Tuesday, January 30, 2018

Hi Parents,

Just a few quick updates!

Field trip on Friday, February 2nd to the Wetlands. We will leave at 8:45 and return about 12. Kids will eat lunch at school, but should have a snack to take on the trip. Drivers are: Kessler, Christie, Caris, Redle, Stanford, Fields , Sigur, Klein, Dutra, and Maguire.  Please let me know if I left you out or if you are unable to drive.

Next Monday, February 5th, the kids will have their Fractions/Decimals unit test. We are doing a review sheet now, and students will bring it home on Thursday.

Finally, thanks to all the parents who came on our trip to the mission last week. It's an iconic 4th Grade Field trip, and very interesting! We appreciate your support so that we can continue to go.

Regards,

Carroll Mayer

Sunday, January 21, 2018

Hi Parents and Kids,

This week we will get back to our regular routine.  The Homework Choice Board will go home tomorrow and be due on Friday. The kids are also bringing home a permission slip for our field trip to Watsonville Wetlands, on February 2nd. That makes field trips on 2 Fridays in a row, as we will be visiting Mission San Juan Bautista this week. Please make sure that your child returns permission slips for both field trips; I’m still missing a couple for the trip this week. We should now be in good shape regarding drivers for both trips, and many thanks to all who have volunteered. Please make sure your information is fully updated in the office.

In writing, we are beginning work on Opinion, and developing  a well-supported piece on a topic of their choice. We are reading a couple of nonfiction selections over the next couple of weeks in RTI, and finishing up our math unit on fractions and decimals. Finally, in science we are completing our study of energy.

Have a great week,

Carroll Mayer


Saturday, January 6, 2018

Hi All,

Happy New Year!  I hope you are getting 2018 off to a great start!

I have been reading a lot, and wanted to share some terrific books with you!

I began vacation by finished the second book from the Unwanted series, on loan from Vincent and his mom, Audrey. They are well into the series, and loving it! This series is for a mature reader at our grade level. The blurb on it compares the series to Hunger Games crossed with Harry Potter, and I think that's pretty accurate. The main characters are teens, and there is magic and war in this book.

After Unwanted, I read Refugee. This is another book for a more mature reader. It's historical fiction, and follows the journeys of 3 different refugee children, and their families. The 3 stories, which begin in 1939 Poland, 1994 Cuba, and 2005 Syria, are told in alternating chapters. At first it's hard to shift between characters, but as you go more deeply into the stories it helps build the comparison the author is making. This is a great book for readers of historical fiction, and an engaging way to build knowledge of 20th Century history.  I loved this book, and will have a copy available in class.

Next, I read Rain Reign!  Ann M. Martin, the author of this book and the Babysitter's Club series, will be at Bookshop Santa Cruz this month, on our first day back in school. Rain Reign is a fantastic realistic fiction book. For the kids that love Wonder, Tiger Rising, Because of Winn-Dixie, Crenshaw.  The narrator of the story is a girl on the autism spectrum, and Rain is her dog. I think this will be our next Read Aloud, after we finish Island of the Blue Dolphins. 

The last kid book I read is The War I Finally Won, a sequel to The War That Saved My Life. Both books are available in class. These books are historical fiction, set in England during WWII. The narrator of this book is a young girl who saves herself from a life of abuse and neglect. The time period adds to the book, but there are many more emotional and physical challenges beyond the war. The two books can be read on many levels.

I have one more kid book to read this break, but first I'm going to read some grown up books, so I might not get to it. Remember to make some time for reading during your vacation too!

Carroll Mayer

I'm copying the note I sent before break. I'm not sure all of you read/ received it!



Hi All,

Thank you for the many wonderful food treats and kind gifts; I feel very fussed over!  I will enjoy the gift certificate to Cafe Sparrow from the class as well. 

In addition, many thanks to our fantastic Room Parents, Carole-Anne and Allison!  They put on a terrific party-- well-paced, engaging, and yet relaxing!  Thanks, also, to all the parents who were able to stop in and keep the party going smoothly!

Sorry to veer to business, but I forgot to mention that we have a field trip on February 2nd to the Watsonville Wetlands, as well as the January 26th trip to the mission. I am looking for drivers for both trips, although several have volunteered for the mission trip. 

But that's a few weeks away...

In the mean time, have a peaceful, joyous break with friends and family!

All the best,

Carroll Mayer