Reminders

Reminder! The Walk-a-thon is tomorrow. Each student should have a paper with at least one sponsor. If that happens, we may work on a day without homework….

Also, the field trip to LACMA is Friday. As of now, we have three parents who are definitely going. I would be happy to have one or two more….

Homework: (1) Write spelling words 16-20 five times each. Write one sentence for each word. All this should be in cursive. Also do the spelling word search activity. (2)Do “Adjectives,” on pages 287 and 288 in the Practice book. (3) Do the Great Horn Spoon chapter 11 study sheet. (4) Do “Same Perimeter” on pages 368-369 of the math book. Also do “Area by Design” on the back of the answer sheet.

So, So Busy!

These couple weeks before Spring Break are busy…well, frantic might be a better description. There is so much to be done in preparation for not only testing but Open House. Add to that the Walk-a-thon, a field trip, and there’s barely time to breathe.

We started out with our journal writing. Now, I am not sure if I have mentioned this before, but one of the features of our daily writing is that students have to read what they wrote to their classmates once a week.

Today’s prompt was to write a story with this as the opening line: “I heard the howl of the wolf echoing across the valley.” Our students took this in a number of very creative directions. After this we checked, corrected, and discussed our homework. We briefly reviewed the “National Parks” story from Treasures. The students then started on the rough drafts of some folk tales that they will be getting ready for Open House.

After recess, the students went to Mr. Pratt for history. After lunch, we read another chapter of By the Great Horn Spoon! In math, we are examining the area of irregular figures (mostly L-shaped).

Homework:  (1) Write spelling words 11-15 five times each in cursive. Write a sentence for each, also in cursive. Do the spelling crossword puzzle. (2) Do “Writing Frame” page 283 and “Latin Roots” page 284 in the Practice book. (3) Do By the Great Horn Spoon! chapter 10 study sheet. (4) Do “Area of Irregular Figures” pages 365-366 in the math book and “Applause” on the back of the answer sheet.

Studious

We started off the day in the Tech Center where the students are doing some research on ecosystems related to our current theme in the Treasures reading program. As usual, they did a great job and Mr. Riko was extremely helpful.

Back in the room, we checked, corrected and discussed our homework. We also read the main selection for the week from the reader. It concerned reintroducing wolves and elk to national parks. The students found it moderately interesting.

They went to Mr. Pratt for History after recess, and after lunch we read some more of By the Great Horn Spoon! and studied the area of rectangles. We also spent some time with our first grade reading buddies.

Homework:  (1) Write spelling words 6-10 five times each. Write one sentence for each word. All this should be in cursive. Also do the spelling jumble activity. (2) Do “Main Idea,” page 279, and “Dictionary,” page 282 in the Practice book. (3) Do the Great Horn Spoon chapter 9 study sheet. (4) Do “Area” on pages 362-363 of the math book. Also do “Perimeter Patterns” on the back of the answer sheet.

Ordinary

A pretty ordinary Monday. We checked, corrected, and discussed both the quizzes and the homework from Friday. The results were generally great and are on the grade book. We read a story about national park. We started an I-search paper on an animal. We talked about perimeter. We practice our play.

Homework:  (1) Write spelling words 1-5 five times each. Write one sentence for each word. All this should be in cursive. Also do the spelling shapes activity. (2) Do “Phonics,” page 277, and “Vocabulary,” page 278 in the Practice book. (3) Do the Great Horn Spoon chapter 8 study sheet. (4) Do “Perimeter” on pages 359-360 of the math book. Also do “All the Way Around” on the back of the answer sheet.

Relaxing and Having Some Fun

Now that the great CST writing test is done, we were able to relax and do a couple of more fun things.

This afternoon the students made telegraphs. I went over a little background to the telegraphs and how the telegraphs depended on the electromagnet, but the students were largely on their own as they were given the materials and challenged to figure this all out. They did it surprisingly well!

Then we finished the day with a little curricular art. This unit in the reading book focuses on environments, and the students are going to be doing “I Search” papers on an animal. We started this by working on our powers of observation. I gave the students the animal they will be researching and asked them to draw the photograph as closely as possible and to color using oil pastel as a medium.

Most students are still working, but the results of some of my early finishers are pretty impressive.

Homework:  (1) Write words 11-15 five times each. Write a sentence for each word. Do all this in cursive. (2) Do the spelling crossword. (3) In the Practice book do “Foreshadowing” on page 270, “Synonyms” on page 271, and “Articles” on page 274. (4) Write a two paragraph response to the “Roadrunner” story. In the first paragraph, write a summary of what happened in the story. In the second paragraph, explain what the author’s purpose was and what clues in the text lead to this inference. (5) Do the Algebra 3 worksheet. 

