PTA CARNIVAL A HUGE SUCCESS!

Thank you to all the parents and volunteers who helped make our Spring Carnival a success. All who attended had a blast! Thanks for making it possible.

CST Test-Taking Tips

Finally... Here is the video of CST test-taking tips written and performed by students in Mrs. Berkley's Focus Group. Enjoy!

Victoria's Carnival is Coming!

Next Saturday, April 24th, is Victoria's Annual PTA Carnival. Our PTA is busily getting ready! They have been preparing for months - painting, building, gathering prizes, planning.

Each classroom is in charge of a game booth and a "basket" for the silent auction. Contact your child's Room Mom or the P.T.A if you'd like to contribute or sign up to help work the booth.

Events:
Cub Scout Troop - post colors

Victoria student Nathan S. - Star Spangled Banner

Radio Disney

Three Kid "Rock" Bands

DJ JoJo
US Army with their Hummer and parachute
22' Giant Slide
Bouncing House

Silent Auction

Game Booths:
Wheel of Fortune

Toilet Paper Toss

Cake Walk

Milk Bottle Toss

Go Fishing!

Lucky Door

Duck Pond

Fantasy Booth

Face/Hair Painting

...any many, many more.

Food:
Carne Asada - made by Mr. & Mrs. Chavez
Salsa - made by Mrs. Jacobsmeyer
Nachos
BBQ Hot Dogs & Hamburgers

Popcorn
Ice Cream

Silent Auction Baskets:

Arts and Crafts

Bakers' Dozen

Road to Reading

Pampered Mom

Pasta Night

Picture This!

Fiesta Basket

Movie Night

Chocolate Lovers

Garden

Toy Chest

...and many, many more!!!

Booths:

Victoria's Green Team

Gold Canyon Candles

U.S. Army - letters to the troops
Mrs. Murtaugh class Loofahs
Altura Credit Union

PTA is selling tickets every day before and after school in front of the school.

Tickets are 5 for $1.

Plan now to join us on Saturday!
Bring your family and neighbors for a fun day at Victoria School.

CST PepRally

Yesterday, we held a pep rally to pump up the students for the upcoming California Standards Test (CST). Our objective was to encourage students to be confident to do their personal best and to apply important test-taking strategies.

We began the assembly with a short skit performed by staff members and friends (see video above). This was a lot fun and the students enjoyed watching the adults from around campus perform.

We followed this by some chants and cheers.

Next, students watched a video that was written and performed by Mrs. Berkley's Focus Group. (I've been having difficulty saving the video captured with my HD Flip - I think the high definition video has made the file too large. I hope to resolve this issue and post that video, as well.) The students did a fabulous job with it!

Then, we got everyone up on their feet to do the CST Chicken Dance! We sang the following words while doing the chicken dance actions (for music, go to http://suzyred.com/chickendance.html)

Gonna ace the test!
Gonna beat the rest!
Gonna ace the test!
'Cause we're the best!
We're going to Problem solve the answers!
We will predict and look for proof!
When things get tough, Relax and draw it!
We'll send our scores Right through the roof!
Gonna ace the test
Gonna beat the rest
Gonna ace the test
'Cause we're the BEST!

Our assembly concluded with a few words about testing. Then each student (grades 2-6) recieved a yellow gel bracelet with the words "I believe in me." The bracelet is to remind students of the yellow brick CST road and to believe in themselves while taking the the test.

As we countdown for the test, students are given a test taking tip of the day each morning over the intercom. Then, throughout the day, if the students can recite the tip to certain staff members, students get a gift card to Golden Spoon Cremery for a free frozen yogurt!

Teachers are also preparing their students with 5-5-5/day. Each day the children review 5 math questions and 5 ELA questions in the CST format, as well as dicuss 5 vocabulary words.

I BELIVE that Victoria will ACHIEVE on the CST.

ON-GOING PARTNERSHIP - TARGET

Today concluded our "Pleasure Reading" month (see March 2nd post). Just as we did exactly one month ago, the whole school joined together on the field to read for pleasure. This time, Target volunteers joined us to read with the kids. We appreciate this continuing partnership with Target and their support in helping our students learn the value (and fun) of reading!

A SUCCESSFUL OPEN HOUSE

Victoria students and teachers prepared a wonderful Open House held on March 31. Students excitedly shared all of the interesting information they have been learning and the fun activities they've completed. Open is a time for then to show off all of their hard work!

Above, Anthony R. shows his mom and sisters how a lung works. Students is Rooms 1 and 2 built working models of a lung using a plastic cup (torso cavity), a straw poked through the bottom of the cup and connected to a balloon (the trachea and lung), some clay (to form a seal between the straw and cup) and a balloon stretched over the mouth of the cup (diaphragm). When they blew in the straw, air would go through the trachea and then lung would fill with air! Life size (or at least 5th grader size) drawings of the human body, including all of the major systems – circulatory system, digestive system, etc. – lined one wall of their classrooms. Who knew learning could be so much fun? Thank you Ms. Santana and Mrs. Younan!

Students and parents who visited Ms. Murtaugh's Special Education classroom helped plant vegetables in their garden. They also got to husk one of their harvested loofahs and take it home. Students planted this trailing vine plant alongside a fence last spring. All summer, I watched them grow. They looked like cucumbers or squash. I learned they were loofahs when the students posted a sign that read, “Please do not eat these. They are loofahs. Loofahs are like a washcloth.” Although loofahs can be eaten before they are mature, when left on the vine they dry up and become like a sponge. I appreciate all of the beauty Room 4’s gardens bring our campus, as well as all of the wonderful learning opportunities for all at Victoria.

This was not only a night to see and hear about all of the amazing things our students are doing and learning, it was also a night for parents to meet other parents. Victoria’s PTA was here selling spirit wear and recruiting help for our upcoming Spring Carnival (to be held on April 21). Outdoor Education also held a bake sale to begin raising money to send next year’s sixth graders to science camp. Mrs. Gonzales and Mr. Kaufhold invited parents to join them in the computer lab where they discussed tips to help prepare our children for the upcoming California Standards Test (CST), including utilizing the computer program Study Island. I love the sense of family that is here at Victoria!

Thank you to all the teachers and students for "showing off their smarts" and for all of the parents and family members who came to our Open House.

Inlandia Chapbook Debut

On Sunday, March 21, 2010 authors of Mrs. Cruz's deputed their chapbook Journey to Inlandia: a Quest for Knowledge.

After their book was published, students began preparing for this big day by practicing reading aloud with prosody (expression).

On the big day, visitors sat in groups in a room on the second floor of the Downtown Riverside Library as students bounced around the room reading aloud their stories to each group. Their stories all shared bits and pieces of Riverside's history in very creative ways. Many of them involved time travel of some sort. Student did a fabulous job in writing and presenting their work.

Thank you to Mrs. Cruz, all of her students, and all of the visitors who came to support this event!