Friday, May 30, 2014

Cory

My favorite bridge is the Steel Bridge. The Steel Bridge is located at N Steel Bridge in Portland OR. It is a double decker vertical lift bridge across the Willamette River. It was opened in 1912.  It is the second oldest vertical lift bridge in North America. They call it the Steel Bridge because it is made of steel. It is the only double decker bridge with independent lifts in the world.

The steel bridge is my favorite bridge because it can do 4 thing at once.  It can carry people, trains, and bikes on the lower level. On the top level it can carry car traffic.


Source documents: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steel Bridge

Ms. Luria - I like how you used sources for your writing! Isn't it amazing that we have the second oldest vertical lift bridge in the US!

Elena

On July 1st, my family and I are moving back to Belgium. Before leaving, we will take one last trip in United States. We are going to visit the Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon and Zion National Parks. I am excited to go see these incredible parks. I am also very sad to leave Portland and the United States.

        We will fly to Montana and then my dad will drive an RV to Yellowstone. The Yellowstone park is in Wyoming. I have learned that the Yellowstone was the first National Park to open. Two-thirds of the world geysers are in the Yellowstone. I hope I will see a bison, as there are many of them in the park.

        After a few days in the Yellowstone, we will fly to Las Vegas. From there, we will drive an RV to Arizona and visit the Grand Canyon. We will hike down the Canyon. If it is too hard and hot, my brother and I might ride on a mule. I learned that the canyon has many different kinds of rock layers,

        We will stay a few days and then drive to Zion National Park, in Utah. I have learned that there is a lot of beautiful, easy hikes in the park. There are also rock arches, cliffs and canyons. I hope to see more animals and interesting landscapes. I wonder which park I will like best.

Ms. Luria - Elena I am sorry that we are going to be missing each other. I get back from Belgium a few days before your leave! I hope that you stay in touch with us after this year! We all hope you have a wonderful time exploring the parks of the US before heading back to Belgium. Good luck.

Eleanor S

The Marquam Bridge is the busiest bridge in Portland. It is my favorite bridge because it has two decks. It is a double-decker, steel-truss cantilever bridge. The bridge was designed and built by the Oregon Department of Transportation. It cost a total of $14 million dollars. The upper deck carries southbound traffic and the lower deck carries northbound traffic. As of 2008, over 135,900 vehicles a day cross the Willamette River on the Marquam Bridge. At the eastern end of the bridge, on the lower deck is a ramp stub which was intended to connect to the cancelled Mount Hood freeway. The upper northbound deck was opened 14 days after the lower southbound deck, which opened on the 4th October, 1966.

In the past few years, there has been much talk about replacing the bridge. In the beginning, the bridge was designed with three lanes and a shoulder on each deck. Now there are four narrow lanes and no shoulders on each deck. The main span of the bridge is 440 feet long and the two side spans are 301 feet each. The Marquam bridge is more the then 42 years old, and that’s all I know about the Marquam bridge.

Ms. Luria - You had such great details in this report. It is so interesting that they are thinking of replacing the bridge. Do you think that is a good idea?

Jack L

My favorite bridge is the Marquam. It’s a double deck steel truss cantilever bridge. Thursday we did our report on it. It was built in 1966. Also it cost 14 million dollars to build. Its built out of concrete.

Also it’s the closest to OMSI. I think it’s the coolest. It carries the most vehicles in Portland OR with 135,900 vehicles. It’s a fixed bridge and was named after Philip Marquam.

Ms. Luria - What is the most interesting thing you learned about this bridge? Why is this your favorite bridge?

Cory

This summer vacation I’m going to the beach. I’m going with my mom and cousin. The first thing I’m going to talk about is how where going to get there. The second thing I’m going to talk about is what I’m where to do.

     The first thing I’m going to talk about is how where going to get there. Where getting there by my mom’s car. It is going to take a lot of time to get there. That’s because we need to make a couple stops before we go. We need to get gas and food. We also need snakes for the road.


The second thing I’m going to talk about is what where going to do. One thing where going to do is play in the water. Another thing where going to do is build sand castles. One more thing where going to do is collect souvenirs to show our friends and family. My Family and I are going to have so much fun this summer. I hope we can do many more adventures. 

Cory - It sounds like you are going to have a really fun vacation. I love playing in the water and building castles too!

Azariah

  In the summer i plan to have my birthday.I also probaly might go to some of my friends birthday partys that are in the summer.I will probaly have some sleepovers during the summer.Also for my birthday i might go to Johns Incredible Pizza.I might go  to a cool park by my house.I am going to read book study for fourth grade.I am going to draw flowers and do art.


