Short Cut to Figure Out Divisibility of 3

Okay, you know the rule - add up all digits and divide the total by 3, if it's divisible by 3, then the whole number is divisible by 3. Simple right? But what happens if you have a super large number like 94857385958382? Do you still want to add them up before you divide? What if I tell you I can do it in a few seconds instead of minutes? Here is the trick - if your goal is to divide the total by 3, why not cross out the digits (or two digits added together) that are already a multiple of 3. Here is how it works - 1. Method One: 9+8+5+7+3+8+.....+2 = Whatever!! Did you add up all 14 numbers? 2. Mrs. Yu's way - 1.) get rid of 9, 4+5, 8+7, 3, 9, 3; 2.) you are left with 8, 5, 5, 8, 8, 2; 8+5+5 = 18, and so are 8+8+2 = 18, 18 is a multiple of 3, cross these numbers off! 3.) you are left with 0! Yes, this number 94857385958382 is divisible by 3! While others are busy adding up the total of the digits, you spend a few seconds crossing out the numbers that are already a multiple of 3. The result? You are done in a few seconds, and less likely to make mistake! Now can you challenge yourself to see if the same strategy can work for 9? Have fun figuring it out!!

Last Day of School, 6/17/2010

Yes, last day of school! It should have been sentimental, but it turned out to be a party we celebrated. Why not? I am not leaving my students forever, just look at all of my former students who came back to visit us. Yet, I felt awful leaving my fourth graders - all sixteen of you, who I could have spent another year with. I know Mrs. Caffery will be a great teacher for you next year, and you can always stop by room 17 to visit me - maybe giving me a few more advices on how to "take care of" my kinders and first graders. Promise me you will all do well, 6th graders in middle schools and 5th graders in room 24. I love you all!!!

Back In Taiwan!!

Dear Room 24 Students, where have you been and what have you been doing in the past week? For me, I have already visited three museums, went to the beach at an island called Penghu which is located between Taiwan and Mainland China, and I am now resting in a fancy hotel near the suburb of Taipei to relax in the natural spring. I've heard of little gold fish which can help chew away the dead skin of your feet but never seen them until this morning! They were ticklish, but felt great when they nibbled around my feet, more than 30 of them! Next time I will upload some pictures to show you. Tell me what you have been doing, and let's see if someone else would also like to share! My happy vacation will end soon, then I will be back to school to clean up room 24 and set up room 17. I hope you have all been enjoying the summer so far. Let me hear from you!!

Shooting Star

Shooting Star

Please won't you catch a Shooting Star for me And take it with you on your way Though it seems like we've just met, you're the one I won't forget Hope some kind wind blows you back my way

CHORUS: And I was thinking maybe somewhere later down the road After all our stories have been told I'll sit and think of you, the dear friend I once knew (who)Shot through my life like a shooting star

You are so dear, you're my bright and shining star You brighten up each and every day You are so near, but soon you'll be so far So why not hold my hand today?

CHORUS

Sometimes I know that a part of you will show Deep in my heart and in my smile There will always be a part of you deep inside my heart And I'll know just when to let it go

CHORUS

Practice the song with this youtube clip.

Music with piano

Outdoor School? No, Outdoor Spelling Test!

What do you do on a fabulous Friday afternoon when the weather is perfect? Answer - let's take our spelling test in the park! Yeah, I am sure it helps!

China’s World Expo

China’s World Expo

By: Raymond Hey class! Do you know that China is hosting the World Expo in Shanghai right now? A World Expo is a place where many countries build pavilions to represent their countries. It was meant to build a better image of China around the world. China has spent about 5.8 billion on building gorgeous stadiums and other spectacular spectacles. In recent decades, World Expos didn’t attract much attention, but an estimated seventy million people are expected to visit China’s World Expo during the six months when it’s open. Actually, China’s world expo just started on Saturday, May 1st, and will remain open until the end of October. I saw part of the awesome opening ceremony. There were so many creative things I saw. In one part, there were these huge glowing red LCD balls that were floating in a lake. Toward the end, there were fountains with colored water and there were so many fireworks that it seemed endless. At the end, the sky was so filled with smoke from the fireworks. America’s pavilion was a Hollywood-produced 4-D spectacle to show America’s innovation (technology) and diversity. World Expos is very interesting, but China stands out the most because of its creative programs. Would you like to visit Shanghai World Expo if you have the chance? Do you wish for a World Expo to be held in America? What country would you like to visit the most for its pavilion? Take a look at this website for a short 12 minutes introduction about World Expos Expo 2010 Shanghi China, then go to Site Tour to visit the countries which host a pavilion. Want to see the opening ceremony with firework? Click on this link to take a look:

Shanghai World Expo 2010 HD, Opening Ceremony Fireworks

Have fun exploring!!

