Thursday, December 14, 2023

Monday, December 18th 2023

Happy Monday Families!

As we inch closer to Winter Break and the New Year, I can't help but look back on all the wonderful things our students have done so far this school year!  As we reflect on the hard work that they have done so far this school year and the progress they've made, our students will leap into the break and the new year to continue to work towards meeting their academic and social-emotional goals. 

Here are the concepts we are focusing on as we continue to work after Winter Break:

Literacy
Our students just wrapped up reading our shared text, "Angel Island".  The text told about the history and hardships surrounding immigrating through Angel Island in the early 20th century.  As we worked through the text, we practiced identifying while 
comparing and contrasting the author's point of view and the evidence they used to support their points.  When we return from break, our students will continue to practice this skill using various non-fiction texts and take their end of cycle assessment to test this standard. 

Writing
This week, we started to plan our new analytical essay.   
The prompt given was "Write an essay to explain what is similar and different about the author's point of view on Reality TV".  We will continue to focus on students' organization, explaining how the evidence in their papers support the key ideas and the overall thesis, and writing effective and engaging lasting impressions within their conclusions.  

Math
Our students have worked hard to practice various multiplication strategies in order to multiply both 
2-digit by 2-digit and 3-digit by 2-digit problems.  We will spend the week when we return from Winter Break to practice applying what was learned and how it relates to the standard algorithm of multiplication.   

Science
We recently wrapped up our studies about the Earth's systems.  We analyzed how farming and industries negatively impact Earth's four systems (biosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere).  We also discussed ways people could protect the Earth, which involved the conservation of resources, such as fossil fuels.  In our investigation last week, we took on the role of engineers and used various materials to design a water filter that could remove dirt and produce clean water.  Through this investigation, we explored the consequences of pollution and ways to protect the Earth's systems.  Make sure to see pictures of our engineers below!  
The remaining time before break and the week after we return, our focus will be on describing the similarities and differences between the timing of observable changes in shadows, daylight, and the appearance of stars.  











Upcoming Events
December 21st - January 8th: WINTER BREAK
January 15th: No School (Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day)


Friendly Reminders

*As winter weather approaches, please make sure your student is properly dressed for recess.

*Please remind your student to charge his/her iPad and Logitech Crayon every night.

*Orchestra & Band Parents: Please make sure your students have their instrument on assigned days.

*Please remember to send your student with a healthy snack - nothing feeds the brain like a healthy snack!  

*Please continue to have your student practice their multiplication facts up to 12.


I hope everyone has a wonderful Winter Break and that you are able to take time to rest and be surrounded by Peace, Love, and Joy!


Enzie Pangilinan

Tuesday, December 5, 2023

Tuesday, December 5th, 2023

Happy Tuesday Families!

Can you believe that December has already arrived? I hope you were able to spend some quality time with loved ones last week during our short break! This week we have "hit the ground running" and have been working very hard! Please read below to find out what we are working on in each academic subject!

Please also see the important dates below and take note of the fact that Winter MAP testing will take place on Wednesday and Thursday of this week. Testing will take place first thing in the morning on both days.

 As we begin to wrap up 2023, here's what's going on within our classroom!

 

Literacy

Last week, our shared text featured an excerpt of the novel, Hatchet. The text told the story of Brian, a thirteen-year-old boy, who encountered a completely unexpected and unfortunate event that left him stranded in the Canadian wilderness to survive by himself with nothing but a hatchet. Using Hatchet, we discussed Brian's thoughts, actions, and feelings in order to analyze the challenges he faced and determine the overall theme. We also practiced our summarizing skills by identifying the main events and character responses in the text.

 

Writing

Our analytical writing continues to focus on the students' opinions of what type of class pet we should have in our classroom. After researching, students have been utilizing graphic organizers to organize information into reasons and evidence that support their animal. We will be practicing more with writing an engaging introduction, keeping our body paragraphs clear and organized, and writing strong conclusions. Ask your student which class pet they chose and why!

 

Math

We wrapped up our math unit on decimals and place value before Thanksgiving. Our upcoming unit encompasses multi-digit multiplication. Students will be learning how to use the standard algorithm to multiply. In Number Corner, we will measure our height and feet length within inches. Throughout the month of December, we will regularly plot the data onto a line plot. We will also be plotting the data onto a scatter plot to analyze the correlation between height and foot length. For the last few days we have been working on converting customary and metric measurements. We've learned a cool tic-tac-toe strategy to help us convert accurately! Be sure to ask your student how it works!

 

Science

We are digging deeper into our unit about the Earth's systems. We have learned about Earth’s four systems (biosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere). We will be focusing on how the four systems are constantly interacting. We have some really fun, hands-on investigations in the coming days to support our learning!

 

Upcoming Events

Wednesday, December 6th- MAP Testing (Reading)

Thursday, December 7th- MAP Testing (Math)

Tuesday, December 19th -  Early Release (Dismissal @ 2:05pm)

Wednesday, December 20th-PTO Special Lunch

Thursday, December 21st--Winter parties @2:00

Friday, December 22--No School--Winter Break Begins

 

Friendly Reminders

  • As winter weather approaches, please make sure your student is properly dressed for recess.

  • Please remind your student to charge his/her iPad and Logitech Crayon every night.

  • Orchestra & Band Parents: Please make sure your students have their instrument on assigned days.

  • Please remember to send your student with a healthy snack - nothing feeds the brain like a healthy snack!  

  • Please continue to have your student practice their multiplication facts up to 12.


Thank you for your continued partnership and have a great week!

Enzie Pangilinan