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

Weekly Reminders: May 17-21

Dear Room 20 & 21 parents and students,

As you read these reminders tonight, we are happy to say that Outdoor School is finally here! What a great week we will have at this fabulous school in the Santa Cruz mountains. Check out our list of last-minute reminders at the end of this document- pay particular attention to arrival time at school!

*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


Volunteer Opportunities!


Literature Circles have arrived! We will be meeting for our last literature circle groups of the year on the following dates. We would love to have help in the classroom with this activity if you can make it! We realize the dates are a little unusual, but we're working around a very full calendar. All times are from 8:10-9:00. Just email us as soon as you can and let us know if you are available! As of this date, we have just one parent volunteer and we really need 6 per class. Thank you!


Literature Circle Dates:

Wed, 5/26, Wed. 6/2, Mon. 6/7, Thur. 6/10


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 when we return from Outdoor School. 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.

Math


Geometry is the theme of our math work until the end of the school year. We covered perimeter and area of simple and complex shapes this week, and we'll delve into 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! Students have formed companies and sold stock to a venture capitalist to raise money. They will be learning about borrowing from the bank to raise more money and are keeping careful track of their finances. The teams are now in the design phase for making the prototypes of their bracelets.


Social Studies

In social studies, students are 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.


Outdoor School Essentials

As you know Outdoor School begins tomorrow! Please be sure to refer to your packets for more specific information, but here are a few important details regarding our trip.

• Students should arrive earlier than usual (7:30am) and drop their luggage and medications off in front of the office.


• Put all luggage out in front of the office in your child's designated room area (look for a sign with your room number.)

• Make sure both sleeping bag/pillow and luggage have name tags attached before you arrive!

• Medication needs to be in it's original container and then placed in a Ziploc bag with the child's name and room number written on the outside.

• All students must have a bag lunch with their name on it. Students should bring their lunches back to their family rooms- they are responsible for carrying their own lunch to the camp.


• The buses will be leaving at 9:00 sharp!

•Please check your outdoor school packet for the checklist of what is to be packed and what NOT to bring. Make sure that ALL personal items are labeled with a Sharpie permanent marker.

• On May 21st we will arrive back at school between 12:30 and 1:00. We would like to encourage you to pick up your child at this time for early dismissal!

• Also, it is FUN for kids to get mail while they’re at camp. Please feel free to send a letter or two during the first couple of days. The address in your packet.


Calendar of Events:


Tues. 5/18- Fri. 5/21 Outdoor School (note: early dismissal for our classes on Friday)

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

Wed. 5/26 Literature Circles 8:10

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.

Wed. 6/2 Literature Circles 8:10

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

Mon. 6/7 LIterature Circles 8:10

Thur. 6/10 Literature Circles 8:10

Mystery State:

This state was named after an English duke.

* The first railroad in the United States was constructed in this state.
* This state was home to our nation's capital before it was moved to Washington, D.C.
* Five states -- Connecticut, Vermont, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania -- border this state.
* Which state is it?

Sincerely,

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

Almost Outdoor School Reminders!

Dear Room 20 & 21 parents and students,

With a week to go until our biggest event of the school year, we continue to work tirelessly in the classroom on our various class subjects and the projects that go with them. Now might be a great time to check in with your student to make sure they are able to complete the work set out before them. Please feel free to contact us if you or your student has any concerns or questions about the assigned tasks. Overall, our classes are doing a great job of managing their own work- it's a wonderful sign of our students' personal growth.

*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

Curriculum:

Language Arts

Volunteer Opportunity!

Literature Circles have arrived! We will be meeting for our last literature circle groups of the year on the following dates. We would love to have help in the classroom with this activity if you can make it! We realize the dates are a little unusual, but we're working around a very full calendar. All times are from 8:10-9:00. Just email us as soon as you can and let us know if you are available! Thank you for your understanding!

Literature Circle Dates:

Wed, 5/26, Wed. 6/2, Mon. 6/7, Thur. 6/10

Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes is our featured literature. We are continuing our reading and discussion of the text this week. This story lends itself to poetic study and practice, as well as careful reflection on cultural traditions and family situations. We are practicing the haiku style of poetry presently, and we'll be getting into some origami work along with our conversations and writing related to the text.

Math

In 4th grade math, we will be wrapping up our "Measurement Extravaganza" on Monday- it will be fun to see if we can do some conversions of our measurements from metric to customary, and vice versa! After this, we'll delve into geometry principles for the next couple of weeks (when we're not at Outdoor School, that is.)

In 5th grade math Biz World has begun! We have started learning about businesses and what makes a successful business. Students have been grouped into companies and will soon incorporate and sell stock to a venture capitalist (Miss S.). Be sure to ask your child each day what they've learned! * Bedroom Projects are due this Friday, May 14. I can't wait to see them!

Social Studies

In social studies, the students are finishing their research on the state they have been assigned. We'll begin our outlines and essays this week. Last week the students were given their list of the mountain region states, and will be tested on Friday, May 14.

Science

This week, we will complete the last of our research papers to accompany our completed tech project. We will start our final science unit of the year, Mixtures and Solutions, on Wednesday- I know all the students are looking forward to this series of investigations. Also, our last Kitchen Science project of the year will be sent home this week- it will be due at the end of the month!

