Update:Fourth Year Students' Mission/Presidio/Pueblo Report
Students had another lesson about taking notes from books and websites this week. They know they should take 40 notes, individual pieces of information, writing each one in THEIR OWN WORDS on index cards. They write on one side of index cards only, but can write more than one note on each card. Students have a handout either at school, at home, or both, explaining how notes are to be written. You can e-mail me a request for this handout if you are still unsure about the note taking. (Some new students are only taking 20 notes because of time limitations. They know who they are.)
Please note: The source of each note does not need to be listed with each fact, because the facts are not quotations. The sources are already listed separately on the resource cards (5 of them), which will be used to create a bibliography for the end of the report later. Please check that ALL the necessary bibliography info is listed on resource cards: author, title, place of publication, publisher, and copyright date for books/written resources; author, title, EXACT internet address, and date of access for websites.
To color code the notes: Students lay out all their notes in front of them. As they read each one, they should notice which pieces of information go together and organize into piles according to subject. If more than one note is on each card, use scissors to cut the facts apart so they can go in different piles. Some possible categories (for missions, presidios, AND pueblos) are: Founding, Daily Life, Industry/Agriculture/purpose, building specifications and architecture, Struggles, Later History, The Site Today. Do NOT create an Other or Miscellaneous Facts category.
Use a highlighter or other colored marker to identify each note as belonging to a specific subject area. Now look at each colored pile one at a time. Lay out all the notes of that color and decide what order they should go in. You may notice some piece of information is obviously missing and write another note card to add.
Get plain paper (recycling/scratch paper is fine). Decide which group of colored notes should go first in the report and write the heading at the top. For example, I. Founding. That would make the most sense to start with. Then, the notes of that color, in the logical order that student laid out, are glued one under the other on the paper. Repeat for each section of the paper. This is what I mean by color-coding and making an outline.
This has been repeated to all students at least two times. Every student has told me they understand. I hope this explanation will help all of you who are helping at home. I have used this process for report writing many times and find that it really does help the students create their OWN quality report, with information synthesized from many sources. Please have patience and trust the process.E-mail me if you have further questions.
Please note: The source of each note does not need to be listed with each fact, because the facts are not quotations. The sources are already listed separately on the resource cards (5 of them), which will be used to create a bibliography for the end of the report later. Please check that ALL the necessary bibliography info is listed on resource cards: author, title, place of publication, publisher, and copyright date for books/written resources; author, title, EXACT internet address, and date of access for websites.
To color code the notes: Students lay out all their notes in front of them. As they read each one, they should notice which pieces of information go together and organize into piles according to subject. If more than one note is on each card, use scissors to cut the facts apart so they can go in different piles. Some possible categories (for missions, presidios, AND pueblos) are: Founding, Daily Life, Industry/Agriculture/purpose, building specifications and architecture, Struggles, Later History, The Site Today. Do NOT create an Other or Miscellaneous Facts category.
Use a highlighter or other colored marker to identify each note as belonging to a specific subject area. Now look at each colored pile one at a time. Lay out all the notes of that color and decide what order they should go in. You may notice some piece of information is obviously missing and write another note card to add.
Get plain paper (recycling/scratch paper is fine). Decide which group of colored notes should go first in the report and write the heading at the top. For example, I. Founding. That would make the most sense to start with. Then, the notes of that color, in the logical order that student laid out, are glued one under the other on the paper. Repeat for each section of the paper. This is what I mean by color-coding and making an outline.
This has been repeated to all students at least two times. Every student has told me they understand. I hope this explanation will help all of you who are helping at home. I have used this process for report writing many times and find that it really does help the students create their OWN quality report, with information synthesized from many sources. Please have patience and trust the process.E-mail me if you have further questions.
February News
Hello, All!
This month is flying by. It's far too short as it is. So much to do and so much enthusiasm! There are many things going on in the classroom to read about this week. Enjoy!
Valentine's Day is an opportunity to think about love in its many forms and expressions. On Friday, February 12, we will spend some time in appreciation of each other, writing small notes for every other student. Each students will leave that day with a woven paper heart full of loving thoughts from the rest of us. Please do not send store-bought or character cards or candy to pass out. We'd like to model using minimal resources and our own creativity to express our feelings. (You don't really want a huge shoebox, full of paper and stuff, from every year of elementary school, to clutter your house and then finally be thrown out, do you?) We will do a cooking or other food preparation activity (involving measurement!) and share a treat together. Finally, whenever we do something for ourselves, we want to share it with the community, the world. We'll be designing messages of love to send with the items we've collected for the people of Port-au-Prince. Students can also make special cards for loved ones.
