December 12-16 Weekly Reminders

Rockhopper Weekly Reminders

December 12-December 15

Happy holidays! Enjoy quality time with your family!

Mark Your Calendars:

• Tuesday, 12/13 Rooms 20/21 4th grade Ch. 17/18 math test
• Tuesday, 12/13: Rooms 20/21 literature circle session #3 @8:00am
• Thursday, 12/15: Rooms 20/21 literature circle session #4 @8:00am
• Thursday, 12/15: Dear Mr. Henshaw books due in class
• Thursday, 12/15: Field Trip Permission and money for Chabot Space Center due
• Friday, 12/16: Crazy Socks Day
• Wednesday, 1/04: Geography Worksheet Due
• Thursday, 1/05: Geography Test - Southeastern States
• Thursday, 1/12 Rooms 20/21 Chabot Space and Science Center Field Trip

Curriculum Flash!

Language Arts:
This week, students will finish their literature circles. Also, vocabulary activities to gain greater creativity in our ability to express ourselves comes back to the forefront. There’s even a Comic Life application that pertains to vocabulary! We’ll begin reading Dear Mr. Henshaw after our holiday break, so books should be at school and ready for use by this Thursday, December 15.

Math

4th grade: Students will be moving on into decimals this week! We have a test on Tuesday to show our understanding of fractional concepts, then we apply this knowledge to the related topic of decimals- expressing parts of a whole as decimals, ordering and comparing decimals, and finding decimal and fractional equivalents. This decimal work will continue after our holiday break.

5th grade: Students have learned how algebraic equations, function tables, and linear graphs are all related. If given any one of these items, students should be able to find the other missing pieces. This week students are working on the most difficult part, which is determining the equation from the graph. We’ll put their knowledge to the test by having them create their own linear function scenarios containing all three components.

• Hooda Math: We recently discovered a fabulous new online resource for math practice and more specifically integers. The “games” (I like to call them learning tools) have great graphics, specific skill practice, and the best part is that the kids LOVE them! I also like the logic games, too, since they help students work on their problem solving skills. If you haven’t heard about it yet, try ‘Sugar, Sugar’. :0)

Science:

In Rooms 20 & 21, we are working on Investigation 2 in Mixtures and Solutions: Reaching Saturation. This is a great hands-on segment that emphasizes students’ discovery of the evidence of saturation, how to accurate measure the capability of a liquid to hold a solid in solution, and what terminology is needed to explain what we can observe.

Social Studies:

On Friday, students were introduced to the Southeastern States and given their geography worksheets. The CUMULATIVE test will be on Thursday, January 5. The worksheet is due on Wendesday, January 4.
Also this week we begin our “European Explorers” unit. We begin with the Vikings, the invention of the printing press, and Christopher Columbus. During this unit, we spend time ourselves, “exploring” the events in Europe and the rest of the world, leading up to the Age of Exploration!

Name that State!

• This state has 663 miles of beaches.
• With a population of about 16 million people, this state has the fourth-largest population in the United States.
• Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon came to this state looking for a "fountain of youth."
• The space shuttles launch from this state.
• Walt Disney World and Epcot Center are in this state.
• Which state is it?

December's First Weekly Reminders

Rockhopper Weekly Reminders
December 5-December 9

Mark Your Calendars:

• Tuesday, 12/6: Rooms 20/21 literature circle session #1 @8:00am
• Thursday, 12/8: Rooms 20/21 literature circle session #2 @8:00am
• Friday, 12/9: Report cards go home!
• Tuesday, 12/13: Rooms 20/21 literature circle session #3 @8:00am
• Thursday, 12/15: Rooms 20/21 literature circle session #1 @8:00am

Second Harvest Food Bank:
We will be having a Second Harvest Food Bank Drive from Monday, December 5 through Friday, December 9. The SHFB will be delivering 3 bins to our school on Monday morning.
Here are a few facts to support SHFB:

• 1 in every 10 people in Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties depend on the support of SHFB
• SHFB serves over 240,000 people per month...that's a 4% increase from 2010
• The majority of people served are seniors and low-income families with children
• SHFB needs meals in a can (soups), low-sugar cereals, tuna and canned meat, 100% juices, peanut butter, canned fruit packed in juice, canned foods with pop-top lids, canned vegetables

“U.S. Presidents” Performance:
Well, our performance of “U.S. Presidents: Washington to LIncoln” is now history! Congratulations to all of the students. It was a huge success! We had a great time performing for our school audiences and our families! A great big thank you to all of the parents who helped with backdrops, costumes, videotaping and food! We couldn’t have done it without you.

