Great Field Trip! Very Important Information....Tune In!!!

Well, we are quickly winding down the year.  My heart is aching a little to let go of my 3B students as we have had a wonderful year!  Many have sent wonderful emails and messages about how they will miss 3B and what a great year it has been.  The feeling is mutual!  I will be sad to see them move on!

We had a wonderful field trip last Friday to the Eagle Museum and Lark Toy Museum!  I think the students, and chaperones, really enjoyed themselves and learned a lot about eagles.  We would have liked a little more time at the Eagle Museum, but I think the students had a great time.  They represented Crestwood Elementary very well!  I was very proud of my 3B students!  Thank you to Katia's mom, Lauren's mom, and Morgan's mom for going with us and being wonderful chaperones!!!! I appreciated it more than you know!

The students have been super troopers this week getting a social studies test done as well as a big Benchmark test for literacy.  While I don't think some prepared well enough for the social studies test (see letter sent home today), they all tried hard in class on their Benchmark assessments for literacy, which was great.  Below is a list of what will be happening the rest of this week and next.  Please read through it carefully so that you are aware of what will be going on.

Friday, May 18:  We will be wrapping up all subject areas as well as packing up student materials to go home.  I have talked to the students about bringing extra sacks or bags to help carry their supplies home.  Please encourage them to do so as they will have plenty to take home.  They will be cleaning out lockers and bringing all desk/cubby supplies home so please be sure they at least have their backpacks.

Monday, May 21:  All of 3rd grade will be watching a movie together to celebrate the end of the year.  After lunch (we will be eating school lunch), we will all head to East Park for a little fun in the sun celebration as well.  Students may bring something to drink on this day to take to East Park as we are hoping for a nice, hot day!  (cross your fingers).  When we return from the park, we will wrap things up before heading home and having our last Character Counts celebration. (Those parents who volunteered to send snacks for this will receive a separate letter.)

Tuesday, May 22:  3rd grade teachers are planning some fun activities for the last day of school. They are still being "explored" and "decided on".  We usually have a building "field day" on the last day of school, but that has been cancelled.  Therefore, 3rd grade teachers are coming up with an alternate plan of fun!
Students will be dismissed at 12:30 on this day to start enjoying their summer break.

Next Monday or Tuesday will be my last blog of the year.  There will probably be tears so it is good you won't see me typing it.  :)  Until then, enjoy the weekend!

Cadets for a Cause....Tomorrow!

The district is excited to participate in Cadets for a Cause tomorrow!!!  Everyone is excited to see how much money we raised as well as participate in great activities for an important cause.

I wanted to send a few reminders on my blog that the students and I discussed this morning.  While most have brought their's in, remember that your "admission ticket" is a canned item for the Food Pantry.  If your child has not brought one in yet, please remember to do so by tomorrow.  Many students brought in extra, which was so caring!

We will be outside all morning so I am encouraging the students to dress in layers.  The morning is a little chillier than noon so a sweatshirt would be good.  Being the students will be involved in various activities, I also encourage them to wear tennis shoes.

Sack lunches will be provided from the school for lunch so no one needs to bring a lunch from home. We will be eating outside the elementary/jr. high while the DJ plays music.  When students are done, they can walk the track, dance, and simply have fun.

The school invites the community up to watch and participate in this wonderful event!  Cadets for a Cause never ceases to amaze me........and brings a tear to my eye.

Let's cross our fingers for good weather!
Any questions, feel free to contact me via email or phone.

Count Down Has Begun...Lots Coming Up

Well, tomorrow is May 1st.  That usually means the countdown until the end of the school year begins.  I can't believe it is May 1st already!  This year has definitely flown by!!!

I hope the students shared with you everything they learned at our Arbor Day field trip last Thursday out to Vernon.  It was a fun day, and the students learned so much!  Luckily, the weather cooperated and we ended up with a great day outside.  I think the students were pretty exhausted by the time we got back to school.  I was very pleased with their behavior and how the students in 3B represented our school!  Nicely done 3B! I will try and post some pictures this week.