The level of work going on in the class is wonderful. Students are asked at this time of the year to challenge themselves to do a bit more each day and to utilize those skills they've practiced to do bigger projects. Along those lines, we have plays being written about Ghandi (related to our Season for Nonviolence practices), ideas for research projects to last the rest of the year, mission reports, African country reports, activities around Chinese New Year and Chinese culture, and Steelhead in the Classroom projects that require arithmetic, graphing, and scientific observation and notation. Read about all these curriculum strands below.
I would like to make a few comments about report cards, which will come out the second week of February. As Norman Lorenz noted at the Town Hall Meeting Thursday night, we aren't graded, are we? So why the report card rubric for the children? The report card rubric is merely a picture of your child's progress at this point in time, particularly related to the academic standards set by the state. Norman also reminded us that we chose to align our program with state standards in order to be part of the greater education plan for children here in Sonoma. We need to show that our students meet these standards. The report card is not judgmental on my part in this aspect. The more objective report comes in the narrative sections where I give you my authentic assessment of your student's work and social habits and the Montessori lessons and materials.
Thank you for the continued help both in the classroom and out. Our learning community really does thrive with the involvement of all. We have a great group and great place to live and learn at River!
Thank you!
Deanna Peake
This month is flying by. It's far too short as it is. So much to do and so much enthusiasm! There are many things going on in the classroom to read about this week. Enjoy!
Valentine's Day is an opportunity to think about love in its many forms and expressions. On Friday, February 12, we will spend some time in appreciation of each other, writing small notes for every other student. Each students will leave that day with a woven paper heart full of loving thoughts from the rest of us. Please do not send store-bought or character cards or candy to pass out. We'd like to model using minimal resources and our own creativity to express our feelings. (You don't really want a huge shoebox, full of paper and stuff, from every year of elementary school, to clutter your house and then finally be thrown out, do you?) We will do a cooking or other food preparation activity (involving measurement!) and share a treat together. Finally, whenever we do something for ourselves, we want to share it with the community, the world. We'll be designing messages of love to send with the items we've collected for the people of Port-au-Prince. Students can also make special cards for loved ones.
The level of work going on in the class is wonderful. Students are asked at this time of the year to challenge themselves to do a bit more each day and to utilize those skills they've practiced to do bigger projects. Along those lines, we have plays being written about Ghandi (related to our Season for Nonviolence practices), ideas for research projects to last the rest of the year, mission reports, African country reports, activities around Chinese New Year and Chinese culture, and Steelhead in the Classroom projects that require arithmetic, graphing, and scientific observation and notation. Read about all these curriculum strands below.
I would like to make a few comments about report cards, which will come out the second week of February. As Norman Lorenz noted at the Town Hall Meeting Thursday night, we aren't graded, are we? So why the report card rubric for the children? The report card rubric is merely a picture of your child's progress at this point in time, particularly related to the academic standards set by the state. Norman also reminded us that we chose to align our program with state standards in order to be part of the greater education plan for children here in Sonoma. We need to show that our students meet these standards. The report card is not judgmental on my part in this aspect. The more objective report comes in the narrative sections where I give you my authentic assessment of your student's work and social habits and the Montessori lessons and materials.
Thank you for the continued help both in the classroom and out. Our learning community really does thrive with the involvement of all. We have a great group and great place to live and learn at River!
Thank you!
Deanna Peake
A Visit to the Dentist Feb. 11
River Montessori gets to go to the dentist next week. Each class will have a turn to go on a walk down the street to our neighboring pediatric dentist's office. Students will learn about dental care and hygiene and get to ask questions they have about dentistry. We will go Thursday, February 11, in the afternoon. Would you like to walk with us? We do need two or three parents to walk with us. Please e-mail Deanna at teachdearly@yahoo.com or dpeake@rivermontessori.org. Thanks!
Steelhead in the Classroom
Our fieldtrip Monday, February 8, to the fish hatchery at Lake Sonoma is the kick-off for a great classroom project. Students will learn about fish, the fish life cycle, and habitat as an introduction to raising our own steehead! We have an incubator being built for us right now and will be receiving our very own fish eggs on February 24. (Would you like to go to the hatchery to pick up the eggs on that day? Let me know.) Over the next eight weeks, we will watch the eggs develop into fingerlings. We'll chart growth, temperatures, and changes in the water. We'll rely heavily on science and math to care for the fish properly. We'll be learning about stream biology, ecosystems, lifecycles, conservation, and water politics in California, among other things. This is an amazing opportunity! Finally, on April 15, we will return to Lake Sonoma with our fish and celebrate their release into the wild and the continuity of life. (Keep that date in mind, please, those who are willing and able to drive...)
Chinese New Year
This celebration lasts over a period of 15 days in February. And, of course, we won't just hear about the holiday and Chinese culture; we will experience it. With the help of the families of Justin Tang and Makena Fields, students will learn about Chinese traditions, writing, history, and more. We'll have several visits for presentations and activities, research, and art in the classroom for the next several weeks, culminating in a day of festivities at the end of the month. If you and/or your children have anything to share about China, please send it in or come in!