     I am going to study for the math and reading test.I might go to Texas to see my famliy.I am going to play with my baby sister.I am also going to teach her her abcs and her counting.I am going to send emails to my god sister in texas.I  am going to do bbc dance mat typing.

Ms. Luria- It sounds like you are going to have a very fun summer. What books do you plan on reading this summer?

Talia

I am going to Chicago this summer with my family. We go to Chicago every year.  I have been going to Chicago since I was a baby.  Most of my family lives in Chicago.  Both of my parents grew up there.

 When I go to Chicago I usually stay ay my nanas house nana is my mom’s mom.  When I stay at my grandmas house me and my sister sleep in my dad’s bedroom from when he was a kid.  My grandma is my dad’s mom.  When we go to Chicago we see lots of my cousins aunts and uncles.


 We never have to stay in a hotel when we go to Chicago.  I am excited to go to Chicago because I love eating breakfast with my whole family. 

Ms. Luria - What is your favorite thing to do in Chicago? I lived there for one summer and I loved walking by the lake front and enjoying the breeze on muggy days!

Max

My Summer


This summer I am going to go to Grant Pool and relax.  Grant Pool has two ends. One is shallow and the other is deep.  There is a basketball hoop, diving platforms, and umbrellas that you can sit under if you don’t want to get too much of a tan.  Grant Pool also has a snack bar that sells popcorn, sodas, and frozen ices.

Another activity I am looking forward to this summer is going camping with my family and friends in Bend, Oregon.  We are going camping at Tumalo State Park.  I like to ride my bike and scooter around the campground with my friends and other kids that I meet.  The Deschutes River runs right past the campground.  It is fun to swim in but my favorite part is floating down the river on tubes.  Once you float down, it is fun to find and explore new paths on the way back up to the starting point.  It is important to be good at dodging rocks when floating down the river.

The next activity I am going to enjoy is skateboarding.  I am going to a skateboarding camp at Portland Parks and Recreation.  It is at a skate park called Glenhaven in East Portland.  My goal for this summer is to learn how to grind, kick flip, and pop shove-it.  Currently, I am working hard at keeping my balance while skateboarding in the empty pool.


My favorite activity that I am looking forward to the summer is attending Camp Kalsman sleep away camp in Arlington, Washington.  I will be going there for two weeks.  At camp, I enjoy archery, swimming, BBQ, smores, camp fires, and the rock wall.  It will be cool to see friends I haven’t seen since last summer.  I can’t wait to find out who is going to be in my bunk (hoog) and meet my counselors.  It will be fun to practice Hebrew with the counselors that are Israeli.   My #1 goal for camp is to get better at steering the canoe and my #2 goal is to have a faster time climbing the tower.  This is going to be the best summer ever.

Ms. Luria - Max I can't wait to hear about how camping is at Kalsman. I enjoyed going to a sleep away camp when I was a kid and have many memories of that! Have a great summer.

Justine

Justine’s Summer

Over the summer my grandparents are going to come here. My grandma is a bird expert. My grandpa sometimes spoils me and is a photographer. My step-grandma is a good cook and likes to cook with me. I’m very very very excited!!

My grandpa most likely will take me on a fun hike. My grandma might teach me some awesome bird facts. My grandparents might even take me to water or an amusement park. 

After they leave L I am going to Pickathon. (An awesome camping place a lot of people go to). There is a circus, music, and fun places in a forest for kids.


After all that my mom and I are going on a mom and daughter trip. We are going to Timothy Lake up in Mt. Hood. We are going to go on hikes, make s’mores, and sleep in a tent. That’s a little bit of what I’m going to do this summer.  

Ms. Luria - Justine, I can't wait to hear about the Pickathon. I've heard that it is amazing. Have you been before?

Malaya

What I plan to do this summer is to bird watch at my house. I have to get a pair of binoculars, bird seeds and a bird house. I want to learn about different types of birds. I will see my grandma, papa and Auntie Jockey this summer too. When I'm not bird watching or seeing my grandma, papa and Auntie Jockey, my mom and dad is making me study hard and read lots of books for next year.

Ms. Luria - Malaya I can't wait to hear about all of the different birds you see! This sounds like a really fun summer.

