Thank you, patient parents...

So, I'm sure you have heard by now...I had a procedure on my Achilles last Friday. I have had an injury for quite a few months, but it wasn't healing. So I had Plasma Replacement Therapy and can't bear weight for 10 days...needless to say, teaching on crutches is not easy or fun!   HOWEVER, your kids were SO fantastic about it all. I just adore them.  I apologize for no blog last weekend, but other than getting to the bathroom and back, I was "couch-ridden" for the first three full days...

Let me tell you about our week(s)...

Language Arts
We are hot and heavy into writing rough drafts of our biography reports.  The kids gathered information from different resources and categorized their facts into envelopes in their portfolios.  The next step was to create a time line using the cards...putting them in "life order".  This was a fun, hands-on experience with time lines.  See our different steps below...

The next order of business was modeling how to turn those facts into a story of "their" lives...writing the biography in first person.  And now...they are drafting on the laptops.  We've had a brief interruption while the school is being updated to Windows 7...but I should have the COW back this week and we will continue our endeavors! As drafts become complete we will peer conference, revise, and edit, so that they have a polished piece.  I am so impressed with their research and organization!  I can't wait to read the drafts!!

In Language Arts we are beginning a novel unit!  We discussed the different fiction genres this past week...with a fun "find this particular genre" activity...using the text features that best inform the reader about the type of book they're reading.  We will be reading a novel as a class that I am very excited about...more to come...can't give it away quiet yet!

Science
We are having a lot of fun with science right now...these kids are REAL scientists trying to gather as much data as possible about five mystery powders!  They are using their senses to observe and identify properties of each powder.  We are discussing physical and chemical changes that occur when mixtures/solutions are formed.  This week they completed the "water test".  Next week they will work with water mixtures and filtering, and then they will complete the "vinegar test"...all bringing us to the solution to the mystery...."What on earth are these five powders?!?!"  ;-)  Some kids are starting to hypothesize about some of the powders.  We will continue to gather and analyze data for the next few weeks.

Math
In my math class we are working on problem solving with division and multiplication.  Now that everyone is proficient with division with remainders (YAH!!), we need to make sure that when the information is hidden in a problem, they can find it, analyze it, and solve the problem.  They may use any strategy they'd like...but this week we'll be working on the most efficient strategy.

Other News

• We made Valentine's bags with our buddies...pictures below.

• Our Valentine's Day party was so much fun!!  Thank you so much to our Room Parents:  Mrs. Filburn and Mrs. Canaday!  And to all the parents who pitched in monetarily or in person...party was a success because of all of you!!  Pictures soon!

• Our Silent Auction basket theme is a boy's bicycle.  We are hoping to be able to purchase the bike and some accessories...if you haven't donated to the bike, and you would like to, please send whatever amount in an envelope marked "silent auction" with your child's name on it.  Thanks to everyone that has donated so far!

• MSAs...third graders will be taking the MSA tests in the next two weeks...as the test gets closer I will give some specific instructions for the kids that week, but try to keep it all on the down low...we do a lot that week to make it a fun time...our motto...work hard and it will pay off (extra recess, no homework, tic-tacs to stimulate brain function., etc.)  :-)

Valentine Bags with Buddies

Happy Monday!

We had a great week last week! Let me tell you all about it...

In Language Arts I introduced the kids to a research project. The students will be researching a famous person by reading a biography book. We will use the research portal "SIRS" to read articles and gather more information. And then last, we will use Biography.com, Brain Pop, and United Streaming to watch and listen to videos about their famous person. All of the skills/steps the students need to take will be modeled in class. The first step is taking notes and organizing those notes. We are using a portfolio system. The kids and I brainstormed all of the different categories/facts found in a biography or life story. We then set our purpose for reading...to find facts that fit each category. So we read an article about Harriet Tubman in the Scholastic Storybook magazine. While we read, the students took notes (one note per card...this helps later in the organizing of their writing)...and we decided how to sort the facts into the different categories. We will continue to work on this project for the next couple weeks.

We finished up our Social Studies unit on immigration and government. We ended with a Readers Theater about Ellis Island, and while we read and performed it, we discussed the characters' different perspectives. It was fun and very enlightening! We ended with a lesson on public services provided by our tax money. The kids became experts of one service and then taught all of us. After learning about each service, the kids wrote acrostic poems to share their knowledge. Those poems are in their composition books. Ask your child to bring it home so you can read it...they are fantastic!!

In Math we have been working on dividing up things into equal shares. Many times the kids found that when you try to divide something into equal shares, the result is a fraction. It was a great introduction to division and a quick review of basic fractions. This week we will be diving into many different strategies to use when dividing numbers that have a remainder. We will use repeated subtraction, number lines, 100s charts, tens blocks, and more! The students are encouraged to always use more than one strategy to ensure conceptual development, as well as to check their work!