Our big field trip for 3B is next Friday, May 11th.  We will be taking chartered buses to the Eagle Museum in Wabasha and Lark Toy Museum.  Information about this trip will be coming home this week sometime as we will be leaving earlier than a normal school day.  Be sure to look for this information by the end of the week as there will be forms and papers for parents to sign and return. Just a heads up that students will be asked to bring a sack lunch from home for this trip.

I am looking for 3 chaperones that day.  As a chaperone, you will be given a small group to lead and be responsible for throughout the day.   This is a wonderful field trip that the students have enjoyed in the past.  I have no doubt students this year will enjoy it as well.  If you would like to be a chaperone, please send me a note, an email, or call me.  If I have more than three parents volunteer, I will put all names in a hat and draw (to keep it fair and square).  If you are interested in chaperoning, please let me know by this Thursday, May 3rd, so that I can get then names drawn and let parents know by this Friday.  Thank you!!!

The students who read for all the months of Book-It enjoyed some yummy pizza last Thursday!  It was a nice reward for the great readers we have in 3B!

Our Walking Taco celebration will be this Friday, May 4th, for those students who have mastered all of their multiplication facts.  The deadline for this was last Friday.  If your child mastered all his/her facts (and they should know if they did or not), the third grade teachers will be supplying all the "goodies" to make walking tacos.  The student needs to bring whatever he/she would like for a beverage.  If your child did not master all of his/her facts, he/she will work on activities to continue to build the recognition of his/her facts and will NOT be eating walking tacos.  Therefore, they do not need to bring a beverage that day.  Sorry!

Next Wednesday, May 9th, is our Cadets for a Cause Day! While there have been lots of notes from the office sent home in recent weeks.  I thought I should quickly comment about what will be going on.  Your child, if they have not already, needs to bring one dry or canned good to get admission to the big Cadets for a Cause celebration.  These items will then be given to the local food pantry.  3B has had a great turn out for this already, so just remind your 3B child to bring something to give to the food pantry if they have not already.  Many students in 3B have brought more than one item, which is so kind!    If anyone ordered Cadets for a Cause tshirts, they should be arriving soon.

On the day of Cadets for a Cause, we will be walking over to the high school to enjoy some fun activities before the big walk.  Students will also be eating school sack lunches that day, hopefully outside, so there is no need to send a lunch with your child on this day.  If you have any questions, feel free to contact me or Linda in the office.

MAPs Testing Starts Next Week

Hello everyone.  Looks like a dreary day today - and chilly as well!  I think we were spoiled by the nice March we had and summer is not going to show itself quite yet like we were all hopping for.

I just wanted to make a quick post about MAPs testing starting next week.  (Yes, we have had a lot of district test lately.)  This is the assessment students take at the beginning and end of each academic year.  The test are done on the computers and not timed so students can work through each area taking as much time as needed.  We will be taking reading, language arts, and math assessments spread out over the next two weeks (only three test but they are spread out due to computer availability).  3B will be taking a test Monday morning, Tuesday afternoon, and then the following Monday, April 30th, in the afternoon.  Please try to make any necessary appointments around those dates to make it a little easier.  I appreciate your cooperation with this.

For those students who earned the pizza party for returning their Book - It calendars every month, we have moved the pizza party day.  It was originally scheduled for tomorrow but those students decided to change it to next Monday because pizza is being served at school tomorrow.  Therefore, I will be supplying pizza and beverages to those students who successful read and returned their reading calendars every month while the others have regular lunch in the cafeteria.

I also want to make a quick comment about how the students are doing with their book clubs!  They are doing amazing and I am very impressed with their motivation, thoughts, and effort in all areas of book clubs.   Just listening to their conversations on Fridays with their group is wonderful!  They are loving their books, enjoying what they are reading, and learning so much!  It is awesome!

Another reminder that students have until next Friday to earn their "walking taco" party as reward for mastering all of their multiplication facts...."deadline"! Many are very close and just have a few facts left to learn.  I am a little disappointed in some with their lack of effort, but this was their responsibility and choice.  Those that do not get them all mastered will be working on some activities that are "not as fun" to keep practicing their facts while the rest of us enjoy our tacos!  Bummer!

