Kim's informational Class Blog

Weekly Update

2011-06-01T20:26:00.000-07:00

Dear Families,

Tomorrow is our free day at the San Diego Zoo. We will be leaving right after attendance and getting organized in volunteers' cars. Please remember to pack a lunch that requires neither a microwave or can opener. If you have a backpack, please put your child's lunch in it, along with at least two bottles of water. Finally, please remember sunscreen!

Tuesday, June 7th is our final Family Night of the year. A pizza dinner will be available from 5-6pm. Tickets can be purchased ahead with Donna at the front desk. During that time be sure to stop by our classroom to see your child's latest project. I'm sure you have heard about the Passion Project as the students have been so excited about it. They have written amazing informational reports, created Power Points, made dioramas, and designed posters to represent their interests. This is the first time I have seen students at this grade level create visual representations that vary from one another! Yay! Oops, I have trangressed- back to the Family Night! Christine will speak at 6pm regarding our new facility in Scripps Ranch and performances from our CAMPS program will take place at 6:30pm (Hip-Hop, Glee Club, etc..). I hope you will all come and enjoy yourselves.

Next, on Monday, June 13th we will be having our annual Field Day at Allied Gardens Recreational Center. Each teacher at IA has come up with a station for a field activity. Mine will be an egg relay race. Students will have to transport eggs on spoons to one another without dropping them. I need help with donations - we need approximately 10 dozen eggs, plastic spoons, and larger kitchen spoons if you can spare them! Please committ to bringing eggs right away, but don't actually bring them until the Friday before or on the day of the race! I also need drivers to transport children there. We will leave at 9:45am and return at 2:00pm, so driver's will need to be prepared to drive both ways. I also need two volunteers to help with stations - thanks ahead of time!

On Tuesday, June 14th, I have a graphic artist coming into the classroom to work with the children. Deborah Mori is Kainoa's mom and has generously offered to share her craft in our classroom. Children will be creating collage type pieces using their own designs and paint. If possible, I need a parent to donate 81/2" X 11" white cardstock paper for this fun experience.

Finally, on Friday, June 17th we are headed to the park for a picnic/playday!!!! A sign-up sheet is on my big table for food contributions. I would also like to have parents bring balls and ideas for games. This should be great fun as the children love the park. We will leave right after morning meeting and stay until it is time to come back to school for some stories and good-byes.
I believe that it is for now,
Kim

Weekly Update!

2011-05-19T10:00:00.001-07:00

Dear Families,

We are careening towards the end of the year and there are many events to know about!

Before I get started with the list, I do want to take a moment and thank you all for your acknowledgements during "Teacher Appreciation Week", "Mother's Day", and my birthday. Near the end of the year, everyone starts running "out of steam"; however, hearing your words of caring in person, through emails, greeting cards, and your beautiful children has been sustaining. Bravo!

OK, back to business! First on the agenda is student-led conference week. Monday, the 23rd through Thursday, the 26th are all half-days. School will last until 12:30pm on those days and conferences will follow. A sign-up sheet is attached to my big table at the front of the room. Please remember to bring your child to these conferences as they will give you a tour of their learning and of course, I will be there to meet with you afterwards.

There will be no school on Friday, May 27th due to a Teacher Professional Day and on Monday, May 30th for Memorial Day!

I am going to be setting up a field trip to the zoo which will be at no cost to students. The date I have in mind is June 2nd. I will need drivers and will let you know details next week. Mark your calendar!

Monday, June 13th is field day for all of I.A. Students will be engaged in relay races, obstacle courses, balloon toss (my station), etc...I need the following supplies donated: 250+ water balloons as every child at I.A. will participate, buckets to hold premade balloons - as many as possible, and volunteers to help run this station and make balloons. Calling all volunteers!

Finally, on Friday, June 17th I would like to have a potluck picnic in our nearby park! I need volunteers to sign up to bring entrees, salads, beverages, fruit, and desserts. It would also be nice to see some Frisbees, balls, and picnic blankets come on that day as there only a few picnic tables. I will post a sign-up sheet on my big table at the front of my room as of Monday, May 23rd!

In our classroom, students are working on writing a "Response to Literature". This is being closely guided by me and is based on a short story, "The Stranger", by Chris Van Allsburg. The genre is fantasy! We are also continuing to edit authentic writing by students as a whole group, and researching for our Passion Projects. So far students' passions are being presented by informational reports, power points, posters, tri-fold posters, and video. I have requested that all students interview an expert or ask an expert to present their expertise in front of the class. The kids can't wait to get started on their projects each and every day! Finally, in math your children are doing a fantastic job of converting fractions into decimals and percentages!

I believe that is it for now! Contact me anytime via email or in person.

Weekly Update!

2011-05-10T16:00:00.000-07:00

Dear Families,

On my last BLOG, I mentioned POLS being held on May 23rd-26th. Oops! What I should have said was that those dates are the week of student-led conferences. They are all half days, so students in my room will be dismissed at 12:30pm. A schedule for conferences is taped to my big table and ready for your sign up! Like our previous conference, your child will be giving you a tour through their current learning and afterwards, you can meet with me with any questions. In addition, Friday May 27th is a staff development day - so kids are off!

Parents, please discuss with your children what materials they need for their Passion Project (tri-fold poster, materials for a diorama, help making a video, materials for a book, poster board, etc...). These projects are due June, 3rd with many steps between now and then.

Please contact me with any questions or comments through my email or personally in the classroom

Kim

Update from 3rd/4th Grade!!!!!!!!!!1

2011-05-02T15:55:00.000-07:00

Dear Families,

We did it! Testing is over and I am very happy to say that your children did a good job following my test prep instructions.

We are off and running on some new projects that students are working on in groups. The first is a project in math called the "Earth in Numbers". Students are researching information such as the highest mountains, longest rivers, biggest oceans, biggest deserts, fastest insects, etc.....students will be converting kilometers to miles, hours to days/years and more. After researching, they will be creating charts, graphs, and posters. I'm expecting beautiful, collaborative work.

The second project we are delving into is our "Passion Project" Students have been asked to come up with 3-5 passions and are doing some minor research in order to pick their primary passion which they will be married to through the end of the year. Included in the project will be a five-paragraph expository report and students will be asked to create a visual explanation of the ideas they are researching within their topic.

Presentations of Learning will again take place during the week of May 23-26. These will be half days for students. There will also be a teacher professional day on Friday, May 27th.

On Tuesday, May 24th and Thursday, May 26th, there will be a scholastic book fair, so you may want to check in with your children regarding books they may want to purchase.

Report cards will be handed out on the last day of school - Friday, June, 17th 2011.

I think that is it for now. Please contact me in the classroom or by email with any questions you may have.

Smith Ranch was fun!

2011-04-20T14:19:00.000-07:00

Dear Families,

Thank you to all the supportive parents that drove to Smith Ranch on a field trip yesterday. The scenery driving there and in Julian was beautiful! The students and parents had a great time at the ranch and learned things like how heavy gold is, how to pan for gold, what the Pony Express drivers from that time were paid, and the type of rock to look for if you are mining for gold. They went into a mine in a mining car, listened to a letter written by a civil war soldier, and crossed a little pond on a rope bridge! A few of us stopped to pick up a Julian apple pie!

Please remember that California STAR testing starts tomorrow. Making sure your child gets a good night sleep, eats breakfast, and is here at 9am will contribute to a relaxed ready student. Thank you fo your help!

Kim

Welcome Back!

2011-04-11T19:37:00.000-07:00

Dear Families, I have just a few announcements for the week! Our field trip to Smith Ranch in Julian is scheduled for next Tuesday, April 19th. At this point based on a few emails and what students have told me we have enough drivers. I would like if all drivers could send me a final confirmation email at kim@innovationsacademy.org. I have a tendency to be a bit of a worrier, so I guess I'm requesting peace of mind. We will leave at 9am and our tour starts at 11am-1pm with a break for lunch, so make sure to send a lunch without a need for a microwave. As I recall from my last trip, we sat on picnic tables outside. Also, only two students have paid for the field trip. The cost is $8 for students and $10 for adults. I would like all of the funds in by Friday - Please! California STAR testing starts on Thursday, April 21st. Students will test from 9:30am-approximately 12pm. The other testing days will be the following week at the same time on Tuesday,the 26th; Wednesday, the 27th; and Thursday, the 28th. On all testing days it is important to have your child at school on time - so at 9am. Also, please make sure they have had a good nights sleep and breakfast. Thank you As always, please contact me at anytime by email or stop by the classroom!

This Week!

2011-03-24T19:16:00.000-07:00

Dear Families,

This information was in my last BLOG and I prefer not to repeat, but it is very important that you are aware of our next field trip. We are scheduled to go to Smith Ranch in Julian on Tuesday, April 19th. It is a great trip because the kids get to go into a mine, pan for gold, and hear stories about the pony express (and more). I need 6-7 drivers for the trip. If I am unable to get drivers, we can't go. Please look at your schedules and email me about your ability to help. kim@innovationsacademy.org

On Thursday, the 31st of March there will be a family night from 5:30-7:00. Please join us as Christine will be discussing some changes within classroom teachers. There will not be a dinner that night.

Last week, after Biztown we (my class) had the distinct pleasure to learn about how to get out of the "Rat Race", instead of being in it. Patricia Koehler came into our classroom and helped me as well as all the students learn about certain kinds of investments. Please see the photographs of your children playing the game. We played the adult version of the game, but Patricia has ordered the children's version, which we will be playing next!

Your kids really have loved a method of multiplying called the Lattice Method of Multiplication. Through using this method they have been able to complete 3-digit by 3-digit multiplication problems. Here is the PROBLEM - if your child does not know his/her basic facts this easy method of multiplication is pointless. Please plan to spend at least 20 minutes a night on their basic facts. By fourth grade it is important to have these mastered. Thank you for helping.

Sincerely,

Kim

JA Biztown was fun for most!!!

2011-03-17T19:13:00.001-07:00

Dear parents ,

Please enjoy some of the pictures from our most recent field trip - JA BIZtown! Your children were so well behaved, respectful, and fulfilling on their assignments (overall) - I am so proud of them and you ought to know just how wonderfully they completed their job assignments! Yay!

Thank you to those parents who were there at the fieldtrip in the trenches with children creating successfull businesses (Rick West, Patricia Koehler, Debora Mori, Laura West, and Aisha Carpenter). If for some reason I have forgotten you, please understand it is not because I don't value your contribution.

We have another fieldtrip coming up on April 19th and I will need from 6-7 drivers. We will be visiting Smith Ranch Julian where your children will get to pan for gold, visit a mine, and listen to a great historian and story teller. The cost for children is $7 and for adults is $10. Please let me know ASAP if you can drive. If I don't get enough drivers, the trip will have to be canceled. We will leave shortly after 9am and we will start the tour at 11am. Lunches will need to be packed and the trip will be over at approximately 1pm. It's a lot of driving, but totally worth it. I took my kids last year and it was a great success!!

Kim

Biztown Update

2011-03-09T14:13:00.000-08:00

Dear Families,

Your children have all been assigned their jobs and are now working in business groups (see photo). That means they are working in cross-age groups, determining business costs, writing advertising, applying for loans, and signing promissory notes for their company. Biztown is next Thursday, March 17th. Parent volunteers need to arrive at the Junior Achievement location by 8am for a 90 minute training. The location is 4756 Mission Gorge Place, San Diego, CA 92120. The phone number is (619) 682 5155. Students from I.A. will arrive at 9:30am. I would like all students to arrive at I.A. at 8:30am that day as we will be walking from I.A. to Biztown. All parents who are volunteering can drop your children in child care early and for free. I still need payments of $20.00 from those children who have not paid for Biztown.

In math, your kids are determining travels routes from Chicago to Los Angeles and determining the distance rounded to the nearest 10 miles as well at the time it takes to travel that distance. They are creating posters showing their work.

In writing, they are completing their autobiographical narratives (some are finished) and moving onto writing a piece based on one of their own interests. We continue to develop vocabulary through identifying our own interest words and some guided. Your kids look at context to determine meaning as well as synonyms and antonyms to develop vocabulary.

In science, students are crazy about AMBooks, an on-line science program. Stop by to see. The graphics are beautiful and the content engaging.

This week we also had the pleasure of having two guests in our classroom. Nancy Cox, an employee of the school district came into our morning meeting, read a book, and worked with the group on appropriate participation (see photo). Also, Patricia, Sophia's mom came in with the Cash Flow game (a game designed to teach how to get out of the rat race) and got the kid's prepared to play, plus started the game. She will be back next Friday to continue playing. If there any other parents who would like to come into the classroom and share your expertise, you are welcome!

That's it for now!

Kim

Updates!!!!!!!!

2011-03-01T21:54:00.000-08:00

Dear families,

Your children have been working hard learning lots of concepts for Biztown. This week they will be interviewed for a position at Biztown and have had the opportunity to practice interviewing skills! They have also completed job applications and thought about their personal skills and how they might fulfill their job positions. Next, they will be working with their business groups during Biztown training, so that means they might be with me, Bill, or Jennifer.

Thanks to all the families that came to the board meeting tonight. I know it was a committment that required you being away from your home and I appreciate it. You are all such great parents!

Weekly Update!

2011-02-17T18:42:00.000-08:00

Dear Families,

There is a lot of news to share this week. First, I want to thank all of the parents who helped with our field trip to the Microsoft store in Fashion Valley! I so appreciated the help getting organized in the classroom and during the walk to the trolley station and back. The students did a great job listening to the Power Point presentation, but the parent assistance during their Power Point creations was invaluable. Thanks! I did make a mistake on the trolley cost. I thought it was $3.00, but it turned out to be $5.00, so if you could all send in the extra $2.00, I can repay I.A.

We also celebrated Valentine's Day on the afternoon of the field trip. Thanks again to all the parents that sent goodies and cards for the students to share. I think they had a bit too much sugar!

Our next field trip will be on March 17th to Junior Achievement's Biztown. The cost is $20.00 per student. Please start sending your money in to the classroom. This event was a big hit last year and one the kids talked about for a long time afterwards. There are a couple of things I need help with. On March 1st, 2nd, and 3rd we need parent volunteers to come to I.A. to interview students for jobs. This is at your convenience and for only the amount of time you have to spare. We will pull students out of class when parents arrive for the interviews. They will be given assistance about how to interview and will have the opportunity to sign up for three jobs of their choice. By the way, please have your children dress-up a bit for their interviews on those days. Last year almost everyone got the job they wanted. Please stop by the classroom to see a list of jobs and companies. We will, however, be dividing the companies up between classes attending. Next, the day of the field trip, I need at least five volunteers to go to Biztown for the day. You will be asked to arrive there at 8am for training. Our class will arrive at 9:30am and as a volunteer you will help in the companies they are working in. Please let me know as soon as possible as your help will make the program a success!

Star testing for all fourth grade students will begin on March 1st. On that day, fourth graders will be engaging in the writing portion of the test. It is very important that your child be in school that day. This is an untimed test, but we are figuring it will take about 75 minutes. I have been working with your children on writing, but they may want to put in a little extra time at home practicing how to write an introduction, paragraphs with topic sentences and details to support it, and a conclusion.

I am looking for speakers for the classroom and want to turn to parents first. Many of you have skills or talents that you could share with the class. For instance, if you are passionate about a craft, type of art, computer skill, mechanical skill, specific topic in science, etc...I would love to make plans with you to come in and speak/teach the class about it. Please contact me at kim@innovationsacademy.org and let me know what you might enjoy sharing. You might even bring in a favorite age-appropriate book to read!

Next Thursday, February, 24th your children will be included in an all school photo for our yearbook. I'm just letting you know in case your child has something special he/she wants to wear or if they want to do something special with their hair. I forgot my own daughter's picture on picture day at her school this year and she ended up getting upset because of what she was wearing. Geez!

Also, just so you know, I will be out of class next Friday as I will be attending some professional development. We always have great subs, so not to worry - again just wanted to let you know.

We are starting to use gmail as a way for your children to type their documents. This means we would set up a gmail email account for your child. Please let me know if you are opposed to this. I will be sending a reminder needing a parent signature next week, so please check with your child regarding it.

Finally, in April, I will be planning a field trip to Smith Ranch in Julian. This is a very exciting trip and I will write more about it on my next BLOG, but you can ask your children about it now!
Take Care
Kim

BLOG Update!

2011-02-08T20:02:00.000-08:00

Dear Families,

We have a lot of activities coming up and I will need your help on some of them:

1. On February 15th, we are taking a field trip to the Microsoft store in Fashion Valley. I need $3.00 per child and adult companion in order to make sure we have our trolly tickets to Fashion Valley and back. Your children will be exposed to Power Point and will learn more about how to navigate through Microsoft Word. We will leave promptly at 9 o'clock and walk the mile to the trolly station. The tour is from 10:00-12:00 and then I thought we would have lunch in the food court. Please make sure to pack a lunch as I do not want to be chasing students among the many restaurant food choices. When we return to the classroom, I would like to celebrate Valentine's day with some treats and cards from those children who would like to participate. I am hoping for parent participation regarding treats like cupcakes, etc...

We have also finished out first unit on Biztown and are on to the next unit. Your children have learned about the circular flow of the economy, philanthopy, free-markets, and scarcity. They have even had the opportunity to design their own product. For Biztown, we will need parents to volunteer to interview for jobs and also go to Biztown the day of the fieldtrip. This is an early committment (you start at 7:30am and must be ready to meet your children at 9am when they arrive). I can tell you from last year's participants, they felt like it was a wonderful and meaningful experience. I will be explaining more during our parent meeting this Thursday, February 10th, from 5-6pm. Please come and join in!
Kim

BLOG Update!

