Monday, October 31st

Good Afternoon, Room 36 Families!

The kids had a lot of fun today with costumes and treats! If your family is going trick or treating tonight, please stay safe!

No homework. :-) Have a great evening!

Happy Friday!

Happy Friday, Everyone!  Have a great weekend!

Day 49: Thursday, October 27th

Good Afternoon, Room 36 Families!

The students decided that they wanted to have a little Halloween Party on Monday, before the Halloween Parade, so I sent home a sign-up sheet for goodies.  If you can contribute, please return the form to let me know what we can expect.

Figurative language is a big 4th grade standard, and we continued working with these tricky parts of the English language today.  (Figurative language includes similes, metaphors, alliteration, onomatopoeia, hyperbole, idioms, allusion and personification.) It's still pretty new to them, so they may need a little assistance with their language arts homework tonight.  We will be working on this all year -- soon, it will be a piece of cake! (<--Idiom!) 

Also, please continue to have students work on their math skills at home.  Reflex Math or any of the free online math games I have posted here would be good.  Flash cards are great, too!  Several students are still struggling with place value, rounding, telling time, and their basic multiplication facts.  

Homework:
- Read 20 minutes + reading log
- MyMath: Chapter 4, Lesson 8 (p. 245-246)
- Figurative Language packet: "Princess Penelope" pages 2-3

Day 48: Wednesday, October 26th

Good Afternoon, Room 36 Families!

We started a new science rotation this week: Physical Science with Mr. Wilcox! Ask your students how it went!

Just a reminder: I sent home Parent-Teacher Conference Sign-Up Forms home on Tuesday.  I will fill available slots on a first come/first served basis.  If you are unable to come to school, or would like a phone conference, please check the appropriate box.

Homework:
- Read 20 minutes + reading log
- MyMath: Chapter 4, Lesson 7
- Close Reading

Tuesday, October 25th

Good Evening, Room 36 Families!

Homework:
- Read 20 minutes + reading log
- MyMath: Chapter 4, Lesson 6
- Figurative Language worksheets (pink & purple) BACK SIDE
- Parent Conference sign-up

Day 46: Monday, October 24th

Good Afternoon, Room 36 Families!

We started our day with a fun visit to the Library with Ms. Evans. She kept the class on the edge of their seats with her Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark!

Parent Conferences take place November 7th-14th.  Sign-up sheets will go home tomorrow, and slots will be filled on a first come/first served basis. 

Homework:
- Read 20 minutes + reading log
- MyMath: Chapter 4, Lesson 5 (pages 227-228)
- Reading Skills: Cause & Effect

Happy Friday!

Happy Friday, Everyone!

If you have not submitted your meal application, please try to do so online this weekend.  If we don't have a record of submission on Monday, I will send another paper copy home.  The link to submit online is HERE.

Have a great weekend!

Day 44: Thursday, October 20th

Good Afternoon, Room 36 Families!

This is Digital Citizenship Week for LAUSD, and today we discussed what it means to be a digital citizen.  As far as I can tell, all students in Room 36 have access to the internet -- either through a phone, tablet/iPad, laptop, computer, or gaming system (Xbox, PlayStation, Wii).  That means that they are ALL digital citizens!  

This afternoon, we watched the Common Sense Media video, "Pause and Think Online".  (Common Sense Media is a great resource for parents looking to ensure media content is kid-appropriate.)  

We will continue to discuss digital citizenship, and online safety over the next week.

Homework:
- Read 20 minutes + reading log
- MyMath: Chapter 4, Lesson 4 (p. 219-220)
- Write a short paragraph about "digital citizenship" or the video "Pause & Think Online"

Day 43: Wednesday, October 19th

Good Afternoon, Room 36 Families!

Today was Room 36's last day in the Earth Science rotation with Mr. Bryant.  They've had a great time learning about rocks and minerals.  Thank you, Mr. Bryant!

Tomorrow is LAUSD's "Great Shake" earthquake drill.  In conjunction with the 2016 Great California Shakeout, Brentwood will practice "Drop, Cover, and Hold On" in addition to safe building evacuation procedures. 

A few families have still not submitted their LAUSD lunch application.  Remember, completing the application means money for our school! Your child does not need to eat lunch in the cafeteria. You can apply using the online meal application HERE.

Homework:

- Read 20 minutes + reading log

- MyMath: Chapter 4, Lesson 3 (P. 213-214)

- Close Reading: Alligator or Crocodile?

- Any unfinished writing

Day 42: Tuesday, October 18th

Good Afternoon, Room 36 Families!

Just a reminder about why I like students to read for 20 minutes every night:

Here is today's homework:

Homework:
- Read 20 minutes + reading log
- MyMath: Chapter 4, Lesson 2 (p. 207-208)
- Grammar Worksheet (GR 

Day 41: Monday, October 17th

Good Afternoon, Room 36 Families!

I was very impressed with the paragraphs I received from students interested in being on Student Council.  Not only did I get more self-nominations than I expected, but your students have some great ideas about how to improve their school!

Because I could only select two students to go to the official Student Council meetings, I will have a "Class Council" meetings during lunch, once a week. During these meetings, all interested students can meet with their class reps to discuss ideas.

