Taos Charter School 4th Grade Class

-Reading: Read an "on-level" chapter book over break. Bring it in with you on the Monday we return so you can write a Book Review. -Math: If you still haven't yet made it into the prestigious One-Minute Club, then keep practicing your x and / facts using flashcards, websites, and worksheets. -Reminder: 4th graders ski and sbowboard for free at Sipapu. Just bring a copy of your 1st mp progress report for verification. -Have a fun, safe winter break! Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, and Happy New Year!

-History: Biography reports due for kids who needed the one day extension. -Spelling: Study for the quiz. -Math: SL 5-1 -Secret Santa gift exchange is Friday! -K-5th caroling is at 2:15 in the courtyard. Parents are invited.

-History: Finish up writing the final draft of your report. Focus on the writing itself tonight. I want to see five solid, well-written, edited, neatly written paragraphs. You'll have time Wednesday night to do the fun stuff like the cover page, images, and bibliography so don't worry about those things tonight. -Math: The Unit 4 test on decimal concepts is on Wednesday. Review your SRB if you need it. -Spelling: You'll have time in school on Wednesday to finish up your written spelling work. -Taos Feeds Taos: Donation boxes went out for distribution today. Altogether, TCS classes contributed almost 450 pounds of food! Thanks for helping.

-Math: Review decimal concepts to the thousandths and metric length conversions (mm to cm, cm to m, m to km, and vice versa) for the Unit 4 test on Wednesday. -History: Revise and edit your RD of the Biography Report. Add more information if you need to.

1. guerilla 2. timeline 3. victory 4. treaty 5. indent 6. adjective 7. Winter Solstice 8. revolve 9. rotate 10. axis 11. Prospero Año Nuevo! (Happy New Year!) 12. regalos (gifts) 13. It is better to give than it is to receive.

/oi/=oi in I. and M., oy in F. oil coin join moist point soil spoil ten/der/loin clois/ter boy joy soy an/noy en/joy em/ploy

-History: Your rough draft (5 paragraphs) of the Revolutionary Biography Report is due Monday. -Math: Practice x and / facts for Test #21 on Monday. -Secret Santa: Students who chose to participate in the class Secret Santa gift exchange drew the name of the person they're buying for. There's a $10 limit on the gift. The exchange will be on Friday, December 18. -Ski Gear for 1st Timers: We have a number of kids participating in Ski Club this year who have not skied before. If you have any extra used kids' ski gear or clothing (such as gloves, hats, goggles, helmets, neck gaiters, ski pants), please send those in to school and we'll match them up with students who need them. -Taos Feeds Taos: Monday is the very last day to bring in non-perishable food items to donate for this community effort. Please give if you can.

-History: Outlines are due. -Spelling: Study for the quiz. -Math: SL 4-9 and 4-10 (p. 87 and 89) -Cold weather gear: TCS has never been a "stay inside all day" type of school. Students in all grades typically spend time outside at least 4 times each day, even in the winter. Parents, please make sure that your child wears a warm coat, warm boots, gloves or mittens, and a warm hat each day during the winter months. It was zero degrees this morning and we had a number of students show up to school not wearing jackets, hats, or gloves. Also, if you have any used cold weather kids' clothes to donate, please send them into school, and we'll give them out to students who are in need of that clothing. -Basketball: Practice today from 3:30-4:30 at the Ranchos School gym. Game at 5:30 at Taos Christian Academy.

- History : Finish up reading and taking notes for your Revolutionary Biography. Start working on the outline for your report. Use the format I gave you today to help get started. Outlines are due on Friday . Remember in the outline, you do NOT need to write in full-sentence form. It's just a plan for how you will organize all the information you've collected. - Basketbal l: Game #2 is today at 4:40 pm at the Taos Christian Academy. Players should be at the gym by 4:15.

-Enjoy the Precipitation Hiatus! -For Wednesday: History - research, read, and take notes for your Revolutionary Biography. -H1N1 vaccine consent forms due Wed.

-History: Research, read, and take notes for your Revolutionary Biography project. -The 4th grade basketball game is this evening at 7:45 pm at the Taos Christian Academy gym on Witt Road (near the Angladas Building). Players should be there by 7:15. -H1N1 vaccine consent forms are due on Tuesday.

