Announcements:
Climbing is next week!
Our crew will take will climb the week of November 5th from 9:55-10:45am. Sign-ups for belayers, trainings, and refreshers are available at signupgenius.com under Mr. Doug's email:Doug.Baker@dcsdk12.org
The more volunteers we have, the more climbing students get to do!
The more volunteers we have, the more climbing students get to do!
Book Fair: The Renaissance Book Fair is next week November 17th! Students will get to preview the fair, so they will come home excited. Also, there will be a class wish list, so feel free to donate some great reads to our classroom library. :)
Thanksgiving Family Feast on Thursday, November 20th*: Renaissance would like to invite families to join us for our Thanksgiving Family Feast on Thursday, November 20th. If you would like to join your student(s) for lunch, please complete the online Thanksgiving Feast Sign Up by November 17th so Ms. Zina knows how much food to prepare. Lunch schedules on this day are unique; sign up for the crew you will eat with and enter the quantity of guest joining us at that time.
Our lunch will be at a different time: 12:50-1:15.
Our lunch will be at a different time: 12:50-1:15.
*The November lunch menu shows the Thanksgiving Feast on Wednesday, Nov. 19th. Due to our half-day, we are swapping the lunch menu for the 19th and 20th.
Calendar Updates:
Week of Nov 17th: Book Fair (Tuesday is Family Night 4-7:30)
Week of Nov 17th: Climbing in Gym Have you signed up to belay?
Week of Nov 17th: Climbing in Gym Have you signed up to belay?
Nov 20: Thanksgiving Family Feast
Nov 26-28: No School; Thanksgiving Holiday
Nov 26-28: No School; Thanksgiving Holiday
So Many Exciting Things Going On In Our Classroom!
Creating Video Clips
Remember how we are connecting with a class from Australia? Well Ms. Rowe and I thought it would be fun to send an "Introductory" video to introduce ourselves. When I asked our class, what would be important for Ms. Rowe's class to know about us, they came up with some interesting answers: our schedule, our school, animals we see, and holidays we celebrate. OK! So I let them write and perform skits to share some information about these topics.
After break, we watched the videos and noticed that they could be improved. We discussed having enough details to have a clear message, speaking with fluency in an oral presentation, and giving a good cultural impression. (This all tied beautifully to the 21st Century Skill: Communication by the way! And what an authentic way to practice these skills- for a REAL audience.)
Here is our final product:
We will be partnering all students with an Australian buddy, who they will get to meet NEXT TUESDAY when we skype! :)
Reflections in Expedition
Students have been working hard on their solar oven reflections. In three paragraphs, they reflected on the following:
Question #1: Connect your learning from this expedition to solar ovens. You might include your learning about matter, energy, or the greenhouse effect.
Question #2: Connect your solar oven to the idea of systems. Talk about how your solar oven is a system with parts. Why did you use those parts?
Question #3: Reflect on how you used the creative process. What feedback did you get? Did you use that feedback? Why is revision important?
 I am super impressed with their connections, effort, and transfer of the writing skills we have been working on with factual description. These are proudly posted on our student work wall. You are welcome to swing by and check them out. Bravo!
Student Blogs
Speaking of writing, we FINALLY got our blogs rolling this week. It is a learning process, as we figure out how to personalize themes, create posts, and comment.
You are welcome to view and comment on student blogs!
For parents and families who want to visit:
Password: crew
For students who want to log in:
Username: laurenmg0
(first name, middle initial, last initial, math number)
Password: Dcsdxxxxxxx (lunch number)
Some information about these blogs:
*These blogs are password protected from outside visitors. The password will be shared with you and our Australian buddies.
*All posts and comments must be approved (by me) before they are visible on blogs.
*All students must follow our guidelines/expectations for blogging that we have agreed upon as a crew.
We have talked about the purpose of our blogs as a communication tool to
EXPRESS INDIVIDUALITY by sharing thoughts, stories, and opinions and to
COMMUNICATE with a broader audience.
--This information will also be available on the RESOURCES page for reference.--
Hands-On Math
Students have been using a lot of math tools in this unit. They have been practicing measurement skills with rulers, yard sticks, and meter sticks.
To explore perimeter and area, students used geoboards, pattern blocks, and measured strips of paper.
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TIPS FOR HOME: Can you please check in with your child about measuring to the nearest half inch, quarter inch, and half centimeter? Also review questions such as:
-How many inches in a foot? (12)
-How many feet in a yard? (3)
-How many inches in a yard? (36)
-How many inches in 5 feet? (60)
-How many millimeters in a centimeter? (10)
-How many centimeters in a decimeter? (10)
-How many centimeters in a meter? (100)
***Measurement and the language of measurement can be tricky if you do not use it very often!
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