Thursday, May 22, 2014

Naime

We are moving to New York. My sister and I don't want to move, but we don't have a choice. Mommy said she has a job there, so we have to move. Sophia and I are packing everything we have for the flight. We hear mom calling "Asia! Sophia! time to go!" so we pack our bags and go to the car.
When we get back, our plane is boarding so we get on. I am eating my candy and reading my favorite book (The Night Whispers) when Sophia says, "Mom I have to go to the bathroom!" So mom gets up and takes Sophia to the bathroom. I am sitting in my seat by myself waiting for them to come back. When they come back, we all go to sleep.
We just landed and we are getting a rental car. Our person taking us to our car name is Shirly. We got our car and drove away. Before we get to our house we buy some tacos. Instead of eating in the car we decided to eat there. I ask mom if Sophia and I can get a drink. She said yes, so I get lemonade and Sophia gets fruit punch. My taco was so good, I got a third!
We are around the corner from the house. When we get inside, Sophia and I run to our rooms. The miracle is that I finally have my own room! The walls are light blue with a pink bedspread and a carpet. Suddenly I hear screaming and Sophia was screaming in delight!
Mom called our names and run in the kitchen. "Right now we are going to unpack," mom said. Sophia and I say, "okay!" at the same time and go to our rooms. I unpack everything and it looks beautiful. Sophia and I are sort of glad we came.
My mom and I are going to my new school. I hope I'll meet some new friends. We met my teacher and she's nice. "Mom can I look around the school?" I said.
"Sure sweetie" mom said. As I'm walking down the hall I see 2 girls coming in my direction. I say, "Hi I'm new here. They said, "Hi do you want to hang out with us?" I said, "sure." So we go into the gym. Since I have to leave. I say bye to my friends and leave.
Today is the first day of school and I'm so excited. So I get dressed, do my hair, and eat breakfast. I ask mom if I can walk to school but she said no. My mom is finally ready so she took me to school.
As soon as we get to school, I run and try to find my friends. Since I can't find them anywhere, I decided to look in our class room. I see them. They must have seen me because they motioned me to come over. Class starts and we learned about algebra. Two hours later... Me and my friends (Lisa and Sierra) are happy it's lunch time because we are starving!
For lunch I got a hamburger, an apple and some jelly. I know it's not much but it'll do. Lisa and Sierra got the same thing. Today was the best day ever! I know it's the first day but I can't wait for next year.
"About the author"

I love to do a lot of either 5 or 3 page stories. I have 2 other books called Samantha's puppy, Almanac and Dog stories. I think Samantha's puppy is the longest one. The other 2 stories I did with 2 more of my friends. I enjoy writing stories because they're very fun.

Everett

My bridge report is on the Steel bridge. Some of the facts shown here are from
my own knowledge, and others are from Wikipedia (But not copied from it). The Steel bridge is a vertical lift bridge 24 yards wide.It was completed to  replace the old bridge in 1912. The main way it is supported is by a truss system. The  lower deck is normally 7 yards above the water. When it’s raised, the lower deck is 24
yards above the water.

The top deck can be lifted 30 yards above the water. The top deck carries cars  and the MAX. About 605 MAX trains run on it every day. The Moda Center is  sometimes visible from it.

 Two of the bridges near it are the Broadway and the Fremont. When we were on  the Jetboats, Kory gave us extensive facts on the bridge and also soaked us near it.  The weight of all the counterweights added together total 4,100 metric tons(metric  ton=very, very heavy).

In conclusion, my favorite bridge out of the 11 that cross the Willamette is the  Steel bridge. I hope this essay teaches you about one of the most interesting bridges in  Portland.!!!

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Timmy

Timmy
Chapter One

In 2035 there were two ninjas; a woman and a man. They were married. They were on the planet called Felix. Then they had five babies called Sierra, Raven, Maddie, David, and LaBoyce. When the children were two years old, their parents died. The children were adopted. Then there was a war. They put the children in a space ship and they landed on a planet called Earth. Their eyesight didn’t work well on Earth and their skin was blue. There were 100 monks, each of whom put 600 tattoos on the children, because they remembered the children’s parents. They were the dragon warriors.

On Earth, the children’s adopted parents were named Kim and Sen. They were both from Japan. They flew on a plane to New York when the children were nine.

They asked their father, “Why do I have these tattoos on me?”

The father sighed. He wasn’t ready to tell them.

Then they turned 10 years old.

The teacher said, “What does 34 x 3 equal?”

Raven raised her hand and said, “Teacher, something is wrong with David.”

The teacher was nervous. They took David to the hospital and then he woke up.

He said, “Are we still at school?”

The mom said to the dad, “What happened and how did he do it?”

They went home. David was asleep. His arm started jerking. And then he fell off the bed. He woke up and his mom and dad turned on the lights.

Now the children are 13. Raven is mad. She’s at the gym. David asked what happened.
She said, “Leave me alone.”

He touched her on the shoulder, she twisted her arm, and he threw her on the ground by accident.

David said, “I’m sorry…I’m sorry,” and ran away to his teacher.

