Super Week 3B. . . Let's Have Another!!!

Last week was a very busy; yet, wonderful week for 3B. I was so proud of each and every one of the students as they worked so hard and stayed on task the whole week! Great job 3B! I hope that continues this week and throughout the rest of the year!

Well, where to start? We did finish up our biography presentations! They were super. I have put pictures of the students on their individual blog pages (you can get to by visiting my web page). You can also view the pictures on my webpage and going to the "09-10 photo" link or clicking on the star that says "Biography Presentation Photo". Either one will get you there. These are just pictures from our "dress rehersal" so not all students have a photo yet as some did not have their costumes at school for the dress rehersal. I am currently working on uploading the videos to the student's blog pages and created a DVD with all the presentations. I will then give a DVD to each student to keep and watch the presentations at home. They are so excited for that!!! I told them they were going to be movie stars!!! Look for that to come home soon but feel free to view their individual picture posted on the web (student blog page or my class web page)! I have to say I was very impressed with everyone's costumes and hard work to memorize as much of their presentation as they could!!!! Excellent job 3B! I could tell you enjoyed this project!!!

We also finished a science and math test last week. I am finishing correcting those, science has many parts, and will be sending those home tomorrow or Wednesday. Because of our Earth Day activity last Thursday, we didn't have science Thursday or Friday (Friday was Food and Fitness). I did not get all the components of the science test done, but I am going to just go with what we did get done. The students were glad to hear that!! :) To get them used to "letter grades" they will be getting in 4th grade, I will be putting a "letter grade" on both the science and math assessments. This will give each 3rd grader an idea of what grade they would have received if in 4th grade. I am going to try and do that on many activities to help them prepare for this aspect of 4th grade. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me.

On Thursday of this week we will be going out to Vernon for Arbor Day. This is a day of activities focusing on trees, soil, plants, and wildlife. Please be sure your child dresses in layers as the weather could be chilly in the morning and then get warmer as the day progresses. Hats/visors are allowed as well. Please have your 3rd grader where tennis shoes as we will be walking on some trails and busy outside. I also suggest you put sunscreen on your 3rd grade child that morning before sending him/her to school so that no one gets burnt. The school will be providing sack lunches for all of 3rd grade so please do not send a cold lunch on Thursday from home. This is a fun activity that brings all 3rd graders together throughout the district. Let's just hope the weather cooperates!

May 14th is also a field trip for Crestwood 3rd graders. We will be going to an eagle preserve in Wisconsin as well as a toy museum. More information will be sent home soon, but I wanted to send out a little request for chaperones. Each class will be taking 3 parent chaperones. If you are interested in going and would like to volunteer, please send me an email or call me. If I have more than 3 volunteers, I will put all names in a hat and draw them out to make it fair. Just so you know, we will be leaving the elementary at 7:30 AM and returning at 3:30 PM. Again the date is May 14th. Please let me know as soon as possible if you would like to volunteer to go along. I guarantee it will be a super day!

Last week we also ventured into something new in literacy called Book Clubs. After two days of modeling by myself, Mrs. Hartberg, and Mrs. Foster, the students went into some of the 4th grade rooms and watched what a book club is. There is a photo above that shows some 3rd grade students watching a 4th grade book club. Then on Thursday, we started our book clubs. The students are loving them and learning so much from the discussions that are happening, which is a main component of book clubs. Please ask your child about his/her book club, the book they are reading, and how it is going.

Above you will find some pictures that can be viewed on my web page in the photo albums. I have posted pictures from our Earth Day activity picking up trash in Cresco and at Kessel Park as well as the biography pictures. Take a look!

Have a great week and enjoy the sunshine. . . hopefully it sticks around awhile!

Busy Week Ahead!