2011-01-30T11:00:00.000-08:00

Dear Families,

Wow, can you believe January just raced by! Report cards went home on Friday, so please check your child's backpack. If for some reason you did not receive it and your child does not know where is went, I have all report cards saved on my computer. Please let me know if you need another copy. One of the parents that received the report card was surprised not to find more of the "S" rating on his child's card. Please know this is the first report card for the year and reflects where your child is now regarding the standards listed. We have five more months for your child to develop their skills. We are at a point in the year where I am starting to see growth in behavior with many students. For instance, I had one student who had a hard time learning how to raise his hand to contribute. Just recently, he has started to self-monitor and almost never "calls out" anymore. Also all students are tracking their participation in class. They keep a 3X5 card at their desk and tally how many times they make meaningful contributions. I set expectations daily, but almost all students are exceeding those expectations. Students who never raised their hand to contribute are now speaking up. GO THIRD AND FOURTH GRADERS!!!!!

All student have given their animal speeches at this time. Animal art is displayed right outside my room, so stop by and see their work.

We are also working on autobiographical narratives. I need red pens for editing - our next BIG challenge. If you could send your child with a red pen or if someone is willing to buy 20 red pens I would appreciate it. We have been editing the morning message since the beginning of the year. Most students can easily point out my errors. Now, it is time for them to start editing their own and other's work. For those children that are behind on this writing assignment, you may see some work coming home. I am also setting clear expectations on the amount of work to be completed as there are times when students are choosing to talk to friends rather than work on writing. I hope that is "OK" with parents. Please notify me if it is not.

You will be seeing some changes in my classroom this week. The goal at IA is for education to be student-centered. Children will start to be much more in charge of their learning and investigating their interests more than a curriculum that I set up. The room will also be changing in its configuration. Should you have any questions regarding these changes, please feel free to email me or stop by!

This week a lot of time will be alloted for the POL's I mentioned in my last BLOG. Students will be thinking and reviewing what they have learned so far this year. Each student will be required to stand in front of the group and talk about a content area and project that they have learned from. They have been asked to talk about challenges as well. Reflection is a BIG part of being an excellent teacher and I think the same goes for learners.

We are engaging in BIZtown lessons and will continue doing so until our trip in March. I need parent volunteers to interview students and go to BIZtown the day of our fieldtrip. I will be posting exact dates soon, but please think about whether you can contribute to this valuable Real-Life experience with your child.

Please send in $3.00 for a trolley ride to Fashion Valley and a fieldtrip to the new Microsoft Store. We will be going the third Tuesday in February and I will be setting the topics to be covered with a Microsoft associate this week. Finally - our first fieldtrip!!! Parents are welcome to chaperone.

That's it for now and I hop my BLOG has given you a "PEEK" into your child's day.

Kim

Presentations of Learning

2011-01-18T19:07:00.000-08:00

Dear Parents,

We are continuing to study economics through the Biztown program. I will be sure to provide you with volunteer opportunities as soon as Michelle advises me!

One of the primary issues I want to make you aware of today is something your child is going to be required to do and that is a "Presentation of Learning". Your child will be expected to speak about something they learned in a project as well as a content area. I will be working with your children on this important area of their learning, but would love it, if you could also discuss this with them.

I have tried on numerous occcasions to provide you with pictures of the classroom, but have had difficulty with this task. It is either my computer or operator error. I will continue to try!!!!!!!!

Kim

NEW INFORMATION!

2011-01-11T20:02:00.000-08:00

Hi Families,

Since we have been back from the holiday break, your children have been engaged in the following:

1. Speeches about animals that includes an art piece. The topics within this assignment satisfy some of the Life Science standards. Students were asked to research animals based on an identified criteria. They were asked to take notes on 3X5 cards. Your child is expected to memorize the information on their cards, so that when they give the speech they are not reading off the note cards. Additionally, each student has been asked to produce a piece of art of the animal they selected. My suggestion was that they complete torn paper art as it is beautiful, but some want to draw. That's fine with me!

2. We have begun to look at the meaning of division and your children will be building concrete models to represent word problems this week.

3. We started to study for Biztown! Your children have a great opportunity to learn about so many topics that pertain to a community and needs within it. Today, we talked about "rights" and "responsibilities" of citizens. Your children did a great job in understanding this concept. When the time comes, I will need parent volunteers for interviewing children for jobs and also for being at Biztown the day of our fieltrip. Please be thinking about how you would like to participate.

I'm not sure you know, but every other Wednesday your child participates in Book Buddies The 4th graders read to the 1st graders in DeeDee's class.

Kim

Happy New Year!

2011-01-04T19:50:00.000-08:00

Dear Families,

I want to thank you all for the lovely cards, candies, bubble bath, candles, and coffee, etc. that I received before the Holiday break. I am so blessed to be at a school with such supportive and caring families. Thank you! I hope you all had an opportunity to enjoy your beautiful children during the break. I had an opportunity to hear about their vacations in our morning meeting today. Every child shared!

During our teacher professional day on Monday, we talked about what it is you need as a parent and since I am a parent it was easy to contribute. I know you probably need the following:

What contribution is my child making in class?

What are they studying and exploring?

How do they interact with others?

Are they enjoying school?

What is happening at school?

Please let me know through email, by stopping by, or by appontment any concerns you may be having. I am available to answer your questions. Don't be shy because we are raising these kids up together!

Please take a look at our many backpacks, lunch boxes, and jackets, etc. that have been placed just outside Donna's office. All of these items will be donated on Friday if not claimed.

In class, we are now shifting gears to Life Science. Your children have been asked to choose an animal and use notecards to identify specific information. They will be giving speeches (without notecards starting on Friday). They are also creating beautiful torn art pieces to accompany their speech. Ask your child about their work - they are very excited about animals. I have questions like, "Can I do more than one animal?" "Can we report on another animal in the future?" The answer, of course is "YES"!

Next week we will begin the JA Biztown program. Your children will learn about the flow of money, government, they will be creating their own business, and will be interviewing for jobs. Once they have been chosen for a position, they will spend a day carrying out the responsibilities of that job. This is a very fun process and I will need volunteers when we attend the fieldtrip. I will advise you of the date.

I hope this gives you a peek into our classroom.

Happy Holidays!

2010-12-14T20:46:00.000-08:00

Dear Families,
First, thank you to all the parents who attended Monday's fundraiser. I would have loved to be there, but was attending a High School informational session for my son! Wow, they grow up so fast.
I love the Christmas season and would like to share my gratitude with all of the parents who have worked side-by-side with me thus far this year to help their children achieve great writing. I know that in fourth grade the academic load is higher, and some of my students/your children are still grappling with that, but your help has helped to bridge that gap.
Native American/Explorer reports will be presented on Thursday within the school and not as I had originally conceived (The Museum Project - please see previous BLOGS). Narratives are due by Friday and most students have been working hard to finish. We are basically done with spelling until we come back from break. In math we started Algebra today - it was fun to see the puzzled looks on students faces as I know within a short time they will understand and light bulbs will start to turn on - a teacher's joy! What is interesting about algebra is that it is really no different than what we have been doing in another format. Let's keep those brain highways open!
Enjoy your holiday and with much appreciation - see you in the New Year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Kim

Weekly Update

2010-12-07T19:01:00.000-08:00

Dear Families,

Thank you to all those dedicated parents that brought potluck dishes to our last Family Night. I want you to know how much I appreciate your help on these nights! Don't forget next Monday, the 13th to visit Fresh and Easy on University Avenue in North Park for your grocery shopping. Some of the IA staff will be there to greet and bag groceries. A percentage of all groceries purchased will be donated back to IA as a fundraiser.

Our Museum project is moving forward. Three paragraph reports are due tomorrow! Something that has surprised me is that many of the students DO NOT WANT TO DRESS IN COSTUME for the actual museum day, so I am making a change. Those students that want to dress up can on the 14th. Instead of making it a school-wide event, we will be making presentations to our class only on that afternoon.

Winter break is from December 18th-January 4th (return on Tuesday)!

Please contact me with any questions or concerns.

December is almost here............

2010-11-29T20:07:00.000-08:00

Dear parents,

Can you believe we are only a few short days away from Christmas break! We still have so much to do. Here are some dates to be aware of for your child's current project:
Reports for Native Americans or Explorers are due next Tuesday, December 7th; the Dioramas are due the following Tuesday, November 14th, and finally we will be completing the project with children dressed as their chosen tribe member or explorer on Thursday, the 16th. Other classes at IA will be invited into our room for your child to share their expertise on that day in the afternoon from 2:00-3:15pm. You are all invited to attend!

This Thursday, December 2nd is another family night. From 5-6pm, Christine will be speaking about next year's school sight (Location FOR TALK to be announced!). Later, families will meet in classrooms for a potluck dinner. Your children came home with an update today explaining the list of items each family is requested to bring that evening:
STUDENTS WITH LAST NAMES A-M MAIN DISH (SERVE 6-8)
N-P SIDE DISH + 2 LITER BEVERAGE + CUPS
R-Z DESSERT+ LITER BERVERAGE + CUTLERY
We are hoping for full participation by all families! Hope to see you there.

There will be no school this Friday due to a professional day!
Please contact me with any questions or concerns.
Kim

This Week's Update1

2010-11-09T17:44:00.000-08:00

Dear Families,

I hope you are all able to attend the Souplantation fundraiser this evening from 5-8pm. IA will receive 20% of the proceeds. I am unable to attend because I will be attending my daughter's open house. Also from now until December 31st we are doing a promotion with Fresh and Easy grocery stores. For every receipt with at least $20.00 of groceries purchased and presented to Fresh and Easy, IA receives $1. Any Fresh and Easy store can work for this!

This week in our classroom your children started work on yet another 20 spelling and high-frequency words. If you are interested in getting a list of these words to practice with your child at home, please stop by the classroom. We also continue to add to their vocabulary through the Wordly Wise program. We will be starting Lesson 5 this week and that means that we are one-quarter of the way through the program! Please encourage your child to go to wordlywise.com on their home computers in order to get some practice in at home. Students also continue to work on their fictional narratives. We start on the ending paragraph this week with revisions and then it's only the conclusion and they will be ready to type. One computer per every two students have finally arrived!

Students have been busy on their artistic book reports. The due date has been pushed back until Monday, the 15th. All students have had the opportunity to research their explorer or Native American tribe at school. At least a few students have started their rough drafts on their three paragraph reports. I'm hoping to have them finished by the end of next week, but would also like for students to gather their materials for their dioramas and have all materials in class by next Wednesday, the 17th. I will announce the date for our actual Museum on my next BLOG.

As always, if there any questions or concerns, please email me at kim@innovationsacademy.org.

Another Week of Learning!!!!!!!!!!

2010-11-02T19:33:00.000-07:00

Dear Families,

Well, I am happy to announce that my computer is healthy and running just fine now! Whew, it's amazing how much we depend on these little machines! Speaking of which, your children came home tonight with two websites (one for explorers and one for Native Americans) in order to make a choice for our Museum Project. Once they have made a choice, they have specific directions on some information to research and will be writing a three paragraph report plus (finally) creating their dioramas. Please be prepared to help them with home research and the materials for the dioramas. They will not only be presenting an oral report to their class, but will also be asked to dress-up on the day of the "Museum" when they will be the expert while other IA classes visit ours.

We are also continuing with our five paragraph narratives during writing. Most students are making great progress and some are not. Each day when we work on these, I review what we have talked about and also give specific directions about the next steps. I would like to see all students succeed on this writing assignment and am meeting with each student. Now is a great time to have a conversation with your child about how important it is to use independent work time effectively.

Students are also making progress on their book reports and are creating some beautifully crafted posters. Stop by anytime to see your child's work. These are due next Thursday, November 11th. There are still a few students who haven't finished their books. This coming weekend would be a good time to catch up, if need be.

In math, we are covering many topics, such as landmarks in data, representation of data, ballpark estimates, and partial-sum addition. I want to thank those parents who have worked with their students on basic facts at home. I have seen some great progress during "White-Board" math.

Our next science topic will be in the area of Life Science. Students will choose an animal and investigate it's habitat, food chain, and food web. The outcome will be a speech they give to their class on their chosen animal investigation.

Our Halloween celebration was a great success. Many students said it was one of the best days they had ever had in school or their lives. I wish I had taken video of the apple-bobbing as it was absolutely hilarious and much fun. Thanks again to parents for decorating, bringing treats, and for just overall support.

Please contact me with any questions or concerns.
Kim

Weekly Update

2010-10-26T21:15:00.000-07:00

Dear Families,

Oops, my computer shut down before I was able to edit and finish my previous BLOg, so please read both to get all of my information. I was mentioning that a few book reports are going to be started this week as some children have finished their books. Others will start on Monday. I hope they enjoy working on them because most of the report will be drawing and presenting. Stop by if you would like to see what students are doing.

In math we have been studying and reviewing place value and we will be starting to look at data reporting and multiple digit adding next week.

Please make sure you have sent a shoe box with your child because next week they will also be choosing the topic for their "museum project" which will include dioramas. Please be prepared to supply the materials for each of your children to complete their dioramas. Students will also need to gather some research information from their home computers. The good news is that we finally have our routers, so students computers should be up and running soon.

I want to thank Rachell's dad, Chris for installing our projector. Soon we will have the capability to watch movies, but in the mean time we have been able to access the internet and see a quick video on erosion and weathering. Yay!

Sorry about the BLOG/computer problem. I hope you are all able to access both BLOGS.
Kim

Weekly Update!

2010-10-26T20:45:00.000-07:00

Dear Families,

School pictures are on Wednesday, October 27th. Please send a your child ready for their pictures. The students will each come home with an order form and viewing card. You can order online or bring the form into class. Make checks payable to Innovations AcademyThursday-Field

On Friday, we will enjoy a Halloween Party! Children can come in costume - please no blood and gore. I'm fine with masks as long as they are not too scary. We will be taking a walk through the school and of course we don't want to scare the younger children. My original plan was to start our celebration right away, but I'm a little concerned that sugar consumption too early in the day may not be such a wise idea, so I'm planning for the "PARTY" to start after lunch. With the help of our room parent (Deborah Mori), we are gathering decorations and supplies. I am still looking for rolls of toilet paper and individually wrapped candies. So far, the plan is to "bob for apples", mummy wrap each other, penny toss into a pumkin, and play some other word and puzzle games. Parents are welcome to stop by and enjoy the fun.

For learning;

We are starting our fourth lesson of Wordly Wise this week. I love the fact that children are noticing these higher level words in their reading and using them when they speak. Capitalization is still one of our grammar topics and I am reminding students that what we learn about capitalizing needs to be transferred into their writing! We are also continueing to write our fictional narratives. Today I introduced a synonym tool that will help our young writers create more varied and interesting work.

Some students are done reading their book report books.

Thank you!

2010-10-19T18:48:00.000-07:00

Dear Families,

Last week was a long week, but very gratifying as I felt the student conferences were successful and meaningful. Parents got to see what students were learning and had a chance to ask questions of their children and of me. Thank you to all who participated. If you did not get a chance to come into the classroom, please let me know a convenient time - kim@innovationsacademy.org.

I will be giving you an update about the Halloween celebration on my next BLOG; however, it is a good plan to send your child in costume with some extra clothing for later in the day. Many children decide they want to change after they have tired of displaying their costume. Anyway, let's plan ahead, just in case.

Sincerely,

Ki m

Weekly Update!

2010-10-12T19:09:00.000-07:00

Dear Families,

I forgot to mention that this Thursday, October 14th is Family Night! Oops! I'm not sure how I forgot! I guess life as a teacher is just busy. Anyway, we will have the usual dinner arranged by a classroom teacher - this time it is sponsored by Lisa our 8th grade science/math teacher. Please support her classroom by purchasing tickets through Donna at our front office. After dinner, you are invited to your students' classrooms to participate in math games. I look forward to seeing you!

Conferences have been proceeding successfully. Your children have been leading the conferences and giving parents a "tour of their learning". Please remember that I am available throughout the conference not only to assist your child in their explanations of learning, but also to discuss any of your concerns or questions about classroom life.

I requested shoeboxes a while ago, but it's now time to get them in. I have 11 and need 21. We will be using them as we study the "Explorers" and creating dioramas. Students will not be asked to start this project until about November 1st; however by then I would like to have all of the shoeboxes in the classroom. Thank you for your cooperation.

We will also be starting an artistic book report soon. Students have been asked to bring an independent reading book from home or choose one from my library. I mention this because it is important for your child to committ to a book. We discussed today some important considerations:
Can you read the book independently?
Do you love the book?
Does it completely capture your attention?
I would like you to discuss these questions with your child. The book must be at school (vs. at home) to read, but must be tantilizing, so they are excited about reporting on it. Please let me know if you need help with this.

Our Halloween party is just around the corner. Please look for an email from one of the 4th grade room parents requesting help decorating, for treats, game ideas, etc. Your child is allowed to come in costume that day; however, I especially explained to the boys that means no weapons, or blood. Masks will be allowed only in our classroom, but not within the general school population. Please contact me with questions. For those of you not celebrating Halloween, please advise as to your students plans and any requests if they will be attending school that day.

I am always available by email, phone, or in the classroom.

Kim

Sincerely,
Kim

This Week's News!

2010-10-05T19:20:00.000-07:00

Dear Families,

This week has been much better in our classroom! Finally, students seem to be getting into the routine, observing the "quiet signal", and understanding our daily routine. I love when students request quiet of our neighboring classrooms as they seem have begun to take their academics seriously. You have wonderful children that are expressing a desire to learn! Yey!!!

There are just a few reminders this week as well as a few requests! Please make sure to put student-led conferences on your schedule. We will have a full day of regular school on Monday, October 11th. However, on Tuesday through Thursday, your children will only be in school half days. They will be dismissed at 12:30pm, and conferences will start at 1:00pm. If you have not yet reserved a time for a conference, please let me know. Friday, October 15th is a Professional Day for teachers at IA and students are not allowed to be present. Please make arrangements for child-care.

