Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas 

and Happy Holidays!

HW - Thursday, 12/17

Parents:

• Tomorrow is a MINIMUM DAY. Dismissal is 1:00 p.m.
• The next Ruskin Lego Challenge theme for January is AMERICA, in honor of Presidents' Week. Bookmark RuskinLUG.blogspot.com for more Ruskin LUG news.
• Students received instructions on their next project: writing their own version of the Cinderella story.  They need to start writing their first drafts now.
• Thank you to the parents who have signed up for the classroom party tomorrow! If you still are considering donating store purchased (not home prepared) foods, please contact me ASAP. Check here for the current sign-up list.
• Thank you to the parents who have submitted classroom donations!

1.  Read for 30 min. 
Sharks Reading Is Cool goal for DECEMBER: MOST PAGES READ
(Logs are due on Tuesday, January 5.)

HAVE YOU BEEN ENTERING YOUR PAGES IN YOUR READING LOG?!

2.  Language Arts

• Spelling Activity (TWO due by Friday) NONE
• Wordly Wise NONE
• Time for Kids NONE
• Cinderella story (first draft) is due on Monday, January 4, 2016. It is not a RETELLING of the original story, rather a reinventing or tweaking of the story with the option of including cultural influences.

3.  Math

• TEXT pgs. none
• WKBK pgs. none

4.   History pgs. none

5.   Science pgs. none

HW - Wednesday, 12/16

Parents:

• CAASPP Interim testing has completed and we will continue with "The Hour of Code" through Thursday.  Thank you to the parents who provided their child an account. They can continue to work on them at home, if desired. Most students have finished the Star Wars code suite and are working on the Minecraft or Frozen ones.
• The next Ruskin Lego Challenge theme for January is AMERICA, in honor of Presidents' Week. Bookmark RuskinLUG.blogspot.com for more Ruskin LUG news.
• Students received instructions on their next project: writing their own version of the Cinderella story.  They need to start writing their first drafts now.
• Thank you to the parents who have signed up for the classroom party this Friday! If you still are considering donating store purchased (not home prepared) foods, please contact me ASAP. Check here for the current sign-up list.
• Thank you to the parents who have submitted classroom donations!

1.  Read for 30 min. 
Sharks Reading Is Cool goal for DECEMBER: MOST PAGES READ
(Logs are due on Tuesday, January 5.)

HAVE YOU BEEN ENTERING YOUR PAGES IN YOUR READING LOG?!

2.  Language Arts

• Spelling Activity (TWO due by Friday) NONE
• Wordly Wise NONE
• Time for Kids open "book" quiz is tomorrow. Magazines were distributed yesterday. Students will be needing the magazine tomorrow to complete a few activities.
• Time for Kids worksheet due tomorrow.
• Cinderella story (first draft) is due on Monday, January 4, 2016. It is not a RETELLING of the original story, rather a reinventing or tweaking of the story with the option of including cultural influences.

3.  Math

• TEXT pgs. none
• WKBK pgs. none

4.   History pgs. none this month

5.   Science pgs. none this month

HW - Tuesday, 12/15

Parents:

• CAASPP Interim testing has completed and we will continue with "The Hour of Code" through Thursday.  Thank you to the parents who provided their child an account. They can continue to work on them at home, if desired. Most students have finished the Star Wars code suite and are working on the Minecraft or Frozen ones.
• The next Ruskin Lego Challenge will take place tomorrow at 4:30 p.m. Beyond the Brick: A LEGO Brickumentary, will also be shown. We will also have a few contests. It's FREE so stop by and check out your Ruskin classmates' MOCs!  Bookmark RuskinLUG.blogspot.com for more Ruskin LUG news.
• Students received instructions on their next project: writing their own version of the Cinderella story. More clarifications will take place tomorrow so if you or your child have questions, please remind them to ask me tomorrow and this whole week.
• Thank you to the parents who have signed up for the classroom party this Friday! If you still are considering donating store purchased (not home prepared) foods, please contact me ASAP. Check here for the current sign-up list.
• Thank you to the parents who have submitted classroom donations!

1.  Read for 30 min. 
Sharks Reading Is Cool goal for DECEMBER: MOST PAGES READ
(Logs are due on Tuesday, January 5.)

HAVE YOU BEEN ENTERING YOUR PAGES IN YOUR READING LOG?!

2.  Language Arts

• Spelling Activity (TWO due by Friday) NONE
• Wordly Wise NONE
• Time for Kids open "book" quiz is on Thursday. Magazines were distributed yesterday. Students will be needing the magazine tomorrow to complete a few activities.
• Cinderella story (first draft) is due on Monday, January 4, 2016. It is not a RETELLING of the original story, rather a reinventing or tweaking of the story with cultural, regional, etc. differences.

