Learning Updates 10.28.11

Here's a quick update of our week together:

Math

• Took the Unit 3 assessment, coming home in Friday Folders
• Started Unit 4. Worked with decimal place value, notation, representing using base 10 blocks

Reading

• Focused on determining main idea by examining Van Gogh's Starry Night and looking at a shared reading on the printing press. We pulled important details & used them to come up with a main idea.
• Mrs. McGraw did a focus lesson on schema (background knowledge) related to a poem about popcorn on a stove.

Writing

• Began our second writing unit, again on Personal Narratives, but we'll go much deeper this time
• Learned new strategies for generating writing ideas, i.e. thinking of turning points such as first or last times, of times when strong emotions were involved, or of classic family stories

Science

• Continued to observe our aquaria and terraria
• Added our crickets and isopods to the terraria, and assembled the eco column!
• Fun bonus--ask your child to write "isopod" on a sticky note and get it to me by Friday 11/4 for 10 Grizzly Bucks.

Dependent vs. Independent Relationships. Our class generated this during a discussion. Click to view larger and ask your student to explain this to you.

Mayhem! Two crickets on the loose and half the class on the hunt. The story ends happily with both fugitives apprehended and happily enjoying the confines of their new terrarium.

Learning Updates 10.21.11

Happy Friday,

We've been pretty busy lately. Here's the latest:

Social Studies

• We finished our Regions of Washington Unit

Science

• Started our ecosystems unit. Thanks for all your help in gathering 2 liter bottles! Also, big thanks to Christa Elin for cutting all those bottles
• Had an in class field trip from Science to Go on Food Webs
• Students built aquariums and terrariums and have been observing them in their science notebooks
• Animals arrived (mosquito fish, snails, crickets and isopods--pill bugs) and we'll put them in the aquariums and terrariums next week

Researching water plants in their small group, and preparing for their presentation.

Math

• We've practiced multiplication facts, looked at the multiplication/division connection, calculated airline route distances, practiced problem solving procedures, worked with parentheses in number sentences, and worked with open sentences--solving variables like in algebra
• We'll both review and take the math test on Monday. Students have the sheet in their math tab and can do some work at home, but there will be in-class time to work on the review as well

Writing

Author's chair. Cheers to finishing our first writing unit! Be sure to view students' writing pieces here!

• We had an author's chair celebration for our first unit of writing--Personal Narratives
• Students wrote some fabulous pieces. Please check them out digitally here!
• Brainstormed and wrote some haunted house stories
• We'll begin a new personal narrative writing unit next week, where we'll delve much deeper in to the elements of effective story writing. Personal Narratives are a great topic to use while we're learning these skills because students are knowledgeable experts on the events of their lives

Reading

• Ask your student what's been happening in our read aloud book, Gollywhopper Games. In the story, the main character, Gil, is faced with a dilemma. Should he accept a "wheelbarrow of cash" in return for quitting the games now that he's in the final five, or should he continue on. Ask your child what they would choose in his place and why. Also, why was he the only finalist offered all this cash?
• Made inferences by looking only at pictures and only at text clues in a PowerPoint presentation. Students then practiced in their own books
• Looked at the strategy of visualizing when we read
• Students worked in small groups to become experts on a piece of our science reading on elodea, duckweed, and algae. Students practiced finding evidence for a particular statement. They then presented their section and their learning to the class.
• If you're reading this part, here's a fun bonus: ask your student to write the word "ecosystem" on a sticky note or piece of paper. Have them bring it to Mr. Herzberg before Friday next week for 10 Grizzly Bucks! :)

Presenting their group's information on producers and consumers.

More presentations--this one on Elodea, the plant on the screen behind them and also in our aquaria.

Putting water plants in their aquaria--elodea, duckweed and algae.

Gathering duckweed

Live animals have arrived. The crickets are so interesting to watch!

More live animals. This was the place to be before school started on Thursday!

Learning Update 10.7.11

Here's a taste of what we've been doing this week:

Experts taught their groups everything they'd learned about their region. Then we played the process grid game.

Students put heads together to learn from their expert.

Rain Shadow Effect Demonstration. Ask your student all about this and how the effect works in Washington.

Class Sort. Students took turns sorting words on the Activboard.

Mr. Ciraulo came to our class to talk about problem solving. He will join us monthly to help us apply a four step problem solving method.