The other BIG excitement for this month is of course Halloween! I love this time of year and enjoy observing it in the classroom with a party. Are there any parents who would be willing to come in and decorate with black and orange streamers or....? I also need donations of toilet paper in order to have a mummy-wrapping contest and a large basin and apples for Apple-Bobbing. I would also like to make caramel apples with various toppings, but need help with the supplies. If you have any other ideas for this celebration, please let me know. For those student unable to participate in this event, could you provide other snacks for your children or advise what would work better for your family. I have explained to the students that all costumes are "OK" as long as there isn't BLOOD OR WEAPONS. I have requested that if they are unsure, to bring their costumes in early for me to preview

That's it for now!
Love, Kim

What's Going On?

2010-09-28T18:46:00.000-07:00

Dear Families,

Life in our classroom is moving along and when I think about the biggest issue right now it comes down to classroom behavior. Many of my current students are observing the quiet signal and many are not. This is making it difficult for me to finish assessments in order to form groups and be the best teacher I can be for your children. Your children know if they are being appropriate. Please take a moment to discuss with them the following:
1. The quiet signal means quiet. There are no exceptions.
2. Getting up randomly in the middle of a lesson is not "OK"! Students must ask for permission to interupt a lesson to go to the bathroom, sharpen pencils, get a drink, or a snack. Wandering off just because they feel like it is not accepted.
3. When I ask for silent reading, it must happen right away without question or arguing.
4. Bathroom breaks are given before we meet for Morning Meeting, at "Break", at Lunch, or in the case of an emergency. Some students are still not adhering to this schedule. I need your help.
5. Going down to Donna's for anything but an emergency will not be granted.

Unfortunately these disruptions are interferring with the flow of lessons. I want all of your children to benefit from being in an organized, learning-filled classroom.

The other item I must bring to your attention are math skills. If your child is still having trouble adding or subtracting either single digit or double digits with regrouping, please be prepared to work with them at home. I want all students to benefit from math education this year and I am finding that some of these basic skills are lacking. Please understand that I will be working with your children at their level no matter what, but your supplementation at home will help.

This is a difficult BLOG for me to write as I would like to say that all is just perfectly fine, but it isn't. I need your teamwork to help students know that interrupting lessons to the point that
I am unable to keep teaching is not "OK" and that they must get some of the basic math skills "under their belt".

I appreciate your support.

Kim

Weeekly Update

2010-09-21T20:02:00.000-07:00

Dear Families,

First, I want to thank all the 3rd/4th grade parents who so generously have helped in our classroom and who have offered to help in the future. Two parents have offered to be my room parent (they are sharing the responsibility). I will be giving them all family emails to help everyone stay up to date. If for some reason there is an objection to your email being given out, please let me know immediately.

I also appreciate all the families who attended our open house. I want to share an update for those of you who were unable to attend. The following was discussed:
1. The snack program - please see Donna if you would like to participate as she has all of the information. We have a parent at IA who is taking her time and money to provide nutritious snacks for your children. Everyday, she brings a bowl of fruit, crackers, cheese, etc...for the children. Believe me when I say they gobble it up. She is looking for baking help and/or a financial contribution.
2. Some of the children are not bringing enough to eat. We have a snack/play break at 10:15-10:30am Tuesday-Friday. Many children eat their lunch at break because they are hungry and then later do not have a lunch. I would ask, if possible for you to pack extra food in your kids' lunch bags. It is also important for you to pack multiple bottles of water. I give the children time in the morning to fill cups with water. They also have time later in the day to fill their cups; however there are many interuptions during the day for thirsty kids needing a drink. This truly disrupts our lessons. It would be so much easier if they had 2-3 bottles of their own water with their name labeled in Sharpie. They can always bring the bottles home they don't drink and bring them the next day.
3. Student-led conferences are scheduled Tuesday-Thursday, October 12th-14th. I have alloted one-half hour slots for families to come with their child and listen to them take you on a tour of what they are learning and doing at IA. Many families have signed up for their tour and some have not. Now is the time to stop by if possible and sign up. You may also email me, so we can figure out the best time for you to come. I will be available throughout the student-led conferences to sit with you and discuss how your child is doing in class.
4. Friday, October 15th is a Professional Development day for the teachers at IA. In other words, all IA teachers will be at our school site, but no students. Please make child-care arrangements accordingly.
5. If you have not filled out a student information sheet with me in the classroom, please stop by in order for me to have your email and phone numbers.
6. Birthday parties were discussed at open house and as a teacher I feel somewhat uncomfortable with what resulted. Many parents want only healthy snacks and other parents are pro-cake, cupcakes, etc. For those of you who have children allergic or with reactions to sugar or food dyes, I would ask that you bring snacks labeled with your child's name that I can offer to them when birthday's arise. For those of you with religious considerations, please know I will offer alternatives for your children out of the classroom (most likely in another classroom).
7. School pictures are scheduled from October 26th-28th. I do not have the specific schedule for our class yet, but will update you when I have that information.
8. If you have not yet brought a 3"-inch binder for your child's portfolio and a thumb drive, please do so. As soon as routers are available, we will have computers available for your child to work on. Thumb drives will provide your child with the ability to work on any available computer as well as bring work home, if he/she is so inclined.
9. I need a shoebox for each of your children for their first diorama. Please bring them in no later than Friday, October 1st. Your children will be making dioramas depicting daily like of the Iroquois Indians. Please be prepared to provide them with the supplies they need to complete this assignment. For example, they may need clay, wooden dowels, cotton balls, rocks, feather, etc...Thank you.
10. I have been talking to your children about beautiful work. Extraordinary work requires extra attention to detail. Please know that if your child is asked to re-do some work, it may be because I think they can form their letters more beautifully, or put more color into their drawing, or edit more thoroughly. Overtime, these areas will improve. I am setting expectations now.

I know I addressed many of you with this information on the night of open house, but for those families unable to attend if you have any questions, always know you can contact me in the classroom or via email: kim@innovationsacademy.org.

Kim

Open House and Conference Sign-Ups!

2010-09-15T06:18:00.000-07:00

Dear Families,
Our class is settling in at last. Ask your child to talk about our classroom agreements and how they were composed. At this time I am also assessing their reading and math to get them into small guided reading and math groups as I have a wide spectrum of abilities. Soon (I hope) our classroom will be running smoothly.
Thursday, September 16th is our Open House/Family Night. Dinner is available in the Commons hosted by the 6th grade at 5pm. At 6-6:30pm and 6:30-7:00pm teachers will be in their rooms talking about how we handle classroom management, signing up a room parent, and looking for a fundraising volunteer(s). In addition, I will be available to answer questions or address concerns.
Conferences are coming up on October11th-14th from 1-4:30pm. These conferences are student lead. In other words, your child will explain our daily schedule and the work they are doing in order to learn various academic areas. You can come anytime during those times. I will be available to answer questions and talk with families.
Friday, October 15th is a Staff Development day and so there will be no school. Please keep an eye on Innovations Academy's calendar for other important dates.
I think that's it for now. I'm looking forward to seeing all of you on Thursday.
Kim

Feedback and Updates!

2010-09-07T19:57:00.000-07:00

Dear Families,

First,I want to thank you all for your incredible generosity I have received many items from my wish list plus many of the school supplies I requested for students. I'm currently waiting for the mount for my projector (which a parent generously offered to purchase), but then I may need help putting it up as I am rather clumsy with a drill. Sorry - I wish I were more adept! Any volunteers? A couple of items students still need to bring (if they haven't) are their 3"-inch three ring binders and thumb drives. The reason I need the binder is because I will be creating portfolios so that you can see work samples from the beginning of the year to the end. I'm sure you can purchase these binders at Staples or Office Depot. I want each child to have a thumb drive so they can save their work from the computer they will be working on to another computer (perhaps at home, but probably another computer they will be working on at I.A.) I appreciate these items coming in to our classroom as soon as possible.

Next, I want to express how much I am enjoying getting to know your children. They are a sweet bunch of kids. The first day I met with them I have to say I was a little worried as they were - what can I say - "a fairly bouncy group of kids" However, they are settling in nicely. Some of them are still not observing "the quiet signal", so there may possibly be some calls going out. Please know if you do get a call it's because I need order to take advantage of our instructional time together. Observing "QUICK, QUIET TRANSITIONS" is one of our learning keys at Innovations Academy.

We have an Open House night coming up on September 16th. Dinner will be from 5:00pm - 6:00pm and is sponsored this month by the sixth grade teachers in an effort to raise money for 6th Grade Camp. I'm not sure what they are charging for dinner - please check with Donna. From 6:00pm-7:00pm there will be a teacher talk in the classrooms. You may attend at 6pm or 6:30pm with each talk lasting 1/2 hour.

There is a park not too far from the school. I would like to have the ability to take your children there for picnics and play; however, I need off-campus permission slips signed. Please see Donna to complete a permission slip.

VOLUNTEERS ARE NEEDED TO FILL THE FOLLOWING POSITIONS:

1. Room Parent

2. Correcting some math work, Wordly Wise packets, and to create student files.

3. Helping to organize the Family Night Fundraiser when it is my turn.

4. Fieldtrip Drivers

Please let me know!

One of the first field trips we will be taking is to Mission Trails as we will be looking at the First Americans. I also at some point want to organize a trip to Old Town when we study California. However, if we take the trip through the San Diego Unified School District it will cost each parent approximately $70.00 for two days (includes lunch and transpotation). Are parents willing to pay that much? I need feedback. Please write to me at my email or talk to me in person. My email is kim@innovationsacademy.org.

I am available on Tuesdays until 5pm and Monday&Thursdays until 4:30pm. Please let me know about your questions or concerns.

Kim

Welcome IA Students!!!!!!!

2010-07-27T09:54:00.000-07:00

Dear Families,

I just want to let everyone know how excited I am to be your teacher in the upcoming year. I cannot wait to build a fun, safe, and enriching community. I am really anxious to meet you all and find out more about you! Our first few weeks will be a time of team building, learning procedures, and starting our first project. A couple of things students will need to bring to school by the second day of school include a book they want to read or one they have read and are willing to read again and a picture of them enjoying a summer activity. I would like school supplies to arrive with students within the first week of school! Some of the supplies will be used on a community level with our classroom, so please don't get too attached to a particular set of markers, for example. If you have questions, my email address is kim@innovationsacademy.org.

I am attaching a school list to this BLOG along with a wish list of classroom supplies we need. In addition, I have a request for help with bookbags. Last year, a parent donated canvas bookbags for each of my students and another parent modified the straps, so the bookbags could be tied to the classroom student chairs. These bags helped students stay organized and the classroom look neater. Is anyone willing to help? Please let me know because I would like to get these in place as soon as possible. Each student decorated their bookbag to represent themselves. They were a beautiful addition to our classroom decor as well as being practical.

The following is a list of supplies each student must bring to class:

Pencil box

Pencils #2 - 24

Eraser - (Pink Wedge) - 3

Pen (red) - 2

Highlighters - 5 assorted colors (pink, yellow, green, orange, blue)

Children's Markers - Crayola/12 Ct. box

Colored Pencils - Crayola/24 Ct. box

Glue Stick(s) - 4

12" Ruler - 1 with centimeter and millimeter markings

7" Scissors - 1

Package of Index cards (3x5) - 1 pack of 100

POST-IT® NOTES - 2"x 2" pack of 3

Pocket Folders - 6 any color or style

Single-subject Spiral Notebooks - 6 (wide-ruled if possible)

Loose leaf ruled 3 hole filler paper - 1 pack of 150 wide-ruled

Tabbed Dividers - 8-tab multi-color

USB Flash Drives

3-Ring Binder - 3-inch

Sheet Protectors for Portfolio

Compass

The following is a wish list and items I would like donated to the classroom, if possible:

Paperclips, Chart Paper, Tissue Paper (all colors), Pencil Top Erasures, Speciality Papers (ask me), Tape, Disposable forks, spoons, plates, cups, and bowls, Dry-erase markers, Kleenex, Binder clips, Paper Towels, Clipboards, Construction Paper, Paint and Paint Brushes, Pastels, Glue Guns and Glue Sticks, Canvases for oil painting, and Ziploc bags (all sizes).

Thank you! I know this is going to be a great year! Enjoy your last days of summer and I will see you all on the first day of school.

Kim

We're Nearing the End!!!!!!!!!

2010-06-01T16:07:00.000-07:00

Dear Families,

I want to share with you a few updates as we near the end of the year. First, all "Passion Projects" are due on Thursday, June 3rd. Your children may be bringing home information to write their reports tonight and tomorrow night. I still have a few students who have not started their tri-fold posters. I have explained many times what my expectations for this project are, but if any questions still remain, let me know by dropping by or via email.

Next Monday, June 7th I need your help! I need parent volunteers/drivers for the YMCA Field Day! Students will be participating in supervised games (i.e., relay races, etc...) We will be heading to the YMCA at 11:30am and participating until approximately 2:30pm. Parents that volunte will need to drive and be available to supervise during that time. There is no cost for this fieldtrip!

On Friday, June 11th fourth graders have an opportunity to go to Flip Force in San Diego and enjoy working out on trampolines. Please see the following link for information on Flip Force: http://www.flipforcesandiego.com/. The cost is $10.00. Again I need volunteers and drivers for this fun and exciting fieldtrip. We are planning to leave at 9:30am and will either enjoy lunch there or come back to the school for lunch. In either case, please make sure to pack a lunch for your child.

Finally, on the last day of school, Friday, June 18th we plan to have a student talent show and pizza party in our fourth grade classroom. Please encourage your child to work on their talent. I will take care of pizza and drinks, but would ask that parents bring desserts, vegetables with dip, etc...

Report cards will be ready on the 18th and will be sent home with children or handed to parents directly at pick-up.

I may still be planning one other outing that final week, but will let you know the details as I have them ready.

Please contact me with any questions or your ability to participate as a parent volunteer.

Thanks,
Kim

May 17th - May 23rd News!

2010-05-17T10:47:00.000-07:00

Dear Families,

It was great to see some of you at our monthly Family Night! We are officially done with STAR testing!! You will receive your child’s test results in the mail sometime in September. Overall school scores broken down by grade will be available in July on the internet. Thank you for making sure your children were on time and well rested, they did great!

Your child may mention some additional testing I have started in the classroom and they will be referring to the WRAT tests. These tests are for Innovations Academy and will tell us how your child has grown in reading comprehension, spelling, and math. Students took the math and spelling tests last Friday and I will begin scoring them this week. The other portion of the test is done individually, so of course takes additional time. If you have any questions, let me know.

Talking about the end of the year, on Monday, June 7th, in the afternoon we will be at the YMCA engaging in "WACKY RACES". On Friday, the 11th as noted in my last BLOG, we will be going to "Flip Force". Both of these will be great fun for your children! The very last week of school, I am planning a final field trip. I'm not sure what we will be doing yet, but am open to suggestions from parents. I would like it to be fun and educational. I would also like to have a final class party on the last day of school. Students have asked for a pizza party. Are there any parent willing to donate plates and napkins? I have drinks and will buy the pizza's out of our class funds.

In math:

We will be finishing up learning a partial-quotient strategy in division and moving onto some fraction work, understanding angles, and probability.

For writing:

We are still working on summaries. Students are working hard learning how to restate information using synonyms and pronouns.

In Science:

We are looking at classification of living things.

Project:

Students have been given dates to finish each part of their project. Some are still working on their 3-D representation and others on their reports.

At this point in the year, we are almost finished with Wordly Wise. When we have finished, we will either move to other sets of words or engage in other types of word work.

That's it for now.
Kim

2010-05-10T05:56:00.000-07:00

Dear Families,

I hope you are doing well! I want to let all of you know how much I appreciate all that you do as families of IA. Near the end of the year, everyone gets tired (students and teachers alike); however last week I got just the boost I needed. The cards, flowers, and treats you all brought to school for "Teacher's Appreciation Week" touched my heart and I want to "thank you" all very much.

This week we continue CST testing for math. The fourth graders were given a practice test on Friday and I think overall did well and as expected. We did pinpoint one area that needs some attention which I will be covering today. In addition to these tests, I will be starting to assess students using the WRAT test this week. This is an IA assessment and helps us evaluate student growth! If you happen to stop by the classroom, things may not look exactly as usual. Last week, I also reassessed one of my reading groups and found that they had improved their word recognition skills by a minimum of one grade level and in some cases more! Yey!

Please mark your calendar for this Thursday, May 13th for our monthly Family Night Meeting. I'm not sure who is hosting it, but know it is a good time to gain important IA news and information. If you do come, be sure to stop by my classroom and see the current project your child is working on.

Since I mentioned our current project, I want to let you know that your child was given an information sheet to bring home for you to read. Students are required to display their work and I recommended a tri-fold poster be purchased for each student. They are available at Michael's for $5.99. At this point, very few students have brought them to school. They are not required to use a tri-fold poster, if they have another idea about how they want to display their work. Ask your child what they are researching? By the way, we can always use more art supplies. Right now, I am looking for wire we can use under clay to build a 3-D figures and thin dowels.

