Don't Let your Babies Grow up to be Cowboys

Hello parents,

Well, our winter vacation is nearly upon us. The class book exchange is coming up quickly. Please make sure that you have the book in before December 17th. You should have received a note in your child's assessment packet telling you who you were to buy a book for. Let me know if you did not receive this note or have any other questions about the book exchange.

Earth Science class has been going great. We have done several hands on experiments including:

Examination of different rocks and soils using a hand lens.

Seeing how sand and water can be eroded by wind in water.

Making imprint fossils using different objects pressed into playdough.

Ask your student about some of the earth science vocabulary they have learned. The list of words can be found on the previous blog.

In math class the students have have been working on area and perimeter of two dimensional shapes(squares and rectangles only). We have also started to work on double digit multiplication and will start basic division soon. They continue to work on time and money skills. Two skills you can work on with your student at home on are making change and elapsed time problems. An example of a "making change" problem is: The new toy costs $3.10. You pay four dollars. How much change will you receive?

In writing class the students have started to work on cursive. The Roadrunners have started with the letters "a" and "d". They are not learning the letters in alphabetical order. The class is learning the letters in order of how they are formed.


As always, if you have any questions just ask. And, if you can, post a comment.

Have Fun,

Tom and Jerry

The Sound of Silence

Hello parents,

First things first, a BIG thank you to all of the parents who made our Diwali celebration such a success! The Roadrunners watched a Diwali video, decorated diyas, watched a dance and even had tasty Indian treats. Pictures of our fun filled day will soon be uploaded for you to enjoy.

In science class we just finished up with our section on plants. We learned what the major plant parts are, how different seeds travel, and even "planted" some bean seeds so we can watch them sprout.
We are now moving on to Earth Science. Our first area of study will be on rocks, soils and fossils. Some important vocabulary that we will learn are: erosion, gravity, rock,weathering, fossil, humus(just add another "m" and you have a tasty treat), and mineral. You can go over these word with your student at home. Even have them write a sentence using these words.

An area of improvement for all Roadrunners is telling elapsed time. Here is an example question of elapsed time.

The time is a quarter till eight. Mr. Butler's dance class is at 10:30. How long until the class?
Try and ask your student an elapsed time question everyday!

One last note, next week Roadrunner assessments will be sent home.

Go Easy,

The Smothers Brothers

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With Regards,

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If you're going to playin Texas, you got to have a fiddle in the band.

Hello Parents,

Here are some photos of the Roadrunners' field trip to the The Children's Museum last week. Fun was had by all. Thank you to all of the parent helpers that made the field trip run so smoothly.

Regards,

Wille and Cash

Like a Rolling Stone

Hello Roadrunner Parents,

Thank you all for attending the Back to School night Last week. I hope that you all enjoyed yourself and got to see some of the wonderful lessons that your student has on a daily basis.

This week the Roadrunners will start learning about the life cycle of plants. We will read fun stories, make cool projects and even grow our own plants in the room.

Hope that all of you have a great week.

Sincerely,

The Elway-Rivers Connection

Ramble On

Thanks to all of you who posted comments.

Over the next two weeks in science class the Roadrunners will be learning about amphibians. We will learn about the major characteristics that all amphibians share. Some of the facts that the class has learned are:

1. Amphibians must keep their skin wet in order to breath.
2. Amphibians can live on land and in water.
3. Frogs have no ribs!?
4. Amphibians are some of the oldest animals on earth. (Been around since the dinosaurs)
5. Amphibians lay their eggs in water.

The Roadrunners Back to School night is next Wednesday, October 20th at 6:30pm. There will be limited child care if needed. We hope to be done at about 8:00pm. Let us know if you will not be able to make it.

Enjoy the pics,

Simon and Garfunkel

On the Dark Side of the Moon

Dear Roadrunner Parents,

Please leave comments when you view the blog. We are trying to gauge how effective the blog is as a communication tool.

Thanks,

Poncho and Lefty

Whoa, that just happened!

Hello Parents,

We did it! In science class yesterday we dissected pig hearts. The students got a hands on lesson on where the vena cava and aorta are located. We also looked at both atriums and ventricles. Everyone had fun using a hands on activity to help cement the major parts of the heart into their growing knowledge of anatomy.

Enjoy these pics!

Your student's teachers,

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

Super Class Pictures 5200

Hello Roadrunner Parents,

The play turned out to be a great success! Noah and family was kind enough to record, edit and produce a video for us. I will be burning copies for all of you in the next couple of weeks. Noah's mom Jane also took some great photos that I will send to you all via e-mail as well.

