4th/5th Grade - Mrs. Leah Pason
December & January Newsletter
Winter brings lots of exciting projects and adventures to Room 13!
Thank you to all the families who have brought in supplies for our mission building project! If you haven't brought anything in or want to bring in more supplies, we start building next week and all of the work will be completed in class. The students will be working with a partner, using the LIFESKILLS of flexibility and cooperation, to build a replica of their mission. They will be creating the front of the mission, one inside room and one outside area. Students will also be writing a report on a specific mission. Ample class time will be given for this report however, if a student is not using class time wisely, they may need to complete some of the report at home. Students will have 3 weeks to gather information, write a rough draft and complete a final draft of the report. Students will also write a speech that they will present to the entire 4th grade. They will be given an outline and time in class to write the speech. I encourage students to practice their speeches at home.
Math: Unit 3 - Double-digit multiplication and long division
Reading: As a class, we are reading Tiger Rising. Please have your child tell you about this book! It's a coming of age story about a boy, named Rob, who lives in a motel with his father and he is trying to learn how to cope with life after the death of his mom. He finds a tiger in the woods, meets a sassy girl named Sistine and has run in with the town bullies, the Threemonger Brothers. Rob learns to talk about his feelings and process his emotions.
Benchmark: We are finishing our 3rd unit in Benchmark about Point of View. We will begin our 4th unit on
Writing: After winter break, we will be writing an opinion essay. In December, we worked on an on-demand opinion essay about a character in a book they read, arguing if they would make a good friend.
Science: We will spend some time exploring the elements in an environment. We will also learn about food webs and how plants and animals transfer their energy to each other. Students will plant seeds in a terrarium and learn how an environment affects growth.
Social Studies: In December, we wrap up our unit on the California Mission system. Students are writing reports on a specific mission, will give a presentation to the entire 4th grade, and will build missions in class with a buddy. We will be inviting families to come take a tour of our Calorina missions on Tuesday, December 19 from 1:30-2:00pm in the LGI.
Classroom Wish List
Thank you so much for supplying our classroom with many necessary supplies! Our classroom needs:
You can also take a look at my Amazon wish list. There are books and other items that I would love to have for our class. https://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/GDG5TSG67QW5/ref=nav_wishlist_lists_1
Donor's Choose Projects
I don't have any projects posted at this time.
All About Mrs. Pason
Welcome to Room 13! I am excited to be your child’s 4th grade teacher. This is my fourth year teaching 4th grade at Beresford. I have a Bachelors of Science in Psychology and a Masters of Elementary Education. I consider myself to be a life-long learner and find joy in discovering new things.
In addition to teaching I am the PTA Parliamentarian and parent- teacher liasion, Beresford’s technology leader, and I am on the talent show and PBIS teams. Outside of school I am a Girl Scout Troop leader and a softball mom.
I live in San Mateo with my husband, daughter, 2 dogs and 2 cats. We are a small but busy family. Many of you know that my daughter Hayden is also a Beresford Bear! She is in 4th grade this year. When we aren’t working or at school my family loves to explore San Francisco, hike in the Redwoods or just enjoy time with our family and friends.
I know this is going to be an exciting and adventurous school year!
Free online tutoring with a San Mateo library card!! To access this free tutoring service you will need a computer, internet and to follow these simple steps:
- Go to the city of San Mateo's website
- Click on Departments
- Click on Library
- Click on Kids
- Look for Brain Fuse. This is the link to the free tutoring!
Let me know if you need help finding this website!
12/8 Movie Night 6-8pm ($5) in the LGI
12/19 @ 1:30-2:00pm Mission Projects Displayed
12/22-1/8 No School-Winter Break
1/15- No School- Martin Luther King Jr.'s Day
2/19- No School- President's Day
Please click here to see our weekly schedule.
Students are expected to complete homework each night and 30 minutes of reading. Most nights students will have a math worksheet and a short reading or writing assignment. Please remember to have students fill out their reading logs and please sign the homework log. Ocasionally there will be a long-term project such as a book report.