Friday, September 24, 2010

Sept. 27-Oct.1, 2010

I can't believe October is just around the corner! We have already completed Theme 1 in our Houghton Mifflin Reading Series. A Theme test will be given this week covering grammar and reading skills from the stories The Lost and Found, The Ballad of Mulan, and The Waterfall. Be sure your child knows the difference between subject/predicate in a sentence as well as what a statement, command, exclamation, and question are. A Theme 1 Review Spelling list will go home Monday and is due Friday, Oct. 1. This packet will include a page for ABC order, practice book pages, and multiplication facts 2-4. A timed quiz will be given later in the week for these facts only. Also, a math test for Chapter 2 will be given on Tuesday. I have cut and paste a bit to make a test covering greater than, less than, rounding, and place value review. Math homework for Monday night will consist of a Chapter 2 practice test. Be sure your child understands rounding. It is a concept that is hard for many students and needs reinforcement. On Friday, October 1 I will collect the September reading log and a new one for October will be sent home on October 4. Also, we will begin Lit. Circles in a few weeks. Thanks to all who signed up to help. I will contact you soon.

Conferences are also coming up for the week of October 11-15. The whole week are restructured days, so students go home at 12:20. I am working on the master schedule and will send home a copy to you sometime this week. I tried my best to accommodate your time and a few parents still haven't signed up. If you have not signed up for a time, please send in 2-3 choices and I can fit you in. As mentioned at Back to School Night, a phone conference is perfectly fine and we can set that up in lieu of you coming in during the day.

Have a great weekend!

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Sept. 20-25, 2010

It was great meeting you all at Back to School Night. I hope all of your questions were answered, and feel free to email me when needed. I forgot to mention that this blog is updated weekly, so be sure to check regularly to see what is going on. Also, if you didn't get a chance to sign up for conferences, I can email you available times.

A spelling/homework packet for The Waterfall will be sent home Monday due on Friday. Attached are practice pages for 2s-4s. Students will be tested on these facts next week. We are having a place value test (Chapter 1) on Monday and beginning Chapter 2 in Houghton Mifflin Math.

Picture day is coming up this Thursday. If you haven't sent in an envelope to order pictures, please due so before Sept. 24. I will then distribute envelopes to the photographers at the time of your child's photo. Speaking of photographers, our class is still looking for someone who would like to be OUR photographer. This person can take pictures on field trips, parties, and other events. If you are interested please contact me or parent alliance.

Thank you to the drivers who came along to the County Fair. Students had a wonderful time and we always appreciate your help.

Have a great weekend!

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Sept. 13-17, 2010

Hope you are enjoying the lovely weekend. Here are the upcoming events for the week:

Homework packet for the Ballad of Mulan will be sent home on Monday, due Friday, along with 3 pages of multiplication facts 2-4. We will have a test on these facts in 2 weeks. Be sure you and your child review these facts continually throughout the year. It's crucial to learn them in 3rd grade. Also, there were several packets turned in without names written on the pages. Please be sure to check your child's work, initial each page, and be sure their name is written on ALL pages. We finished Graphing and Probability in math last week and have come back to Chapter 1 with Place Value. I was impressed with how well most students performed on the test.

On Friday a Volunteer Sign Up sheet was sent home with your child. Please choose how you would like to volunteer and I will do my best to acommodate your time. I have spots for volunteers in the classroom, as well as help that can be done at home. Please return this by Monday so I can get the schedule together by Back to School Night this Thursday at 6:00. Hope to see you all there.

Our first field trip is this Thursday to the SC County Fair. This will last most of the day so be sure to pack a sack lunch, water, and sunscreen. Students will not be allowed to buy food or other items at the fair, so please NO MONEY. All students are free and I have tickets to cover most if not all parents. You will just need to pay for parking.

Have a great weekend and see you soon!

Sunday, September 5, 2010

Sept. 7-10, 2010

Hope you are all enjoying the 3 day weekend. Students have been in school for 2 weeks by now and are beginning to get the procedures and routines of class. Most students are doing a wonderful job, but some need to be reminded to raise their hands as well as work quietly. I expect ALL students to be respectful of others learning and remind them that they can talk to their friends during recess. I have cracked down on going to the bathroom as well. I know we have a long stretch (2 hours) between 9:30 and 11:35, so if your child has an issue, please let me know ASAP. The rule is that students must go during their break time (as I do) and will miss 5 minutes of recess if class time is interrupted.

Since Monday is a holiday, a new homework/spelling packet will go home on Tuesday. The packet contains a Spelling List with ABC Order, sentences on the back to study for dictation, spelling practice page(s), and multiplication table practice due Friday, September 10. Please be sure that your child completes ALL PAGES NEATLY (All letters sitting on lines, mistakes erased completely & rewritten nicely). I stress the importance of nice handwriting too. By 3rd grade, this should not be an issue. FOR THE MATH SECTION OF THE PACKET, be sure to follow all of the directions on the sheets. It's very important that your child SAY and WRITE the answers aloud. The spelling test will be this Friday and the Math Fact Test on 2, 3, & 4's will be in 3 weeks. We will also have a math test (chapters 22 & 23) this Wednesday. This will cover Graphing and Probability. On Thursday we will begin with Chapter 1, so hopefully the review at the bottom will be more accurate.

A September reading log went home last week. Each student must be completing this on a daily basis. Every afternoon/evening, Monday-Thursday, your child is required to read ALOUD (not silently) to you for 15 minutes. You are required to sign EVERY box after he/she reads. Contracts are due every week on Friday with 8 boxes filled in. so that I can check progress. When Literature Circle Books are assigned, I want your child to read that book to you, but in the mean time NO PICTURE BOOKS. Your child should be reading books at his/her reading level to increase fluency (105 words per minute is the goal for 3rd grade.) Several students forgot to turn in their reading log last week. Please be sure your child turns in homework on time. EACH STUDENT should have ample time to complete assignments. If you would like to receive the weekly spelling homework on Friday, please let me know. I can accommodate your child if needed. Thank you for supporting your child with this very important task :-)

I'm looking for a volunteer who would like to do Scholastic Book Orders for the class. If you are interested, I have several pamphlets that can be sent home. Scholastic is offering extra bonus points for ordering this time of year. Let me know if you would like to help with this.

It looks like we are all set for the field trip on September 16. We have plenty of chaperones for the County Fair. I may double up a few parents to save on the cost of parking. Be sure to get in your driver information to the office.

That's all for now! I usually update my blog on the weekends, so be sure to check every week to see what's going on in Room 21. I would like to thank, again, the parents who have helped with getting homework packets stapled, papers corrected, pages pulled out of practice books and photocopying. I truly APPRECIATE your help and support.