Dear Parents,

We hope you had a wonderful spring break and that everyone is ready and rested! We have a busy spring ahead and there are many important dates and events to be aware of. Please check the Rivendell newsletter and website often.

Science Fair:

The science fair was a terrific success and we were treated with such a variety of topics and questions to consider. We will be selecting our top three entries this week who will have the opportunity to participate in the district science fair.

Topic:

We are continuing our study of Colonial America. The students will be assigned their recitation today and we will give them time in class to do some of the research and preparation. Please see the attached document for all of the important information. The recitation is due on April 2nd and is an important piece to our Colonial America Day at Rivendell school.

Fifth Grade Testing:

Please see attachment regarding spring testing. (Fifth grade parents only)

Conferences:

There is a sign-up sheet for conferences on April 10 and April 13th on the bulletin board in front of the OK class. Please be sure to sign up.

Sky Ranch:

Sky Ranch is quickly approaching and we are trying to get an accurate count of the students that are coming. We strongly encourage every child to participate as this is a time of great growth and opportunity to be challenged in so many ways. On top of that, it is so much fun!! Please be sure to respond to Mary’s email regarding the trip.

Homework:

Monday:

• Recitation has been introduced in class. Begin working on your colonial figure by researching
• Read 30 minutes

Tuesday:

• Recitation and Read
• German or Spanish homework

Wednesday:

• Purple math 2-3 pages due Thursday

Thursday:

• Recitation
• Read Novels
• Vocabulary A-D due ( we are working on this in school)

 

Have a great week!

Ok Team

 

February 23, 2015

Dear Parents,

Welcome to a snowy week! We hope everyone had a wonderful weekend and a big thank you to those who were able to make it to the Soiree on Saturday evening. It was a beautiful event and the older kids’ quilts turned out beautifully. We would like to thank Ella and Maddy’s grandmother Sarah for helping our classes put them together. We could not have done it without her!

Topic:

This week we will continue with Project Heart through OtterCares. The students have been very engaged so far and we are so happy with their excitement and willingness to make a difference. This week we will be talking about people’s passions, writing a mission statement and brainstorming ideas on a possible class service project. If any parents have contacts or suggestions, we welcome them!

Literacy:

We have been using mentor texts here in school to model questioning and deeper level thinking when applied to their personal novels. We are encouraging kids to read for meaning and understanding in addition to making personal connections to their books. We have been answering “thoughtful” questions in our journals and helping students learn to write their own.

Middle School 101:

Are you a parent of a student who is starting middle school next Fall? Are you a parent who is starting to consider middle school transition even though it’s still a few years away?  Mary will be doing a presentation for Rivendell parents on Tuesday, February 24 at 5:00 pm.  She’ll be addressing some of the basic things you need to know and for which you’ll need to prepare.   Some of the topics addressed will include answers to questions like:

• What tests will my student have to take?
• What do all those acronyms mean? TCAP, PARCC, MAP, CogAT, 504, IEP, ALP, SBG, CMP2XL, GP, and more!
• How do test results influence access to different courses?
• What is the accelerated math program in PSD?
• How will Rivendell support the overall middle school transition?
• Please RSVP in the front office OR email Mary Nichols (mary.nichols@rivendell-school.org) that you will be attending. We’ll start promptly at 5:00 pm in the music room.

970-493-9052

Homework:

Monday:

• Work on science fair
• Read 30 minutes of independent novels
• Study for vocabulary test on Friday

Tuesday:

• German or Spanish homework
• Science Fair
• Reading

Wednesday:

• Purple math
• Science Fair
• Vocabulary E due Thursday if not already done in class

Thursday:

• Vocabulary Test tomorrow
• Reading

Have a wonderful week!

The Older Kids Team

February 2, 2015

Dear Parents,

We have had a rather busy January and it is looking like February is filling up as well! Thank you for coming to the Older Kid’s musical on Friday. They did an amazing job! Please read below as we have many events and upcoming projects this month.

Topic:

This week in topic, we will continue to examine Central and South America. Our presentation by Cameron about Ecuador was terrific and the kids had some interesting thoughts following his talk. We were able to use this time to model how to gather information when listening to a presenter. The kids used the 5 W sheet and wrote down important information from the slideshow and discussion. We have been using this approach in class as well. We are reading a variety of non-fiction articles and collecting the information. This week we will continue to research our countries and the issues that impact them. The recitation is due on February 9th.