Curriculum Flash!

Language Arts:
This week, students will continue to work on the craft of summary writing. Also, students are participating in our first literature circle session on Tuesday, December 6. Reading and written preparation is necessary for each session. Literature circle session #2 is Thursday for students and parent volunteers at 8:15am, so be prepared and mark your calendars!

Math

4th grade: Students will delve deeper into fractions this week. We’ll be working with improper fractions, mixed numbers, finding common denominators, and comparing and ordering fractions.
5th grade: Students are now working with integers in linear equations. They will use equations to create function tables, and use function tables to create equations. From these equations and tables, students will plots lines on coordinate planes. We will continue to reinforce our integer skills with card and logic games, and interactive web sites. The students were introduced to the hoodamath site where they played integer games. http://hoodamath.com/games/integer.php

Science:

In Rooms 20 & 21, we have begun our next unit, “Mixtures and Solutions.” Our class is working on “Investigation 1: Part 2- Separating a Salt Solution”, and we will be doing some observation and analysis on Wednesday and Thursday of this week before moving on to “Investigation 1: Part 3- Separating a Dry Mixture.” When we have enough experience with these laboratory procedures, we will check our understanding of these topics with a Response Question (Wed.) and I-Check (Fri.) As always, we will allow the use of our notes and text materials to support our responses. Knowing how to use information is a key 21st century standard for learning!

Social Studies:
Students will be taking their unit test on Native American tribes today. Everyone is doing a wonderful job on their wampum belts. Our next unit will focus on European explorers!

Name that State!

• The world's first parking meter was installed in this state in 1935.
• More human-made lakes can be found in this state than in any other state.
• Only two states have capital cities that include the state name; this state is one of them.
• This state is home to the largest Native American population in the nation.
• The National Cowboy Hall of Fame can be found in this state.
• Which state is it?

November 28- December 2 Reminders

Rockhopper Weekly Reminders

November 28-December 2

Mark Your Calendars:

• Monday, 11/28: 4th grade 1st trimester cumulative math test
• Wednesday, 11/30: 5th grade Unit 11 math test
• Thursday, 12/1: Parent Training for Literature Circles @3:00
• Thursday, 12/1: “U.S. Presidents” fine arts performance @6:30pm
• Friday, 12/2: Rooms 19/24 Final science test
• Monday, 12/5: social studies Native American test
• Tuesday, 12/6: Rooms 20/21 literature circle session #1 @8:00am
• Thursday, 12/8: Rooms 20/21 literature circle session #2 @8:00am
• Friday, 12/9: Report cards go home!
• Tuesday, 12/13: Rooms 20/21 literature circle session #3 @8:00am
• Thursday, 12/15: Rooms 20/21 literature circle session #1 @8:00am

Fine Arts Costume Final Notice!!!

Attention Parents! Tuesday we will be sending home a sheet containing any costume needs your son or daughter may still have for their performance. These items must be located by the student and their family for use during our dress rehearsal on Wednesday this week and the performance on Thursday night.

Curriculum Flash!

Language Arts:
This week, students will continue to practice summary writing. Also, students will pick their literature circle books and begin reading in preparation for our first literature circle session on Tuesday, December 6. Our second trimester begins this week, so our classes will also need to start reading new genres of books for their Reading Contract for the second trimester (8 books are required this time!)

Math
4th grade: Students in our classes have taken a short, cumulative (first trimester) test today in class. The rest of the week will be devoted to the study of fractions in all their glory! We’ll be modeling fractions with counters, making fraction kits to explore equivalency, and playing some games at the end of the week to incorporate our understanding of fractional values and amounts.

5th grade: We continue to strengthen our understanding of addition and subtraction of negative and positive integers. Students are using integers in equations that contain variables, and reinforcing these concepts with interactive games. We will have the test on chapters 25 and 26 this Wednesday.