Electronic Products

Electronic Products By: Aaron

Hi everybody! What do you know about electronic products? Which one do you use the most? I use the computer the most because computer helps me find the things I need and the information I have to search up. I think computers are the most used electronic these days because adults who work at offices usually need a computer like my dad does. Sometimes computers have crashes, which causes the computer to go slower. I have experienced many viruses that could have destroyed my computer. One way to get rid of viruses is to go to the control panel and delete the virus. 95% of kids in the United States have their own computers. They say that kids ages 8-18 spend more than seven hours on the computer! They could be playing outside or doing something productive though. I do not own a cellphone and I don't really need it. I know some kids who have cellphones and all they do is text and play the games. I do not want to be a person like that. I would only want a cellphone if I were going to get lost. In the future I think that texting will overrule all things and all you see is people texting. We don't want that to happen. Do you own any electronic products, and how often do you use them? Please share with us!

Future Careers

Future Careers By: Abhinav

Hi Room 24! Everyone has ambitions and dreams to achieve something in life or become somebody in the future. Did you ever think about or decide what you would like to become when you grow up? I know it might be too early to think about it. But I guess you do have some idea or thought about it sometime or the other. I would like to be a cosmologist (one who studies the universe) when I grow up. I want to become a cosmologist because I've always had an interest in space, as there are so many questions without answers. I want to find a few answers. Here are more details about cosmologists. A cosmologist studies physical and metaphysical cosmology. The two subjects that are most needed to become a cosmologist are science and math. A few things you study are the Big Bang theory (which says that the universe began with a big bang), Babylonian cosmology, Bramandha cosmology, Atomist universe and many more. I think over the time our interests also change. Sometimes, I am in dilemma and think about becoming a chemist. I want to become a chemist because I want to create an eternal life potion which lets you live forever. Becoming either of these isn't an easy task and takes a lot of hard work for several years. In fact, that is true with any profession you choose. It will be really interesting to know about various career choices and your choice of future career. So, what is your dream future career and why? Do you know what it takes to become one? Please share with us.

Fly Alone

By: Puja

HAVE YOU FLOWN ALONE BEFORE?

In second grade during spring break, I flew alone to Baton Rouge, Louisiana to grand parents cousin’s house. I saw a fancy boat, and took pictures of it, ate powdered doughnuts, and watched a movie called “ARE WE DONE YET?” It’s about a man who bought a lovely house in the woods. Sadly, the house was falling apart. He got a constructor to fix the house, but builder didn’t do his job. However, the worker built a strong bond with the man’s family. It’s a story that proves having a strong bond is better than just working.

It was more fun flying alone than staying in Louisiana. I had snacks. I’m called an unaccompanied minor. The bad part was that they didn’t give headphones, so I couldn’t hear the TV. I liked meeting the new people sitting next to me. There were even two kids about my age! I liked looking out the window. There were even rivers to see!

Flight attendant helped with luggage. All of you know how I am slow, which is why I stayed on the plane. Have you ever flown alone? If so, then what was it like? If not, do you want to?

Favorite Food

Favorite Food By: Shreya

What are your favorite food and least favorite food?

Once you eat the same type of food everyday, you will get tired of it. Well at least that’s what happened to me. I have been eating Indian food for my whole life, and now they taste like I’m eating bland food. I think many people like Indian food because they eat it at restaurants, where the food is very different from the food they eat at home.

Other than Indian food, I love almost everything else. I like all the desserts except fruitcake, and other pastries that have fruit filling in them. My favorite dessert among all is brownies! I love it so much. To me it's always a delicacy.

I also love sushi. There are many variety of sushi but they all taste good. My family and I usually go to this restaurant called Ariake and my favorite is the California Roll.