While he was running his skin turned blue again. One of the high schoolers said, “Did your mom paint you blue?”

Then David threw him on the ground too. He didn’t realize his own strength.

When he went home he did 200 sit ups and 600 push-ups. His mom said, “What are you doing?”

“I’m disappointed with myself for throwing my sister and the high schooler on the ground.”


The father tells him who he really is and that he’s from the planet Felix. While he’s meditating, he sees his mom and dad.

Brendon

On the jet boats for the field trip, my favorite part was when we went super-fast and got all wet. I was sitting on the edge. I was putting one arm out and when the driver went fast I started screaming. When he stopped, all the water went in my face and it was cold. Then the weather was rainy and it started to hail. The driver went under the bridge to keep us dry. Then the driver went back so we could dry off.

The driver told us about the bridges and when they were built. I think there are 10 bridges over the river.

I liked the jet boats because it was fun and I want to do it again.

Malaya

Malaya’s Pet Shop
Chapter One

In my real life story about Malaya’s Pet Shop, you might hear the animals you might know. Now we must read.

When I was six years old I wrote something in my diary. It was about me growing up to be a pet shop owner. And here are some animals that are in the pet shop: cats, dogs, snakes, rats, mice, bunnies, guinea pigs, hamsters, pigs, fish, parrots, ferrets, chinchillas, turtles, baby moles, and lizards.
Now what I’m going to talk about is where the pets are from. Most of the pets are from different kinds of breeders.

Chapter Two


My favorite animal is a Yorkshire Terrier. I like that they are smart and they think they are big dogs. They are from England and Scotland. They are adorable, snuggly, and soft. If you get a girl Yorkie, they can have four to five babies in a litter. They like to chew on chew toys and they like bones. Sometimes when Yorkies get dirty they shake and get it all over you. Some Yorkies like to play in mud, juice, and whatever you spill on the ground. They like to eat bacon, ham, dog food, and smelly, squishy food that’s in a can. Here’s one thing that’s kind of gross; they like to eat bugs! But they cannot eat chocolate or else they will get sick.

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Math challenge assignment

First copy this quick code. Highlight it and say that you want to copy it on the ipad or write it down on a piece of paper.

Then, please go to learnzillion.com.

On the top you should say that you have a quick code.

Paste the quick code into the box to find the video.

LZ1167


Then, take notes in your notebook and pause the video to solve the problems with the video! 

Friday, May 16, 2014

Update from Ms. Luria

Homework for this week: Homework given out 5-16

Permission slip for Rose Festival Parade: Rose Festival Permission Slip - please include $2 for public transit


Dear Families,


May Dates
Wednesday 21st - Late start
Thursday 22nd - Global Experience Night
Wednesday 28th - Ms. Luria at a training for school
Thursday 29th - Ms. Hunt's class to Bull Run (Ms. Luria will be taking them and our class will have a sub)

June Dates
Wednesday 4th - Rose Festival Parade - students picked up at the Grant High School flag pole (more information to come)
Friday 6th - Last day homework is due for school year
Friday 13th - New last day of school year

The students had a wonderful time building bridges this week! Thank you for everyone who volunteered and made this project possible. The bridges look wonderful and will be on display during Global Experience night. The students will be recreating the river and all of the bridges in Ms. Hunts classroom.

In reading we are starting our second week of 5 by 5 by 5! Ask your child what book(s) they have read this week? I have finished reading out loud both Frozen and The Snow Queen (the traditional story the movie was based on). After reading Frozen, we will be watching the video on Thursday. Students are excited about comparing the book with the movie!

I encourage you to join in on the challenge! Can you read out loud 5 different books to your child over the next 5 weeks from 5 different genres? (They don't have to be incredibly long books that you are reading out loud.)

In math, we continue to work on the area of complex shapes. Students are also learning how to do some simple long division. This morning, students worked on the problems 428 / 4 and 28 x 5. Most everyone was able to complete both of those problems in 5 minutes or less! 

For next year it will be very important that students know to type. Here is a good free site: http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/typing/ 


Sacha

Jack T

    Last Friday my class went on a field trip to the Willamette Jet Boats. We got there by taking two TriMet buses. The first bus was empty except for one person, but the second bus was way too crowded! The whole journey took a really long time and was quite boring.

     Once we arrived at OMSI everyone pulled out their sack lunches and started eating. Once we finished, we walked down to the dock. Once we got down to the dock, I met my mom there. She gave me my rain gear, pants and coat.  Just as Ms. Hunt’s class (another third grade class) got out of the boat, it started raining. 