REMINDERS:
Last week a note went home about our Valentine's Day Party...it is Friday, February 15th from 1:15-2:15. We are asking parents to donate $3 per family. Please send your donation in an envelope marked Valentine's Day Party with your child's name on it. Thank you!!

And today, a bright yellow paper went home informing you about our class basket for the PTA Silent Auction. Our wonderful PTA holds a silent auction each year. This is their biggest fundraiser and they use these funds for programs/materials that directly benefit your children. Our classroom basket is a boy's bicycle. We will collect donations and then purchase the bike which will be auctioned off that evening. Please read the letter and donate if you are so willing/able.

Thanks to Mrs. Filburn and Mrs. Canaday for organizing the party AND basket for our class!!

Have a great week...stay warm!

These happy faces say it all...

By all, I mean the reason I am SOOOO late in posting...my oldest son, my daughter-in-law, and my grandson visited this past week...and so when I wasn't running after my little guy, I was thoroughly enjoying spending time with my entire family...

But I still apologize for not blogging sooner!  This blog will cover last week and our very short week this week!

What have we been up to?  What HAVEN'T we been up to!?!?

In Language Arts right now we are concentrating on reading ANCILLARY texts...encyclopedias, websites, magazines, posters, etc.  We are using the Scholastic Storybooks magazine a lot for this unit...with comprehension as the focus.  One of the components of the Common Core Curriculum is text complexity and this magazine provides plenty of it! We often read independently, but this past week, we used the laptops and listened to the audio recording of the article about Mt. Vesuvius.  Then the kids enjoyed a video of behind the scenes of the writing of the article.  It is so fun being able to tap into technology as often as we do!!

Speaking of text complexity and technology...the article the kids had to read about Martin Luther King, Jr was very rigorous!  They used different ancillary texts to gather lots of information about MLK, Jr.  They used a time line, the website article, a picture book, and a Brain Pop video on the laptops.

In the next week, each student will choose an important person to research, and each student will be writing a biography about that famous person.  They will write it as if they are that person...from the first person perspective.  More to come on this project...but it will be an in school assignment.

A writing assignment came home last week...an informative paragraph about immigration.  I continue to be impressed with the kids' ability to write...but also, their ability to edit and revise!

Speaking of immigration...our focus in Social Studies right now is immigration and government.  It was so rewarding hearing about how your families came to America.  We are such a diverse class and we have first generation Americans as well as sixth generation Americans!!  Tomorrow the kids will be reading/performing a Readers Theater about Ellis Island.  I'm excited to see their personalities come out as we continue to gather more information about immigrants' experiences. 

As you are now aware, we switch classes for Math, so I will not be doing a lot of math talk on this blog since the two classes work on different things at different times...however, let me say that there can NEVER be enough fact practice.  In your report card this quarter a note will come home with your child's updated fact assessment information.  If your child is still under 80% automaticity and 90% accuracy...they should be practicing facts at least three times a week.  Both classes will continue to have a heavy emphasis on problem solving...please continue to give your child opportunities for problem solving at home or when you are out...this is so very helpful!

VALENTINE'S DAY is coming...and so are the parties!  Our Valentine's Day party is on FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 15th from 1:15-2:15pm.  A letter went home today in the Take Home folder with all of the pertinent information...please take time to read it...I want to thank our room parents ahead of time for all of their hard work to make the parties enjoyable for all of the kids!

I think that's about it...feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns...and STAY WARM!!

Short, but sweet...

In my house we are all reading the book, One Word that Will Change Your Life...and we've each chosen a word to make our focus for the year 2013.  Mine is BALANCE...something I struggle with on a daily basis.  Why am I sharing this?  Because my weekends are JAM packed and I am trying to balance school work with family time...so tonight's blog is short...but sweet!

Wait until you see your child's poem coming home this week...they are all soooo good.  As we close down the poetry unit, the kids will present their memorized poems tomorrow.  They have a checklist in their Take Home folders to remind them what will be scored...I anticipate great presentations!  We will be moving into a Reading Ancillary Texts unit...back to non-fiction...and we're going to start with a rather rigorous article about Mt. Vesuvius.  More to come on that...

As you know...we started switching for math.  I kept about half my class and inherited 1/2 of Ms. Maenner's class.  I have a GREAT group!!  We will continue to work on third grade core curriculum, extending and enriching.  Both classes are "above grade level".  If you have a question at any point, do not hesitate to ask.  I took some fun pictures of my math class this week as we experimented with sponges, measuring the water each sponge would hold using mL and L...they are below...

We finished our economy unit this week discussing advertising, false advertising, and global trade.  We are headed into another social studies unit about immigration...I really love this unit! The kids will be coming home to discuss your family's heritage...it is always such a rewarding unit!

I have to give all students a QRI leveled reading test this coming week, so they'll be working independently quite a bit as I listen to your lovelies read!

Normal schedule this coming week, but CRAZY schedule next week...

Monday, January 21 - NO SCHOOL
Tuesday, January 22 - NO SCHOOL (for students)
Wednesday, January 23 - NO SCHOOL (for students)

I hope you had a wonderful weekend with your family...I sure did.

