Let's Learn From Home

Let’s Learn From Home!

Accessing the CPS Portal and Google Drive

• Go to http://www.cpsk12.org and go to the CPS Staff & Student Portal Login.

• The student's username is 30 followed by their initials and then a number.  (example: 30ksr08).  If students are unsure, just ask them for their 30 number or what they use as their computer login.  Their password is CPS followed by their lunch number (example: CPS180085).

• If they want to access Google drive, their username is their username followed by @stu.cpsk12.org and their password is the same as their password for the portal.  

• Students are encouraged to read each day whether in a book, magazine or online.

• Students can access books through Epic through the RBE Website (http://www.cpsk12.org/rbe) in the Media Center section.  

• Moss class code is naj3036.  

• You can sign up to receive the first month of Epic at home for free by clicking on your student’s name (after entering the class code) and then clicking “I’m a grown up” to sign up.  Using this method will require you to provide a credit card, but if you email us, we can go through the teacher login and send a link to you to get the free subscription without the credit card needed.  

• There are also online reading options through the CPS Portal through Capstone and also through McGraw-Hill (Wonders).  

• Parents may set up a free (until the end of the school year) account at Reading A-Z.  This has leveled resources students can use.

• After students have read, they can write one sentence about what they read each day.  It can be a connection, summary, something that stood out, tell about the characters, setting, problem, solution or anything else about what they read. 

• They can type their responses in Google Drive or can write them down using this paper.  

• Students can access ST Math and Everyday Math games through the Portal.

• Students can practice geometry vocab cards.

• Students can complete the packet of pages from their math journal.  They were sent home and can be found here.

• Here is a number grid if students want to use it.

• Students are encouraged to write each day.  

• They can write a fiction story or a nonfiction piece of writing.

• They can write as many stories as they would like.  They can use the Fundations paper provided or found here or they can type their stories on Google Drive.

• Many nursing homes have been closed to visitors to help with the safety and health of the patients.  Students could write letters or cards and send them to local nursing homes to bring a smile to someone’s face.  

• https://mysteryscience.com/school-closure-planning

• Mystery Science has mini-lessons with activities and videos the students can watch.  

• In the packet that is coming home, there are the pages needed to complete the activities.  They are also linked here.

• Scholastic has resources here for both science and social studies activities (www.scholastic.com/learnathome)

• Here are a few STEM activities your family can do!

• Students can access PebbleGo through the Portal.  They can choose any topic under Social Studies.  

• To access PebbleGo, students need to go to the Portal, click on Electronic Library, then Electronic Library within the folder, this will take you to a link with Elementary resources (might need to click on the left side) and PebbleGo is available here.  

• They can read/listen to the information about their topic.  Then use the information they learned to create a Google Slides presentation.  

• They need to remember to put the information in their own words.  They can add pictures if they would like.

• Students can complete as many Google Slide presentations as they would like.

• Students can practice spelling words using the spelling patterns we have learned in Units 9, 10, 11 and 12.  

• You can use the packet provided or the pages here and have students practice spelling the words.  If there are spelling options, they can use the spelling options section of their Monster book which was sent home or is found here.

• You can use the review words, current words and sentences.

• Disney Imagineering in a Box

• National Geographic Victoria Falls

• Learn about animals at the San Diego Zoo

• Learn about the different parts of Yellowstone

• Explore different types of farms

• Travel all the way to Paris and tour The Louvre

• Travel to China to see the Great Wall of China

• Explore all 3 floors of the Boston Children’s Museum

• Some fun STEM activities

• Fun activities with Mo Willems

• Fun science activities and videos

• Books read aloud by celebrities

• Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture Weekly Contest

• Your child can enter a contest for an opportunity to win $100!

• This week’s theme: Veggies on your Plate.

• Their entry can be a poem, video, photograph, or drawing/painting

• Check out their website for more information: https://columbiaurbanag.org/

•  Book Creator is allowing students to make 40 free books!

• We use this app earlier this school year to make an eBook.

•  KidsDiscover Online

• Mrs. McKinzie has created a RBE READS Facebook group.

• All you have to do is find the group (RBE READS) and click join.

