Great Time at the Big Blast and Santa Visits Early!

The students had a fabulous time at the Big Blast yesterday, and I have lots of pictures that I will try and post tonight.  (Ran out of time last night)   I was so pleased with their behavior and excitement!  It was a super time!  Way to go 3B!

We have a crazy week ahead of us with lots going on.  The snowday Monday really messed up our plans so we are trying to get things done before the break as well as before more snow comes - if we can!  I am going to list a bunch of information below just so you have some idea of what will be going on this week into next:
 
     *  Math assessment over chapter 4 started today and will continue into tomorrow.  No need to study   outside the classroom.

     *  Social Studies materials and study guide will be sent home today.  Please take some time to study tonight and tomorrow night for our upcoming social studies test of unit 1.  The test will be this coming Friday.  If for some reason we do not have school on Thursday, the test will be given next Monday.  I have sent vocabulary cards, a study guide, as well as some main idea sheets home that the students should use to study.  Please return the social studies book this Friday or Monday.

     *  Students were surprised this morning with their first gift in their stockings!  Santa must have stopped and made an early visit to our classroom!  They were very excited about them and had a hard time putting them away to get started on the day.  I am planning on having the stockings come home next Tuesday.  If the weather is not looking good, we will be sending them home next Monday.  We just have to wait and see what Old Man Winter decides.  If your child has not brought his/her stockings yet, there is still time.

     *  Word Study for the week (the prefix of pre-) has changed. We will be having the test for our words starting with the prefix of pre- next Tuesday.  Students will be brining their words home this Friday for you to study with them if you select to do so.

     *  We usually have our second Character Counts celebration the last week of school before Christmas.  I will be meeting with the other 3rd grade teachers today to made a decision on that.  Look for more information to be sent home soon.  Parents do not attend this celebration, but those that signed up to send snacks will receive a notice.

I think that is it for now.  Thank you to Emma Cotant's mom, Teri, and Kailyn Erickson's mom, Ruby, for being such great helpers for the Big Blast!  I appreciate it so much....as do the kids!  You are the best!!!

Enjoy the snow and stay warm!

Libby's Fun Jib Jab!

Another fun "Jib Jab" video made by a 3B student!  I didn't know Libby was such a fabulous figure skater???? :)

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

Burr!!! It's Cold! And One More Volunteer Needed for Big Blast!

It sounds as if the weather is suppose to be FREEZING COLD this week after all the snow we received last Friday.  I had recess duty last Friday afternoon, and it was so cute to see the kids so excited about the first official snow!  It reminded me of how important the little things are in life.....priceless!  I think I was asked twenty times, "Mrs. Kerian, Do you see the snow?  Isn't it pretty?" Really couldn't miss it as it was coming down heavy all around me, but they were so cute with their excitement!   But now....cold is the word that sticks in my head....not "pretty".  Remember that the students do go outside every recess unless it is below zero.  I have had many students saying they were very cold outside last week, but this week sounds worse.  Please remember to send snowpants, hats, gloves, heavy coats etc. along with your child to school every day so they can stay warm.  I also suggest sending an extra pair of socks along as many times the students' socks get wet after recess and it is uncomfortable to sit in them all day.  So if you think about it, throw an extra pair of socks and gloves in your child's backpack just to help them stay a little warmer and not so wet.  Thanks so much!

Thanks to the two parents who have volunteered to help at our Big Blast celebration next week as part of our fundraiser reward.  The 3rd graders will attend the Big Blast from 9:00-10:20 next Tuesday, December 14th in the gym.  It would be great if I could have one more parent volunteer from 3B to help out.  Basically you would have to be here by 8:45 and could leave by 10:30. It is a fun time watching the students play on all the equipment, and I appreciate it as then I will be free to take pictures of the students and handle any situations that come up.  If you are free to help out, please email me, send a note, or call as soon as possible.  Thank you again!

I want to send a big hug out to all the 3B students for their behavior the last few weeks.  They have been working so hard and getting so much accomplished that I could not be prouder!!! Yeah 3B!!!!  We also had 3 superintendents from across NE Iowa stop in our classroom for about 30 minutes last week to do some observing, and my 3B students really showed them what a super class they were!  I was very proud, as always, of each and everyone of them!  Keep it up 3B!

