Tuesday, December 8, 2015
Tuesday, November 24, 2015
Happy Thanksgiving!
I am so thankful for all of my students and how they come to school each day with a positive attitude, ready to help their classmates and excited to learn!!!
Across the past few weeks, we've been doing a lot! We are beginning to memorize our times tables and have been doing some different fun activities to learn them all!
Here, a students is using their multiplication facts to color in a Fall scarecrow picture!
While we work on these new hard facts, students continue daily practice of addition and subtraction facts so they maintain their speed and accuracy- here Gabby is practicing her facts on XtraMath.org! Log in to check your child's progress today!!!
We have been doing Readers' Theatre in reading groups and the kids love it! It is very engaging for kids because they get to act out their assigned parts and they learn to follow others readers and read with expression. Here are some of our reading groups practicing their plays together- the plays included "Where the Wild Things Are", "Keep the Lights Burning, Abbie" and "The Hidden One" (a Native American Folktale).
Across the past few weeks, we've been doing a lot! We are beginning to memorize our times tables and have been doing some different fun activities to learn them all!
While we work on these new hard facts, students continue daily practice of addition and subtraction facts so they maintain their speed and accuracy- here Gabby is practicing her facts on XtraMath.org! Log in to check your child's progress today!!!
We have been doing Readers' Theatre in reading groups and the kids love it! It is very engaging for kids because they get to act out their assigned parts and they learn to follow others readers and read with expression. Here are some of our reading groups practicing their plays together- the plays included "Where the Wild Things Are", "Keep the Lights Burning, Abbie" and "The Hidden One" (a Native American Folktale).
Lots of learning and lots of fun!
I hope everyone has a safe, restful and wonderful Thanksgiving!
Tuesday, November 17, 2015
Math and Reading Night
Tuesday, November 10, 2015
Preparing for Conferences
As we all prepare for conferences across the next two days, I look forward to meeting with all parents and guardians and sharing important information about the students' progress. Attached are some helpful blog posts I've written in previous years- this one discusses strategies and resources to help your child at home if they are struggling. This one also gives a lot of tips and resources from the county.
Conferences are tough because we only have 2 half days to meet with all parents. Please feel free to contact me to set up more time to talk if you do not get to share everything and get all of your questions answered in the 15 minutes provided.
This year, we are having a special "Math and Reading Night" to give parents and kids some fun and interactive things they can be doing at home to help their child succeed here at school. It is next Wednesday, November 18. Pizza will be served at 6:30 pm and the free event for parents and kids begins at 7 pm.
Hope to see you all there!
Here are DJ and Caden in small group working hard to relate multiplication and division through fact families!!!
Conferences are tough because we only have 2 half days to meet with all parents. Please feel free to contact me to set up more time to talk if you do not get to share everything and get all of your questions answered in the 15 minutes provided.
This year, we are having a special "Math and Reading Night" to give parents and kids some fun and interactive things they can be doing at home to help their child succeed here at school. It is next Wednesday, November 18. Pizza will be served at 6:30 pm and the free event for parents and kids begins at 7 pm.
Hope to see you all there!
Tuesday, November 3, 2015
Fall Festival!!!
We all had a great time last week wrapping up Marking Period 1 and celebrating the Fall Festival on Friday afternoon.
Many students' project were outstanding and we all enjoyed having each and every member of our class come up and tell us all about their community service experience. Many in and out of school projects are now displayed in the hallway outside of our classroom! Check them out when you come in next week for conferences!
Thank-you to Mrs. Mir, Mrs. Vazquez and Mrs. Rosa who all came in and helped out with our successful Fall Festival. We played Autumn BINGO, created cool leaf print with a marble effect, enjoyed some treats and finally some team games and dancing! It was a great time!
Each week, I am taking the time to check out Learn2Earn, with all of the kids, and reward students who are reading! This week, 6 students earned certificates for a free personal pizza from Pizza Hut. Students are expected to read for 100 minutes each night and answer 4 questions (or prompts) about their writing. If your child does not have access to the Internet, they should be logging their reading on a reading chart and answering 4 prompts per week in their (purple) Spelling/Reading Notebook. Please ensure your child reads each and everyday and let me know if you need assistance in understanding these assignments!