• Here are different brain break activities

o    

• Mrs. Ross: kross@cpsk12.org

• Ms. Mottaz: elmottaz@cpsk12.org

Reading

Math

Writing

Science

Social Studies

Fundations

Other Fun Online Activities

Any projects they do using Google Drive can be shared with their teacher using the blue Share button and then enter our email address.  

Happy Friday!

Happy Friday!

Wow!  What a wonderful week of celebrating reading and our love of books.  We capped off the wonderful week with Reading with the Stars today.  You will have to ask your student which stars read to us today.

Friday folders will not come home next Friday due to Spring Break.

If your student will not be here any days next week due to traveling, please let us know.

Important Upcoming Events

• March 20: Bob Shea Author Visit-Rescheduled for May 21
• Book orders are due March 19.  
• Here is the link to the order form.
• March 23-27: Spring Break (No School)
• April 16: Library Field Trip
• We are gone from school from 8:00-10:00 a.m.
• May 7: Art Field Trip
• Ms. Clark has planned a fun field trip to go see different pieces of art downtown as well as a tour of the Art and Archaeology Museum.
• May 15: Runge Field Trip
• We love for parents to attend this field trip.  If you would like to attend, please use the link below to fill out the volunteer application and the background check.  These MUST be filled out if you plan to attend the field trip.  The background check is paid for by the district, so there is no cost to you.
• https://www.cpsk12.org/volunteer 
• Please let us know if you plan to attend.  

CPS Portal

• Students are able to access different resources online through the CPS Portal.  They can access this portal through the CPS website.  They will use the CPS Staff and Student Portal.
• The student's username is 30 followed by their initials and then a number.  (example: 30ksr08).  If students are unsure, just ask them for their 30 number or what they use as their computer login.  Their password is CPS followed by their lunch number (example: CPS180085).  If they want to access Google drive, their username is their username followed by @stu.cpsk12.org and their password is the same as their password for the portal.  
• They can access the reading and math curriculum which includes games and reading activities.  They can also access ST Math as well as other as online reading options.  
• They can also access different reading and game options through the Symbaloo which is accessed by going to the RBE Website, clicking Media Center and scrolling down.  All of the pictures are live links.  
• On the Symbaloo is Epic which is online reading and our class code is Naj3036.

Learning for the Next Two Weeks

• Reading
• We will be learning about expository pieces of writing.  This unit has nonfiction pieces about different things that change the Earth's surface.  We will learn more about erosion and also about volcanoes.  We will discuss how the different text features the author includes helps us as readers.
• Writing
• After Spring Break, we will be starting our next writing piece.  Students will be writing letters to form a story.  They will be writing to a "friend" who doesn't live in Columbia and they will use the letters to teach about the two different places.  They can use a place they have visited or a place we learned about when read our Swift Walker books.  
• Math
• We will be starting Unit 8 next week.  This unit covers geometry.  There is a lot of vocabulary in this unit.  The vocabulary terms are listed below.  We will introduce some next week and some after Spring Break.  These would be good terms to practice as we are learning them.


• Vocabulary Terms: angle, apex, array, attribute, column, row, cube, equal groups, face, parallel, partition, polygon, quadrilateral, right angle, side, vertex


• Fundations
• We will continue working through Unit 11 next week and test over this unit.  This unit is over the 6 ways to make the long e sound.  These are ee, ea, ey, e-e, e and y.  We have been practicing using our monster book to find the correct spelling of the words when there are multiple spelling options.  Our trick words are whose, son, won.  The students are struggling a bit determining when to use whose and who's, so if they practice at home, please help them remember the meaning of the words.  
• We will start Unit 12 after Spring Break.  This unit covers the /oi/ sound which is made with the spelling patterns of oi and oy.  The trick words for this unit are favorite, early, their, write, and ocean.  
• Science
• We will continue learning about where water is located on Earth.  We will start to learn how water travels down hills and mountains and the current of a river.  We have different activities for the students to do to actually see how the water moves down the mountains.

Have a fabulous weekend!

Happy Friday!

Happy Friday!

We are so excited about the warmer weather!!!  The kids are really enjoying recess not completely bundled up.  Please do continue to check the forecast and send in a winter coat when needed.  It rarely has reached the high temperature for the day by 9:35 a.m. when we go outside for recess.