We had a great talk this morning about how much we have going on this week. It is a little overwhelming to some of the students, but I feel they were more relaxed once we talked about everything. Yes, it is going to be busy! I know the students can handle it though and it will turn out wonderful. So what's going on you may ask. . . .here it is:

1. Biography presentations: I am so impressed with most of the students and their hard work to memorize as much of their biography presentations as they can! Wow! The students are so excited about this project, and it is super to see. Most students have been practicing hard each night, while a few students have not been. I am sad to say, but this will show when they do their presentations this week. We have been practicing daily in class, but the students were to practice every night since last Thursday at home for 20 minutes. Most did that and are ready. Some did not; therefore they spent their recesses today practicing, which was too bad because it was so nice outside. Oh well. . . .moving on. . . this is the schedule for the week:
a. I listened to almost everyone practice their oral presentations today. We will have a little more practice time in the classroom.
b. Costumes and props need to be to school by this Wednesday, if they were not sent today. Last week's newsletter asked that they be sent to school today so thank you to those who read my blog carefully and sent them today. If your child did not bring their costumes, I would appreciate them by Wednesday at the latest.
c. We will do a "dress rehersal" on Wednesday with the other 3rd grade students in the other sections coming in to listen and learn.
d. Presentations will start Thursday. Remember that all presentations will be video taped and placed on the students' blog pages, except for the students who signed that they did not want that. I also told 3B students they will get a DVD next week of all the presentations put together in a movie so they have it to keep forever. They were very excited about that aspect!!!
e. I hope to have all presentations done by the end of the day Friday. Costumes will then be sent back home on this day.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact me. We are moving along quickly because the students are ready and working hard. Thanks for your help and cooperation!

2. Science tests - If you remember, there are many components of our science assessments (visual, manipulative, multiple choice, etc.). The purpose of this is to meet all learning styles and hope for success in a way that meets the learning style of your child. I sent a study guide and science materials home last week for students to begin preparing for this assessment. We will start with the first half on Tuesday afternoon and finish on Thursday afternoon with the last half (we do not have science on Wednesday). Feel free to study more Wednesday night before part 2 of the assessment by using your study guide or materials sent home, but please return the science books with our child on Tuesday. I have reminded the students of this.

3. Math Assessments - We will be finishing up our unit on Geometry tomorrow with a math assessment Wednesday. While there is really no way to study for this assessment, remember to work on the multiplication facts. Even though it is an assessment on geometry, part of it is a quick check to see if students have been working on their facts. Otherwise, don't worry about studying for this assessment.

4. Multiplication Facts - The deadline to earn a "Walking Taco" for knowing all the multiplication facts is this Friday. I have 4 students done with many others very close. Keep working on them!!!!

See. . . .I told you it was a busy week. :) Hang in there. . . .we can do it!!!!

Last but not least. Just a quick note about a field trip coming up next Thursday to Vernon. All 3rd graders in the school district will take part in a celebration for Arbor Day next Thursday by going through various stations on trees, soil, animals, plants, etc. Look for more information to be sent home next week, but I wanted to make you aware of the date. All students will eat sack lunches provided by the school that day so no need to send a sack lunch from home.

Hopefully you are not overwhelmed by all of the information above. We have gone through it all, as I mentioned, and the students are aware of everything going on. Yes, it is a busy time, but they can do it!!!! It sounds like a lot, but we have spent a lot of time preparing so nothing should be a surprise. At least we had a some fun (we always have fun but this was a different kind of fun) and students picked their prizes out of the prize box for all of their great effort on the MAPs test. I was very proud of each of them and they deserved a little pat on the back or fun object to celebrate. Great job 3B!

Oh yeah. . .remember to watch your child's video book review and post a comment or question for them! They would really appreciate it - as would I!!!! Just go to my web page and select the student blog link to reach the list of students. They are so proud of them. . . . and I know you will be too!

Have a great week!

MAPs testing is done!!! Jump for Joy!!!

This post includes three post - the following two as well. If you look closely, you can see that I have posted pictures from our Technology Open House as well as the Field Day with Ridgeway students. In order to view the pictures/slide show, go into my blog page via the internet and watch from there. Comments follow as well.