Many students' project were outstanding and we all enjoyed having each and every member of our class come up and tell us all about their community service experience. Many in and out of school projects are now displayed in the hallway outside of our classroom! Check them out when you come in next week for conferences!
Thank-you to Mrs. Mir, Mrs. Vazquez and Mrs. Rosa who all came in and helped out with our successful Fall Festival. We played Autumn BINGO, created cool leaf print with a marble effect, enjoyed some treats and finally some team games and dancing! It was a great time!
Each week, I am taking the time to check out Learn2Earn, with all of the kids, and reward students who are reading! This week, 6 students earned certificates for a free personal pizza from Pizza Hut. Students are expected to read for 100 minutes each night and answer 4 questions (or prompts) about their writing. If your child does not have access to the Internet, they should be logging their reading on a reading chart and answering 4 prompts per week in their (purple) Spelling/Reading Notebook. Please ensure your child reads each and everyday and let me know if you need assistance in understanding these assignments!
Friday, October 23, 2015
STEM In and Out of School
As you have probably noticed your child now receives a grade for "Engineering and Technology" every marking period in science. We are constantly examining how things work and how scientists improve on existing inventions and technologies. This will especially be a big focus in Marking Period 2.
This marking period, your child worked in a group in science to build a basic vehicle. Next week, they will design a wheel covering for their vehicle to meet a certain need- maybe as a parade float or a baby stroller, for example. This is a culminating activity after this marking period of examining forces of motion, speed, friction and texture and how all of these concepts go together. Here are some photos of our class working on their basic vehicles together- all Mrs. Cody did was power the hot glue gun- the rest was 100% done by the students.
This marking period, your child worked in a group in science to build a basic vehicle. Next week, they will design a wheel covering for their vehicle to meet a certain need- maybe as a parade float or a baby stroller, for example. This is a culminating activity after this marking period of examining forces of motion, speed, friction and texture and how all of these concepts go together. Here are some photos of our class working on their basic vehicles together- all Mrs. Cody did was power the hot glue gun- the rest was 100% done by the students.
STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics) instruction is so important to prepare our kids for 21st century jobs and the kids LOVE it. At school, we are limited by the constraints of time, money and safety to doing as many STEM projects as I would like. Here are some great sites for suggestions of some cool activities and projects to try at home.
Tuesday, October 6, 2015
Halfway Through Marking Period 1!!!
On Wednesday, October 7, your child will receive their first progress report of the school year. This report gives you an idea of where they are at this point in the year. I am also attaching a few important documents to the progress report:
-A letter explaining the progress report and communicating any other concerns I may have at this time.
-A letter explaining a new reading at home program, Whooo's Reading with Learn 2 Earn, that our team will be piloting for the school this year. The letter explains how and where to sign your child up and to monitor their progress as the log their minutes of reading and reflect on it each night. If you and your child choose not to use this program, then they must fill in the standard Reading at Home chart, to be glued into their purple "Reading and Spelling Homework" notebook here at school.
-A letter explaining a new math program, Xtra Math, we are going to try out inside and outside of school. Again, parents can choose to utilize this program at home and enter their personal e-mail to receive updates and reports on your child's progress. All students will be using the program in school in grades 3-5.
-A letter explaining the progress report and communicating any other concerns I may have at this time.
-A letter explaining a new reading at home program, Whooo's Reading with Learn 2 Earn, that our team will be piloting for the school this year. The letter explains how and where to sign your child up and to monitor their progress as the log their minutes of reading and reflect on it each night. If you and your child choose not to use this program, then they must fill in the standard Reading at Home chart, to be glued into their purple "Reading and Spelling Homework" notebook here at school.
-A letter explaining a new math program, Xtra Math, we are going to try out inside and outside of school. Again, parents can choose to utilize this program at home and enter their personal e-mail to receive updates and reports on your child's progress. All students will be using the program in school in grades 3-5.
We are very excited
to use these 21st century learning tools in Grade 3!!!
Please feel free to contact me with any questions, concerns or to set up a conference time.
Soon, you will receive the first PTA Ice Page Issue for the school year. Be sure to check it out and read our Grade 3 updates. We are looking forward to seeing some great community service homework projects this month!
Here are some pictures of our hard workers showing off how efficient they can be at solving addition basic facts!
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