Outdoor School Essentials

As you know Outdoor School begins on Tuesday, May 18th. Please be sure to refer to your packets for more specific information, but here are a few important details regarding our trip.

• Students are to arrive at school by 8:00 and drop their luggage off in front of the office right away.

• Put all luggage out in front of the office in your child's designated room area.

• We will send home special luggage tags on Friday.

• Make sure both sleeping bag/pillow and luggage have the tags attached before you arrive.

• Medication needs to be in it's original container and then placed in a Ziploc bag with the child's name and room number written on the outside.

• Place medication in your family room teacher's bin near their luggage area.

• All students must have a bag lunch with their name on it. Place the lunch in the family room teacher's class lunch container.

• We have designated special parents to help load the buses to avoid confusion. After dropping off your child’s luggage, medication, and lunch, please clear the bus loading area.

• The buses will be leaving at 9:00 sharp!

•Please check your outdoor school packet for the checklist of what is to be packed and what NOT to bring. Make sure that ALL personal items are labeled with a Sharpie permanent marker.

• On May 21st we will arrive back at school between 12:30 and 1:00. We would like to encourage you to pick up your child at this time for early dismissal!

• Also, it is FUN for kids to get mail while they’re at camp. Please feel free to send a letter or two during the first couple of days. The address in your packet.

Calendar of Events:

Fri. 5/14 5th Grade Bedroom Projects Due

Fri. 5/14 States Quiz: Mountain Region

Mon. 5/17 Social Studies Research Due

Mon. 5/17 Sadako Quiz

Tues. 5/18- Fri. 5/21 Outdoor School (note: early dismissal for our classes on Friday)

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

Mystery State:

* The first baseball stadium was built in this state in 1909.

* This state is the only one of the 13 original colonies not bordered by the Atlantic Ocean.

* A town in this state is considered the Chocolate Capital of the United States.

* The Declaration of Independence was signed in Philadelphia in this state in 1776.

* Which state is it?

Sincerely,

Mr. Roels and Miss Scourkes

Rooms 20 & 21

Rockhopper Village

Portal School

"Can You Believe It's May?" Reminders

Dear Room 20 & 21 parents and students,

We have completed our STAR testing for the year, and now move on to exciting research and hands-on projects this week. We are getting ready for outdoor school, and beginning to prepare for our Open House presentations. In addition to our Weekly Reminders, please be sure to read the Portal Press each Thursday, as it contains valuable information about upcoming school and classroom events.

*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

Curriculum:

Language Arts

Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes is our featured literature. We are continuing our reading and discussion of the text this week. This story lends itself to poetic study and practice, as well as careful reflection on cultural traditions and family situations. We are practicing the haiku style of poetry presently, and we'll be getting into some origami work along with our conversations and writing related to the text.

Math

In 4th grade math, we are continuing our study of measurement in all its forms- metric and customary. The beginning of the week's focus concerns perimeter; we are working on a project called Perimeter Park to apply the ideas of perimeter and scale (along with some personal creativity!) Our studies later this week on will lead up to our "Measurement Extravaganza" on Friday- it will be entertaining and educational! If you have any CLEAN, empty containers (milk/juice cartons, gallon plastic milk jugs, large soda bottles), please send one or two with your 4th grade math student for our upcoming event. At present, we are still in need of containers!

In 5th grade math this week, we will begin our interactive business unit, "Biz World". Students will have an opportunity to work in teams to develop their own business. They will create their businesses from the ground up, forming a corporation, creating a product to be sold, buying stock and managing their business for a profit! This project emphasizes team work and cooperation along with math skills.

Social Studies

In social studies, the students are doing a research project on one of our fifty states. They have been given and we have discussed the expectations for the complete project. Students have begun their research and will be working on this project over the next several weeks. In addition to this project, we continue to memorize our states and capitals, and read about the founding of the first thirteen colonies. This week, students will be given the list of the mountain region states, and will be tested on them Friday, May 14.

Science

This week, we will our research paper to accompany our completed tech project. Students have outlined their essays with their partners, and today we peer edited our work with a classmate (or prepared to do so on Wednesday.) When our final draft paper is completed at the end of the week, we will start our final science unit of the year, Mixtures and Solutions, on May 10.

Calendar of Events:

Tues. 5/4 Lunch on the Lawn

Thur. 5/6 History of Us Quiz: Chapters 13-16

Thur. 5/6 T-shirts and $2.00 due for social studies project

Fri. 5/7 4th Grade Math "Measurement Extravaganza"

Fri. 5/14 5th Grade Bedroom Projects Due

Fri. 5/14 States Quiz: Mountain Region

Mon. 5/17 Social Studies Research Due

Mystery State:

• This place was named after Christopher Columbus.
• This place is divided into four quadrants: northwest, southwest, northeast, and southeast.
• Its local government functions as a state, county, and city government.
• British troops burned parts of this place in 1814.

Sincerely,

Mr. Roels and Miss Scourkes

Rooms 20 & 21

Rockhopper Village

Portal School