The hallway is filled with wonderful Character Counts posters made by the 3rd grade students!  Wow!  I can see that I have some very talented 3B students and parents!  They are awesome!  The students were so excited about showing them to me and getting them hung up......what a great reminder to everyone walking in the hall to show their Cadet Pride!  I hope that you enjoyed spending some time with your 3rd grader completing the project as well....I know they loved it as I heard about it all last week!  Super work 3B students and parents!!!!

Just a reminder that we have an early out this Wednesday for teacher professional development.  Our 3rd-5th grade music program is also this Thursday, December 9th.  I can't wait to see what the students are going to do for us and perform!  This concert will be at the high school and a note was sent home a few weeks ago with information.  If you misplaced the note from the music teachers or need another, please feel free to contact me.

Stay warm and have a great week!

Here Comes December!!! Big Blast Volunteers Needed!

Another month has flown by, and December is fast approaching.  Someone just told me this morning that we only have 18 more days of school until the holiday break!  Wow!!!  As the old saying goes, "Time flies when you are having fun!".

It was a bummer last week when Old Man Winter decided not to cooperate with us and let us have our Character Counts celebration.  Better to be safe than sorry I guess.  The students were so excited, as was I, to share their creative ideas for a mascot poster.  Well, sadly, we are not going to be able to reschedule the event due to time, weather constraints, and activities we need to complete before the end of the quarter in December.  I would still like the students to do the activity with parents as planned.  Therefore, I am sending home the poster board today for your students to work with you on creating his/her Character Counts mascot and poster.  They should include a mascot, a catchy saying, and some connection to the Character Counts colors/pillars.  We decided that the "Character Counts Pledge" that originally was suppose to be on the poster does NOT need to be due to limited space.  Please work with your 3B child on the poster and return them to school by Friday, December 3rd.  We will then get them displayed in the hallway for all to see and enjoy!!

The Big Blast for our fundraiser is fast approaching.  I am looking for parent volunteers from 3B to help monitor this fun event.  The day is December 14th, 2010. At the time, I am unsure if 3B will be at the Big Blast in the morning or afternoon.  I hope that decision is made soon, and I will let you know.  The newly formed PTO also sent out an email asking parents to volunteer to help at this celebration by either monitoring the equipment, making popcorn, or just supervising.  If you are interested, please let me know ASAP, and I will let you know the exact time. You can either email me, call me, or send a note with your 3B child if you are interested.  Thank you ahead of time.

Other activities we are wrapping up or working on are reading strategies of voracious readers, tracking your thinking, and building better connections.  We have had a lot of great discussions about what a "Voracious Reader" is (someone who reads "just right" books as much as he/she can to become a better reader).  The students are excited because someone is making superhero capes for the class with big "VR" on the back. Students demonstrating "voracious reader" habits will become a super hero for the day and wear the cape.  They can not wait!!!!  We are also starting our first unit on multiplication in math.  Look for a fact incentive to be coming home soon as well in encouraging students to memorize their multiplication facts.  In social studies, we are nearing the end of our unit on communities.  We will be discussion main ideas from our reading as well as working on some vocabulary lessons before sending material and information home about an upcoming assessment.  And in writing we continue to work on adding "show me details" to our writing the trait of "ideas".  Students will begin assessing their own writing by the end of the week based on the "ideas trait" characteristics.

As you can see, we are busy as usual!!!! Never a dull moment in 3B!!!!
Have a great week!

Busy Next Two Weeks!

Wow!  What a difference in the temperature from two weeks ago.  I guess that is how the weather goes.  I know I am not ready for winter!! I wanted to remind everyone to have their 3B student dress warm every day.  Many stand outside in the morning before school and it is still very chilly!  Hats and mittens should be a must now as it is getting colder.  I was just glad to see the sunshine this morning!

Everyone in 3B is working hard and getting through our ITBS testing.  We have two test to take tomorrow and will finish up on Wednesday with the last one.  I am pleased how hard the students are trying and using their "test taking tips" along the way!  They have been troopers!  Thank you to everyone as well in making sure that there are not a lot of students gone during this time.  I understanding if your child is ill that they should be home...we can't help that and want them to rest and get better.  But thank you for not scheduling many appointments during this time!  It helps a lot with the students' comfort levels and routine of the day to be here as much as possible!  I have to agree with the students that I will also be glad when the testing is over and we can get back to a routine!

Thanks to everyone who sent in pictures for our "Oh! The Places You Have Been!" bulletin board for social studies!!!  It will be fun to look at all the pictures and the travels of 3B.  If you have not sent your child's pictures and would like to, feel free to send them in tomorrow.  I would like to get all the pictures up by tomorrow night so we can use them to build our understanding of communities.

