Holiday Reminders, 12/13-12/17

Weekly Reminders: Rooms 20 & 21

Dear Room 20 & 21 Parents,

Our holiday break fast approaches, and this week we all are pulled in different directions- completing school assignments, shopping for gifts, and preparing for travel or guests at our own homes. Clearly, there is much to prepare and look forward to at this time of year. A goal for our students this week would be to practice the Golden Rule: treat others as you would want to be treated. What a gift this would be to everyone at Portal! This ties in perfectly with our Project Cornerstone lesson for this month too; if one is to be an "upstander" and do and say the right things in our lives, it begins with honesty, compassion, and REAL concern for others. Our classrooms this week will be productive, fun environments with this kind of approach towards others. Let's JUST DO IT!

***Holiday Gift Drive***

Portal Penguins!

You can make a difference this holiday season for a family that cannot afford to shop for gifts. Your generosity will make this a memorable holiday for our families. Bring new, unwrapped items to the bin outside of Room 6 by Wednesday for the West Valley Community Services.

Suggested items include: puzzles, games, learning materials, jackets, sweaters and even toothbrushes, lotion and hair products. Thanks Portal Penguins!

Happy Holidays to all of you, and we'll see you in the new year :)

Our blogsite addresses are:

Room 20 (Scourkes) http://rockhopperroom20.blogspot.com
Room 21 (Roels) http://gtfroom22.blogspot.com


Calendar of Events:

Wed. 12/15 PSCO Meeting 6:30pm

Fri. 12/17 Social Studies Native American Essay Due

Fri. 12/17 Spirit Day - Crazy Hair!

Fri.12/20 Winter Break

Mon. 1/3 School Resumes!

Mon. 1/17 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. (No School on this holiday)

Thur. 1/20 4/5 Band Concert 6:30 p.m.


California Trivia Clue (student responses are REQUIRED):

What street address would you give a cab driver to go to Disneyland?

Sincerely,

Mr. Roels and Miss Scourkes
Rooms 20 & 21
Rockhopper Village
Portal School

The December 6-10 Reminders

Weekly Reminders: Rooms 20 & 21

Dear Room 20 & 21 Parents,

December is a lively month in so many respects. We've certainly got a lot of interesting things to do at school- legends and native American essays in social studies, multimedia presentations, debates, and realistic science fiction in science, nonfiction essays in language arts, and concepts like mixed fractions and division in math. Some of these things we're finishing up, others are in progress, and still others are just beginning. Of course, we all want the holiday spirit to guide us while participate in these activities; a spirit of kindness, generosity, and cooperation with each other can make the "work" of being a student so much more rewarding. As a student, please bring your holiday spirit to school each day- it will be a great present for all of us! And, at home, we encourage everyone to let the joy of the season guide you in your interactions at home, with friends, and with strangers you meet. In short, have fun this week and spread some HOLIDAY CHEER!

A Friendly Reminder...
Recently, we've noticed that several students are using classroom text/workbooks to do "extra" work, sometimes by parent or tutor request. We are kindly asking you to refrain from using classroom materials to have students complete work independently, since that affects the ability of the teachers to be able to use these materials with our classes, since they've already been completed by some. If you feel it necessary to do additional work other than that which is assigned, we would appreciate it if you would use materials purchased independently of the school. Please be sure to ask if you have questions regarding this. Thank you for your support in this matter.

Our blogsite addresses are:

Room 20 (Scourkes) http://rockhopperroom20.blogspot.com
Room 21 (Roels) http://gtfroom22.blogspot.com


Calendar of Events:

Wed. 12/15 PSCO Meeting 6:30pm

Fri. 12/17 Social Studies Native American Essay Due

Fri. 12/17 Spirit Day - Crazy Hair!

Fri.12/20 Winter Break

Mon. 1/3 School Resumes!

Mon. 1/17 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. (No School on this holiday)

Thur. 1/20 4/5 Band Concert 6:30 p.m.


California Trivia Clue (student responses are REQUIRED):

What was the nation’s first state park?

Sincerely,

Mr. Roels and Miss Scourkes
Rooms 20 & 21
Rockhopper Village
Portal School

11/29-12/3 Reminders

Weekly Reminders: Rooms 20 & 21

Dear Room 20 & 21 Parents,

Welcome back to school! We hope you had an enjoyable extended Thanksgiving break with your families, and we're looking forward to the next segment of our exciting school year! The holiday season keeps us all moving a lot- buying gifts, visiting friends, and preparing our homes for our special celebrations. As teachers, we will be extra diligent about managing the student workload during this time. As families, you may also want to consider some changes to your schedules to avoid overwhelming your Portal student with school, after-school, and holiday activities. We hope that all of us can celebrate the BEST time of the year in a spirit of peace, understanding, and love for one another.

Barnes & Noble Night/Fresh Choice/Willow Street Pizza

Don't forget that TOMORROW, November 30th is our annual Barnes & Noble fundraiser for our school. Barnes & Noble donates a portion of your purchases back to our school; this includes purchases made on-line as well during this week! In addition, teachers will be coming to the Westgate Barnes & Noble location to read to our great Portal families; see the Rockhopper teachers at 5:00-5:45pm!!! Before or after your visit to the store, please enjoy a snack or a meal at either Fresh Choice or Willow Street Pizza- both restaurants will also be donating a percentage of your bill to our school (this includes take-out orders too!) So, come join our fantastic community tomorrow for a fun evening on the town.........and help your school at the same time.

*** Please note that flyers for this event can be downloaded and printed from our website- remember to bring it with you!***

Our blogsite addresses are:

Room 20 (Scourkes) http://rockhopperroom20.blogspot.com
Room 21 (Roels) http://gtfroom22.blogspot.com


Calendar of Events:

Tues. 11/30 Barnes and Noble Night

Fri. 12/3 Report Cards sent home

Wed. 12/15 PSCO Meeting 6:30

Fri. 12/17 Social Studies Native American Essay Due

Fri. 12/17 Spirit Day - Crazy Hair!

Fri.12/20 Winter Break

Mon. 1/3 School Resumes!


