This week begins the 2nd grading period of the year. On Monday the students will receive the new homework schedule and the new spelling and vocabulary word lists. These will also be posted on the website. This is a short grading period with several special events cutting into our instructional time. Please do all that you can to make sure that your child is at school every day.
If you have looked at the homework schedule, you will have noticed that in the reading log column it states my expectation that each student earns at least 2 AR points each week. In class we read at least one AR book every week, usually more. Furthermore, they go to the library each week and are expected to check out AR books there also. I have discovered from conversations with some you that I have not been clear enough about the AR program and how it works. So let me explain.
Accelerated Reader (AR), is simply a large bank of quizzes that the students have access to at school. These are not special books that they can find only at school. An AR book is simply a book for which there is a quiz in the AR program. (Many of the book tests also have a separate vocabulary test.) I am adding a link in the sidebar to the site AR Bookfinder. The students are familiar with this site. It is a database of all AR quizzes and includes information like the book's reading level and point value. The site allows you to search by title and author as well as by subject if your child is interested in something in particular.
Back to the AR expectations, whatever students are reading at home, it is probably an AR book and they should plan to bring the book to school so that they may test on it. By way of an incentive, we are participating in the Book It! program through which students can earn a free personal size pizza at Pizza Hut if they make the monthly reading goal. October's goal is 10 points. Many students have already met the goal or are very close. Several however have not been quizzing on what they are reading and have a ways to go. Please ask your child how they are doing in AR a few times each week. If you have any questions I have not answered about the program, please let me know.
AR tests can only be taken at school, but two of the programs we use that can be used at home are IStation and Think Through Math. I know many of you have your children using these at home already. If not, please let me know and I will send you the information you need to get started.
Sunday, October 27, 2013
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
Update Oct. 23
Parents,
There will be no graded work sent home this week as I try to wrap up the grading period. Work will go home next Wednesday as usual.
There will be no graded work sent home this week as I try to wrap up the grading period. Work will go home next Wednesday as usual.
I need a volunteer chaperone for the field trip on the 29th. Let me know if you are interested.
The permission slips went home with the students today. We will be eating at school, but at an earlier time. No special lunch arrangements need to be made.
Thank you to everyone who was able to make it to open house last week. It was great to see you.
Sunday, October 13, 2013
Mid October Reminders and News
Just a few tidbits and reminders for the next few weeks.
First, Open House is this week on Thursday. The open house portion is from 5-6, with a PTA meeting from 6-7 which I hope you will be able to stay for.
Also, the fall festival is this coming Friday. A note went home on Wednesday regarding the items that 3rd grade has been asked to donate. The PTA would like us to donate spa type items (lotions, scented candles, bubble bath, fuzzy slippers, etc. such as one might give on Mother's Day) for the silent auction basket. They have also requested dessert items. The basket items can be dropped off anytime, but the dessert items should wait until Thursday or Friday morning.
Our first field trip is the 29th of October. We will be visiting the MFAH in the afternoon. Please be sure that your child has the new Sinclair shirt as that will be the only one they are able to wear and attend the field trip. The office does not have any of the new shirt to lend as they have in years past.
Finally, I have a personal request. Please make sure that your children are eating healthily, washing their hands frequently, and getting a good night's sleep. We've had a rash of illnesses sweeping through the room and that missed time simply cannot be replaced. The missed work can be made up, but the teaching is necessarily hurried so as not to fall behind in the curriculum. Thank you.
First, Open House is this week on Thursday. The open house portion is from 5-6, with a PTA meeting from 6-7 which I hope you will be able to stay for.
Also, the fall festival is this coming Friday. A note went home on Wednesday regarding the items that 3rd grade has been asked to donate. The PTA would like us to donate spa type items (lotions, scented candles, bubble bath, fuzzy slippers, etc. such as one might give on Mother's Day) for the silent auction basket. They have also requested dessert items. The basket items can be dropped off anytime, but the dessert items should wait until Thursday or Friday morning.
Our first field trip is the 29th of October. We will be visiting the MFAH in the afternoon. Please be sure that your child has the new Sinclair shirt as that will be the only one they are able to wear and attend the field trip. The office does not have any of the new shirt to lend as they have in years past.
Finally, I have a personal request. Please make sure that your children are eating healthily, washing their hands frequently, and getting a good night's sleep. We've had a rash of illnesses sweeping through the room and that missed time simply cannot be replaced. The missed work can be made up, but the teaching is necessarily hurried so as not to fall behind in the curriculum. Thank you.
Sunday, October 6, 2013
UPDATED HOMEWORK SCHEDULE!