1. monarchy 2. democracy 3. outline 4. rough draft 5. paragraph 6. topic sentence 7. supporting details 8. conclusion 9. edit 10. revise 11. bibliography 12. biblioteca (library) 13. tarea (homework) 14. Don’t count your chickens before they hatch.

/er/=or after w word work world worm worse worst worth wor/ship wor/ry wor/sen

- Math : Practice x and / facts for Test #19 on Monday. - History : Research, read, and take notes for your Revolutionary Biography report. Ask your parents to take you to the Taos Library if you need more books or sources of information. You need to use at least 2 books, an encyclopedia article, and a reliable internet source (see the links). - H1N1 vaccines will be given at school on Monday, December 14th. Parents, if you want your child to receive this free immunization, you need to fill out a parental consent form that went home with (some) students today. These need to be returned to school by Tuesday, December 8th. If your child did not bring this form home today, they'll have them on Monday. Parents who do not wish to have their children get the vaccine can either decline it on the consent form, or simply not send it back to school. Students who do not have a signed consent form will not receive the vaccine. -Have a great weekend!

-Math: SL 4-8 (p. 85). Practice the x and / facts for Test #18. -Spelling: Study for the quiz. -History: Research, read, and take notes for your Revolutionary Biography Report. -Ski Club: Paperwork and payment due Friday .

-Math: SL 4-7 (p. 83) -Spelling: Written work due. Study for the practice quiz. -History: Book review for The Secret Soldier due Thursday if you didn't already hand it in. Also, you need to choose a 1st and 2nd choice for the person who you'll be studying for your Revolutionary Biography. -Basketball: Practice Thursday 3:30-4:30 at the Ranchos school gym. -Ski Club: Paperwork and payment due Friday. -Taos Feeds Taos: We're still collecting donations of canned or non-perishable food to give to this cause. -ChalkBoard: Are you getting it through your e-mail on Wednesdays? If not, contact Kathy Martinez in the office 751-7222 ext. 201, or email her at: taoscharterschool@newmex.com and she'll put you on the list.

-Math: SL 4-6 (p. 81) and practice the x and / facts for Test #17 on Wednesday. We need to bounce back from Monday's test, when the class average nosedived to less than 70%. -History: Be thinking about people from the American Revolutionary era who you'd be interested in studying for your Revolutionary Biography Report. Have your top 2 or 3 choices ready by Thursday.

1. legible 2. withdraw 3. division 4. quotient 5. deposit 6. disguise 7. petition 8. employer 9. employee 10. desayuno (breakfast) 11. almuerzo (lunch) 12. cena (dinner) 13. There was never a good war, or a bad peace. –Benjamin Franklin

F. /j/ = ge after con., or v age charge huge page large stage gorge chal/lenge e/merge ex/change sub/merge ram/page F. /j/ = dge after v badge bridge pledge lodge judge

-Math: SL 4-5 (p. 79). Practice x and / facts. Test #16 will be on Monday, November 30th. -Reading: Read at least 20 minutes each day. -Did you know that 4th graders ski free at Sipapu all season long? It's true! Just bring a copy of your most recent progress report for verification. They're open all this week, with 2 lifts running. Call 1-800-587-2240 for more info. -Have a great Thanksgiving! See you on Monday.

-Math: SL 4-4 (p. 77) -Science: Study the materials in your science folder for a quiz on the circulatory system. Know the 4 components of blood and what each one does, be able to name the 4 chambers of the heart in the correct order, and know all the parts of the circulatory system that we've studied in class (veins, capillaries, arteries, valves, alveoli, etc.).

-Math: Practice division facts for Test #15 on Monday. -Ski Club: Paperwork went home with students today. Due date is Friday, DECEMBER 4th.

-Math: SL 4-3 (p. 75), and practice x facts for Test #14 to earn a swimming/ movie day on Friday! (3 minute group needs to hit 80%) -Spelling: Written work due. Study for the practice quiz. -Spanish: Remember to bring in your assigned ingredient for the Salsa Contest. -Basketball: the first team practice is at 3:30p.m. at the Ranchos School gym. -Raffle: Thursday is the very last day to bring in ticket $$ or unsold tickets. The drawing is on Friday. -Parents, did you receive this week's Chalkboard via your email? This is the third week that the school is trying to send those out electronically in an effort to reduce paper waste. If you did NOT get an email version of the Chalkboard, contact Kathy Martinez at taoscharter@newmex.com and she'll get your address on the list.

