Beverly Cleary School

Hello Parents/Guardians,

Another week of fun in our blended family.  Happy Chinese New Year.  Yesterday in class we worked on Chinese calligraphy with brushes I brought back from China.  I also showed the students how to make ink with an ink stone and ink stick, an old practice not commonly used.  But very cool.  We practiced different characters and words along with our names.   

Some of you may have noticed our giant colored published narrative pieces hanging in the hallway.  If not, please feel free to come in, despite the protests from your child, and read what they've written.  Many of you saw these at home.  I think it's very important for writing to be authentic and real, and publishing our work gives us a very real audience.  As a community of writers, when we're writing for real people and not just a teacher, we pay more attention to the conventions and other traits of our work.   As I say in the classroom, "autograph your work with excellence" because your representing yourself and your family name.   

In the last email update, I mentioned our art auction project.  Today in class, Tracy Wolf Paquin came in to do a demonstration on the science of glass and we started on our fused glass project.  We are completing 2 projects, one for each grade level.  The 4th grade is going to work on a fused glass platter incorporating an abstract design of the city of Portland and the bulding scape of downtown.  I'm using the 5 themes of geography as our curriculum tie in and their previous knowledge of 3rd grade content to scaffold into this piece.  The 5th grade is working on a fused glass bowl representing our science with sun, moon, stars, solar system, milky way galaxy with touches of energy and matter in an abstract representation.  Each student will have a part of the design and creation of the overall class piece.  You won't want to miss bidding on either piece.  Tracy will come back in March or April and we'll do a 4x4 tile mural project that will be installed in the school.  Each child will get a 4x4 tile to be in charge of.  As a class we'll design that piece around a central concept such as relationships, conflict, power, systems, etc. and a signficant question tying in several subjects from the school year in an abstract design.  Students will also get to create their own small tile to take home.  I'm using my Run for the Arts to pay for Tracy's hours.  She is also donating several of her own hours and I'm contributing some "sweat equity" so to speak helping to prep and cut materials in her studio.  PTA is covering the materials for the installation and the auction is covering part of the auction project and we had a generous donation from a class family to cover after the auction limit.  Thank you!   

Tomorrow in class we have a guest speaker, Dr. Reynolds Orchard, coming into talk to our class about tobacco use.  This is part of our health curriculum and a program called "Tar Wars"  from the Oregon Academy of Family Phsyicians Foundation on tobacco prevention.  I asked students to bring in any tobacco related ads from magazines if they saw them and to pay attention to advertising techniques while watching commercials this week.  The commercials don't have to be tobacco related.  This is part of media literacy.  How does the media target children?  How are the commercials different when your watching tv on different channels and different times?  What techniques are they using?   

Last Friday was Passport Day and our class didn't get to participate.  This was due to a natural consequence of not managing our time or listening to directions and following expectations.  It was time to clean up and leave and many students were just standing around, so we waited.  Then we got our backpacks ready and waited for people to quietly line up.  As we proceeded down the hall like a pack of elephants, I waited again for voices to lower, so we came back to the room.  The expectation is we have a responsibility not to interrupt others rights to learn and it is the students responsibility to clean their area.  All this left us with only 5 minutes to get to Passport and this wasn't going to be enough time unless we cut into PE.  So I made the decision to miss Passport.  I really hated to enforce this, but I'm a firm believer in following through with expectations and students learning from natural consequences.  However, I also want to give them an opportunity to earn back Passport because I know many students study hard for this.  I have a couple parent volunteers who are willing to take their time and come in one day at lunch to quiz students.  I'll talk to the students about how to earn this back and what day at lunch the make up is.   

Umpqua Bank presented their "Learn to Earn" program yesterday.  This is an optional participation program.  The first banking day is tomorrow, Thursday, January 26.   

Kiwanis K-Kids is starting at Beverly Cleary.  This is a program for students in 4th or 5th grade to be a part of developing leadership skills, caring for our school and community through service learning, building character,and serving on a team to make a difference.  This program is in conjuction through the Key club at Grant.  The program will be run by high school leaders and advised by the Kiwanis club leaders and myself.  Students can earn community service hours.  The committment is meeting every other Monday (2nd & 4th of the month) for an hour.  Come find out more at an informational meeting on Monday, February 13 from 3:15--4 pm in room 220C.  You can also check out more at kiwaniskids.org.   

