Week 24

Dear parents and students,

I hope you all enjoyed the Chinese New Year break, and feel refreshed and revitalized. We have had a very short week, but we have achieved a great deal over the three days.

In Maths, we brought our studies of decimals to a close with a Topic Test on Monday. We will take a break from numeration for a while, as we focus on perimeter and area, and how to calculate the perimeters and areas of various types of polygons. This will include a practical use of algebra, as we learn about formulas and how to apply them.

We have continued our work with poems  this week. Before the break we each wrote a poem, and had free choice of what type of poem we wrote. This week, we learned about odes – poems that express great feeling towards a single subject. We have all been working well towards creating our masterpieces, and will recite them in a Poetry Slam on Monday. Parents, you can support your children this weekend by taking some time to listen to the poems, and maybe offering some constructive feedback.

Next Monday, we will also begin reading Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (also known simply as Alice in Wonderland). We will spend the next few weeks focused on this classic story as part of our Reading and Writing Workshop.

We have begun a new topic in Social Studies, and have been learning about the geography of the USA’s Southeast. This region of The USA will seem more familiar to most students, as it shares similar terrain to Taiwan and those of most of our home countries.

We will be capping off our Science unit dedicated to Earth’s surface changes with our field trip to the Taichung Earthquake Museum. Thank you all for returning the permission slips promptly. We are all looking forward to the trip, and it is sure to prove very educational, while displaying the awesome power of nature.

I hope you all enjoy the long weekend. Happy Peace Day, and see you all on Monday!

Dates to Remember:

·       Feb 27-28                      – Peace Day Holiday

·       Wed, March 4^th             – Field trip to Taichung Earthquake Museum

·       March16-20                   – Spirit Week

·       March 18                       – Race Day – Parents welcome

·       March 20                        – School Assembly (Feb/March) – Parents welcome

·       March 23-24                   – International Week Presentations – Parents welcome

Homework, Thursday, 26th February

Maths: Practice 14-2 Areas of Squares and Rectangles; Enrichment 14-2 Perimeter Patterns
R&W Workshop: Practise reciting your odes. Poetry Slam on Monday - Everyone will recite.
Art: Finish your Draw What You See project (foot).
Science: Choose a topic or problem, and who you will work with for the Science Fair (due Friday 6th March)
Some helpful links:
http://www.sciencebuddies.org/
http://www.education.com/science-fair/fourth-grade/
http://www.education.com/science-fair/fifth-grade/
http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/ - sorted by subject

Note: these links are permanently available on the toolbar to the right of this page.

Homework, Wednesday, 25th February

Maths:  Practice 14-1 Understanding Area; Enrichment 14-1 A Square Mosaic
R&W Workshop: Do what you needs to be done to prepare for writing your ode tomorrow.

Homework, Tuesday, 24th February

Maths: Quick Check 13-7 (if not done already)
             Perimeter/Area activity (worksheet)

R&W Workshop: Think about a topic on which to write your ode.  Here is a useful link that may help you.

Week 23

Dear parents and students,

We have had a very full week ahead of the CNY break, complete with a Poetry Slam, Chinese New Year activities, a Science test, and Valentine’s Day celebrations.

In our Reading and Writing Workshop, we read a number of poems and decided which styles we liked best. We then used these models as inspiration to write our own poems, which we then recited before the class in our first ever “Poetry Slam” (recital). We will continue with poetry after the break, before we spend some time reading Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, and celebrate 150 years since the book’s first publication.

In Maths, we have continued our study of decimals, and how one tiny little decimal point can make an enormous difference to the value of a number. A test for Topic 13 is scheduled for the first day back after the break, so there is plenty of time to do some review. After the test, we will take a break from numeration, and focus on perimeter and area as we begin Topic 14.