I have had a lot of questions about the biography project so I am going to take some time to answer those and share information. The students worked very hard last week taking their notes and writing up their presentation. Some are still working on that while others worked on adding more information (some did not read all of the book like I had liked and had to do some rereading last week :( This week, students will be wrapping up their writing and preparing for their presentations here at school. While I don't feel it is necessary for the students to memorize their speeches, I do not want them reading directly off a paper all the time. We will be working on that this week. Look for your child's presentation to come home Wednesday night and the rest of the week for he/she to practice at home. Just remember to return it every day so he/she has it at school. As far as costumes and props go, I would like the students to have their costumes and props to school by next Monday. We will not need them on Monday, but I want to make sure every student has his/her costume and props. Remember props can include anything that reflects from the person's life or they were involved in. I am aiming to start the presentations next Wednesday, April 21st, and continue Thursday, April 22nd. With the costumes and materials here next Monday, we will have a dress rehersal on Tuesday, April 20th. So. . . we are getting there. This week, just look for your child to bring his/her speech home to practice on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. Also be gathering and putting together your child's costume with him/her to be brought to school next Monday. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to call or email me. Thanks for your help! The students are very, very excited (and a little nervous).

If you haven't had time to watch your child's book review video, I hope you will find time soon. You can go to your child's blog page (through my webpage) and click the link to watch his/her video. We would love comments posted as well so that the students understand who their audience is and build some communication through this activity. They did a great job and will be doing another one towards the end of the year. So. .enjoy! The students are eager for someone to watch their first video. :)

Just a few last minute reminders. The students who returned their reading calendars every month will be having a pizza party with me this Friday. Students who did not return their reading calendars will eat in the lunch room with the other 3rd grade students. I will provide pizza and beverages for the students who returned their calendars. Great job!

Remember that next Friday, the 23rd, is the last day for students to master all of their multiplication facts and earn a walking taco. Many students are so, so close so keep working at it. I am a little disappointed in some of the students not trying and practicing much at home as there are a few that don't seem to really care about it. I guess that is their choice, but 4th grade teachers do expect their students to know all their facts by next year. Might as well practice and earn something for it. Remember that mastering multiplication facts is part of our math series that is expected to be worked on outside the classroom as well. I am hoping to see a lot of students eating walking tacos soon!

The students finished up MAPs testing today. I don't think they could be happier to get them done. I was very pleased with the effort of the students and how hard many of them worked!!! Super job 3B! It showed in their scores, which were great! We had many types of "brain food" throughout the week to keep us going and working hard. . . . .now we are glad they are over with and we can return to normal. Look for your child's fall and spring scores to be sent home at the end of the year with his/her report card.

Have a great week!

Fun Day with Ridgeway!

Two weeks ago the staff and students of Crestwood Elementary enjoyed a fun morning with the staff and students from Ridgeway Elementary. The Ridgeway students were split up to mix in with their current grade level and work through various track and field activities, classroom activities, and then enjoyed a cook out lunch before the Ridgeway staff/students headed back. It was an excellent way for the students from Ridgeway who may be attending Crestwood next year to meet new people and become comfortable with the possible new environment. I am sure that each of us, including myself, made at least one new friend on this day, which was great!

Technology Night Open House

I am finally getting around to uploading the pictures from our Technology Open House. Thanks to the parents and families that attending and enjoyed spending time podcasting, blogging, and learning about the smartboard. It was a great evening! Enjoy!

Sometimes Technology is NOT my Friend!!!

I hope you had an enjoyable 3day weekend with your family and friends. It was very nice to have a little break and regroup for the rest of the year. Hard to believe that it is April already. . . . .time is just flying by as usual. I am proud of the students and their hard work though. . . they are really hanging in there and pushing themselves, which is awesome! I hope they keep it up for a little while longer!!!!

Well, our book review videos went well last week! I was pleased with them overall, and the students were very excited to see themselves on the computer. In trying to make it easier for the students, I ran into a little snag as far as uploading the videos to their individual blog pages. I used the computer video recorder on iMovie to record the videos (very simple for students to use). Unfortunately, these types of recordings won't upload to our blog pages. I should have checked it out first, found out if they worked or not, and then went with my original plan if they didn't. (Original plan was to use my FlipCamera to record the videos.) I learned a lesson for sure. So what I have done is put the students' book review videos on their podcast pages, which did work. This way the reviews can be watched. I am also going to put the link on each student's review on their blog page in hopes that parents, friends, and others will send comments to the students to foster more communication and discussion. So. . . look tomorrow at the student individual blog pages and information to comment/view your child's book review. Or, if you can't wait, you can view the video tonight by going to our podcast pages on my class website. Your choice-they are there for you to view tonight if so desire.