Students gave student council representative speeches. Then we voted for two representatives.

Student Council Speeches. Each fourth and fifth grade class will elect two representatives.

 Math

• Took Unit 2 assessment and open response Monday
• Started Unit 3 on multiplication & division, number sentences & algebra
• Please print & hang on to the Unit 3 Family letter (attached to my email)
• Reviewed what’s my rule problems, strategies for solving multiplication facts, & the 50s facts test routine

Reading

• Started reading buddies with Miss Evanger’s 2^nd grade class
• Began a new set of word sort words & did some sorts
• Read John Henry and talked about hyperbole, features of tall tales, and similes
• Class discussed “what we know to be true about reading” and then students began their reading response journals with their own thoughts about this
• Started a new read aloud—The Gollywhopper Games (A Sasquatch Award Winning Book this year)

 Writing

• Looked deeper at zooming in on the heart of stories
• Students wrote and revised clean copies of the story they will publish
• Students began revising conferences with me and with student coaches

Social Studies

• Finished expert groups
• Experts taught their group about their region, then we played the process grid game
• Students filled in their process grids
• Conducted a rain shadow simulation

School News 10.7.11

Parent-Teacher Conferences, November 30th-December 1^st—SIGN-UP

Dear Parents,

This year we are using VolunteerSpot to schedule our Parent-Teacher Conferences. To schedule a Parent-Teacher Conference for either November 30th or December 1st, click here. VolunteerSpot will ask you for your email address. This address will only be used to contact you with a confirmation of your appointment as well as with a reminder two days before your conference. Email addresses are not used in any other way.

Process:

        1.  Parents click to sign up for a conference between now and November 23rd.

        2.  Teachers check VolunteerSpot to verify scheduled conferences.

        3.  Parents will receive a reminder email two days before the conference.

Any changes needed to be made after November 23rd need to be done through the classroom teacher and not VolunteerSpot.

For detailed directions, click here.

If you have any trouble accessing the site, please contact Leslie Lederman at ledermanl@issaquah.wednet.edu.

Thank you,
The Grand Ridge Staff

For the Men of Grand Ridge!

Are you ready for some football? Come kick off the school year and meet other Grand Ridge dads and men, all while watching Monday Night Football at Zeeks. There'll be great prices and great fun just for us. Note which date corresponds to the age(s) of your child(ren), and attend that night's festivities. If football's not your thing, don't despair! We have more plans up our sleeves for the upcoming weeks; but to start off with pizza and football was too obvious to pass up. We look forward to seeing you there. Times will be 6:30-8:30 pm each night.  Hosted by MEN of Grand Ridge PTSA. Questions? Contact Tim Ryan at tryteo@comcast.net.

Monday, Oct. 10, Kindergarten-1st grade

Monday, Oct. 17, 2-3rd grade

Monday, Oct. 24, 4-5th grade

The Grand Ridge Book Swap
October 13th^th from 5-8PM
With special guest Charlie Williams as… The Noise Guy!
*Students are required to be accompanied by a chaperone to attend this event. 
Thank you!*

Coffee with Christy

October 25th 9:30 - 10:30

Grand Ridge Commons

Grand Ridge’s 1st Auction is on February 11, 2012 - NOW ACCEPTING SPONSORSHIPS.     Are you seeking to promote products and services to the Grand Ridge Community?  The Auction is the perfect venue to not only market your business, but to contribute to our children's future at the same time. For more information contact Auction Sponsorship Lead,  Dan Wilson, 425-577-1170.

Learning Update

Dear Families,

It’s been another terrific week packed with learning. I’ve had a great time working with your students. Here are some highlights of what we’ve been up to. Plus, I’ve included some probing questions to help you get more information out of your fourth graders.

-Mr. Herzberg

Family Size. Our class' data is literally off the chart. We used these sticky notes to create a line plot and then found landmarks.