3.  Math

• TEXT pgs. none
• WKBK pgs. none

4.   History pgs. none this month

5.   Science pgs. none this month

Holiday Party Update

I will try to update this page as often as I can.
Even though a category is filled, if you'd like to contribute something to the class party please let me know via email.

MAIN DISHES (2-3)

1. Tamales (Mr. Amutan)

2. Pizza (Joanie and Logan)

3. Lumpiang Shanghai a.k.a. pork egg rolls (Marcella)

SNACKS (3-4)

1.  Chips (Tammy and Dylan)

2.  Edamame (Kira)

3.  Spam Musubi a.k.a. spam sushi (Zoe)

4.  Vegetable tray and cheese balls (Raaid)
5.  Fruit (Tyler and Kaylene)

DESSERTS (2-4)

1.  Something delicious (Amanda)

2.  Cupcakes (Anirudh)

3.  Birthday cake (Janice)
4.  Brownies (Tristan)

5.  Cheesecakes (Hannah)

DRINKS (enough for two servings per student)

1. Martinelli Apple Cider (Mr. Amutan's class)

2. Capri Sun (Ava)

3. Juice (Gurpriya)

4. Lemonade or Orange Juice (Angela)

SUPPLIES

Plates - Katelyn/Bryan M

Utensils - Katelyn

Cups and Napkins - We're well stocked already

Are You Ready for Star Wars?

The newest Star Wars movie releases this week, so why don't you get to know the "good guys"* of the film saga, the Jedi Order, a little bit better?

* To understand the use of quotation marks, you must watch all of the Star Wars movies or Star Wars: Clone Wars TV series.

HW - Monday, 12/14

Parents:

• Due to internet issues, we will continue with CAASPP testing and "The Hour of Code" tomorrow through Thursday.  Thank you to the parents who provided their child an account. They can continue to work on them at home, if desired. Students worked on the first Coding puzzles (Star Wars and Minecraft) and will continue doing so this week.
• The next Ruskin Lego Challenge will take place this Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. Beyond the Brick: A LEGO Brickumentary, will also be shown. We will also have a few contests. It's FREE so stop by and check out your Ruskin classmates' MOCs! Bookmark RuskinLUG.blogspot.com for more Ruskin LUG news.
• Tomorrow, students will receive instructions on their next project: writing their own version of the Cinderella story.
• I will send an email out re: this Friday's party tonight.
• Thank you to the parents who have submitted classroom donations!

1.  Read for 30 min. 
Sharks Reading Is Cool goal for DECEMBER: MOST PAGES READ
(Logs are due on Tuesday, January 5.)

HAVE YOU BEEN ENTERING YOUR PAGES IN YOUR READING LOG?!

2.  Language Arts

• Spelling Activity (TWO due by Friday) NONE
• Wordly Wise Lesson 9-12 Review pgs. 133-135
• Time for Kids open "book" quiz is on Thursday. Magazines were distributed today.

3.  Math

• TEXT pgs. none
• WKBK pgs. none

4.   History pgs. none this month

5.   Science pgs. none this month

HW - Thursday, 12/10

Parents:

• We continued "The Hour of Code" today.  Thank you to the parents who provided their child an account. They can continue to work on them at home, if desired. Students worked on the first Coding puzzles (Star Wars and Minecraft) and will continue doing so next week.
• The next Ruskin Lego Challenge has been posted: RuskinLUG.blogspot.com
• District testing started today will take place tomorrow through next week (probably only one day, Monday, is needed). They are taking two tests: reading informational text (Language Arts) and number operations (Math). Ask them about the tests. We used the state testing website that they will use later in May.
• Thank you to the parents who have submitted classroom donations!

1.  Read for 30 min. 
Sharks Reading Is Cool goal for DECEMBER: MOST PAGES READ
(Logs are due on Tuesday, January 5.)

HAVE YOU BEEN ENTERING YOUR PAGES IN YOUR READING LOG?!

2.  Language Arts

• Spelling Activity (TWO due by Friday) NONE
• Wordly Wise Lesson 12e / Wordly Wise Test on Friday
• Time for Kids has not been assigned; we will have it next week (they arrived today).

3.  Math

• TEXT pgs. none
• WKBK pgs. P 6-3 / P 6-4 (for those who did not finish their math workbook pages)

4.   History pgs. none this month

5.   Science pgs. none this month

HW - Wednesday, 12/9

Parents:

• We started "The Hour of Code" today.  Students worked on the first Coding puzzles (Star Wars) and will continue doing so tomorrow and through next week.
• The next Ruskin Lego Challenge has been posted: RuskinLUG.blogspot.com
• District testing will take place tomorrow through next week (we caught up with work and did coding today).
• Thank you to the parents who have submitted classroom donations!

