Hello All,
This week our class will be having a "Game Day", which the class won through its great behavior. Kids should bring games to share on Tuesday (not electronics). Kids should also bring $ if they wish to stick Mrs. Dorney to the wall on Tuesday ( part of the "Stick it to hunger" campaign). On Friday our class will be having its winter holiday party.

This week we will have a regular Homework Packet, due on Friday. In math we'll continue learning various strategies for division. RTI groups will be reading a biography of Gloria Estefan, and we'll read about European explorers of California in Social Studies.

Finally, have a warm and wonderful holiday, with much joy and family connection.
Yours,
Carroll Mayer

Hi All,

First of all, thanks so much to the parents who were able to chaperon the Monterey Bay Aquarium field trip. I heard from many kids that this was the best field trip ever!  For those of you who weren't able to drive, let me encourage you to take care of the district-level paperwork (TB test and fingerprinting). It's a process that takes some time, but it'll last throughout your children's time in PVUSD, and enable you to volunteer for trips and activities on a more spontaneous basis.

This week our math will be shifting from multiplication to division, although it's still all part of Module 3. While many kids are aware of the relationship between these 2 processes, expect many more opportunities to make the connection. In RTI we'll be doing a short biography unit. We will wrap up our unit on Ecosystems this week, with a test on Thursday. This week's homework includes the final lesson of this chapter, as well as a review of the whole unit. During the last week before break we'll return to Reflections, the Social Studies text, and read about explorers and the beginning of the Spanish missions in California. We will not be doing a mission report or project until January.

Finally, I realize that this time gets busy, with lots of extra activities and holiday gatherings. Please work with your child to plan ahead in terms of homework, and to get plenty of rest.

Have a great week,
Carroll Mayer

Hello All,
I hope you had a joyful holiday.

This week we will be continuing with our study of ecosystems in science.  The kids will return to reading in the CA. Science textbook for a portion of their reading homework.  I've added a note to the homework about my expectations regarding the reading of the texts. (Reread the lessons first, then use the skimming and scanning strategies to find support with the questions on the back of the homework handout.) In math, we'll spend a couple of days reviewing the first portion of Module 3 and will have a Mid-Module Assessment on Thursday.

This Friday we'll be heading to the Monterey Bay Aquarium for our field trip.  Please note that we are returning to school late, and let me know if there is some special arrangement made for your child if you are unable to pick them up at our 3:00 arrival time. All students will need lunches for the trip, as well as a drink and comfortable shoes. Please don't send any money for snacks or souvenirs! Thank you to all that have volunteered to drive and chaperon on this trip!

Take care, and have a great week,
Carroll Mayer

Hi Parents,
I'm looking forward to seeing you all this week. The kids brought home notes with your times, but feel free to email to confirm times. The schedule is tightly packed.

This week, the kids will be bringing home permission slips and information about our next field trip, to the Monterey Bay Aquarium on December 5th. Please return completed forms ASAP, especially if you are able to drive!

Take care, and have a great week,
Carroll Mayer

Hi Parents,

Sorry to be a bit tardy on my posting!  First of all, a big thank you to the parents that were able to chaperon our Mission San Juan Bautista field trip (Mrs. Kolassa, Mrs. Lauderbach, Ms. Harrington, Mrs.Varela, Mrs. Manchester, and Mrs. Harris ). The kids had a great time, and made a good beginning on this portion of California history, which we will be reading about in the Social Studies text quite soon. Our next field trip is coming quickly; we're going to the Monterey Bay Aquarium on December 5th! We will be leaving school at about 9:15, attending a Kelp Forest Lab, eating lunch, and then having some touring time in the museum.  Because we are not allowed in the museum before our 10:45 lab, I intend to return to school a bit past the regularly scheduled time (return to school about 3:00). I will need drivers for this trip.  Please remember that the state requires volunteers to submit a TB test to the district, and be fingerprinted.  When you've done this once, you'll be authorized for all your children's years in PVUSD.  This policy is for the kids' safety.
Please take the time to do this, even if you can only drive on occasional field trips. I would hate to cancel a field trip due to lack of drivers.

Next week is Conference Week, and almost all students have one scheduled at this point.  Please come to your conference on time, as many of them are scheduled back-to-back. The library's Scholastic Book Fair is also scheduled for that week, and purchasing books (including holiday gifts) is a great way to support our library's book collection. The kids will preview the Book Fair on Friday, and I'm sure they'll get back to you with their Wish List.

You will notice the homework is a little different this week, as we are stepping away from the Science and Social Studies texts to work on a short research project on phytoplankton. We will be working on it this week, and have watched a short video and read an informational article already. I reviewed the homework with the class on Monday, and gave them clear directions about my expectations about it on both the front and the back.  In addition, the kids appear to be working comfortably with the math these days, and are able to push through and ask questions when they're unclear.

Take care, and I look forward to seeing you all at conferences next week!
Carroll Mayer

Hello All,

First of all, a big thank you to Brandi Manchester and Julie Harris,  Room 9's Room Parents who organized and hosted our Halloween party.  Thanks also, to their able assistants, Sandi Kolassa and Adele Lauderbach, who ran and supplied terrific party stations.  You ladies are all troupers and made a fun party, despite the rainy weather!

Last week I sent home a message notifying parents about the lack of cleared volunteers for this Friday's field trip.  Since then, one additional driver has fulfilled the district's requirements, so at this point we have space for 14 students.  If you were planning on driving, please come by the office to fill out your driver forms and make copies of your insurance information and California Driver's License. The office needs these forms on Monday, as they can't authorize a flurry of last-minute additions to the driving pool. 

As you will have noted, we began Module 3 in Math last week.  It is another challenging one!  I will work on posting example of in-class work in the blog and also taping some "Show Me" lessons.  In addition, Mrs. Deering, the school librarian, will now be available Monday- Thursday, from 7:30-7:55 in the library to help students with math. We will continue with math homework most nights, due the following day, as that seems to allow students' questions to be addressed. I will also limit the quantity of math homework, so that students can focus on their thinking and doing high quality work. Finally, I'm happy to report that most students performed well on the first district benchmark of the year, primarily 80% and above.

In RTI, we wrapped up our poetry unit and are now moving on to a Realistic Fiction unit, focusing on Common Core Reading Standard 2.  Students will be practicing finding the theme in various anthology stories, as well as writing summaries that include only the significant details from the stories.


Finally, if you have not yet scheduled a Parent/Teacher Conference (sign-ups began at Back-to-School Night), please contact me via email or leave a message at the school.

Take care,
Carroll Mayer

Dear Rio Parents, 

We did not receive a volunteer for your class this year for “Yearbook Photographer” or "Yearbook Page Designer” and we need your help! We are asking that someone from your classroom step forward asap. Usually we have a photographer in time for your classroom and your child’s special moment in the Halloween day parade. The parade is next Friday at 10:30. Can you please help us out this year? Most any camera is good enough to use as a photographer and, on occasion, take photos for classroom field trips or events. Pages are designed in Photoshop with support from the after school program so there is help to assist you. Volunteer by emailing this address: AdamandSharron@sbcglobal.net We have a lot of classrooms to staff and it would help if we received your response by Tuesday Oct 28. Please feel free to call me if you have any questions. Thank you, Sharron Voorhees (yearbook volunteer).

From Mrs. Mayer:

I am not posting Mrs. Voorhees's number, but I will be happy to give it to volunteers that wish to contact her.  Phone me at school.

Thanks!