Reminders for Jan. 30- Feb. 3

Rockhopper Weekly Reminders

January 30-February 3

Mark Your Calendars:

• Wednesday, 2/1 6:00 p.m. Outdoor School Parent Information Night - Multi-Purpose Room

• Thursday, February 2nd: Kennedy Middle School Parent Info. Night @ 6:00 p.m.
• Thursday, February 2nd: Hyde Middle School Parent Info. Night @ 6:30 p.m.
• Tuesday, February 7th: Math Olympiads
• Tuesday, February 7th: Washington, D.C. meeting Room 20, @ 6:00 p.m.

New Addition to Rockhopper Program: Respect Referrals

Dear Parents,

Respect for Authority was the theme of last week’s Rockhopper Village Meeting. Rockhopper teachers have observed most recently that many students are struggling with demonstrating basic respectful behaviors in the classroom. A few of these behaviors include: reading while a teacher is instructing, interrupting when a teacher is talking, and ignoring specific instructions such as “going ahead” of the teacher or performing directions other than those given. Often these behaviors are exhibited because a child is not listening to a lesson, considers it unimportant, and/or the student has their own agenda of what he/she wants to do at that time. The indirect message given to the teacher is that their time and expertise is not valued.

While respect for authority is a crucial life skill we expect is being taught and reinforced at home, these disrespectful behaviors will not be tolerated at school, and when exhibited, are now subject to a Respect Referral. This document will be reviewed and signed by teacher, student, parent, and principal.
We Rockhopper teachers ask that you will review this important topic with your child tonight and discuss the ways in which respect for authority is both disregarded or shown. Your child should be able to tell you the details of what was discussed at our village meeting.

Thank you, as always, for your support at home of our efforts at school,
The Rockhopper Teachers

Outdoor School:
This week is the time for our student and parent meetings for Outdoor School. Students will get a preview of their Outdoor School program during the day on Wednesday, February 1. At 6:00pm on Wednesday, February 1, parents will have an opportunity to learn all about the Outdoor School program from a representative of the school. All parents should attend this evening event!

Curriculum Flash!

Language Arts:
We’ve finished reading Dear Mr. Henshaw, yet our activities in class continue to be driven by the content of our novel. We will be research in more depth an author of our choice, and we’ll be writing a letter to our author during the week. The focus is on going beyond the expected questions (“How long have you been writing books?”) to posing valid, insightful inquiries (“Was there an event in your life that prompted you to become an author?”) We will also be recalling the important narrative elements of the story in preparation for our instruction in formal responses to literature.

Math
4th grade: Our Friday math rotations were a success; please ask your child to share what he/she learned and experienced in each session. This week, students will learn how to strategically isolate and solve for the unknown variable by balancing equations. Showing each step when solving equations will be heavily emphasized and is crucial for students to demonstrate their thinking process. We will continue to work with Menu Math. By the end of the week, students will be working in pairs to create their own algebraic menus! Menu Math is our theme, and the project we are about to embark on will provide a clear relationship between variables and items in our world. Ask your student about plans after we introduce the Menu Math tech project on Thursday. On Friday, we’ll be using our laptop and desktop computers to begin the construction of our project.

5th grade: This week we continue our study of fractions with an emphasis on application and problem solving. Students will be exposed to a variety of problems in which they must determine the correct operation needed to solve each problem. Students will be using models, both virtual and concrete, and be asked to explain their reasoning and logic.

Science:
The next two weeks the focus will be on chemical reactions. As usual, there will be hands-on experiments supplemented with reading from the text, responses to questions, and vocabulary development.

In Rooms 20 & 21, we will be participating in Investigation 4 in Mixtures and Solutions: “Elements.” This segment emphasizes students’ exposure to the periodic table, the properties of particular groups of elements, and the presence of various elements in the everyday products we buy and use. We will be asking each student to bring one consumer product (food, cleaning supplies, tools, etc.) with English packaging for our investigation on Friday- please help your student remember to bring this item!

Social Studies:
We continue with our study of New World exploration. We’re currently reading about Balboa and Magellan, and will be entering the world of the great Spanish Conquistadors next! This week we will also be learning about the Rocky Mountain states. Our next geography test will be on Thursday, February 16th.

Name that State!

• This state has the lowest water-to-land ratio of all 50 states.
• The leaves of this state flower can be used to make sandals, rope, and baskets.
• Smokey the Bear, an orphaned bear cub, was found in this state.
• Carlsbad Caverns, one of the largest cave systems in the world, is located in this state.
• The roadrunner is this state's state bird.