-Math: SL 4-2 (p. 73), practice at home for multiplication fact test #13. -Raffle ticket money or unsold tickets due. -Last chance for Basketball team permission slip. Practice starts on Thursday at the Ranchos gym.

-Math: SL 4-1 (p. 71) -Basketball permission slips due if you want to be on the class team. -Raffle ticket entries and payments are due no later than Wednesday.

1. independent 2. revolution 3. loyalist 4. intolerable 5. lungs 6. alveoli 7. red blood cells 8. white blood cells 9. plasma 10. exercise 11. sangre (blood) 12. grande (large) 13. pequeño (small) 14. Birds of a feather flock together.

/s/ = ce chance fence force glance nice place peace price since space trace twice

- Math : Fact Test #12 is on Monday -- 50 division facts. Practice your division facts with flash cards, websites, and printout sheets. - Class Basketball Team : Thomas Tafoya is organizing a TCS 4th grade hoops squad! Info and permission slips went home with students on Thursday. Parents, let me know if you'd like to help out with the team. - Safe Routes to School : Parents, check out the Safe Routes site (in the Parents' Links) to learn about a walk/bike to school program that's starting up in Taos. Let me know if you'd like to get involved.

-Spelling: Written work due. Study for the Thursday quiz.

-Math: Review the skills you've learned in Unit 3 for the assessment on Wednesday (multiplication facts, factors, multiples, true or false greater than/ less than number sentences, parentheses, open number sentences, and finding distance on a map.)

1. sanctuary 2. decimal 3. tenth 4. hundredth 5. thousandth 6. taxation 7. representation 8. quarrel 9. boycott 10. repeal 11. jury 12. corazon (heart) 13. nieve (snow) 14. Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise. –Benjamin Franklin

-Math: SL 3-10 (p. 63). -Spelling: Study for the quiz. -Parents, did you receive this week's Chalkboard via your email? This is the first week that the school is trying to send those out electronically in an effort to reduce paper waste. If you did NOT get an email version of the Chalkboard, please send an email to Kathy Martinez at taoscharter@newmex.com and she'll get you on the list. -Soup Bowl Fundraiser: Saturday from 11-1 at TCS. Soups from Joseph's Table, Shadows, Ranchos Trading Post, and Lambert's will be served in hand-painted bowls made by the students. Come join the fun!

-Math: SL 3-9 (p. 61) -Spelling: Written work due. Study for the practice quiz.

-Math: SL 3-8 (p. 59), and work on your multiplication facts. Test #8 is Wednesday.

-Math: Practice the multiplication facts for 15-20 minutes. Timed test #8 will be on Wednesday. -Reading: Complete "My Land Sings" story summaries and book quiz, if you haven't already.

1. crisis 2. crucial 3. terminate 4. French and Indian War 5. colonists 6. capture 7. veteran 8. atrium 9. ventricle 10. valve 11. platelet 12. venado (deer) 13. Hace frio. (It’s cold.) 14. On the warpath

M. ai =/ a/ brain claim gain mail paint plain rain saint trail wait F. ay =/ a/ day may stray way re/lay de/lay

-Math: Take the four "Five Minute Frenzy" charts on the orange practice sheet. You can give yourself 6 minutes for each one if you need to. Have a parent time you and check your work. -Happy Halloween! Be careful out there tomorrow night. Hope you don't run into any Cucuys, Duendes, Chupacabras, La Malogra, La Llorona, La Curacana, Cute Largos, El Big Bird, Lechuza Lady, La Jedionda, La Botas, Dona Sebastiana, or El Diasque!

-Math: SL 3-7 (p. 57), and check out the Timez Attack free download game in the links that kids are raving about. Thanks to Mattias for demonstrating this game to the class today. -Spelling: Study for the quiz. -Halloween: Our costume parade is outside in the playground at 1:45. Kids who want to dress up can bring their costumes into school and put them on in the afternoon before the parade. Afterward (weather permitting), we'll have an outside recess. Students may bring in snacks to share. No candy or soda, please. -1st Quarter Progress Reports: Went home with students today. I included the current Lexile reading range for each student as determined by their September MAPS test. For more information about Lexile, and to generate an individualized reading list for your child, go to "Finding Books by Lexile Range" in the Links for Parents list below.