Due to testing, we did not get our math assessment in last week for unit 3 on measurement.  I hope to finish that unit up this week and have the assessment by Thursday or Friday.  We just did a bunch of activities on perimeter (as you know from your child singing "The Perimeter Song" to you ) and now we will be moving into area.  Look for "The Area Song" to come home soon as well!  :)  I have found that the students have a great understanding of measuring to the nearest inch and half inch but struggle when it comes to nearest quarter of an inch.  If you are not busy at home some night, have your child get a rule and practice measuring the the nearest quarter of an inch.  While this is not a "secure" goal for math, it is something that you could work on at home.  There are also a few measurement links on my webpage that students can work on at home as well.  Always something to do.....

I will be sending home an invitation for our first Character Counts celebration that will be held next Wednesday afternoon.  Please note that parents are invited to this celebration and will be working on an activity with your 3B child.  It is all explained on the invitation.  If you are unable to attend due to conflicts, please have your 3B student let me know so that I can find other adults to work with him/her.   If you volunteered to supply snacks for this celebration, a reminder note will be sent to you by the end of the week.  Fun times ahead!

Just a reminder that fundraiser pick up is tonight at the elementary school.  Please remember that if your child sold items for the fundraiser that he/she is responsible for picking them up and getting them delivered.

There is also a 3 hour early out this Wednesday for teacher inservice.

Have a great week and stay warm!

A Little Holiday Fun....Jib Jab

A few weeks ago when the students and I were talking about blogging and looking at examples, I showed the students my family blog page that I have been doing now for 2 years.  They thought one of the post that was made was very funny.  It was something my daughter did on a program on the internet called "JibJab". Anyway, some of the students thought it was funny and wanted to try it at home.  Yesterday I received this video attachment from Rachel, a student in our 3B family.  Maybe this will put a smile on your face and get you in the holiday spirit.  Just thought I would share it.  :)  If your child wants to do a JibJab, just have them email it to me to post it on my blog page or I will show them how to post it on their blog pages as well.  Happy Holidays (a little early).....

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

ITBS Starts This Week...Google Earth....Blogging!

As the title of this post states, we will be starting our Iowa Tests of Basic Skills this week.  Our testing days this week will be Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.  We will take Friday off and finish up next week on Tuesday and Wednesday.  Please try your best to have your child be at school on those days as it is more difficult to reschedule testing times when students are absent.  If possible, schedule dentist and/or doctor appointments around these particular days of testing.  I appreciate your help and cooperation!

The school is providing snacks that I called "brain food" for each day of testing.  Along with this, please encourage your child to eat a healthy breakfast and get enough rest each night.  I have discussed these tips with the students in a way to hopefully not make them too nervous.  Being it is the first time your 3B child is taking the test, it is important to not get them worked up.  All we ask is they try their best!  That's it.  So please don't discuss the testing with them in the way that will cause anxiety.  I know they will be fine as we have discussed many testing tips that will be useful with any test your child ever takes.

So the week is fairly choppy due to testing.  I am going to try and wrap up a math unit on measurement, perimeter, and area this week if possible.  We will have to wait and see how the testing times go to determine that.  We will be jumping into our social studies book this week and discussing communities.  Look for an sheet to be coming home tomorrow explaining and activity about places the students have been and bringing in pictures, postcards, etc.  We will be using our own "touring" and personal connections to build a better understanding of the different types of communities in social studies so look for that tomorrow.  Last week I introduced "Google Earth" to the students-which they LOVED!  I have heard many of you have already downloaded it at home per your child's request.  It is wonderful access to places around the world.....a virtual field trip....that we will continue to use throughout the year!  For those of you who have downloaded it, I hope you are enjoying it.  For those of you who have not, it is a free download off the internet that holds lots of valuable learning.  I encourage you to give it a try.

Remember I will be increasing the amount of homework that is given this quarter.  Today I noticed that many students did not do their homework given last Friday of singing the "Perimeter Song".  Not a great way to start the week.  Remember we need to work together in trying to build each child's responsibility with homework as there will be LOTS more in 4th grade.

Students were very excited last week to also begin their own blog pages.  Wow....they think they are "big stuff" now! (which they are! :)  We just made a basic blog post last week in practicing getting to and from their blog pages.  This week I hope to have each of them make a post about a book they have been reading......we will probably go into next week to finish that due to conflicts in time with ITBS scheduling.  Remember that we love to have comments from parents and relatives on our blog pages!!!! (hint, hint)

Enjoy the week!  Hard to believe we are almost half way through November already!  Wow!