This Week's Reminders: Jan. 23-27

Rockhopper Weekly Reminders

January 23-January 27

Happy Lunar New Year!

Mark Your Calendars:

• Wednesday, 1/25 PSCO meeting 6:30 p.m.

• Thursday, 1/26 Rooms 20/21 Science I-Check, Investigation 3
• Thursday, 1/26 Dear Mr. Henshaw field trip, Sunnyvale Community Theatre
• Friday, 1/27 Spirit Day- Hat Day!
• Wednesday, 2/1 6:00 p.m. Outdoor School Parent Information Night - Multi-Purpose Room

• Thursday, February 2nd: Kennedy Middle School Parent Info. Night @ 6:00 p.m.
• Thursday, February 2nd: Hyde Middle School Parent Info. Night @ 6:30 p.m.
• Tuesday, February 7th: Math Olympiads

New Addition to Rockhopper Program: Respect Referrals

Dear Parents,

Respect for Authority was the theme of last week’s Rockhopper Village Meeting. Rockhopper teachers have observed most recently that many students are struggling with demonstrating basic respectful behaviors in the classroom. A few of these behaviors include: reading while a teacher is instructing, interrupting when a teacher is talking, and ignoring specific instructions such as “going ahead” of the teacher or performing directions other than those given. Often these behaviors are exhibited because a child is not listening to a lesson, considers it unimportant, and/or the student has their own agenda of what he/she wants to do at that time. The indirect message given to the teacher is that their time and expertise is not valued.

While respect for authority is a crucial life skill we expect is being taught and reinforced at home, these disrespectful behaviors will not be tolerated at school, and when exhibited, are now subject to a Respect Referral. This document will be reviewed and signed by teacher, student, parent, and principal.
We Rockhopper teachers ask that you will review this important topic with your child tonight and discuss the ways in which respect for authority is both disregarded or shown. Your child should be able to tell you the details of what was discussed at our village meeting.

Thank you, as always, for your support at home of our efforts at school,
The Rockhopper Teachers

Technology:
Last Friday we received our highly anticipated iPads! There are only 12 for the time being and they are being used with only the Rockhopper students for now. Students will be learning the special handling procedures and expectations this week as they begin to use them for lessons. The iPads and iTouches have increased students engagement exponentially here at Portal. Students are so excited to do their work on these devices that they hardly remember that it is work they are doing. The teachers are working together to incorporate this outstanding learning tool into the curriculum instead of creating lessons in order to use technology. It’s quite remarkable how much information they have access too all in the palm of their hand. We wish we had these when we were in school!

Outdoor School:
An information sheet will be coming home tomorrow with basic facts about this year’s Outdoor School program. We will be attending Outdoor School April 24-27, 2012 at Camp Koinonia in the Santa Cruz Mountains near Watsonville. Please read this sheet carefully since it has details about upcoming meetings for parents and students.

Curriculum Flash!

Language Arts:
We’ve been reading Dear Mr. Henshaw in anticipation of our Thursday field trip to see the theatrical version, and we’ve gotten heavily involved in the circumstances of our main character’s life. As we read this week, we’ll continue to discuss vocabulary critical to the story, we’re constantly looking for examples of sentence variety for grammar mini-lessons. As insightful readers, it is our responsibility to respond in writing to meaningful questions about our character’s motives, reactions, and feelings. Finally, we have finished initial versions of business letters and burglar alarm designs (based on situations in our novel’s story). Today, we recorded a podcast of a classroom interview. We conducted this as a complement to Leigh Botts’ questions that he posed to Mr. Henshaw the author. As you can see, we try to immerse ourselves in a story as much as possible to gain experience in the analysis of literature.

Math
4th grade: We introduced our algebra unit last week with an activity called "Red Fences and Green Gates." Students used pattern blocks to build a fence and had to identify the algebraic rule that they saw being repeated in the pattern. Please ask your child to share more details with you. Students will continue delving into algebra this week! We will be using a fun set of activities called Menu Math to provide a clear relationship between variables and items in our world. This activity, which was introduced to teachers three years ago during a district teacher training, is a stimulating method of getting our student to grasp the purpose of variables in algebraic equations. Ask your student about it as our we proceed through our week! On Friday, we’ll be using iPads and our laptop computers to gain some valuable practice with algebraic relationships as well.

5th Grade: This week we continue our study of fractions with multiplication skills. We’ll be multiplying fractions with fractions, whole numbers, and mixed numbers. Along the way, we’ll reinforce the concepts with manipulatives and models. The students fraction quilts are also due this week, and we’ll use the iPads to create a class book of our quilts.