We have had a wonderful week enjoying books with Mystery Readers.  It is so fun to see what books our readers choose to read.  We have found some books that we want to add to our library here at school.  We still have a few spots still open for Mystery Readers next week if you would like to come read. 

• https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0c45aca62ca2fb6-read1

Important Upcoming Events

• Read Week: March 9-13

• Monday, March 9: Crazy Sock Day with New Socks
• Tuesday, March 10: Pajama Day with Dinosaur vs. Bedtime
• Thursday, March 12: Favorite Book Character Day (dress as your favorite book character) with What's Your Favorite, Favorite?
• Friday, March 13: Rainbow Day (wear lots of colors or dress all in one color) with Unicorn Thinks He's Pretty Great
• No School: March 11
• Bob Shea Book Orders Due: March 19
• The order form is in the Friday Folder.
• Here is a link to the form.
• Bob Shea Author Visit: March 20
• Spring Break: March 23-March 27
• Library Field Trip: April 16
• Art Field Trip: May 7 
• Runge Field Trip: May 15

Math Test

• Your student's Unit 6 Math Test is in their Friday folder.  We reviewed some of the things on the tests that the students missed and then students had the opportunity to make corrections.  Their corrections are made in colored pencil.  You do not need to sign and return this test.

Next Week's Learning

*With our Mystery Readers, our schedule is off, so we are fitting things in between readers, so we may not get to everything listed below.*

Math

• Our goal is to wrap up Unit 7 next week and hopefully fit in the test.  This test covers measurement, line plots and adding multiple numbers.  
• Unit 8 will be over geometry.  We will be learning about 2-D and 3-D shapes.

Reading

• We will be enjoying and discussing the books read by our Mystery Readers.
• The students have been making some great connections between books that are being read and books they have read.  
• We will also be comparing expository writing to realistic fiction writing.  

Writing

• Students will be writing an opinion about their favorite book read to them by a mystery reader.
• They will have to support their opinion with specific details from the book.

Science/Social Studies

• We will continue to discuss where salt water and fresh water are located throughout the world. 

Fundations

• We wrapped up Unit 10 today in Fundations.  This test will come home next week.
• We will start Unit 11 next week.  This unit covers the vowel teams that make the long e sound.  These are ee, ea and ey.  
• Our trick words are whose, won and son.

Have a fabulous weekend!

Kate and Elizabeth

Happy Thursday!

Happy Thursday!

We had a wonderful week!  We love getting the opportunity to sit down with families and discuss the progress the students are making.  Thank you for coming in to meet with us!

Banner

• Thank you to everyone who turned in their student's banner at conferences. Our goal is to have them all by March 6.  If you need another copy, here is the link.
• This is a surprise, we like to hang them up when the students aren't in the room and have them come back and see them all hanging up.   

Read Week

• Read Week is March 9-13.  We always love sharing books with our students and Read Week is just a week to celebrate reading.  
• We love having Mystery Readers come in to read and due to our class size, we expand that over 2 weeks.  Below is the link if you or a family member or family friend would like to sign up to read.  
• https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0c45aca62ca2fb6-read1
• Below are the dress up days if your student would like to participate.  These are for March 9-13.  Our theme for Read Week is Bob Shea books as he will be coming to RBE on March 20.
• Monday, March 9: Crazy Sock Day with New Socks
• Tuesday, March 10: Pajama Day with Dinosaur vs. Bedtime
• Thursday, March 12: Favorite Book Character Day (dress as your favorite book character) with What's Your Favorite, Favorite?
• Friday, March 13: Rainbow Day (wear lots of colors or dress all in one color) with Unicorn Thinks He's Pretty Great

Important Upcoming Events

• No School: Friday, February 28 (Parent Teacher Conferences)
• Pizza Party: Friday, March 6
• Students will each get 2 slices of cheese pizza, a healthy side, chips and a dessert.
• They may bring in a drink to have with their pizza if they would like.  Please no glass containers and no larger than 20 ounces. 
• No School: March 11 (Teacher Work Day)
• Spring Break: March 23-27

Next Week's Learning
Math

• We will be working on measurement next week in math.  We will be learning about meters and then working to identify the best unit and tool for measurement.
• We will also be comparing feet and yards and inches and centimeters and working to explain why there are more feet than yards in the same distance and more centimeters than inches in the same distance.