Fourth Year Students Research Missions, Presidios, and Pueblos
In keeping with history and geography standards for fourth grade, our students are doing a California studies project, with a research and report format similar to what we used for History's Mysteries at the beginning of the year. Your fourth year students should have brought home in the Friday Folder an information sheet with due dates. It is reprinted below so you have it here, too.
Note that the first assignment, to gather five resources, is due Monday, Feb.8. Tuesday, February 9, will be fine, since we have a field trip. This first assignment requires you and your child to get one or more books from the library to use at home for the coming research. I have two general resources in the classroom for students to use, as well as one book on every mission being studied. That is four resources so far (if your child is studying a mission). Students then need one more books or websites to make a total of five. If your child chose a presidio or pueblo, it will be hard to find a book at level at your local library. You may need to depend on the internet (or other resources?).
Each book or website should have it's bibliographic information written on one resource (index) card, for a total of five reource cards. Students have had a lesson on this. They write their name on the back of each card and turn them in to me.
Remember to help only as needed. Many students are able to do this project with minimal assistance, and we want to encourage that. I will certainly let you know if your extra supervision at home is needed. Thank you!
Mrs. Peake
4th year Project
Missions, Pueblos, and Presidios Research
We've visited the Mission in Sonoma and the Museum of California Missions. We've heard some different viewpoints about what happened during and after the arrival of Europeans in California. The establishment of the first mission in 1769 brought about a specific lifestyle and economy in California that included the communities of the presidios and newly-founded pueblos. For the next 60 years, interactions between these three types of settlements tell the story of California.
Students have chosen which of the three they would like to study in depth, as well as the specific location in California.
________________________________will study__________________________________________________________
Fourth graders will follow the same research procedure they used with the first project on a historical figure. They will be given time to work on the project in class, but there will be some work at home as well. Parents can take on the role of advisor (keeping an eye on due dates), editor, chauffeur (to the library or store for supplies), but otherwise let this project remain the students' project. I will guide them to stay organized, utilize class time wisely, and remind them of due dates.
Along with the written part of the project, there is a hands-on component as well--building a model of the mission, presidio, or pueblo. Students will work on this part at home, as it is difficult to transport materials back and forth. The highlight will be presenting our information and models to each other, putting it all together to represent California in the late 1700's.
Due Dates are as Follows:
Library visit and Five Resource Cards Monday, February 8
20 notes on note cards Monday, February 16
20 more notes (40 total) Monday, February 23
Outline and color-code notes Monday, March 1
Rough Draft of paper, plan for model Friday, March 5
Final Draft, Cover, Bibliography Friday, March 12
Model and Presentations Monday, March 15
Note that the first assignment, to gather five resources, is due Monday, Feb.8. Tuesday, February 9, will be fine, since we have a field trip. This first assignment requires you and your child to get one or more books from the library to use at home for the coming research. I have two general resources in the classroom for students to use, as well as one book on every mission being studied. That is four resources so far (if your child is studying a mission). Students then need one more books or websites to make a total of five. If your child chose a presidio or pueblo, it will be hard to find a book at level at your local library. You may need to depend on the internet (or other resources?).
Each book or website should have it's bibliographic information written on one resource (index) card, for a total of five reource cards. Students have had a lesson on this. They write their name on the back of each card and turn them in to me.
Remember to help only as needed. Many students are able to do this project with minimal assistance, and we want to encourage that. I will certainly let you know if your extra supervision at home is needed. Thank you!
Mrs. Peake
4th year Project
Missions, Pueblos, and Presidios Research
We've visited the Mission in Sonoma and the Museum of California Missions. We've heard some different viewpoints about what happened during and after the arrival of Europeans in California. The establishment of the first mission in 1769 brought about a specific lifestyle and economy in California that included the communities of the presidios and newly-founded pueblos. For the next 60 years, interactions between these three types of settlements tell the story of California.
Students have chosen which of the three they would like to study in depth, as well as the specific location in California.
________________________________will study__________________________________________________________
Fourth graders will follow the same research procedure they used with the first project on a historical figure. They will be given time to work on the project in class, but there will be some work at home as well. Parents can take on the role of advisor (keeping an eye on due dates), editor, chauffeur (to the library or store for supplies), but otherwise let this project remain the students' project. I will guide them to stay organized, utilize class time wisely, and remind them of due dates.
Along with the written part of the project, there is a hands-on component as well--building a model of the mission, presidio, or pueblo. Students will work on this part at home, as it is difficult to transport materials back and forth. The highlight will be presenting our information and models to each other, putting it all together to represent California in the late 1700's.
