Weekly Update 3/5/12-3/9/12

I had a fabulous weekend. How about you? In fact, I am a grandmother once again. My daughter, who lives in Washington D.C. had her second little girl. She and husband, Tim, gave her a very German name, Heidi Marie. I'm anxious to see her over the spring break!      With just two weeks before the end of the quarter, we are starting to wind down in some subject areas. However, we are really revving up the MAP preparation. You can help at home by making sure your child is fluent with the multiplication facts and has a good handle on subtraction. Also check out any papers for missed answers and go over the work with your child. It is the little things that can make a big difference. Reading carefully and following directions is especially important. Here is what is happening this week: Math-  We are studying probability.  What fun we had flipping a coin to find out how many times we landed on heads or tails.  We discovered it was equally likely.  However, when we loaded down a bag with 15 orange tiles, 6 red, and only 1 blue, we found that it was likely we would pull out an orange, and unlikely we would pull out a blue.  It was impossible that we would pull out a yellow or green!  All this is a study of probablity. Reading- Details, details, and more details, along with summaries, main idea, causes and effects - you name it and we are doing it!  Some of our review is done on MAP prep stories, while some is done through our literature books.  Everyone is enjoying the wonderful selections! Spelling- Tests this week for all groups:  Yellow Group on Tuesday, Green Group on Wednesday, and Blue Group on Thursday.  Science-  We are going to study standard and metric measurement. Social Studies-  The Economic Fun Day is fast approaching!  Students should be developing their product and should bring it to school on Thursday, March 15th.  The business sign is also due that day.  Many have already made their sign here at school.  However, students may take their sign home to add any finishing touches.  Check with your child to make sure he or she has one. Writing-  We will practice functional writing for the next two weeks.  It will be geared toward MAP testing. Special Events: Mon. -  Multiplication review tests all week! Tues. - Tungsten Math Test for March, Yellow Group spelling test; Wed. - Green Group spelling test, library; Thurs.- Reading Tungsten Test, Blue Group spelling test; Fri. - Possible ice cream party if all have successfully reviewed the multiplication facts that were learned.

Feb. 21 - Feb. 24

I'm looking forward to a short, but productive week!  Here is what will be happening:

Math- Our next chapter in geometry will continue with the study of space figures, also known as solid figures or 3-D figures.  For the next several weeks we will move rather quickly through the material.  Some lessons in each chapter will be excluded .  Therefore, it will be important for you to know the lessons being tested.  I will have the students make note of this on their study guides, or will send an email to alert you about each test.  Our next test will be sometime next week over chapters 21 and 22.
Reading- We are working through mini lessons and in reading groups to be experts in finding details to support our reading responses.  Students are reading either Meet Addy, Stone Fox, or Class Clown.
Spelling- All groups will test this week.  Yellow group will be Wed., Green Group, Thursday, and Blue Group on Friday. 
Science- We are continuing our study of the States of Matter.  Our test will most likely be next week.  Prism projects are due tomorrrow, Tuesday 2/21.  The Prism Fair is this Thursday.
Social Studies- Tomorrow we will play a game to help us review for the Ch. 10 test on Wednesday.  Students have study guides in their binders.  I will ask them to take the social studies books home tomorrow so that you have that to look over as well. 
Writing- This week's activity will be for students to write a paragraph telling what he or she would do if running for president.  I can hardly wait to see the campaign promises!

Special Events:
Mon.-   President's Day holiday!
Tues.-  Prism projects need to come to school.
Wed.-  Library;  Spelling test for the Yellow Group;  Social Studies test - Ch. 10;
Thurs.- Reading Tungsten Test;  Spelling test for the Green Group;  Prism Fair begins at 4:00!
Fri.-  Spelling test for the Blue Group;

Feb. 13- 17

Mr. Hamby Verses the Assembly Line!

     There seems to be a lot going on in Feburary! First we have the Valentine's Day party this Tuesday. Students should bring their decorated box on the day of the party along with cards for their friends. Please don't allow your child to overlook any of the students in the classroom. If you are in need of cards, please email me to let me know so that I can help you get cards before Tuesday.
     Another important task is getting the Economic's Day plan in by this coming Wednesday. Everyone in the class will participate in this event. Some students do not receive grades in social studies because they are not usually present for social studies class. However, all students will receive a social studies grade on their report card in the third quarter because all will be participating in the Economics Day event.
     Finally, prism projects should be turned be turned in by Thursday, February 23rd. However, if you would like for me to look over the project in advance to make sure that everything is correct, please send the project in early. I would like to see the projects this week if possible - either Wed., Thurs., or Friday. That way if anything is missing, students have time to make the changes needed. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to email me.

Here's what is happening this week:
Math - We are continuing our study of geometry.  In Ch. 20 we will review congruency and symmetry.  We will also learn about flips, slides, and turns and how they are used to help one determine if a figure is congruent or merely similar.  Our test over this chapter will be on Friday.