California Trivia Clue (student responses are REQUIRED):

What two large CA lakes extend into other states?

Sincerely,

Mr. Roels and Miss Scourkes
Rooms 20 & 21
Rockhopper Village
Portal School

Reminders for Nov. 15-19

Weekly Reminders: Rooms 20 & 21

Dear Room 20 & 21 Parents,

We hope you all enjoyed the long Veteran's Day weekend. I know our students seemed to appreciate a little extra time for themselves, and it seems that they are ready to resume their studies as our week begins. We have a full week of all subjects, plus our first performing arts field trip today and a great Lawrence Hall of Science assembly to look forward to on Wednesday. A great goal for this week is to be prepared to respond- to questions, requested assignments, volunteer opportunities, or friends in need. Being aware of your environment and responsive to your own needs and the needs of others is a valuable trait for all of us to incorporate into our character.

Literature circle meetings will conclude on Wednesday, and once again, a big "thank you" to the parents who have volunteered and have given up valuable time to help us out. It makes a huge difference in our ability to see what is going on in each group. We've learned a lot about our classes' critical thinking abilities by observing during this activity, and it will guide our approach to our core literature studies for the remaining trimesters.

Math Olympiads Parent Volunteers:

We would like to thank all parents who’ve signed up to help out with Math Olympiads this year. We have formed three teams, and three parents per team have been chosen as volunteers. We have contacted all volunteers via email already. The first contest will take place tomorrow, November 16th, during school hours.

As you are now aware, our Reminders are now linked to our website, so that you can access all of this information each Monday. Go to the Portal Website (https://sites.google.com/a/cusdschools.org/murdock-portal) and click on 4-5 Villages and then Rockhoppers Rooms 20 and 21. Weekly Reminders will be on the left side.

For the immediate future, reminders will also be sent by email, and they are posted on our blog as well.

Our blogsite addresses are:

Room 20 (Scourkes) http://rockhopperroom20.blogspot.com
Room 21 (Roels) http://gtfroom22.blogspot.com


Calendar of Events:

Mon. 11/15 Literature Circles 8:10

Mon. 11/15 Field Trip to Children's Theater Center - Amelia Earhart - 11:00. Bag lunch needed!
Tues. 11/16 Project Cornerstone Class Presentation #3 9:00

Wed. 11/17 Literature Circles 8:10
Wed. 11/17 Lawrence Hall of Science Assembly 12:30
Thurs. 11/18 Island of the Blue Dolphins comprehension quiz
Wed. 11/17 PSCO Meeting 6:30
Fri. 11/19 4th Grade Math- Ch.10/11 Test
Mon.-Fri. 11/22-11/26 Thanksgiving Break- Happy Turkey Day! (NO SCHOOL)


California Trivia Clue (student responses are REQUIRED):

In what U.S. state is there a town named California?


Sincerely,

Mr. Roels and Miss Scourkes
Rooms 20 & 21
Rockhopper Village
Portal School

A short week for Weekly Reminders

Weekly Reminders: Rooms 20 & 21

Dear Room 20 & 21 Parents,

As the pace begins to pick up toward the end of this first trimester, we've noticed that there are students who are having trouble completing assignments and remembering homework. By this time of the year, we expect students to have certain procedures in place for recording and remembering homework. We are working with the students at school on strategies to help them organize themselves and their homework and we discuss prioritizing and time management. They may also need some gentle reminders at home and a little bit of supervision and assistance with making sure that tasks are getting completed and that their time at home is managed well. We'd appreciate your help in this area so that we can all work on having each child be successful. Remember to please let us know if you have any questions regarding the homework procedures and policy. Thank you in advance for your help.

Thank you to the parents who attended our NASA field trip with us last week. The trip was lots of fun and VERY educational. We were also given a "goodie bag" at the end of the trip that included paper models and bookmarks with cool interactive websites on them.

Today, we had our first literature circle meetings. Thank you to the parents who have volunteered and have given up valuable time to help us out. It makes a huge difference in our ability to see what is going on in each group. You are our "eyes" and "ears".

Math Olympiads Parent Volunteers:
We would like to thank all parents who’ve signed up to help out with Math Olympiads this year. We have formed three teams, and three parents per team have been chosen as volunteers. We have contacted all volunteers via email already. The first contest will take place on Tuesday, November 16th during school hours.

As you are now aware, our Reminders are now linked to our website, so that you can access all of this information each Monday. Go to the Portal Website (https://sites.google.com/a/cusdschools.org/murdock-portal) and click on 4-5 Villages and then Rockhoppers Rooms 20 and 21. Weekly Reminders will be on the left side.

For the immediate future, reminders will also be sent by email, and they are posted on our blog as well.

Our blogsite addresses are:

Room 20 (Scourkes) http://rockhopperroom20.blogspot.com
Room 21 (Roels) http://gtfroom22.blogspot.com


Calendar of Events:
Wed. 11/10 Social Studies Native American Test (date change)
Wed. 11/10 Literature Circles 8:10
Wed, 11/10 First Trimester Ends
Thur. 11/11, Fri. 11/12 Veteran's Day - No school!

Mon. 11/15 Literature Circles 8:10

Mon. 11/15 Field Trip to Children's Theater Center - Amelia Earhart - 11:00. Bag lunch needed!

Wed. 11/17 Literature Circles 8:10
Wed. 11/17 PSCO Meeting


California Trivia Clue (student responses are REQUIRED):

How many state forests are in CA?


Sincerely,

Mr. Roels and Miss Scourkes
Rooms 20 & 21
Rockhopper Village
Portal School

November's First Reminders

Weekly Reminders: Rooms 20 & 21

Dear Room 20 & 21 Parents,

Can you believe it's November? Election Day is tomorrow, and many important decisions about education's future will surely come from some of the choices made on Tuesday. I hope that our Portal voting population makes sure to state their position on the important issues of the day by casting their ballots; modeling the behavior of an informed and participating member of our society is critical for all our students.

