Field Trip Tomorrow

Field Trip Information:  New Almaden Quicksilver Mine -  DEPART 7:30am!!!  
Please call JEFF at 510-517-2359 if you are running late.

We will return between 4:00 and 4:30.  Hopefully more towards 4:00!  I will call the school when we are about half way back to give and ETA.

Please arrive at the front of TBS (not the classroom) between 7:20 and 7:30 am.  Drivers should park right in front (not across the street) so we can send kids to cars once we have them checked in.

Weather:  Temperatures in the high 70's to mid 80's

Bring:  Snack, Lunch & water bottle

Clothing:  Comfortable shoes (We will be walking in the museum and surrounding town).  Expect it to be warm.

For car ride:  Bring a book, sketch pad or other non-electronic game for the ride. No electronic games or devices aside from electronic books or cameras. 

Optional: Snack for the ride back!  - Pack an extra snack for the ride back that is not messy, and can withstand a day of being carried around.

Car Groups for Field Trip to New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum

Jeff Ruben Henry Joey	Gina  Soli Nia Lila Liam Ben	Anne Pauline Else Hannah Talia
Kevin Ayden Zach Madison Sadie Roxy	James Brian Sohrab Luke

Upcoming Events: 

Readathon, April 11:  A day of reading.  Students may come in pajamas and bring sleeping bags, pillow, a stuffed animal and of course, books for a day of lounging and reading.  Adults are welcome to join us to read.  
Schedule for Readathon:

• 8:30-8:45 - Set up cozy reading spaces
• 8:45-10:00 - Reading time with active break
• 10:00-10:20 - Special snack for Readathon
• 10:20-11:00 - 2nd Reading time
• 11:00-11:45 - PE
• 11:45-12:15 - Recess at the park
• 12:15-12:45 - Lunch
• 12:45-1:00 - Read aloud
• 1:00-1:30 - Reading with Buddies
• 1:30-2:00 - Choices
• 2:00-2:15 - Jobs and Dismissal

Save the Date:  May 29, 6:00-8:30pm, Performance of Learning & 5th Grade Tribute 

Today in Strawberry:  We had a terrific visit by author, Elizabeth Partridge this morning.  She shared about people who have made change in America, and being the Goddaughter of Dorothea Lange she shared photos by Lange and the stories of people who took part in change making moments.  The connection to our studies was palpable.  

Today the students learned of their project groups and began researching their topics via video documentaries, publications and articles from history books.  

Activism, Mercury & Trash

Homework

4th Grade Math: No homework this week.  Optional: take home long division page.  The students have been learning long division in math recently.  We will continue practicing and learning alternate methods for long division after the break.  

5th Grade Math:  Finish 2 pages of geometry work.  If you do not have a compass that is okay.

Book Swap:  Collect books to bring in for the book swap.  Please deliver the books to the office by Wednesday.  The swap is on Thursday.

Elizabeth (Betsy) Partridge is our visiting author tomorrow.  If you have a book by her you would like signed, please bring it to school tomorrow.

Reading 20 minutes  (don't forget to record your reading in the planner)  

Upcoming Events: 

Author Visit:  Tuesday, 9:30-10:30, Betsy Partridge.

Field Trip, April 9:  Super EARLY departure of 7:30am.  WOW!  Yes, we have an early departure for a long drive to the New Almaden Quicksilver mining museum. 

Readathon, April 11:  A day of reading.  Students may come in pajamas and bring sleeping bags, pillow, a stuffed animal and of course, books for a day of lounging and reading.  Adults are welcome to join us to read.  
Schedule for Readathon:

• 8:30-8:45 - Set up cozy reading spaces
• 8:45-10:00 - Reading time with active break
• 10:00-10:20 - Special snack for Readathon
• 10:20-11:00 - 2nd Reading time
• 11:00-11:45 - PE
• 11:45-12:15 - Recess at the park
• 12:15-12:45 - Lunch
• 12:45-1:00 - Read aloud
• 1:00-1:30 - Reading with Buddies
• 1:30-2:00 - Choices
• 2:00-2:15 - Jobs and Dismissal

Today in Strawberry: Activism, mercury and trash.
 Activism: We had several discussions to set up our next big project.  The students first helped connect the 5 different topics we learned about last week:  The environmental movement and John Muir, Japanese-American Internment during WWII, Rosie the Riveter and Women's Rights, the National Far Workers Association and Cesar Chavez, and the Free Speech Movement in Berkeley during the 60's. 

The next step was to create a collective brainstorm about the important information and questions we still have about the movements and events.

Lastly, we revealed that the goal for our study is to use these events, and our classroom activism about plastics trash in the ocean in our performance of learning production.  The students will be divided into groups for the next phase of planning.