Reading

• Next week, we will continue to work on realistic fiction.  We will be comparing texts and continue to answer our essential question of "how are kids around the world different?".
• We will also be celebrating a lot of reading with mystery readers.  The link is above if you haven't signed up and would like to. 

Science/Social Studies

• We will be locating various bodies of water in Missouri and labeling them on a map.

Fundations

• Next week, we will continue working on the -ai and -ay spelling patterns and focusing on using these spelling patterns in multi-syllabic words
• Our trick words are America, thought, school, because, about.

Writing

• Our next writing piece is a realistic fiction story.  Students will model their writing off the stories we have been reading in class.  They will choose 2 different places for their characters to live and they will write a story showing the differences and similarities between these two places.  
• We will be working on making a story that could realistically happen, but didn't actually happen.  We will also be working on adding good details, transition words and a lead.  

Have a fabulous weekend!

Happy Friday!

Happy Friday!

Wow!  A week without snow days!  It was so nice to get back in the routine of school.  We played catch up almost all week, but I think we are pretty much caught up.  YEAH!!!

Progress reports are in your student's Friday folder.  We have enjoyed meeting with families this week and look forward to meeting with the rest of our families next week.  Don't forget to work on the banners for your student. 

Important Upcoming Events

• Special Friends and Family Day: February 24 from 1:35 p.m.-2:25 p.m.
• Please let us know if your child is going home a different way on Monday.
• Book Fair: February 24-28
• We will be creating wish lists on Monday.
• February 24: 7:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
• February 25: 7:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
• February 26: 7:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
• February 27: 7:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m.
• February 28: 8:00 a.m.-10:00 a.m.
• Yearbook Orders due: February 27
• No School: February 28 (Parent Teacher Conferences)
• 2nd Trimester Pizza Party: March 6
• Each student will get 2 slices of pizza, a healthy side and dessert.  Students may bring in a drink if they would like.  Please no larger than 20 ounces and no glass bottles.  We will have cups for water if students choose not to bring a drink.
• Read Week: March 9-13
• If you would like to be a mystery reader, you can use the link below to sign up to read.
• https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0c45aca62ca2fb6-read1

Our Learning Next Week
Reading

• We will continue our study of realistic fiction.  The story we will read next week is written as a letter from a cousin living in Mexico to a cousin living in America.  The students will have an opportunity to learn some Spanish words as we read.

Fundations

• We took the test over Unit 9 today which covers r-controlled vowels.  This test will come home next week.  We will start until 10 on Monday.  This unit covers the long a spelling patterns of -ai and -ay.
• Our trick words are America, country, thought, great and away.

Math

• We will be working on adding multiple numbers together.  Today they learned a game called Basketball addition where they added 5 2-digit numbers together to find out the basketball "score."  We were very impressed with the strategies they used.
• We will also start learning about different units of measure.  We will also discuss the importance of standard units.  We will introduce yards next week.  

Social Studies/Science

• We will be labeling the 5 main oceans on our maps on Monday.  Then we will move into how water moves and travels.  
• We will be doing an experiment in the next few weeks that shows how water travels down mountains and can freeze in the cracks of the mountain.

Have a fabulous weekend!

Happy Friday!

Happy Friday!

We hope you have worked hard this week even though the snow kept us home part of the week.

A letter that can be written and a meeting you can attend.  :)

• If your 2nd grader (or any other children) have had Mrs. Reynolds as a teacher, we are asking you to write a letter in support of her for the CFAE (Columbia Fund for Academic Excellence) Teacher of the Year Award.  These letters can be dropped off at the office or emailed to Shawna (sschulte@cpsk12.org) in the office by February 20.  
• We are trying to expand our parking lot at RBE.  If you've ever been at RBE for an event during the day, you know we are limited.  The City Council appointed members to the Board of Adjustment and these 5 members will vote to determine if we can expand our parking lot.  The meeting is Tuesday, February 11 at 7:00 p.m. in the City Chambers.  You can attend the meeting if you would like.  We need 4 out of 5 members of the board to vote in favor for us to get approval.  
• If you plan to attend, please use the Sign Up Genius here to let us know.

Map the Love

• We have received some Valentines already and are excited to get some more.  We received one today from Germany.  YEAH!!!  If you want to have family/friends/etc. send in Valentines for our Map the Love, the address is below.
• We still haven't told the kids yet, so help us keep our secret.  :)  We will get a world map and find all the spots our Valentines came from.