A reminder about my homework policy:  I assign homework Monday-Thursday, but it is not due until Friday.  I strongly encourage students to attempt to complete each day's homework on the day it was assigned, so that they aren't overloaded at the end of the week.

Homework:
- Read 20 minutes + reading log
- MyMath: Chapter 4, Lesson 1 (p. 201-202)
- Vocabulary Squares
- If unfinished: Rock Cycle paragraph

Happy Friday

Happy Friday, Everyone!  Have a great weekend.

Day 39: Thursday, October 13th

Good Evening, Room 36 Families!

Please Note:
1) School Pictures are TOMORROW
2) NO Orchestra/Instrumental Music tomorrow

Also tomorrow, Room 36 students will have both a Math and Language Arts assessment.

Also, students interested in participating in Student Council need to write a self-nomination paragraph telling my why they want to be on Student Council, and why they think they would do a good job.  One girl and one boy from our class will be selected.

Homework:
- Read 20 minutes + reading log
- Study math and language arts vocabulary
- Practice factors & multiples
- Optional: Write Student Council self-nomination paragraph

Day 38: Tuesday, October 11th

Good Evening, Room 36 Families!

Don't forget: No school tomorrow.

Homework:

- Read 20 minutes + reading log
- Math Worksheet: Check Your Progress & Vocabulary "Test"
- Language Arts Worksheet: Finding Details cont. (3 & 4)

Day 37: Monday, October 10th

Good Afternoon, Room 36 Families!

Don't forget: We have another four day week this week.  There is no school on Wednesday.

Looking Ahead:
1) Picture Day: Friday, October 14th!
2) Math Test: Chapter 3 (Understanding Multiplication & Division) on Friday, October 14th. Please see below for a list of math vocabulary terms
3) ELA Test on Friday, Oct 14th. Please see below for a list of language arts vocabulary

Students have flash cards for their 6 language arts vocabulary words:
- endless (adj) 
- realistic (adj) 
- display (noun) 
- sensible (adj) 
- protested (verb) 
- paralyzed (adj) 

Students have flash cards for their 13 math vocabulary terms:
- Associative Property of Multiplication
- Commutative Property of Multiplication
- decompose
- dividend
- divisor
- fact family
- factor
- Identity Property of Multiplication
- multiple
- product
- quotient
- repeated subtraction
- Zero Property of Multiplication

Homework:
- Silent Read 20 minutes + reading log
- MyMath Chapter 3/Lesson 8 (pages 183-184)
- Grammar worksheet (GR10, GR12)

Happy Friday!

Happy Friday, Everyone!

While reading our language arts story, we had an interesting conversation about human space travel.  These students are very interested in space! I will look for more readings for them on this topic.

We also did a lot more work with factors today, and will continue this next week.  If your students have the opportunity to be on a computer with internet over the weekend, there are some great factor practice games they can play online (in addition to Reflex Math):

Math Nook: Factors Games

Factor Feeder

Have a great weekend!

Day 35: Thursday, October 6th

Good Afternoon, Room 36 Families!

Please Note:
1)  NO orchestra/instrumental music tomorrow.
2)  Picture Day is next Friday, October 14th.
3)  The October Scholastic book order is due tomorrow.  (If you don't have the flier, you can go on the website and send the order in on a piece of paper.)

Homework:
- Read 20 minutes + reading log
- Math Packet: factors & multiples
- Grammar Worksheet: GR6, GR7

Day 34: Wednesday, October 5th

Good Afternoon, Room 36 Families!

Your students had science with Mr. Bryant today! Ask them about their fun and messy lab.  ;-)

We played multiplication "I Have, Who Has?" today. It really made the students think about factoring!  Please have your students practice their math skills at home whenever they have a chance.  Multiplication facts, factoring, rounding, estimating and place value are skills we have covered, and will be building on all year.

A couple of reminders: 

1) Picture Day is Friday, October 14th!
2) There will be no instrumental music on Friday, October 7th.
3) Don't forget to have your student log in to Reflex Math if they have access to the internet at home.

Homework:
- Read 20 minutes + reading log
- MyMath Chapter 3/Lesson 7 (pages 177-178)
- Close Reading: Victory (a poem)

Tuesday, October 4th

Happy October!

Orchestra students: There will be no instrumental music this Friday.

Homework:
- Read 20 minutes + reading log
- MyMath: Chapter 3/Lesson 6 (p 171-172)
- Vocabulary Squares

September Rewards!

It's October now, and that means it's time for the September Top "10" Dojo Party!

I give points for lots of things in class, including: working hard during P.E., helping a neighbor, being ready, taking a risk, using vocabulary words, and having a positive attitude.

Congratulations to Table 1 for winning Table Points this month! Each student got to pick a prize from the treasure chest.

In October I am going to add a new WEEKLY positive behavior incentive system.  Students with no negative Dojo points each week will get to participate in Lunch Bunch in Room 36 on Friday!

The following students will be participating in September's Top "10" Dojo Party on Wednesday during lunch:
86  Amaree
86  Karen
80  Giselle
77  Sophia
75  Jasmine
74  Perla
73  Aidan
73  Jesse
72  Chon Tray
67  Ericka
67  Johnny