4th Grade Math Homework:  Students are continuing work from the classroom.  Each student has a goal of completing eight more problems.

5th Grade Math - packet

Homework - Vocabulary/Wordly Wise:  Friday is a review test of lessons 5 & 6 in Wordly Wise.  The students are making flash cards to use to practice at home to learn the meaning and usage of a select group of words from the lessons.  Each student has the review sheet for their book, with the bold printed words being the ones we expect them to know (They will also select more words of their own choice to practice).  On the "test" the students will have the words provided for spelling purposes, but be required to write the meaning and a sentence using the word.

Upcoming Field Trip Dates:  Here are dates to put on your calendar - please note the April 11 late return.  Also, more details will be emailed soon about the overnight in June.  Driving trips will be placed on the wiki very soon as well. If you would like to be a chaperone for the non-driving trips on 1/29 or 4/11, please contact Jeff directly.

• Tuesday, January 29,  S.F. MoMA  (8:30-3:00, BART)
•  Date TBD soon - Hike and activities based on Lewis & Clark (likely the 1st week of Feb. , drivers needed)
• Thursday, February 14 (Valentine's Day), Tree Planting with EBMUD (8:30 - 2:00, drivers needed)
• Thursday, April 11,  Amtrak to Sac. Train Museum (8:30-5:00) pick up at 5:00pm at the Berkeley Train Station, or back on campus at 5:30pm.
• Thursday-Friday, June 6-7, Overnight in the Sierra Nevada at the Clair Tappan Lodge near Donner Pass (a rustic Sierra Club lodge).  Driver/chaperones will be needed - more details coming soon.

Moment in Time Writing: Today we began a writing project that will carry-over for the next couple of weeks. After hearing a short story about his dog by Gary Paulsen, students were asked to brainstorm a list of memorable moments of their lives. Many chose topics like getting stitches, breaking a bone, visiting a particular place, and getting lost. Over the next few writing periods, students will elaborate on these stories to create a descriptive recollection of their "moment in time".

Buddy Day: We took advantage of the last few minutes of dry weather and met with our Laurel Creek buddies outside for some relay races. In four different teams, buddies worked together and cheered each other on throughout a variety of races!

Bully Talk

4th Grade Math Homework:  Students are continuing work from the classroom.  Each student has a goal of completing a number of multiplication problems.  There are several choices:
1) Double digit x double digit side (5- 10 problems using standard algorithm)
or
2) Flip side with double multiple x single digit (10 problems using standard algorithm)
or
3) Both sides choose 5 from each and okay to use Lattice for double digit x double digit.

5th Grade Math - packet

Homework - Vocabulary/Wordly Wise:  Friday is a review test of lessons 5 & 6 in Wordly Wise.  The students are making flash cards to use to practice at home to learn the meaning and usage of a select group of words from the lessons.  Each student has the review sheet for their book, with the bold printed words being the ones we expect them to know (They will also select more words of their own choice to practice).  On the "test" the students will have the words provided for spelling purposes, but be required to write the meaning and a sentence using the word.

4th Grade Math:  Today reviewed multiplication, practicing facts, mental calculations and use of algorithms.  We introduced the standard algorithm for double digit x double digit problems.  Previously the students not familiar with this algorithm were using Lattice for larger problems, and the standard only for problems with single digit factors.  Our goal is for students to become familiar with both techniques and settle on the method that works.  We will begin a new focus on geometry in the coming days.

Math Club with Sima - We kicked off the New Year in Math Club with Magic Squares and the Circle Down solitaire game.  Many students were absorbed in figuring out the proper moves in the checkers-like Circle Down game to remove all but one counter.  Others tried to place the digits 1-9 in a Magic Square that had all of its horizontal, diagonal, and vertical rows add up to the same number, and some took it further to investigate larger Magic Squares.  Finally, we looked at an interesting Brain Teaser requiring students to figure out the cost of each letter given the cost of 29 different names. If you succeed in figuring out the cost of your own name, you can check your answer online here.

Bully Talk with Kate and Hillary:  Kate and Hillary visited today to begin a conversation with Strawberry that is happening school wide about "bullying."  Kate brought her chickens along to illustrate bullying in form of a pecking order.  The kids brainstormed what behaviors they associate with teasing/bullying and ended the activity with a journal writing exercise about their experiences with bullying.  (Photos below)

Ideas for families (from Sima) related to Marine Sciences:

On Saturday, Jan. 12 at 3pm, explore tide pools at the Marine Sciences Institute in Redwood City on a Lowtide Walk. MSI takes to the tidepools for a treasure hunt of nature's beautiful intertidal secrets. We'll spend the evening taking advantage of the low tide to reach the outer edges of Pillar Point, and take in spectacular sunsets as we slowly retreat to shore. Will we find crabs, sea stars, eels and octopus!? This is a great all-ages, family event

On Sunday, January 13 at noon or 2pm, visit The Marine Mammal Center in Marin for a FREE FAMILY day of fun, learning about the inhabitants of the arctic! Find out how walruses, narwhals and whales survive freezing temperatures.  Docent-led tours are available as well for a nominal fee.