Enjoy the rest of the week and weekend!

Karissa's Prezi on the Grand Canyon

Here is an example of a Prezi that Karissa did.  She did an excellent job on it!  Enjoy!

The Grand Canyon on Prezi

Literacy - Tech Night Pictures

Here are a few pictures of 3B students and family enjoying Family-Tech Night!

We are Running Out of Time! Too Much to Do!

I hope everyone enjoyed their four day weekend!  I spent most of mine sick in bed, but at least it was not a school day and the students did not have to have a sub.  Hard to believe that we have less than 30 days of school left.  Kind of stresses me out as we have so much to do in 3B!  Thus....the titled....."Crunch Time!".

3rd grade teachers have set the date for students to have their multiplication facts assessed and mastered.  The last day to have your facts assessed by me is April 27th.  That gives the students two weeks from tomorrow!  Based on what I have seen from the kids, there are only a handful of students in 3B who are going to make it.  This makes me a little sad as the effort from some students is not there.  Just a reminder that knowing your multiplication facts is something that needs to be worked on outside the normal school day.  I have reviewed this many times with students and they know that.  We do take time randomly to work on them, but it is something students need to work out at home.  Those that master all of their facts will participate in the "Walking Taco" celebration by eating and making walking tacos!  Those that don't, will spend the time working on their facts.  So, keep working on the facts and let me know when you are ready to be assessed 3B.  You can do it!!!

Last week I showed the students another great online resource to use for presentations.  It is called "Prezi", and I am sure the students will become very comfortable with the program throughout the next few years.  It is common to the traditional powerpoint, but a much better and enjoyable way to make them.  Many students in 3B used the program to for their last Inquiry Project, which I will post pictures soon to show.  It is an online program, similar to Animoto, in which students log in to use. My account is under my name and password, but students know those and are more than welcome to work in the program.

Book It at home reading program has concluded and there are many 3B students who read and returned their calendars every month!  Yeah!!!!  These students will be having lunch supplied by me next Friday, April 20th.  I will supply pizza, chips, and a beverage for those that successful read each month of Book-It.  Other students will have lunch in the cafeteria as normal.  So great job to those students who made it!

Our book clubs are going wonderful!  I am so impressed with the students reading at home and their awesome discussions with their book clubs!!!! It is interesting to listen to each group and what they share about their reading!  True thinking, deeper understanding, and learning happening!  For the most part, the students have been very responsible in getting the reading done that their group decides on and coming prepared with their information.  Most are also getting very good at accessing their activities on Google Docs to post their thoughts and questions!   Isn't technology amazing???  :)  We will continue with Book Clubs for a few more weeks as they are going great!

A reminder that if you are ordering a Cadets for a Cause t-shirt the orders are due tomorrow.  Information was sent home a few weeks ago with a reminder two weeks ago.  Please have your child get that to the office if you are interested in ordering.  A reminder to have your child bring in a "canned good" for the Cadets for a Cause fun day as well.  A note was sent home previously about this information as well.  May 9th, which is Cadets for a Cause day, will be here before you know it!

Enjoy the rest of the week and stay warm!

We Survived Iowa Assessments and Tomorrow We Are Off to UNI!

Today is our last day for Iowa Assessments (for most students), and I think we are all pretty glad about that!!!  I will say that I have been very pleased with the effort from most of the students.  I have been giving out "Effort Coupons" and some students are collecting lots of points because of their hard word and effort they are putting towards the Iowa Assessments.  Excellent job!  They are very excited to turn those coupons on for prizes next Monday!  :)

Besides Iowa Assessments, there is a lot going on.  We have been working with Mrs. Galvin's kindergarten class to help them prepare for their big Zoo Day tomorrow.  3B students have done research for them, helped them prepare their little presentations, and will to a "run through" with them today as well.  It has been a fun activity for both 3rd grade and kindergarten.

I posted pictures from the music program last week on a previous post. Again, that was a huge success!!!