Science:
In Rooms 20 & 21, we are finishing Investigation 3 in Mixtures and Solutions: “Fizz Quiz.” This segment emphasizes students’ exposure to reactants and products in chemical reactions, introduction to atomic models and the chemical equations used to represent chemical reactions, and experience measuring the volumes of solids and liquids. We will be testing our understanding on Thursday by completing the open book/open note I-Check, Investigation #3 in class. The goal of our assessment is to give our students the opportunity to apply their hands-on experience in class to a set of questions or scenarios similar, but not identical to, their previous work. Good luck to all!

Social Studies:
We have been reading about the adventures of Christopher Columbus, and his controversial “discovery of the New World,” which has led to rich discussions. Students have also been strengthening their note-taking skills by working in groups and focusing on key information. Last week, students tested their knowledge of food originating in either the New World or Old World by sniffing a variety of ingredients in covered cups and using their knowledge of the Columbian Exchange to determine their origins. Please have your child share more details with you; we had a lot of fun!

Name that State!

• The first "sit-in" to protest racial segregation occurred in this state.
• Hurricane Floyd damaged this state's coast in 1999.
• The first English child born in the United States, Virginia Dare, was born in this state in 1587.
• Blackbeard the pirate was killed off the coast of this state.

• Which state is it?

Jan. 9-13 Weekly Reminders

Rockhopper Weekly Reminders

January 9-January 13

Happy New Year!

Mark Your Calendars:

• Tuesday, Jan. 10: Math Olympiads
• Tuesday, Jan. 10: Class pictures
• Thursday, Jan 12: Rooms 20/21 Chabot Space and Science Center Field Trip
• Friday, Jan. 13: 4th grade Ch. 19/20 Decimals test
• Monday, Jan. 16: MLK Jr. Day (NO SCHOOL)

Welcome back to a new year! We hope you had a relaxing and enjoyable break. We enjoyed our holiday, but it’s great to return to school, work, and interact with the terrific students that make up our village!

Parent Volunteer Opportunities:
Our classes really need a Friday copy parent! We need someone who can come in each Friday and copy the materials for the following week. If you are free on Friday afternoons for an hour or so and are able to help us out with this, please contact either Mr. Roels or Miss Scourkes as soon as possible.

Miss Scourkes also needs a person to stuff Room 20’s Thursday folders on Thursdays. Parents from room 20 or 21 may volunteer! Please contact Miss Scourkes if you are interested!

Curriculum Flash!

Language Arts:
We’ve begun reading Dear Mr. Henshaw, and we’re beginning to understand the setting of the story and the circumstances of our main character’s life. As we read this week, we’ll be working on vocabulary critical to the story, we’ll use the text to find examples of sentence variety for grammar mini-lessons, and we’ll be responding in writing to meaningful questions about our character’s motives, reactions, and feelings. Finally, we are practicing the writing genre of business letters to create a fictional request letter (based on a situation in our novel’s story), and in the near future we’ll create a letter to an author (the foundation of the Dear Mr. Henshaw novel.)

Math
4th grade: Students are completing our work with decimals this week! We will practice rounding for the purpose of estimating sums and differences with decimal numbers to begin the week, and we’ll have experience using word problems to develop good mathematical reasoning for decimal computation. We have a test on Thursday to show our understanding of fraction and decimal concepts. Since the two methods of representing parts of a whole are so closely linked, students will have two days of class review time and activities to help clarify concepts prior to the test.

5th grade: We continue our fraction unit with an emphasis on understanding the relationships between fractional numbers. We are using both geoboards and pattern blocks to strengthen our understanding of equivalency. Today, students created pattern block designs containing fractions, used iPads to photograph their designs and wrote justifications as to why their designs contained the specified fraction. Later this week we will be comparing, adding and subtracting fractions in all forms.

Science:
In Rooms 20 & 21, we are working on Investigation 3 in Mixtures and Solutions: “Fizz Quiz.” This is a great hands-on segment that emphasizes students’ exposure to reactants and products in chemical reactions, introduction to atomic models and the chemical equations used to represent chemical reactions, and experience measuring the volumes of solids and liquids. Part 1- “Chemical Reactions” and Part 2- “Reaction Products” will be our principal topics this week. We will also be spending Thursday on our field trip to Chabot Space and Science Center for an early introduction to our final science unit of the year, Solid Earth.

Social Studies:
We continue to study “European Explorers”. Currently we’re learning how the invention of the printing press, the demand for eastern goods, the development of navigational tools, and the early writings of Marco Polo and King Henry the Navigator all affected how Christopher Columbus thought about the world, and in turn, influenced his decisions about exploration.

Name that 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?