I also love Chinese food. I love all the different meals and don’t hate any of them. There is also Mexican, Thai, and Persian. My most favorite food of all time would have to be Vietnamese noodle soup called Pho. It is the best food you can ever have. Usually I don’t finish the bowl because it comes in a pretty big portion.

There are not many foods that I don’t like. It is mostly licorice (ewe), spicy food, and dark chocolate. Dark chocolate is so bitter it seems to be stinging my tongue.

What’s your favorite food or favorite type of food? What’s your least favorite food? Please share with us!

Contact Lenses

By: Kaytlin

Hello everyone! Do you wear glasses or contact lenses? Well, I wear rigid contact lenses at night! It all started in fourth grade when I couldn't really read the words on the board. The optometrist examined me and said that I needed glasses. I wore my glasses for two weeks. Then my parents heard about the rigid contact lenses that you wear at night and remove in the morning. After I started using them, I could see much better. When I remove them in the morning my eyesight is almost 20/20, but during the day my eyesight gradually increases. If you currently wear glasses, would you want to wear rigid contact lenses? If you have good vision, how do you protect your eyesight?

April Break

By: Mrs. Yu Hi Room 24! April break is only a day away, have you thought about where you would like to go, or what you would like to do during our two weeks break? I have! Usually the longer break allows me to go back to being a full time mom, that means I can really plan on what to cook for my family, and go shopping for some clothing for my family. During the regular school year, I hardly have time to read books unrelated to my teaching. Finally I get to read books I want without planning on how to use it or teach it. Yeah, just read for pleasure!! How about movies? There are some good movies that were nominated for Oscar Award earlier, and I can rent them to find out how good they are. Getting tired sitting in the sofa, worrying about becoming a couch potato? Okay, I will get up and do some beginner steps on DDR (Dance Dance Revolution) with Playstation II, or go out to my backyard for some gardening work. Why not check on the current movie, and drag my husband to a good movie with me? He loves action movie, but I love non-violent ones. Okay, we will have to compromise. Maybe he will go to How to Train a Dragon with me, and I will go to a movie of his choice. I also want to visit the museum in San Francisco. I love De Young Museum, and I have not visited the new science museum yet. What are you planning to do? So many of you complained being bored during February break, a little planning will definitely make your break more enjoyable! Whether it's setting up a play date or going out to bowling or a movie, let your parents know what you would like to do first! Come share with us if you have other great ideas on how to spend your April Break!

Dinosaurs

Dinosaurs By: Justin

Hi room 24! Do you like dinosaurs? I do! Dinosaurs lived during the Phanerozoic eon, and the Mesozoic era. The three periods they lived in was the Triassic, Jurassic, and the Cretaceous period. My favorite dinosaur is Giganotosaurus. Giganotosaurus’ skull length is 6 ft, height at hips is 12 ft high, each hand has three fingers, its length is 43 ft long (13 m), and each weight is about 8 tons. It lived in South America. It lived in about 100 million to 95 million years ago. Giganotosaurus was even bigger than Tyrannosaurus rex. If you would like to find out more about dinosaurs, please visit http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/dinosaurs/ and http://www.kidsdinos.com/dinosaurs-for-children.php. What is your favorite dinosaur and what is something special about it? Please share with us!

April Fool's Day!

April Fool's Day

By: Shrila Have you ever been April Fooled? I love April Fool's Day because you never know what is going to happen! April Fool's Day is a day that everybody plays pranks on each other. It is so fun! Every year, I start thinking about what I'm going to do about a week before the actual day. One year, I made a bunch of small squares of paper, and wrote the words "APRIL FOOLS!" on them. Then, I put some tape on them. Whenever I saw somebody walk by, I would stick a piece of paper on him or her. It is so funny when you see them go by not noticing what is going on. My favorite April Fool's trick that I did was a couple of years ago. We used to have a remote control car, so I taped a video camera onto it. I took the remote control and clicked the record button on the video camera. A few minutes before I did that, my brother told me that he was going to do work, but I heard a little noise in his room so I got suspicious. I quietly opened the door and moved the car inside using the remote controller. I left the car with the camera in the room. After about five minutes, I again opened the door, and slipped the car outside using the controller. When I looked at the footage, I saw my brother listening to his iPod, and singing along with it so loudly. I laughed so badly! When I showed the videotape to my brother, he was so embarrassed! It was so funny! I will never forget that April Fool's Day! Some believe that the custom is related to the arrival of spring with the unpredictable and capricious April weather, but nobody is sure of that because there are many different theories of why we have April Fool's Day. Have you ever played a prank on someone on April Fool's Day? If you haven't, have you ever been tricked? Tell us all about it! I hope this blog helps you change your opinion about April Fool's Day!

