Rotational Forces and the Winter Concert

Last week in Science we studied forces, including rotational forces.

Winter Concert
Here is the schedule for this Wednesday's Winter Concert:

5:00 PM | Dinner and bake sale items available for sale in the lunch court (optional).
5:45 PM | Students meet in Room 5, parents find a seat in the auditorium
6:00 PM | The performance begins, please stay for all three grade levels, after the concert is over you pick your child up from Room 5.

Music Teacher, Ms. Tang, has this dress code:  "All grades will be wearing traditional clothes from any culture if they own it. If you don't have traditional clothes, nice performance clothes is fine. No shorts, flip flops, or baseball caps."

If you have another student in grades 3, 4, or 5, you might also want to come on Thursday night for the upper-grade performance.  Information on both performances can be found on the TPES Website.

Homework Journals
I apologize for being slow with these.  The best day for me to read them is on Monday.  Since the new year began I have lost two Mondays to holidays and another to a rainy day--inside--schedule. 

Today the journals are ready to go home.  I also included a special assignment sheet--writing in non-fiction.

Room 5 Garden
Last week students began readying the Room 5 Garden plot.  We mixed in compost and organic fertilizer.  I am looking in to getting some carrot seeds and onion sets to plant.  Thanks to Ms. Krantz for helping.

Curriculum Overview

Literacy - Types of Non-Fiction Text and their features: biographies, newspapers, dictionaries, thesauri, encyclopedias, non-fiction books.

Math - Fractions.  Reading clocks and understanding elapsed time.

Writing - Writing an article for a classroom newspaper.

Language Conventions and Word Study - abbreviations

Science - Basic Physics - Understand concepts around balance.  Last week's vocabulary: forces, axis, rotational force.

Last week in Science we studied forces, including rotational forces.

Finding the Balancing Point

In Science we are studying basic physics.  Students built these mobiles and learned the vocabulary stable, horizontal, balance, and balance point or fulcrum.

Winter Concert
Next Wednesday and Thursday Evening TPES is holding Winter Concerts.  On Wednesday evening grades K-2 perform, on Thursday evening grades 3-5 perform.  Because of seating concerns, you should only attend the evenings where you have a child performing.  Attendance is not mandatory for students or parents, but most families do attend.  Next Monday I will have more information about the time schedule for the performances.

Valentines Day
Tomorrow I will send home a list of all the students in Room 5.  In preparation for Valentines Day I would like you to have your child prepare a valentine for every student in class.   Stores like CVS and Ralphs sell very inexpensive valentines cards in sets specifically for school children.  You can use those cards or make something very simple.  If you have any questions please ask me.  Because of diet concerns of our classroom this year, please do not attach any candy.

Math
In Math Mr. Luxon's group has been studying fractions, Mr. Lee's class we also begin the fraction unit shortly.  On Friday and today I worked hard with the students to help them understand fractions of a group.  For example I gave a table of four students 8 crackers and asked for each student to take 1/4 of the total--so every student got 2 crackers each.  While students did okay with this, they struggled with more complex questions like 2/3rds of 18.  I thought the group made some headway today in terms of their understanding but they will definitely need help when they practice these skills in their homework.

Garden
Is there anyone interested in helping Room 5 students in the TPES vegetable garden this Friday?  Your role would involve helping groups of 5 students till (dig up and mix around) the soil and fresh compost to prepare it for planting.  It would be a somewhat dirt job.  I plan to do this work from 2:15 PM to 3:25 PM.  Please send me an email if you are interested.  You must be on the TPES approved volunteer list.

Curriculum Overview

Literacy - Types of Non-Fiction Text: biographies, newspapers, dictionaries, thesauri, encyclopedias, non-fiction books

Math - Fractions, decimals.  This includes fractions of groups, for example 1/3 of 15 is 5.

Writing - Editing and improving our writing to produce a final draft.  Writing about how grandmothers are generally portrayed in fiction books.

Language Conventions and Word Study - abbreviations

Social Studies - The Chinese New Year

Science - Basic Physics - Balance and Motion

In Science we are studying basic physics.  Students built these mobiles and learned the vocabulary stable, horizontal, balance, and balance point or fulcrum.