Due Dates are as Follows:
Library visit and Five Resource Cards Monday, February 8
20 notes on note cards Monday, February 16
20 more notes (40 total) Monday, February 23
Outline and color-code notes Monday, March 1
Rough Draft of paper, plan for model Friday, March 5
Final Draft, Cover, Bibliography Friday, March 12
Model and Presentations Monday, March 15
Third Year Students Study Africa
Third year students have each been researching a country in Africa. We've learned a little about the history of the continent and studied geographic and political maps. Monday, February 15, we'll share our research with the class. Each student is invited to bring in a food from the country they studied. We found recipes in the books we used and want to try some African food! If you can facilitate this extra cooking project at home over that weekend before Monday, it would be greatly appreciated. If not, we understand. We'll have plenty of African crafts and festivities, and evn a play by the students, no matter what.
Wish List
We are so fortunate to have all that we do in the classroom! I am overwhelmed with gratitude every time I look around our room.
There are only a few things we could use:
Binder paper: Yes, we are out of wide-ruled, lined, writing paper again. (I will have a talk with the students about paper conservation!)
A Zoologist: Do you make a weekly trip to Petco of other pet supply place that might have crickets? We need a volunteer to buy crickets each week for our African fat-tailed gecko, Mocha. If you can do this, please e-mail me.
There are only a few things we could use:
Binder paper: Yes, we are out of wide-ruled, lined, writing paper again. (I will have a talk with the students about paper conservation!)
A Zoologist: Do you make a weekly trip to Petco of other pet supply place that might have crickets? We need a volunteer to buy crickets each week for our African fat-tailed gecko, Mocha. If you can do this, please e-mail me.
Student News February 2010
February 19, 2010
New Students' Point of View
by Haley and Rori
Last week five new students came to Mrs. Peake's class at River Montessori Charter School. Everyone thinks it is awesome. They were Haley, Rori, Benjamin, Jackson, and David.
When Haley came to RMCS, she felt very welcomed. Her favorite color is red. Her favorite food is macaroni and cheese. Her favorite subject is math (long division).
When Rori came to RMCS, she felt excited to come. Her favorite color is green. Her favorite food is pizza. Her favorite subject is science (experiments).
When Jackson came to RMCS, he felt confused. His favorite color is black. His favorite food is pizza. His favorite subject is science (animals).
When Benjamin came to River Montessori, he thought it was different from his old school. His favorite color is purple. His favorite foods are Dad's homemade salads. Benjamin's favorite subject is science (chemistry).
When David came to River Montessori, he felt even-minded. His favorite color is navy blue. His favorite food is penne pasta. His favorite subject is math/geometry.
Thank you for listening to "New Students' Point of View", brought to you by Haley and Rori.
5 New Students!
by Gillian Saunders
Last week there were five new people in our class. There were three boys and two girls. The two girls names are Haley and Rori.
Rori says she loves the new classroom. Haley also says it is a very nice school with a nice teacher.
The three boys' names are Jackson, Benjamin, and David. David and Benjamin said they very much like the school. Jackson says he likes the new school, too.
by Dianna
Last week we got five new students. Haley came Friday, Jackson and Rori came Wednesday, and Benjamin and David came on Monday. That makes 30 students in our class. The good thing is that we have two teachers.
School Watches "Cool the Earth"
by Justin Su
On Thursday, February 18, the school went to the back room to watch "Cool the Earth." We watched the play after recess.
The play was about global warming and how the ice was melting in the polar regions. Jake's mom was the polar bear.
After the play, Dr. Perraca talked about how we could participate in "Cool the Earth." Dr. Perraca explained how we could fill out slips from the golden coupon book and take actions to save the polar bears.
The golden coupon book is a book that has slips to tell you how you can take actions to reduce carbon emissions.
Students really enjoyed the "Cool the Earth" play.
Cool the Earth
by David Smith
"Cool the Earth" is a play we saw. By we, I mewan Mrs. Peake's class. We (Mrs. Peake's class again) saw it (the play) at River Monterssori Charter School, right around the back in the middle of the music room on the right wall (from the door). (The play was right around the wall, we weren't.)
The chararcters (not the actors) were a mom polar bear, a teenage polar bear, Carbon (the scoundrel, by the way), Mother Nature, and Mother Earth.
This was an environmental awareness play, put on by the Green Team (which you may or may not know about), which involved the two polar bears trying to find their home which has mysteriously disappeared. So they're swimming along with teenage polar bear yelling things along the line of,"Are we there yet?" or "I want to watch the Bear Olympics on my TV!" (By the way, the teenage polar bear also has an i-phone.)
Then they come to the Mother Earth who couldn't make them more ice thanks to a global warming fever, which she couldn't take aspirin for. Carbon came in right about then. After a lot of talking Mother Nature came in and after some more talking the bears (with significant help from the audience, the entire school) found three golden coupons and Carbon found the golden coupon book and the mom polar bear chased Carbon off the stage, around the audience, through the audience, and back onto the stage, before Carbon finally dropped it.