Almost everyone brought back his/her biography project information! Super! I was very pleased this morning with the responsibility shown by the students. Here is a timeline of what will be happening in the next few weeks:
1. I will review the information the students brought in. I will do this by Wednesday so that if anyone needs to reread or gather more information, he/she will have time to do that.
2. We will begin taking our information and preparing our oral presenation. This will mostly be done at school.
3. Once we get going on that, I will send information home about when costumes and props are due. Some have sent them to school already, but that is not necessary. If you do not have your costume, you have about a week or two to get it ready. Look for a note to be sent home soon with specific information/dates.

Thanks for your help and cooperation with this activity! The students are very, very excited about it!

I have six or seven students who have returned their reading calendar every month and have earned a pizza party with me, Mrs. Kerian. I am tentatively planning this party next Friday, April 16th. These six students will not be eating school lunch that day as they will be eating pizzas with me and having beverages provided by me as well. Those students who did not meet the goal of returning their calendars every month will go to lunch as usual with the other 3rd grade teachers or an associate to sit with them in the cafeteria. Great job to these students! I am very proud of each of them and their dedication to reading has shown in their improvement as well! Keep it up!

Just a reminder to keep working on those multiplication facts. All facts must be memorized by April 23rd to earn the "Walking Taco" party. Many students are very close so keep working on them!

In conclusion, I wanted to comment about our upcoming MAPs test we will be starting tomorrow. Students in 3B will be doing the Reading part of the assessments tomorrow, Language on Tuesday, and Math on Thursday. We will end our assessments next Monday by taking the Science portion of the test. If you remember, your child took these assessments at the beginning of the year on the computer. They are not timed and students are given as much time as needed to work through the problems. Today your child set his/her goals for the scores they would like to receive. Our hope is that there will be improvement in all areas. . . .I have no doubt there will be. Anyway, please do not stress your child out about this. They will be fine. All I ask is that they get a good nights rest this week, or as usual, and eat a healthy breakfast. Thanks for your help and cooperation!

Have a great week!

So Much To do. . .So Little Time

I am so excited to hear many students talk about their costumes and materials for their biography project!!! Hopefully that is a good sign that things are getting done at home. Yeah!!! I needed to make a comment about due dates. I was not thinking when I said that their notes were due April 2nd. We don't have school that day. . . .so.. . . your child can return his/her notes and books on Thursday, April 1st, or Monday, April 5th. Either one is fine. We will then start preparing for the presentations and a note will be sent home about when to have costumes and props at school. Right now, I am thinking that the costumes should be to school on Monday, April 12th. That is what we are aiming for. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me via email or phone. Thanks for your help with the project and I am anxious to see and hear what every one is learning.

This week we will be putting up a new book review on our blog pages. These book reviews will be videocast so hopefully we will have them up and running by the weekend for everyone to show their extended families. I would also appreciate any comments you, the parents, post for each child as well as that gives them more of an understanding of what and who their audience is.

A note was sent home today about MAPs testing starting next Tuesday. Please do not stress your child out as we have not talked about it yet. This Thursday, I will talk to the students about it in a calm way. On Monday, we will look at our old scores, individually of course, and set goals for the new set of tests. I have no doubt there will be improvement in all areas for all kids, which is what we want to see. Again, please do not stress your child out. It is another set of tests that we will try our best on and move on. I just wanted to call attention to the note that was sent home today.

Many students have been busy at home working through math concepts on my web page. That is outstanding! I am so impressed with the dedication many students are showing. To build in the area of reading, I will be putting some reading activities on my web page as well. I am going to try to post them tonight. It would be great if your child would try some of these sites as well to continue building his/her reading skills and strategies. We all know that students love to be on the computer, so take advantage of that time by having them do something productive and learning in a creative way. I have talked to the students about this and shown some of the activities for them to try.