In science class we have been learning about the human body. We have focused our studies on the circulatory system. The class has learned that the blood vessels act like the "highway system" of our bodies, delivering oxygen and nutrients to the body's cells. The Roadrunners have done several projects including: a circulatory wheel, a human body book and have started a heart diagram. I will also order a two sheep hearts for the class to watch me dissect. My main goal is for the class to get a good understanding of what the heart looks like, the four chambers on the inside and that it pumps the blood through the blood vessels.

Here are a few pictures of the class. They are photos from the morning of the play, pics of the walking sticks, the ant farm and of the students making their human body books.

If you can, post a comment.

Til next time,

Poncho and Lefty
(Mr. Lucas and Mr. Butler)

RR Septmeber 2010

Super Party 5200

Just a quick thank you to Jane for the great party at her house. I hope that we can all get together soon.

Remember to send in the costume for the play!

Mr. Lucas, Mr. Butler

Sciencetravaganza!

Summer was a blast! These are the summer science photos you've been waiting for. We had the best summer in the history of the world.We are excited about the new school year and we hope you are too. Post your comments!

Summer Fun!

Summer is here! We are excited to start the summer with the, brand new, Roadrunners. We have a new and exciting summer curriculum. Science, Math, Reading,Writing and Drama are all going to be a blast with Mr. Butler and Mr. Lucas. We are going to take the Roadrunners to new and exciting heights this summer. Remember to be on time everyday. You won't want to miss out on a second of this fun-filled action packed summer!

Multnomah County Library Summer Reading Program

Your Roadrunner will be participating in the Multnomah County Summer Reading Program. The program begins June 18th and concludes August 31. The program tracks your Roadrunner's summer reading. They will keep track and record every half hour of reading that they complete this summer. Every student that reads 1,080 min will collect a T-shirt and a discounted $4 Oaks Park Deluxe Ride Bracelet coupon from the Multnomah County Library. Each student who completes the program will also be entered in the family vacation for four to Great Wolf Lodge waterpark Grand Prize drawing. For more details please visit www.multcolib.org

Roadrunners' Summer Birthdays

Aish: 6.20.2003

Wiley: 6.29.2002

Naviya: 7.1.2003

Aidan: 8.11.2003

Shriniketh: 8.17.2003

Adithi: 8.19.2003

Summer Fun

Summer is here! We are excited to start the summer with the, brand new, Roadrunners. We have a new and exciting summer curriculum. Science, Math, Reading,Writing and Drama are all going to be a blast with Mr. Butler and Mr. Lucas. We are going to take the Roadrunners to new and exciting heights this summer. Remember to be on time everyday. You won't want to miss out on a second of this fun-filled action packed summer!

The 100th day of school has come and gone! The school year is flying by, with only 3 weeks left before Spring Break!

On the 100th day of school the Roadrunners participated in activities all day that incorporated the number 100.

In groups, the Roadrunners created a structure using 100 items.

The whole class worked together to make a chain of 100 footsteps. On each footstep they wrote an adjective to describe their noun....silly dinosaurs, dazzling ants, marching feet.

In our writing journals we shared how we would spend $100.

We ended the day by creating our own $100 dollar bills!

Mark Your Calendars!

The sun is shining and the Roadrunners are too! We are rounding numerals to the nearest ten, hundred, thousand and beyond. We are beginning to round money to the nearest dollar. You can quiz your little RR at anytime and anywhere.

We are fast becoming masters of the ancient art of cursive. Make sure your RR is always forming their letters correctly. We encourage them to always do their best and learn from their mistakes.

Remember that we are ice skating Feb. 9th and Feb. 16th. Sack lunches with no warm ups on these days are very helpful to your student. Having a lunch with all disposable items gives them more room in their backpacks for storing coats and shoes at the ice skating rink and it is one less item to be left behind.

Remember that the school will be closed Feb. 15th for Presidents Day.

The Science Fair is March 10th, 2010.The science boards should be brought to school by Mar. 5th...that means there are only 25 days left for your RR to complete their Amazing Science Experiments.

Finally, we have begun Winter assessments. Make sure your RR is physically prepared for the assessments by making sure they are getting plenty of rest and have a balanced breakfast. Thank you for always supporting your RR and their teachers.

The Roadrunners kicked off the New Year with practice for our annual Science Fair! Our first classroom experiment was "Sink or Float." The students tested to see if a ball of clay would sink or float. They tested different shapes of clay to figure out the best way to make it successfully float. Then each team added pennies to their creation to see how many it could hold before sinking. We learned some new terms such as density, mass, and buoyancy. We had a great time experimenting!

We discovered clay in a large ball sunk,

...so we decided to test different shapes.

Flattening and molding the clay into a boat like shape floats!

One boat held 33 pennies!