I think that is it for now! Keep an eye on my BLOG over the next few weeks as I will be announcing an end of the year field trip!
Kim

We Have So Much to Do Together Yet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2010-04-29T19:48:00.000-07:00

Hello wonderful parents and brilliant students,

First, I want to thank all the dedicated parents and friends that made Biztown a reality for our kids! With just one exception, all of the kids loved the experience and found it a real life valuable experience. Junior Achievement has additional opportunities for learning and the 4th graders just started working with a financial analyst (Crystal), who will be joining our class every Tuesday for the next five weeks working with them on designing their own companies. The kids and I have met her for our first lesson and she is just great with the kids. They were so excited when they were able to put their business ideas on a map of the United States in the region they may be interested in working. I'll keep you updated on this learning opportunity. Please, ask your children about it?
I will also be receiving the $300.00 grant for a recycling program or start of a program (I haven't checked prices on materials yet)! I have two students in particular who are passionate about recycling. Our goal would be to cut our school's (or part of the school's) waste by 50%. I have no idea at this point if this possible. Is there a parent volunteer that would be willing to do some research and help the students with implementing this program. One of my ideas is to take a picture of one week's worth of trash before and then after we put the program in place. Please contact me ASAP if you are willing to help or possibly do some additional fundraising if needed.
Since Biztown is officially over and we are down to about seven weeks of school, your students have the opportunity with their next (and final) project to study, write, and create a presentation
called the "Passion Project". In other words, they will develop work based on guidelines that will help them learn and teach about their greatest current passion or interest. At this point, we have Avatar, history of the Mustang, the universe, wolves, J. Adams, and army captains' projects started. I sent home an overview of this project with your children. If your child has not shared it with you yet, please contact me as I would like all families to be "on board" to help their children create this "dream" project.
STAR testing begins next week on May 4th. Your children will test from 10am-11:30am that day as well as on May 5th, May 11th, andMay 12th. Please be sure your child has plenty of rest the night before and that they eat breakfast. Many of the students are starved by 10am. I will make time before testing for them to have a snack if they are hungry; however I prefer they don't reach that exhausted/hungry stage. Thank you for helping.
On Friday, May 28th, teachers have a professional day, so there is no school for your children!
In addition, we are out of school on May 31st, Memorial Day! Enjoy your four-day weekend!
I believe that is it for now!
Kim

CURRENT UPDATES!!!!!!!!!!!!

2010-04-19T08:55:00.002-07:00

Dear Families,

I hope everyone is doing well and happy! I want to apologize for missing some of my blogging this month. Many school items have kept me busy and away from my computer. Although it has been a few weeks, first and foremost I want to thank all the wonderful parents and students who made our "Family Night" a big success. We raised almost $600.00 - Yeah! I've already refreshed some of our art supplies and will be purchasing science supplies.

As you know, Biztown is this Thursday, April 17th. Just as a reminder, all parent volunteers are required to be at JABiztown at 8am for training. Students will arrive at Biztown by 9:30am via San Diego Trolly. Passes for the trolley have already been purchased and the cost covered from our class funds. VERY IMPORTANT - I am at the school by 8am each morning. All Biztown students need to be at school by 8:15am with a packed lunch. If, for some reason, making these arrangments is difficult and you need to drop your student off before 8am in order to keep your volunteer committment for the JABiztown training, keep in mind that we have child care starting at 7:10am every morning. Please let me know if you will be using child care for this day, so I can let the child care workers at the school know.

Our daily schedule in school is much the same as the last time I blogged; however, in math we will be moving into division and fractions soon after. In science, we will be starting a unit on Life Science with our primary focus on plants as a primary source of matter and energy within food chains, producers and consumers, decomposers, and ecosystems. We will start on Friday and continue until students have a good grasp of these concepts.

I attended the Earth Day celebration at Balboa Park yesterday for Innovations Academy. During the time I was there, I was fortunate enough to meet a woman representing an organization giving away grant monies to schools. I completed her paperwork and found out last night that we will be receiving funds to start a better recycling program at school. I'll update you all as I receive more information.

I think that is it for now!
Kim

Just back from Spring Break!!!!!

2010-04-04T19:28:00.000-07:00

Dear Parents,

Did Spring Break go by fast for anyone else? I can't believe it's already Sunday night! Hope you all had a chance to relax and get recharged, 'cause school starts again bright and early tomorrow morning.

I spent some of the break getting materials ready for leveled reading groups. All students were tested and reading was chosen for them based on the results of that testing. I have a wide range of readers in this 4th grade class. In other words, I will be working on decoding, sight words, and basic comprehension skills with some groups while others will be engaging in more of a literature study. In any case, my objective is to help students to continue improving as readers. We start that program tomorrow.

Biztown studies are going great! We still need more volunteers and students need to bring in their money for this trip ($18) and also the one coming up on April 13th. A science field trip is on our class calendar for that day. We are going to the Ruben H. Fleet to study electromagnatism and to tour the museum in general. After, we will head over to the Automotive Museum where we will see electricity in action as we will see an electric car. The cost is $10.00. This will be a full-day activity and all students need to bring a packed lunch, snacks, and beverages. Help!!!!!!!!!!! Drivers are needed and there is no cost for volunteering adults.

This Thursday, April 8th is our monthly scheduled Family Meeting. I have been fortunate enough to have all the pizza and salad donated - tickets will be on sale every morning. For $4.00 you will receive two pieces of yummy Mona Lisa's (located in Little Italy) pizza, salad and a drink. Parents, I am counting on your participation to help bring items listed on Leslie's (Quinlan's mom) list such as paper plates, cups, utensils, baked goods, etc...please let her know as soon as possible how you can assist! The money raised from the dinner will help pay for classroom items such as the novels I just purchased for our literature study. Please help!!!!!!!!

In the classroom we are still working on how to write a good summary, in math we are focusing on partial sums multiplication, in science I would still like to include an additional lesson on erosion (this one requires quite a few materials - again our fundraiser will help with this!), and of course Biztown. We are only three lessons away from finishing 4th grade vocabulary and the students had a choice to move to other 4th grade word activities or move onto 5th grade vocabulary. Ask which one they picked? We are also reviewing California STAR test release questions and practicing test taking strategies. Whew! Your kids work hard at school.

This Tuesday, there will be a substitute in class as I am attending a training on differentiated instruction. She's already been provided with extensive plans for the day, so I'm sure all will go well.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please contact me via email or in person.

Kim

Upcoming Events!!!!!!!!!!!!

2010-03-17T20:53:00.000-07:00

Dear Families,

Get ready because April is going to be an event filled month. Just as a repeat from my last BLOG, the following events need your participation.

On Thursday, March 25th, there is a fund raiser at Chevy's from 4-7pm. All IA families will receive 20% off all receipts. I hope to see you all there!

A science field trip is on our class calendar for Tuesday, April 13th. We are going to the Ruben H. Fleet to study electromagnatism and to tour the museum in general. After, we will head over to the Automotive Museum where we will see electricity in action as we will see an electric car. The cost is $10.00 for students, so please start bringing your money in. This will be a full-day activity and all students need to bring a packed lunch, snacks, and beverages. Drivers are needed and there is no cost for volunteering adults.

We also have a chance this year to participate in an upcoming field trip to Junior Achievements Biz Town on Thursday, April 22nd. This is a highly acclaimed program that only reaches a small percentage of student. We are extremely fortunate to be included. There will be a full curriculum taught to the students that has already begun, focusing on market-based economies. The unit culminates with our visit to Biz Town, a two-story mini-city with town hall and businesses. Each student will assume a job, produce or sell products, receive a paycheck, work on a team, repay business loans, and shop/manage personal bank accounts. The cost per student is $18 to cover the entire program. I need lots of adults for supervision. The 5th and 6th grade classes will also be attending, so between the three classes, we need 25-40 adults. Please start looking at your calendar and let me know as soon as possible if you can volunteer for this full day event!!! Volunteers will go to Biztown at 8am to train before the students arrive a bit after 9am. Supervising adults are free. I went for my training last Friday and Biztown is amazing. I was fortunate to see kids in action and they all looked engaged and excited!

In addition, your child can now win a trip to Magic Mountain for summer break. The only thing required is reading. Students will be bringing home a weekly reading log with a required reading time of 85 minutes a week. These logs are to be returned to me every Monday and require a parents initials daily. They do not have to read over Spring Break. Please see the IA master calendar for Spring Break dates.

For the next Family Meeting on April 8th, my class is in charge of the food, desserts, and drinks. You will be pleased to hear I've already lined up a restaurant that will be donating all the pizzas and salad. I need you (a parent(s)) to help organize other parents to help set-up, bring lots of desserts which we will sell, drinks, cups, plates, napkins, utensils, and finally to help break everything down. As usual the pizza (two pieces, I think), salad, and drinks will cost just $3.00. The pizza is from Mona Lisa's Italian restaurant in Little Italy. Yum!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In class we are busy with vocabulary and grammar work, finishing up By the Great Horn Spoon and our study of California Indians, we are moving into the next unit in math which includes higher level multiplication and division, and before STAR testing I want to take time for lessons on fractions. We have begun our lessons for Biztown and have already covered what a community and economy are. They have been introduced to the circular flow of our economy and played games exchanging money, goods and services, and resources. Whew!!!

For reading, we will next to be breaking into leveled reading groups. I hope to have this up and running sometime next week. In writing we have just begun to learn how to write a summary. Finally, I am beginning to introduce them to test taking strategies for taking a test such as the STAR test, which is coming up in about a month. We don't teach to the test, but as we are reviewing, I am finding places students need extra support. I will be sending home optional work/practice packets over the next few weeks, so they feel a bit more confident as they take the test.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions and concerns, and please let me know how you might help where volunteers are needed above.

Kim

Exciting News!

2010-03-09T08:39:00.000-08:00

Hello IA families,

I am sorry I am a few days late getting my BLOG out to you! Get your calendars out to mark some very important dates!

First on the agenda is our IA Family Night on Thursday, March 11th sponsored by the Karrlie's first grade class. The menu includes pasta, salad, and breadsticks for $3.00 each. Dinner is at 5pm. Please plan to eat in your student's classroom. This Thursday, I will be showing a video of an upcoming activity your children are going to participate in. Keep reading for details! During the actual parent meeting, students/kids will be assigned to classrooms where they will be safely supervised.

On Thursday, March 25th, there is a fund raiser at Chevy's from 4-7pm. All IA families will receive 20% off all receipts. I hope to see you all there.

A science field trip is on our class calendar for Tuesday, April 13th. We are going to the Ruben H. Fleet to study electromagnatism and to tour the museum in general. After, we will head over to the Automotive Museum where we will see electricity in action as we will see an electric car. The cost is $10.00 for students, so please start bringing your money in. This will be a full-day activity and all students need to bring a packed lunch, snacks, and beverages. Drivers are needed and there is no cost for volunteering adults.

We also have a chance this year to participate in an upcoming field trip to Junior Achievements Biz Town on Thursday, April 22nd. This is a highly acclaimed program that only reaches a small percentage of student. We are extremely fortunate to be included. There will be a full curriculum taught to the students beginning next week, focusing on market-based economies. The unit culminates with our visit to Biz Town, a two-story mini-city with town hall and businesses. Each student will assume a job, produce or sell products, receive a paycheck, work on a team, repay business loans, and shop/manage personal bank accounts. As mentioned above, I will be showing a video about Biz Town at this week's Family Night. The cost per student is $18 to cover the entire program. I need lots of adults for supervision. The 5th and 6th grade classes will also be attending, so between the three classes, we need 25-40 adults. Please start looking at your calendar and let me know as soon as possible if you can volunteer for this full day event!!! Supervising adults are free.

In addition, your child can now win a trip to Magic Mountain for summer break. The only thing required is reading. Students will be bringing home a weekly reading log today with a required reading time of 75 minutes a week. These logs are to be returned to me every Monday and require a parents initials everyday. They do not have to read over Spring Break. Please see the IA master calendar for Spring Break dates.

In science, I need the following supplies brought into class next Tuesday, March 16th. Each child needs to gather three different looking rock specimens about 2 cm in diameter, bring in an empty coffee tin with a lid, and a large steel nail. We are finishing looking at types of rock and moving on to weathering . By the way, we are studying the metric system in math, so let them measure the rocks to determine if they qualify as the correct size.

That's it for now! Please email or come by with questions or concerns.

Kim

A Quick Update

2010-02-28T19:27:00.000-08:00

Deat Families,

Firstly, just a quick reminder that we are petitioning for prop 39 school sites. The school site that was given to us is in an undesirable location and is virtually unusable for our current needs. We are encouraging all staff, parents, and students to sign a form letter stating our wish to be offered a more suitable site. We are also going to encourage parents and students to be present at the official board meeting on Tuesday, March 23. It will be held sometime in the evening. I am not sure of the exact time as of yet.

Next, I want to congratulate the fourth graders on the wonderful job thay did for our "Wax Museum" last Thursday. They were all so excited about being experts on their California figures. The entire school visited our classroom and asked questions of each student. They were all tired afterwards. Go fourth graders!! Biographies will be sent home soon!

Also, if you don't know already, some of the fictional narratives written by students and their
illustrations will be published in Frye Lights, Donna Frye's newsletter. When it is finished, I will have copies in the classroom for all to enjoy. I would also like to publish all narratives and illustrations in a class book. Is anyone willing to take the writing and drawings to a printer and get an estimate of cost?

In science we are studying crystals and rocks. Students have engaged in hands-on activities to make crystals, igneous and sedimentary rock, and this week they will make metamorphic rock. Shortly there after we will be taking a look at weathering. We will also be taking a field trip in mid-March to the Ruben H. Fleet museum to look at electricity and later the application of electricity at the Automotive Museum where we will view an electric car! The cost will be $10.00. I will let you know the date as soon as I have it.

Learning about California in Social Studies continues as we read our adventurous book, "By the Great Horn Spoon". Students have compared prices during the gold rush period to costs now. When do you think things cost more? Ask your child. I think you will be surprised. They are involved in answering review questions, drawing, and will be looking at the diseases of that time starting this week. We are also starting to read about California Indians. My goal is for groups of students to prepare posters identifying the differences between indian tribes as well as write a legend. I am looking for donations of books that are specifically legends to give students' examples.

In writing, we are just beginning to study the elements of writing a summary, a fourth grade standard. If their summaries are like the rest of their writing, I plan to look for excellent results.

The math unit we are studying is all about decimals and so far so good. I thought it would be more challenging, but most students have grasped the lessons. We have been using concrete representations (base-10 blocks and money), visual representations, and trying three strategies to add or subtract decimals.

Please stop by to see your child's beautiful oil paintings of the California poppy. I would like to make a quilt for the srtist who came in to teach. We need fabric, batting, embroidery and regular thread. Who can help???

Also, the fourth grade is responsible for the meal on the family night in April. This is an area I would like to get some input and help on. What are your ideas for the meal? Anyone know where we can get it donated from? Are you willing to set up a game night to go along with that night. We will be charging $3.00 for the meal and $0.50-$1.00 to play the games and we need prizes! Help!!!!!

That's it for now!
Kim

Let the Good Times Roll!

2010-02-16T17:40:00.000-08:00

Dear Families,

I hope you all had sufficient time to bond with your children over our latest holiday weekend! I did some maintenance, like brakes all around, plumbing repairs in the bathroom, etc...I live in a very old house! GRrrrrrrrrr!

In math most all of the students in class are really "getting it" (decimals). Wow, it seems like such a difficult subject to me, but they are flying. We will be continuing with decimals/fractions/percentages for awhile. But at this rate, it may go faster than I thought!

All of you must come into the classroom to view your child's incredibly beautiful oil paintings. Each painting is rich with the vision your child saw in the flower. Last year we made a quilt from the paintings that were transferred to fabric. "Sewing Bee" anyone? I have the quilt from last year, but this year I would love to put one together for the artist who donated her time for free to teach the children how to mix colors, express themselves, and create. This means we will need someone to take pictures of each painting, transfer them onto fabric, and help with purchases of materials like batting and diverse fabrics that will compliment the paintings. Any takers?

Also, fictional narratives are being posted on our bulletin board outside the classroom. On Friday, February 18th, Donna Frye's writer, Chet will be speaking to your children about writing, the process, and the final piece. He and Donna also offered to print some of the students' pieces in Frye Lights, her news letter. Yipee!

The Wax Musuem will be scheduled for Thursday, February 25th from 1pm-3pm. This means it is time to create costumes for your child's character. On that day they can just bring their costumes to change into at lunch time or they can be in character all day.

Lastly, we finally started science and are looking at minerals and the creation of crytals that we will be observing tomorrow and discussing what we see and why we think what we did made a change. Next, we will be looking at and defining rocks. Don't be surprised when your child tells you they ate some rocks that spewed out of a volcanoe.

As usual, email or call anytime.

Love,
Kim

WEEKLY UPDATE!!!

2010-02-07T21:29:00.000-08:00

Dear Families,

Family Night is this Thursday, Feb 11th at starting at 5pm. At 5pm, a chili or hot dog dinner is being sponsored by the Kinder class. Please sign at the front desk and pick up a schedule of the nights events. You may also pay for your meals at the front desk. The price is $3 per dinner. Tickets are on sale all week during drop off and pick up, or you can purchase them from Donna. Yummy baked goods (two) will also be available for sale in the exploratorium for $1. Families are encouraged to come and have dinner with their child's teachers in the classrooms. This is a great time to interact, see how well your children are progressing and to get all of your class questions answered. You don't have to buy a chili dinner to participate. You are welcome to bring a dinner from home. It's important that you and your child take part in this interaction time. For information we'll have an open forum discussion on facilities, fundraising, and other school happenings to begin at 6:15pm sharp upstairs in the Commons Room. You'll need to be there to be kept up to date on the latest on our school. Children will be able to do crafts in the kinder room during the parent meeting. $1 for larger crafts like kaliedescope, pinwheels, bead necklace/bracelet, or 3 monster magnets. There will also be free crafts. Each child can make a free book mark.

What's new in our classroom? I know you are all waiting for the "Wax Museum" to be scheduled. Students are almost done with their biographies and then a little more work on dioramas needs to be done. I'll give you a date as soon as we are almost finished - hopefully by the end of this week. Most of the fictional narratives are being edited or in final draft mode. As they are finished, they will be displayed outside our classroom on the bulletin board. Please take the time to stop and read them as I think you will be surprised at the level of creative ability and writing skills. Go 4th graders!!!

We will be reading chapters 6 &7 this week in By the Great Horn Spoon! Students have been learning about the experiences of gold-seekers that traveled around the Horn in South America. They have been locating places from the story on the map, answering comprehension questions, drawing pictures, and finding locations based on longitude and latitude. This week they will write about the life of miners. After we finish this particular book, we will no longer be reading as a whole group. I will be reading with small groups so I can serve the needs of students at their reading levels.