In conclusion, I am sending home your child's science quiz from last week. Many students did wonderful, some did fine, and a few could have done better. Please take some time to look at your child's quiz and discuss with them the importance of using the study guides sent home (as their was one sent home 4 days before the quiz). Congrats to those who worked hard and studied! I am proud of you.

Report cards will be sent home tomorrow! The students are anxious to see them!
Have a great week and enjoy the sunshine!

Technology Open House - Thank You!

A big thank you to the parents that made it to the Technology Open House last Friday! I was very impressed and hope that you had a great time as well. It was neat to see parents doing podcast and blogging with students!!!! I will try and get the podcast up tonight so that you can listen to them on your 3B child's podcast page. The students we attended thought it was great to have their parents try these activities as well. I hope to have the pictures from last Friday for you to see on the blog page as well by Tuesday night. Stay tuned! :)

We continue working away in all areas. I am hoping that students are remembering to be reading at home for their biography project. Some students have told me they have not started yet, and that concerns me a lot! If you remember correctly, the books and notetaking need to be done by April 2nd. That is next Friday already!!!! If you 3B child has not started reading his/her biography that was sent home, they probably should get started soon!!!! Another thing to start thinking about is a possible costume. Remember not to stress about this but try to be creative!!! The students are very, very excited about the project so I am anxious to see what they come up with. Costumes will not be needed until the week of April 5th so just start thinking about it.

I am currently working on finishing report cards. Look for them to be sent home March 30th. I thought I should make a quick comment about report cards so that some of you aren't caught off guard. As I have mentioned before, we have been having some "finishing homework" problems in 3B. It is getting better, which is great, but we need to continue working on being responsible. This all ties to our behavior and work habits. It is common for this time of year for students to rush and get kind of "lazy". Call it spring fever or whatever, it happens. Please remind your child that they still should try hard in all areas. Behavior comments might show a drop in some areas as I am seeing more carelessness, rushing, waisting time etc. I am sure this will change and we will get back to normal, but I wanted to make a comment about it now. The other area I wanted to mention in connection to the report cards is in the area of writing. Part of our writing process involves mini lessons and teacher conferencing. Many students have been working hard with the teacher in individual conferences working on goals to improve our writing. Many take those suggestions and run with them, working hard, while others just keep coasting by. Mrs. Hartberg and I want the kids to start taking a little more initiative and applying what we have taught them. If there was a goal or skill we have worked on many times with your child and he/she is still not doing it independently, or trying, we want to encourage them to try a little harder. While we will continue to work on it, the students also need to think about it and put a little more effort in those areas. It connects to the effort grade/score. If you have any questions after seeing your child's report card, feel free to contact me via email or phone.

I am pushing back the deadline for completing mastery of all multiplication facts. The late starts and busy March and April months aren't giving us all the time we need. Therefore, I would like students to have mastered their multiplication facts to earn the "Walking Taco Party" by April 23rd. That is a Friday. Please keep working on them at home! There are many students who have completed them or are very, very close!

Enjoy the sunshine and have a great week!

A Gorgeous and Busy Week

I hope this sunshine stays around for a while. It is beautiful outside. Of course the students think they don't need coats or sweatshirts. Not exactly that warm outside if you consider the time they are out before recess. Please remember that before sending your child to school without a coat or sweatshirt. The mornings are still chilly and many students spend a good amount of time outside before school starts. It's best to dress in layers so that they are not too cold but can take off a coat if needed. I also chatted with the students about paying attention to the weather this week. The weather man this morning said that it is to cool back down by the weekend with a chance of snow so don't put those boots away yet.

I am sending some information home about an upcoming activity revolving around reading a biography and then making a video playing the role of that person from the past sharing about his/her life. The students are very, very excited about it so I hope you take some time to read the information that was sent home. Students have until April 2nd to complete the book. During this time, they should also be thinking about a potential costume they could wear for the video cast. We would like to see each student assume the role of the character they are reading about and speak as if they are that person. In the past, we have called this the "Hall of Fame". Look for the information sent home today and further information to be coming.

