Sunday, October 25, 2009

HALLOWEEN WEEK 11

Dear Parents,
This is an exciting week for the students at Rio Del Mar. Our school is starting our Monday morning assemblies this week and our student leaders from room 12 will be leading the school in the flag salute. Friday is certainly the craziest day of the year in class and throughout the school. Please try to make it to our annual school parade on the intermediate playground from 8:15 - 8:45 a.m. Our class will be marching around with our 1st grade reading buddies. Rumor has it that there are some outrageous costumes this year... Our class party will be from 12:40-2pm. You are invited to come by and celebrate with us. Thank you to the parents who are helping make this a special party.

Learning Update

* This week in class we are continuing our book, A Wrinkle in Time.
* In writing we are finishing up our Spooky Stories. In this story our class is learning to use dialogue and begin new paragraphs when a new speaker says something. In addition, students are using two similes in their exciting stories.
* During Spanish time we will be learning about Dia De Los Muertos
* Our 4th/5th graders will be learning to use Garage Band in the Computer Lab. Each student will be typing their spooky stories. After this, they will record their voices reading the story. Finally, they will create the musical score to go along with it and convert the file to Itunes to put on their Ipod. It should be fun!
* There are new and exciting explorations in Science this week when we learn more about electricity and magnetism and their similarities. In 5th grade we continue to learn about the Periodic Table and its uses.
* From now on we will be doing one group of News Teams each week. This week we have the "Choco Tacos" presenting their current events.
* Our class will also be writing a brief speech outline to share our Pizza Book Projects this coming Friday.
* As a reminder, next Monday, November 2nd, will be the last day to take an Accelerated Reader Quiz.

See you at the school where kind hearts and open minds rule!
Mr. Sweet

Weekly Quotes

"Hold on, man. We don't go anywhere with "scary," "spooky," "haunted," or "forbidden" in the title." ~From Scooby-Doo

"When witches go riding,
and black cats are seen,
the moon laughs and whispers,
‘tis near Halloween."
~Author Unknown

EXTRA CREDIT OPPORTUNITY-
Write a brief history of where the holiday Halloween (DUE THURSDAY) comes from. What do the symbols mean? You may do a poster instead of a report, or a powerpoint.

HOMEWORK MONDAY
FINISH CH. 5 + Lit. Circle
Math L62
Writing-Finish final draft
of Spooky Story
PIZZA BOOK PROJECT DUE FRIDAY
Extra Credit due Friday

HOMEWORK TUESDAY
FINISH READING CH.6
Math L65-4th, L64-5th
Pizza Book Project
Extra Credit Due Friday

HOMEWORK WEDNESDAY
Finish Ch. 7
Math L68
Spelling-p.73, 75 in cursive
Pizza Book Project Due Friday

THURSDAY
Finish Ch.8
Math L70
Pizza Projects Due
HALLOWEEN PARTY!

Saturday, October 17, 2009

WEEK 10

Riddle of the Week
From wood it's made,
From string it's made,
It floats upon the wind.
It's made by one,
It's made by many,
From hands and mouths it spins.
A score without a game.
A staff not for the lame.
With seven letters tamed.
With five letters named

What is it?

Quote from our Word of the Week
“Never mistake knowledge for WISDOM. One helps you make a living; the other helps you make a life.”

Sandra Carey

Dear Parents,
It has been encouraging meeting with each of you for our conference time together. During this time I received some good feedback that helps inform my instruction. If there is anything else that you forgot to share with me in that brief 20-minute session, please feel free to e-mail me and we can follow up on these matters. For those of you who had your time canceled last Wednesday, we will be meeting this week. I believe I scheduled each of you, but let me know if you have not been given a time yet.
In class this week we are kicking off our Science Units in both 4th and 5th grade. 4th grade will be learning about Electricity and Magnetism. In 5th grade we will study Chemical Properties and learn about the Periodic Table of Elements. This week we will also begin a new book together as a whole class that is entitled A Wrinkle in Time, which is one of my favorites. Along with this book we will be starting Literature Circle Jobs that we will do Monday - Wednesdays for the next three weeks. Our Spelling words will consist of 20 words with a pattern along with 10 new vocabulary words from the book. As always, in class on Mondays and Tuesdays we will learn the meanings of the words so they can take them home and study them.

Enjoy the sunshine and I'll see you at school!
Mr. Sweet

HOMEWORK MONDAY

Finish Ch.1 + do Lit. Circle Job-Due Tuesday
Math-Finish L56
For behavior issue today, extra math homework, 4th-p.162+163
5th Grade-p.59-60 (HM Workbook)
Spelling-Missed words from pre-test-x3 in cursive


HOMEWORK TUESDAY

Finish Ch.2 + do Lit. Circle Job-Due Tuesday
Math-Finish L57
Spelling-Write a sentence with each word used correctly in the sentence


HOMEWORK WEDNESDAY

Finish Ch.3 + do Lit. Circle Job-Due Tuesday
Math-Finish L59
Spelling-Write a sentence with each word used correctly in the sentence-Due Wednesday
Finish Spooky Story Rough Draft...Dialogue, 2 similes.

