Blog Archives

Update - September 28

9/27/2014

Hello Parents,

Parent-teacher conferences start this week! I look forward to talking with you about your child's progress and answering any questions you may have. Here is the link in case you still need to sign up: www.SignUpGenius.com/go/10C0E4FAFAD29A4F85-october

Sacramento trip forms went home last week. Please let me know if you did not receive it. Registration is due by October 15. I am very excited and I hope that every one of my students will be able to attend. Please let me know if you have any financial concerns.

We are moving on to the Nemesis Set of word parts. The spelling, vocabulary, and word part quiz will be Wednesday, October 8.

Homework for the week:

I'd Rather Read log and response.
Math practice sheet and 2 problem-solving tasks.
Spelling - Choose 2 activities from this updated spelling menu.
Science: Students can add 20 minutes of reading time to their logs for this reading time. They will read pages 202-205 of Science Resources and then reread portions to answer questions, found here.
Poem of the Week assignment.

I hope to see everyone at Beautification Day. I will be there for a couple of hours. :)

Have a great week,
Christina Polay

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Update - September 21

9/21/2014

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Hello Parents,

This week, we will take our Athena Set quiz on Wednesday, along with the spelling and vocabulary quizzes.

Homework for the week (due September 29):

I'd Rather Read response and log: This week, students will reflect on their progress instead of writing about what they read.
Math: 2 problem-solving tasks and 1 practice sheet.
Social Studies: Following these instructions, students will read and respond to questions in Our California.

School is closed this Thursday.
Beautification Day is Sunday from 10 - 2. I hope to see you there!
Please contribute to the Annual Fund.
Parent-teacher conferences are scheduled Oct 1 - 17. Dismissal is at 2:00, except on Tuesdays.
Fourth grade photo day is October 14.

Have a great week,
Christina Polay

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Update - September 14

9/14/2014

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Hello Parents,

Thank you so much for a great Back to School morning! I can't put into words how much I appreciate your support.

I added information about the online Khan Academy to my Math page. If you would like your child to practice online, you will need to register for an account and add my class code to the "Add coaches" link. Once you do this, we will both be able to monitor your child's progress. I have chosen content for my class that includes practice questions and videos. It isn't a perfect site. Let me know if you have problems using it, and I will try to help.

Also on my Math page, is a picture of one of the mental math charts from last week and a brief description of the four mental math strategies we have learned so far. Up until last week, we were working on mentally adding and subtracting numbers. We reviewed how to use a number line and a bar diagram to show our thinking. Last week, we started mental multiplication (two-digit times a one-digit number). We haven't reviewed any new strategies for multiplication, so it was great to see the strategies we learned for addition being applied.

We began our Rocks and Minerals unit on Friday. For extra credit, students can visit my Science page and post a comment about the big idea of the lesson in the science lab.

There are pictures posted on the Pictures page, which you can find by hovering your mouse over the "About" page and then scrolling down to Pictures. I update them periodically... enjoy!

The Scholar Mastery Club is underway... go Scholars!

We will learn a new set of word parts this week - the Athena Set. We will be quizzed on the word parts and the spelling/vocabulary words on Wednesday, September 24. We have been very busy finding words that include the word parts we have learned this year. I just finished hanging up the necklaces where we will accumulate beads (one bead for every found word) - stop by next week to see how many your child has earned. Students can earn beads outside of class by completing the Found Words sheet.

Homework for this week:

I'd Rather Read log and response - this week I included two questions that involve reading comprehension strategies we have learned in class, Aha Moments and Contrasts & Contradictions.
Math Practice Sheet on comparing numbers or 20 minutes on Khan Academy.
2 Math Problem-Solving Tasks.
Spelling Menu - choose two activities for the week.
Science - read pages 182 - 185 and answer questions 1-2. The questions should be answered in the science journal.
Video Writing Prompt.

Don't forget to sign up for your parent-teacher conference in October. Visit www.SignUpGenius.com/go/10C0E4FAFAD29A4F85-october.

Have a great week!

Christina Polay

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Update - September 10

9/9/2014

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Hello Parents,

Here is the link to my presentation for Back to School Morning.

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Update - September 7

9/7/2014

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Hello Parents,

This week we will continue our work with the Poseidon Set. Students should know the meaning of the word parts for Friday's quiz. There will also be a spelling and vocabulary quiz on Friday.

Homework for the week:

Our Poem of the Week is, "I Was Walking in a Circle" by Jack Prelutsky. The assignments are all due on Monday, September 15. Responses should be neat and thorough. Just as in the I'd Rather Read response/log, students should state the title of the poem and the author in the first sentence. We discuss the poems in class, so answers should be rich with details and text evidence.
I'd Rather Read log and response.
Math practice sheet.
Two math Problem Solving Tasks. Please don't show them how to solve the problem or write it out for them. Instead, start these problems early in the week and have them come to me with specific questions. You can also ask them what they know about the problem, have them draw what they know, and ask what they are trying to figure out. Talking with someone about a word problem before trying to solve it is very helpful.
Study the Poseidon Set of word parts. Optional homework: Find words with the word parts in something read at home. Use the "Found Words!" sheet to record your work and earn beads.
Study the spelling words. Optional homework: Practice typing while you learn the spelling words. Type the words several times - use correct finger placement (refer to the typing sheet I distributed in class).

We are still collecting lids and caps for the classroom. My family and I are volunteering to clean up the Santa Monica beach with Heal the Bay on September 20 from 9-12. If you'd like to join us, sign up at http://www.healthebay.org/volunteer/calendar/coastal-cleanup-day. Click "Sign me up!" and choose as your site, Santa Monica beach at Bay St. (Inkwell Monument, Tower 20). You only need to print the safety waiver. Let me know if you will be coming so that I will look for you!

I hope to see you Wednesday for Back to School Morning. You should definitely try to attend Kari Chi's presentation afterwards on the Common Core Standards in Math. Enjoy your Sunday!

Christina Polay

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