Room 15 Math Kids conquered their recent test on Geometry and are now moving on to multi-column multiplication. Our hope is that within three weeks we’ll be correctly answering problems like $453.98 x 67 with relative ease. Here’s the homework for this week: Tuesday, April 27; Wednesday, April 28; Thursday, April 29; Friday, April 30.
Arbor Day and our walking field trip to South Hazel Street is fast approaching. Permission slips will go home this week for our tree planting project on April 30th. Parents are welcome to join us for the trip, although our 5th grade students are being paired with high school mentors from Crater, so they will be little for us adults to do but take pictures and enjoy watching the hard work of the kids.
Room 15 kids will also be reading their DARE essays in class. Two students will be selected to give a speech at the DARE graduation later this year. If you haven’t yet stopped in to see our red ribbon, please do.
In history this week we’re looking at Native Americans during the time of western expansion. The stories of Captain Jack, Sitting Bull, and Chief Joseph will be the focus.
We’re also finishing up our current Book Clubs, starting our Nutrition unit with Mrs. Odell, and much more. Another busy week in Room 15.
It’s test time. On Thursday of this week students will be taking their big chapter exam on Geometry. We’ll complete a study guide on Wednesday and we’ll review the exam on Friday. Next week, our student teacher, Mrs. Odell, will be leading the students into our unit on multi-column multiplication. Here’s the homework for this week: Tues., April 20; Wed., April 21; Thurs., April 22; and Fri., April 23.
Wild West Week in Woom 15 continues for another week as we look at the telegraph, Buffalo Bill, the transcontinental railroad, outlaws, and wild west towns. Students are encouraged to dress in their favorite cowboy (or cowgirl) garb.
Also this week, students are completing their DARE essays. The final drafts are due Tuesday, April 20th, at which times students will be reciting them to the class in hopes of being selected to speak at the DARE graduation ceremonies. Room 15 kids have also pledged to stay away from illegal substances by signing the Drug Free Red Ribbon. The ribbon includes the signatures of nearly all my students from the last 17 years, most of whom managed to stay true to their pledge. The giant red ribbon is on display in the classroom and well worth a look.
Finally, students have been preparing for our upcoming Arbor Day field trip–a walking trip to Daisy Creek at the Snowy Butte Station development at the end of South Hazel Street. We’ve been working with the City of Central Point in planning a riparian restoration tree planting. Room 15 students will be paired with high school students from the Crater Academy of Natural Sciences while planting 64 trees and shrubs similar to those we’ve planted in and around our playground. Students also invited community “dignitaries” such as City Council members, School Board members, and politicians to join in. Special thanks to Stephanie Holtey from the City for her efforts in planning this event.
We’re still wielding our rulers and meter sticks as if epees in the hands of expert fencers . . . well, maybe more like carrots in the hands of monkeys. Whatever the case, we’re continuing our geometric studies, particularly finding the area and perimeter of rectangles. Students will have a test as early as Friday of this week, but more likely Wednesday of next week. Here’s the homework for this week: Tuesday, April 13; Wednesday, April 14; Thursday, April 15; Friday, April 16.
In our American history studies this week we’ll be sharpening our spurs and dustin’ off our ten gallon hats as we take a close-up look at how the West was won. We’ll learn about how the Civil War spawned a blood-thirsty collection of outlaws such as the Wild Bunch and the James Gang. We’ll say giddy-up to longhorn cattle, wanted posters, the Pony Express, Morse Code, Buffalo Soldiers, Buffalo Bill, and much more. Students are invited to dress the part all week with hats, chaps, or even empty holsters, and as always, parents are welcome to stop in for a visit.
Students are continuing their latest Book Clubs, reading from The BFG, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, or Esperanza Rising. Each student has a nightly reading and relating assignment written in his or her vocabulary journal, to which an adult in the household is supposed to add a signature.
We also have three classroom needs at present: 1. old magazines such as Better Homes, Sunset, and Cooking with pictures of foods and food products we can cut out; 2. food product containers showing nutrition labels; 3.) reasonably healthful snacks for the class such as pretzels or crackers. Thanks in advance for your assistance.
Fourth grade math students are continuing their geometry studies. They’ll touch briefly on congruency, similarity, angles, triangles, and quadrilaterals before settling on a more in-depth study concerning area and perimeter of rectangles, which is the primary focus of new Oregon standards for fourth grade geometry. We also hope to start a new “Mathketball” tourney, so make sure the homework is getting done. Here’s the homework for this week: Tuesday, April 6; Wednesday, April 7; Thursday, April 8; Friday, April 9.
Isn’t it amazing–that really is a photo of Abraham Lincoln! Refreshed and recharged following the break, we’ll be jumping into a quick study of the US Civil War, writing Super Sentences, making peanut butter, and much more. With merely 12 weeks remaining in the school year, we have a ton to cover so we’ll be moving fast. We’ll also be working with our new student-teacher until the end of the year. Mrs. O’Dell, from Southern Oregon University, joins Room 15 after spending the first part of the year teaching in Mrs. Crum’s second grade classroom. We’re glad to have her. Among many other things, she’ll be teaching an extensive unit on Nutrition. Ever wonder what’s really in those chicken nuggets?
Geometry is fantastic! There are enough fun projects involving rays, plane figures, vertices, perpendicularity, and prisms to fill an entire dodecahedron! Even Archimedes would enjoy learning this stuff! Here’s the homework for this week: Tuesday, March 30th; Wednesday, March 31st; Thursday, April 1st; and Friday, April 2nd.
In a normal year, this would be parent-teacher conference week. As I prepare 2nd trimester grades, I’m feeling frustrated at the lost opportunity to meet with the parents of my students. Conferences, I believe, are not merely a means of delivering report cards; they’re essential in building positive home-school partnerships–and even lasting relationships that extend beyond the classroom. Due to State budget cuts, however, the time normally allotted in District 6 for conferencing was eliminated this year. If this frustrates you as much as it does me, write your Oregon legislators and ask for better funding for schools. Were schools adequately funded, your kids would be going to school five days a week, they’d be in classes of less than thirty students, and we’d be sitting down this week to talk about your child’s future. If upon receiving your child’s report card on Friday you feel we need to talk, call me at home (541-664-3947) or e-mail me at mack.lewis@district6.org.
Congrats to “The Orange Crush” for winning the Room 15 Floor Hockey Championship. Our six-week tourney concluded with the team consisting of Brody, Falon, Maddie, Katryna, Anthony, and Isaac beating the “Cool Gangsters” in the championship game.
Applause also for Ally, Cielo, JC, Evan, and Maddie for being the winning team in our 2nd trimester History Jeopardy competition. They “won” over $21,000. History Jeopardy is an engaging way to review all the material we’ve covered over the previous three months in preparation for the trimester exam. It must have worked because the class average was nearly 90%. High fives to Matt and Julianne for their perfect scores!
Thumbs up to Bailey for winning the Fact Car Rally Race. Fact Car Rally is our system of practicing and testing the multiplication and division facts. Bailey finished the year-long race in less than half the year, while Melissa (2nd place) and Ally (3rd place) completed the route in less than two trimesters. Who will finish fourth? Stop by the classroom to check out the “racetrack” and see the current positions.
Finally, hooray for Emma for being among the finalists in the CPE Rotary Student-of-the-Year. The award was ultimately given to Kayliana F. from Mrs. Mac’s class.