Science:
In Rooms 20 & 21, we received a variety of assessment pieces back from Mr. Roels today, and we reviewed the most recent, “I-Check: Investigation 3” in detail. Ask your student to see how well he/she was able to share their understanding of this trimester’s concepts. On Wednesday, we’ll begin our next unit, “Mixtures and Solutions.” Our class will prepare our new notebooks, start “Investigation 1: Separating Mixtures”, and do some reading to clarify our understanding of what we see and experience during the investigation.

Social Studies:
This week, students finish learning about the tribes in the Eastern Woodland region. Their Native American test is on December 5th. Students should be reviewing their notes, charts, reading material, and using the study guide as a resource to help them prepare. Today, we began working on our wampum belts! It’s a tricky project and the students did a great job getting started. Thank you to all of the parents who helped.

Reminder: Remember the various websites you can visit to practice your states and capitals, including Quizlet.

To access Quizlet flashcards to study the North Central States, click here: North Central States

Name that State!

• The oldest rock in the world, dated at 3.8 billion years old, was found in this state.
• The blueberry muffin is the official state muffin of this state.
• This state's motto is L'Etoile du Nord, which is French for "Star of the North."
• Charles M. Schultz, who drew the "Peanuts" cartoons, was born in this state.
• This state has 12,000 lakes.
• Which state is it?

Pre-Thanksgiving Week Reminders

Rockhopper Weekly Reminders

November 14-19

Mark Your Calendars:

• Monday- Wednesday, 11/14-16: Rooms 20 & 21 oral presentations!
• Wednesday, 11/17: Rockhopper Reading Contracts due
• Friday, 11/18 Rooms 20 & 21 I-Check, Investigation 3
• Friday, 11/18: Spirit Day: Black & White (Penguin) Day
• Monday-Friday, 11/21-25: Thanksgiving break: No school
• Monday, 11/28: 4th grade 1st trimester cumulative math test
• Thursday, 12/1: “U.S. Presidents” fine arts performance @6:30pm
• Monday, 12/5: Native Americans Unit Test

Fine Arts Performance News Update

• Costume Notice Coming Home Today!

Attention Parents! Today we will be sending home an information sheet containing the details of each student’s costume needs for their performance. Although there are a few items that we will provide, most of the items will be located by the student and their family for use during our dress rehearsals and the performance. We will make sure your student knows what costume pieces we will be supplying for them.

• Treats Sign Up GoogleDoc available for you to use!

Please watch your email for a “treats sign up” document. We would appreciate it if every family would sign up to bring something to our celebration performance night.

• A BIG “Thank You” to our parent volunteers!

Thank you to the parents who have generously signed up to help us prepare for our performance! You will be contacted soon by either a parent or teacher regarding your availability and job.



Curriculum Flash!


Language Arts:

This week, students will continue to practice summary writing. Summary writing requires students to be able to write a very general “burrito” topic sentence and identify and sequence the main events of a story. Ask your child this week to tell you about the process of “Name it, Verb it, Big Picture” topic sentence that introduces a summary paragraph.

Reading Contracts/Oral Presentations:

Due this Friday, November 17th. Your child is required to give you an oral summary of the book in order to receive your signature.

Oral presentations are taking place this week. Students are aware of their presentation date and the specific requirements. Please help them manage their time so they are ready for presentation day.

Math

4th grade: Students in our classes are working with division. We will be dividing larger numbers with remainders, regrouping, and noticing patterns when we divide multiples of ten. Our project this week involves divisibility rules; we can’t reveal the details at this time! Let’s just say that it definitely has a Thanksgiving type of theme :) When we return from our break, our 4th graders will be taking a relatively short cumulative test on the 4th grade math concepts covered so far this year. Take a look at our math journals; they should have all the units we have presented in class this year!

5th grade: Students will be continuing to dive deeper into understanding negative numbers and operations. We will take this knowledge and apply it to graphing equations with negative numbers on coordinate planes.