Rock Bridge Elementary
Attn: Team Moss
5151 S. Hwy. 163
Columbia, MO 65203

K Kids Central Missouri Humane Society Fundraiser

• K Kids is doing a fundraiser with dress up days next week.  Each day students choose to participate, they pay 25 cents.  
• Monday: Wear funny socks
• Tuesday: Wear your favorite sports team apparel
• Wednesday: Wear animal print or images of animals and cat ears
• Thursday: Wear Valentine's Day colors and hearts

Important Upcoming Events

• Valentine's Party: February 13 at 1:45 p.m.
• We will pass out Valentines before the party.  Please only fill in the "from" section on the valentine as it makes passing out the valentines faster.  They can bring in valentines for their class (Mottaz: 23; Ross: 22) or the entire class (45).
• Students can make a box at home or we will have bags to decorate at school during morning work.
• Here is the link for Sign Up Genius for the party.
• No School: February 14 (Teacher Work Day) and February 17 (President's Day)
• Parent Teacher Conferences: Week of February 17 and 24
• Email was sent home on Wednesday with times.  Please confirm your time if you haven't already done so.
• Book Fair: February 24-28
• Special Friends and Family Day: February 24
• Special friends and family can join us for specials (1:35-2:25).
• The book fair is also open during this time if they would like to do some shopping before or after they attend specials with the students.
• If your student will be going home with a special friend or family, please make sure to let us know.  
• Read Week: March 9-13
• If you would like to sign up or have a family friend/family member sign up to read, you can do so here.
• Runge Field Trip: May 15
• Just giving you this date to put on the calendar in case you want to join us for this field trip.
• If you are planning to join us for this field trip, please visit the CPS volunteer website (Here is the link) and fill out the volunteer application as well as the background check application.  These are required for anyone who attends this field trip.  You do not have to pay for the background check as it is paid for by the district. It is required to fill out a background check each school year, so even if you filled one out last year, it is required again this year.  
• If you plan to attend this field trip, please let us know so we can let the office know to be on the look out for your name on passed background checks.  

Next Week's Learning (similar to last week due to missing 2 days of school to snow)
Reading

• We plan to start Unit 4 on Monday.  This unit is about realistic fiction.  Students will learn the characteristics of realistic fiction and then read various realistic fiction pieces. 
• This ties in nicely with our Historical Fiction timeline.  Even though they aren't the same genre, they are similar and we can discuss the similarities and differences of the two genre types.  
• We are sending home the Unit 3 Reading/Writing Companion today.  There is quite a bit blank due to snow days, we did more discussion than writing in the companion.

Writing

• We will be electronically publishing our personal narratives using Google Slides.
• Our goal was to have this finished by conferences and we will try, but no promises.  

Social Studies

• We will continue to travel around the world with Swift Walker.  Next week, we will visit North and South America, Australia and Antarctica.  The students are learning about important places in each continent and also locating the continents on a map.

Fundations

• We plan to wrap up Unit 9 next week.  This unit covers ur/ir/er words.  Since all these spelling patterns make the same sound, students have been learning to use the "spelling options" section of their Monster book which is similar to a dictionary to find the correct spelling.

Math

• Our original plan was to test over Unit 6 before Valentine's Day, but due to snow days, this will be pushed back.  We will continue to work on word problems, as well as different strategies to solve 2- and 3-digit addition problems.
• Students will learn to use base-10 blocks as well as expanded form to solve 2- and 3-digit addition.  We will teach the traditional algorithm for 2- and 3-digit addition, but not all students are ready to solve problems this way, so we offer other strategies as well.

Have a fabulous weekend!

Happy Friday!

Happy Friday!

We hope you have had a wonderful week!  It has been so fun seeing all the Chiefs spirit!  Here's hoping for a win this weekend!

Yearbook order forms are in your student's Friday folder.  They are due February 27.

Map the Love

• We have received some Valentines already and are excited to get some more.  If you want to have family/friends/etc. send in Valentines for our Map the Love, the address is below.
• We still haven't told the kids yet, so help us keep our secret.  :)  We will get a world map and find all the spots our Valentines came from.

