to settle on a chapter book.  Some students plan to bring a book from home, so please check with your child to make sure they are set to go.  Next week we will begin activities with the chapter books they have independently seleted.

4th Grade Math: Today was our first 4th grade math class.  We played a game to get to know names and a little bit about each other, counted around the room (a skip counting activity), and learned the math game, MADS (the game coming home today for homework).  Our focus today was to bond our group as a "class" as we begin to settle into the math curriculum.

Baby talk!

First Day of School!

We had a terrific first day in Strawberry Creek!  The students impressed us with how quickly they came together as a class, sharing, working and playing together.  A few handouts were sent home today, including:

• Lake Anza permission slip. The annual field trip scheduled for Friday, 9/7/12.
• What Matters Tee shirt order form
• Summer Artifact and Reading Homework (below)

Homework:

1. Summer Artifact - Please find an artifact (item) at home that represents something you did over the summer.  You will have an opportunity to share with the class about the item, so be sure to practice what you would like to say.  The artifacts will stay on display in the classroom over the next two weeks as we take turns sharing. 

2. Reading (every night)– Read for at least 20 minutes each night.  More information on how to track the books you are reading at home, and assignments will be sent out in the coming days.  

Photos from a few of our activities today.

                  Room Hunt

                            Lunch

The students chose books from our classroom library for silent reading.

Creative Writing:  Strawberry Students wrote  fictitious travel advertisements for randomly assigned places and topics.

 Exploring the math shelf materials.

See you tomorrow!