Social Studies

• Students partner read the rest of Chapter 1 in our WA Adventure textbook about landforms and changing land
• Took a unit one open book test on this material
• We reviewed common landforms and took an Activote quiz on the topic
• Began expert groups--small group of students read, then highlighted and sketched important info about one of the five regions of WA

Math

• Finished Unit 2, students completed a study guide and are reviewing the material over the weekend before Monday’s test
• Studied landmarks like minimum, maximum, range, mode, and median
• Practiced finding the median and creating line & bar graphs
• Ask your student about how we gathered and used data regarding family size and head sizes

Writing

• Continued our exploration and study of personal narratives
• In addition to experimenting with a number of pieces in this genre, most students should now have two small moments seed idea stories written
• Learned this week about reliving the episode as you write about it, when/how to paragraph, zooming in on a part of your timeline, and letting the heart of your story guide the angle you take with it
• Students have now chosen one of their seed stories to revise and publish in the coming days. Ask your student about the one they chose. What’s the heart of it (what do they really want to show) and how are they doing this?

Reading

• Introduced word work this week
• We did a whole class word sort on our Activboard
• Learned/tried some different sorts including: writing sort, blind buddy sort, speed sort
• The idea behind these sorts is that they are a fun way for students to interact with word patterns. By doing this work they have to think analytically, and through our discussions, they will uncover word patterns that will help them become better spellers, readers and writers
• Talked more about/practiced the strategy of checking for understanding
• Finished our read aloud There’s a Boy in the Girl’s Bathroom
• Ask—what was your favorite part of the read aloud/why? What was Louis Sachar’s (the author’s) message? Give some examples of how the characters changed throughout the story. Also—what was your favorite word sort this week/why?

School News 10.1.11

Pictures Needed 

We will be putting together a school wide slide show of Veterans in our lives and community.  Please send digital pictures to Alice Badgley badgleya@issaquah.wednet.edu to be included in this special presentation.  Please include name and division of the military they served.

Please submit pictures by Wednesday Nov. 2^nd.
Thanks,
Grand Ridge Staff 

Japan is coming to Grand Ridge in October 

Throughout this school year, the PTSA's Cultural Diversity Council will be highlighting various countries and their cultures each month.  Look for our World Map in the Commons and a museum of Japanese items and books in the library.  Plus, every Tuesday throughout the month of October there will be events in the lunchroom and activities during afternoon recess.  Let us know what countries and cultures you'd like to see represented in future months!  For more information, please contact Susan Wan (susanwan@gmail.com) or Yuki Foss at (yukifoss2@hotmail.com).

Salmon Days Run
Calling all physical fitness and healthy living enthusiasts. The Issaquah Schools Foundation wants you to sign up for the Issaquah Rotary Run at Salmon Days on Sunday, October 2nd. The 10K run, 5K walk and 1K Kids Dash offer challenges for every level AND a portion of each entry fee will benefit theIssaquah Schools Foundation—which will then benefit your kids. Go to www.isssaquahrun.com to join the fun.
  

Book Swap!

On October 13^th we’ll be holding our school’s second annual children’s book swap at Grand Ridge.  We’re looking for picture books and chapter books of all genres that are appropriate for elementary aged students.  You may drop off your donated books to Grand Ridge Elementary September 26-October 7th.  If you would like more information, or would like to help with this event, contact Sara Winnick swinnick@ihmail.com.  
School Directory updateAs a benefit of joining, all PTSA member households receive a Grand Ridge School Directory.  The directory is being worked on right now and should be ready for delivery in the beginning of November.   Join the Grand Ridge PTSA today!

Committee Chair Meeting
Do you chair a PTSA committee, or would you like to?  We are having a meeting on Thursday October 6th at 9:30 in P7.  We will go over a lot of helpful information with regards to working on any PTSA programs or events.  Come learn who to contact, what you need, where inventory is, and how to get into our new storage container!  Please email Carolyn Kennedy (carolynk2@hotmail.com) with questions.
Save the Date!  Grand Ridge’s 1^st Auction is on February 11, 2012.     Would you like to see more Arts? Music? Science? in your child’s education?  Here is a chance to channel your donations.  This is not your Parent’s Auction!  Get ready for an adult night-out party!   Tickets go on sale Nov. 1st.  Proceeds to benefit Science, Art, and Music at Grand Ridge.  More information can be found on the PTSA Website.  Questions? Please email the Auction Chair, Lida Buckner
ARTISTS WANTED!
2011- 2012 REFLECTIONS PROGRAM
“DIVERSITY MEANS…..”
Submissions due: Thursday, Oct. 27^th.
For more information go to:http://www.grandridgeptsa.org/programs