We have spent several weeks studying Earth Science, and have closed that unit with a test. In the second week back after the break, we will have a chance to see some real and genuine effects of an earthquake when we take a field trip to visit the Taichung Earthquake Museum, which rests on the site of a school that was devastated by the earthquake of September 21^st, 1999. At the museum, we will be taken on a tour by an English speaking guide, and learn more about how earthquakes occur, what the effects can be, and what measures can be taken to survive an earthquake, including the modern technology used to build earthquake resistant buildings. A form will be sent home during the first week back with details of the schedule and cost for the field trip.

Amongst all of this, we have also enjoyed a number of activities for Chinese Week and Valentine’s Day. Slideshows have been included below this newsletter for your enjoyment.

I hope you all enjoy the Chinese New Year holiday, and I look forward to seeing everyone back at school on Tuesday, 24^th February.

Happy New Year of the Goat!

新年快樂！  恭禧發財！

Xin nian kuai le! Gong xi fa cai!

Dates to Remember:

·       February 14-23             – Chinese New Year break

·       Tue, Feb 24                         – School resumes

–      Spelling test

–      Maths test: Topic 13

·       Wed, Feb 25                         – Semester 2 Clubs begin

·       Fri, Feb 27                         – Peace Day Holiday 2/28 (on the 27^th!) – no school!

·       Wed, March 4^th             – Field trip to Taichung Earthquake Museum

Chinese Paper Lanterns

Chinese Week

Valentine's Day

Student of the Week, Week 23

Congratulations to Moe!

Moe has settled down lately to produce her best work again, including an excellent poem for our Poetry Slam.

Well done, Moe, and keep it up!

Homework, Friday, 13th February

Maths: Review Topic 13 (Test on Tuesday, 24th Feb) Practice Test pp.310-311   (answers below)
If you need extra practice: pp. 312-313

Practice 13-7; Enrichment 13-7

Spelling: Review Spelling List F-3 (Test Tue 24th Feb)

Choose 10 words from the spelling list.
In your Reading notebook, or a separate sheet of paper,
write a sentence for each word.
  1 point for correct spelling and grammar.
  2 points for showing the correct meaning of the word.

Example:
Lava is molten rock that reaches the Earth's surface. (3 points)
The lava blasted from the volcanno (2 points: misspelled word and missing period)
I see the lava. (1 point: Correct spelling and grammar, but does not show meaning of the word.)

Reading: We will be reading Alice in Wonderland after the break. You might like to read the book during the break. This is not a requirement, but would be an advantage. Online versions of the book are available for FREE for Kindle and similar devices.

Practice Test Answers

1. C      2. B      3. A      4. D     5. B      6. C      7. D     8. A      9. D     10. A   11. B   12. C   13. C   14. A  

Topic 13 Extra Practice Answer Key

Set A 1. 18; 18.3 2. 18; 17.6 3. 69; 68.6 4. 3; 2.8 5. 7; 6.8 6. 80; 80.1	Set B 1. 28 2. 2 3. 23 4. 3	Set C 1. 0.91 2. 0.36 3. 0.68 4. 0.03	Set D 1. 21.44 2. 28.14 3. 105.59* 4. 3.53 5. 5.94 6. 1.36	SET E 1. 7.11 2. 395.28 3. * 3. 105.59 4. 3.53 5. 5.94 6. 1.36
SET F 1. Corey made 3 baskets, Terry made 8 baskets, and Chris made 9 baskets.		*There may be some errors in this answer key (Thank you Hannah, for pointing this out). It's not a 'trick' - I just typed them in a hurry. Please feel free to add your corrections in the Comments Box below. I can't go back and check, as I've left the book at school! - Mr.C

Homework, Thursday, 12th February

Maths: Practice 13-6 Dividing a Decimal by a Whole Number; Enrichment 13-6 Air Traffic Control
R&W Workshop: Practise reciting your poem - presentation tomorrow!

Remember to bring chopsticks for lunch tomorrow!

Homework, Wednesday, 11th February

Maths: Practice 13-5 Multiplying a Whole Number by a Decimal; Enrichment 13-5 Museum Price
Science: Review Chapter 8 - Test tomorrow!  Practice test pp.C34-C35 (answers below)
R&W Workshop: Be ready to write your poem tomorrow.