I will be gone on Monday and Tuesday next week.  I'm the leader for the Chinese Cultural Exchange program at my previous school and our students from China arrive on Saturday for their host week in the United States and Portland.  My sub is Ms. Burny, our former PE teacher, and the students are familiar with her and in good hands.  She will dismiss those days, so please write notes regarding any dismissal changes.  Otherwise, she'll dismiss as normal.   

Thanks for reading my lengthy email updates.  I appreciate the partnership.  These kids are amazing, sweet, and eager.  I love it!   

Sincerely,

Liz Kobs

January 20, 2012

Hello Parents/Guardians,

Another update in the same week?  Yes, it's true.  There was some information I wanted to mention and neglected to in my last update.  First of all, thank you for the birthday wishes.   

I'm sending home field trip permission slips and information for the upcoming day trips and the grade level overnighters.  These should be returned at your earliest convenience, no later than, January 31st.  The 4th grade have another field trip to Whitaker Pond scheduled for Feb 1 and Feb 8.  Same details as last time:  12--3 pm, they eat lunch here, be dressed for outdoors (coat & boots).  I could use 1-2 chaperones to escort our class and help Mr. Robertson, please let me know if interested.  I also still need 2 chaperones for the 5th grade overnight and 1 more for the 4th grade overnight.  I must have confirmation by next Wednesday, January 25th for the 5th grade overnight.  I could still use 2 more adults for the OHS/Portland Art Museum.  Also, please remember the $7.75 for the play is due by Friday, January 27th.  I still haven't heard from the majority of the class about the Bend field trip, but many are on board.  I'll wait another week to hear any feedback before making a decision.   

Science fair is coming!  Science fair is coming!  Last week I sent home a sheet from the science department outling some due dates.  Please sign the sheet, showing you read through the dates.  Here is how our class will participate.  All 5th graders will partner up with a 4th grader.  This isn't required in 4th grade, but I think it is a good opportunity for 4th grade to "shadow" and help a 5th grade in preparation for next year.  All the work will be done at school for each step of the scientific method with the exception of the "Experiment".  This part will be completed at home.  Students will get to choose their topics and their partners.  More information available as I learn the project myself.   

Next week is "NO Name Calling" Week.  I'll do a couple activities in class around it but I really want students to practice it, not only at school, but at home.   

Just a selling point for attending this year's Beverly Benefit on March 9 at the Melody Ballroom.  Our class will have 2 fused glass projects in the auction that you won't want to miss bidding on.  More information next week.  There is a teacher activity that many of the girls in class will have an interest in.  Sorry boys.  :-)  A Slumber Party with Ms. Kobs.  I'll come to your house and host a slumber party.  I'll bring everything needed for a fun evening:  movies, music, make-up, nails, games, facial masks, treats, snacks, tons of energy to entertain and my sleeping bag!!!   

Have a wonderful weekend.   

Liz Kobs

January 17, 2012

Hello Parents,

Make sure your children do the snow dance this evening and we get a snow day tomorrow.  That would be the best birthday gift ever!   

Content wise, we are doing similar activities and lessons this week as last.  We're working on another narrative this week.  The narrative from last week is due this Friday and students are writing it out on BIG colored butcher paper to post around the school.  Hopefully, you saw it this weekend.  :-)  I put up our published narrative "All About Me" poems in the upstairs display case.  Lit circles start this Thursday.  If you'd like to help faciliate a group, I could still use one more leader.  No reading log or spelling this week.   

I found out the cost of the Bend field trip transportation costs.  Right now it looks like $80 per student for the bus, plus another estimated $35 for museum admissions and an estimated $40 for food costs.  This doesn't include any fees associated with lodging or covering the chaperones.  So I'm estimating the cost of the field trip will be about $175 per student.  I think this is a lot of money, especially since both grade levels have a $100 overnight fee along with the other $20-25 in various field trips costs this year.  I'd like to know what people think before I proceed or cancel with plans.   

Remember tomorrow is late opening.   I hope you had a nice 3 day weekend.   