Reading - We are wrapping up author's purpose.  Our reward game on Friday, PIE, was tied to author's purpose.  The letters for PIE stand for persuasion, information, and entertainment.  Authors write with one of these purposes in mind.

Spelling - No tests this week.  However, every group will receive new words!

Science - Lesson 2 begins with the states of matter.  There will also be a review of the water cycle.

Social Studies - We will finish making our flow charts and then put the finishing touches in the chapter.  There may be a test over chapter 10 by the end of the week.  Please consult the assignment book with regards to this.

Writing - Students are finishing their persuasive letters and choosing one to publish.  The work is completely theirs and is what I will grade.  They will not be making a display copy, so the graded letters will have some flaws.  When you receive the graded work, be sure to read and discuss the good points of the letter and as well as how it could be improved. 

Special Events
Mon. -  Money due for Jump Rope for Heart
Tues. - Jump Rope for Heart event, Valentine's Day parties;
Wed. - Early Release Day;  Economics Day plan is due;  bring in prism this week!        .
Thurs. - Counseling class with Mrs. Toomey in the afternoon;  first test over the 9x facts;
Friday - Test over math Ch. 20.

Feb. 6 - Feb. 10

     I hope you are all enjoying the Super Bowl today.  Mr. Hamby encouraged the kids to root for the Giants.  I think he said they had one in a million chance of winning.  Anyway, that was his opinion!  If you disagreee, you can take that up with him!
     We have another busy week ahead.  To kick off the week, however, our school is participating in Pasta for Pennies.  (I may have that backwards - the kids have been correcting me, but for the life of me I can't remember which way it goes.)  Anyway, the idea is for our class to collect for the leukemia and lymphnoma foundation.  Our class set a lofty goal of $250.00.  To help us get there, I will match whatever the class brings in as it is for a very good cause.  I often think of leukemia as a children's disease.  I hope it never afficts any of our own.
     Special congrats to Alexis Landmeier, Jack Stephens, and Connor McFerron.  These students won first, second, and third place respectively in our class's Martin Luther King Jr. Poster/Writing Contest.  Their work will be submitted for further judging at the state level!                               

Here's what's going on this coming week:
Math:  We will wrap up geometry Ch. 19 and test over the material on Thursday.  Students already have a study guide that reviews the geometry vocabulary.  There is quite a bit to memorize, so it may be wise to study each night this week.  Another study guide will come home on Wednesday.  That one will be very similar to the actual test.  We are also continuing to memorize the 7's and 8's multiplication facts.  All students should have their 7's completed by midweek. The 9x cards will come out at the end of the week.

Reading:  I am continually reviewing cause and effect as well as the art of summarizing.  However, this week we will focus on author's purpose.  Students should be able to recognize if something was written for entertainment or for information.  We will also be exposed to writing that was written for the purpose of persuasion.

Spelling:  All groups test this week - Yellow Group on Wednesday, Green Group on Thursday, and Blue Group on Friday.

Science:  We did compare density of liquids last week, but did not get in the sink or float experiment, so it looks like we will tackle that this week.  Our test over chapter 11, lesson 1 will be this Friday.  Students will need extra help at home with the vocabulary - mass, volume, and density!

Social Studies:  How are the economic plans coming?  All students need to have them turned in by February 15th.  This includes students who are not normally in social studies class.  Need help coming up with an idea?  Just shoot me an email!  We will have some fun in class this week when we organize an assembly line.  Our goal will be to make marshmallow men in assembly line fashion faster than Mr. Hamby can assemble them on his own.  I hope we win to prove that the assembly line is a better way!

Writing:  We are trying our hand at persuasive writing!

Special Events:
Mon. - 7x test for those who haven't passed it yet;
Tues. -
Wed. - Yellow spelling test;  8x fact test;
Thurs. - Green Spelling test;  Chapter 19 math test;
Fri. - Blue spelling test;  8x fact test;  science test over Ch. 11, lesson 1;
  

Jan. 30 - Feb. 3

     Hope everyone had a great weekend!  They seem to go by so quickly, just like the school year.  It's hard to believe that February is almost here.  This is the month in which we begin to get extremely serious about MAP testing.  Everyone needs to be at the top of their game.  My goal is for everyone to be proficient in both math and communication arts.  We will be working very hard!
     The third grade teachers have decided to schedule a field trip later in the year for our students.  We will not go to Weldon Springs, however, because they are already booked for the year.  Instead we will search for another good field trip idea.  Your money is being safely kept in the office safe, and will be used for the future field trip.  If you sent in a check, it will be cashed.  If we are unable to schedule a trip, your money will be returned.  Thank you for your patience.

Here's what's happening this week:
Math:  We are beginning our study of geometry.  We will be learning all about lines, angles, plane and space figures.  There is a lot of memory work in this chapter, but we will review daily.  We will also be testing over our 7x facts this week, and will get our 8x fact cards later in the week.  We are almost done with our facts.  Be sure you are reviewing them frequently throughout the week!  Once the facts have been mastered, I'll be throwing an ice cream sundae party for the class.  They deserve it for all of their hard work!

