Manoa Mountains News for October 18, 2007

The Manoa Mountains are getting excited about going on the excursions to the Manoa Heritage Center on November 5 and the Manoa Stream Tour on November 6. This is all part of their Hawaiian Studies about Manoa Valley and the ahupua'a that is closest to our school. At the Manoa Heritage Center, they will learn about the history of the valley and the important events which occurred here. The tour of the Manoa Heritage Center will also provide some helpful information about Manoa Stream and its importance to the ahupua'a of Manoa Valley. As we tour Manoa Stream from its source close to the Lyon Arboretum down to Manoa School, Kaimuki High School, McCully Bridge, and Magic Island, we will see how human impact has changed the appearance of the stream from beginning to end, where it empties into the Ala Wai Canal and then into the ocean.

The third graders are still correcting their work on Unit 2 in Math Investigations. We should be able to send the completed work home next week Monday, so please expect an envelope. I am not asking you to sign and return the note that says that you received the work because less than half of you returned the form for Unit 1. I hope that you will spend some time going over the work with your child.

The class is working hard on their writing pieces and even wrote their own versions of the opera story for "Kahala-o-puna" this week. The entire elementary school will present the opera on May 9 and 10, 2008. The story is about the princess of Manoa and the challenges she faced in her life. She was brought back to life twice after dying. This added to everyone's fascination about her charmed life.

The Reading Log entries continue to be well written and detailed. The Manoa Mountains are putting a lot of effort into their work and are articulating their understanding of what they have read with clarity and thoroughness.
There are some beautiful pictures drawn in their logs about the stories they have read, too.

Our Literature Circle and vocabulary work continue to move along, and we are making good progress on our daily assignments. A few students have had to finish their work for homework, but everyone is doing a good job with the comprehension questions, plot pictures, and reports of the legends. They are also doing a good job on the meanings of the vocabulary words, sentences, and pictures.

Everyone received a Firefighter Safety Guide, which is due to  be completed and turned in on October 26. This annual review of the rules of fire safety has been done ever since I can remember, and my class has always had 100% participation.  Several of my students have won prizes as well. I have also won prizes for having everyone complete the books and return them. Parents, please remember to sign your child's book when it is completed.

The recycling campaign at Mid-Pacific Institute Elementary School has been launched, and we will be working on it for the rest of the year.  Each third and fourth grade class has been assigned a week to collect the recyclable materials and sort them for pick-up by the city recycling crew.

Our next project is a book report due on October 29.  Everyone should have been working on it for homework every night since last week. The speeches and visual aids need to be carefully planned. We are looking forward to  some creative presentations

Halloween is coming soon, and we will receive information about the "Spooktivity" celebration as it is shared with us. I would appreciate it very much if treats for the class are limited to healthy snacks and no candy. The students will make their own "Trick or Treat" bags in school. Of course, everyone can dress up in costumes that morning or at lunch recess.

Posted on October 18, 2007 6:06 AM | Permalink