Mr. Blanc's Class

Math We wrapped up our study of decimals and will now move on to geometry. Some of the topics we will study include identifying types of lines, measuring angles, finding unknown angles, and classifying two dimensional shapes. Keep up with how your child is grasping these concepts through Seesaw.  Reading Each student is in a book group that is reading a historical fiction book. Last week the groups met and decided how many pages they would read each day. They meet at the end of reading each day to discuss their book. Have your child tell you about their book. They should be able to explain what makes a book fall within the historical fiction genre.  Idiom of the week: get cold feet Inquiry Students spent this week researching their migration topic. Next week they will use their research to begin writing their first draft of their informational paper. We will go over strategies to start an informational paper, using evidence that supports the main idea of each para...

It was great to meet with everyone at conferences. One of the reasons West TV is such a great place to teach is because of the support strong support at home! Math Students will begin the week comparing decimals and by the end of the week they will add decimals. To monitor how the unit is going for your child, check their Seesaw account. Talk with them about what you notice they are working on in class. Inquiry Next Monday, students will pick their top three choices of migrations they want to research and write a paper on. The following day they will find out which migration they have! Ask your student which migrations they are most interested in. Field Trip Our field trip to the Clean Water Festival at the PCC Sylvania campus will be on Tuesday, 4/30. We will leave West TV at 8:50 and return around 2:15. There are still three chaperones spots available. Let me know if you are interested in joining. Idiom of the week: in the bag  Volunteer Appreciation The school w...

Parent Conferences There will be no school for students on Thursday, 4/18 or Friday, 4/19 because of parent conferences. If you have not yet signed up for a conference, please go to the link below and pick a time to meet. https://www.ptcfast.com/schools/West_Tualatin_View_Elementary Math Our first week of decimals went well! Students primarily worked with tenths, but were introduced to hundredths at the end of the week. Next week students will work on finding equivalent decimals between tenths and hundredths. This will prepare them to compare decimals later in the unit. A great way for you to support your student in their math is to take a look at their Seesaw activities and have conversations about what we are working on in class.  Reading Students have been working on using knowledge of text structures to help them read about history. The text structures we have been noticing are cause and effect, compare and contrast, description, problem/solution, and chronological. As...

Math  Next week we will begin our study of decimals! We'll begin by learning how tenths and hundredths can be in fraction form and decimal form. Then we'll move into comparing decimals and fractions and end with addition of decimals. Where We Are in Place and Time Our inquiry with the central idea that migration impacts individuals and communities has lead us to discussing reasons that people migrate. Students have been looking at different factors that may lead someone to migrate and have debated whether they are push or pull factors. Next week students will be introduced to a handful of migrations from history. Once we have introduced all of the migrations, students will select one to research in depth.   Philip Foster Farm The field trip to Philip Foster Farm is on Tuesday, 4/9. We will leave West TV at 9 am and expect to return at about 2 pm. If you are joining us as a chaperone please arrive at the school by 8:35. Students will need to bring a lunch and snack unl...

Writing Each student is writing a persuasive paper on a topic of their choice. The final drafts of the paper need to be completed by Friday, 3/22. Students will get four writing sessions of 45 minutes in class to work on their paper next week. If they aren't able to finish the paper in that time, they are expected to work on it at home. Check in with your student and see how their paper is going.  Idiom of the week: let the cat out of the bag Math  Hopefully you have had a chance to look at the math exit tickets your student has been completing on Seesaw. Next Tuesday, 3/19, we will take an assessment on all of the fraction concepts we have covered. One of the best ways you can help your student prepare is to go over the problems they have done on Seesaw with them. Inquiry This week we started our where we are in place and time inquiry with the central idea that migration impacts individuals and communities. So far we've studied the Corps of Discovery, led by Lewis ...

Reading Students continue to have the expectation of reading three hours outside of school each week. In class they are in book groups. Each group selects the book they would like to read and the number of pages or chapters to read each day. Check in with your student about what book their group is currently reading. Idiom of the week: the elephant in the room Math We have been experimenting with students completing exit tickets on Seesaw. I see this as a great opportunity for families to see what their students are working on in math. We know that learners need feedback to maximize their growth and this is a great tool to provide students with prompt feedback on their work. I encourage you to use what you see on their Seesaw exit tickets communicate with your student about their math. Whether you comment on Seesaw or have conversations at home is up to you.  Inquiry On Friday we wrapped up our how we organize ourselves inquiry with the central idea that community values...

Reading The snow days last week messed with our schedule a bit. We will have a gallery walk to share all of our book reports on Wednesday, 3/6. However, Friday, 3/1 was the last day students will be given to work on their project at school. If they are not done yet, they will need to complete their project at home. Check in with your student and ask if they have finished their project yet.  Idiom of the week: broadside of the barn Math  Next week we will continue the second half of our fractions unit. We'll start with extending fraction equivalence to fractions that are greater than 1. To have success with this skill students need to be able to convert between improper and mixed fractions fluently. For example they may be given two fractions like 33/9 and 3 1/3 and be asked to compare them. This problem is much easier if they can turn 33/9 into 3 6/9. At that point, they are able to tell that it is larger than 3 1/3.  How We Organize Ourselves  We will w...