Two New Units Beginning This Week

Last week students began writing about how grandmothers are usually portrayed in fiction books.

Non-Fiction Unit
This week we have begun studying non-fiction.  To begin we will look at different types of non-fiction texts like biographies, newspapers, dictionaries, the thesaurus, and of course non-fiction books.  We look to see how those different texts are structured. For example, a biography is usually organized chronologically, where as a general non-fiction book has information grouped into sections, by sub-categories.  We also look at what type of text features each format holds.  Features like headlines, captions, indexes, etc.

Fractions Unit in Math
We are beginning a unit on fractions.  One of the best ways to learn about fractions is with food.  If you are eating a pizza or sharing a sandwich, talk with your student about the fractions involved. 

Curriculum Overview

Literacy - Types of Non-Fiction Text: biographies, newspapers, dictionaries, thesauri, non-fiction books

Math - Fractions

Writing - Editing and improving our writing to produce a final draft.  Writing about how grandmothers are generally portrayed in fiction books.

Language Conventions and Word Study - vowel sounds, suffixes, abbreviations

Social Studies - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Science - Balance and Motion

Last week students began writing about how grandmothers are usually portrayed in fiction books.

Polishing Our Writing

After editing and reworking their writing both independently and with a partner, students have been typing up their finished work. 
The program students use allows them to hear their writing read out loud, mistakes and all.

Just a quick note this week:

Mr. Luxon Off Campus
Tomorrow I will off campus attending some technology training--knowledge that I can bring back to the classroom.  I believe Ms. Cahill will be assigned here in my absence.  There will be more of these types of days coming for me in the next couple months.

Important Upcoming Dates
January 16th - a Monday - No School, Martin Luther King Day
January 19th - a Thursday - Souplantation TPES Family Restaurant Night in Del Mar
February 1st - a Wednesday - Winter Concert, Kindergarten - 2nd Grade
February 2nd - a Thursday - Winter Concert, 3rd Grade - 5th Grade

Curriculum Overview

Literacy - Studying how grandmothers are stereotypically portrayed in fiction books.

Math - Linear Measurement  (I was wrong.  Fractions coming up next.)

Writing - Editing and improving our writing to produce a final draft.

Language Conventions and Word Study - vowel sounds, suffixes

Science - Balance and Motion

Happy New Year!

Room 5 students climb a saber-tooth cat at the San Diego Zoo Elephant Odyssey exhibit.

Welcome back, after a relaxing break I am excited to resume teaching in Room 5!  I spent some time in Room 5 over the break making sure everything was organized, clean, and ready to go.

Thank You
Thank you all so much for your gifts and overall classroom gift.  Your monies will help me continue to purchase materials for the classroom.  Anything left over my wife and I will put in a savings account to help us start a family soon.  I truly, truly appreciate it.

Important Upcoming Dates
January 4th - This Wednesday - Wednesday Enrichment Sign-up and Information
January 6th - This Friday - Spare the Air Day, walk, bike, or carpool to school
January 10th - Next Tuesday - Mr. Luxon is off-campus for technology-centered professional training, a visiting teacher teaches in his place.
January 16th - a Monday - No School, Martin Luther King Day
January 19th - a Thursday - Souplantation TPES Family Restaurant Night in Del Mar
February 1st - a Wednesday - Winter Concert, Kindergarten - 2nd Grade
February 2nd - a Thursday - Winter Concert, 3rd Grade - 5th Grade

Zoo Field Trip
A big thank you to all of the zoo chaperones who helped me out the Friday before break.  We had a great time.  I posted pictures of the trip in the Photo and Video Gallery.

Lice
After 17 days with no students and little heat I am certain that Room 5 is lice free.  I also removed all pillows.  My impression is that this has been an issue for many of you.  If we all work together, we will eliminate the issue--check you child this evening.

Curriculum Overview

Literacy - Studying how grandmothers are stereotypically portrayed in fiction books.

Math - Addition and subtraction.  Fractions coming up.

Writing - Editing and improving our writing to produce a final draft.

Language Conventions and Word Study - syllables, vowel sounds, suffixes

Social Studies - Understanding maps.  Map legends, scales, topography, as well as the major geographical features of California, and the U.S.

Mr. Luxon's home.  Thank You!

More Elephant Odyssey.