Also, while the teenage polar bear found the golden coupons, Carbon did not stay put, and kept popping in after the coupons were read and giving "tiips" that were the exact opposite of what the coupons said, which were also useless and environmentally unhealthy. What the coupons said was exactly the opposite of what Carbon said.
Okay, sorry this ended so abruptly, but it did. Goodbye.
by Christina
River Montessori Charter School did a play called "Cool the Earth" yesterday. It teaches people to help save the earth. There is a goal that we are going to chart and when we have reached it we will have helped the earth. There is a golden coupon book and one of the pages says, "Use twisty light bulbs." Another says, "Carpool to school."
So, ladies and gentlemen...
Help Save the Earth.
by Eva
On February 18, Thursday, the school watched a play called "Cool the Earth." They watched this play because the Green Team is trying to prevent global warming. The play happened in the Assembly Room. Mr. Cooper was helping by playing music.
Almost all the students liked the play. They thought it was funny and entertaining. The polar bears had to get the golden coupon book to get back to their home.
Each student gets a golden coupon book. They will check the things that they can do to help reduce carbon emissions.
by Alexandra
River Montessori Charter School saw a play called "Cool the Earth." It talked about coupons and the coupons save the earth.
They also want us to use the twisty light bulb. If we use the twisty light bulb, we won't just save the earth, but we will be saving the polar bears!
If we are really mean to the earth, we will live in garbage. And if we keep doing that, the world will die.
The end.
by Maggie
Everyone went to the assembly in the music room. We watched a play called "Cool the Earth." Everyone liked it. The actors told us some tips on how to help earth. Change your light bulbs to the twist bulbs. Recycle paper.
Here is something I wrote about the earth:
What is the earth? The earth is a planet. Why do we live on this planet? Because it has oxygen. Why does the erath have oxygen? Well, I am only 9, but what I do know is the earth is important.
The end.
by Simone
The whole school got together to watch a play called "Cool the Earth." They showed us how the polar bears are losing their homes. They said to switch lights to twisty lightbulbs. It was very funny. It was so so so cool and good. And kids from the Green Team got to be in it.
African Food (Injera)
by Jake
On Tuesday we cooked African food. We had bananas, and the banana was really good. We also ate rice. It had nothing on it. We ate bread (called injera). Aidan said, "It tasted like dogfood." We had sweet potato salad. It was good. It had an interesting flavor. Most of the people liked the food.
by Olivia
This was Tuesday when we had a party. We got to cook and do art and see a play about Africa. Some of the third graders did it. The food was wonderful. We had spicy food, rice, bread, and potatoes all together. It was wonderful like I said.
by Cole
We had African food at the 4th and 3rd grade class. It was on Tuesday. We had onion and sweet potato salad and injera. Injera is a skinny bread made of teff flour. It tasted like banana muffin. I got to peel and cut the onion and cook the onions. The first skillet didn't start so we had to get another one. But when we came back the skillet was working.
All of it was very good.
Making Paper Beads
by Anais
We had an African feast and made paper beads so we could make anklets and jewelry for it. If you want to make them, look at the bottom of this paper:
1. Get a pencil.
2. Wrap colored magazine paper around the pencil.
3. Each wrap, put glue on.
Warning: Don't glue to the pencil!
Take the paper bead off pencil and there you have it--a paper bead!!
Peace on Earth
by Makena Fields
64 Ways in 64 Days, "Season for Nonviolence": RMCS has found out that there is a Season for Nonviolence pledge. Each day is something different. This is a good chance to do good things like Ghandi or Martin Luther King, Jr. They were both very peaceful. Martin Luther King, Jr. fought for civil rights. Ghandi was a peaceful man and lived in India.
So, this is your chance to do peaceful things, like no violent video games. Try something peaceful like yoga on your Wii or X-box360. Think of 64 ways to be peaceful in 64 days.
Newsflash! Appreciations
by Isaac
On Tuesday, February 16, 2010, at River Montessori Charter School, everybody got around 30 appreciations on strips of paper from everybody else.
"What did I think?...I thought it was very peaceful to watch everybody quietly giving appreciations to each other," said Mrs. Peake, teacher of the one fourth grade class here.
I agree. I was very happy to see all the other appreciations people made for me, and I bet everyone else was, too! Bye!
Appreciations
by Maddy
Mrs. Peake's class had appreciations on Tuesday. Everybody had strips of paper and when an appreciation folder came (around our circle) we would get a strip and write our appreciation to that person.
Some people would write things like, "I like your sense of humor," or "I appreciate that you listen to the teacher," or "You're nice." Then, at the end of the day, everybody had at least 20 appreciations to take home.
by Matt
The class made envelopes for our appreciations. We wrote appreciations on slips at circle. We wrote appreciations on Valentine's Day because we're appreciating everybody in my class.