In math, we are starting to learn about decimals. Last week, students looked at money and the decimals in money, we placed decimals on number lines, looked at a hundreds chart and how decimals relate, and looked at the relationship between thousands, hundreds, tens, ones, tenths, hundredths, and thousanths. This week I will be using Base 10 to further support learning about decimals and we will just begin to compare decimals to fractions.

On Tuesday of this week, I have scheduled with an artist to come in at 1pm to begin teaching the students to oil paint. Thank you to all the parents who brought canvasses and other supplies into the classroom so that your children have the wonderful opportunity to learn from a professional artist. We will be painting the California poppy.

On Thursday, we will be starting science and beginning to look at crystals and rocks. Yippee!

In history, along with reading, By the Great Horn Spoon, we recently read about the Mexican-American War, which is so important in California's statehood. We also had our wonderful field trip up to Julian to visit Smith's ranch where Mr. Smith was a well-informed resource for the time period in history we are studying. Through him we also had the opportunity to see a primary source document. That spurred a conversation in the classroom about primary and secondary resources in research. Thanks to all of the parents that drove to Julian. Stopping on the way back to touch snow and have snow-ball fights was another highlight of our trip.

I want to mention a special thanks to Leisa Mitchell who donated book bags to all 4th graders and also to Cheryl Geck for modifying the bags so they can actually hang on the back of the chairs. I like the desks to look uncluttered.

I will be sending home some unfinished work with students this week. In some cases students have had as much as two weeks to turn in some work and still have not. When it comes home, if you could have your child finish the work as soon as possible and return it to me, I would appreciate it.

That's it for now!

Kim

All Aboard!

2010-01-31T12:40:00.000-08:00

Dear Families,

As you know, this week, on Thursday we are taking a field trip to Julian. We will be taking a train ride and then exploring a mine. Please be sure to get your monies in to me prior to the field trip. The cost is $7.00 for students and $10.00 for adults. Additionally, please be sure to pack a lunch for your child for the day and keep in mind there will not be a way to heat up meals.

As often as possible, I would like to share some of your childrens' writing with you. To keep it fair, I pull sticks from a cup with all students' names on them. This week, Kaya and Isaiah's names were chosen. We have been working on learning how to write what we call "sandwich paragraphs". In other words, the paragraph pattern is a topic sentence, detail sentences, and finally a closing statement. I hope you all enjoy reading these entries!

KAYA:

I found a great treasure in the canyon behind my house! I was out trying to find my dog and then fell into a big ditch. I looked all around for my dog. As I was searching, I turned and saw a deep hole with a rope ladder. The next thing I knew, I was face-to-face with a treasure chest. I pulled it up to me and saw a note with a key. After climbing back to the surface, I read the note and it said, "Ye who opens this will have riches forever". I located a wonderous surprise right behind my house!

ISAIAH:

Have you ever found a box full of jewels? I have! I was exploring Egypt and the Egyptian tombs when I approached a surprising discovery! It was a box full of jewels! The container was buried deep inside the soil, so I had to dig it up with my shovel. I estimated it's worth at $10,000.00 and I was right! I went back to my home in California and had made my fortune. That was my Egyptian discovery!

The two entries above are primarily rough drafts and can still use a bit of work; however, both students followed the "sandwich paragraph" pattern and did a great job.

Progress reports went out this week. If you have any questions, please contact me by dropping by our room or emailing me!
Kim

SCHEDULE CHANGE FOR FIELD TRIP!!!

2010-01-28T20:08:00.000-08:00

Dear Families,

I am writing to let you know that the Julian field trip has been postponed for two days. In otherwords, we will be going on Thursday, February 4th instead of on Tuesday, February 2nd! I hope all of you that had planned to drive can still make it.

Also, I don't have time tonight, but please read my upcoming BLOG as I will be posting some of your children's writing. This first post will feature Kaya and Isaiah's "sandwich" paragraphs! Ask them what a "sandwhich" paragraph is.

Take Care,
Kim

EXCITING NEWS! January 23rd-31st

2010-01-23T09:31:00.000-08:00

Dear families,

I want to apologize for my late BLOG. I usually try to have a new one written early each week; however, I've been waiting for a confirmation on an exciting field trip we will be taking on Tuesday, February 2nd. We have reservations for the "Julian Train & Gold Mine Tour". Yeah!! I am looking for approximately five drivers, so please let me know as soon as possible if you can volunteer. The cost is $7.00 for students and $10.00 for adults. I'm sorry, we cannot cover the cost of drivers, but I'm sure this field trip will be worth every penny. Please bring the $7.00/$10.00 fee as soon as possible. The train ride and tour starts at 11:30am, so we will leave IA at approximately 9:45am. As you know, we are reading a book about the goldrush in class, as well as learning about California's history, so this field trip will help the whole idea of mining for gold come to life! I can't wait!

We are on Lesson 10 in Wordly Wise for the upcoming week. Students practice learning the definitions of the words on the word list through a variety of in class activities. I have just discovered that your child can also go on-line to www.wordlywise.com and practice their words though various game activities. I would encourage all students to do this as I am still seeing some low scores on the weekly assessment for definitions. Additionally, for spelling, each week the word list is being entered on www.spellingcity.com. If you go to Kim's list, students can practice their spelling.

For writing, almost all students have started their "not so rough drafts" for their fictional narratives. Yes, this took a long time, but I believe the results will be worth it. Ask your child why I call them "not so rough"! We are also working on our informational reports on an important California figure. As soon as the reports are done, we will have one more session on dioramas and schedule the "Wax Museum" activity. You will all be invited to this event.

Once we have finished this writing, I will be focusing on science. In other words, the time we spent writing will be devoted to covering science standards we have not gotten to so far this year. I know your children are enthusiastic about moving on to this important academic area.

In math, we continue to practice multiplication and division facts. This week we will be looking at how to approach word problems. They will learn what to pay attention to, what certain words indicate, drawing as a strategy, etc.

I think that is it for now. If you have questions or concerns, please email or stop by.
Kim

Calling All Parents! January 11th-18th

2010-01-11T10:05:00.000-08:00

Dear Families,

It looks like I am going to need some assistance this year, so I am looking for help in the following areas:

1. Lunch support from 12:15-1:00pm M,T,TH, & F. Our fourth grade class is now having lunch with the kindergarten class. Students eat from 12:15-12:30pm and then move to the playground. When students move to the playground, DeeDee and I have a chance to eat our lunches. I would like to have supervision on the playground I can count on - can you help?

2. I need some help in the classroom with reviewing student work and recording, filing, posting vocabulary words, etc...can you help?

3. A parent of a fourth grade student is interested in starting a student used book store. She is looking for help! Let me know if I can give her your name.

4. I am still looking for art supplies for the oil-painting classes I would like to have for the fourth graders. Michaels has 50% off coupons if you go to their site. I will print some so that they are available in my classroom. Oil paints are $8.99 per tube. I need Ultramarine Blue, Titanium White, and Cadmium Red. We need something to clean brushes and last year I purchased a product that was safer than turpentine, so if someone could check into the options for this and donate it, that would be great. Finally, 11x14 canvasses cost $7.99-10.99 depending on the type you want. If each parent could supply one canvas we will be able to get started. If possible, I would like these supplies by the end of January!

5. Bookbags have been graciously donated by Leisa Mitchell (Landon's mom). They are the perfect size; however, I need the handles changed, so they can hang on the back of the chairs. Is there anyone who can possibly work on this job? Please let me know.

6. I am starting to plan a field trip to the Julian mines for a tour. This will be an all-day field trip and I would like to go the last week of January, perhaps on Thursday, January 28th. Please check your calendar as we will need drivers. I will update you by next Monday on details such as cost, the time we will be leaving and get back, and the specifics of the field trip.

There is a parent meeting this Thursday which includes a Spaghetti Dinner starting at 5pm. The dinner is sponsored by the 5th grade class. I hope you are able to attend.

Sincerely,
Kim

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!

2010-01-03T19:44:00.001-08:00

D ear Families,
What a great break I had this year and I hope you did too! I want to thank everyone for their generosity as I received many cards, gift cards, and gifts for the Christmas celebration. I was and am touched by all of your thoughtfullness and caring! I am grateful for all of your support.
We start back tomorrow morning with the addition of another new student. Welcome Sarah! That leaves me with just one seat open in my classroom! Wow, how we have grown! This week your children will be identifying the four regions in California and creating posters that identify the positive aspects of those regions and what would draw people to live in them. They will also be making murals of those regions. The posters, along with the murals will be posted outside our classroom. By the way, if you haven't, please take the time to read some of the wonderful poetry written by fourth graders about the mountains and deserts that is currently posted on the bulletin board closest to the exploratorium.
By next Tuesday, we will finally be finishing Patty Reed's Doll. As a final celebration, I am looking for a volunteer parent to donate and make a "Calico Bean" recipe (trail food) for 20 that the class can eat for lunch that day. That said, we will also need paper bowels, spoons, napkins, and drinks if possible. I have the recipe in my classroom, so if you like this type of thing please let me know soon, so we can plan. As soon as we finish, we will begin reading a book on the goldrush - By the Great Horn Spoon!
I am also still looking for canvases and paints for our oil painting adventure! I have the artist all lined up and just need the supplies to make this exciting art experience possible. Please see my previous BLOGS for the canvas dimensions and oil paint colors. We will be painting the CALIFORNIA POPPY, transferring those images onto fabric, and creating a quilt to be sold! If it ends up like last year's quilt, it will be beautiful!
In math, we are starting a unit on multiplication and division. Please work on skip-counting with your children so their facts become automatic sooner than later. We will be moving a little quicker in math now as we have so much to cover by the end of the year! I may be sending home some practice sheets for those students needing a little extra help!
In science (finally), we will beginning to look at animal adaptation. Some students will be asked to bring information into class on animals within the four California regions. We will be looking at why those animals survive well in those places.
We are also continuing on our fictional narratives and reports on important California people in writing with the later a part of our project. The project dioramas are almost finished, so I expect we should be ready for our "Wax Museum", no later than the last week in January. I will keep you posted.
Our next parent meeting, is next Thursday, January 14th. Please stay tuned for details regarding this meeting via our out-going phone blast or flyers coming home! Progress reports will also be coming out this month.
That's it for now. Stop by the classroom anytime!
sincerely,
Kim

OOPS! I MADE SOME ERRORS ON DATES!!

2009-12-14T18:10:00.000-08:00

Dear Families,

I must have been really tired when I wrote my BLOG last night because I made a few errors. The field trip was today, the 14th and was wonderful. Ask your child! We come back to school, Monday January 4th, not the 3rd.
I also forgot one last thing. I was asked if there were any art supplies I might need and "yes" there are as I would like the students in my class to have the opportunity to oil paint when we get back from Christmas break. I need the following and cannot afford to purchase these items myself:

Canvases should be 11 x 14 and I need 20. The oil paint colors we will need are Cadmium Yellow, Cadmium Red, Alizarin Crimson, Ultrmarine Blue, and Titanium White. I also need some brushes, thin plastic (like painter's use) to cover the floors and tables, and the safer version of turpentine (I can't remember what it is called). It would also probably be a good idea to have plastic gloves.

For the art supplies, BLICK Art on India Street is a good place.

Thanks
Kim

"Tis the week before Christmas Break!

2009-12-13T20:14:00.000-08:00

Dear Families,

Thanks to all the families that came out to Barnes and Nobles last Thursday! I thought the poetry recitations went very well and I was proud of those students that conquered their fear of "public speaking"!!
I also appreciate the support all of you parents are giving your children in finding resources for their informational reports. The last I checked, which was on Friday, there were only a few students that hadn't brought their information. I did neglect to send a note home with the students on Friday regarding bringing supplies to school for their dioramas. Again, the idea is for them to create a scene from their chosen person's life inside a shoe box. We talked about the supplies they could use on Friday. I would like to have these items, no later than Wednesday morning. Please contact me, if you have any questions.
On Monday, December 18th from 10am-2pm we will be on an exciting field trip to the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, CA. Thanks ahead of time to all of you wonderful parents who volunteered to drive. Don't forget to pack a lunch for your child as we will be there over the lunch hour.
Our last day of school is on December 18th. That afternoon, I am planning for students to relax and have fun decorating cookies and one other suprise item for home! I think we all deserve to let our hair down a bit as they mostly work hard while they are in class with me! School will be back in session on January 3, 2010!
I hope you all enjoy your holidays.

This week in school, your children will be:

Having lots of laughs during our morning meetings.
Learning new vocabulary and grammar skills (compound sentences using coordinating conjunctions).
Working on their fictional narrativies. They have their overall outlines completed and will now start adding details, making careful word choices, and checking for spelling and punctuation errors.
Completing an assessment in math.
Continuing work on their project, which will include finishing "Patty Reed's Doll", starting to write their informational reports, make dioramas, and hopefully if time allows create some desert art and poetry. They will also be watching a PBS special about the west during the 1800's.

Our first progress reports for the year will be completed in January. I'm excited to share with you all the ways your child has grown and developed.

Sincerely,
Kim

Ten School Days Until Christmas Break!!!!

2009-12-06T13:35:00.000-08:00

Dear Families,

Our mandatory Family Night meeting will be held at Barnes & Nobles at 6 pm on Thursday, December 10th. Please attend so you can stay informed of important IA updates and information. As I've mentioned before, my class is memorizing poetry to recite at 6:30 in the bookstore that night. Please have your children there by approximately 6:15, so that we are organized and ready to go! Should you decide to purchase Barnes & Noble items that night or any time from December 10th-16th, a percentage of the proceeds goes towards the 8th grade Washington D.C. trip. Also, rather than going home after picking up your child, an IA dinner is being held at Applebee's before the meeting from 4-8 pm. IA gets 15% of the proceeds, so invite friends and family to join in.

In class, we are continuing to study California history. Students have been asked to choose a historical figure that was significant to California's history. Most students chose their person on Friday, but some did not. The requirement for Monday is that your child have their historical figure chosen and bring in three informational resources about that person. The resources can be a book and two internet articles or any combination of the two. Your child will be writing an informational report on their chosen person. Additionally, because we are reading about westward expansion and pioneers, we have recently discussed bartering. Students were asked to bring in five items on Monday to barter away (items should be things your child can part with) during our "Bartering Fair" A note went home on Friday, so I hope you all received it!

For math, we have been studying mean, median, and mode and how to organize data. Students and I co-created a tally chart and line-plot that described the number of people in our families. The lowest number was three and highest was eleven! We are also practicing various strategies for addition and subtraction as well as skip counting and drilling on multiplication facts. Students are also having to learn how to round in order to calculate ball park estimates, a skill we commonly use as adult. The rounding is presenting some difficulties.

Students are busy writing their next narrative, a fictional one about a dilemma with water. We have everything from a boy falling in a walrus tank (mine), to avalanches, sinking boats, and being pulled into ocean waves without being able to swim. Ask your child what they are writing about. The process of writing these narratives well is time consuming, but time well spent. Your child is learning to plan, organize, and revise what I consider to be fairly high level pieces of writing.

We are also working hard on learning 15 new high level vocabulary words weekly. For example this week, students learned the meanings of words such as contempt and abrupt. They also took a pre-test on these words in spelling. At least four of the students were able to spell all 15 words correctly on the pre-test which tells me that I need two lists in the future. Our final spelling test will be on Monday. Each week your child makes 3 X 5 cards with their words on them. I have asked them to practice them at home and at school, so you might ask them about them. A good time to practice together is in the car while driving to school.

We are also practicing grammar on most days. We have gone over all capitalization requirements for 4th grade and we are on to punctuation. For the most part, this is going well; however, using commas to separate an appositive from the noun that proceeds it is a bit confusing, so we will be engaging in additional lessons on this topic this week.

I would like you and your child to begin gathering supplies for them to create a diorama of a scene from their historical figure's life. As a matter a fact, if your child could be ready to bring their shoe box and supplies by Monday, December 14th, that would be great as we will start working on them that day. Upon our return from Christmas break and soon as their informational reports and dioramas are done, your child will also need to create a costume depicting their historical figure. When all is ready, we will conduct a Wax Museum in our classroom, where your child is the expert on their historical figure, they are dressed as them and the entire school as well as families will be invited into our room to learn! I will keep you updated concerning the date.

I will also be looking into having an artist come into the classroom to teach oil painting after the Christmas break. I will need supplies for this venture such as oil paints, brushes, turpentine, and canvases. I would like each student to paint the California Poppy. After the paintings are completed, we can transfer the images onto fabric and make a classroom quilt. So, I will also need fabric and quilting supplies. If you can supply any of these items, I would appreciate it. We did a similar project last year and the end result was beautiful!

Please contact me with any questions or concerns. I think that is it for now!

Sincerely,

Kim

The Holiday Season is Upon Us!