Big Day Tomorrow

Tomorrow is the Writing Portion of the California Standards Test. Please make sure that your child arrives on school on time and well-rested.

Homework:  (1) Write spelling words 1-5 five times each. Write one sentence for each word. All this should be in cursive. (2) Do “Phonics,” page 265, and “Vocabulary,” page 266 in the Practice book. (3) Do the Algebra 1 worksheet. Answers should be written in x= format. (4) Do “Ordering Integers” on pages 340-341 of the math book.

Practice Makes Perfect

We spent today doing practice of various sorts. We practiced our editing and drafting skills in writing. We practiced reading with fluency. We practiced for next week’s CST Writing Test. And in the afternoon, we practiced Willy Wonka in the auditorium. Practice is not always the most fun thing for students, but it is the surest route to mastery.

Homework:  (1) Write spelling words 16-20 five times each in cursive. Write a sentence for each one in cursive. The spelling word search is an optional review for tomorrow’s test. (2) In the Practice book, do “Main Ideas” on page 255, “Flow Chart” on page 258, “Context Clues” on page 259, and “Adjectives” on page 262. (3) Write a summary of “A Walk in the Desert” and answer the questions on page 563 of the hardcover Treasures book. Be sure to answer in complete sentences. Do not use pronouns or “Because” to begin answers. (4) Do the “Division of Money 4” practice paper. There will be a quiz on this skill tomorrow. (5) Do “Understanding Integers” on pages 336-337 of the enVision book. Also do “Playground Numbers” on the back of the answer sheet.

In a Rush

In a rush to get home to deal with company…. So just the homework today.

Homework:  (1) Write the spelling words 5 times each in cursive and write one sentence. Also do the spelling shapes activity. (2) Do “Phonics,” page 253, and “Vocabulary,” page 254, in the Practice book. (3) Finish the outline of the “Living in Alaska” story. (4) Do the questions over “Electricity=Magnetism” and “How Electromagnets” readings in the Science book. (5) Do the Division of Money worksheet. For some reason there are remainders on some – ignore them or round up if appropriate. (6) Do page 325-327 in the math book.

Magnetic!

Our big activity for today was working to create electromagnets. This was a challenging experiment for the students – I told them what materials they would need, but left it to them to figure out how do it – but most groups successfully managed to create a simple electromagnet and use it to pick up some washers.

Other parts of the day were devoted to practicing the play and to working a little more on our music and art project.

Homework:  (1) Write spelling words 15-20 five times each in cursive. Also do a sentence for each in cursive. The wordsearch is optional. (2) Do the By the Great Horn Spoon! chapter 6 study sheet. Also do “Latitude and Longitude” and “Having a Butler.” (3) Do the Multiplying Decimals 3 worksheet. (4) Do “Solving Addition and Subtraction Equations on pages 320-321 of the math book and “How Many?” on the back of the answer sheet.

Testing (Again)

Brrr! It’s cold!

Today’s big activity was working on the Literacy Periodic Assessment, a district-mandated test. It is a pretty fair measure of how the students are doing in reading and writing, and we will be correcting it tomorrow. Some students finished relatively quickly while others took their time.

It was so long and boring to take the test that I figured they needed something more relaxed and creative after recess, so they started work on a project which combines music and art. More on that when it’s finished in a couple days.

The rest of the day was pretty ordinary – correcting homework, play practice or PE, and math. We’re starting an algebra unit this week, but I feel pretty confident that their work with Hands-on Equations will prepare them well for it.

Homework:  (1) Write spelling words 8-14 five times each in cursive. Also write one sentence for each word in cursive. (2) Do the spelling crossword. (3) Do the Multiplying Decimals 2 practice sheet. (4) Do “Equal or Unequal?” on pages318-319 of the math book and “Connection Detection” on the back of the answer sheet.

After the Holiday

We started off the day, as we usually do on Tuesdays, in the Tech Center. Some of the students are finishing up their Survey Reports – and these are pretty impressive, if I do say so myself, and others are working on their reports about a famous African American.

After the computer lab, the students went to the auditorium where Mr. Lawton had them working to set a tune to the poems they had written previously. They had a lot of fun sounding out melodies on the xylophones.

The rest of the day was a bit more prosaic. We corrected our homework, reviewed for the math test, and then took the test. It has been corrected and will be on the grade book soon.

We finished reading last week’s story from the Treasures book. We did another lesson from our Hands-on Equations program.

Homework:  (1) Write spelling words 1-7 five times each in cursive. Also write one sentence for each word in cursive. (2) Do the spelling jumble. (3) Write a summary of at least a half page on the “My Brothers’ Flying Machine” story. Answer the questions on page 527 in complete sentences. (4) Do the Multiplying Decimals 1 practice sheet.