Prepare your questions about New Zealand for Mr Rob tomorrow!

Chinese Week Dress in Red Day

Science Ch. 8 Test Prep answers:

1. lava  2. deposition  3. igneous rock  4. mineral  5. rock cycle  6. sediment  7. erosion  8. magma  9. rock  10. core
11. C  12. D  13. B  14. D
15. Check page C7 to make sure you have included the layers in the correct order.
16. (example) Igneous rock is broken into smaller parts by weathering. When these pieces are small enough, they are eroded, or carried away by wind, water, or moving ice and deposited as sediment. The sediment hardens and becomes sedimentary rock.
17. (example) The builder can plant grass. shrubs, and trees. The roots of these plants will hold the soil in place.
18. (example) You will most likely find sedimentary rock. The river would carry bits of sand, rock, and once-living things and deposit them at the mouth of the lake. There, they would harden into sedimentary rock.
19. (example) It is not a god idea to build close to a fault in the Earth's crust. Earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are more likely to occur there.
20. (example) Weathering and erosion break rocks down into smaller pieces and carry them to be deposited in lower places as sediment. This sediment presses together and hardens to become sedimentary rock.

Homework, Tuesday, 10th February

Maths: Practice 13-4 Adding and Subtracting Decimals; Enrichment 13-4 Puzzling Decimals
R&W Workshop: Read the poems on pages 517-523 Which do you like best?
Science: Begin reviewing Chapter 8. Test on Thursday.

Don't forget to wear red tomorrow!

Homework, Monday, 9th February

Maths: Practice 13-3 Modelling Addition and Subtraction of Decimals*; Enrichment 13-3 Where Do You Live?
* Use your grid to help

Spelling: Review List F3 Click here for Spelling City Quizzes and activities

List F3 –  VCCV patterns

Core Words

garden	apron	entire	person
yellow	narrow	bucket	silver
rather	chicken	rabbit	number
secret	gather	engine	rocket
package	declare	nothing	limber

Challenge Words

publish

rascal

reflect

vibrate

disturb

Tier 3      Click here for Spelling City Quizzes and activities

distance	convince	corral	ablaze
author	reflex	regret	argue
frontier	stampede	standard	nephew
refresh	snicker	across	insert
bracket	decline	descent	whisker

Week 22

Dear parents and students,

This week has been a “regular” week, and we have been busy with our regular curriculum.

In our Reading and Writing Workshop, we have been reading and discussing tall tales, with Heat Wave! being our featured story of the week. We also tried our hand at writing tall tales ourselves, trying to include as many hyperboles, exaggerations, metaphors, similes, and idioms as possible. We also introduced a new regular activity – the Writers’ Slam. Each morning, two or three students will read a piece of their favourite writing aloud to the class.

We have continued our studies of the Earth in Science. This week we have been studying slow surface changes such as weathering, erosion, and glaciers.  Our Earth Science Booklets are coming along well, with some very creative illustrations and diagrams being created to demonstrate the various ways our Earth changes shape.

We had another topic test in Maths, and we have continued our study of decimals in Topic 3, which will go on throughout next week. The test for Topic 13 will take place when we return to school after the Chinese New Year break.

Next week, we will be celebrating Chinese Week, ahead of the New Year. We have various activities taking place. Please check the important dates below.

Enjoy your weekend, and see you all on Monday!

Dates to Remember:

·       M-F, February 9-13   – Chinese Week

·       Mon, February 9        – Spelling Test List 17

·       Tue, February 3          – Reading Skills Test 3.3

·       Wed, February 11       – Dress in Red

·       Thu, February 12        – Science Test: Chapter 8

·       Fri, February 13          – Valentine’s Day celebration

– Chinese Lunch – bring chopsticks

·       February 14-23           – Chinese New Year break

·       Tue, Feb 24                 – School resumes

·       Wed, Feb 25                – Semester 2 Clubs begin