On the student front, this week is exciting in so many ways- oral presentations going on, a science Webquest project underway, our NASA/Ames field trips, and a chance to see our fellow Rockhoppers in "Gold Dust or Bust!" Be prepared for a full week by resting properly, eating well each morning, and arriving on time (by 8:00am) to Portal!

As you are now aware, our Reminders are now linked to our website, so that you can access all of this information each Monday. Go to the Portal Website (https://sites.google.com/a/cusdschools.org/murdock-portal) and click on 4-5 Villages and then Rockhoppers Rooms 20 and 21. Weekly Reminders will be on the left side.

For the immediate future, reminders will also be sent by email, and they are posted on our blog as well.

Our blogsite addresses are:

Room 20 (Scourkes) http://rockhopperroom20.blogspot.com
Room 21 (Roels) http://gtfroom22.blogspot.com

NASA/AMES field trip update

We are very excited for our NASA trips this week! On Wednesday, November 3 (Room 21) and Thursday, November 4 (Room 20), our students will be going on an informative and interactive 1/2 day visit to the NASA/Ames Exploration Encounter. Each student will need a bag lunch for that day and a snack, since we will return to school after our normal lunch time. If you are a parent volunteer, please arrive at school no later than 8:20 so that you can be briefed about the day. There is no need for you to bring a lunch, but you may wish to bring snack. Adults should remember to bring ID and your green card if you're not a US citizen.

Literature Circles- Are you an interested parent?

Help Needed!!
We currently only have a few parents. Mr. Roels only has ONE. Miss Scourkes has THREE. We really need 6 each! Please email us right away if you can help!

Our first literature circle dates will be: Monday, Nov. 8, Wednesday, Nov. 10, Monday, Nov. 15, and Wednesday, November 17. All literature circles will start promptly at 8:10am, and we'll end by 9:00 a.m. on these dates. If you expressed an interest in participating as a literature circle volunteer previously, please let us know if you can attend during these dates. Ideally, we would like parents to attend all four sessions, but we will make exceptions based on your schedules in order to have the maximum number of parent participants. So......please participate if you can!

Calendar of Events:

Mon. 11/1 - Thur. 11/4 Oral Presentations
Tues. 11/2 Election Day!!

Wed. 11/3 Room 21 field trip to NASA/AMES 8:30-12:30 - Bag lunch needed

Thur. 11/4 Room 20 field trip to NASA/AMES 8:30-12:30 - Bag lunch needed
Mon. 11/8 Native American Test in Social Studies

Mon. 11/8 Literature Circles 8:10

Wed. 11/10 Literature Circles 8:10
Wed, 11/10 First Trimester Ends
Thur. 11/11, Fri. 11/12 Veteran's Day - No school!

Mon. 11/15 Literature Circles 8:10

Mon. 11/15 Field Trip to Children's Theater Center - Amelia Earhart - 11:00. Bag lunch needed!

Wed. 11/17 Literature Circles 8:10
Wed. 11/17 PSCO Meeting


California Trivia Clue (student responses are REQUIRED):

CA has how many counties?


Sincerely,

Mr. Roels and Miss Scourkes
Rooms 20 & 21
Rockhopper Village
Portal School

Oct. 18-22 Reminders

Weekly Reminders: Rooms 20 & 21

Dear Room 20 & 21 Parents,

Welcome back to school! We are now truly in the fall season, and each day our weather seems to change from cool to hot to warm to ???? Be sure to prepare for each day by bringing a sweatshirt or jacket, and don't forget to take it WITH you at the end of the day. Also, we are definitely working on a lot of different curricular areas each day at school that require our best communication skills to fully understand the message; be sure to "Look, Listen, and Ask" to help yourselves comprehend fully, students! Last, this week our overriding theme is healthy lifestyles- socially, emotionally, and physically. Red Ribbon Week is a visible reminder that we care about the whole person at Portal.

As you are now aware, our Reminders are now linked to our website, so that you can access all of this information each Monday. Go to the Portal Website (https://sites.google.com/a/cusdschools.org/murdock-portal) and click on 4-5 Villages and then Rockhoppers Rooms 20 and 21. Weekly Reminders will be on the left side.

For the immediate future, reminders will also be sent by email, and they are posted on our blog as well.

Our blogsite addresses are:

Room 20 (Scourkes) http://rockhopperroom20.blogspot.com
Room 21 (Roels) http://gtfroom22.blogspot.com

NASA/AMES field trip update

On Wednesday, November 3 (Room 21) and Thursday, November 4 (Room 20), our students will be going on an informative and interactive 1/2 day visit to the NASA/Ames Exploration Encounter. Each student will need a bag lunch for that day, since we will return to school after our normal lunch time. Also, if you expressed an interest in being a chaperone, you will be contacted by your child's family room teacher. We will need a prompt response from our chaperone parents if we ask you to attend- as teachers, we must submit our rosters of kids and adults attending by mid-week!

Literature Circles- Are you an interested parent?

Our first literature circle dates will be: Monday, Nov. 8, Wednesday, Nov. 10, Monday, Nov. 15, and Wednesday, November 17. All literature circles will start promptly at 8:10am, and we'll end by 9:00 a.m. on these dates. If you expressed an interest in participating as a literature circle volunteer previously, please let us know if you can attend during these dates. Ideally, we would like parents to attend all four sessions, but we will make exceptions based on your schedules in order to have the maximum number of parent participants. So......please participate if you can!

Calendar of Events:

Mon. 10/18-10/22 Red Ribbon Week

Fri. 10/22 Spirit Day - Wear Red!
Mon. 10/25 Staff Learning Day - No school for students

Mon. 11/1 - Thur. 11/4 Oral Presentations

Wed. 11/3 Room 21 field trip to NASA/AMES 8:30-12:30 - Bag lunch needed

Thur. 11/4 Room 20 field trip to NASA/AMES 8:30-12:30 - Bag lunch needed

Mon. 11/8 Literature Circles 8:10

Wed. 11/10 Literature Circles 8:10
Wed, 11/10 First Trimester Ends

Mon. 11/15 Literature Circles 8:10

Mon. 11/15 Field Trip to Children's Theater Center - Amelia Earhart - 11:00. Bag lunch needed!