The History of St. Valentine
by Finn
St Valentine performed marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine's actions were discovered, Roman Emperor Claudius ordered that he be put to death.
According to one legend, Valentine actually sent the first "valentine" greeting himself. While in prison, it is believed that Valentine fell in love with a young girl, who may have been his jailor's daughter.
The end.
Plays
by Dianna
In Mrs. Peake's class, the third grade students did an Anansi play. It was cool. It was about a clever spider who wanted to bring stories to earth.
To get the stories, he had to bring the sky god the leopard, the python, the hornet, and the wee one, whom no one ever sees. After he tricked them, he brought them to the sky god and they won the stories. Anansi brought the stories back to earth.
China/Chinese New Year (Part I)
by Chris Moore and Justin Tang
Chinese New Year started this year on February 14, 2010. Chinese new Year celebration lasts for 15 days, but there is only one "new year" (day), obviously. This year is the year of the tiger according to the Chinese zodiac.
There are many foods that have to be at the New Year's Eve dinner and feast. The first one is fish. Noodles are also important. The "nian cake", or the "year cake" is a sticky cake that is made out of flour and rice.
February 12, 2010
Haiti Supplies
by Jake
On Wednesday, some people took the boxes of supplies we have been collecting. We filled 3 boxes. Chris donated the most. He donated a 12 bottle case of hydrogen peroxide. Kael also donated 20 boxes of pain relief.
And lots of other people donated. That's a lot of stuff.
Mrs. Peake's Class Goes to the Fish Hatchery
by Justin Su
On Monday, February 8, 2010, Mrs. Peake's class went to the fish hatchery at Lake Sonoma.
Our tour guide's name was Ranger Michael. He told us about the life cycle. Then we got to go to the fish hatchery and see them measure and count the fish.
After that, we got to go to the runways where the baby fish are "hatched" When we were looking at the fish, we got to feed them.
After that, we got to watch a short movie about the hatchery. Students really enjoyed the field trip.
Fish Hatchery
by Eva
Mrs. Peake's class and Mrs. Lapham's class went to fish hatchery.
Their guide was Ranger Mike. He showed them how the crowder pushed the fish down a chute and the fish were tagged.
We went because we're raising fish in our class.
We went on 2-8-2010.
Most students liked going on this field trip. Some thought the fish were being treated cruelly.
After, they went to a park. They ate lunch there.
Fish Hatchery: n. a large building where fish eggs are raised (at least I think so). They're pushed into a big blue monster (a crowder). The fish are pushed into a pool, which may have water or not or something in between. I think they might eat the fish, but I don't know. The fish trty to jump up water falls, or maybe something else.
New Students' Point of View
by Haley and Rori
Last week five new students came to Mrs. Peake's class at River Montessori Charter School. Everyone thinks it is awesome. They were Haley, Rori, Benjamin, Jackson, and David.
When Haley came to RMCS, she felt very welcomed. Her favorite color is red. Her favorite food is macaroni and cheese. Her favorite subject is math (long division).
When Rori came to RMCS, she felt excited to come. Her favorite color is green. Her favorite food is pizza. Her favorite subject is science (experiments).
When Jackson came to RMCS, he felt confused. His favorite color is black. His favorite food is pizza. His favorite subject is science (animals).
When Benjamin came to River Montessori, he thought it was different from his old school. His favorite color is purple. His favorite foods are Dad's homemade salads. Benjamin's favorite subject is science (chemistry).
When David came to River Montessori, he felt even-minded. His favorite color is navy blue. His favorite food is penne pasta. His favorite subject is math/geometry.
Thank you for listening to "New Students' Point of View", brought to you by Haley and Rori.
5 New Students!
by Gillian Saunders
Last week there were five new people in our class. There were three boys and two girls. The two girls names are Haley and Rori.
Rori says she loves the new classroom. Haley also says it is a very nice school with a nice teacher.
The three boys' names are Jackson, Benjamin, and David. David and Benjamin said they very much like the school. Jackson says he likes the new school, too.
by Dianna
Last week we got five new students. Haley came Friday, Jackson and Rori came Wednesday, and Benjamin and David came on Monday. That makes 30 students in our class. The good thing is that we have two teachers.
School Watches "Cool the Earth"
by Justin Su
On Thursday, February 18, the school went to the back room to watch "Cool the Earth." We watched the play after recess.
The play was about global warming and how the ice was melting in the polar regions. Jake's mom was the polar bear.
After the play, Dr. Perraca talked about how we could participate in "Cool the Earth." Dr. Perraca explained how we could fill out slips from the golden coupon book and take actions to save the polar bears.
The golden coupon book is a book that has slips to tell you how you can take actions to reduce carbon emissions.
Students really enjoyed the "Cool the Earth" play.