2009-11-28T08:59:00.000-08:00

Good Morning Families,

I hope you all had a restful Thanksgiving. For myself, I have spent time enjoying my family and making sure to take this time to reflect on the many blessings that exist in my life. Of course, my own children are my biggest blessing, but when I think of each and every child in my class an additional smile comes to my face. I hope all of you will be ready to come back to school committed to learning and making our class run like the strong team I know we can be. We only have a brief period of time (14 days) of school before we are out again for Christmas vacation, so let's make them count!
Please remember that Monday the 30th of November is a Professional Day for the teachers at IA, thus there is no school! We will be looking at curriculum, daily schedules, discussing positive discipline, and delving into our current and upcoming projects.
Speaking of projects, when we return to school, we will be continuing to study California's history through finishing "Patty Reed's Doll" and starting on "By The Great Horn Spoon", a story about California's gold rush. Within the reading of each book, students will actively engage in writing, math, science, and history activities. Letters written by students pretending they are pioneers should be posted outside our classroom shortly after returning from Thanksgiving break.
Also, shortly after we return, your children are invited to perform the poems and monologues they have chosen at the parent meeting at Barnes and Nobles at 6:30pm on December 10th. Students will have time to practice memorizing their poems in class. I would also like to see them take them home and practice. If you have any questions, please contact me via email or in the classroom.
I am looking for a donation of fabric to make bookbags for the back of each students chair. I like the tables to be free of books and folders during the day, so there is plently of room to work. Is anyone willing to help me calculate the amount of fabric, purchase it, and help to make them? Please let me know.
As soon as I have information about progress report dates, I will let you all know. Until then, take care and I will be updating my BLOG weekly by each Monday for the remainder of the year.
Sincerely,
Kim

Weekly Update from Kim's Room

2009-11-10T17:12:00.000-08:00

Dear families,

Our class is busily working every day and having fun! On occasion we can't complete work in class. Most of the time, we just finish it the next day, but on a rare occasion I may send something home. When that happens, it would be great if students could finish the work and return it the next day. I'm writing this because I recently did send work home from our "Wordly Wise" program as I want all students to have and an opportunity to increase their vocabulary and working with this program is just one of the ways we can achieve this. I would love to see more of it returned!
For our Fun Fair on Sunday, the 15th we need canopies! For instance, parents have volunteered to "man" the used book sale and I want them to have shade from the sun. I also have some students who want to have a make-over booth. If you have a canopy and it could be available, please contact me ASAP!
Don't forget that we will be visiting the San Diego Mission next Tuesday for a field trip. I need drivers and for students to bring $2.00 to school to pay for the docent tour. All of these field trips enrich your students learning and school enjoyment. Let Michelle or I know if you can drive. I know it will be both educational and fun!
On December 10th, the parent meeting will be at the Barnes and Nobles bookstore at Hazard Center near the school. Your children are memorizing Shel Silverstein poems to recite that night for your enjoyment! Please put it on your calendar as an event not to miss. Students will be reciting them in class as well, but I know they would love to recite them in front of their families. I hope you can make it!
I also hope to see you all this Thursday night, the 12th for the parent meeting! Our classroom will be displaying your child's "All About Me" scrapbook. It's also a great way to stay current on other school events.

Sincerely,
Kim

P.S. Some of you missed conferences. If you were too busy and would like to reschedule, please contact me.

It's Almost Thanksgiving!!

2009-11-02T10:10:00.000-08:00

Dear Families,

I want to thank all of the families that brought treats and supplies for our Halloween party on Friday. The students had lots of fun, probably ate a bit too much sugar, and wrapped each other in toilet paper like mummies. They also had fun visiting the 1st grade haunted classroom!

I also want to thank those parent drivers that volunteered for our Mission Trails Regional Park field trip. Students enjoyed being out in nature and gaining knowledge about ecosystems by looking, touching, and smelling various plants. Our guide was informative with a great sense of humor and shared fascinating stories to maintain interest and attention! All-in-all, a great learning experience.

Upcoming events include the following for the month of November:

Wednesday, November 4th, 1:30-6:30pm are student-led conferences. Please email me or drop by to sign up for your conference time. Right now, I only have six parents signed up and I know you are all interested in knowing how your children are doing!

Thursday, November 12th, 5:00-8:00pm is our monthly parent meeting. This will also be a time for you to see your children's work from their "All About Me" project.

Sunday, November 15th, 10:00am-4:00pm is the Fall Festival, hosted by IA parents. I need volunteers to "man" the booksale booth. Hours to volunteer will be broken into two-hour shifts. In other words, from 10am-12pm, from 12-2pm, and from 2-4pm. Please email me if you can help at this important fundraising event.

Tuesday, November 17th our fourth grade needs volunteer drivers for a field trip to the San Diego Mission. Fourth grade standards cover learning about the California mission system. Kids love to learn by doing! Please let me know if you will be able to help.

Thanksgiving break - November 23rd-27th.

I hope you can make any or all of the events listed above. If you have questions, let me know!

Out daily learning consists of the following this week:

Morning Meeting - Highway 3/Full Responsibility
Wordly Wise - 15 new high level words and activities to learn the words in various parts of speech
Grammar - Punctuation, capitalization, and thank you letters
Writing - Final drafts for autobiographical narratives and introduction to the fictional narrative
Math - Number uses
Reading and Comprehension - Patty Reed's Doll
Social Science - Patty Reed's Doll This book helps students to understand the western migration that was taking place in the United States in the mid-1800's
Science - Ecosystems and introduction to food chains within the ecosytem.

I think that's it for now! Please contact me with any concerns or questions that come to mind.

Sincerely,
Kim

October/November Events!!!!!!!

2009-10-26T08:20:00.000-07:00

Dear Families,

Happy Monday! Halloween is less than a week away and I would like to have a Friday celebration. Are there any parent volunteers out there who would be willing to join us at approximately 12:30pm to celebrate? Let me know! I also need a donation of treats (Halloween cupcakes, drinks, napkins, etc....). Students can bring their costumes to wear during our celebration or wear them all day - please no scary masks!! Let me know if you can volunteer!!!

Other upcoming events include the following:

Wednesday, November 4th, 1:30-6:30pm/Student-led Conferences. The sign-up sheet for conferences is right outside my classroom door.
Thursday, November 12th, 5-8pm/Dinner, parent meeting, and exibition of "All About Me" project.
Thanksgiving Break - November 23rd- 27th
December 7th- 11th/Borders Book Sale Fundraiser. Take your flyer into Borders, buy books, and 15% of your purchase goes to IA. The parent meeting on Thursday, December 10th will actually be held at Borders and will include student performances (stay-tuned for more information).
Parent arranged Fall Festival in IA parking lot - date to be announced.

I hope you can make any or all of the dates above. If you have questions, please let me know!

During the school day, your children are starting to learn about 8 to Great during our morning meeting time. This program is designed to teach life skills for success. After our morning meeting we study new words (students are also practicing "acting" the words out) and grammar. In our daily writing program, students are in the midst of writing their autobiographical narrative into paragraphs. After they finish, we will be looking over their writing for revisions and final editing. In writing as well as other activities here at IA, we are committed to excellence and beautiful work. In math, we are almost finished with Geometry! Students will be assessed today and be moving on to the next unit. During this unit, students will be taking an imaginary tour of the world. They will learn about the countries they visit and the people that live there. Additionally, they will be collecting and examining numerical data and become more aware of the "use of numbers". For Social Studies/Reading/Math, we are reading a book called Patty Reed's Doll . We are looking at a young girl's trip from Illinois to California through the eyes of her doll. Students are learning why people moved to California in the mid-1800's, what it was like to travel in a covered wagon, the hardships that was endured, and for the math portion we will be calculating time needed to travel a certain number of miles. This week we will also be singing camp songs, drawing and coloring covered wagons, and pressing flowers like our pioneer girl in the story. For science, we will "kick-off" learning about ecosystems with our field trip to Mission Trails which is scheduled for Wednesday, October 28th from 9:30am-1:00pm. Students are being asked to bring a bag lunch, so we can picnic after the tour. Please also send your child with a $1 donation to cover the cost and I need volunteer divers, so contact me immediately if you can drive. Ask your children about their enriching MAPS activities!

I think that's it for now! As always, please contact me with questions or concerns reagrding your child's education here at IA.

Sincerely,

Kim Brunetto

2009-10-13T22:22:00.000-07:00

Dear Families,

We are finishing up the "Me Project" and are ready to head forward with our learning. As you know, we will be going on our first field trip on Thursday the 15th of October to the Serra Museum in Presidio Park in San Diego. This field trip will "kick-off" our study of California history, a fourth grade standard. Please be sure to be at school before 9am as I would like to have all the students in vehicles and ready to drive to the site at 9am sharp! After the docent-led tour, we will enjoy a picnic in the park, so please be sure to send a bagged lunch with your child.

In math right now we are learning studying Geometry. Students are drawing, describing, and playing games to recognize polygons as well as practicing math facts. We are also practicing vocabulary by using a program called "Wordly Wise." Some of these higher level words are actually showing up in student writing. Yeah! We have been doing a lot of writing with the "Me Project". One of the most exciting pieces is an autobiographical narrative that students have put a few weeks into planning. I think you will be impressed and see growth even from their first writing project. The program I am using comes from the Learning Headquarters, a well-respected curriculum in the teaching world!

We will be exibiting work from the "All About Me" project on October 29th. Stay-tuned for more details.

On November 4th, that is a Wednesday, we are having student led conferences. Please come in and sign up for a time that works best for you. Please feel free to email me also with a time that works best for you. The conferences will last 15 minutes and the first one will start at 1:15. If this date does not work for you we can schedule for another date. I will be sending a form home that you should go over with your student prior to the conference.

Hope everyone is well! You all have amazing kids and we are really making progress and are absorbing so much. Keep the communication open. If you have any questions or comments let me know.

Kim

PICTURE DAY IS COMING!!

2009-09-28T15:51:00.000-07:00

Dear Families,
"Picture Day" is coming! I sent home packets with your child today, so if you would like a picture of your child please be sure to get the paperwork completed and returned to me before Monday, October 5th. Fourth grade students will be photographed at 9:35am on that day.
Students have been busy at work in a variety of areas. One of the exciting programs I just started that is meant to increase your child's vocabulary by 100's of words is called Wordly Wise. Your children were introduced to 15 new words today. Throughout the week they will be engaged in meaningful activities in order to master meanings as well as spelling. Each week we also work on 10 additional words children already know, but that are spelling demons. For instance, there, their, and they're. They have also been introduced to four types of sentences. Ask them about powerful sentences and if they can describe for you a "Double the Who" or "Triple-Decker sentence. We will be reviewing these types of sentences on numerous occasions. They will use them in their autobiographical narrative that we started planning last week.
In math, we are studying Geometry. We have talked about lines, rays, and line segments and started talking about angles today. In order to make math more hands-on we have looked at line segments on actual blue prints, used geoboards to create line segments, created angles with straws and twist ties, and will be building geometric solids. In project math, students will also be graphing information on all students' career choices and their future incomes. I'm hoping to compete the graphs this week, but at this point only a few students have looked up their career income. It would be great if you could sit down with your child and look on the computer or in a library book regarding their future career choice. In addition to graphing the income, I also want them to understand what they will be doing in their chosen work and where they might have to move in the country to work in their field (geography).
For the "All About Me" project, students have made scrapbook covers, they all need to have completed a second interview with their parents, and have started to decorate their shoes in a way that represents who they are. Additionally most of them have completed writing about a summer activity they enjoyed. Stop by and read the writing posted on the bulletin board outside my room. This week students will be bringing home a family tree to complete. If you have photos of any of the people on the family tree that can be copied for their scrapbook, please send them along. Any stories about their relatives will also make the family tree come alive! I appreciate your efforts!! Students are also reading books of their choice and completing book reports. This part of the project has two purposes. For one, students and I will understand the type of fiction they prefer and two, they will understand the elements of plot.
Finally, we are beginning to touch on map skills and we will soon be looking at ecosystems for science.
If you have any questions, please feel free to email. I am looking for a room parent to help me with the student store. If you are interested, please let me know and I will explain what is needed. Also, the kindergarten teacher, DeeDee and I want to have a used book, DVD, and game sale; however, we need donations. We would love for you to make more space on your shelves for new books and get rid of the old ones. Donations can be dropped off in my room.

Thanks for your caring,
Kim

4TH GRADE CLASSROOM UPDATE!

2009-09-16T19:46:00.000-07:00

Dear Families,
Whew, last week flew! Students are getting to know each through lots of team building activities and classroom assignments. We have been practicing daily routines, signals, and classroom protocol. Agreements regarding behavior have been made and are being discussed daily. I'm happy to say all is going well.
Base-line assessments in math, spelling, and writing have been completed. I will have a good idea of how to group students based on skill level next week. During small group work, I will have an opportunity to work even closer with students in order to support them in a variety of ways. My goal is to find just the right balance between challenge and too easy. In other words, I don't want your children to be frustrated while learning, but continue to master academic and social skills.
So far, students have met a character named Rikki Tikki Tavi from an in class read aloud. I think they enjoyed this story and were adept at identifying Rikki Tikki Tavi's character traits. They were even able to support their answers with evidence from the book. They have also picked D.E.A.R. books from our in class library for silent reading thoughout the day. Ask your child about the difference between a "Must Do" and a "May Do"! I have asked each student to bring a book from home, for our "All About Me Project". This book will be used to write a book report, but I would like it to be one that students are excited about reading or one that they have read before and are willing to read again. Some students have remembered to bring a book and others still have not. We will be starting the reading on these books next Monday, so please remember to send a book with them to school. My main objective is for them to understand the elements of plot, a fourth grade standard, and thought it would be more enjoyable if they had a choice on their book. We also learn more about our likes and dislikes when we see each others' book choices.
Students are working hard in writing. They are describing themselves in writing from a picture or drawing of themselves engaged in an activity. They are answering detail questions to extend their writing, as well as including sensory details. Most students have completed rough drafts and are ready to begin revisions. They have also done what I call a "Power Write". Students are given a writing prompt and are asked to write as much as possible within three minutes. The idea is that over time they will build their writing fluency or their ability to write more. We will do power writes at least twice a week. As students build their writing skills, this activity will be easier. They have also just completed an "I Am" poem, another part of the "All About Me Project". Stop by the classroom to read these wonderful poems.
In math we have been checking multiplication knowledge and learning about graphing. Students learned about gathering data and actually created a triple-bar graph today after polling
each classroom at IA about hair color. They will be creating graphs in the "All About Me" project that will touch on differences and likenesses within our classroom as well as future career aspirations for each individual.
We have also been learning about earthquakes. Students had the opportunity to work in small groups and create posters to demonstrate what they had learned as well as practice their presentation skills. My main objective in studying earthquakes was not only knowledge, but also to help students to learn how to effectively take part in a small group and begin the process of becoming comfortable presenting in front of a group. So far, so good!!
I think that's it for now. Don't miss our IA game night, next Tuesday, the 22nd of September.
Please email me with any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Kim
P.S. I already have some great pictures of our class. I'll post them on my next BLOG as I am waiting for my computer to be repaired!

WELCOME 4TH GRADERS!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-09-06T08:20:00.000-07:00

Dear Families,
Just wanted to let everyone know how excited I am to be your teacher in the upcoming year. I cannot wait to build a fun, safe, and enriching community. I am really anxious to meet you all and find out more about you! Our first few weeks will be a time of team building, learning procedures, and starting our first project (The All-About-You Project). Our class will be incorporating math, history, reading, writing, and science into this learning adventure. A couple of things students will need to bring to class in those few first weeks of school include a book they want to read or one they have read and are willing to read again, a picture of them enjoying an activity, and old pair of shoes. It sounds a bit mysterious, doesn't it? More will be revealed as we start this fun and informative project!!!
I would like school supplies to arrive with students within the first week of school! If you have not received a list, please see Donna at the front desk or ask me. Some of the supplies will be used on a community level with our classroom, so please don't get too attached to a particular set of markers, for example.
Just outside my door, you will find a small cork board. This board is for parents. If you have a question or concern when you drop or pick up your child and prefer to hand write a message to me, you can post it in an envelope outside my door. I will get back to you within 24 hours. My office hours at this time will be on Tuesday from 3:30-4:30 if you would like to meet face to face. If this time doesn't work for you and you desire a meeting, let me know. My email address is kim@innovationsacademy.org. or post a note outside my door. Please know that you are welcome to visit the classroom at anytime to see what your child is doing or to volunteer.
Speaking of volunteering, is anyone interested? I have two requests at this time. I need a parent(s) to make (23) bookbags for the back of students chairs. This way, they can keep their silent reading book and literature study book with them at all times, as well as their pencil pouch. I think it will be a great way to stay organized. Any takers? I also need some volunteers to help with the student store when it is up and running. K-8 students will have staggered breaks and lunches. I would like to make the student store available to them during those times,so will need some help manning the store. Students will have the opportunity to man the store before and after school. This is a great opportunity for students to practice math skills and to raise money for classroom/school needs.
I am also looking for donations of supplies to my classroom. Please take a look at the following list and if there is anything you can provide, I would appreciate your help.

Sheet Protectors
Paperclips
Chart Paper
Tissue Paper (all colors)
Pencil Top Erasures
Speciality Papers (ask me)
Tape (all kinds)
Disposable forks, spoons, plates, cups, and bowls
Dry-erase markers
Kleenex
Binder clips
Paper Towels
Clipboards
Book Sets (ask me)
Envelopes
Construction Paper
Paint and Paint Brushes
Glue Guns and Glue Sticks
Canvases for oil painting
Ziploc bags (all sizes)

I know this is going to be a great year! Enjoy your last few days of summer and I will see you all on Tuesday.

Kim

What's Goin' On?

2009-04-30T09:59:00.000-07:00

Dear families,

Greetings! I hope you are all well! We only have a short time until the end of the school year, and yet we have so much going on! Your children have been engaged in STAR testing this week. The fifth graders have been in my room. What a great group of kids! They're all respectful, kind, and motivated.

Today, from 1:00pm-3:30pm you are invited to visit your child's classroom to hear about all of the wonderful work your children have been doing.

Please mark your calendar for Tuesday, May 5th (6pm-7:30pm) for a parent meeting. Come and hear about great engaging activities for your kids during the summer and updates about I.A.The school will hold a raffle for $25 gas card, movie tickets, and an Arbonne Skin Care Basket. Your raffle-ticket is attached to your INNOVATIONS UPDATE. Updates are being sent home today with your child.

If you would like a yearbook, please stop by the office to complete your order. The orders are due on Friday, May 1st. On Friday, from 4pm-7pm there is also a "social". All upper grade classes are invited. Students can hang out with friends in the MPR, munch, dance, play board games, and do crafts.

Please make arrangements for you child's care on Monday, May 4th as this is a teacher professional day.