     Once we got on the jet boat we got our life jackets on.  Kory, the driver, liked to get us soaking wet! Every time we passed a bridge, Kory would tell us the name of it and a few facts about it. The way he got us wet was by going fast and suddenly putting on the breaks.  We went into a shipyard and saw some amazingly cool ships. 


     One thing I learned was that Oregon’s first airport was on Swan Island! Some of the bridges we saw were the Marquam, Burnside, St. John’s and the Steel. My favorite bridge was the Steel Bridge. My favorite part of the trip was when it started to hail on our way back to OMSI! 

Talia

Welcome to my world

I watch as my family gobbles up all the eggs and bacon leaving nothing for me.  I sigh and trot into the living room and plop down on the couch.  My favorite blue elephant stuffed animal lay next to me I leaned over and nudged it with my nose.  I heard the mailman knock on the door.  I rushed over but my dad beat me. Dad opened the door and smiled as if he expected the mailman to pull a magic wand out of his bag but the mailman just shrugged and walked away.  Dad’s shoulders wilted as he closed the door with a sigh.  Hillary entered the room and turned on the television (our house is always so busy).

 Nobody ever thinks that dogs understand television but we really do.

  “Bella oh Bella time for your Sunday wet dog food breakfast,” calls mom.  I rush right back into the kitchen and watch eagerly as mom opens up the can of wet dog food and pours it into the dish.  When she is done with the operation I bury my head into the dish while mom refills my water bowl.  When I finish eating I trot back to Hillary and nuzzle up against her. 


  The television show that she was watching was almost over you can tell because two people were hugging and crying.  As Hillary turns off the television I go sit and wait at the door to be let out to do my business and run around.  Hillary opens up the door to let me run around, I burst out of the house and let the wind hit my face as my ears flop in the wind I make loopy figure eights.  Knowing I am at home.

Alma

Last week I went on the Willamette Jet boats. We got so soaked at the end. Our driver was named Kory and he did lots of tricks. During the ride we learned things about stuff on the river. I really enjoyed the jet boats.

When we were riding Kory did lots of tricks. One of the tricks was a 360. Another trick was one that got you soaked. One other trick was where he made hole in the water then when the hole filled up water would splash all over.


            At the end I was so soaked. After I got off the boat I was happy I was going home. On the way home I was so cold and wet. I want to go on the jet boats again.

Everett

Last week my class went on the jet boats. The dock that they are secured to is
located near OMSI. The jet boats trip was a chance for my class and others to see
Portland’s bridges. Well, most of them anyway. We also got to see some of Portland’s
boat building stations.

The boat, as far as I can remember, was named the Dancing Rain. Possibly
some of my classmates may tell you different, but I am fairly sure that was the name of
the boat. It has a top speed of about 48 knots, or 55 miles an hour. The boat driver was
named Kory. He enjoyed slowing the boat to splash my class with water.
! I learned about the many bridges in the Portland area on this trip.

A few of the ones we saw are the Marquam, the Fremont, and the Steel.
Kory described each one for us and would quiz us on parts of the bridge. Our class
answered questions that were asked by Kory that referred to each bridge. In conclusion,
I learned lots about the Portland bridges on this fascinating trip.

Elena

   Last Friday, our class went on a jet boat field trip to explore Portland’s bridges. Our jet boat was called the Rain Dancer. We boarded the boat at OMSI near the submarine at 12.15 pm. I was a little scared to go on the jet boat and get wet. I sat next to my dad and Corey.

        The jet boat driver’s name was Korey. He liked to splash us with water on purpose. My dad, Corey and I got splashed a lot, because we were sitting in the third row. On the way back to the dock, it started to hail really hard. All the kids screamed, because we were soaked and cold.

        The weather was really bad that day, but I enjoyed the field trip a lot. We went under most of the bridges of the Willamette River. It was quite fun to get splashed and my favorite part was when we went really fast on the river. We learned new facts about the bridges too.

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Elliana

I'm in third grade. My dream is to become a principal when I grow up. My favorite thing to do in school is to write and to help the teacher. The hardest part of school is when I have to do a lot of work. I don't like doing math because it is really hard.

One day my teacher gave me an assignment. She said, "Write a speech about what you want to be when you grow up."

I thought the assignment was fun. I worked on writing my speech for four days. I did it in class and at home too.

My mom said, "Great job Alisha. Your teacher is going to be proud of you."

The day of the speech I got to school and I went in my classroom. I did my morning work, which was math. I was thinking, "I can't wait till I read my speech."

Finally it was speech time. I had to wait for three people to read their speeches. They said they wanted to be a fireman, a policewoman and a gardener.