Saturday, Jan. 19 is the 22nd anniversary of the sea lions returning to PIER 39 in San Francisco. Activities are scheduled each day between Jan. 19 - 22 and include free educational tours by The Marine Mammal Center and the Aquarium of the Bay. 

 Hillary leading the brainstorm.

Welcome Back! & Upcoming Field Trip Dates

Homework
4th Grade Math: Practice multiplication fact cards
5th Grade Math: Write a letter to Mike about your math resolutions

Words Their Way: Complete an open sort in spiral notebook
Book Club: Finish reading goal and job

Upcoming Field Trip Dates:  Here are dates to put on your calendar - please note the April 11 late return.  Also, more details will be emailed soon about the overnight in June.  Driving trips will be placed on the wiki very soon as well. If you would like to be a chaperone for the non-driving trips on 1/29 or 4/11, please contact Jeff directly.

• Tuesday, January 29,  S.F. MoMA  (8:30-3:00, BART)
•  Date TBD soon - Hike and activities based on Lewis & Clark (likely the 1st week of Feb. , drivers needed)
• Thursday, February 14 (Valentine's Day), Tree Planting with EBMUD (8:30 - 2:00, drivers needed)
• Thursday, April 11,  Amtrak to Sac. Train Museum (8:30-5:00) pick up at 5:00pm at the Berkeley Train Station, or back on campus at 5:30pm.
• Thursday-Friday, June 6-7, Overnight in the Sierra Nevada at the Clair Tappan Lodge near Donner Pass (a rustic Sierra Club lodge).  Driver/chaperones will be needed - more details coming soon.

 
It was so great to see all the smiling faces of Strawberry Creek that we have missed so much over the past two weeks. We started the morning by sharing something that we were grateful for over break.

Our math class today was transformed into a Quiz Show (cue lights and game show music)! Students worked together in partners to answer questions that covered a variety of topics-- conversions, measurements, multiplication, division, addition, and subtraction.

During writer's workshop we ventured into journal writing. After reflecting back on their experiences during winter break, students used their writer's books to write their first journal entry. We brainstormed things that could be included in a journal entry-- observations, the date, feelings, people, and other details to describe an event.

We started our new read aloud at the end of the day, a book by Scott O'dell called "Streams to the River, River to the Sea". This will go alongside our next cultural studies unit of study, Lewis and Clark and Westward Expansion.

Holiday Party: SUCCESS!

Here is an attachment for the lyrics to the songs that the students have been practicing in music. Kim asks that everyone practice a couple times over the break to get ready for our winter sing along!
Music Lyrics

We had a wonderful time today decorating cookies, making homemade pesto, pasta sauce, salads, and candles. Here are some pictures from our day.

We hope you have the happiest of holidays and have a safe and restful break! We'll see you in 2013!!!

The US Constitution and Sug Cookies

Homework:
There is no math homework for 4th or 5th grade.

Reminders:
Please bring in the item that you have signed up for on the Wiki for our party tomorrow!

And . . . If you did not bring in your appreciation notes today, PLEASE (PLEASE!) BRING THEM TOMORROW!

Tomorrow is the final day of Secret Santa. Please bring in your last gift (value $5-$10) for your Secret Santa recipient.  If you missed one of the other two days, please also deliver that gift as well.

Cultural Studies:  We started off our day with our Colonial Times and Revolution assessment. The purpose of this assessment was to allow every student to show us what they have learned about the colonists, the events that led to the revolution, and the importance of the revolution in American history.  We concluded our day with a first look at the US Constitution and more specifically the Bill of Rights.  The Constitution was compared to a cookbook for creating the US government.  We read the first ten amendments and then made note of later amendments, specifically XIII (end of slavery in 1865) and XIX (women's suffrage in 1920) to connect the Declaration of Independence's statement of "all men are created equal," to the reality of how that idea manifested in our country.

After all of our school "business" was taken care of we moved on to cookie making! We made the dough for our sugar cookies so that they will be all ready to roll out and bake tomorrow. We're looking forward to a day of festivities and celebration tomorrow. Please don't forget to send in the items that you and your child have signed up for!