Music and Songs

Music and Songs

By: Soraya

Hi room24! Mrs. Yu has just shared with us last week that one of her favorite songs is Naturally by Selena Gomez. That is also one of my favorite songs too! I also like Falling down by Selena Gomez. My favorite singer is Taylor Swift. My favorite songs by her are You Belong With Me, and White Horse. I also like Love Story. Another singer that I like is Demi Lovato. A few of the songs I like by her are Remember December, and La La Land. I also like a few bands. One of them is The Black Eyed Peas. I like I Gotta Feeling, and Meet Me Halfway. I like so many songs that I even have a book with all of the lyrics inside of it! What are your favorite songs? Who are your favorite singers? What are a few songs that you recommend to the class? Please share with us!

Interaction Reaction

All right, we know the Europeans are here to stay, and they rather be allies to the Native Americans than being enemies. What could bring them together? What do they each have to offer for the other side? Let's learn our history from Abhinav, Raymond, Mihir, and Jeffrey!

New Kid

By: Sabrina

Hey everyone! You all have been a new kid once, whether it was when it was kindergarten or in the middle of the school year, you were still a new kid. When I was a new kid here at Portal last year, I was really nervous and thought I would never know the new rules or make any friends. But later (by now) I have made tons of friends here and know how it's like to be here at a new school. How was it like when you first came to a new school? Were you nervous? What did you do to adjust to the new school? 5th graders, are you nervous about going to middle school? How do you plan to fit in?

A Loyal Dog-Shiba Inu

By: Clara

Recently, I watched a movie named Hachi. It is a story about the strong bond between a loyal Shiba Inu dog named Hachi and his master who is a professor. As a puppy, Hachi gets lost at a train station and is adopted by an old professor. The professor loves Hachi so much that they build a strong friendship. Every day, Hachi sends off the professor and waits at the train station for the professor to come home. One day, the professor gets a heart attack at school and passes away. But the dog still goes to the train station year after year waiting for the professor to come home until Hachi himself dies at the train station.This story inspired me to research the Shiba Inu dog. Shiba Inus are generally independent and intelligent dogs. They are loyal and affectionate to those who earn their respect. They are small to medium size dogs and they are popular in Japan. Their tails curl up on the back of their hip. They have short fur and are easy to groom. They bond closely with their masters. Unlike most dogs, Shiba Inus do not chase balls or Frisbees at all. Instead, they have fun playing with kids and other pets in the house. They are good at hunting, tracking, guarding, and performing. I like Shiba Inus and I wish to have one someday.Besides Shiba Inus, I like Pomeranians, Yorkshire Terriers, Shih Tzus, Shetland Sheepdogs, and Huskies. Do you like dogs? What kind of dog do you like to raise as a pet or a friend? Have you heard a touching or a funny story about a dog? Do you want to raise a dog after hearing this story?

Places I Have Traveled To

By: Leanne Hi Room 24! Have you ever traveled to any countries or states? Well, I have! I have been to Oregon, Washington, Iowa, Utah, Nevada, South Dakota, Wyoming, and Montana. I also went to Victoria and Vancouver which are both in Canada. I really liked going to Wyoming, South Dakota, and Vancouver because in Wyoming I got to go to Yellowstone National Park where you get to see real life geysers. In South Dakota, I saw Mt. Rushmore and Crazy Horse. When I saw Crazy Horse during nighttime, there were rainbow lights shining over the statue and there was also firework in the sky. Last but not least, Vancouver!!! I went to this science museum where you get to go inside a plastic nose, watch a movie similar to Chabot's, and shooting tennis balls all over the room! {Nobody got hurt.} Where have you been? Was there a particular place you liked in that state or country? Share your experience!

