Thanks, Monday, conferences, a new field trip, and a message from your principal....yikes!

Thanks again to everyone who made it to the Tech Museum with us on Friday. The IMAX film was a treat and really served to help reinforce what we have discovered with our social studies work, as well as preview what lies ahead. Permission slips for our next field trip, the Monterey Bay Aquarium on Thursday, October 18th, are in today's Green Folders.
Also in today's folders are several notices. The first notice will inform parents and families when their child's conference will be held. If you have more than one student at Rio, this yellow sheet may have gone home with a sibling. I ask that parents allow their children to attend their conference. It is important for the kids to hear the conversations we have and understand that I keep an open line of communication with families and students alike. The second notice will inform you of our principal's decision to take on additional responsibilities within the school district.

Students are responsible for the following work tonight:

-Reading Log (due Friday)
-math lesson 27, problems 10-27
-Reading workbook page 79
-James and the Giant Peach vocabulary & puzzle (due Friday)
-continue preparing final drafts of ocean animal reports and art for Friday

Respectfully, Mr. B

Thursday and Friday

Howdy all. We had a great day and the kids are very excited about tomorrow's trip to the Tech. Again, we are leaving school at 8am and returning prior to the end of the day. Students and parents will need to bring a bag lunch and a good attitude.

Students are responsible for their reading log only tonight.

Respectfully, Mr. B

Wednesday, Good & Bad.....

The fourth grade teachers were notified by The Tech Museum yesterday that we would not have access to the body exhibit on Friday unless we paid an additional $12 per person. That is out of the classroom budget, and I would not ask families to pay for an exhibit that we would only be able to view for an hour. With that, if families would like to view the exhibit, I would encourage them to visit the Tech on a separate date. Tickets can be purchased on-line in advance. I apologize greatly for the confusion regarding this exhibit. I realise that it has caused much debate among the students and parents alike. I would still encourage those who volunteered their time to accompany us Friday to still come along. The more the merrier.

Students are responsible for the following work tonight:

-Reading Log
-Native California vocabulary
-California Reflections page 81, questions 1-4
-California Reflections workbook page 20
-Math 11-1 / 11-6
(all work was started in class)

The students can expect a vocabulary quiz and a James and the Giant Peach quiz tomorrow.

Respectfully, Mr. B

Tuesday

Howdy all. We began two new writing assignments today, and both will be completed in class. Our attempts with scary stories for Halloween will be collected into a classroom anthology. The other, a smaller piece, will center on our work with "James and the Giant Peach".
We began work on our Power Point presentations for our ocean animal reports today. This project will be completed in class, but I will attempt to upload a few examples to the classroom blog once they are completed.

Students are responisble for the following work tonight:
-Reading Log
-California Reflections workbook pages 18 & 19
-noun packet

No math tonight. Students should continue studying for Thursday's California vocabulary quiz.

Respectfully, Mr. B

Monday and beyond

Howdy all. Lots of information went home in today's Green Folders. Please keep an eye out for notices regarding the the Harvest Festival, School Beautification and other school tidbits. If at all possible, I would encourage everyone to help out with the Harvest festival in any way they can. Amy Jeske has done an amazing job facilitating and chairing this event, and it is a great way for families to connect.

Thanks to those of you who have returned my email regarding Friday's drivers and chaperones. Please remember that all students will need bring a sack lunch for the trip.

We started two new book units today. I am reading John Steinbeck's "the Red Pony" to the class and we are reading Roald Dahl's "James and the Giant Peach" together. Both books will carry us through to the end of October.

Students are responsible for the following work tonight:

-Reading Log (new copy in the Green Folder)
-Math 4A (most completed in class)
-California: Reflections workbook page 17
-Ocean Animal rough drafts (students were given one half hour to begin transferring their ocean animal color draft on to a lined rough draft that I can edit. Rough drafts will be collected on Tuesday and Wednesday and returned to students next Monday so that they can write final drafts for the October 7th due date.)

Respectfully, Mr. B