Rock Bridge Elementary
Attn: Team Moss
5151 S. Hwy. 163
Columbia, MO 65203

Important Upcoming Events

• 100th Day of School: February 3
• The 100th Day of School is Monday! 
• Students may bring a special snack of 100 items (just for themselves).  It can even be a junk food snack.  
• If they want to wear a fun 100th Day of School outfit, they can.
• We have fun 100th Day of School activities planned for the afternoon.
• Valentine's Party: February 13
• We will pass out valentines before the party.  If your child wants to bring in valentines, they can bring in for all of Team Moss (45 students) or just for their homeroom class (Mottaz: 23; Ross: 22).  Please only fill out the "from" section as this makes it easier to pass out.  Students may create a valentine box at home or we will have paper bags to decorate during morning work.
• Here is the Sign Up Genius for the Valentine Party.
• No School: February 14 (Teacher Work Day) and February 17 (President's Day)
• Parent Teacher Conferences:  Week of February 17 and February 24
• Conference times will be send home next Thursday.  
• Book Fair: February 24-28
• Special Friends and Family Day: February 24
• March 9-13: Read Week
• If you would like to sign up to be a mystery reader, here is the Sign Up Genius.

Next Week's Learning
Reading

• We will be using our reading time next week to research musical instruments.  Students chose their musical instrument today.
• After they have researched the instrument, they will write a paragraph about it and make a 2-D version of their instrument.

Writing

• Students will be writing an expository piece about the instrument they researched.
• We will also start on our Google Slide project of our personal narrative story.  Our goal is to have these finished in just a few days so we can share them at conferences.

Math

• We will continue in unit 6 next week.  We will be learning about ballpark estimates and then learning to use partial sums to add 2- and 3-digit numbers.
• Our goal is to take the Unit 6 test before Valentine's Day.

Fundations

• We are continuing to work on -ur, -ir, -er words.  They have been using their spelling options section of their Monster Book to identify the correct spelling.
• We will start working on 2 syllable words that have ir/ur/er.
• Our trick words picture, learn and Earth.  The other 2 words are trick words the students felt they needed to practice based on previous tests.

Social Studies

• We started learning about geography.  We are reading a book about a character named Swift Walker who walks around the world.  We are using this book to learn the 7 continents and special places in each continent.
• They are also color coding a map of the world with each continent.

Have a fabulous weekend and GO CHIEFS!

Happy Snowy Saturday!

Happy Friday!

Wow!  Winter definitely didn't want us to forget about it, did it?

Friday Folders (which will come home on Monday)
*There are electronic copies of some of the papers included in the Friday folders, if you want to print them off, fill them out and send them in on Monday, that is fine, if not, there are paper copies in the Friday folder.*

• Unit 5 Math Test
• Please look over the math test with your student, then sign and return it in the Friday Folder.
• Conference Time Request Form: Due Thursday, January 30
• Please choose the top 3 times that work for you and your family.  
• We do our best to accommodate a time that works for everyone.
• We look forward to meeting with everyone.
• Here is the form.
• Chat and Chew
• Chat and Chew is a group that meets during lunch on set days to discuss a book they are reading.  
• Parents can sign up to lead groups if it works in their schedule and they would like to.
• You can order the books (it's on the form) or if you already have the books, you can use them.
• Forms are due January 31 and no late forms are accepted due to planning and scheduling or meetings and groups.
• Here is the form.
• Book Order Forms
• The students saw the book orders on Ms. Mottaz's desk and got really excited about them, so they are coming home this week.
• You can order online and our class code is RZ6KY.
• Orders are due by February 7. 
• Just a reminder, this is completely optional.
• Also, the Spring Book Fair is at the end of the month and some of the books may be available then as well, so you can wait o shop at the book fair also if you would like.  