Wed. 11/17 Literature Circles 8:10


California Trivia Clue (student responses are REQUIRED):

What are two major mountain ranges of California?



Sincerely,

Mr. Roels and Miss Scourkes
Rooms 20 & 21
Rockhopper Village
Portal School

September 27- October 1 Reminders

Weekly Reminders: Rooms 20 & 21

Dear Room 20 & 21 Parents,

As we finish up the month of September, there are many subjects that require some type of concluding activity before our October break begins. It will be important for students to use their time wisely both inside and outside of school. Checking homework sheets before leaving school, packing appropriate study materials, and reviewing assignments when arriving at home will be key elements in proper preparation and study. Concentrate on reviewing information for Science and Social Studies over the next 2-3 evenings; doing some work each day will help your son or daughter retain the information. And, as always, proper rest, exercise, and nutrition will give each person's mind the optimum conditions for school. Good luck to all this week!

Thank You For Helping!
A big thank you to Mrs. Alam, Mrs. Verma, Mrs. Yenuganti, and Mrs. Suria for helping with our California Salt Dough map project in social studies. These volunteers made dough and volunteered their time throughout the two day project. The maps look great, and we couldn't have done it without you!


As you are now aware, our Reminders are now linked to our website, so that you can access all of this information each Monday. Go to the Portal Website (https://sites.google.com/a/cusdschools.org/murdock-portal) and click on 4-5 Villages and then Rockhoppers Rooms 20 and 21. Weekly Reminders will be on the left side.

For the immediate future, reminders will also be sent by email, and they are posted on our blog as well.

Our blogsite addresses are:

Room 20 (Scourkes) http://rockhopperroom20.blogspot.com
Room 21 (Roels) http://gtfroom22.blogspot.com

Calendar of Events:
Tues. 9/28 Lunch on the Lawn
Wed. 9/29 PSCO Meeting at 6:30
Wed. 9/29 Open Book/Note Science I-Check and Response Question (Investigation 4)
Thur. 9/30 Social Studies Test on Unit 1 - Geography
Fri. 10/1 Last day to order Spirit Wear
Mon. 10/4- Fri. 10/15 October Break - No School
Mon. 10/18-10/22 Red Ribbon Week
Mon. 10/25 Staff Learning Day - No school for students


California Trivia Clue (student responses are REQUIRED):

What is known as the “crookedest street in the world?”



Sincerely,

Mr. Roels and Miss Scourkes
Rooms 20 & 21
Rockhopper Village
Portal School

The Reminders for Sept. 20-24

Weekly Reminders: Rooms 20 & 21

Dear Room 20 & 21 Parents,

We return to our normal school schedule this week- hooray! As with any transition, we all need to be prepared to give our 100% best effort in the afternoons during our different subject lessons. Making sure to eat a good lunch, exercise and socialize with friends at lunch, and come prepared with all needed materials will be key to afternoon success! In general, this is the point in the year where we should all be settling into more of a regular study routine; recording our work, checking our items due for the next day, and organization of our tasks (along with extracurricular activities) will now be more of a habit for all of us. As a result, we can really show our "score 4" capabilities each and every day!


Thank You
We had a great time meeting with all of you during conferences! It's such a positive time to sit down, share, and communicate ideas between teachers, students, and parents. Thank you for taking time out of your busy day for these very important meetings.

On a separate note, our Reminders are now linked to our website, so that you can access all of this information each Monday. Go to the Portal Website and click on 4-5 Villages and then Rockhoppers Rooms 20 and 21. Weekly Reminders will be on the left side.

Today, they are being sent by email, and they are posted on our blog as well. They are also linked to our school website (https://sites.google.com/a/cusdschools.org/murdock-portal), which is the method that you should use to access these reminders each week!

Our blogsite addresses are:

Room 20 (Scourkes) http://rockhopperroom20.blogspot.com
Room 21 (Roels) http://gtfroom22.blogspot.com

Calendar of Events:

Mon. 9/20 Island of the Blue Dolphins Quiz: Chapters 1-9
Wed. 9/22 PSCO Meeting 6:30
Thur. 9/23 Learning Plans go home
Fri. 9/24 Spirit Day - Hat Day!
Sat. 9/25 Family Fun Night 4:00
Tues. 9/28 Lunch on the Lawn
Thur. 9/30 Social Studies Test on Unit 1 - Geography (Study guide given out last week)
Fri. 10/1 Last day to order Spirit Wear
Mon. 10/4- Fri. 10/15 October Break - No School


California Trivia Clue (student responses are REQUIRED):

How many different kinds of fruits and vegetables are grown by CA farmers?


Sincerely,

Mr. Roels and Miss Scourkes
Rooms 20 & 21
Rockhopper Village
Portal School

9/13-9/17 Weekly Reminders

Weekly Reminders: Rooms 20 & 21

Dear Room 20 & 21 Parents,

Our conferences will be drawing to a close this week; it is definitely a worthwhile experience to meet and talk with all of our students and their families! This is really a special opportunity for students, parents, and teachers to share their questions, ideas, and suggestions with one another. I know that we can all work together to meet our goals and make this school year a productive, fun experience. Don't forget that we remain on an early dismissal schedule this week, and that Friday is a Learning Day for teachers- kids get the day off from Portal!

On a separate note, our Reminders are now linked to our website, so that you can access all of this information each Monday. Go to the Portal Website and click on 4-5 Villages and then Rockhoppers Rooms 20 and 21. Weekly Reminders will be on the left side.

Today, they are being sent by email, and they are posted on our blog as well. They are also linked to our school website (https://sites.google.com/a/cusdschools.org/murdock-portal), which is the method that you should use to access these reminders each week!

Our blogsite addresses are:

Room 20 (Scourkes) http://rockhopperroom20.blogspot.com
Room 21 (Roels) http://gtfroom22.blogspot.com

Parent Teacher Conferences
Conferences have been going very well so far! Thank you for taking the time to discuss and share your child's interests and goals. We also appreciate that people have been on time and have been respectful of our tight time schedules. We look forward to finishing the rest of our conferences this week with the parents we haven't talked to yet.

