Homework:
4th Grade Math: no homework (Cerrito is off to Fort Ross)
Fourth grade has been learning to use protractors to measure angles, as well as using angles on polygons to estimate and measure angles. 

5th Grade Math: no homework

Reading:  20 minutes

Book Group Optional:  Some students brought home their book club assignment for By the Great Horn Spoon.  They are reading chapters 2 & 3, and completing the job that has been assigned to them.  We will have time in class Weds and Friday to also attend to this assignment, which is due by Friday.  

Field Trip:  Feb. 5, 8:30-3:30, Muir Beach & Redwood Creek habitat restoration

Today in Strawberry:  Today during Science we discussed the states of matter, and sorted and classified matter into the categories of solid, liquid and gas.  We learned about plasma and colloids as well, and even used a colloid (glue sticks) to attach a page in our science journal.  Along with discussion we read about the states of matter and watched short videos to reinforce the ideas.  Some videos are easily available from Scholastic, called Study Jams.  Here are links to the two Study Jams we have watched so far: States of Gases,  Scientific Methods.  We call them "cheesy" videos, but the content is good.  We also watched a Brainpop video about the states of matter that went into more depth.

 Math:  drawing and measuring angles with polygons and a protractor.

 Science:  placing matter into categories.

 Solid, liquid and gas Venn diagram.

Recording data and vocabulary into our science journals.

Reading job practice round - the students had a trial round for their jobs from 

chapter one of By the Great Horn Spoon (read in class on Monday).  Each job

assignment group collaborated to share.  There was the Summarizer, Passage Master, 

Illustrator and Discussion Leader groups.  Usually the students will meet in small groups

to share the four jobs.  Today was a group discussion.

Homework:
4th Grade Math: Option 1, Geometry Review,  Option 2, Making a Difference (due tomorrow)  We will also have time in class to complete the packet.
5th Grade Math:  1 page of packet
Capitalization:  Capitalization Practice #3
Reading:  20 minutes

Book Group Optional:  Some students brought home their book club assignment for By the Great Horn Spoon.  They are reading chapters 2 & 3, and completing a job that has been assigned.  We will have time in class Weds and Friday to also attend to this assignment, which is due by Friday.

Field Trip:  Feb. 5, 8:30-3:30, Muir Beach & Redwood Creek habitat restoration permission slip & waiver.  Please be sure to sign both sides of the form.  
The second side is confusing, but follow the arrows.  Thanks! 

Science

Homework:
4th Grade Math: Option 1, Geometry Review,  Option 2, Making a Difference
5th Grade Math:  1 page of packet
Capitalization:  Capitalization Practice #3
Reading:  20 minutes

Field Trip:  Feb. 5, 8:30-3:30, Muir Beach & Redwood Creek habitat restoration permission slip & waiver.  Please be sure to sign both sides of the form.  
The second side is confusing, but follow the arrows.  Thanks! 

Today in Strawberry: After snack we had a final capitalization lesson followed by an extended writing workshop focused on the character stories the students are composing.  After lunch we began our shared reading, By the Great Horn Spoon, by Sid Fleischman.  The book will be read as part of read aloud, as well as independently, and discussed in book groups.  This week students will begin to bring home their book group job assignments.

Following read aloud we began our next phase of science.  Today we put together our science journals, learned about the scientific method, and conducted an experiment to hone our observation and note taking skills, as well as questioning.  The students observed a glass of room temperature water versus a glass of ice water.  This lead to a discussion about condensation and how it occurs, for which several students shared their understanding of.  We also observed bubbles form in the glass of room temperature water, and are puzzling over why that occurs, but not so much in the ice water.  Our science focus for the next few months is chemistry, which we will continue with this week.  

 Capitalization!

 Move to the side if is should have caps!

 Observing a glass of ice water compared to a glass of room temperature water.

Okay, condensation seems obvious, but why do bubbles form inside a glass of water?

And, is condensation so easy to understand?

What is really going on?

Students are being encouraged to think about it and suggest ways examine these types of questions.

Accreditation News

Homework:
4th Grade Math: Quadrilaterals homework
5th Grade Math:  POW
Capitalization:  Capitalization worksheet.
Reading:  20 minutes

Field Trip:  Feb. 5, 8:30-3:30, Muir Beach & Redwood Creek habitat restoration permission slip & waiver.  Please be sure to sign both sides of the form.  
The second side is confusing, but follow the arrows.  Thanks! 

Today in Strawberry:  During the Gold Rush simulation game the teams of students decided among a number of advertisements, which tickets to purchase to get to California from the Eastern U.S.  Some promised overland short cuts and others safety at sea.  The groups all made it to California eventually, but some encountered overland problems or disasters at sea.  Our theme for the activity is, "The Gold Rush was not fair."  This slogan may help our teams over troubles, but also resonates with the reality of what people experienced.
The students peer edited their Pioneers in California assignment for capitalization and for content.  We found that some answers varied but were still correct, leading to a discussion of why that would be.  Students continued writing their character stories.  This week they met with a partner to share their story so far, get some feedback in questions and compliments, and continue the writing process.


TBS NEWS

Accreditation Visits: Over the past year faculty and staff have been working through the accreditation process with the California Association of Independent Schools, and now we are preparing for the Visiting Committee coming to both campuses February 9-12. Learn more about our school and what we discovered at one of these events for adults:

Tuesday Schmoozeday, January 28, 8:30-9:30am, Labyrinth

OR

Wednesday, January 29, 6-7pm, Depot

And please attend the Visiting Committee Adult Reception Sunday, Feb. 9, 3:30-5pm. You can RSVP here.  The Visiting Committee is looking for community involvement in the accreditation. Let’s show our commitment to our school community!

You can read the TBS self-study introduction and Summary to get familiar with the content; for the truly brave (or those with time to kill), here’s the full self study.

Bear Flag Revolt and Gold Rush

Homework:
4th Grade Math:  No assignment today.
5th Grade Math:  POW
Cultural Studies:  Students need to complete the Pioneers in California assignment by Thursday:  chapter and questions.  Goals for this assignment are to write complete sentences (answers should read like informative facts), and check for capitals and punctuation!
Reading:  20 minutes

Field Trip: We still need drivers!   Feb. 5, 8:30-3:30, Muir Beach & Redwood Creek habitat restoration permission slip & waiver.  Please be sure to sign both sides of the form.  The second side is confusing, but follow the arrows.  Thanks!  

Today in Strawberry:  Our main event today was jumping through historical moments of the Bear Flag Revolt, Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (Mexico signs treaty to end war with U.S. giving territory to the U.S. in exchange for 15 million dollars and an end to the war), and the discovery of gold on the American River at Sutter's Mill.  The students are now part of "Gold Rush" teams that will cooperate with historical tasks in a game / simulation format.  During the "game" the students learn about the different people who flooded to California in search of gold, the conditions and treatment people endured, and other related information while learning note taking strategies and practicing non-fiction reading comprehension skills.