The Writing Trait of "Ideas"

Students in 3B been working really hard on building their understanding of the trait of "ideas" in writing!  This involves finding the right topic, narrowing it down but not too small of a topic, selecting interesting, relevant details, and making the writing clear by using "show me" statements instead of just telling.  Today we learned a song to help us remember the ideas trait (it's fun to sing matter how old you are) so I thought I would share it with you.

The Ideas Song(to the tune of "Row, Row, Row Your Boat")

Write, write, write your thoughts,

Make your ideas clear.

Tell the reader what you know

And what you hold most dear.

 Your 3B child will be coming home soon asking you to listen to him or her sing the song to you.  Have some fun with it, sing along, take turns, etc,  Have fun! 

Exhausted Students.....But Lots to Do!!!!

....I am sure I have some tired 3B students today after a busy night of trick-or-treating!  It was nice to see so many of my students stop by for some extra "treats" last night, but I can sure see that some of them are coming off their "sugar high" from last night.  We will trudge through today and make it a good one as we have many busy activities to start this week.

It was nice to see all of you at conferences last week!  We had some great discussions, and I appreciate you taking the time to be involved in your child's education.  I still have a few more conferences this week and am anxious to talk to those parents as well.  As I mentioned to many at conferences, keep your child reading at home as that is the "homework" I expect all 3B students to be doing every night.  Thanks again for your attendance.  If you ever have any questions or concerns, feel free to call or email me any time!

This week we are starting something new, and it is student blogging!  The students will each be shown how to get to his/her blog page and make various posts throughout the year.  They are so excited, and some have already started.  After I show them how to get to their blog page and various other concepts about blogging, the students will be ask to make a post this week about a book they have finished.  We are calling it a "book review", and I will be modeling this at the beginning of this week.  Look for the students book blogs by the end of the week and feel free to comment!  You don't need an account or anything to make a comment, and students look forward to seeing who comments about their post!!!!  They think it is cool, and it also helps them realize they do have an audience when they are writing.  Students will be making the post by themselves, so there will be mistakes in punctuation, spelling, etc. for some and that is ok.  Our practice in keyboarding during the month of October is paying off now as students will hopefully be able to type a little faster than they would have at the beginning of the year.  So.....look for 3B's student blog pages to start soon and make those comments!!!!  We all appreciate it!!

If your child has not returned his/her "Book-It" calendar for October, he/she must return them by tomorrow, Tuesday, November 2nd.  I am sending home the calendar for November today as well.  Remember....keep reading!!!!

A few other comments about activities in the room:
*  Students are working on various map skills in social studies before we begin unit 1 in the book on communities.  This week we will be looking at the different continents and oceans as I have found that students in 3B are unfamiliar with these concepts.  I hope to start the unit on communities in our books by the end of the week.
*  With literacy, we will be continuing our strategy of "Tune into Vocabulary" and furthering our discussion on "connections" in reading.  Students are doing a great job with the Daily 5 and the routines of literacy.  I hope to introduce "Listen to Reading" this week as well through an online program called "Read About" that is wonderful nonfiction to listen to and explore!
*  In writing we are focusing on the trait of "ideas".  Students have practiced funneling down their ideas, sticking to a topic, "putting on binoculars" to look for details, and adding "show me" statements.  This is a big concept for many students so it is something we will be spending a lot of time on.  Students will be taught a song as well to remind them of the "ideas" trait and it's characteristics.  Busy! Busy!  Sometime next week we will also be having "Author Sharing" day.
* Our current math unit involves measurement......we need a little review on measuring to 1/4 of an inch so we will be doing some of that as well as going into perimeter and area.

That about sums up what has been going on and will be going on in 3B.  As you can see, we are busy!  Along with that, I am going to increase the amount of homework that will be sent home with the students compared to what it was in the 1st quarter.  We need to continue to build our responsibility, and the students have shown they are ready for more homework so be on the lookout for more to be sent home.

Enjoy the sunny November day!

Where did October Go?

What a dreary start to the week!!!!  It is also hard for me to believe that October is almost over!  Wow!! Where did the month go???