I walked into the back of the room to read my speech. I stood on the brown carpet, feeling nervous and happy. Then I read my speech. Here it is:

If I were principal at Sabin, I would change the whole school. We would have more fun. There would be less work. 
It would be fun because there would be more recess. There would be four recess a day. I would have basketballs, jump ropes, water guns with water in them and and sand box.  I would give the children candy every day. They would love the candy. I would give them fifty pieces a day. If kids behaved well I would give them money instead of golden tickets. The kids who were IB learners would find twenty dollars in their desk when they did a good job. 
The teachers would even give the girls a pedicure. They would have pink, purple and red nail polish. The cafeteria would be a ball room. 
Kids would not have to do as much work. The teachers would have to do 30 pages of work every day. The kids would have to do work like how many jelly beans can you shove in your mouth. They would count pieces of candy and then eat them up. Kids would feel happy about school.
I would love to be principal at Sabin because it would be the best job I'd ever had. It would be so cool. I would get to rule to teachers. Everybody would like me and I would be happy.  
 
At the end of my speech the kids clapped. My teacher said, "good job Alisha."

I felt thrilled. After school, mom came to pick me up. "Alisha, how was your day today?"

"It was awesome. I loved it! I loved it! I really, really, really loved it! I did art and Spanish, but the best part was my speech.

"I hope your speech comes true," my mom said to me. "Let's go get pizza and invite your friends to come over."

"Yah. Let's get cheese pizza."

30 years later

I have to read lots of books to become a principal at Sabin. It's my dream come true. I hope this is the best job ever. My first day at work I can't wait to rule the teachers and tell the teachers what to do. It will be so much fun!

Friday, May 9, 2014

Update from Ms. Luria

Dear Families,


May Dates
Tuesday 13th - Building Portland Bridges with Ms. Hunt
Wednesday 21st - Late start
Thursday 22nd - Global Experience Night
Wednesday 28th - Ms. Luria at a training for school
Thursday 29th - Ms. Hunt's class to Bull Run (Ms. Luria will be taking them and our class will have a sub)

June Dates
Wednesday 4th - Rose Festival Parade - students picked up at the Grant High School flag pole (more information to come)
Friday 6th - Last day homework is due for school year
Friday 13th - New last day of school year

Thank you for all of your flowers, cards, the meal and the beautiful picture! I feel so appreciated as a teacher and know that I am so lucky to have you as my families this year. It has been a pleasure getting to know you over the year (or two!) and an honor to get to work with your children. 

Also, thank you to Alma and her family for sharing caprese salad with the class. Students had the opportunity to assemble their own caprese salad and learn more about the ingredients. 

In reading we are starting 5 by 5 by 5! In Five weeks, we have the goal of everyone reading 5 different genres of books and reading 5 books! Ask your child about what genres they are planning on reading. Many students have decided to explore poetry, biographies. This is a fun way to end the year strong and stretch ourselves as readers and learners. 

I encourage you to join in on the challenge! Can you read out loud 5 different books to your child over the next 5 weeks from 5 different genres? (They don't have to be incredibly long books that you are reading out loud.)

In math, we spent some time this week reviewing all of the 3rd grade common core skills that they have learned. We are working so hard on finding the area of complex shapes. This is quite the challenge for most 3rd grade students. We are using drawings, geoboards, and partner work to master this last common core standard of 3rd grade! 

For next year it will be very important that students know to type. Here is a good free site: http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/typing/ 

Happy Mother's Day!

Sacha

Homework for the week of 5/9/2014 - 5/16/2014

Here is the link to this week's homework. I also handed it out in class, but with the field trip I wanted to make sure you had an electronic link as well!

Homework due Friday 5/16

Justine

As I walked through the woods of many shadows I saw a Phoenix with red feathers and hair like fire. A cool wind blew in my face and it felt like cold hands wiping my face. As it blew, my hair blew back in the wind. I could hear the chirps of birds and the elves singing a song about the summer. I ran and fell into a field of flowers, trees and grass. As I lay in the field I thought about why I was here.

I ran away from my orphanage, because I had a witch for a teacher. As I thought and thought I felt stuff poking into my back. I got up and looked down and saw seven hatching baby Phoenixes that fell out of their tree. I picked them up and looked up in all the trees to find an empty nest. 

Two minutes later I saw a mossy red nest with no baby birds in it. I just assumed it was theirs. The tree had Phoenix feathers and ivy on it. It was also by a pretty stream with rocks, dead flowers, and old stumps. The tree was as tall as a school and as thick as 107 note pads put on top of each other. The only problem was there were only branches at the top so I couldn’t climb up. 