Worrying

By: Auboni

Have you ever worried about something? For example, you have a test tomorrow, or if you're popular or not. Many people worry about many different things. In a TFK article named "The State of the American Kid" it shows that 43% of kids worry about their homework. That's almost half of the kids! Also, 40% of kids worry about their family. What do you sometimes worry about? Sometimes I worry if I will do well on a test or on a homework assignment. I guess I worry because if I make a mistake, someone might make fun of me or something like that. Many kids also worry about the health of someone they care about. I know I sometimes worry about my grandparents. From homework to family, there is so much to worry about whether you are an adult or a kid. What are some things you worry about? If you don't, what are some strategies to avoid thinking about it?

Music

By: Lynn Hey everybody! Do you like music? I do. I like to sing them, play them, and even make them. My favorite song is called “Naturally” by Selena Gomez. It is a fun song where you can jump up and down and throw your hands. I also play a few instruments. I play the violin and clarinet. On the violin, there are four strings. They are called the “G” string, the “D” string, the “A” string, and the “E” string. The “E” string is the only string that has four different notes. The other strings have only three different notes. That doesn’t mean there are only 13 notes all together. There are also notes that are sharp, natural, and flat. On the clarinet, there are a lot of notes. 59 including sharps, naturals, and flats! Both the instruments are fun but challenging. The sound of music, (not the movie) had inspired me to play both those instruments. I love the sweet sound of the violin and the soft sound of the clarinet. Do you play any instruments? If you do, what are they? If you don’t, would you like to play one and what would it be?

Video Games!

By: Siddesh Kids think that video games are the best pass time for them, but if we look at the parents’ point of view, they would say, “Oh my, if my daughter/son plays video, it will spoil his/her eyes and he/she will get glasses if they play too much.” Here are some of the characters in a famous game called Super Smash Bros. Brawl: Diddy Kong, Ike, King Dedede, Lucario, Lucas, Meta Knight, Pikmin & Olimar, Pit, Pokemon Trainer, R.O.B., Solid Snake, Wario, Wolf Bowser, Captain Falcon, Donkey Kong, Falco Lombardi, Fox McCloud, Ganondorf, IceClimbers, Jigglypuff, Kirby, Link, Luigi, and Mario. At Shaan’s Birthday party, it was my 3^rd time playing Brawl. Himanshu was Bowser and I was Meta Knight. Some special move Meta Knight can use is this attack where he turns into a red tornado. Also, when you are Pikachu (or any other character) when you see this glowing cube or a hammer, go and pick it up. If Bowser get the glowing/shining cube, he will turn humongous and stomp everything in his way, but the bad thing about getting the shining cube when you Bowser is that it is hard to JUMP . There is another very fun game on Wii called Mario Kart. It is a game when you have the Wii remote held sideways and you pretend to drive a real car. There are a lot of things to play on Mario Kart. They are: Grand Prix, Balloon Battle, Coin Runners, VS, Solo Race, Team race, Time Trails, and Wi-Fi battles (with someone totally different.) Here are some items from Mario Kart. What is your favorite video game? How long are you allowed to play each time?

Earthquake

By: Vincent

What if the 8.8 earthquakes struck here last Saturday?

In the aftermath of the Haiti and now the Chile earthquakes, April is Earthquake Preparedness Month but wait! What would we do? Where would we go? What if the earthquake happened here on Saturday instead of Chile? It’s now days later, but relief has not arrived yet!

I would challenge you to look closely at what is happening in Haiti and especially in Chile. In 1960, Chile experienced the largest earthquake on record. One-half a million homes were destroyed leaving families homeless. Make shift tent cities were showing up. Robbery was happening because people didn’t have supplies stored to take care of themselves and their families. Look closely at what those people are going through and think about whether you are prepared for that. I don’t mean to scare you but I DO mean to make you think.

If an earthquake struck here last Saturday, my family and me would hide under a table by ourselves; which protects us. Last year, there was an earthquake that shook our house. It felt like our house was swinging side to side very hard! That was the first earthquake that I had experienced. Although it was hard, no one was harmed, and nothing fell off the walls or tables. I guessed everything was secure. Not even the clock fell off. My heart was thumping the fastest than ever! My family and me wondered what happened. It was a relief when it finally stopped.

What would you do and are you prepared?

Does your family have a plan?

Have your parents secured your tall furniture to the wall?

Do you have supplies, food, and water stored?

Does your family have a first-aid kit?

Can parents provide some medical assistance to your family if they are injured?

The source of the above questions is from Santa Clara County Office of Emergency Services. Let's all get ready for an earthquake!