I have posted a new homework schedule for the next 3 weeks. I will give the students a new one tomorrow. Their homework journals will have examples showing what is expected.
The change was made to support our work with multiplication. I cannot stress enough, however, the importance of the children continuing to practice their addition and subtraction facts. We will continue to practice those facts in class, but only occasionally as our focus now will be on multiplication and division.
The change was made to support our work with multiplication. I cannot stress enough, however, the importance of the children continuing to practice their addition and subtraction facts. We will continue to practice those facts in class, but only occasionally as our focus now will be on multiplication and division.
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
As usual, I forgot to add something
Parents, I am in need of a room parent. If you are interested in taking the lead on organizing class celebrations etc., please let me know.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
Time flies...
It is hard to believe, but it's already October. We've been so busy that every time I get ready to post something, I think of another thing to add and the whole thing gets put off for another day.
First of all, I would like to thank everyone for their understanding after the unfortunate wreck that caused me to miss Parent Orientation. I would still like to hold such an event, but until I get my second vehicle replaced, I am driving all over the city every afternoon. Hopefully that situation will be cleared up this week and perhaps next week I can hold a make up orientation meeting. In the meantime, I am posting the presentation that I had intended to show that night. Let me know if you have any questions.
As for the work we are doing in the classroom, there has been a great deal to cover. In reading we have arrived at our Unit One Review. This week we will revisit the topics and skills covered so far this year. These include theme, summarizing, character, setting, plot, sequence of events, and nonfiction comprehension skills. In math we are working on rounding to estimate solutions and on solving two step word problems with addition and subtraction. In the coming weeks we will begin multiplication and division, but I will update you on that when the time arrives. In science, after covering safety rules and behaviors, we have moved on to the properties and states of matter. In social studies, as I'm sure you heard, we learned the Preamble to the US Constitution through song. Now we are working on making and interpreting maps.
As part of a partnership with our Book Buddies at Piney Point Elementary, we gathered pine needles for them to use as mulch in their butterfly garden. In return, they have sent us milkweed seeds to start. We will be using paper egg cartons for starting the seeds so if you have any of those that you are finished with, we would love to have them. We are hoping to have our own butterfly garden in the habitat near our classroom. We also planted some purple hyacinth beans that I had started along the fence between the cafeteria and the habitat. For Constitution Day we had a guest reader from the Houston Bar Association come read the book "John, Paul, George, and Ben" by Lane Smith. Last week we have a visit from the mobile dairy and the students were introduced to a real dairy cow. They learned about how the milk gets from the farm to their table in all the delicious forms dairy products can take.
Later, I will post a slide show of some of the pictures that I have taken over the last few weeks. Thank you for all the support you give your children at home. Don't forget, Open House is October 17th.
First of all, I would like to thank everyone for their understanding after the unfortunate wreck that caused me to miss Parent Orientation. I would still like to hold such an event, but until I get my second vehicle replaced, I am driving all over the city every afternoon. Hopefully that situation will be cleared up this week and perhaps next week I can hold a make up orientation meeting. In the meantime, I am posting the presentation that I had intended to show that night. Let me know if you have any questions.
As for the work we are doing in the classroom, there has been a great deal to cover. In reading we have arrived at our Unit One Review. This week we will revisit the topics and skills covered so far this year. These include theme, summarizing, character, setting, plot, sequence of events, and nonfiction comprehension skills. In math we are working on rounding to estimate solutions and on solving two step word problems with addition and subtraction. In the coming weeks we will begin multiplication and division, but I will update you on that when the time arrives. In science, after covering safety rules and behaviors, we have moved on to the properties and states of matter. In social studies, as I'm sure you heard, we learned the Preamble to the US Constitution through song. Now we are working on making and interpreting maps.
As part of a partnership with our Book Buddies at Piney Point Elementary, we gathered pine needles for them to use as mulch in their butterfly garden. In return, they have sent us milkweed seeds to start. We will be using paper egg cartons for starting the seeds so if you have any of those that you are finished with, we would love to have them. We are hoping to have our own butterfly garden in the habitat near our classroom. We also planted some purple hyacinth beans that I had started along the fence between the cafeteria and the habitat. For Constitution Day we had a guest reader from the Houston Bar Association come read the book "John, Paul, George, and Ben" by Lane Smith. Last week we have a visit from the mobile dairy and the students were introduced to a real dairy cow. They learned about how the milk gets from the farm to their table in all the delicious forms dairy products can take.
Later, I will post a slide show of some of the pictures that I have taken over the last few weeks. Thank you for all the support you give your children at home. Don't forget, Open House is October 17th.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)