I heard loud screech so loud it almost made me deaf. I looked up and saw the mom Phoenix. She was probably mad at me for “taking” her baby. She swooped down and sunk her claws into my arm and I dropped the baby birds. The world felt like it was going so fast. I fell to the ground and closed my eyes. Two days later I woke up and was in a bed. My arm had bandages around it. I felt like it was a dream, but after I pinched myself nothing happened. A couple minutes later a man walked into the room. He had long, blond hair, and a pale face, blue eyes, white teeth, and he wore gold robes and a beard.

“Keke go nale Goldstone se nela y danles sen?” he said as he got some medications.

I really couldn’t understand him so I guessed.

“So you want me to go and kneel on a Goldstone and be shy and say ‘doing good stone?’” I asked. 

He frowned and shook his head and said, “Hi, my name is Goldstone and are you doing OK?”


“Oh, I’m g-g-ood,” I said as I felt a flash of pain flow through me.

Thursday, May 8, 2014

Cory

"The Moonlight"
Do you see the moon so bright?
so gloomy and cool,
Lit up by the sun on a starry night,
it glows like a lamp in the sky,
So bright and beautiful,
like a diamond on a star,
Or like a rainbow,
shining on a pot of gold,
That is why I like the moon so bright,
and so starry on a beautiful night.

Olivia

“Get your "catafianater"! Get your catafianater! Only a dollar each!”

                The catafianaters are very special products. Anything it zaps will turn into half a cat. This rare product will only be on sale forever.

                “Buy it now!”

Malaya

One day Andria was in the woods. No one could find her. She was riding a horse and trying to find her way back.

                Her father, Yunk was upset. The she heard howling and it sounded like her dog Links. Then she yelled, “Links! Links! Links!”


                Andria is a hunter. She wears a cloak every day so she won’t show her face. Andria’s dad, Yunk was worried so they went on a hunt to search.

Alma

German Shepards are big dogs or medium dogs. They have been used in war, police and security. The German Shepard is an obedience worker.

They are usually 23-25 in. tall.  They weigh about 75-95 pounds. They can be very playful.


They can be a mixture of colors such as black, white, or brown and tan. Most of the time there is black on them. German Shepards are good dogs.

Monday, May 5, 2014

Cory


Cory 
                


STRAWBERRY-RHUBARB BUCKLE

Make 12 servings
Prep 20 minutes. Bake: at 350 degrees for 60 minutes.

1\2 cup milk
 1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups strawberries hulled and sliced
2 cups rhubarb fresh chopped or frozen thawed and drained
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1\4 cups granulated sugar                        
1 teaspoon salt
3\4 cup [1 1\2 sticks] cold
 1 cup light brown sugar.
1 teaspoon cinnamon.
2 teaspoon baking powder

1.       Heat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 10-inch spring form pan with nonstick spray.   In large bowl, combined four granulated sugar and salt. With two knives or pastry cutter, cut in butter until resembles coarse crumbs. Remove 1 cup to bowl;   stir in brown sugar and cinnamon and reserve for toping.
2.       Stir baking powder into remaining flour mixture in small measuring cup, blend milk, egg, and vanilla and stir into flour mixture just until moistened spread half of batter in prepared pan. Evenly cover with strawberries and rhubarb. Drop remaining batter on top. Crumble reserving topping over batter.
3.       Bake in 350 degrees oven for 60 minutes, until golden brown and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool slightly on wire rack. Run knife around edge; remove side. Serve warm or at room temperature. 

   
My mentor

My mentor is my grandmother Arlene. She shared with me her Strawberry rhubarb buckle recipe. She started making Strawberry rhubarb buckle about 25 years ago. She found out about rhubarb when she discovered rhubarb bushes growing in her back yard. My grandmother told me there are many things you can make out of rhubarb such as jelly, pies, and other interesting things.  She added, “My grandfather was a great chef and I inherited his cooking talents.’’



History of Rhubarb plant
Rhubarb grows in year round warm climates and thrives in areas of direct sunlight.   The above ground portion or plant completely withers away at the onset of freezing temperature. Rhubarb that is severely damaged by cold should not be eaten, such as in the UK, Ireland, and Russia.  Rhubarb is used as a fruit in pies, cakes, and jellies.  For many centuries it has been used for medicinal purposes in aiding with digestion problems.