- A note from Nancy O'Bryan: Dear Parents, Due to the fencing off of the front of the school by the construction workers , Parents must drive in to the middle of the new parking lot and turn around, drive out back down the road to the school as though you were leaving, drop off or pick up your student at the WEST SIDE of the school where the orange cones will be so they will enter the school through the Middle School building doors. This is in immediate effect and intended for the safety of the students. There will be no walking to the picnic table/fence area across the Job Site from the parking lots . Thank you!

-Math: Practice multiplication facts up to 144. Check out the link below for a good resource to get extra practice. You can print up customized multiplication fact sheets to use at home. Try the "Five Minute Frenzy." http://www.math-drills.com/multiplication.shtml#at -Spelling: Written work due. Study for the practice quiz.

1. Halloween 2. which 3. witch 4. scared 5. eerie 6. circulatory system 7. arteries 8. veins 9. capillaries 10. oxygen 11. carbon dioxide 12. brujo/bruja (witch) 13. Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) 14. Blood is thicker than water.

ea=/e/ east beach clean dream feast lead least near please read teach year ea/gle ea/sy trea/ty sea/son mea/ger

Due to technological technicalities, I’m unable to print and send home 1 st quarter progress reports today. Those will go home with students on Thursday. Wednesday is parent-teacher conference day, and I have a number of conferences already scheduled with some of you. Conferences are not required for all students at this time, but there are a few time-slots left if you’d like to set up a meeting and I haven’t yet contacted you. Email me at mlbonner@yahoo.com or call 751-7222 (ext. 221) and we’ll plan for it. I’m also available to meet most days after school from 3-4 pm if that time works better for you.

-Math: Multiplication fact practice. Take two 3-minute, 50 fact tests on the tan sheet. Have a parent or older sibling time you and score the tests. Be sure to fix the ones you miss, and fill in all the blanks afterward. -Have a great weekend. See you Monday!

-Math: SL 3-5 (p.53), and practice the multiplication facts. -Spelling: Study for the quiz.

-The Friends of Taos Charter School have organized a raffle to help cover costs in our new gym. Tickets are $10 each, and prizes include: a 2 night stay at the Bavarian, dinner for 2 at the Bavarian, a couple of 2-day ski passes to TSV, and 2-day demos from Le Ski Mastery. A number of 4th graders have expressed interest in helping to sell tickets, and several students took home a packet of tickets today to get started. Please call Jessica Harrower at 613-0622 for more information.

-Math: SL 3-4 (p. 51), and practice multiplication facts. -Spelling: Written work due Thursday. Study for the practice quiz.

-Math: SL 3-3 (p. 49), and spend 15-20 minutes each day practicing the multiplication facts up to 144. -Friday Field Trip: This Friday afternoon, we'll be visiting the Stables Art Gallery to see the Millennium Seed Show, and participate in a science/art activity. Cost of transportation for the trip is $3 per student.

-Drivers this morning noticed we have a new traffic arrangement at Taos Charter School. It will take a liittle getting used to, but will work very well once we all get into the groove! It was hard to see looking into the sun this morning, but there is a new circle driveway. The circle drive is currently for busses, and for parent drop-off and pick ups. Please pull your car as far around in the circle as possible and unload there. Because of the number of cars that need to move through the circle, we need to load (or unload) 4 or 5 cars at once, like the rides at Disneyland... This will help keep the flow moving safely, and keep the wait to a minimum. Please don't get out of your car in the circle. If kids need assistance getting in or out of the car, park in the parking lot and walk with them down the new fire lane into the playground. Just veer to the right, past the circle entrance and go into the upper parking area. We have to continue to mix bus traffic and parent traffi...

-Math: Complete the empty multiplication chart on the yellow practice sheet. Use the chart to help you memorize and practice the multiple strands forward and backward.

1. factor 2. product 3. homophone 4. clothes/ close 5. break/ brake 6. buy/ by 7. hear/ here 8. right/ write 9. sum/ some 10. whole/ hole 11. would/ wood 12. there/ their/ they’re 13. peek/ peak 14. mail/ male 15. (your own pair of homophones) _________ / ________ 16. Money burning a hole in your pocket

x = /ks/ con/vex ex/pel in/dex ex/pand con/text ex/pect ex/pert ex/tent ex/tend next sixth

-Today's hike was really fun -- muddy, cold, snowy, and wet, but fun nonetheless thanks to the good attitude of our group. We have some serious hikers in this class. I'd always heard that mountain kids were tough, but now I've seen the proof! If you brought a camera, please send any good pictures to me at mlbonner@yahoo.com and I'll post them. -Math: Over break you need to get to work on memorizing all the multiplication facts up to 144 . Use flash cards, fact triangles, and websites for practice. Ask your parents to help test you. Also start to practice reciting the all multiples up to the 12's, forward and backward to the 12th multiple. Print up the table from the links to get rolling. Start with the easy ones: the 2's, 3's, 4's, 5's . Then venture into the " Danger Zone ": the 6's, 7's, and 8's . It's no harder than hiking seven miles in the Pecos Wilderness during a raging snowstorm, right? -Have a safe, fun Fall Break!...