Cool the Earth
by David Smith
"Cool the Earth" is a play we saw. By we, I mewan Mrs. Peake's class. We (Mrs. Peake's class again) saw it (the play) at River Monterssori Charter School, right around the back in the middle of the music room on the right wall (from the door). (The play was right around the wall, we weren't.)
The chararcters (not the actors) were a mom polar bear, a teenage polar bear, Carbon (the scoundrel, by the way), Mother Nature, and Mother Earth.
This was an environmental awareness play, put on by the Green Team (which you may or may not know about), which involved the two polar bears trying to find their home which has mysteriously disappeared. So they're swimming along with teenage polar bear yelling things along the line of,"Are we there yet?" or "I want to watch the Bear Olympics on my TV!" (By the way, the teenage polar bear also has an i-phone.)
Then they come to the Mother Earth who couldn't make them more ice thanks to a global warming fever, which she couldn't take aspirin for. Carbon came in right about then. After a lot of talking Mother Nature came in and after some more talking the bears (with significant help from the audience, the entire school) found three golden coupons and Carbon found the golden coupon book and the mom polar bear chased Carbon off the stage, around the audience, through the audience, and back onto the stage, before Carbon finally dropped it.
Also, while the teenage polar bear found the golden coupons, Carbon did not stay put, and kept popping in after the coupons were read and giving "tiips" that were the exact opposite of what the coupons said, which were also useless and environmentally unhealthy. What the coupons said was exactly the opposite of what Carbon said.
Okay, sorry this ended so abruptly, but it did. Goodbye.
by Christina
River Montessori Charter School did a play called "Cool the Earth" yesterday. It teaches people to help save the earth. There is a goal that we are going to chart and when we have reached it we will have helped the earth. There is a golden coupon book and one of the pages says, "Use twisty light bulbs." Another says, "Carpool to school."
So, ladies and gentlemen...
Help Save the Earth.
by Eva
On February 18, Thursday, the school watched a play called "Cool the Earth." They watched this play because the Green Team is trying to prevent global warming. The play happened in the Assembly Room. Mr. Cooper was helping by playing music.
Almost all the students liked the play. They thought it was funny and entertaining. The polar bears had to get the golden coupon book to get back to their home.
Each student gets a golden coupon book. They will check the things that they can do to help reduce carbon emissions.
by Alexandra
River Montessori Charter School saw a play called "Cool the Earth." It talked about coupons and the coupons save the earth.
They also want us to use the twisty light bulb. If we use the twisty light bulb, we won't just save the earth, but we will be saving the polar bears!
If we are really mean to the earth, we will live in garbage. And if we keep doing that, the world will die.
The end.
by Maggie
Everyone went to the assembly in the music room. We watched a play called "Cool the Earth." Everyone liked it. The actors told us some tips on how to help earth. Change your light bulbs to the twist bulbs. Recycle paper.
Here is something I wrote about the earth:
What is the earth? The earth is a planet. Why do we live on this planet? Because it has oxygen. Why does the erath have oxygen? Well, I am only 9, but what I do know is the earth is important.
The end.
by Simone
The whole school got together to watch a play called "Cool the Earth." They showed us how the polar bears are losing their homes. They said to switch lights to twisty lightbulbs. It was very funny. It was so so so cool and good. And kids from the Green Team got to be in it.
African Food (Injera)
by Jake
On Tuesday we cooked African food. We had bananas, and the banana was really good. We also ate rice. It had nothing on it. We ate bread (called injera). Aidan said, "It tasted like dogfood." We had sweet potato salad. It was good. It had an interesting flavor. Most of the people liked the food.
by Olivia
This was Tuesday when we had a party. We got to cook and do art and see a play about Africa. Some of the third graders did it. The food was wonderful. We had spicy food, rice, bread, and potatoes all together. It was wonderful like I said.
by Cole
We had African food at the 4th and 3rd grade class. It was on Tuesday. We had onion and sweet potato salad and injera. Injera is a skinny bread made of teff flour. It tasted like banana muffin. I got to peel and cut the onion and cook the onions. The first skillet didn't start so we had to get another one. But when we came back the skillet was working.
All of it was very good.
Making Paper Beads
by Anais
We had an African feast and made paper beads so we could make anklets and jewelry for it. If you want to make them, look at the bottom of this paper:
1. Get a pencil.
2. Wrap colored magazine paper around the pencil.
3. Each wrap, put glue on.
Warning: Don't glue to the pencil!
Take the paper bead off pencil and there you have it--a paper bead!!
Peace on Earth
by Makena Fields
64 Ways in 64 Days, "Season for Nonviolence": RMCS has found out that there is a Season for Nonviolence pledge. Each day is something different. This is a good chance to do good things like Ghandi or Martin Luther King, Jr. They were both very peaceful. Martin Luther King, Jr. fought for civil rights. Ghandi was a peaceful man and lived in India.
So, this is your chance to do peaceful things, like no violent video games. Try something peaceful like yoga on your Wii or X-box360. Think of 64 ways to be peaceful in 64 days.
