It’s hard to believe that it’s already February. The days go so quickly and I guess the saying is true, “Time flies when you’re having fun.” This group has certainly been fun to work with because of their hard work ethic. Thank you for your continued support helping your child . You should have received the Parent/Teacher Conference slip. Next week we will be discussing the progress of your child and also will talk about the MCA testing that will be coming up in April. Valentines Day will be coming up next week. Your child can make a box at home if they want and also can bring a Valentine for their classmates. For our party your child can bring a snack and a beverage for our party on Feb.12th. You should be continuing to read from the book that was given to your child during the ONE DISTRICT..ONE BOOK program. Each day we’ll be discussing a chapter. We would like you to take the time to read a chapter each night with your child so they can take part in the discussion.
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LESSON 16 SPELLING LIST air,wear,chair,stairs,bare,bear,hair,care,pear,pair,share,near,ear,beard
Last week we read a story about some sisters that complained about what was served for dinner. To teach the girls a lesson the parents decided to let the children plan and prepare the Sunday dinner. As a fun follow-up to the story wouldn’t it be fun to have your child plan a meal and help you prepare it? Some teachable moments would be having them help measure items. Also you talk about the time it takes to cook or bake something. Example: It’s 4:45 p.m. and it says we need to bake this item for 30 minutes. When should we take it out of the oven? As a kid growing up on a farm in North Dakota I still remember fondly our meal times. It was a time where stories from my parent’s past were retold and stories from our family were handed down to the next generation. Also events from the day were shared. Those were some very good memories which I’ll cherish forever. At your next meal time with your child why not share a favorite memory about school from your childhood with them. I’m sure they’ll enjoy it as much as I enjoyed listening to my folks. I also sent home the Parent/Teacher Conference RSVP this week. Please sign and return it the following day. This was the time you signed up for in August when we first met and it also the time we met last October. This Friday is a two hour late start. It is the official start to our “One District...One Book” project. There will be a lot of activities that you can do with your child as together you read the book during February. SPELLING LIST:
LESSON 15 nurse,work,shirt,hurt,first,word,serve,curly,dirt,third,worry,turn,stir,firm On Tuesday, January 20th we are at exactly the half way mark of our current school year and also is very close to the half way point of this trimester. I was a high school athletic coach for 26 consecutive years, and from that I learned many things about the importance of half time. One of which is that in order to be successful in the second half of the game adjustments need to be made with the team in order to finish strong. When I was coaching basketball, strategies were changed to make sure we were stronger in the second half. Something else I learned as a track and field coach. It was that when athletes reach the half way mark of a race and begin to run the 3rd portion, that part of it was always the slowest. It’s very easy right now for students to start coasting and to not put forth a lot of effort. They have just finished some major testing and might be content with their scores and not realize how they must maintain their effort to keep up. Here’s my analogy. Everyone starts off fast and strong at the beginning of the race or school year and also seems to have that sprint towards the finish line or end of school year. What happens is the middle portion of a race, in this case, the school year is vital to how we will finish. So far this year your child has committed to reading for 20 minutes a night or 140 minutes a week. They have also been given a green homework sheet nearly every night this year that has been completed and checked by the adults they live with daily. I have been so impressed with the support I have received from you. Some students have never missed an assignment and those that do forget to bring it back do that very rarely. Now for the half time adjustments that we need to make for the second half are the following: Starting today, I’d like your child to read for at least 25 minutes a night or 175 minutes a week. You can divide it up however you want. It is also strongly suggested that they master their multiplication facts very soon. I’d also suggest that you try out the websites that I suggested on the class blog if your child has been below grade level in any area. This could make a big difference. Very soon some of their homework will include items that are found on the MCA Math test. I have some old questions from former tests that I have been giving them daily to start off our morning. If we commit together for the second half I know without a doubt that we’ll see positive results this spring as we finish up our school year. This class has really bonded well together and it’s amazing to see them working together daily. I’m very proud of the accomplishments and how they help one another during our day. Our test scores in Reading and Math were fantastic when we tested earlier this month. There is still room to grow or should I say, another mountain to climb. One of my favorite quotes while coaching was this: “When some people reach the top of the mountain they stop to admire the view. But the truly remarkable person looks for another mountain to climb.” As I teacher I loved the view of the mountain top we reached in January, but I can’t wait to see the view of the mountain top we’ll reach in May! You should be getting some information on ordering a second copy of your child's hardcover book. Most people don't order a second one and just go with the free one. However you MUST fill out the form, sign it and return it in order for your child to get the free one. There is a letter than explains the process. Also don't seal the envelope when you return it. Please return it the following day that you get this.
We have finished the MAPS tests in Reading and Math. I was extremely pleased with how serious your child took the test. We talked about how important it is to read the questions twice before answering. All of the students took their time and I'll be sending home the results of those tests. Within a week I hope to have our class average as well. During Parent Teacher Conferences which will be in the first part of February I'll be discussing these results in more detail. For now we need to continue with reading each evening 25- 30 minutes and also checking in with your child on their Math homework. Many students have told them me that they have moved up to 40-60 minutes of reading each evening! Spelling words are written in your child's agenda on Friday afternoon. This means that they have over the weekend plus the entire next week to study them. Please have your child write them each night and if you could give a practice test on Wednesday evenings that might help improve their spelling skills. Welcome back! I was so excited to see the students last week after what felt like a very long break. I was encouraged to see the energy level of the students and feel we have what it takes to make the next portion of our school year a success.
On Wednesday, January 7th our class will take the 2nd MAPS test on Reading. We will take the Math test on Friday. We have been working hard in the classroom, and I trust they have been reading each evening for 20-25 minutes so I'm expecting good results. I shared with you their score coming into 3rd grade at our Parent/Teacher Conference in October. We also set goals during that session. I hope to have the results to you by the end of the week. This week we will be using the Lesson #13 Spelling and Skills list. The following week I will have results for you on the progress your child has made since September. Typical growth is about 3-5 points higher than their Sept. score. In just another two weeks we will approach the half way mark of Third Grade. It's hard to believe we are near that already. It's now that we must continue to see to it that your child is doing a quality job with homework and reading to self. In addition to the reading please be sure to ask them questions about what they are reading. Thank you again for your partnership in your child's education. |
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