Reading and Writing:

We are working on reading our novels in a meaningful way. The students are answering questions we call “ Thinking Stems” in their journals as they read. They have completed their fairy tales and had an opportunity to share with their peers in class. We have quite the group of storytellers here! This week we will focus on using commas and common homophones                      in our daily language instruction. We will also review non-fiction text features.                              .

Spelling and Vocabulary:

We are going to be using this week to study for our spelling bee which is on  February 13th. Our preliminary rounds are on Monday the 9th. Please encourage your child to use this time to study the list of words we sent home. They will be participating in our classroom bee and hopefully move on to the school -wide bee. When we return to the spelling book, we will be pushing ahead in the book to some of the more difficult lessons.

Homework:

Monday and Tuesday:

• study for spelling bee
• work on recitation
• read your novels
• work on science fair project
• Spanish or German homework

Wednesday:

• Purple math due Thursday
• Working on Recitation and science fair project

Thursday:

• Study for spelling bee
• Science Fair update #1 is due on the 11th
• Recitation is due Monday the 9th

Upcoming Important dates:

• February 9th recitation due
• February 11th Science Fair update #1 is due
• February 13th Valentine’s Day Party ( don’t forget to sign up to bring a treat)

Have a wonderful week!

Ok Team

 

January 12, 2015

 

Dear Parents,

Welcome to a blustery Monday! We have had a great start to the new year and are looking forward to this week. Please read below for this week’s happenings.

Literacy:

We just completed a review on fact and opinion and will be focusing on cause and effect this week. In addition we will be reviewing contractions and homophones, similes and metaphors.  The students will review the elements of a fairy tale and we will be reading a variety in class as well as writing our own.

Topic:

We have begun our study of Central and South America. This week we will be learning about the geographical features of these two areas.

Spelling:

Unit 5 spelling test on Friday. We will do the workbook here in class.

Geo Bee:

A huge congratulations to Ariel for winning this year’s Geo Bee. The kids did a wonderful job and tried their best on what is a very difficult test.

Guest Speaker:

We will be hosting a guest speaker from the Peace Corps who spent time in Nicaragua. He will be talking about daily life, farming and transportation.

Please remember there is no school on Monday 1/19 for Martin Luther King Day.

 

Homework

Monday:

 

• Take home spelling words to study

• Read 20 minutes

 

Tuesday:

 

• German homework

• Reading and study spelling

 

Wednesday:

 

• Purple math

• Read

 

Thursday:

 

• study for spelling test tomorrow

• Read novels and work on book responses

 

Have a great week!

The OK team

The Older Kids are working on teams to design and build an amusement park using their knowledge of forces and simple machines.

Dear Parents,

The Older Kids started full-steam ahead on the Amusement Park project which complements what they’ve been learning about simple machines, force, and energy. The kids are really engaged with the assignment and I’ve included several photos on our classroom blog. In their small groups, they are learning to problem solving, cooperation, how to delegate tasks on a team, and trial and error to figure out what materials will work for the different rides.

The Rube Goldberg Recitation is due on Monday, December 15th. I’ve copied the recitation below again for your information. Several of you had questions about this recitation and please note that they are not required to actually build the Rube Goldberg machine. They can simply sketch a picture or build a collage with photos along with the writing component. If they do want to build a life-size version, they can always take a video at home and share it with us.

Reading and Writing:

In writing, the students will pick a topic to write a persuasive essay of something that encourages thought or action. We’ll spend the next two weeks before break working on persuasive writing. In Reading, we will continue reading independent novels and working on book responses.

Vocabulary: We are working on lesson 5, section A-D which will be done in class.

Upcoming Events:

• Friday, December 12th, Barnes and Noble Book Fair and Flash Mob at 6pm. Some of our students will be reading their own poetry.
• Friday, December 19th, 11:30am Dismissal before the Holiday Break. Please remember there is no after care on that Friday.

Homework:

Monday:

• Work on Recitation
• Read

Tuesday:

• Spanish or German Homework
• Work on recitation
• Read

Wednesday:

• Purple math (2 pages or 20 min.)
• Read

Thursday:

• Work on Recitation
• Read

Have a wonderful week!