Homework Thursday
Read the rest of Ch. 4
Math L60
4th Grade-p. 87, 88 in wkbk
5th Grade-p.63,64 in wkbk
Spelling/Vocab-Study for Tests
HAT DAY TOMORROW!

Sunday, October 11, 2009

WEEK 9-Conference Week

HOMEWORK MONDAY
20-4-1
Math L51
Social Studies Review pages-4th p. 32-34
5th Grade-Hand out Ch.4 Review

HOMEWORK TUESDAY
20-4-1
Math L52
Social Studies Review pages-4th p. 32-34
5th Grade-Hand out Ch.4 Review
STUDY FOR TEST!

HOMEWORK THURSDAY
Read 20 min.
Math l54
Finish Social Studies packet 5th grade
Study for spelling/dlr
PIZZA PROJECT

I look forward to seeing all of you at our scheduled conference time this week!

PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES
Monday-10/12
12:20-Marie-Phone
12:40-Faith
1:00 – Liam
1:20-Timmy
1:40-Genevieve
2:00-Alistar
2:20-Open
2:40-Keala
3:00- Maggie

Tuesday-10/13
12:40-Tyler F.
1:00-Conference w/my children
1:20-Confrerence w/my children
1:40-Evan
2:00-Danner
2:20-Donovan
2:40-Mary C.
3:00- Open

Wednesday-10/14
12:40-Kacey
1:00-Cooper
1:20-Kassandra
1:40-Mary A.
2:00-Ella
2:20-Kira H.
2:40- Jack W.
3:00- Conner M.

Thursday-10/15
12:40-Open
1:00- Tatiana
1:20-Open
1:40-Jesse
2:00-Open
2:20-Morgan
2:40-Mary C.
3:00- Open

Friday-10/16
12:20-Isabella
12:40-Christopher
1:00-Jackson
1:20-Lucas
UNAVAILABLE-
Rio Rocker/The Exceeders
BAND REHEARSALS

Sunday, October 4, 2009

WEEK 8

Parents and Students of Room 12,
Last Friday we had a wonderful learning experience at NASA Ames in Mountain View. A special thanks goes out to all of the parent chaperones and drivers who accompanied us on this trip. We will also be writing thank you notes to the docents who taught us all so many new things.
This week our class will be reviewing how to write friendly letters by writing letters to our new 5th grade pen pals at Mar Vista! On Thursday our class will be going to the Aptos Jr. High School to the Midsummer Night's Dream. Here are the drivers who have signed up thus far:
Michelle C. (5)
Laura J. (4)
Jamie (5)
Gina (5)
Ella (3)

We need a couple more drivers, if possible.

Quote on Humbleness:
“Believe in yourself! Have faith in your abilities! Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers you cannot be successful or happy.”
Norman Vincent Peale

WEEKLY RIDDLE
Four men were in a boat on the lake. The boat turns over, and all four men sink to the bottom of the lake, yet not a single man got wet! Why?

HOMEWORK MONDAY
Read 20 minutes
Math L46 odds
Spelling Contract Due Friday
Book Orders due Friday

HOMEWORK TUESDAY
Read 20 minutes
Math L47
Spelling Contract Due Friday
Practice News Team Summary Speech
Begin Study Guide...Social Studies Test: Wednesday, October 14th

HOMEWORK WEDNESDAY
20-4-1
Math L48
Spelling Due Friday
Field Trip tomorrow
Study Guide

HOMEWORK THURSDAY
20-4-1
Math L50
Spelling Due Friday-Study for tests
Pizza Book Project-Choose book by Monday
Project is due-Friday, October 30th-Paper
sent home Thursday, October 8th.
Study Guide

PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES
Monday-10/12
12:20-Marie-Phone
12:40-Faith
1:00 – Liam
1:20-Timmy
1:40-Genevieve
2:00-Alistar
2:20-Open
2:40-Keala
3:00- Maggie

Tuesday-10/13
12:40-Tyler F.
1:00-Conference w/my children
1:20-Confrerence w/my children
1:40-Evan
2:00-Danner
2:20-Donovan
2:40-Mary C.
3:00- Open

Wednesday-10/14
12:40-Kacey
1:00-Cooper
1:20-Kassandra
1:40-Mary A.
2:00-Open
2:20-Kira H.
2:40- Jack W.
3:00- Conner M.

Thursday-10/15
12:40-Open
1:00- Tatiana
1:20-Open
1:40-Jesse
2:00-Open
2:20-Morgan
2:40-Mary C.
3:00- Open

Friday-10/16
12:20-Isabella
12:40-Christopher
1:00-Jackson
1:20-Lucas
UNAVAILABLE-
Rio Rocker/The Exceeders
BAND REHEARSALS