Mercury:  We also learned about the element of mercury today, and watched informative videos about how mercury is used.  One video showed it act as an amalgam with gold - fascinating.  From historic movies about the quicksilver business of California, to the impact on the San Francisco Bay from the Gold Rush period from Saving the Bay, the students had a well rounded presentation about the uses and problems of mercury.

Trash:  The conversations about the impact of mercury on the Bay, and the activism and Civil Rights issues of the past led to the discussion of the impact of plastics on our environment, and unknown health risks to people.  The students met to discuss possible next steps, and to use the activist movements of the past to help us.  We also discussed how the Japanese-American internment occurred before the Civil Right Movement in the US, and pondered if that is why people did not protest as they do today?

Tibetan Monks Visit

Homework

4th Grade Math: Finish packet to check on Friday (Option 1 or Option 2).  Option 1 practices place value related skills with decimals, while option 2 extends these skills to connect with fractions.

5th Grade Math:  Pages skills packet (20 minutes)

Typing Club or Handwriting (15 minutes):  username: (student first name), password: strawberry

Reading 20 minutes  (don't forget to record your reading in the planner)

Upcoming Events: 

Field Trip, April 9:  Super EARLY departure of 7:30am.  WOW!  Yes, we have an early departure for a long drive to the New Almaden Quicksilver mining museum. 

Readathon, April 11:  A day of reading.  Students may come in pajamas and bring sleeping bags, pillow, a stuffed animal and of course, books for a day of lounging and reading.  Adults are welcome to join us to read.  More details soon. 

Today in Strawberry:
 Discussion topics in class following short video presentations:  Rosie the Riveter, and the Free Speech Movement in Berkeley.  

We were surprised to learn that Tibetan Monks were coming to Cerrito today for a presentation, and were thankful we could join in the event.

Discussion of which came first, the chicken or the egg?

Chanting.

Balloons and Design Challenge

Homework

4th Grade Math: Finish packet to check on Friday (Option 1 or Option 2).  Option 1 practices place value related skills with decimals, while option 2 extends these skills to connect with fractions.

5th Grade Math:  Pages skills packet

Reading 20 minutes  (don't forget to record your reading in the planner)

Upcoming Events: 

Field Trip, April 9:  Super EARLY departure of 7:30am.  WOW!  Yes, we have an early departure for a long drive to the New Almaden Quicksilver mining museum. 

Readathon, April 11:  A day of reading.  Students may come in pajamas and bring sleeping bags, pillow, a stuffed animal and of course, books for a day of lounging and reading.  Adults are welcome to join us to read.  More details soon. 

Today in Strawberry:
It started with one inflation, and then many followed.  It was balloon day in Strawberry.  

Theme day: balloon day in Strawberry.

Students brought all shapes of balloons.

A balloon party.

Balloon day antics.

 Design Challenge:  During Science the students were presented with a challenge to create a golf ball retrieval device using string, meter stick, tape and other materials.  They planned, discussed, agreed and built their devices.  After successive trials and opportunities to redesign several groups successfully retrieved a golf ball.

At first, each student made a plan of their own to share with their group.

The design teams discuss ideas.

Cooperating to launch their golf ball catcher.

Fishing for golf balls!

1st successful ball retrieval.

Altering designs after trials.

Success!  The golf ball being pulled across the rug.

Yesterday's hail storm!

More rainy day creations.

Homework

4th Grade Math: First page of decimal related packet for tomorrow (Option 1 or Option 2).  Option 1 practices place value related skills with decimals, while option 2 extends these skills to connect with fractions.

5th Grade Math:  Pages 13 &14

Reading 20 minutes  (don't forget to record your reading in the planner)

Upcoming Events:Wednesday, Theme Day: Strawberry's theme is "balloons."  The students are in charge of planning and decorating for theme day.

Field Trip, April 9:  Super EARLY departure of 7:30am.  WOW!  Yes, we have an early departure for a long drive to the New Almaden Quicksilver mining museum. 

Readathon, April 11:  A day of reading.  Students may come in pajamas and bring sleeping bags, pillow, a stuffed animal and of course, books for a day of lounging and reading.  Adults are welcome to join us to read.  More details soon. 

Today in Strawberry:  Students are finishing their persuasive writings, and we have begun to have students read them aloud during an author's share.  We are also reading a variety of picture books about people who have made or been a part of change in Califronia, including Cesar Chavez (yesterday) and John Muir today.  Our other read aloud is In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson by Bette Bao Lord, a novel about a Chinese immigrant family in New York.  For those students keeping track remotely, we are just at page 29 (mid-chapter).