1.  Read for 30 min. 
Sharks Reading Is Cool goal for DECEMBER: MOST PAGES READ
(Logs are due on Tuesday, January 5.)

HAVE YOU BEEN ENTERING YOUR PAGES IN YOUR READING LOG?!

2.  Language Arts

• Spelling Activity (TWO due by Friday) NONE
• Wordly Wise Lesson 12e / Wordly Wise Test on Friday
• Time for Kids has not been assigned; we will have it next week (they arrived today).

3.  Math

• TEXT pgs. 158-161
• WKBK pgs. P 6-3 / P 6-4
• Topic 6 Math Test tomorrow

4.   History pgs. none this month

5.   Science pgs. none this month

HW - Tuesday, 12/8

Parents:

• Shhhhhh.....Tomorrow, SANTA is visiting Ruskin! If you so choose, you can wear any festive clothing or gear for the class picture with Santa.
• Also, tomorrow is the Holiday Sing-A-Long at 9:00 a.m. with the Kindergarten and 5th grade classes.
• The next Ruskin Lego Challenge has been posted: RuskinLUG.blogspot.com
• District testing will take place tomorrow through next week.
• We will be participating in the Hour of Code during the week of December 7-13. Students will practicing coding skills in class. (Since I'm gone on the 7th and 8th AND we're gone on the 11th, I'll make that hour up on Wednesday, Thursday, and/or the following Monday.)
• Thank you to the parents who have submitted classroom donations!

1.  Read for 30 min. 
Sharks Reading Is Cool goal for DECEMBER: MOST PAGES READ
HAVE YOU BEEN ENTERING YOUR PAGES IN YOUR READING LOG?!

2.  Language Arts

• Spelling Activity (TWO due by Friday) NONE
• Wordly Wise Lesson 12c-d / Wordly Wise Test on Friday
• Time for Kids has not been assigned

3.  Math

• TEXT pgs. 154-156
• WKBK pgs. none
• Topic 6 Math Test on Thursday

4.   History pgs. none this month

5.   Science pgs. none this month

This Is the Last Week for the Holiday Food Drive

Please consider sharing your blessings and donating to some families of need.

Thank you.

Congratulations to Our Class's SJ Sharks Reading Is Cool Winner

I should say...WINNERS!

Congratulations to November's Sharks Reading Is Cool Readers of the Month: Hannah AND Gurpriya!  Both read 50 books (100 pages or more)! I couldn't believe it either! They will both receive a $5 Barnes and Noble gift card as well as have their names posted on the SJ Sharks Reading Is Cool website! Again, CONGRATS to Hannah and Gurpriya

• Our class surpassed last month's total and logged an amazing 58,822 pages read! Because they completed and returned their October Reading Logs, the following students HAVE BEEN given a Pizza Hut Personal Pan Pizza voucher: Angela, Anirudh, Ava, Brian, Bryan, Dylan, Eva, Gurpriya, Hannah, Janice, Joanie, Katelyn, Kaylene, Kira, Logan, Rachel, Raymond, Skye, Tammy, Thea, Tristan, and Tyler. Remember the vouchers expire in 30 days.
• Remember, your DECEMBER Logs (most pages read) are due on WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6.

Weekend Events (December 5-6)

SATURDAY, Dec. 5, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.: (FREE) OSH is offering a DECORATE YOUR OWN Jolly Paint Nick art event

SATURDAY, Dec. 5, 11 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.: ($) San Jose's Super Toy, Comic and Collectible Show at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds (Tully Rd. and Monterey Rd.)

SUNDAY, Dec. 6, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.: (FREE) Exploratorium (Pier 15) is offering FREE ADMISSION (sponsored by Uniqlo) See link for more info.

SUNDAY, Dec. 6, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.: (FREE) Asian Art Museum is offering FREE ADMISSION (sponsored by Target) See link for more info.

Sumdog Final Update (8:42 p.m.)

Update #2 (8:42 p.m.):  The contest ended. We finished #15 in the nation! Well done!!! :D

Update #1 (4:20 p.m.):  I know many of you are trying to boost our class into the top 10...

YOU'RE REALLY CLOSE!

Currently, we sit at #16.

So keep answering those questions CORRECTLY!

HW - Thursday, 12/3

Parents:

• Due to only 2.5 weeks of school left, Scholastic Book Orders will be due this Friday, 12/4 (book order form with payment) OR Saturday, 12/5 (online order). Orders will be processed on Sunday, 12/6.
• Thank you to the parents who donated wire hangers for those students who didn't have one. BUT we still need just a FEW more! If you can spare some, the students and I will be grateful!
• The next Ruskin Lego Challenge has been posted: RuskinLUG.blogspot.com
• District testing will take place this month.
• We will be participating in the Hour of Code during the week of December 7-13. Students will practicing coding skills in class. (Since I'm gone on the 7th and 8th AND we're gone on the 11th, I'll make that hour up on Wednesday, Thursday, and/or the following Monday.)
• Thank you to the parents who have submitted classroom donations!

