NEW
MSU-Billings is looking at offering camp opportunities for gifted students. As part of their planning process, they would like to have the input of parents of gifted children and educators in the area. We are currently looking for parents that would like to participate in a brainstorming session to offer ideas and input to the planners at MSU-Billings. A definite date has not been set, but it appears that a meeting could be held in the next week or so. If you are interested please contact parent, Bill Mercer at wmercer@bresnan.net or 698-1671
or teacher, Darla Williams at 690-9662 or williamsdl@billingsschools.org.
Parents of 4th graders:
Part of the health curriculum for your children is HIV/AIDS information. This information is presented during the Communicable and Non-communicable Disease Unit. In order for your child to receive this information, you must sign a permission slip that was sent home 2 weeks ago in the Wednesday Watch papers. If you did not see one or have misplaced it, please email me or have your child request another one. They need to be returned by March 18th.
Amazing Artwork
Dr. Andy Wildenberg came to our class on Thursday and did an introductory lesson with the kids on fractal geometry. He brought some fractals he had created, as well as some that his students created (at RMC). We are fortunate to have so many willing parents with passions and talents to share with us!
The students used a program on the computer that Dr. Wildenberg wrote that allowed them to manipulate items to create fractal images. They also drew some of their own. As they finish the drawings, I will post them here. They will be identified only by initials.
Sierpinski Triangle
hand drawn by MA
Star Fractal by ND
Sierpinski Triangle by SH
Upcoming Dates
I will be at Poly Drive on SUNDAY, MARCH 6TH FROM 1-4 PM TO HELP WITH ANY ASPECT OF THE SCEINCE FAIR. Please call my cell phone to gain access to the school: 697-5934.
Please read under "Science" for more information about the due dates, etc.
Viewing by parents can be before school or after school on THURSDAY, March 10th. They will be taken down/home on Friday, March 11th.
MontCAS tests will be March 8-15. If you are planning trips, please try to avoid that time.
If you would like to provide a healthy snack for the class during the 4 days of testing (Tu-Fri), please contact me so we can schedule the day. We have 27 students. 697-5934
We have families providing snacks for the class on TUESDAY, MARCH 8TH AND WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9TH.
NWEA tests will be in April.
Grades
To view your child’s grades at anytime during the year, you can go to
http://www.billings.k12.mt.us/poly/porisch/grades/index.html, key in your child’s username and password, and see how they are doing. If you have forgotten the password, email me or call for that information.
Reading
We will not be reading a novel for a couple of weeks. We will be reading every day but from a book of the children’s choice. Library is MONDAY. Please make sure your child has library books in their backpack on MONDAY. That way they can check out another book when they return their other book(s).
Language
Poetry writing: haikus
Test preparation: Text of the Week (expository text w/ questions)
Latin Word Root----Quiz on Thursday
loqu/nomin
e- out, away, from
mis- bad, wrong
loqu speak
nom/nomin name
-acious having the quality of
-al like, related to
-ate to make, to act
-ent like, related to
-er that which
Drawing--"incredible" by AB
Latin Word Root Drawing--"traverse" by EB
We are also writing poetry and illustrating it. Below you will see the same haiku with two similar illustrations. The author/illustrator wanted to take the first one home with him, so I asked for a second one for the poetry book we'll be making. I thought you would enjoy seeing his talent. The author/illustrator is EB. If you click on them, they will enlarge.
Math
All: Data, Graphs, Probability and Geometry
Science
The next help session will be Sunday, March 6th from 1 PM to 4 PM.
Science Fair Display Boards: Due WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9TH.
They will be evaluated by me that evening and by the high school judges Thursday morning. They will go home on FRIDAY, MARCH 11TH.
All students received the evaluation tool the judges will be using on Tuesday, March 1st.
Many thanks for your help, guidance, practice, and support with the process and project!
Checklist of what your child will need for Wednesday, March 9th (for the judging on Thursday, March 10th):
___ Display board
___ Practice, practice, practice (I told them to pretend you, parent, are the judge. Just say, "Hi, can you tell me about your project?" and they should be able to take it from there!)
___ Science Fair Notebook (all in one folder or notebook AND organized. Some have been coming in rather randomly.)
___ Any data collection sheets that they used in recording (the original ones)
___ ONLY FOR THOSE ENTERING THE DEACONESS BILLINGS CLINIC SCIENCE EXPO--an abstract
Viewing by parents can be before school or after school on THURSDAY, March 10th. They will be taken down/home on Friday, March 11th.
What are the parts of the science fair project?
Question/Problem
Background (research)
Hypothesis
Materials LIST
Procedure
Results (graphs, tables)
Conclusion
What (did you learn?) (do you want to know now?)
Abstract--only for those entering the Billings Clinic Research Center Science Expo. If you would like more information about the BCRCSE, click the address below.
http://www.billingsclinic.com/workfiles/Research/pdf/2011-Sci-Expo-Elementary-MS-Handbook.pdf
Steps of the Scientific Process
Successful Science Fair Projects
How to set up your display board (Presentation)
Kids Corner of Science
Social Studies
5th grade: In the text, they have been assigned an explorer. They are reading books from the library on their explorer and the text currently.
4th grade: Regions of the US: NE, SE, Midwest, and SW. Students have been divided into groups and make presentations to the rest of the class about their region
4th grade spelling words Unit 26 March 7th VCCV
and VCV patterns
BASIC: dentist, narrow, shelter, corner, hollow, silver, capture, dinner, final, finish, ahead, divide, famous, recent, diner, minus, minute, value, reward, broken
CHALLENGE: decent, secure, standard, frontier, stampede
REAL-WORLD- VOCABULARY: Electrical Storms
dangerous, thunderstorms, safest, vehicle, conduct, avoid, strikes, electricity
4th grade spelling words Unit 27 March 14th VCCV pattern
BASIC: poster, whether, rocket, bushel, bucket, ticket, chicken, clothing, whiskers, gather, rather, bracket, secret, author, agree, declare, apron, degree, achieve, machine
CHALLENGE: regret, nephew, method, decline, vibrate
REAL WORD VOCABULARY: Electrical Devices
dependable, appliance, microwave, automated, keypad, refrigerator, dishwasher, convenience
REAL-WORLD- VOCABULARY: Electrical Storms
dangerous, thunderstorms, safest, vehicle, conduct, avoid, strikes, electricity
5th grade spelling words Unit 26 March 7th Final /ij/, /iv/, or /is/ sounds
BASIC: storage, garbage, courage, passage, voyage, knowledge, image, average, postage, luggage, language, olive, relative, native, creative, detective, adjective, service, justice, cowardice
CHALLENGE: prejudice, cooperative, beverage, heritage, apprentice
REAL-WORLD- VOCABULARY: Analyzing Data
survey, tally, statistics, mean, median, mode, results, conclusions
5th grade spelling words Unit 27 March 14th Unstressed syllables (spelling words by syllables with particular attention to the unstressed syllable)
BASIC: disturb, entire, wisdom, respond, neglect, crystal,
forbid, surround, challenge, entry, impress, fortress, kitchen, frighten, limit, talent, dozen, pirate, spinach, salute
CHALLENGE: adapt, refuge, distribute, industry, somberREAL WORD VOCABULARY: Summer Theater
auditorium, musical, skit, backstage, scenery, spotlight, pantomime, theatrical
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