I feel I also need to make a comment about responsibility. Many students in 3B have been having difficulty finishing the homework that is sent home. I can truthfully say that there is not a lot of homework sent home with 3B students as they know I want them reading every night. The homework that does come home each week should be easy to accomplish and complete. Last week I called many parents to discuss the problem students are having. I also brought in the 4th grade teachers to talk about responsiblity in 4th grade and preparing the students for more homework next year. Today there were students who did not have their homework done again. Please take some time to discuss with your student if they are having this problem and ways to help them be more responsible. It is disappointing when students don't take the time to finish activities sent home; but it is not all students. Many students do an excellent job completing activities when they are sent home. The problem is continuing for some so I thought it best I commented about it. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me.

Because of all the snow days, early outs, and late starts, we did not get all of our science unit done before the end of the quarter. Therefore, I am sending home a study sheet today and we will be having a short science quiz this Thursday. The study guide should be used to help the students review what we have covered thus far in science. Please return the book with your 3B student on Thursday.

Congratulations to Shane and Alison for conquering all of their multiplication facts!!!! Super job!

Enjoy the sunshine and have a great week!

Now Comes the Rain!

I was so excited last week that we made it through a full week of school without any late starts, early outs, or inservice! The kids were tired by the end of the week, but we did it. Guess we can't hope for that two weeks in a row. Here comes the fog! Not much we can do about it so we might as well just stay positive and keep trudging through everything. Spring will be here before we know it!!!

Because of having a "normal" week last week, we did get a lot accomplished. I have a few students who only have 1 or 2 sets of multiplication facts to accomplish before they have completed all of them! Great job to all the students who have been working at home. I can really tell who is practicing and who isn't. Along with this, we have moved into reading and writing decimals. This is a tough concept for most students, as it is a beginning skill. We have been using base 10 blocks to build a better understanding of tenths and hundredths, which seems to be working well. We will continue with decimals and large numbers throughout the week with an end of the unit assessment coming up soon. For now, keep working on those multiplication facts. Students have until the end of the month and first two weeks of April to master all of the facts through 10. I know they can do it!!!

Types of fiction has been the focus of some of our mini lessons in literacy the past few weeks. Students have done a great job becoming familiar with the elements of various types of fiction and recognizing the differences. This week, we will be moving into nonfiction by taking a look at biographies and autobiographies in preparation for an upcoming event that has been a favorite in the past. Look for information sent home at the end of the week about a biography project. This project will require a lot of dedication and time spent working at home so please be looking for it. More information will be sent home as well explaining the activity. I am very excited about and know the students will be as well.

We are also having a little fun by moving into figurative language. Thus far, we have discussed and done activities revolving around similes. Students will be writing simile poems about themselves this week as a culminating activity. We will then be moving into reading, recognizing, and writing phrases with personification, onomonopeia, and alliteration. These are all forms of figurative language that students should recognize as well as utilize in their writing. We usually have a lot of fun and read various types of poetry within this study as well.

Science. . . . we are trying to get through our unit on Force and Motion. Last week we did get a lot accomplished, which was nice. The problem is that when we have a late start or early out, science or social studies do not get done because our district wants us to focus on literacy and math every day. Therefore, we are having a hard time getting our science unit done. With the third quarter ending this Friday, I am looking at having some mini assessments over what we have covered thus far and then finishing the unit next week into the 4th quarter. I am still in the "organizing" stage of this and will let you know what I decide. If there is a mini assessment at the end of this week, look for science materials to come home midweek for students to study from. They are doing a superb job with the concepts thus far, which is great! If only we had more time in the day.

If your 3B child hasn't told you, we did start cursive last week. We will be using some of our "Morning Meeting" time to get through at least the lower case letters before the end of the year. The students were very eager to get started! If you remember, ask them to tell you what the "3 P's" are for cursive. I am pretty sure they will remember.

For those of you who signed up to be Mystery Reader, I will hopefully have schedules done this week. I am waiting for one more parent who called me last week. Thanks for being so patient.

Have a great week and stay dry!