On Thursday, May 14th your children along with students in Jeremy's class are taking a field trip to the EcoCenter. The cost of this field trip per child is $10. Please send $10 to school by May 5th. A permission slip is in the INNOVATIONS UPDATE. Transportation is provided. We will be picked up an alternative energy bus.

Also in May on a Tuesday or Thursday, my Egypt & Japan Monday Mini-Project will be visiting the San Diego Museum of Man and the Mingei Museum. We'll eat lunch in the Japanese Tea Garden. Driver's are needed. Please contact me or Michelle. So far in the Monday Mini-Project your children have been uncovering a crime, by finding clues in an Egyptian and Japanese guide book. Next week we will be engaging in Egyptian and Japanese art and listening to music from both countries.

As you know in math we continue to use DI as a method of teaching. But in Language Arts for some time now, the students have had the opportunity to do independent reading. Along with the reading, they write daily summaries and work independently on grammar, editing, and comprehension skills. We use DI for spelling. For history
we have been studying the Revolutionary War. I have tried a number of approaches in order to make their study interesting. We are almost finished with "Liberty", an engaging movie series that reenacts the war. Mixed in are historians speaking about various general's personalities, military strategies, etc. Most students are making soldier recruitment posters. Early in the war, George Washington needed more men and recruitment posters were used for that purpose. Soldiers were promised land and money for service in the army!

I believe that is it for now. Please contact me with concerns or questions.

Sincerely,
Kim

How time has flown!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-04-16T18:30:00.000-07:00

Dear Families,

How time flies! Here we are only about eight weeks from the end of the year. What an adventure we have had and we're not done yet!!!

Some of your children have chosen to make an excursion to Egypt and Japan with me. We'll float along the Nile River and discover that Japan is composed of many islands. Do you know how many? This is the new Monday Mini-Project. To start, students will be playing a Who-Done-It game that will have them uncovering all kinds of facts about their country. We will also be exploring the music, food, traditional clothing, some history, language of the country, etc....as well as creating an environment within my classroom representing each country. My goal is to also visit "The Museum of Man" in Balboa Park for the Egyptian Exibit and the Japanese Tea Gardens to experience a Japanese snack! I will keep you updated on the field trips as we will need drivers and I love including you all in your child's education.

During our social-emotional lesson-time, all teachers are currently introducing our "Keys to Achieve". These are behaviors we want all IA students to learn to be more effective not only in the classroom, but in life. Examples, of the topics include making eye contact, active listening, spreading happiness, ect...a list of our "Keys" is available upon request. I have been integrating these new "Keys" with our "8 to Great" program students have been learning from the beginning of the year. They work well together!

Your children and I are currently engaged in some test preparation for the STAR test. It seems that some of the students are worried about the test. I have told them that their score is not something that follows them their entire life and if they do well - great! They are all unique in their abilities and that even if they were in school 24/7, we may still not cover all of the questions asked on this particular test. Please encourage your children not to worry.

Please join us at an Italian Dinner Fundraiser on Thursday, April 23rd from 3-6pm. For all of us busy working parents, BMH Italian Restaurant is offering a dinner for four that even includes dessert for $20.00.

On Sunday, April 26th, we would like to invite all families to an exciting event in Balboa Park, called "Servapalooza". Servapalooza will feature hands-on service projects hosted by 50 community organizations, a Parade of Wishes for youth groups, youth performers, raffles, silent auction, food, vendors and much, much more!
We plan to march in the parade with a banner from IA, and are committed to getting involved with the many service-based activities.

Tickets are available for three Civic Center Off-Broadway productions for families of IA. This is a fantastic opportunity to expose your children to the acting-out of well-known stories most of your children are familiar with. Contact michelle@innovationsacademy.org.

That's it for now,
Kim

Making Learning Fun!!!

2009-03-25T17:29:00.000-07:00

Dear Families,
The field trip to the bank was a great success! The highlight and I'm hoping your children shared this with you was our trip into the bank vault where students had the opportunity to hold $50,000.00. All hands were up wanting a turn! The bank also gave each student a piggybank with a dollar in quarters to begin saving. I thought that was very generous! In our "Money Class" this week, students learned how to keep track of inventory in our school store, how to write a check, and keep track of deposits and expenditures in a transaction register. You might consider letting them write checks for your bills as they all seemed to quickly understand the steps!
As you know, the students (3rd-8th) also had their first school dance last week. We had a volunteer DJ who did a superb job in bringing current, student chosen music to our ears! I bought 144 balloons for decoration and to have on the dance floor. The balloons were blown-up by the students that morning and ended up being an ice-breaker for the students. They played with them instead of dancing for a good part of the dance. However at one point, they were all in a circle having a dance-off! Refreshments were served during the dance. All money raised was donated to the student store account.
In history, we continue to read about "Taxation without Representation" which was the impetus for the colonist to rebel against England prior to the Revolutionery War. We recently read about Samual Adams and his part in the war. We also found out that he was originally a brewer of rootbeer. Yesterday, we spent time in the Kroc Center kitchen preparing the ingredients to bottle our own rootbeer. I hope its good! I'm planning on rootbeer floats for Friday after lunch!
Mark your calendar for Saturday, April 26th. I would like to rally my home-room students and parents to join me at "Servapalooza", a service festival and parade of wishes. "Servapalooza" will feature hands-on service projects by 50 community organizations, a Parade of Wishes for youth groups, youth performers, raffles, silent auction, food vendors, and much more. There will be Service Stations where students can volunteer in over 50 fun hands-on projects protecting the environment, caring for youth, servicing the hungry and homeless,and improving health. Registration starts at noon and events after. I will keep you posted as we get closer. Innovations Academy would also like to donate money to this organization. We have a goal of $500.00. If you are interested in making a donation of any amount, please bring it to my classroom and I will get it into the proper hands.
As always, please feel free to contact me through my email or stop by the classroom.
That's it for now,
Kim

LOTS OF NEWS!!!

2009-03-11T15:46:00.000-07:00

Dear Families,

On Monday any of your children who are in my "Money" class will have the opportunity to go on a field trip to a bank (The Union Bank in Lemon Grove). They will get a tour of the bank and even be able to go inside the vault and hold $100.00 bills. We leave the school at 12:40pm and return by 2:15pm. We need parent drivers!

I have made a couple changes for the school dance which is scheduled for Wednesday, March 18th. The tickets have been repriced at $2.00. Refreshments will include pizza, water, juice, and soda. Pizza slices will sell for $1.00 and drinks for $0.50.The 3-5th graders will have the MPR room to themselves for the first hour only (1-2pm). The 6-8th graders will have the second hour (2-3pm). We will have a DJ for both groups. All of these students have had the opportunity to offer their music choices to the DJ. However, only appropriate music will be played! I hope all your children can come.

In history, your children are learning about the Revolutionary War. One of the activities is for student partners to write a Revolutionary newspaper. Students have chosen their headline event article, a historical figure to write a biography about, and will be writing an editorial from the patriot or loyalist point of view. (They are also interested in debating from these two points of view. My idea is for them to debate publicly and be dressed in costume from that time period. I'll keep you posted!) We have talked about the role of the newspaper during this historic time period and its impact on the Revolution taking place. Students had the opportunity to view a brief video clip showing the printing process at that time and I want to tie in a trip (if possible) to the San Diego Union so students can talk to a writer, hopefully an editor, and see a contemporary printing process.

In science, students are engaging in experiments and learning about Scientific Method. These classes are being taught by Jeremy. As I see more of his project, I will share more information with you.

I think that's it for now. As always, please feel free to email me with any of your concerns or questions.

Kim

New Student Store to Open Soon!!

2009-03-02T20:44:00.000-08:00

Greetings I.A. Families,
I want to thank everyone who so generously donated used books, CDs, and other items to our sale last Thursday. For the students and myself, it was a great success. We earned a little over $260.00 and enough to start ordering some items for our students store (KIDS, Inc. - students in my Money class picked the name). Today, students had the opportunity to begin a discussion about jobs in the store, hours of operation, scheduling students at the store, and had a chance to do some comparison shopping, and calculating of profits. Whew! Our next fundraiser as mentioned in a previous BLOG will be a school dance. There has been a change regarding the school dance for primary grades. After careful consideration, and talking with the lower grade teachers, I have decided that for March, we will only have the upper grade (3-8) dance on March 18th. Tickets will go on sale on Tuesday, March 10 (we postponed sales just a bit). Tickets have also been re-priced at $1.00 each, per my discussion with the students in my Money class. Profits, again will be allocated for the puchase of stock for the store. We are planning a refreshment stand at the dance. Any donations of juice boxes, water bottles, or snack bags would be greatly appreciated!
We also sold the original art work quilt at the book sale. Innovations Academy purchased it and it is on display in my room! The money we earned from the quilt will finally give us a chance to do some microfinancing in developing countries - our goal from the beginning of the year. Additionally, the "Stupendous Solar System Cookbook" was on sale at a price of $12.50 (the cost of color printing and binding). This cookbook was an offshoot of students learning about the solar system and later creating a scale model with fruits and vegetables on the field at the Kroc Center. I will be turning in the original student cookbook for printing this week, so if you are interested, please contact me immediately.
As we wrap up the solar system lessons and fun, we are next turning to history and exploring the Revolutionary War. Students will be asked to created a newspaper with a story about an important event during the war, a biography of an important historical figure from that time period, and finally an editorial from a loyalist and a patriot. Students will also have the opportunity to propose a project of their own regarding this important time in history. We have about four weeks for this project!
Regarding those long lost animal reports. Your children will have them back soon for final revisions. I must apologize as once we got into the report cards, they took a back seat and we have yet to completely finish them - but we will. I would also still like to get a field trip to an animal shelter of some kind or another.
All of I.A.'s fourth graders will be completing a writing assessment on Tuesday, March 3rd. We practiced for it today in Language Arts and I believe they have a good idea how to approach the writing prompt (how to plan, perhaps use a graphic organizer, and how to structure their writing, etc...).
Don't forget the field trip on Thursday, March 5th to the San Diego Museum of Art where your children will learn California and U.S. History through the presentation of art. I've been looking forward to this field trip since the beginning of the year when I first read about the program.
As you can see, life is full and enriching for your children. If you have any questions or concerns, as always, please contact me via email.
Sincerely,
Kim

Today is President's Day!

2009-02-16T11:20:00.000-08:00

Dear Families,
It's Monday, February 16th and I'm resting at home with my children! I'm hoping all of you are enjoying the extra time off from school and have had some extra cuddle-time with your children!
Last week your children had the opportunity to listen to Stephen Pullom's dad tell about the history of money. He is completing his PhD. in History and was able to enrich the basic discussion with additional history facts. After his lecture, students watched a film about money and bartering. Additionally, the students had the opportunity to make and design their own coins!
Donations of books, CDs, and DVDs are coming to my room. We are shooting for February 26th as the first used book sale. I plan for us to have a table out in front of the school before school, at lunch, and just after school. Also that evening is the Kroc Center's Family Literacy night. I would ask if anyone would be willing to volunteer to man the booksale table from approximately 6:00-8:00pm that night? Please remember, all donations will go towards opening and stocking a student store for Innovations Academy.
Regarding the student store; please mark your calendars for Wednesday, March 11th (1:00-3:00) for the lower grade (K-2/3) dance. Tickets for the dance will go on sale on March 1st and will cost $0.50. The upper-grade (3-8) dance will take place on the following Wednesday, March 18th (1:00-3:00). Ticket cost will be the same. Refreshments will be on sale at the dance. Student committees are taking responsibilities for decorating, the refreshment booth, activities, and ticket sales. All proceeds will be donated to funding the student store.
Our next field trip is on March 5th. We need drivers to take students to the San Diego Museum of Art. The cost for students is $5.00. Please get your money into us as soon as possible! Your children have the opportunity to learn U.S. and California history through art. What fabulous enrichment!
Your children continue to be a joy. It's been such a gift to get to know them and watch them grow academically, emotionally, and physically!
Sincerely,
Kim

Exciting News!

2009-02-06T04:44:00.000-08:00

Dear Families,

My Monday mini-project is all about money! For instance we are learning about goods and services, various ways to use money (spend, save, and share), making change, and the history of money. We will also be taking a field trip to a bank. Students will be able to go inside the bank vault and hold a stack of one hundred dollar bills. The date for this field trip is March 16th. We will be leaving at 12:30 and return at 2:30. WE NEED PARENT DRIVERS! Please email me with your availability. Along with the classroom work we are engaged in, the students would like to open a school store. In order to fund the purchase of store items we are planning a used book, DVD, and CD sale. Please look through your shelves for these items you are willing to donate and bring them to my room (218). The date for the sale is not set yet as I want to accumulate some donations first. Hopefully, I will have a date to share by the time I send out my next Blog. We are also planning two dances; one for the primary grades and one for the upper. Again, the proceeds from the dances will fund the school store. The dates are Wednesday, March 11th and Wednesday, March 18th and will be right after school at 1:oo. I will keep you informed as we get closer to those dates.
On March 5th we will be visiting The San Diego Museum of Art in Balboa Park. The art museum does a presentation of U.S. and California history through the art at the museum. WE NEED PARENT DRIVERS! The cost for admission to the museum is $5. If we have enough parent drivers, we can avoid the cost of renting a bus or taking public transportation. Please let me know as soon as is possible if you are willing to drive. Students will need to bring a bag lunch!
There is a Monday Parent Meeting in the MPR room at 6:30 pm (February 9th). We will be talking about DI instruction and how it is done. Please try to make this informative meeting.
I believe that's it for now. Please email me as soon as possible if you are available to drive for a field trip, with any questions you may have, or concerns.
Sincerely,
Kim

We're making progress!!

2009-01-29T12:17:00.000-08:00

Dear families,
Where did the January go? Your children are working hard and I'm seeing progress across all subject areas, but especially in writing. One of the strategies we use in class in order to find and correct errors is reading a finished piece of writing to a friend. It's amazing how this simple exercise helps students improve their work.
As I mentioned in my last Blog, report cards are coming. Teachers are turning in their evaluations on Monday, February 2nd, so you will be receiving them shortly after that. In some cases, I will be having your child assessed to move into a different level. The decision to move a child to a different level is based on test scores and classwork. If this occurs, I will send home notification with the weekly paperwork you receive.
In my Language Arts class, I am going to start your children reading from a Literature Anthology. The vocabulary is more advanced and I believe the students will enjoy the variety of activities offered. I had some students read a selection today, and they were very interested.
Projects are going well! On Monday, your children should have come home with labels marked, "Spend", "Share", and "Save". They were asked to label three containers and decide how they wanted to use their allowance (if they get an allowance). The idea is for them to understand the ways people use money. We discussed short and long term saving goals and giving to charities. They also learned about bartering and why money evolved. Since the end product of this project will be to open a school store, they also spent time learning how to make change. We will also be looking at costs and profits. On February 9th, a speaker (Stephen Pullom's) dad will be explaining the history of money. Stephen's dad is working on his Ph.D in History!
For our Solar System project, students have had the opportunity to create a scale model and convert distances from kilometers to centimeters. They learned an easy way to divide by 10,000,000! Our scale model went on paper first and next week will be created with the edibles I mentioned in my last Blog.
That's it for now! As always, if you have any questions or concers, please email me.
Kim

Weekly Update!!

2009-01-21T15:41:00.000-08:00

Dear Families,

Just a reminder - tomorrow is the performance for Classics4Kids. If you haven't yet sent $6.00 to cover your child's ticket, please send it in as soon as possible. Your children have had the opportunity to listen to some of the piano version of the piece they will hear and the entire orchestral version. We have also reviewed what the composer was writing about in each of the movements. Mimes will be acting out these interpretations as we listen to the music at the performance! What a great enriching cultural experience!

Report card time is nearing! Myself and all the teachers at IA will be working hard to have them ready in early February. If you have any questions once you receive them or before - as usual, please contact me via my email.

Sincerely,
Kim

What Happening!

2009-01-15T15:51:00.000-08:00

Dear Families,
First, I would like to share with you what a tremendous job your children did today as historical experts at our "Wax Museum" event! Most students were in a costume to represent their chosen historical figure. The entire school had a chance to come into our room, view the dioramas your children created,and ask questions about why their historical figure was important. As you know, your children have also been working hard on their historical personal narratives. Wow! What a great job they have done. They have also been very patient with me as I've asked them to rewrite, rewrite, and rewrite! Their narratives will be on display in my room. Please feel free to stop by for a visit.
We will be starting two new projects in the coming weeks. The first will be focusing on the solar system - however, ours will be edible. This project will cover math, science, and writing standard. As a final product, I'm hoping to either create notecards with the students original art or an "Out of this World " cookbook. If we write the cookbook, recipes will use the fruits and vegetables we are making the solar system with. The second project will be focused on money. This project will focus on math (percentages,decimals, division, etc...) along with some history. I'm hoping for a field trip to a bank. Additionally, we will be opening a school store with the students in charge of ordering snacks, pencils, etc...and keeping track of the profits. I need to talk to the students, but think a good idea is to use the profits towards additional computers. Whew!
Ok - just a couple of reminders. There is no school on Monday, January 19th due to Martin Luther King day. Also, we have another performance coming up called Classics4Kids. Please send $6 with your child as that is the cost per seat. I recently went to a Classics4Kids training and am sharing that information with your children to enrich their experience.
I think that's it for now! As always, please contact me with any concerns.
Sincerely,
Kim

A New Year!

