It seems like these weeks are just melting away! I want to take a moment to talk about a few things that are going on in our classroom as well as some upcoming events.
I have been working really hard with the students on building that responsibility and accountability. We have discussed plans to help us to reach our full potential within the classroom. One thing you can do at home to help me with this is to only sign agendas when homework is completed. If your child does not complete homework you can jot me a note about what was not done, or you can simply not sign. This helps to open up the communication lines at school and allows for me to help hold the students accountable. Please be sure that nightly homework always includes reading and flashcards so that we can continue our growth this year! Valentine's Day is right around the corner. This year I would like to put on a candy science party so that we can explore with candy instead of eating it all! If you wish to help or donate to this party, please fill out the note that will be coming home Monday! Thank you for your continued support. Reminders: PE - Tuesday & Friday Wednesday - Library..send in books! Winter Break - Feb.8-9
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Our Donuts with Dudes event event was a big success! Thank you for coming and celebrating the hard work that your third grader does every day! I am so proud of this group and all that they have accomplished. We really enjoyed comparing their answers to their interviews later in the day!
We are ankle deep in our next writing unit which is realistic fiction. This is one of my favorite units because I feel like it is a chance for the kids to really let their creative juices flow. The descriptive language that I am hearing already is fabulous! Keep practicing those typing skills! I am picking up on improvements already just based off of blogging. If you have lost your computer sheet or need a new one, please email me! Reminders: PE- Monday & Thursday Math HW is due Thursdays! Library on Friday We have so many wonderful things going on in class right now that I can't wait to get back! To start with, we have been taking time each day to find three celebrations. This has been so much fun and has really helped us to reflect on all of the wonderful things we are accomplishing each day. I am picking one celebration and the students share two more. I love hearing the things that they notice each other doing.
Coming up, we will be working on studying the 7 Habits of Happy Kids. I am really excited because we will be working in small groups to study each habit. The small group that meets will work to teach the rest of the class about that habit. First habit up, being proactive! Donuts with Dudes will be happening on Friday morning before school. Remember to turn in your paper so that I can help to fill in any blanks. If you know that you can't locate a dude to attend at 8:15, please let me know. I have 4 available Park males that would love to be someone's special dude! Just send me an email and I can help you out! There will be a donut for every student! We will be using this time to celebrate the great informational writing that we did and sharing the things that we are proud of. Last week I sent home typing homework. I can't emphasize enough the importance of sharpening up this skill. With the M-STEP being a very large test that is filled with essay answers, students need to feel confident with their typing skills. Please turn in completed sheets for a prize! Students will receive a new sheet and will be able to continue their typing practice. Reminders: Gym - Wednesday Donuts with Dudes- Friday 8:15 - 8:45 , This past Saturday we were able to be the one for kids in the greater Grand Rapids area. We went to Kids' Food basket and created trail mix to be included in the sack suppers that are sent home with 5,700 kids each day! That is incredible! 5,700 kiddos will have their third meal of a day thanks to our help at Kids' Food Basket. Way to go!
Typing is something that is of increased importance. Our state standardized test is now taken on computers and involves a lot of writing. Students will not be clicking multiple choice answers, but will be responsible for writing short answer and essay answers throughout the test. Due to this large volume of typing that is needed it is super important for typing to become part of the homework routine. I know that not all homes may have a computer with a keyboard available for this practice, so this practice will be more self guided and a chance to earn rewards. A note will come home this week with more information on how to track progress. In class we will be making our Kid Blogs part of our weekly routine as well. This will help to give a little more practice time to students as well. We have many fun things in the works and on the horizon. One event that is coming up is a Donut with Dad morning. I would like to invite dads, grandpas, or another special "dude" to join their student at 8:15 on Friday, January 22nd for a donut and a chance to hear about the things that have been accomplished so far. Formal invite will come home this week. Class Goal: One thing that we have been talking about in class is the importance of being prideful of our work and taking responsibility for things. One way you can help with this goal at home is asking your child each night about the items in their agendas and signing it. Please only sign if all items are completed and studied. We will continue to work on developing that pride in class as well! Thank you for all of your support. ReflectionsIt is hard to believe that we are entering into 2016! Sometimes it is like a time warp! Before break we had some time to do some fun activities. We investigated Christmas around the world and enjoyed different treats and activities. We met with our Kinder buddies and watched a little bit of The Grinch. We even had some time to dissect owl pellets as a way to wrap up our animal adaptations unit! UpdateWe have many updates as we enter into 2016. First, our Kids Food Basket event will take place on Saturday, January 9th at 12:00. The location is 2055 Oak Industrial Dr NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49505. Please be sure to turn in your permission slip if you wish to attend. Each child can have one adult with them. We still have plenty of room!
Spelling lists will be coming home again. I will be changing the way that I do spelling tests because I want to see the words used within a sentence correctly. I will be giving students the spelling tests in more of a paragraph form. I will be testing both mechanics and spelling on each of these tests. Can drive is this week! Send in those cans so that we can help the 5th graders with their camp expenses and maybe even win a party! Curriculum: Math- We are working on our measurement unit. Please be sure to practice time, elapsed time, and measuring with your child! Elapsed time always proves to be challenging! Writing- We will be wrapping up our non-fiction writing this week. Students will be revising, editing, and publishing. Science- We will be spending Monday reviewing what we have learned about animal adaptations and will test on Tuesday. Social Studies- We will be beginning history this week. We will start with learning about the earliest people of Michigan. Reading - We will be finishing our work with biographies this week. Reminders: PE - Monday & Thursday KFB event - Saturday 12:00 Can drive this week! |
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