Parent Volunteers
Thank you, thank you, thank you! We've received many volunteer forms and are finishing up placements for all of our helpers. If we haven't talked to you yet, we hope to let you know your roles in the immediate future. We appreciate your patience with us as we try to fill each position for our respective rooms.

Parent Volunteer Opportunity!
We have our first opportunity for parent helpers in the classroom and for helping with a project at home. We will be making salt dough maps of California. We will need some parents to make the dough for the class ahead of time at home. If you would like make dough, please contact Miss Scourkes. Then, on Wednesday, Sept. 22 from 8:50-9:50 and 12:30-1:30 and Thursday, Sept. 23 from 12:30 - 2:50 we will need volunteers in the classroom. If you would like to assist in the classroom at any of these times, please let Miss Scourkes know as soon as possible. Thank you in advance!

Calendar of Events:

Fri. 9/17 Staff Learning Day. No school.
Mon. 9/20 Island of the Blue Dolphins Quiz: Chapters 1-9
Wed. 9/22 PSCO Meeting 6:30
Fri. 9/24 Spirit Day - Hat Day!
Sat. 9/25 Family Fun Night 4:00
Tues. 9/28 Lunch on the Lawn
Thur. 9/30 Social Studies Test on Unit 1 - Geography (Study guide given out on 9/23)
Mon. 10/4- Fri. 10/15 October Break - No School


California Trivia Clue (student responses are REQUIRED):

Where is the lowest elevation in the Western Hemisphere?





Sincerely,

Mr. Roels and Miss Scourkes
Rooms 20 & 21
Rockhopper Village
Portal School

Reminders 9/7-9/10

Weekly Reminders: Rooms 20 & 21

Dear Room 20 & 21 Parents,

Since this is a short week of school with morning schedules only, our reminders are brief and to the point! The students are settling into their routines at school, and our conferences will be a great opportunity to hear about your child's successes and areas for growth. Encouragement and praise for a job well done, support when needed, and a commitment to good nutrition and proper rest will ensure that your student will have the potential for a fantastic Rockhopper year!

On a separate note, our Reminders are now linked to our website, so that you can access all of this information each Monday. Go to the Portal Website and click on 4-5 Villages and then Rockhoppers Rooms 20 and 21. Weekly Reminders will be on the left side.

Today, they are being sent by email, and they are posted on our blog as well. They are also linked to our school website (https://sites.google.com/a/cusdschools.org/murdock-portal), which is the method that you should use to access these reminders each week!

Our blogsite addresses are:

Room 20 (Scourkes) http://rockhopperroom20.blogspot.com
Room 21 (Roels) http://gtfroom22.blogspot.com

Parent Teacher Conferences Starting Tomorrow!
Thank you to all of the parents who have returned the "information regarding your child" pink sheets to us. If you haven't returned these forms to us, please send them with your child (or submit the information via e-mail) as soon as possible. We include this data on the learning plans for the conferences, and being able to add it into the progress report is valuable. Thank you in advance for your help - we are really looking forward to meeting you and discussing your child's goals for the year!

Parent Volunteers
Thank you, thank you, thank you! We've received many volunteer forms and are currently working out schedules and placements for all of our helpers. We hope to let you know your roles shortly. We appreciate your patience with us as we try to fill each position for our respective rooms.

Calendar of Events:

Wed. 9/8- Thur. 9/16 Parent Teacher Conferences. Dismissal at 12:30 EVERY DAY.
Thur. 9/9 - 4th Grade Math - Chapters 3 and 4 math test
Fri. 9/17 Staff Learning Day. No school.
Wed. 9/22 PSCO Meeting 6:30
Fri. 9/24 Spirit Day - Hat Day!
Sat. 9/25 Family Fun Night 4:00
Thur. 9/30 Social Studies Test on Unit 1 - Geography (Study guide given out on 9/23)


California Trivia Clue (student responses are REQUIRED):

How high is Mount Whitney, the highest point in the contiguous United States?



Sincerely,

Mr. Roels and Miss Scourkes
Rooms 20 & 21
Rockhopper Village
Portal School

August 30th Reminders

Weekly Reminders: Rooms 20 & 21

Dear Room 20 & 21 Parents,

Our Reminders are now linked to our website, so that you can access all of this information each Monday. Go to the Portal Website and click on 4-5 Villages and then Rockhoppers Rooms 20 and 21. Weekly Reminders will be on the left side.

Today, they are being sent by email, and they are posted on our blog as well. They are also linked to our school website (https://sites.google.com/a/cusdschools.org/murdock-portal), which is the method that you should use to access these reminders each week!

Our blogsite addresses are:

Room 20 (Scourkes) http://rockhopperroom20.blogspot.com
Room 21 (Roels) http://gtfroom22.blogspot.com

Parent Teacher Conferences Coming Soon!
Thank you to all of the parents who have returned the conference slip confirmations and information regarding your child. If you haven't returned these forms to us, please return them as soon as possible. We include this data on the learning plans for the conferences, and being able to add it in advance of the conference is very helpful. . Thank you in advance for your help - we are really looking forward to meeting you and discussing your child's goals for the year!

Parent Volunteers
Thank you, thank you, thank you! We've received many volunteer forms and are currently working out schedules and placements for all of our helpers. We hope to let you know your roles by the end of this week. If you were interested in "at school" volunteer positions, please note that there is a training tomorrow in our office that will cover check in procedures, equipment use, etc.

Calendar of Events:

Tues. 8/30 Volunteer Training (in the office for parents) 11:00am-12:00pm
Wed. 9/1 Individual Picture Day
Wed. 9/1 Project Cornerstone Parent Information Night 6:30 p.m.
Thur.9/2 5th Grade Math Quiz - Chapter 1
Fri. 9/3 Social Studies Regional Travel Brochure Due
Mon. 9/6 Labor Day - No school
Wed. 9/8- Thur. 9/16 Parent Teacher Conferences. Dismissal at 12:30 EVERY DAY.
Thur. 9/9 - 4th Grade Math - Chapters 3 and 4 math test
Fri. 9/17 Staff Learning Day. No school.