California Science Center

Today was our field trip to the California Science Center in Exposition Park.

We started out by watching the Blue Planet film in the IMAX Theater. It is one of the first IMAX films, but it is still impressive enough.

After we finished watching the film, the students were divided into five groups each with one or more parent leaders. The parents walked through all the exhibits with the students. Probably because it was Valentine’s Day, it was the emptiest – and most pleasant – I have ever seen the Science Center. The students seemed to focus more than usual on some of the many fantastic exhibits.

The highlight was going to see the space shuttle. I was not planning to be particularly impressed, but as Huell Howser would have said, “Golly, it sure is big!”

It was really interesting to see the heat tiles on the side which show the impact of traveling through the atmosphere.

The students have the trip an enthusiastic two thumbs up!

Homework:   Do the fraction worksheet. The word search is optional.

A BIG, BIG thanks to Violet’s mom and grandfather, Jake’s grandmother, Ryan’s dad, Drew’s mom, Alexandra’s mom, and Angel’s mom for chaperoning our field trip today. I could not possibly have survived today without you!!!

Field Trip Tomorrow

First of all, sorry for the lapse in postings. My PC, on which all these musings are composed, has been suffering from some serious problems. Dave Herbert, our Friends of Third sponsored IT guy, figured out it was a bum DIMM and we finally got it replaced. All is working spiffily again.

Just to remind you that there are still spots for parents to come on tomorrow’s trip to the California Science Center! It is usually a pretty good time and you will get a chance to tour the space shuttle!

Homework:  (1) Write spelling words 11-15 five times each in cursive and write a sentence for each – also in cursive. (2) Do the spelling crossword. (3) Do “Personification,” page 246, “Suffixes,” page 247, and “Homophones,” page 250, all in the Practice book. (4) Do By the Great Horn Spoon! chapter 5 study sheet. Be sure to write all answers in complete sentences. (5) Do Adding and Subtracting Fractions 3 practice sheet. (6) Do “Multiplying and Dividing Decimals” on pages of the math book. Also do “Family Culture” on the back of the answer sheet.

Book Wall

The most unusual thing today was we went to work on the new book wall. As many of you know, there was an art installation of a bookshelves with books on it outside the library. Parents tried to restore it earlier this year, but the damage to the artwork from years of rain and sun was simply too great. Plus, the underlying wood had been affected by dry rot in places. So parents paid for a new mural and Frances Okwu and Jason Stanton have been busy preparing a new book mural. This one will be on the side of the wall facing the reading garden.

Our students made “books” out of pieces of lumber. These had already been painted; the students provided the title, author, and “cover” artwork.

Alysoun Higgins provided the children with materials and some guidance and they had a great time picking a title and decorating their “book.”

Homework:  (1) Do spelling words 16-20. (2) Do “Fables” and “Greek Roots” on pages 209-210 of the Practice book. (3) Do Adding, Subtracting Fractions 4. (4) Do “Fractions and Decimals,” pages 279-280 in the math book and “A New Measure” on the back of the answer sheet.

Back Online

Sorry for a couple days without any entries, but we’ve been having some technical difficulties on the computer and internet front here at Third Street. I hope we’ve fixed them now.

It was a quick and pleasant Wednesday. We read an interesting article about ants in the Treasures book. The students went to Mr. Pratt for history. We learned about converting fractions into decimals and vice-versa. Not a lot – but it was all good.

Homework:  (1) Do spelling words 11-15. (2) Do pages 213 and 214 of the Practice book. (3) Complete the outline of “Ants.” (4) Do Adding and Subtracting Fractions 3. (5) Do Fractions and Decimals, pages 276-277 in the math book.

Rachmaninoff and Rain

It was a gray quiet day here in room 19 today. We started out right away with the library. Mrs. Sartori was good enough to allow us to come about 25 minutes early because of the assembly schedule. She gave a short lesson to the students and they checked out books.

From there we went over to the auditorium where some young performers from the Colburn School serenaded us. The music was mostly late Romantic – Rachmaninoff and Bruch – and it seemed just perfect for the overcast, slightly melancholic weather.

The young violinist was particularly good.

Students had an opportunity to ask questions to the musicians.

After our recess, the students worked on circuits in Science, They were given a challenge – using one battery, make two bulbs light at the same time. They were quite clever here and most groups discovered how to make a simple circuit pretty quickly.

The students were then given a follow up challenge – find another way to make the two bulbs light. This allowed them to discover a parallel circuit where each bulb has a separate pathway to the d-cell.

The rest of the day was pretty ordinary. We took spelling, reading, and math skills tests. We finished watching Willy Wonka. They went to Health class with Mrs. Choi where they created a food pyramid.

Homework:  Only do pages 261-262 and 264-265 in the math book. There will be a chapter test on Monday.

