Skip Counting

Today's Videos are a collection of video about skip counting. I have picked some of the harder numbers and put them up here. Remember skip counting will help you with memorizing your multiplication facts. Remembering a song is completely ok when needing to memorize something.

Skip Counting 3's

Skip Counting 6's

Skip Counting 7's

These videos are from www.powerdotmath.com

Update March 8, 2015

Sunday, March 8, 2015

Dear Parents,

Spring is just around the corner, or so they say as we just moved our clocks forward.  The mornings are dark for the time being, but the nights will have a bit more light, which is always a nice feeling after a long day of school.  I do hope that each of you and your student is adjusting to the time change. 

I want to update you on our curriculum activities in Room Echo.  We continue to work on Long Division with and without Remainders.  I strongly encourage that you work with your student on their multiplication facts as they are still struggling with them and having difficulties with division.  Students will be tested the end of this week or early next week on Multiplication and Long Division as we will begin our next math unit which is Geometry.

The students continue to work in their Literature Circles and are learning how to analyze the book they are reading and starting to have meaningful conversations about what they have read. They continue to work on their reading, writing and grammar skills. 

Working in small groups the students are designing and then will build a solar house that can reduce or maintain the internal temperature of the house.  They are focusing on the placement of doors, windows and other design features to achieve their overall goal.

As we move into the study of California’s history and the Missions the students are learning about longitude, latitude and cardinal direction.  They are designing their own Compass Rose and will be making a needle compass.  We have been having a lot of fun using the playground to become familiar with direction.

Upcoming Dates, Events and Announcements:

·      Monday, March 9^th – Traveling Lantern Theatre Company presenting a Greek Mythology for Kids assembly

·      Thursday, March 12^th – Fire Pals

·      March 16^th, 17^th and 18^th – Early dismissal at 2:00 for As Needed Conferences.  Not all students will be having a conference.  A sign up sheet will be coming home this week only for those students and parents that I will need to meet with.  Please understand that this time has been set aside for these specific conferences only.  If you do not receive a sign up sheet we will not be scheduled for a conference.

·      March 19^th and 20^th – No School. Staff Development Conference.

·      March 30^th through April 6^th – Spring Break.  Students return to school on Tuesday, April 7^th.

·      We are in need for Kleenex for our classroom.  Donations would be greatly appreciated.

·      Classroom Garden.  Work is starting on the dirt patch outside our classroom door.  The students will be turning this into their garden with some pretty exciting features.  We are in the need of potting soil now.  Additional information and needs will follow as the project develops.

·      Hand Outs Application.  In taking every advantage in the use of our iPads; working to reduce the use of paper; and providing parents with an easy method to stay aware of what their student is doing in class we are piloting a new Application titled Hand Outs.  I have been working with the developers who have asked STREAM to pilot their application.  This program is still in the development stages and our feedback is helping to improve their project.  What use to require photo-copying 30 pieces of paper for an assignment now just requires a simple scan and it is routed to the student’s iPad.  They do their work on the iPad then return it to me electronically for grading, editing and comments.  This project is in its infancy stages, but we are excited to be a part of this project, which is definitely the way of the future.

This is what is happening in Room Echo.  Please continue to check out the blog for additional updates and pictures!

Mr. Williams

Honor Role

Classroom Garden

(Before)

Playground Swings

February Student of the Month

Three Weeks In and We Are Rolling

Dear Parents,

As the end of summer approaches it is hard to believe that we have been in school three weeks.  We still are feeling a few growing pains but on the other side we now have most of our classroom technology in place and we are ready to move along.  Students will be getting ready to begin using iPads by learning about proper and appropriate usage with the curriculum offered by Common Sense Media.

Our classroom reps have been selected and the class voted and elected Ashley and Quade to represent room “Echo”.  Overall the student’s speeches were nicely done and I am in the process of writing a critique for each student and should have it to them by the end of the week.  One common observation, which is not unusual for students at this grade level, is learning to project their voices.  They will have plenty of opportunity as the year progresses to work on this skill.  Please make sure to take a look at the pictures of the students voting under the blogger link on the classroom website www.schooldaystoday.com.

Save those receipts and fundraise for STREAM while you shop.  The school has three easy opportunities for you to help fundraise.  Shoparoo is a smart phone application that is as easy as shop, scan and submit.  Any shopping receipt can be scanned and submitted for Shoparoo points designated to STREAM.  Get your family and friends involved. It is a fundraiser that doesn’t cost you anything. Using the same concept start collecting your BoxTops for Education and Campbell Soups Labels for Education.  Just cut those coupons and have your student bring them to class. Quick and easy fundraisers that help STREAM. 

Now that we are getting into our fourth grade curriculum I want to remind you to encourage your student to practice their multiplication tables each night for 20 minutes. They should be using their flash cards and working on their facts from 0 to 12.  We will also be working on Place Value up to the millions place and how to round and write the numbers in word form and expanded form.  In Language Arts we have begun our literature study on the Tales of the Fourth Grade Nothing.  Make sure to have your student share with you what vocabulary word they are creating a skit for.

I know that many of you have questions and information that you would like to share with me.  Please feel free to contact me via email and we can arrange a mutually agreeable time to meet.  You can also catch me first thing in the morning for a quick conversation on the playground as I have yard supervision every morning or please feel free to contact me by email at anytime.  And please remember that the classroom website is an excellent source of information.

Have a great week!

Mr. Williams

(Pictures from voting for Class Reps.)

Multiplication Test Results

The results are in and the following students passed their Multiplication Test with a score of 100 percent.
Anthony C.

Gabriel M.

Lizbeth B.

Hugo G.

Hugo L.

Alan G.

Anna D.

TJ P.

Maria C.

Caroline T.

These students passed with a score or 90 percent or higher.

Kerolos K.

Tristan J.

Ryan M.

Araid B.

Jennifer M.

I am tremendously proud of these students for all there work on memorizing these facts. There will be one more test before the CST.