Reading:  Continuing our work on summaries and cause and effect!  Some students just started a new book - Class Clown.  They are already telling me they love it!

Spelling:  The Blue Group will test on Monday.  Yellow and Green groups will test next week.

Science:  We will continue our study of matter.  Students can expect to be doing the sink of float experiment this week.  We will also make miniature boats out of tin foil and see whose boat can hold the most weight.  Hint:  Shape and density have something to do with it.

Social Studies:  Economics will continue in chapter 10.   Be sure to be working on your Economics Day plan so that you have plenty of time to work on your business!

Writing:  We will wrap up our Martin Luther King posters and essays.  I will choose three students' posters and essays to serve as entries for the MNEA poster/writing contest.  We will not hear about winners until the end of the school year.  One of my students won first place in the state last year.  I'm hoping for similar results this year as I am seeing some exceptional work from the students!

Special Events:
Monday - Spelling test for the Blue Group;
Wednesday - 7x fact test;

January 23-27

      Right now there is so much going on here at school, it is almost hard to describe!  We are getting to our first round of testing in math, science, and social studies.  We are also continuing to learn our multiplication facts and are reading daily and recording our reading times on the Six Flags reading log.  The third quarter becomes even more involved when you toss in Economics Day, Prism, and Jump Rope for Heart.  All of these activites provide students with meaningful experiences.  Thanks for encouraging your children to be joyful participants.  Your support is greatly appreciated!

Here is what's happening this week:
Math:  Please work on the 6x facts, while constantly reviewing 0-5x facts.  We will learn the remainder of the facts in the next couple of weeks and work on the skills in chapters 10 and 11.  After that we will begin geometry.
Reading:  Lots of work on summarizing and cause and effect!  One group is finishing a wonderful book, When Mack Came Back.
Spelling:  Tests -Yellow Group Thursday, Green Group Friday, and Blue Group Monday, 1/30.
Science:  We will begin the science unit on matter and energy.  There are a lot of fun experiments in this unit!
Social Studies:  Please work on filling out the Economics Day Plan.  The social studies books were taken home this weekend to help with ideas for advertising.  We will wrap up chapter 9 next week when we test on Wednesday.  Economics will continue in chapter 10.
Writing:  We are writing for the Martin Luther King poster/writing contest.  Students are doing a beautiful job with a very challenging topic!  This contest is sponsored by MNEA.
     
Special Events:
Monday - Ability Awareness Day
Tuesday - 6x quiz  
Wednesday - Library;  social studies test
Thursday - Spelling test / Yellow Group
Friday - Spelling test / Green Group;  deadline for writing essay - rough draft;

Weekly Update 1/9/ - 1/13

     Believe it or not, it actually felt good to be back after a very long and wonderful Christmas break.  The video above is of the holiday party.  Each child enjoyed painting a Christmas ornament.  These ornaments were baked over the holidays.  Mrs. Durham is checking to see when they will be ready for pickup.  Each ornament is labeled with your child's name and the date they were painted.  I hope they are a nice keepsake for you!  Thank you, moms and dads, for a very nice party!

    This Thursday our class will be going to Weldon Springs for a field trip.  Our classes will include one on solids, liquids, and gases, and another on food chains.  This week we will also have the third grade level spelling bee.  Alexis Landmeier and Vanesa Cruz-Hernandez will represent our classroom.  Jack Stephens is our alternate.  Congratulations to all three students for doing so well in our classroom bee.  Other events we are looking forward to are the school Prism Fair in Feb. and an upcoming social studies project for our economics unit.  Directions for this will come out sometime next week.  Of course, on top of all of this, we will spend the entire quarter preparing for the MAP test !

Here's what is planned for this week:

Math:  We are continuing to learn our multiplication facts.  This week we are working on the 3x and 5x facts.  We are also going over the properties of mutiplication. 

Reading:  We will be finishing our Tungsten review and then will be taking the January Tungsten on Tuesday.  After that we will be focusing on summarizing and cause and effect.  Reading for the Six Flags ticket will continue until February 24th.

Spelling:  Test for Yellow Group is Wednesday, Green Group, Friday, and Blue Group, Tuesday.                  

Science:  Our study of the solar system continues with the phases of the moon and solar and lunar eclipses.

Social Studies:  We are learning about economics.  This will include how to make a budget and how to start a business.  Directions for our business project will come out this week!  

Writing:  Our new year resolutions are almost finished.  I hope you'll stop by to read them after they are posted in the hallway.  The children are very goods writers, and I enjoy reading what they have to say!

Special Events:

Tuesday- Reading Tungsten

Wednesday- Math Tungsten; Spelling test for the Yellow Group;  Early release day;

Thursday- Field trip to Weldon Springs;  Grade level spelling bee;

Friday-  Spelling test for the Green Group;