-Creative Writing: Cuento final drafts are due. -Bring in your permission slip and the $4 bus fee for the Thursday hike.

-Math: SL 3-1 (p. 45) -Creative Writing: Rough drafts of cuentos due Tuesday. -Scholastic book orders due Tuesday. -Hiking field trip on Thursday: Information and permission slips went home today. -Spelling: No list this week (except for students who work with Ms. Erin).

/i/ = igh bright fight flight fright light might night right sight tight high thigh sigh mid/night in/sight light/ning

-Creative Writing: Work on the rough draft of your cuento.

Choose one of the scary or funny characters from the folktales we’ve read ( Cocos y Coconas , Creepy Cucuys , or from the My Land Sings collection) and plan your own new cuento with that character in it. Your story should be at least 3 paragraphs long and have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Use your best grammar and handwriting, and be sure to punctuate your quotations correctly. Your cuento should teach a lesson (have a moral), or explain the origin of something. It should also be set somewhere in New Mexico , like most of the stories we’ve been reading. After you edit your rough draft for errors in punctuation and spelling, write a flawless final draft and include an illustration of a scene in your story a-la-Amy Cordova. Have fun with the story, and of course BE CREATIVE! Final Draft Due: Wednesday, Oct. 7. -For Friday (Oct. 2), do some brainstorming for your story. Start an outline, web, or story map and bring it in to school to continue.

-Happy San Geronimo Day! -Due Thursday: Written spelling work. -Unit 2 Math Test on Thursday.

-Math: SL 2-9 (p. 39-40)

1. meter 2. kilometer 3. heritage 4. origin 5. vertical 6. horizontal 7. folklore 8. judge 9. grudge 10. trudge 11. opposite 12. similar 13. otono (autumn) 14. jugar (to play) 15. Bury the hatchet

y= /e/ clum/sy cris/py draf/ty han/dy mus/ty fog/gy shab/by twen/ty ug/ly na/vy i/vy cro/ny

-Math: SL 2-8 (p. 37)

-Spelling: Written work due. Study for the practice quiz. -Reading: Re-draft those chapter summaries if you were asked to. -RMYC campout paperwork is due Thursday for Shade, Elena, Jens, Margot, Leif, and Erin.

-Math: SL 2-7 (p. 35-36). -Reading: Proofread your Superfudge chapter summaries. Fix any errors in spelling, capitalization, or grammar. These are due on Wednesday. -Individual student portraits will be taken on Wednesday.

-The mid-quarter progress reports were given out to students today.

-Math: SL 2-6 (p. 33)

1. Autumn Equinox 2. Constitution 3. amendment 4. sum 5. difference 6. product 7. quotient 8. summit 9. climb 10. character 11. abuelo/ abuela (grandfather/ grandmother) 12. cuentos (old stories or folklore) 13. The bigger they are, the harder they fall.

oo droop gloom mood proof smooth soon swoop tooth troop noodle

-Math: SL 2-5 (p. 31)

-Spelling: Written work due. Study for the quiz. -Language Arts: Take the "Your/ You're Quiz" in the links to prep for a usage quiz. Keep taking it until you get a 100%.

-Math: SL 2-4 (p. 29)

1. maximum 2. minimum 3. range 4. mode 5. median 6. accelerate 7. your 8. you’re 9. erosion 10. plateau 11. Taos Charter School 12. arriba (up) 13. abajo (down) 14. Beauty is only skin deep.

/shun/ = tion ac/tion fic/tion frac/tion men/tion op/tion na/tion mo/tion sta/tion dis/rup/tion in/ven/tion for/ma/tion star/va/tion so/lu/tion lo/ca/tion ed/u/ca/tion in/tro/duc/tion ex/plor/a/tion pop/u/la/tion who what why