Mystery Boards

Today went by pretty quickly and productively. We started off with our journals. We checked and corrected homework. We read a short non-fiction selection from Treasures on the "Great Wall of Los Angeles." Designed by artist Judy Baca, this is a large mural in Tujunga, probably the longest mural in the world. We discussed the difference between facts and opinions, and the students started to write summaries of the article.

After recess, we continued to work on electricity. We discussed electrical circuit boards, and the students were given pieces of cardboard with wires connecting different points. 

They had to figure our which points were connected by the wires. Was it A to B? C to D? Or A to C? The students created circuit testers to do this using wires, a motor, and a d-cell. 

After lunch, we finished reading Stone Fox. This was the really sad point where Searchlight, Little Willy's beloved sled dog, dies trying to help him win the race and save his grandfather's farm. It's so well-written! We also talked about adding and subtracting fractions with unlike denominators. 

Homework:   (1) Write spelling words 8-17 five times each in cursive and write a sentence for each word also in cursive. (2) Do the spelling jumble. (3) Do "Skimming" page 221 and "Word Origins" page 223 in the Practice book. (4) Do Comparing Fractions 2. (5) Do "Unlike Denominators" pages 256-257 and "Animal Runners" on the back of the answer sheet.  

Small but Good

 We were a pretty small class today with 5 out of our 25 students absent. I guess the flu has finally hit Southern California. But we were still quite productive and had a good day.

We went to the Tech Center and then to Music with Mr. Lawton. We started a new story in the Treasures book. We corrected our Quarter 2 math tests - the results are on the grade book - and we worked on adding and subtracting fractions with the same denominator. 

Homework:  (1) Do spelling words 1-7 in the usual way. (2) Do the spelling sort. (3) Do pages 217 and 218 in the Practice book. (4) Do Comparing Fractions 1 worksheet. (5) Do pages 253-255 in the math book. 

Reflections

We started off the day with an assembly to recognize the winners of this year's PTA Reflections contest.

This is a national event, and students who win at their schools go on to complete regionally and nationally. We were fortunate enough to have one of our own students as a winner this year!

After this, we went to the library where Mrs. Sartori played the recording of Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech while showing them a lovely picture books illustrating the inspiring words.

The rest of the day was devoted, as Fridays so often are in school, to assessment. We went over all our homework, particularly the math, in preparation for today's Topic 9 test. We took our spelling test. They took a history test with Mr. Pratt. After lunch, we took the math and reading tests. These have all been graded and the results are on the new grade book. The students returned to Mr Pratt during the mixing block to begin work on Willy Wonka, this spring's play.

Homework:  Students were again given a list of grades to date in all subjects and missing work. Parents should sign this and students will return it on Tuesday. 

Today was our field trip to the Leonis Adobe in Calabasas. This is one of the most historically significant buildings in Los Angeles County. It was originally the home of Miguel Leonis, a Basque sheepherder who came to California while it was still a part of Mexico. He married a Chumash woman named Esperanza. Their rancho was enormous, covering most of the western part of the San Fernando Valley, some 10,000 acres. As a mark of their success, they covered the original adobe building with clapboard and wood filigree in the style of the early Victorian period.

The trip to the Leonis Adobe each year not only helps our fourth grade students to understand more about California history, but it is a lot of fun. The staff there is great. They divide the students into small groups, each with an experienced and knowledgable docent. They rotate through a variety of activities each designed to help the students understand some facet of life on the ranch. The field trip began with an orientation from "Cowboy Harold."

Students learned how to lasso cattle from a horse. Many of them were much better at this than their teacher was!

They learned about how critical water was for the farm, and how carefully they managed their water resources. The students really liked pumping water from the well, though they were not sure if they wanted it as a regular chore like it was for the Leonis children.

They learned how to grind corn into masa, any how to form the masa into tortillas.

Probably the best part of all was interacting with the animals. Though only the tiniest fraction of its original size, the Leonis Adobe is still home to a surprising number of animals. The children had the best time observing the sheep who were definitely the friendliest of the creatures there.

Some of these ewes had recently had babies and the little lambs were sooo cute!

We also had an opportunity to feed the sheep. They have few teeth since they digest their food in their stomachs. But their tongue tickle when they eat the grass out of your hand. This part was just the best!

Our trip ended as they gave us hot tortillas with fresh butter. About noon we boarded the yellow bus, and we had lunch at Woodland Hills Recreation Center. That was a lot of fun, too.

Homework:  (1) Write spelling words 16-20 five times each and write a sentence for each one. (2) Do the Equivalent Fractions 4 worksheet. (3) Do pages "Writing to Explain" on pages 243-244 of the math book and Test Prep pages 246-247. There will be a test over topic 9 tomorrow.