California Trivia Clue (student responses are REQUIRED):

When and how was the Salton Sea, California’s largest lake, created?



Sincerely,

Mr. Roels and Miss Scourkes
Rooms 20 & 21
Rockhopper Village
Portal School

Weekly Reminders for 8/23-27

Weekly Reminders: Rooms 20 & 21

Dear Room 20 & 21 Parents,

Welcome back! It's great to be back and see all of the smiling faces of both our new and returning students. It was also great to see all of you at Back to School Night! As we mentioned at that time, these Weekly Reminders, in addition to the Portal Press, are our main form of communication, so please do take the time to read them over each week. Today, they are being sent by email, and they are posted on our blog as well. They are also linked to our school website (https://sites.google.com/a/cusdschools.org/murdock-portal), which is the method that you should use to access these reminders each week!

Our blogsite addresses are:

Room 20 (Scourkes) http://rockhopperroom20.blogspot.com
Room 21 (Roels) http://gtfroom22.blogspot.com

Parent Teacher Conferences Coming Soon!
As you may know, our goal setting conferences are coming soon! This week, you will receive a notice in the Thursday folder with the date and time we'd like to have you come to the conference and an informational form to fill out regarding specific needs and interests of your child. If you could return this form to us as soon as possible, it would be a tremendous help to us. We include this data on the learning plans for the conferences, and being able to add it in advance of the conference is very helpful. Also, if at all possible, we ask you to come on the date and time we have assigned. In the upper grades, our schedules are very full, and there is little room for movement. Thank you in advance for your help - we are really looking forward to meeting you and discussing your child's goals for the year!

Core Literature Books
The three books that we will be reading this year are: Island of the Blue Dolphins, Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson, and Bridge to Terabithia. This year, students have been asked to purchase two of these books. Parents were given ISBN numbers for Island of the Blue Dolphins (ISBN# 0-440-94000-1) and The Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson (ISBN#978-0-06-440175-3) and the date they were due in class, which was today, August, 23. We have begun reading Island of the Blue Dolphins in class, so if you haven't received or purchased your copy yet, please do what you can to have a copy of this book with your child as soon as possible, so that they don't fall behind. Thank you!



Parent Volunteers
Thank you, thank you, thank you! We've received many volunteer forms and are currently working out schedules and placements for all of our helpers. We will let you know as soon as we have our schedule set.


Calendar of Events:

Wed. 8/25 PSCO meeting 6:30
Thur. 8/26 Conference Slips go home
Tues. 8/23 Volunteer Parent Training Session
Wed. 9/1 Individual Picture Day
Mon. 9/6 Labor Day - No school
Wed. 9/8- Thur.9/16 Parent Teacher Conferences. Dismissal at 12:30 EVERY DAY.
Fri. 9/17 Staff Learning Day. No school.


California Trivia Clue:

What East Coast state is parallel with San Francisco in latitude?



Sincerely,

Mr. Roels and Miss Scourkes
Rooms 20 & 21
Rockhopper Village
Portal School

Dear Room 20 & 21 parents and students,

We’re finally here..... the last few days of school! It has been an absolute pleasure being able to watch your child learn & grow, try new things, and realize that success comes in many forms; not always a test score. We’ve really emphasized in class that above all else, you must first be a good person. I have full confidence that these students will go on to do great things. The best part about it though is that they will be treating others with respect along the way! It just doesn’t get any better.
I want to encourage students to fully utilize the blog over the summer by sending in posts or comments. I think it will be a great platform to keep in touch with each other, especially our soon to be departed 5th graders. I hope everyone has a fun and safe summer. I can’t wait to hear all about it on the blog!!!

Our blogsite addresses are:

Room 20 (Scourkes) http://rockhopperroom20.blogspot.com

Room 21 (Roels) http://gtfroom22.blogspot.com

Thank you to the parents who came on our field trip to the Exploratorium!

Recognition Ceremony

We are really looking forward to a wonderful morning celebrating the promotion of our 5th graders to middle school. The ceremony will be held on Thursday, June 17th at 8:15 in the Multi-Use Room and all families of 5th graders are invited to attend. The ceremony usually lasts a little over an hour and then we celebrate with some yummy snacks while taking lots of pictures with which to remember each other!

If you are a parent of a 5th grader, we ask that you please bring a tray of food that can be eaten without the use of utensils. We like a mixture of both savory and sweet, and enough to feed approximately 10 -12 people. Please send your food with a small card filled out that mentions what is contained in your food, so that people with allergies can be aware. Thank you for helping to make the day a little more special!

Field Day

Our annual field day is on Tuesday, June 15. During this time, students will spend part of their day watching a movie and the other part of the day out on the yard, participating in a series of fun field events. As always, we rely on parent volunteers to help make this day a success. If you are interested in helping lead an event, please go to our school website for more complete information, and a chance to sign up as a volunteer!

Calendar of Events:

Tues. 6/15 Field Day 8:15-11:45

Thur. 6/17 Recognition Ceremony 8:15 Multi-use Room

Thur. 6/17 LAST DAY OF SCHOOL. 11:20 DISMISSAL.

Thur. 6/17 Report Cards Go Home

Thur. 8/5 First Day of School 2010- 2011

Mystery State Clues

• Artificial rain was first used in this state in 1947.
• The highest ground level wind speed in the United States was recorded in this state.
• The first free public library in the United States was established in this state.
• Dartmouth College, founded in 1769, is in this state.
• This state's motto is "Live Free or Die."
• Which state is it?

Sincerely,

Mr. Roels and Miss Scourkes

Rooms 20 & 21

Rockhopper Village

Portal School

June 7-11 Reminders

Dear Room 20 & 21 parents and students,

Just two weeks left in our 2009-2010 school year- it's hard to believe! As always, we in Rockhopper Village end our year in a blaze of glory (or at least a blaze of activity!) We're frantically completing documents for our anthology collections, cleaning up desks, cubbies, and bulletin boards, and wrapping up some pretty cool curricular units at the same time! We encourage all our students to keep focused for the next two weeks- concentration is key for these end-of-the-year tasks, and it's what allows us to take a breather and have fun activities like field trips and Field Day for our entertainment pleasure. Enjoy the year-end experience FULLY!