2009-01-07T17:26:00.000-08:00

Dear Families,
Happy New Year! Your children have returned to a very rested teacher! I wasn't setting my alarm over the holidays! I hope all of you enjoyed the extra time with your extraordinary children.
On Tuesday, they came to class and wrote resolutions for the New Year. They had three categories to write resolutions about. However most of the resolutions that were the most important to them centered around improving their family relationships. I thought that was pretty amazing.
We are bursting at the seams with project ideas. On Monday, January 12th, your children will be presented with four options for projects. All of our projects keep California standards in mind! These projects are multidiscipinary or in other word will cover more than one subject (i.e. math, science, LA, art...).
As always, if you have any questions at all, please contact me via email!
Thanks,
Kim

Winter Break and Beyond

2008-12-19T05:54:00.000-08:00

Dear Families,
Winter Break is from December 22-January 2nd. On Monday, January 5th, the school offices will be open, but classes will not be in session until Tuesday the
6th. Monday is a Staff Professional Development Day.
When we return and in order for families and staff to reconnect, Innovations Academy will be hosting a 'Welcome Back!' potluck in the MPR from 5:30-8pm on Tuesday, January 13th. Please come! As you all know, your children recently presented our play to the entire school and some of the parents who were able to come. I've been asked if we could perform at the potluck on January 13th! Could you please check your schedule and let me know if you can be there. Every child in the class had a part or responsibility in the play of some kind or another. Please email me at kim@innovationsacademy.org.
I'll be working on another project idea over the break. I'm actually very excited about it, but will share more as I do more planning. In the meantime, please enjoy your break. And remember, you can always email me with any questions or concerns.
See you when we get back!!
Kim

Kim's Classroom Update

2008-12-12T11:46:00.000-08:00

Dear Families,
We are just a week away from Christmas Break! By this time of year, I hope all of your children feel like their classroom (my classroom) is a safe place where they can share their feelings, hopes, and dreams. It's amazing to me how fast the time has gone by!
We are still planning to perform our play on Wednesday, December 17th at 8:30am. It still may be a bit rough around the edges, but I've already heard some moans and groans when they've been asked to start over, and over, and over! You are welcome to join us in the MPR room.
We are postponing the Wax Museum until we get back from Christmas break as I want their writing to be excellent. That will mean a few more drafts and going back for more research. I expect moans and groans! I have been talking to your children about excellence and not settling - it is the classroom culture that I want to instill! I have already seen an improvement in their writing and understanding of what makes a good paragraph.
I hope you all have the opportunity to go to Rubio's for our fundraiser tonight. I unfortunately will not be there as I am actually working on a project outside of school to clear my credential for life!
You have delightful children and I love having them in my classroom.
Sincerely,
Kim

Our Classroom

2008-12-03T20:40:00.000-08:00

Dear Families,
I hope you all enjoyed a restful break over Thanksgiving! Your children came back to school looking happy and ready to learn. The dioramas for the Wax Museum history projects are truly amazing. I am so proud of them and the efforts they put forth in order to learn about their chosen historical figure. Please plan for them to come in costume on Thursday, December 18th. On that day, all the students at IA will have the opportunity to visit our classroom and see your child dressed as their historical figure (Alexander the Great, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Walt Disney, President Obama, and more)! Since your child will be the expert, they will be in a position to share their research, dioramas, and writing.
Our play will also be unveiled on the morning of Wednesday, December 17th (I hope). We are currently working on the expressive delivery of their lines, facing the audience, and and timing. We need a ship's captain costume and some octopus legs we can somehow attach to one of the students. Any ideas or help would be appreciated!!! Providing everything goes as planned, we should be in the MPR room at approximately 8:30am performing. Parents, I hope you know you are always welcome to come and enjoy the fun!
Since coming back from break, your child has also been offered some additional P.E. activities. Some started learning volleyball skills in the gym, others are swimming, and today we had an entire all-school ice-skating hour. Your children will have one more opportunity to ice-skate on the Wednesday before Christmas break. However next Wednesday, the 10th of December, instead of ice-skating we will be heading north for a field trip to the Museum of Making Music in Carlsbad. We would like to arrive there at 9:30am for a tour, so we will be leaving shortly after students arrive at school. The cost is $3.00 for students and if you plan to drive, we need your insurance documents turned into Teresa prior to leaving that morning. The cost for adults is $5.00.
Please stop by or email me anytime for an update on your child's progress. Our mission as always is to support your children in their learning.

Sincerely,
Kim

Enjoy Your Break!!!

2008-11-21T05:28:00.000-08:00

Dear Parents,

I enjoyed meeting with you during conference days. For me, it was a time for additional discovery about your children. For those of you asking for support in math or handwriting, look for a weekly packet in your child's backpack on Mondays. However, don't forget the first Monday after Thanksgiving break (Dec. 1st) is a staff day, so those packets will be in their backpack on Tuesday!

One of our goals at IA is to stay in touch with our families. As a result, mandatory parent in-service meetings are planned for either Monday, December 1st or Thursday,December 4th. Please choose which day better fits into your schedule. Both meetings are from 7-8pm. The December 1st meeting is in the Community Room in the Administrative Building and the December 4th is in the Multi-Purpose Room (where your children have lunch everyday).

After our break, your children will have expanded choices for their P.E. activities. They may have mentioned to you that they were receiving activity passes for the KROC center. If you have not returned the permission/liability forms for skateboarding and the rock-climbing wall, please do so. We want all of the children to have the opportunity to participate (rock-climbing, ice-skating, skateboarding, swimming, gym activities, game-room, field-sports, etc....)!

For those of you who were not able to visit during conference days, your children have an assignment over the break. Please ask them what historical figure they have chosen for our "Wax Museum" activity. They need to create a diorama representing their chosen historical figure in time and return it to the classroom when they return on December 2nd. Your children have had the opportunity to see dioramas in our classroom. On December 18th, we will be presenting our "Wax Museum" to the school, so you children will need to come dressed as their historical figure. Please don't go out and buy costumes as I don't want our activities to be a drain on your budget. Look through closets or ask friends to loan an article of clothing to you.

I think that's it for now! Have a wonderful break.

Sincerely,
Kim

Important News!!

2008-11-12T19:21:00.000-08:00

Dear parents,
On Wednesday, November 19th and Thursday, November 20th from 1-4pm the teachers at IA are holding conferences. I'm sorry we cannot accomodate your work schedules by holding conferences at night as we share our school space with the KROC Center and evening classroom time is not available. I would like to have half of you come on Wednesday and the other half on Thursday if possible. Could you please email me with your preferences and I can confirm the day. The conferences in my room are going to be student-led (in other words your children will be sharing what they have been doing, their work, place in the classroom, etc...). I will be available in the classroom to answer your questions regarding your child's progress.
Also, I wanted to remind you that for Thanksgiving the kids are off the entire week (Nov. 24th - Nov. 28th). Additionally, December 1st is a day for the staff to be working at the school without students in attendance. So, please make your childcare arrangements accordingly.
Your children are engaged in a wide variety of learning opportunities. A writing, art, and life science project is under way, they continue with DI/Language Arts and math, social and emotional development, an earth science endeavor, and early American history. I would like them to create a diorama for history, so could you all please send in a shoe box, to work with. Your children are also continuing to work on our play. Almost all of the costumes have been chosen and some of the set created. Thank you Cheryl (Kaya's Mom) for sharing your many costumes and allowing us to pull out what we needed. We do still need a costume for the ship's captain, two sailor hats, a costume for the little boy, an octopus costume, and a very big babydoll.
Also, don't be surprised if your children are soon asking with some help on a costume for their chosen historical figure. We will be creating a sort of educational wax museum where your children will dress as their favorite historical character. More details will follow!
Please feel free to contact me anytime with your concerns or ideas about my classroom or IA.

Sincerely,
Kim
kim@innovationsacademy.org

2008-11-06T11:36:00.000-08:00

Update from Kim's Class

Dear parents,
I want to express my gratitude for your participation as chaperones on our recent zoo and science museum field trips. Without your support, we wouldn't be able to participate in these learning opportunities. Since my students are currently writing reports on animals, the trip to the zoo gave us a chance to see some of these animals up close and discuss why some are vulnerable or endangered. Usually it's because of habitat loss. At the science museum, students engaged in a challenging activity focused on animal adaptation. They were asked to create a mouth that could consume various types of food. Materials included clothes pines, the cardboard roll inside paper towel and toilet paper rolls, plastic bottle, etc... Later we were asked to classify animals as carnivores, herbivores, or omnivores by looking at the jaw and teeth of various animals - an additional way to learn about adaptation!
Your children are also going to be involved in a dramatic creation and we need materials such as large cardboard boxes to build a set and help making costumes. Kaya's mom has volunteered to help with costumes. Are there any others interested in helping??? The students will alse be asking the Kroc Center for help as there is a theatre here. I'll keep you posted.
Just a reminder! There is no school on Tuesday, November 11th for Veteran's Day! The Kroc Center offers activities if you don't have childcare for that day!
Kim

Greetings Parents from IA!

2008-10-22T13:47:00.000-07:00

Dear parents and students,

So much is happening at school these days, I'm thrilled with the progress we are making as a school and in my classroom. The Direct Instruction is going well - most have gotten the hang of group response. The wonderful thing about it is, children are learning to focus for longer periods and to think more quickly. I recently had a parent tell me that her daughter has never progressed this quickly in math! Yeah!!

Your children are also starting another project. We are researching animals in the country they previously researched. They will be investigating the animal's physical features, adaptations, habitats, predators, and prey. In addition the fifth graders in my class will be describing through writing, and/or a poster their animal's physical structures for respiration and digestion. This is part of the fifth grade life science standards. We are also engaging in another art project . The students were asked to draw their animal from photographs and use colorful torn or cut paper to create their animal in its habitat. The drawing was a bit intimidating for them. We will keep at it.

This brings up our next field trip. We will be going by bus to the San Diego Zoo on Tuesday, October 28th. We will depart at 8:15 and return at 2:45. All children must sign a universal field trip form. They were sent home last week. Please get those into the school as soon as possible. The students will have the opportunity in most cases to see their animal up close and personal. I'm going to send drawing paper and pencils with each student if I get enough clip boards. In other words, I need clipboards! I only have three of my own, so if you have some hanging around home, could you get them to me before next Tuesday. That way the students will have the opportunity to practice drawing. You will also need to send $6.00 a child for transportation. This field trip is scheduled over lunchtime, so if you cannot provide your child with a bag lunch, please include an additional $3.25 for a Kroc bag lunch.

We are also attending classes at the Rueben H. Fleet Center's Animal Grossology Exibit on Tuesday, November 4th. Your children will learn about animal adaptation (perfect for their reports) and have the opportunity to dissect owl pellets! The same as above applies for lunch. However the transportation cost for this trip is $9. Please make sure these details are taken care of so your children are able to experience this educational opportunity!

Wednesday morning in class from 8:15-8:55 is free, so we have been reading folk and tall tales. The students would like to turn the tall tale we read today into a play. This means we are going to need some help from parents. For some of the props, cardboard will do (big pieces for a boat, large octopus, and waves). We also need poster board for signs and some parent help in making costumes (one for Pa, the Young Boy, three Villagers, Stormalong/mail character, and numerous sailors). I would like the play to be video-taped and we want background music and sound effects. Any help is appreciated! The children are so excited! Please e-mail me at kim@innovationsacademy.org with possible materials.

I think that's it for now. Thank you for you continued support. I appreciate your help in and out of the classroom.
Kim

Another update from Kim!

2008-10-15T14:46:00.000-07:00

Dear parents,
Your children finished their country reports last week and we will be sharing them with other classes next week. In the meantime, I will be reading and grading them. For our next project, your children have expressed an interest in researching the animal life in their countries (we will be covering science, language arts, and art standards). They will be learning about the animal's physical characteristics and adaptations, their habitat or loss of, and their animal as a predator. Of course, one of the topics we will be discussing is the endangerment and extinction of animal species. They will also have the opportunity to engage in another art project using torn and cut paper, as well as pastels. I will be bringing a sample in on Tuesday for them to look at to get some ideas for their own work. Again, this is an opportunity to sell art and donate the funds to animal reserves or other animal causes.
We will be taking a field trip to the zoo on October 28th which will give the kids additional opportunities to perhaps see one of the animals they are reporting on. We will need parent volunteers to chaperone this trip. For my class, four volunteers would be perfect. Please let me know ASAP by emailing me at kim@innovationsacademy.org.
We are also going to have a Halloween celebration on Halloween day. Our costume parade will take place in the morning at 8:15. After that we will be writing and presenting scary stories as well as playing some games and trick-or-treating in the classroom. If you would like to be a part of our celebration and/or donate scary decorations, candy, or any other Halloween type of item - again let me know!!
Please remember that although we have a no homework policy, if your child chooses not to complete his work in class, it will be sent home for completion there. And also, please encourage your child to read at home. I would like to set a reading goal for our class and will be sending a reading log home soon. Please ask your children to start writin down the titles and authors of the books they are currently reading so we can add them to our log.
I hope this helps to keep you informed. You can email me anytime with questions, concerns, and feedback!
Happy reading,
Kim

More Updates For Kim's Room!!

2008-09-28T15:18:00.000-07:00

Greetings again!

I just want to say how much I enjoy your children. I love watching their personalities come out!

We are going to be engaging in some activities to break down barriers of discrimination (primarily gender, but also the 'cool' vs. what some kids consider the 'uncool').

Here is the weekly schedule I would like to keep:

Monday
8:15-8:55 Social/Emotional - Journal
9:00-10:00 Direct Instruction - Language Arts
10:00-10:10 Break
10:10-11:00 Direct Instruction - Math
11:00-12:00 Lunch - first 30 minutes on the field for free play
12:00-1:00 Library (tentative)
1:00-2:00 Science
2:00-3:00 P.E.
3:00-3:15 Announcements and Dismissal

Tuesday:
Everything is the same until after lunch at which time (12:15-1:45) we are currently working on art pieces to sell (we are oil painting and an artist-friend is teaching with the help of Jim and myself - Jim is Yvana's grandfather and also a painter) in order to microfinance entrepreneurs in developing countries - thus the country reports brought home. Although we have a "no-homework" policy, many of the children did not focus during our one hour of computer time this week, so I decided to send their reports home. I was hoping the children could focus better in a quiet home environment. By the way, the art pieces are beautiful!

Wednesday:
Everything is the same, except the 12:00-1:00 period. I'm planning a history unit in this period - starting this week. I am planning to focus on U.S. history first - then California. Part of my motivation to start at this point is because I listened to children talk about the Revolutionary and Civil Wars and they had no idea which came first or the time frame. I hope to engage them in re-enactments, posters, portfolios, and more.

Thursday:
Again, all is the same, except the 1200-2:00 period. This is project time and at this point, students are exploring developing countries (i.e., poverty, government, geography, history...). This is also when we have access to the computer lab.

Friday:
The same except for the 12:00-3:00 time period when students are engaged in learning from Community Partners. Right now, students are engaged in Creative Movement, Engineering through Legos, Drama, and Art. They will have classes in Archeology and Drumming in the coming months.

I hope this informs you about what your children are doing. Please don't hesitate to contact me with any of your concerns.
Sincerely,
Kim

Kim's Blog

2008-09-24T16:10:00.000-07:00

Greetings parents,
Good news! Our DI (Direct Instruction) materials have arrived and we are beginning to introduce your children to the math and Language Arts programs. So far, so good! If you would like more information regarding this type of instruction, please don't hesitate to email me with questions. (kim@innovationsacademy.org)

Your children are also in the midst of oil painting some beautiful art pieces. My idea is to sell their finished pieces so that we are able to donate monies to people in need through an organization called Kiva (http://kiva.org). The students will be starting reports on the countries we will be donating to this week. Some of the students have expressed a desire to take their finished work home. Any ideas from you parents regarding this dilemma would be great!! We will be painting again next Tuesday. I would ask that you provide your child with a large t-shirt to put on over their clothes as oil paints stain.

Thanks,
Kim

My blog URL has changed - please take note of this!

Kim's Informational Class Blog

2008-09-24T16:08:00.000-07:00

Greetings Parents,
It has been an immense pleasure getting to know your children! It's hard to believe we've only been together for nine days of school. Our first week was really about getting to know each other and team building! The wonderful result of our efforts was that many friendships formed. One child, at the end of the first week, said, "It feels like we've known each other forever, not just four days."
Besides getting to know each other and team building, we also took an incredibly educational field trip on Tuesday, September 9th! Students had the opportunity to ride the trolley from La Mesa all the way to the San Diego Convention Center to learn about space exploration. I want to thank the generous parent volunteers that spent their day helping groups of my students stay safe on the trolley and enjoy the many exhibits at the convention center (James's Mom, Yvana's grandparents, Isaiah's Mom, & Katie's Mom).
Your children and grandchildren have been sharing their dreams and goals with me, verbally and in writing. They've created "Vision Boards" about those dreams which are currently on display in our classroom. Please stop by and see them! We have also been talking and writing about how are thoughts move us into positive or sometimes negative actions. Some of your children/grandchildren have displayed incredible courage and vision by deciding to get up in front of their classmates and engage in public speaking. These are students who told me they would do anything to avoid speaking in front of a group. WOW! Are you impressed? I am!
I have been working with your children on multiplication facts. Only a few of them have the facts all the way to 12! This is not a problem as I have worked with multi-grade groups of students and understand how to help them grasp not only the concept of mutiplication/division, but also learn math stategies designed to help them solve various kinds of problems.
In addition to regular academic instruction, students have come up with some project ideas they believe are relevent in today's world. They will be delving into those projects in a more organized fashion in the coming week as they are introduced to Project Foundry. Some of the students automatically understood that these projects were meant to have a service component and wanted to create art. Their idea is to sell the art and donate the funds to a charity of their choice or maybe even to beautify the school. I have arranged for an oil painter to come into our classroom on Tuesday to begin a series of instruction on oil painting. Those students who are not interested in this form of communication/expression will have other options.
As parents and or guardians, you are your child's champion! We have a no homework policy at our school. That doesn't mean you can't read to your child or encourage your child to read. Take your children to museums when you can, turn the channel to something educational, and ask them about their interests whenever possible.
I am always available to contact at the following e-mail address: kim@innovationsacademy.org. My blog address (I will update frequently) is kimsiinnovationsclassblog.blogspot.com . Please log on frequently for information regarding what your children are doing in our classrooms!!!
Kim