Sincerely,

Liz

Hello Parents/Guardians,

This week in class we're starting our lit circle groups.  I gave book talks today about a variety of books and students gave their order of choices.  They'll find out their book groups on Thursday, get their job packets, and plan their jobs for the next 5 weeks.  I could still use 1-2 parents to help on Thursdays from 11:30 to 12 for lit circles.  Our first meeting with parents is next Thursday, January 17.  My plan is to give students one day a week to meet before their meeting to read together or work on their job and any other preparation is homework to complete before the Thursday meeting.  We also started a class book called "The Black Pearl" by Scott O'Dell.  Reading log reflection is on the website along with this week's homophone spelling words.   

In writing we're working on personal narratives and creating vivid images.  I'm using the picture book, "Secret Place" by Eve Bunting.  Using our graphic organizer, the focus is on prepositions, verbs, and adjectives.  We also used the prewriting technique of drawing.  We'll draft a piece, edit, and produce a final copy by Friday.  We started our vocabulary building program, Wordly Wise today.  Lesson 1 is due by Friday.   

We have a special presentation by Metro this week on packaging.  This is part of environmental science.  The focus this week in science is on introductory assessment, what we already know, safety, vocabulary, group expectations, and our science notebooks.  4th grade is circuits and pathways and 5th grade is the solar system.  My goal is to get to social studies next week.  I'll flip flop weeks with the currculum and some days integrate those two subjects into the reading and writing time for the week.   

Thank you to people who volunteered for the upcoming field trips.  I still have some openings left.  I need to have some more male chaperones for the overnight field trips if possible (4th, 5th, & Bend).  I have 1 spot for the play and 2 spots for the historical society.  As far as the Bend field trip goes, I'm waiting to hear about cost of the bus and I'll roughly estimate museum/activity and food costs and give a ballpark figure of the total cost of the field trip before making any reservations or firm plans.  With both grade levels having $100 overnight field trips along with the other $15 for the other field trips, I don't want to put families out with another large expense.  I'll keep you posted.   

Have a wonderful week.   

Sincerely,

Liz

January 5, 2012 

Welcome back and welcome to another year started.  I hope your winter break was restful.  It's always a transition to get back into the swing of the schedule....waking up early, going to bed early, activities, homework, and family time.  This seems like a long week.  But I'm glad to be back and excited to see the kids again, hear their stories, laughter, and see their learning. 

 Lots of learning going on in room 220C this week.  In reading, I'm using some Scott Foresman stories to teach the students literature circle roles.  We'll start literature circles in the next couple weeks along with our continued SF program and a class novel.  I would like to have 5-6 parent voluneers help facilitate the book groups.  Here's the committment of time:  Thursdays for 30 minutes for roughly 4-5 weeks.  I'm a little flexible on the timing of the group:  11-11:30 or 11:30-12.  However, I'd need all the groups to meet at the same time if possible.  If you're interested, please email me.  Next week, I'm starting Wordly Wise and continuing until the end of the year.  This is a vocabulary building program.  Each grade level has their own book.  I'll give students one day a week (Tuesdays) to work on the lesson as our morning warm up and the activities for the lesson are due by Friday, to cover IN class.  Whatever isn't finished for morning warm up will be homework.  I'd like this to be more meaningful, so I'm developing and creating other ways to integrate the vocabulary into the currciulum or other activities to do with it.   

In writing we're focusing on narrative writing and started the unit with poems...."All About Me".  This isn't the typical list of favorites and hobbies, but more personal with what we imagine, know, wonder, and believe.  The rough draft was due today and the final typed copy is due on Monday.  Speaking of typed, our blues poem are due tomorrow.  We wrote these before winter break and I handed them back to students on Tuesday with comments and corrections.  I'm hoping the main hall bulletin board is free, otherwise we'll post these in the upstairs showcase.  Be on the look out!  Also, we published our Seedfolks book and each child got their own copy.  A must read for sure!  :-)   

Here are some reminders:

 Upcoming science is circuits and pathways for 4th grade and food web/chains or solar system for 5th.  Math testing is all next week.  No reading log or spelling this week.  We're easing back into the swing of this week. 

 Happy Friday.   

Sincerely,

Liz