Our blogsite addresses are:

Room 20 (Scourkes) http://rockhopperroom20.blogspot.com

Room 21 (Roels) http://gtfroom22.blogspot.com

Exploratorium Field Trip

Just a reminder that we will return from our field trip to the Exploratorium on Wednesday at 3:30 pm. Please be sure to make arrangements to have your child picked up at that time. Also, your child will need a bag lunch and snack packed in their disposable lunch bag. Often, students choose to eat outside the building, so students should bring sweatshirts as the weather in San Francisco is unpredictable and it may be chilly.

Thank you so much to the parents who have volunteered to chaperone for us!

Promotion Exercise

We are really looking forward to a wonderful morning celebrating the promotion of our 5th graders to middle school. The ceremony will be held on Thursday, June 17th at 8:15 in the Multi-Use Room and all families of 5th graders are invited to attend. The ceremony usually lasts a little over an hour and then we celebrate with some yummy snacks while taking lots of pictures with which to remember each other!

If you are a parent of a 5th grader, we ask that you please bring a tray of food that can be eaten without the use of utensils. We like a mixture of both savory and sweet, and enough to feed approximately 10 -`12 people. This week we will be sending home small cards to be filled out, so that you can share any special ingredients contained in your food, so that people with allergies can be aware. Thank you for helping to make the day a little more special!

Field Day

Our annual field day is on Tuesday, June 15. During this time, students will spend part of their day watching a movie and the other part of the day out on the yard, participating in a series of fun field events. As always, we rely on parent volunteers to help make this day a success. If you are interested in helping lead an event, please go to our school website for more complete information, and a chance to sign up as a volunteer!

Curriculum:

Language Arts

Students continue to read their literature circle books and have discussions with their connections, thoughts, and responses to their story and the characters in their books. Two sessions to go! We are hard at work compiling all anthology items for the year's collection, and we've also been putting together a complete collection of our Sadako research and activities.

Math

Geometry is the theme of our math work until the end of the school year. We are now focused on the congruence of shapes and 3-dimensional shapes (including surface area and volume) before we finish our year. We will our cumulative test on Monday, since the problem-solving took many students longer than our 75 minute class time.

In 5th grade math we continue with Biz World! Students are now working on their marketing plan and advertising campaign. They will present their businesses to the consumers (4th graders) on Thursday, June 10. The Biz World Bazaar will be held that morning, and the following day the bracelet companies will evaluate how successful they have been as a company.

Social Studies

In social studies, students will learn the last group of states - The Pacific Northwest Group. There will be a test on these states on Friday, June 11th.

Science

We are working on Investigation #2 of Mixtures and Solutions. We completed a response to this investigation (parts 1 and 2) today during class- these types of assessments emphasize application of facts to a familiar experimental situation. After today, we'll try to make as much progress in this unit as possible before school winds to an end.

Calendar of Events:

Wed. 6/9 Exploratorium Field Trip 8:30am- 3:30 pm (Please note the return time!)

Wed. 6/9 Promotion Speeches Due (5th graders)

Thur. 6/10 Biz World Bazaar!

Fri. 6/11 Geography Test - Pacific Northwest States

Tues. 6/15 Field Day 8:15-11:45

Thur. 6/17 Promotion Exercise 8:15 Multi-use Room

Thur. 6/17 LAST DAY OF SCHOOL. 11:20 DISMISSAL

Mystery State!

• This state has more "ghost towns" than any other state.
• The state flag of this state has designs on both sides.
• The hazelnut is this state's official state nut.
• Crater Lake, the deepest lake in the United States, is in this state.
• Which state is it?

Sincerely,

Mr. Roels and Miss Scourkes

Rooms 20 & 21

Rockhopper Village

Portal School

The first June reminders!

Dear Room 20 & 21 parents and students,

Thank you for the wonderful flowers and cards this last week. As teachers, we are so appreciative of the great families we have here at Portal. Our students truly are the BEST!

Just a quick reminder that our blogsite addresses are:

Room 20 (Scourkes) http://rockhopperroom20.blogspot.com

Room 21 (Roels) http://gtfroom22.blogspot.com

A Note From Ina Johnson, our Art Specialist Teacher:

For the past week I've been mounting and labeling 4th and 5th grade artwork for display at the June 3rd Open House. Almost every student has at least one or two outstanding pieces so the artshow is sure to look fantastic. I will be in the multipurpose room on Thursday, June 3, hanging the artwork. I would love it if you could secure a few parent volunteers to help me put up the art show that morning. Would that be possible? It's a job that would take me and a few parent volunteers a little over an hour to do. If I do it all by myself, it would take me between 5-6 hours. SO it would be fantastic if I could get some help.

Note: Thank you to the wonderful people who have already responded to this note; Ms. Johnson is very grateful for your assistance!

Open House:

Just a reminder that Open House will be from 6:30-7:45pm this Thursday, June 3. There will be a number of exciting things to check out, so please make sure to plan your time accordingly for the evening. We'll see you Thursday!

Exploratorium Field Trip - Chaperone Help Needed - Please!

Thank you for returning our Exploratorium field trip permission forms for our trip on Wednesday, June 9. Each class needs six chaperones. Currently, Mr. Roels' class has five and Miss Scourkes' class has only two! Please won't you consider coming with us as a chaperone? It's a great trip and we could really use your help to break the students up into groups smaller than 10. Not only are ten students hard to manage in such large groups, but it's just not as fun for the students, since they must remain as a whole group, and will have fewer opportunities to see what's of interest to them. Thank you.

Curriculum:

Language Arts

Students continue to read their literature circle books and have discussions with their connections, thoughts, and responses to their story and the characters in their books. They are finishing the last of their Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes work, and are hard at work compiling all anthology items for the year's collection.