Students are loving their Book Clubs, reading a ton, and having super discussions about their reading.  I heard laughter and deep thought all shared on Monday from simply reading and sharing a good book through book clubs.  It brought a huge smile to not only my face, but others as well.   The students have also done a nice job, those with computer access at home, using their Google Documents to record their thoughts.  This is the first year I have done that this way and I am very pleased with how it is going.  Reminder that the students need to have their reading and thoughts posted by tomorrow's book clubs.  Can't wait to hear what they are going to discuss this time.

And just a reminder that we are going to UNI to a play tomorrow.  We are going to be watching the play of Mufaro's Beautiful Daughter.  The kids are very excited about going to UNI as well as riding on a chartered bus.  We will be leaving about 10:30 so that we can get some things done in the morning before we head out.  Remember that your child is to bring a lunch from home, and for this trip, peanut butter is allowed.  So, please send a lunch from home, a beverage to drink, as well as a small snack that they may want to eat on the way home.  It also looks nice if students show their school spirit when we go to activities like this, by wearing school colors.  I would love to see the students in their Cadet shirts or school colors to show our school pride.

Have a super weekend and enjoy the weather!

Pictures from our Music Program

Iowa Assessments - It is Time!

Good morning everyone and happy first day of spring!  I hope you enjoyed your four day weekend!  The weather could not have been better so hopefully you and your family had some fun outside!  It was hard to get going this morning as I was used to staying home the last four days.  We are back at it though, working hard!

As the title states, it is time for Iowa Assessments (formally known as Iowa Test of Basic Skills).  We will be staring these assessments with 3rd grade tomorrow, taking a test in the morning and a test in the afternoon.  The 3rd grade teachers have the assessments scheduled each day, sometimes one a day and sometimes two a day, throughout next Thursday, March 29th.  It would be very helpful if students try hard to NOT miss school these days as it is difficult to make the assessments up.  If you have Dr. or dentist appointments scheduled, please consider rescheduling them to a different date.  Thanks so much!

It is also important that your child gets plenty of rest each night.  I know that is hard because it is so nice outside and the kids just want to be out there, me too, but please make sure they get plenty of rest as well as eat a good breakfast each day.  The school, and myself, will be supplying brain food before each assessment to make sure the students' brains are awake and ready.

If you have any questions about the assessments, feel free to contact me.  Otherwise, keep it low key and not too stressful for your child.  It is the first time 3rd graders are taking the assessment so we don't want to overwhelm them with stress.  They will do fine if they simply try their best.

Thank you to the families that made it to our Literacy/Tech Open House last week.  It was great to see so many parents involved and curious what happens in 3B as far as technology and literacy.  I will be posting pictures that were taken that evening soon.  Thanks again for being involved in your child's education.  Hopefully you also had a chance to have some yummy soup, even if it was 75 degrees outside!  :)

What else is happening?  Well, we are working with Mrs. Galvin's kindergarten class helping them prepare for their Zoo Projects.  Third grade students each did research on an animal selected by the kindergarten partner and will be teaching the kindergartner all about the animal in preparation for their Zoo Day.  We also turned it into a writing activity of writing a research report and put together brochures.  I would have liked to have done something more digital, but this was what worked for kindergarten.  Next time.

On Wednesday, we have Kaitlyn coming from Food Basics to share more interesting information on eating healthy.  Along with this, the high school students from Food and Fitness will be stopping by Friday to share more information and have us taste something healthy and new.  Wonder what it is????

What else?? We are wrapping up Theme 4 for literacy and will be doing some fun inquiry activities next week to close that unit.   Today we are starting our next unit in Social Studies, and students are eager to get rolling in that as well.

A reminder to keep working on multiplication facts.  I have a few students who almost have all the facts master, some about half way, and a few who don't appear to have much motivation to continue working on them.  The Walking Taco party will be somewhere towards the end of April so keep working on mastering all the basic facts and let me know when you are ready to have them assessed.  You can do it!!

Enjoy the beautiful spring day and have a super week!