Entrepreneurs 2012

Click on the words below and enjoy!!

Entrepreneurs 2012

Happy New Year!!

This post is sooo long overdue...but I am happy to report that I am well rested and ready to rock and roll in 2013!

I promise to get back on a more regular blogging schedule...and I hope you understand the need for a break...it was a wonderful time with family, friends, and the flu...(yuck is right...but better during break than when I have to miss time with your kids!!)

I want to journey back to the days before Winter Break... 

As I'm sure you've heard by now, we had two Market Days the week before we left for break. This was the culmination of our economics unit. About three to four weeks ago, we began the ENTREPRENEURS unit...we had four companies in our classroom. Each company perused the materials they were allowed to use and then made up some proposals for different goods they could produce. Each company chose one product and then was given a loan. Using the money from their loan, they had to decide how many goods to produce, and what type of advertising they would use. Once that data was collected, they had to figure out at what price to sell their good so that they could cover their costs AND make a profit. Once those plans were approved, production began. The children had to specialize and cooperate...when you have a classroom FULL of leaders, this can be a challenge! They each had jobs that were important, so they got to see interdependence in action! Once all production was complete, Mrs. Maenner's class and our class got together to see any commercials that had planned...and then each student was given a $5 debit card as their salary for working in their companies. The companies split up and 1/2 were consumers on the first Market Day...the others were sellers. The consumers got to shop in both classrooms and spend their money on the goods produced. Some companies sold out...others did not. That afternoon after shopping the companies got together to see what their sales had been and to make a plan if they felt sales needed to be increased. They had to decide how many more goods they would produce, what it would cost, and whether any advertising needed to change. I was SOOOO impressed with the conversations. Tuesday and Wednesday the companies spent in production. And then on Thursday the kids had their second Market Day. The consumers became sellers and the sellers, consumers. Overall...EVERY company in our classroom profited enough to pay back their loan and come out on top!  We had a great discussion about the differences in profits and the reasons that such differences occur.

I thought the best way to share all of this information was in a video of pictures...their hard work and committment to creating a marketable product can be viewed by checking out the post right above this post by clicking on the words

"ENTREPRENEURS 2012"...

ENJOY!!

We began our poetry unit before Winter Break and are just wrapping it up...the kids wrote BEAUTIFUL Color Poems...they are just finishing the illustrations...

We started by reading the book Hailstones and Halibut Bones where the poet takes different colors and writes a poem about each one.  The students brainstormed different colors they liked and words that create images related to those colors.  They then chose the color they wanted to write their own poem about.  WORD CHOICE was our next focus...creating "juicy" phrases about each item...turning blue into "smushed blueberries on a table" or green into a "twisted pipe cleaner"...each student was aware of their "poetic license" and composed their poem...paying special attention to purposeful punctuation, rhyme, or lack of rhyme, patterns, and WORD CHOICE/IMAGERY.  The outcome is unbelievable!!  I can't wait for you to read them! 

As I'm sure you know by now, next Monday, your child has an assignment due.  He/she is responsible for memorizing a poem and presenting it to the class.  The presentation will be scored on expression, volume, pacing, clarity, and eye contact WITH THE ENTIRE AUDIENCE.  If you have any questions about this assignment, please send me an email.

We ended a math unit right before Winter Break centered around multiplication and time...a test was given last week and I will have that back to your kids sometime this week.  I'm sure you've seen the letter that came home on Friday...please refer to it if you have not.  It explains that starting this week the kids will/may have either Ms. Maenner or myself for math.  We will be regrouping regularly as we switch units, so where your child goes this week could change in a month.  We got the kids together today to explain the changes...we will begin regrouping Wednesday.  Again, if you have any questions, please email me.

Last week the kids took the mid-year Global Scholar test in Math.  They will take the Language Arts portion next week.  This test is given three times a year to record student progress. 

We continue to utilize the COW in our classroom.  Just this week we published the color poems on the laptops.  The week before winter break, I introduced the kids to "Lemonade Stand", a game where they can use their entrepreneurial skills to make money at a lemonade stand. They have so many variables to consider when making decisions including the temperature and predicted precipitation!! This link is on the blog and is a wonderful activity for the kids that involves economics and math!

OK...I know this post is all over the place...but I just remembered a few other things we did before break...we had a very fun movie/PJ/blanket and pillow day...AND we had a great time with our kindergarten buddies...they had been studying reindeer and we got to join them for a reindeer party of sorts.  The kids made reindeer cookies together, made reindeer food, and watched a very small part of Rudolf together...it was a great end to the week!  Take a look... 

Well, I've rambled plenty for this update....I will write again this coming weekend.  Until then, feel free to email me with any questions or concerns...I am continually impressed by your kids and LOVE coming to work every day.  They make my job fun.

And check out the next post for the ENTREPRENEURS VIDEO!!  You will love it!