1.  Read for 30 min. 
Sharks Reading Is Cool goal for DECEMBER: MOST PAGES READ
HAVE YOU BEEN ENTERING YOUR PAGES IN YOUR READING LOG?!

2.  Language Arts

• Spelling Activity (TWO due by Friday) / Spelling Test
• Wordly Wise Lesson 11e / Wordly Wise Test
• Language Arts Workbook pgs. 188-189
• Write your essay in the order:
• Paragraph 1: Opening (Write your statement of opinion)
• Paragraph 2: Reason #1 (Most important)
• Paragraph 3: Reason #2 (Next most important)
• Paragraph 4: Reason #3 (Next important)
• Paragraph 5: Reason #4 (Least important)
• Paragraph 6: Closing (Rewrite your Opening and wrap it up with some of your key reasons)
• Time for Kids did not come in today and may not come in this week (off week, I think).

3.  Math

• TEXT pgs. 144-147
• WKBK pgs. none
• Sumdog (last day for the contest!) As of 1:13 p.m., we're currently 16th in the Nation! HELP US finish in the top 10 by the end of today!

4.   History pgs. none this month

5.   Science pgs. none this month

HW - Wednesday, 12/2

Parents:

• Due to only 2.5 weeks of school left, Scholastic Book Orders will be due this Saturday, 12/5. Orders will be processed on Sunday, 12/6.
• Thank you to the parents who donated wire hangers for those students who didn't have one. BUT we still need more! About 1/3 of the class was able to start their wreath project today. If you can spare some, the students and I will be grateful!
• FIVE chaperones are needed for next Friday's field trip.
• The next Ruskin Lego Challenge has been posted: RuskinLUG.blogspot.com
• District testing will take place this month.
• We will be participating in the Hour of Code during the week of December 7-13. Students will practicing coding skills in class. (Since I'm gone on the 7th and 8th AND we're gone on the 11th, I'll make that hour up on Wednesday, Thursday, and/or the following Monday.)
• Thank you to the parents who have submitted classroom donations!

1.  Read for 30 min. 
Sharks Reading Is Cool goal for DECEMBER: MOST PAGES READ
HAVE YOU BEEN ENTERING YOUR PAGES IN YOUR READING LOG?!

2.  Language Arts

• Spelling Activity (TWO due by Friday) / Spelling Test
• Wordly Wise Lesson 11e (due Friday) / Wordly Wise Test
• Language Arts Workbook pgs. 178-180, 184-186
• Time for Kids did not come in today and may not come in this week (off week, I think).

3.  Math

• TEXT pgs. none
• WKBK pgs. P 6-1, P 6-2
• TenMarks (only FOUR students need to finish)

4.   History pgs. none this month

5.   Science pgs. none this month

HW - Tuesday, 12/1

Parents:

• REMINDER: November's Sharks Reading Is Cool Reading Logs will be accepted tomorrow, Wednesday, 12/2 but NOT LATER!
• If you have wire hangars (not the really thick kind; must be pliable, easily bendable; preferably NOT coated with plastic), please have your child bring TWO to school tomorrow. If you have 1 or 2 extra for those who may not have one, please send them as well. THANKS!
• Tomorrow we have a brief presentation from our Ruskin school counselor on social skills (i.e., being nice, no bullying).
• The next Ruskin Lego Challenge has been posted: RuskinLUG.blogspot.com
• District testing will take place this month.
• We will be participating in the Hour of Code during the week of December 7-13. Students will practicing coding skills in class. (Since I'm gone on the 7th and 8th AND we're gone on the 11th, I'll make that hour up on Wednesday, Thursday, and/or the following Monday.)
• Thank you to the parents who have submitted classroom donations!

1.  Read for 30 min. 
Sharks Reading Is Cool goal for DECEMBER: MOST PAGES READ
HAVE YOU BEEN ENTERING YOUR PAGES IN YOUR READING LOG?!

2.  Language Arts

• Spelling Activity (TWO due by Friday) / Spelling Test
• Wordly Wise Lesson 11c-d
• Language Arts Workbook pgs. 175, 177, 181-183
• Time for Kids did not come in today and may not come in this week (off week, I think).

3.  Math

• TEXT pgs. 142-143
• WKBK pgs. R 6-1, R 6-2

4.   History pgs. none this month

5.   Science pgs. none this month