Week of April 27th

Notes/Reminders:

- STAR testing begins this week. An email was sent to all parents with detailed information. This week we will take the Language Arts portion of the test on Tuesday and Wednesday. Homework will be very light during the next two weeks due to testing. 

- Please check the "Upcoming Events" section on the right - there are several important dates to remember in the coming weeks. 

- The online auction is up and running! Check it out at    http://auctions.readysetauction.com/riodelmarschool/home

After you've had a chance to peruse the auction, sign your child's yellow flyer. Students who return the flyer Monday will earn a lollipop. 

- Several students have yet to return their New Brighton fieldtrip permission slips. Please get these in as soon as possible. 

This week we will...

...continue with our poetry unit

...work on our California reports (see last posting for more details- also info available in the Downloads section)

...have a school-wide Pajama Day this Friday, May 1st 

California Report Update

Today students were assigned their California reports. We'll be working on the research and beginning stages of writing in class over the next couple of weeks. Students will complete their reports at home. The final drafts are due Monday, May 18th. Oral presentations will be given that week. In the Downloads section of this webpage, the main information for the report is available. 

This Friday will be a check-in day - students need to know their research topic and what type of visual aide they will be using. Please discuss this report with your child. Some students may need help pin-pointing a topic of interest. The topics must be related to California history (they must be referenced at least once in our social studies textbook). Students may choose to research an event, place, person, or era from California history. For example, a student may choose to learn about the Great Depression, but they must focus on its affects on California. 

Homework over the next several weeks will be light due to the science project, California report, and the upcoming STAR testing. Students are welcome to begin research at home if they wish - please remind them to site their sources! There is a new section on the right, "California Report", with links to informational sites. 

**Please read the previous posting as it contains a lot of important information for this school week**

Week of April 20th

Welcome back! I hope you all enjoyed a restful, sunny spring break! We're down to the last 7 weeks of school... I can't believe how quickly this year is going! The next few weeks bring a lot of fun activities, both in our classroom and school-wide. Please remember to check the blog at least once a week, as there will be a lot of important information posted in the coming weeks. 

Notes/Reminders:

*  If you're looking to donate to the class, we are still in need of more pencils, pencil-top erasers, and kleenex. 

* STAR testing will begin the week of April 27th 

 * May 6th brings our next fieldtrip to New Brighton State Park for an interactive history program. Please return the signed permission slip as soon as possible. There is not a fee for this trip, and all parents are welcome to join us. 

* The annual golf tournament/dinner/auction is coming up on Friday, May 8th. Registration forms are available on the Rio school website. 

* Open House will be Wednesday, May 20th. The time will be announced soon. 

* June 3rd brings the end-of-year fourth-grade party at the local KOA.  Permission slips will be sent home soon, along with more information about the event. 

This week we will...

...begin our Poetry unit. For the next several weeks, we will be learning about, reading, and writing poetry. 

...continue learning about the relationship between fractions and decimals. There will be a test covering chapter 19 this Friday. 

...check in on the science projects. Tuesday I'll be checking students' hypotheses and procedures/steps. 

...begin our California research reports. All of the fourth-grade classes will be doing this project. Students will choose an area of interest in California history. For the next week or two, we'll be using class time to research and write rough-drafts. Final-drafts and visual components will be completed at home. I'll have more information posted here soon. 

...prepare for the upcoming California standardized tests (STAR). 

...see a performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream by "Shakespeare-to-go" Friday morning.  

Week of April 6th

Notes/Reminders:

* Remember: This Friday is a holiday! Spring Break is April 10th - April 17th (we return on the 20th)

*  If you're looking to donate to the class, we are still in need of more pencils, pencil-top erasers, and kleenex. 

* The end of the year is quickly approaching, and there are so many things happening! 

-STAR testing will begin the week of April 27th

-May 6th brings our next fieldtrip to New Brighton State Park for an interactive history program 

-The annual golf tournament/dinner/auction is coming up on Friday, May 8th 

-Open House will be Wednesday, May 20th  

-June 3rd brings the end-of-year fourth-grade party at the local KOA 

This week we will...

...learn about the fourth-grade science project assignment. Look for a packet coming home Monday with more information (the guidelines are also available here in the "downloads" section). This project will be completed at home, and is due Tuesday, May 5th (there will be check-in dates over the next several weeks). 

...take the district-wide language arts assessment Monday morning. This will cover what we've been learning since the beginning of the year in reading, writing, and grammar (think compound sentences, pronouns, main ideas, etc)

...finish up our Golden Gulch simulation game. The kids have been having a blast with this activity, and have really learned a lot about the California gold rush! We'll be working on it each day this week, so we can finish up by spring break. 

...see the 1st grade performance of "The Ugly Duckling" Wednesday morning. 

...visit the library on Wednesday this week, since there won't be school Friday. 

...learn about the relationship between fractions and decimals in math.