Our Lovely Classroom

Dear Parents, This week your child is on his or her way to becoming an algebra rock star!  We are amazed at how fast everyone is catching on.  I probably was a bit ambitious with one of the homework sheets that was selected.  If you want to know how to solve it, you can click here or do some simpler algebra problems that we did in class, using those worksheets or work found in the links further down.   http://www . purplemath .com/ modules/ workprob . htm If any of these problems are too hard, students are welcome to skip them and we will be able to go over them in class.  I don't want anyone spending more than 20 minutes a day on any of these pages because I want to prevent the level of math frustration that can make learning math more difficult in the future! Here is a link for simple variable problems: http://www.math-drills.com/ algebra/algebra_missing_ numbers_operations_0120_ variables_001.html here is the link for a 5th grade level v...

Upcoming Activities: Renaissance Fair and Pi Day We are so excited about two upcoming activities:  the Renaissance Fair (March 4) and Pi Day (March 14).  In order to prepare for these upcoming activities, we will be examining life in the Renaissance period, as well as covering the geometrical concepts needed to fully understand the value of PI. Over the next week, students will research a chosen aspect of the renaissance and share with the class, in order to gain a greater understanding of this much-celebrated period in our history.  Stay tuned for more details!  Pi day is to be a mathematical celebration of all things circular, where the children are invited to bring round foods and calculate the area, circumference, surface area, and/or volume of circles, cylinders, cones, and spheres.  Over the next two weeks, students will be busy measuring and calculating various geometric figures and forms as well as receiving the Montessori foundational lessons th...

The last few weeks, students have been putting a great deal of effort into writing. We are so pleased as we have watched our community of writers develop a passion for putting their ideas on paper and developing a cohesive story, using their understanding of literary elements to guide and shape their ideas.  Since January, we have been exploring those literary elements and putting that knowledge to practice in an integrated unit of study.  Students have been working extensively in the revising and editing process and many stories are now ready to publish into a hard-bound book for each student. This has been a lengthy process, where many have needed to rewrite and revise extensively in order to create a descriptive narrative that is fit for publication. We have examined structure of paragraphs, introductions and closings, word choice, and supporting details. While some still need more time, the majority of writers in our learning community are ready to proceed to this final ...

Dear Parents, This week, we are continuing work with commas.  Anyone who is not able to complete the comma worksheets correctly will get additional grammar practice in school for the following week in order to improve writing and editing skills.  Also, we have been working on fraction, decimal, and percent equivalency for the last few weeks and students are to show 20 examples of each equivalency listed on the worksheet to take home.  This work should be done on a separate sheet of paper and be written legibly. Please encourage your child to ask questions at school if any of this work is unclear.  I am always happy to help with homework questions at specific times during the day. Also, any student with incomplete homework for the week will have to make up that work during outdoor environment time. Thank you for supporting your child in completing their work thoroughly, correctly, and in a timely manner. Sincerely, Liza and Kathy

Dear Parents, It feels so great to be back in the classroom after a wonderful break with family and friends.  We had to start last week with several assessments to measure growth.  The school is also adopting a new and improved assessment system that will measure student progress in a more detailed way and provide more usable and measurable data that is able to separate mastery for each student according to each state standard!  The students were wonderful sports about taking so many assessments and for the most part showed tremendous growth.  This system will also help us give more challenging work for the higher achieving students as well as additional interventions for those on the lower end of expected mastery levels. Upcoming Field Trips We are planning a couple field trips including a trip to the renaissance fair on March 4, and a trip to the science center at a date to be determined in February.  If you have a science center membership or are willing ...

Due to some constructive feedback and revelations from parents, I have changed the homework routine to make it more concrete and specific.  Your child should be coming home with a homework plan that lists four areas of focus for the four hours of homework required each week. (1 hour per day, Monday through Thursday) They may choose work in each of three categories (practical life, language, math) and may choose a fourth activity in any category.  They must include some written documentation of their work (IE math problems, reports, written work, reflection of what was learned) and the bottom should be signed by the parent, if they witnessed the completion of the work stated on the form.  Feel free to not sign if incomplete--this does not impact their grade, and is a valuable piece to help build independence and responsibility. Homework must total up 4 hours each week, and if needed, homework may be completed over the weekend.  Thanks for your support in helping your...

Dear Parents, This Friday, December 13 at 1:30, we are having a gingerbread house extravaganza.  Parents are welcome to join us.  We are in need of donations of white frosting (4 tubs), Graham crackers, (5-8 packages) and any leftover Halloween candy, licorice ropes, marshmallows, etc.  We have quite a bit of chocolate frosting and sprinkles from Mercado that we are planning to use.  To avoid duplication, I will create a list at volunteerspot.com to sign up to bring items.  Please click on this link to see the signup sheet:  Here!   When you sign up for an item, others will know what items are already being brought. Also, we are making stockings in class, as well as hand-dipped candles over the next two weeks.  If you have any holiday fabric you are getting rid of, we would love to put it to good use in our classroom!  Also, if you have any small glass baby food jars, we would love to have them to make them into candle holders for our ...