Math

Geometry is the theme of our math work until the end of the school year. We are focused on 2-dimensional shapes, symmetry and congruence of shapes, and 3-dimensional shapes (including surface area and volume) before we finish our year. We will also have a cumulative test on Friday to allow students to demonstrate improvements in their knowledge of concepts studied throughout the year.

In 5th grade math we continue with Biz World! Students have begun manufacturing. Using the information from their prototype design, they've estimated time for production of their product. After manufacturing for one day, they've readjusted their business plan and will be working on pricing structure and a marketing plan this week.

Social Studies

In social studies, students will learn the last group of states - The Pacific Northwest Group. They will be tested on these states on Friday, June 11th.

Science

We have completed Investigation #1 of Mixtures and Solutions. We will continue to investigate, as time allows, for the remainder of the school year. Our goal is to have as much hands-on knowledge in this scientific areas as possible! Assessments during this unit will be primarily responses to investigations we've done- these types of assessments emphasize application of facts to a familiar experimental situation. We'll also be preparing ourselves to show our families the iPhotoBook tech projects we completed this past trimester for Open House on Thursday.

Calendar of Events:

Thur. 6/3 Open House 6:30 p.m.

Wed. 6/9 Exploratorium Field Trip 8:30am- 3:30pm ( Please note the return time!)

Wed. 6/9 Promotion Speeches Due (5th graders)

Thur. 6/10 Biz World Bazaar!

Fri. 6/11 Geography Test - Pacific Northwest States

Thur. 6/17 Promotion Exercise

Thur. 6/17 LAST DAY OF SCHOOL. 11:20 DISMISSAL

Mystery State..........

• This state has one town on an island.
• This state's smallest city park is located in the middle of a road.
• This is the only state whose eastern and western borders are formed by water.
• This was the home state of actor John Wayne.
• Which state is it?

Sincerely,

Mr. Roels and Miss Scourkes

Rooms 20 & 21

Rockhopper Village

Portal School

Post-Outdoor School Reminders

Dear Room 20 & 21 parents and students,

WE'RE BACK!!!!!! Outdoor School was an AWESOME experience. As always, our students did a fabulous job out on the trails with their Naturalists- the school had nothing but compliments for our kids! Now, we all have to get back to the business at hand- preparing for next week's Open House and the end of the school year.

*Just a Reminder about visiting our school campus:

PLEASE REMEMBER everyone needs to sign in at the office every time you are on campus. (This is a safety protocol and State law.) If you are dropping off a lunch, you still need to sign in. Also, older students may not meet you at the parking lot. For lunch drop off, we will also have a bin in the office where you may leave the lunch for your child to pick up.

Just a quick reminder that our blogsite addresses are:

Room 20 (Scourkes) http://rockhopperroom20.blogspot.com

Room 21 (Roels) http://gtfroom22.blogspot.com

Important Literature Circle Notice!

Dear Parents,

Due to a lack of available parent volunteers, we will not be holding formal literature circle activities. If you were one of the three parents who signed up to help, we thank you for your willingness to participate; it will not be necessary to attend.

A Note From Ina Johnson, our Art Specialist Teacher:

For the past week I've been mounting and labeling 4th and 5th grade artwork for display at the June 3rd Open House. Almost every student has at least one or two outstanding pieces so the artshow is sure to look fantastic. I will be in the multipurpose room on Thursday, June 3, hanging the artwork. I would love it if you could secure a few parent volunteers to help me put up the art show that morning. Would that be possible? It's a job that would take me and a few parent volunteers a little over an hour to do. If I do it all by myself, it would take me between 5-6 hours. SO it would be fantastic if I could get some help.

Volunteer Brunch!

If you have volunteered this year, we would like to thank you! Please come and enjoy brunch here at school on Tuesday, June 1st from 9:50-10:30. The brunch will be held in the "courtyard" area directly behind the office. Everyone who had helped both in and out of the classroom correcting, copying, laminating, doing book orders, Thursday folders, literature circles, helping with our musical performance, volunteering to help with art projects and Project Cornerstone, and all other areas that we've asked you to "step forward" we really can't thank you enough for all of the help you have given this year! We would love to see you there!

Curriculum:

Language Arts

We will be wrapping up our work with the novel Sadako over the next week or so. We've still got some written work to be completed, and we will be adding some relevant cultural activities into our portfolio to round out our understanding of Japanese culture as it relates to our story. Also, discussion groups for our recent book choices will meet over the next two weeks as a response to literature.

Math

Geometry is the theme of our math work until the end of the school year. We are focused on 2-dimensional shapes, symmetry and congruence of shapes, and 3-dimensional shapes (including surface area and volume) before we finish our year. It's an information-packed three weeks, but we can do it!

In 5th grade math we continue with Biz World! The teams have learned how to borrow money from the bank and have designed prototypes of their bracelets. They have paid out salaries and rent, along with purchasing patents if necessary. They will begin manufacturing on Thursday.

Social Studies

In social studies, we continue working on their final drafts of their state essays. They will then present their findings in a one minute speech during Open House on Thursday, June 6th. They are also hard at work designing their t-shirts and costumes for that evening as well.

Science

We have begun our investigations of Mixtures and Solutions. We will continue this work for the remainder of the school year. Our goal is to have as much hands-on knowledge in this scientific areas as possible! Assessments during this unit will be primarily responses to investigations we've done- these types of assessments emphasize application of facts to a familiar experimental situation.

Calendar of Events:

Tues. 5/25- Thurs. 5/27 Human Growth & Development (5th gr. only)

Fri. 5/28 Learning Day- NO SCHOOL

Mon. 5/31 Memorial Day- NO SCHOOL

Tues. 6/1 Volunteer Brunch 9:50-10:30 a.m.

Thur. 6/3 Open House 6:30 p.m.

Mystery State..........

• The first successful parachute jump from a moving plane occurred in this state.
• The longest river in the United States flows through this state.
• The ice-cream cone was invented at the 1904 World's Fair in this state.
• This state's motto is the "Show Me State."
• Mark Twain, the author of Tom Sawyer, was born in this state.
• Which state is it?

Sincerely,

Mr. Roels and Miss Scourkes

Rooms 20 & 21

Rockhopper Village

Portal School