Map the Love

• As a fun activity/surprise for the students, we are trying to get Valentines from different places across the US and the world and map where the love comes from.  We have posted out Twitter and reached out to contacts that we have across the country and the world.  If you have family/friends across the US or the world that would like to send us a Valentine, we would love that!  Our address is:

Rock Bridge Elementary
Attn: Team Moss
5151 S. Hwy 163
Columbia, MO 65203

Important Upcoming Events

• Wednesday, January 29: Early Dismiss at 12:10 p.m.
• Please let us know if your child is going home a different way than normal.
• Thursday, January 30: Conference Time Request Forms Due
• Here is the form.
• Friday, January 31: Chat and Chew Forms Due
• Friday, January 31: 100th Day of School
• Thursday, February 13: Valentine's Party at 1:45 p.m.
• We will pass out Valentines before the party.
• Students can choose to pass out to just their homeroom class (Ross (currently 22 students) or Mottaz (currently 23 students)) or to all of Team Moss (currently 45 students)
• We recommend students just write the "From" portion of the Valentine as it makes it easier to pass out when there aren't specific names on each.  
• Friday, February 14 and Monday, February 17: No School (Teacher Work Day and President's Day)
• Tuesday, February 18-Thursday, February 23: Team Moss Conferences
• Monday, February 24: Special Friends and Family Day
• Special Friends and Family will attend specials with the students.
• Our specials start at 1:35 p.m.  If the special family/friend is planning to do some shopping at the Book Fair, they may pull their students a few minutes early to shop.
• Monday, February 24-Friday, February 28: Book Fair
• Specific hours will come closer to the Book Fair.  Students will be creating wish lists so parents/guardians/Book Fairies will know which books the students are excited to read.  
• March 9-March 13: Read Week
• If you would like to sign up to be a mystery reader or if a family member/family friend would like to sign up, here is the link.  The kids love when grandparents or older siblings come in to read.  Of course, they love to see their parents also.  
• https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0c45aca62ca2fb6-read1

Next Week's Learning
Reading

• We will start our week long study of expository text next week.  
• Students will be learning about how people express themselves through music and will be using evidence from the text to support their answers about the stories we read.

Writing

• Almost everyone finished publishing this week!
• In the next week or so, we will start to digitally publish these as well.  The goal (time allowing) is to have them digitally published by conferences so we can share them with you then.

Math

• We are starting Unit 6.  This unit covers bar graphs, estimation and word problems.
• Next week, we will focus mainly on types of word problems and how to solve them.  Some of the word problems have multiple steps, while others present the information in different ways and the students will be learning how to determine which information is needed and what to do with it.  

Science

• Next week, we will move onto weathering and erosion and how it changes the Earth.

Fundations

• Trick words for this unit are picture, learn and Earth.  For the additional 2 trick words, students will be looking at their unit 8 test to see what words they still need to practice.  
• This unit covers -ir, -er and -ur.  All of these spelling patterns make the /er/ sound so we are teaching students about the spelling options section of their Monster book which is similar to a dictionary.

Have a fabulous weekend and stay warm and dry!

Happy Friday!

Happy Tuesday!

We hope you have had a wonderful week and extended weekend!  We have been working hard getting back into routines.

Please review school expectations with your students at home also.  Some of them are struggling with following expectations since break.

Important Upcoming Events

• Early Release at 12:10 p.m.: Wednesday, January 29
• Valentine's Party at 1:45 p.m.: Thursday, February 13
• No School: Friday, February 14 (Teacher Workday) and Monday, February 17 (President's Day)
• Special Friend's and Family Day: Monday, February 24
• Book Fair: Monday, February 24-Friday, February 28
• Read Week: March 9-13 (Mystery Readers invited March 2-12)
• We invite parents, guardians, grandparents, family members, family friends, etc. to come to be mystery readers in the classroom.  You can bring your own book or we can provide one and if you would like to bring a snack to go with your book, you can do that also.
• The Sign Up Genius is below if you would like to be a Mystery Reader.  Please indicate if you need a book and also if you plan to bring a snack.
• https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0c45aca62ca2fb6-read1
• We look forward to celebrating reading with our students!

Next Week's Learning
Math

• We will wrap up Unit 5 with our test next week and move into Unit 6.  
• Unit 6 has additional practice with word problems.  The students will learn additional strategies to use to solve the word problems.  Please continue to practice facts at home.  This makes the word problems easier for the students when they know their facts "in a snap".

Reading

• This week, we have been wrapping up our fiction genre study.  
• Next week, we will have a week long study of expository text.  The students will be looking at different expository pieces of text and determining what they have in common and what is different about each of them.

Writing

• We finished revising our writing this week.  We talked about how all writers go back and edit and revise their writing to make it better.  Next week, we will publish their writing.  We are going to publish it into a book and then digitally as well.