Source information: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/rhubarb; web.com/vitamins-supplements

Thursday, May 1, 2014

Simon


    My topic today is tsunamis. Tsunamis are caused by volcanoes and earthquakes. Some islands may have a tsunami. It could destroy everything on the island! For example Hawaii could be destroyed!
    Tsunamis are caused by volcanoes and earthquakes. Tropical islands were created by volcanoes! Earthquakes can be on some islands. Tsunamis can kill a ton of humans. If a human walks up to one, it will probably die from the impact.
    Tsunamis have wiped out cities. A tsunami has wiped out some of Japan. Cannon Beach has had a small tsunami. About 1,000 humans can be wiped out. A tsunamis impact is very strong.
    My action plan is to tell everyone to get of a tropical island. I will probably do it when a volcano is about to erupt. Also, I will do it when it is needed. It will help because some people won't get killed. If this ever happens in my life, I will be scared to do this action plan.

Eleanor


“Global Warming”
    Global warming is a big problem. It is caused by greenhouse gases being released into the air. Once it is released it for a cover around the earth. When the sun’s rays hit the Earth, they bounce off and try to go back up but the gases trap them. This causes the Earth to be warmer.
    The topic that I am studying is drought. One of the impacts of global warming is drought. They are caused because as the earth gets warmer more moisture evaporates and that means less water. Drought can kill us and animals. If we don’t stop global warming there will be no water.
    Lots of things are happening because of drought. Water is needed to drink, water crops, and make electricity. Since the 1970’s, drought have become longer and more severe. Farmers, ranchers and people who live in already dry places are especially affected by drought. It is important to stop global warming to save the planet.
    There are many things people can do to stop global warming. You can walk or bike instead of drive. You can turn off your computers when you’re done. You can also not leave the faucet running when you’re brushing your teeth. I am going to turn off the lights when I’m not using them.

Finn

Women should be able to compete against men. I think this because all people are equal. Also I believe all people should play together. People should not be discriminated against because they are a boy or girl.
Even though men have few advantages over women in some sports because they're bigger, some women might want the challenge. According to the article "In 1973 tennis champ Billy Jean King beat Bobby Riggs." which shows it's possible for women to beat men. Out on the playground everyone plays together and no one has the advantage. Why shouldn't it be like that when we're adults?
Although women should be able to compete against men, other people may think that men have too great advantage. However it is still possible for women to beat men, so we should let women compete. Anyone should be able to compete against everyone. If everyone could compete together, it would be more fun and challenging. Once men and women compete together, the games will really begin!

Josh

                Shih Tzus were first raised in Tibet, which is now controlled by China.  Shih Tzu comes from the name lion dog.  Once Shih Tzus were called Lhasa lion dogs or fo dogs.  They were once called Lhasa dogs because Lhasa is the capitol of Tibet.  For many centuries, Shih Tzus were gifts to the leaders of China.  For a lot of years Shih Tzu only lived with rich powerful families.  Shih Tzus were brought to the the U.S.  in the 1930’s and 1990’s.  Today Shih Tzus are in tons of U.S. homes.

                Shih Tzus are really tiny.  They are called toy dogs because there so small!  Shih Tzus are very affectionate and love to play.  Even though Shih Tzus are small, they are still tough and bark a lot.  Shih Tzus are very good lap dogs.  They like being petted and being around you.

Shih Tzus are really small.  They weigh 4 to 8 ounces at birth which is about as heavy as a bar of soap.  There are usually four to five puppies nurse for at least six weeks.  After that it can have puppy food.
Before you choose a Shih Tzu, look at all the puppies.  Choose one with bright eyes.  Get a pure breed Shih Tzu, mixed breed Shih Tzus can have health problems.  Male Shih Tzus have more energy than females.  The males also are easier to house train than females.

Shih Tzus are really small.  Adult Shih Tzus stand between 8 to 11 inches tall.  They weigh 9 to 16 pounds.  Even though they’re small they’re still sturdy.

You should groom and carefully brush your Shih Tzu every day.  You should start while it’s a puppy, so it can get used to it.  Bathe your Shih Tzu once a week.  This is so you’re Shih Tzu can stay clean.  When you are bathing your Shih Tzu you must do it gently.  Shih Tzus don’t like getting wet.

Shih Tzus are very affectionate.  They show there love by their bright eyes and by barking.  Shih Tzus are goof pets for people with allergies.  Even though they have long hair they don’t shed much due to daily brushing.

Shih Tzus don’t need much room.  They’re good in a small house.  Shih Tzus like to go on walks every day.  Shih Tzus have small legs, so four blocks is enough for them.

Shih Tzus are very loyal to their owners.  They are very smart dogs.  Shih Tzus are very curious.  So you should keep them on a leash when you go on walks.

Shih Tzus bark at anything new.  They bark when someone knocks.  Shih Tzus also bark when they play or hear a strange noise.


Shih Tzus were once herding dogs.  Now, they are good pets.  Shih Tzus are great therapy dogs.  They love visiting sick people.