Hi All,

Wow!  It’s October!

This week the class will begin the second Math Unit on multiplication and division, after a fast week of discussing the metric system. Overall, the class did a strong job on the first assessment, and seems well-prepared to work on multiplying bigger numbers.

We finished Tiger Rising, and are nearing the end of The Wild Robot. I’m going to begin reading A Boy Called Bat to the class this week, as part of the Global Read Aloud. This week we will be sending postcards to a class in Canada who is also reading the book, and communicating digitally as well during the next month. Donations of Santa Cruz county postcards ( inexpensive at CVS) would be great!

We’ve begun a geography unit in Social Studies, and will soon be moving into a unit on California’s regions. Kids received their first issue of Studies Weekly, which is a weekly consumable newspaper with articles on California history and geography. They were allowed to keep them in their book box to read in class, or take them home to read during their nightly homework time. Parent Alliance pays for Studies Weekly with the funds you raise!

On that note, many of you have participated in the Drive for Schools fundraiser by selling or purchasing raffle tickets. If you haven’t yet, please consider putting some time/money into this event.  This is one of the few fundraisers that returns 100% of the proceeds to our school, so it’s an especially good way to support Rio.

Finally, this Friday is a teacher training day for the district, so there’s no school for kids. However, you should have received an invitation from me last week for kids to participate in an hour of Writers’ Workshop, from 10-11 in Room 9. The kids get to help out with the training!  If your child wants to participate, please let me know.

Have a great week!

Carroll Mayer

Hi All,

Room 9 Students had another fun and productive week! As anticipated, we wrapped up our first Science unit and will be moving into Social Studies. This week, we will also complete the first math unit, and will have a test on Friday. The kids will bring home a practice test on Wednesday afternoon, and can use it to identify any challenge areas that require extra review.

If you volunteered to drive on the aquarium field trip, and haven’t submitted paperwork this year, please do so immediately.

Last Monday, we set up “Khan Mappers”. Once registered, kids were given a list of lessons on Khan Academy based on their MAP test scores. We are taking some in-class time to use the site, but this is one of the great technology activities listed on the Homework Choice Board. Feel free to contact me, or send a note with your kid if there is any confusion about how to access Kahn Mappers.

Have a great week,

Carroll Mayer

Hi All,

It was very nice to see so many of you at Back-to-School Night!

If you signed up to drive for the field trip to the aquarium, please submit your paperwork, including the Driver form, with copies of your CDL and insurance information attached. Papers can be dropped directly at the office, or sent through your child. We need these done this week.

Book orders are also due this week. I sent a paper flyer home last Tuesday. Orders may be made using the flyer, and sending a check made out to Scholastic, or by going to the website and submitting our class code, your order & a credit card.

I have posted a hyperdoc about senses on the Google Classroom, and it’s there as an extra credit activity. Kids may do this during their homework time. I will review it with the kids on Monday and answer any initial questions at that time. I anticipate wrapping up our Mystery Science unit on”The Human Machine” by the end of the week, and moving into Social Studies next week. We will begin with a general geography lesson, and then move into a unit on California’s regions.

Have a great week!

Carroll Mayer

Hi Parents and Families,

Just a few short notes on this Memorial Day Weekend...

• This Thursday night is Back-to-School Night; please try to attend and learn about the class. 
• On Thursday night, there will be opportunities to sign up for volunteer time in the classroom, and for November Parent/Teacher Conferences. Bring your calendar!
• The weekly Homework Choice Board was due this Friday  Most children remembered theirs, but if your child forgot, please help them build a routine that supports this habit  
• Mayer Moola was introduced this week  Ask your kiddo about it!
• Our Library Day is Friday, so kids should bring their books to return on that day.  Handy that all things are due on the same day!

See you Thursday Night!

Carroll Mayer