Science

• The students are becoming experts about why it is colder in certain parts of the world than others and also why water is liquid or solid at different parts of the world.
• Next week, we will do an experiment to see how water that is moving takes longer to freeze than water that is still.

Fundations

• We will wrap up Unit 8 next week which covers ar/or.  
• We will then move onto Unit 9.  Unit 9 covers ir/er/ur which all make the same sound.  We will be doing a lot of practice since it can be hard to determine which r-controlled vowel to use.  

Have a fabulous week!

Happy Friday!

Happy Friday!

We hope you have had a wonderful first full week of 2020!  It was so great to see the kids again and hear about what they did over break and also what they are excited about for the second half of the school year.

Friday Folders

• Math Unit 5 HomeLinks
• We are about half way through Unit 5 so we are sending home the HomeLinks.  As a reminder, these are not required.  We send them home as additional practice if you are interested in using them at home.  They can be used for Homework Bingo activities. 
• Fundations Unit 8 Family Letter
• We will be starting Unit 8 in Fundations next week.  This unit is about r-controlled syllables.  The letter explains the unit and has some optional activities if you would like to practice at home.  These also can be used for Homework Bingo activities.
• Freddy's Fundraiser Paper
• Freddy's RBE Eat Out Fundraiser is next Wednesday, January 15.  If you present the flyer, 15% of your purchase comes back to RBE. 
• 
  

Important Upcoming Events

• Tuesday, January 14: Ross students Pledge of Allegiance airs on KOMU at 6:57 a.m.
• Tuesday, January 14: PTA Meeting at 6:00 p.m. in Media Center
• Wednesday, January 15: RBE Eat Out at Freddy's
• From 11:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m at the South Providence location of Freddy's
• 15% of sales come back to RBE
• It's a great excuse to not cook lunch or dinner or get a yummy ice cream treat after school.
• Thursday, January 16: Mottaz students Pledge of Allegiance airs on KOMU at 6:57 a.m.
• Monday, January 20: No School (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day)
• Friday, January 24: RBE Spirit Day (Decades Day)
• Wednesday, January 29: Early Dismiss at 12:10 p.m.
• If your student is going home a different way, please let us know.

Next Week's Learning
Reading

• We started our genre study over fiction this week.  The students reviewed the characteristics of a fiction story.  They have made up characters, events and settings (even though they could actually happen, but they didn't), they have a beginning, middle and end, and is either told by a character or a narrator.
• Next week, we will finish our fiction genre study.  The students will be comparing and contrasting different fiction pieces.  The students will be using text evidence to support questions about the stories also.

Writing

• This week, we wrote our personal narrative stories about a time they helped someone.  We worked hard on creating three separate events instead of writing the entire story on one page.  The students also worked on included a variety of transition words and descriptive details.
• Next week, we will edit and revise our writing and then publish it.  We are looking for a fun way to publish it with technology also.

Math

• This week, we focused on counting money and making change.  The students are doing very well with coin identification.  A fun way to practice money at home is to give them an amount of money (27 cents for example) and see how many coin combinations they could come up with to make that amount (for example 1 quarters, 2 pennies or 2 dimes and 7 pennies or 5 nickels and 2 pennies or 27 pennies).  
• We will continue working our way through Unit 5 next week.  We will be focusing on different strategies to use to solve word problems.  We teach the students a variety of strategies so they can choose the one that works best for them.

Science

• This week, we learned about why different parts of the Earth are colder or warmer than others.  We revisited an activity we did before break where students represented how the sun shines more on different parts of the Earth and then discussed how this would affect temperatures.
• We also started to discuss and learn about where water is solid or liquid on Earth.
• Be sure to ask your students why it is colder in Antarctica than it is in the Arctic.

Fundations

• This week we wrapped up Unit 7 in Fundations.  This unit was about open syllables and how they create a long vowel sound.  We also learned how y can make a long e and long i sound depending on how many syllables are in the word.
• Next week, we will start Unit 8.  This unit is about r-controlled syllables.  We will learn about /ar/ and /or/ and practice spelling words that have these spelling patterns.
• Our trick words next week are world, answer, different.

Have a fabulous weekend!

Kate and Elizabeth