Amy Hall

November 14, 2009

It was great to all the students and parents at the Fall Festival last night.  I hope you all had as much fun as my family and I did!

On Friday, academic alerts were sent home.  If your child received an alert, please sign the form and return it with the envelope.  Thank you for your help.  The alerts make you aware that your student needs improvement in an area(s) but still has time to bring up his/her grade for the remainder of the quarter.

Coming up this week:

MATH

The children will identify types of intersecting and non-intersecting lines. Then, they will learn to describe, identify, classify and draw plane figures and continue with various types of triangles.

Vocabulary: intersecting, equilateral, isosceles, scalene, right, obtuse, acute, polygon, pentagon, hexagon, and octagon.  More hands-on materials will continue next week!

 

Reading/Writing

We will focus on making inferences as we read a folk tale called Talk, Talk.  We will also respond to the story in our writing.  In guided reading, we will continue with Freckle Juice and other Judy Blume books.  The students seem to be enjoying these. 

 

There was much excitement in the classroom this week as we started cursive!  Two letters will be introduced each week and practiced in class each day.  As reinforcement, a half sheet will be sent home each night as homework. 

 

Science

There will be a test on habitats on Friday.  A study guide will be sent home Monday. 

 

Social Studies

Although social studies does not begin until the week after Thanksgiving, please spend some time with your child on the following links for Frederick Douglass.  Social studies seems to be the most difficult subject for many of our students.  I appreciate your support in this.

 

http://stilllearning.typepad.com/files/frederick-douglass-timeline.

 

Question of the week:

Name 5 objects in your home that have acute angles, 5 objects with right angles, and 5 objects with obtuse angles.

Send this in for a $5 checkbook deposit!

 

Upcoming dates:

Monday, Nov. 16th - Stevie B.'s night

Nov. 21-29 - Thanksgiving holidays

 

November 9, 2009

Here is another document to help with interpretation of test scores.

Download 1 ITBS brochure 09-10

November 7, 2009

ITBS and COGAT Results

On Monday, the test results will be sent home with your child.  Here is a link that can help with interpretation of the scores.

The ITBS parent brochure has been updated for fall 2009 and posted on the internet, at http://www.cobbk12.org/centraloffice/accountability/testing_info.aspx .

November 6, 2009

Third Grade Super Mart

A note was sent home today about our Nov. 19 third grade store.  We have worked hard to earn money and are ready to spend some of it!  We are in need of donations of stickers, books, pens, fancy pencils, fast food prizes, gently loved toys, dollar store items, etc. (No food please).   Please send all donations in by November 16th.   We greatly appreciate it.

Math

This week we will be starting our geometry unit.  We will classify angles as acute, obtuse, and right.  We are continuing our timed tests on multiplication.  Keep practicing at home!

Reading

We continue with connections, predictions, and questioning as we do reading comprehension in our guided reading groups.  In whole group, we will focus on subjects and predicates of sentences and review types of sentences (interrogative, declarative, exclamatory and imperative).  Our spelling word sort this week is words that end in "ce, se, and ve."

Writing

We are continuing to work on responding to literature.

Science

We will begin on habitats.

UPCOMING DATES

Tuesday, Nov. 10 - Chick-fil-A night

Wednesday, Nov. 11 - Veteran's Day breakfast

Thursday, Nov. 12 - Last day for art sticker orders

Friday, Nov. 13 - Fall Festival 6:30-8:30

Nov. 19 - Third Grade Super Marts

October 24, 2009

IMPORTANT:  Please sign and send in the CRCT letter from Dr. Grier ASAP!  This letter was in the report card envelope.  We are still missing a few.  Thank you.

Math

We will continue multiplication using all the strategies we've learned.  I am proud that so many students are learning their multiplication facts by rote.  However, continued practice is essential!  Our standards for this quarter state that students will know their facts (up to 10 x 10) with conceptual understanding and fluency. 

I appreciate your support at home.  Remember the websites to the right of my blog; they are very helpful in practicing as well as flash cards from the dollar store.

Reading/Social Studies

Reading will be integrated with social studies this week as we learn about Paul Revere.  There are many vocabulary words that will be introduced and we will focus on reading comprehension.  We will also do a timeline of Paul Revere's life.  I have added a Jeopardy game and a website link about Paul Revere.  Check it out!

Download Paulreverejeopardy

Download Paul_Revere_study_guide

Writing

We have been learning about antonyms and synonyms and will write poems with each of these.  We will also begin our "response to literature" unit.

Science

Test on soils on Tuesday.  I sent the study guide home Friday. 

Important Dates/Reminders:

October 26-30  - Red Ribbon Week -  Our theme this year is "Drug Free is the Key".  Please have your child bring in one can of food this week to help show that "We CAN All Say No To Drugs!"  These cans will be added to our food drive box.   At home, your child could participate by making a poster or writing an essay about the benefits of being drug free.  The posters/essays are due on Thursday to Mrs. Young, one of our school counselors.

November 3 - Teacher workday - no school for students.

October 23, 2009

There will be a science test next Tuesday on soil, erosion and weathering.  The study guide will go out today.

October 17, 2009

CRCT VOCABULARY

Please check the link to the right for CRCT vocabulary.  I have added some suggestions of how you can help your child at home. 

REPORT CARDS

Please note that there were 2 areas on the report card that were "n/a" (money concepts and productive resources).  These standards will be assessed this quarter. 

Also note the letter that was enclosed with your child's login and password for accessing CRCT practice tests on-line.  I can't wait to hear from the students that they have been practicing!

Please return the signature card and the promotion requirements letter in the brown envelope on Monday.  Thanks.

SPECIALS FOR THE WEEK

Monday - Music and Tech (our teacher collaboration day)

Tuesday - no specials (other grades collaboration)

Wednesday - PE

Thursday - Music

Friday - Art

CURRICULUM

Math - multiplication strategies (arrays, skip-counting, groups, repeated addition) 0-5's; problem solving

Reading - Making predictions, synonyms and antonyms

Words Their Way/Spelling - Homophones

Science - Soil and Erosion

Writing - Response to literature

Remember, Wednesday, October 21 - EARLY RELEASE - Students dismissed 2 hrs. early

 

October 15, 2009

Attached are the parent letters for the 2nd quarter.  They include the standards that we will be covering.  It would be great if you could preview/review these with your child as reinforcement.  There are even some interesting websites that they would enjoy.  I will put them on my websites link as well.   Please note that we do NOT need any of the items that the science letter requests. 

 Download 2Q Math Parent Letter

Download 2Q Science Parent LetterDownload

Download 2Q Social Studies Parent Letter

CRCT Vocabulary

Download CRCT VOCAB

Try this for the social studies millionaire game.

http://stilllearning.typepad.com/files/whowantstobemillionareeconomy-1.ppt