Field Trip Photos

If you haven't already seen them, you'll want to check out the photos of our field trip at The Farm Corn Maze. There are even a couple videos, too. Click on the Class Photos tab of our blog to navigate there.

Class News

Products of Washington Celebration:  Students had a fantastic time today reviewing what they have learned and eating products of Washington.  I would like to thank all those who sent in food items and helped out during the celebration.  We couldn’t have done it without you.

Global Reading Challenge – If your student is interested in participating, please have them complete the paperwork and return it on Monday.  Meetings will begin within the next couple of weeks.  Please contact me if you have any questions.

Learning Updates

Math: As we continue with Unit 2 students practiced identifying values of digits in numbers up to a billion and practiced reading and writing large numbers. Students played “Fishing for Digits”.  “Fishing for Digits” combines place value and calculator skills.  We also looked at data this week. Ask your child about how we used raisins in math the other day. We've talked about landmark numbers like minimum, maximum, range, mode and mean. Yesterday we made a line plot graph with sticky notes representing the number of people in each student's family. Ask your student how we then found the median using the sticky notes.

READING:  We continue our journey through the decades learning about Washington’s History in our novel, Horse’s Tale. This week we read about the decades of the 1950s and 1960s, following the horse from Darrington to Seattle. Ask your child why Ole did not want to help his dad on the fishing boat. Also ask your child what the Puyallup Fairgrounds were used for during part of World War II.

In read aloud we continue to read Maniac Magee. Ask your child about the new friend that Maniac has made. Also, how are some of the stories that friend shares like the small moments stories we're writing in class?

WRITTEN LANGUAGE:  Students continue to work on their seed stories. At this point they should have one fairly developed idea and should be starting in on a second. This week we've learned about how authors can use timelines to chart and plan out the main actions that happen in a story. Timelines allow us to eliminate extraneous parts from our small moments stories and also help us play with different points we could start the story. We talked about how you can zoom in on one timeline point and stretch it by detailing all the actions that occurred inside that.

SOCIAL STUDIES:  We continue our study of Washington’s regions.  This week we finished our expert groups with the Okanogan Highlands region. Students worked on individual tasks. Ask your child which ones they worked on. We also went to the computer lab and began our Glogs. Judging by their excitement--you've probably already heard. Meanwhile, we used the expert group facts and also gathered new facts to help students write five paragraphs about their chosen region that will go on their glog. Today, students took an open book assessment covering information in Chapter One of their textbooks.

School News

School Pictures & Picture Re-take Day – Friday, October 22
If you ordered a school picture package, it will be sent home via “kid mail” (backpack) before October 22. If you wish to have your child’s portrait re-taken, simply send the photo package back to school with your child on October 22.
If your child has not already had his or her picture taken and you would like to purchase a picture package, order forms are available in the school office.  They are due Friday, October 22.

Ride the bus to protect classroom dollars!   We need all regular bus riders to make sure to ride the bus from Monday, Oct. 4, through Friday, Oct. 8. These rider numbers determine the amount of funding our Transportation Department receives from the State of Washington.

Reflections Art Competition:  Join the Fun!  Enter your artwork in this year’s Reflections Art Competition, October 11 ~ 22, 2010. The 2010-2011 Reflections theme is:  “Together We Can…”  Please take the time to read the rules for your category at http://www.grandridgeptsa.org/programs.html

If you have any questions, Please contact Theora Dalupan at grptsavpprograms@gmail.com.

The Farm Field Trip

The field trip to the Corn Maze was definitely the highlight of our week!  We started with some rain, but it quickly tapered off. Aside from some soggy and muddy routes through the maze, it turned out to be a great day. The kids thoroughly enjoyed navigating their way through the corridors of Washington State Freeways and stopping along checkpoints to learn about Washington History!  Thank you again to everyone who chaperoned! If your child would like to go again, they can get in free if they wear the orange sticker that is coming home in their Friday Folder.

Math – Unit 2, Using Numbers and Organizing Data, started with students taking a virtual field trip to Washington D.C..  Next week students will practice reading and writing numbers up to one billion as well as review number place value.  On Monday students took the Unit 1 assessment.  Their graded tests will be coming home soon.

Reading – We continue our journey through the decades learning about Washington’s History in our novel, Horse’s Tale.  This week we read about the decades of the 1900s, 1910s, and 1920s, following the horse from Ritsville to Yakima, to Roslyn. Ask your child what Henry’s phobia was, and why he had to get over his fear.

The class is still engrossed in our read aloud, Maniac Magee. Ask your child what’s been happening lately. What unfair things have happened to Maniac recently? Why did he get in a huge fight with Angela? Have them tell you about Cobble’s Knot.

Writing – This week we’ve been working on choosing a favorite personal narrative piece. We’ve spent time studying great leads and endings in books at school and at home. Students have practiced writing different types of leads and endings for their favorite piece. They also have practiced writing a discovery draft—re-writing their favorite story quick and long in order to bring out more details. Ask your student about which story they selected. Ask them to explain why it’s a seed story and not a watermelon story.

Social Studies – Students worked on team tasks and individual tasks this week in our studies of Regions of Washington. Meanwhile, I met with expert groups. Every student will be an expert on one of the four remaining regions: Coastal Region, Cascade Mountain Region, Columbia Plateau, and Okanogan Highlands (we studied our region: Western Lowlands as a class). In expert groups students read, sketched, labeled, highlighted, and mind mapped. They’ll have a chance to teach the rest of the class about their region, and then we’ll play the process grid game. Ask your student what region they are an expert on. See if they can tell you a major city, a landform, a product produced there, what the climate is like and an interesting fact.

School News

4th Grade Music Concert
Mark your calendars--Thursday, March 17th at 7:00 p.m.

Grizzly Tracks Walk-a-Thon & Fall Festival is BACK! ~ Sept 29, from 5pm-8pm

• Grand Ridge PTSA will hold its annual Walk-a-Thon to benefit Teacher Grants.  100% proceeds will be used this school year for Grants.
• Last year the Walk-A-Thon raised $19,500.  This year the goal is $20,000! 
• The Walk-a-thon Festival will have great music, lots of fun carnival activities and food for purchase!  (vendors accept cash only)
• Grand Ridge PTSA Walk-A-Thon is a whole family event.  Stollers welcome.  Chaperones Required.
• Pledge Forms are available on the Grand Ridge PTSA website,  http://www.grandridgeptsa.org/, and PTSA Bulletin Board

New this year...

• The route will be in the school parking lot, with a zippy new running lane! 
• A Silent Auction, with themed baskets put together by each classroom
• $1 Raffle to win "Pizza and a Puzzle" lunch for 2 with Principal Otley