Newsflash! Appreciations
by Isaac
On Tuesday, February 16, 2010, at River Montessori Charter School, everybody got around 30 appreciations on strips of paper from everybody else.
"What did I think?...I thought it was very peaceful to watch everybody quietly giving appreciations to each other," said Mrs. Peake, teacher of the one fourth grade class here.
I agree. I was very happy to see all the other appreciations people made for me, and I bet everyone else was, too! Bye!
Appreciations
by Maddy
Mrs. Peake's class had appreciations on Tuesday. Everybody had strips of paper and when an appreciation folder came (around our circle) we would get a strip and write our appreciation to that person.
Some people would write things like, "I like your sense of humor," or "I appreciate that you listen to the teacher," or "You're nice." Then, at the end of the day, everybody had at least 20 appreciations to take home.
by Matt
The class made envelopes for our appreciations. We wrote appreciations on slips at circle. We wrote appreciations on Valentine's Day because we're appreciating everybody in my class.
The History of St. Valentine
by Finn
St Valentine performed marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine's actions were discovered, Roman Emperor Claudius ordered that he be put to death.
According to one legend, Valentine actually sent the first "valentine" greeting himself. While in prison, it is believed that Valentine fell in love with a young girl, who may have been his jailor's daughter.
The end.
Plays
by Dianna
In Mrs. Peake's class, the third grade students did an Anansi play. It was cool. It was about a clever spider who wanted to bring stories to earth.
To get the stories, he had to bring the sky god the leopard, the python, the hornet, and the wee one, whom no one ever sees. After he tricked them, he brought them to the sky god and they won the stories. Anansi brought the stories back to earth.
China/Chinese New Year (Part I)
by Chris Moore and Justin Tang
Chinese New Year started this year on February 14, 2010. Chinese new Year celebration lasts for 15 days, but there is only one "new year" (day), obviously. This year is the year of the tiger according to the Chinese zodiac.
There are many foods that have to be at the New Year's Eve dinner and feast. The first one is fish. Noodles are also important. The "nian cake", or the "year cake" is a sticky cake that is made out of flour and rice.
February 12, 2010
Haiti Supplies
by Jake
On Wednesday, some people took the boxes of supplies we have been collecting. We filled 3 boxes. Chris donated the most. He donated a 12 bottle case of hydrogen peroxide. Kael also donated 20 boxes of pain relief.
And lots of other people donated. That's a lot of stuff.
Mrs. Peake's Class Goes to the Fish Hatchery
by Justin Su
On Monday, February 8, 2010, Mrs. Peake's class went to the fish hatchery at Lake Sonoma.
Our tour guide's name was Ranger Michael. He told us about the life cycle. Then we got to go to the fish hatchery and see them measure and count the fish.
After that, we got to go to the runways where the baby fish are "hatched" When we were looking at the fish, we got to feed them.
After that, we got to watch a short movie about the hatchery. Students really enjoyed the field trip.
Fish Hatchery
by Eva
Mrs. Peake's class and Mrs. Lapham's class went to fish hatchery.
Their guide was Ranger Mike. He showed them how the crowder pushed the fish down a chute and the fish were tagged.
We went because we're raising fish in our class.
We went on 2-8-2010.
Most students liked going on this field trip. Some thought the fish were being treated cruelly.
After, they went to a park. They ate lunch there.
Fish Hatchery: n. a large building where fish eggs are raised (at least I think so). They're pushed into a big blue monster (a crowder). The fish are pushed into a pool, which may have water or not or something in between. I think they might eat the fish, but I don't know. The fish trty to jump up water falls, or maybe something else.
Reading at Home:
Science Fiction or Nonfiction
A note about at-home reading: At the beginning of the year, I explained that students do not have homework because we use our work time at school very intensely, BUT they should read 20 to 30 minutes at least every day at home. This 100 minutes per week is proven by science to make better readers! If it's a challenge or a "battle" to have your child do this, feel free to come see me so we can improve that. Almost every child I've ever known eventually loves reading. They just do!
Also, each month, students are introduced to a specific genre to read. Last month was Science Fiction. Many students did not find a proper science fiction book, so this month they can choose science fiction OR non-fiction. Nonfiction of course is a factual, informational book and could be a biography. Please ensure that your student has a science fiction book if they did not read one last month, or a nonfiction book to read at home for 20 minutes a night. Students will do a book report on the book at the end of the month.
Also, each month, students are introduced to a specific genre to read. Last month was Science Fiction. Many students did not find a proper science fiction book, so this month they can choose science fiction OR non-fiction. Nonfiction of course is a factual, informational book and could be a biography. Please ensure that your student has a science fiction book if they did not read one last month, or a nonfiction book to read at home for 20 minutes a night. Students will do a book report on the book at the end of the month.