OK Team

December 1, 2014

Dear Parents,

We hope everyone had a wonderful break and time well spent with your families. We have three weeks until winter break and we will be using this time to finish up units, topics and recitations.

Topic:

Today we will be sending home the recitation which is due Monday, December 15th. We will be creating a Rube Goldberg machine which requires the kids to use their knowledge of simple machines and procedural writing. ( copy is below) Additionally we will be creating an amusement park in class using a variety of materials that incorporate what we have learned about simple machines, force and energy. This project will emphasize group cooperation and the students will be given an opportunity to take on specific roles and reflect upon their effort.

Reading and Writing:

We will continue reading independent novels and working on book responses. In writing we will learn how to write a persuasive essay/paragraph which they will need in order to complete their Rube Goldberg recitation.

Spelling:

We are working on lesson 4 and there will be a spelling test on Friday.

Poetry Slam:

Some of our students will be reading their own poetry at the Barnes and Noble Book Fair on December 12th at 6:00. We need parents to please email us and let us know if they are planning on attending this event. We want to make sure they are on the schedule to read their work. Thank you!

 

Homework:

Monday:

• Spelling list goes home to study for test
• Recitation assigned
• Read

Tuesday:

Study spelling

• Spanish or German Homework
• Work on recitation

Wednesday:

• Purple math
• Read

Thursday:

• Spelling test tomorrow
• Work on Recitation
• Read

Have a wonderful week!

 

OK Team

 

Simple Machines:

Rube Goldberg Machine Recitation         

 

Due: Monday, December 15th

 

Invent something wild and wonderfully useless, like Rube Goldberg, or something that may be useful, the choice is yours. Your idea must illustrate a functioning Rube Goldberg machine and be represented as one of the following:

• a diorama with a small version of your machine
• a “blue print” scale drawing of your machine
• a collage of pictures to represent your machine.

Key Elements to include:

• Your project must include at least 4 or more of the 6 types of simple machines.

• Write at least one paragraph describing your machine and what is does.. Explain each step of the procedure in sequence.  (See example below.)

• Include a paragraph that would convince someone that your machine would be a good invention to have in the world. How will your machine make life easier?

November 17, 2014

Dear Parents,

What a cold and blustery week we just had! Hopefully the weather will warm up and we will be able to expend our energy outside. Please remember to send appropriate clothes for outside recess as well as boots, hats and mittens.

Topic:

We have finished up our unit on Mesopotamia and moved on to Simple Machines. We have discussed the different types of simple machines and how they help make our work easier. This week we will be talking about the ways simple machines are used in our everyday life.  In computer the students are creating a Google presentation in which they research a specific machine and present their findings.

Reading/ Writing:

The kids have been finishing up their legends and we will have an opportunity to share them this week. We will be working on a “how to” piece which will eventually lead into our upcoming recitation. The students are continuing their independent novels and working on their book responses. We will be asking students to work on their responses at home from time to time. This will be written in their planner so be sure to check if your child is one that is working on a response.

Upcoming Events:

• Our field trip to the Lincoln Center to see Seussical the Musical is this Friday, November 21st. We will be taking the public bus and walking from the stop to the performance. Please send your child with portable snacks and a sack lunch that day which can be disposed of easily. We will be eating our snack before the show and it will need to be eaten quickly. If you haven’t already, please send $8 to cover the expense of the field trip.
• Thanksgiving Break is almost upon us. We have a short week next week and have only have school on the 24th and 25th.
• December 12th is our annual Barnes and Noble Book Fair. This takes place at Barnes and Noble and it is a Friday evening. We are asking some of the OK to share a poem or short story ( preferably one they have written) that evening. Jody Steger is helping to organize this event and she will be putting together the evening’s order of events.
• The Spanish Mercado is this Wednesday the 19th. Please remember to send 25-30 crafts or baked goods, and a blanket. Latin American attire is encouraged.

Homework

Monday:

• Simple Machines Scavenger Hunt ( due Thursday)
• Read and work on book response if you have one

Tuesday:

• Bring Spanish Mercado wares for tomorrow
• Read
• Spanish homework

Wednesday

• Read
• Purple math

Thursday

• Scavenger hunt due
• Turn in purple math
• Read

Have a great week!

OK Team