In the near future we will start incorporating our incredible iTouches into the classroom. There are so many uses to enrich the math material. We will be taking our knowledge of negative numbers to the deep sea as we’ll turn into divers in search of an elusive pearl. Divers must know exactly where to dive for the pearl otherwise they may not find it in time. Hopefully their previous experience with number lines will come in handy!

Science:

In Rooms 20 & 21, Investigation 3 in our Living Systems unit is wrapping up before our break. We’ll have an I-Check on Investigation 3 Thursday that will allow us to demonstrate our understanding of the investigation concepts- books and notes will be available for reference during the I-Check.

Social Studies:

Students are currently learning about the tribes in the Eastern Woodland region. Our wampum belt project is scheduled for after Thanksgiving break! A study guide will be going home this Thursday for our final unit exam on all the regional tribes. Students should start reviewing their notes, charts, reading material, and use the study guide as a resource to help them prepare for the test on December 5th.

Reminder: Remember the various websites you can visit to practice your states and capitals, including Quizlet.


Name that State!

• The second-oldest city in the nation is located in this state.
• This state is named after a British king.
• Five other states share a border with this state.
• The Girl Scouts were founded in this state in 1912.
• Former President Jimmy Carter is a native of this state.
• Which state is it?

Nov. 7-11 Weekly Reminders

Rockhopper Weekly Reminders

November 7-11

Mark Your Calendars:

• Thursday, 11/10 North Central States test
• Friday, 11/11: Veteran’s Day: No school
• Friday, 11/11: End of first trimester!

******FINE ART PERFORMANCE HELPERS NEEDED!******

We are looking for some creative, organized parents to help with our play backdrop setup and miscellaneous costume needs. Most of our backdrop is already prepared, but the installation and completion of the backdrop will need to be done during the week of November 14-18. Our costume and prop requirements will also need to be finalized during that week. If you think are interested in this aspect of our performance, please let us know. Additionally, we will be looking for support on the night of the performance with food donations, food setup, and food cleanup. Finally, if you would like to videotape our performance for us during one of our dress rehearsals or the evening of the performance, we would love to have you join the team! Contact Miss Scourkes or Mr. Roels if you are interested in any of these volunteer opportunities.

Head Lice Alert:
Please read the previous email attachments from your classroom teacher regarding the sighting of head lice in the upper grades. Students who have been sent home due to lice are not allowed back at school until the situation has been remedied.

Library Vouchers:
Students who live outside of Cupertino can still use Cupertino libraries. The library will waive the $80 library card fee if the student shows one of the following:

• a Cupertino Student ID
• report card with the school and studnet name
• parent Teacher Conference form with school and child name.

Please check with the library for more information.


Curriculum Flash!

Language Arts:

This week, students will continue to practice for our fine arts performance. You can help your child at home by encouraging them to practice their lines with you to add volume and expression. Movements and song lyrics can also be rehearsed. We have three weeks until our performance!

Reading Contracts/Oral Presentations:

These contracts are due for the end of the first trimester on November 17th. Your child is required to give you an oral summary of the book in order to receive your signature; your signatures should have been given at the time the book was read.

Oral presentations will be done November 14-16 in our classes. Students are aware of their date and the specific requirements. Please help them manage their time so they are ready for presentation day.

Math

4th grade: The students continue to work on writing expressions to fit a particular problem-solving situation. This week, fourth graders will also be working with division. We will be dividing larger numbers with remainders, regrouping, and noticing patterns when we divide multiples of ten.

5th grade: Students will be introduced to negative numbers and use integers in solving algebraic equations. They will also learn to graph equations on coordinate planes.

Science:

We have begun exploring the final investigation in Living Systems. This week, students are working by reading in detail about the concept of food production (photosynthesis), then observing food production in action during a class experiment conducted in their small groups.

Social Studies:

Reminder: Students will be taking their cumulative geography test, which includes the North Central states, this week. Remember to practice spelling and location of all states and capitals we have studies so far - the test is cumulative!

To access Quizlet flashcards to study the North Central States, click here:
North Central States

Name that State!

• This state elects four people to the U.S. House of Representatives.
• Helium was discovered at a university in this state in 1905.
• This state leads the United States in cattle and wheat production.
• This state's state song is "Home on the Range."
• Female aviator Amelia Earhart was born in this state.
• Which state is it?