I am sure some of you were wondering where my newsletter/post was last week.   Sometimes the week just gets by me and I will not be making a "post" on the blog page while other weeks I will have 2-3 posts during the week.  That's the great part of using a blog page.....you can share information and pictures throughout week.   Last week, I did not have a post as it was a busy week.  That doesn't mean I don't have anything to share, it just means keep checking the blog page for an update.  I will be asking all parents at conferences if they check the blog page via the Internet as I would like to decrease the amount of paper for printing it out. If you don't have the internet or access, that is fine.  I will just be printing my posts out for those parents/students who need it on paper.  Otherwise, keep checking on the Internet.

A few reminders for the week as it is a crazy one:
     1.  Parent-Teacher Conferences will be held this week.  For most of you, they will be Tuesday or   Thursday from 3:00-8:00.  Others have conferences scheduled in the mornings or other days after school.  I am anxious to see all of you again and have lots to share.  Please try to be on time for your conferences as my schedule is pretty full with back to back conferences.  Thank you!
     2.  There is no school this Friday due to teacher compensation for time put into conferences.  Enjoy the three day weekend and prepare for Halloween.  :)
     3.  Report cards will be sent home with your 3B child today.  I like the students to have a look at them before the parents so your 3B child has seen his/her report card.  While I did not go over them individually with each student, I did go over the structure of the report card and the rating system. If they have questions about them, please bring those questions to conferences as well as your questions and comments.
     4.  If your child was writing a report for the "I Love America" essay put on by the VFW, please have that to me by the necessary due date.  I have received a few so that is super.  It was not required, but I would love to have more students participate.  If your child needs a new set of directions, please let me know.
     5.  Book-It for the month of October is due this Thursday or next Monday, either day is fine.  When your child returns his/her Book-It calendar for the month, he/she will be given a certificate for a personal pan pizza from Pizza Hut! I am hoping many students participate because reading at home is very important!!!!!
     6.  If your child is entering the coloring contest for the Fire Station (drawing or printing out a picture and coloring it) please have that to me by the necessary dates as well.

We just finished up our assessments for chapter 2 in math.  I hope to be sharing those, along with various assessments from science, at your child's conference.  I also will be sharing your child's MAPs score from the fall this year as well as their DIBELS assessment results.  As you can see, we are going to have a lot to discuss.

I feel I need to make a comment about last Friday so that you, as well as the students, and myself are all on the same page.  Last Thursday night I flew to Texas for my nephew's baptism and was gone Friday.  (Had a super time but quick trip) I returned Monday to school from my substitute about the behavior of my class while I was gone.  Let's just say my heart was kind of broken by the behavior of some students.  Now, not all students were mentioned and some did behaved as expected, showing great character and respect.  Others....not so much.  We had a big discussion about it this morning during our Morning Meeting and students were very open.  They understood why I was disappointed.....So this week the students will be reviewing Cadet Pride and showing good character.  I know they can do it, as they do it for me, but they need to realize they need to show good character at all times, even when I am gone.  I wanted to mention it on my blog to give parents the chance to talk with their 3B child about the other day and let them know what you, the parents, expect as well when the teacher is gone.  I am rarely sick (knock on wood) but am involved in a lot of committees in which we meet various days during the month.  Students will have a sub once and a while due to the fact I need to be at a meeting.  I would like them to know that we, meaning them as students, the parents, and myself, all expect good character when I am gone.  Thanks for you help with this and have a great discussion with your 3B child. I appreciate it.

Have a great, short week.  Hopefully we will see some sunshine soon.  I look forward to seeing all of you at conferences.

Busy Start to October!!!

Wow!  What a gorgeous weekend!  I don't think the weather in October could get any better than that.  Hopefully you had some time to get out and enjoy the sunshine and beautiful temperature.  I was at a football game on Sunday, and I have to admit, it was a little too hot to be playing football.  But I am not complaining!!!  It was also a super week for Homecoming and a big win for the Cadets last Friday!  Go big blue!!!!

We have had a very busy start to October that is for sure.  Deals on Wheels did come around last Thursday to sell little Crestwood items to students who wanted to buy them.  Deals on Wheels is a group of students from the junior high who are supervised by their teacher.  It is a great life lesson on managing money and items.  Starting this week, Deals on Wheels will be coming to 3B at 10:30 every Friday.  If your child would like to purchase something, he/she should bring his/her money on Friday.  This will continue throughout the whole school year.  The items are listed below, but they are the same as the note I sent home last week.
     Magnets:  $0.25
     Pencils:    $0.35
     Tattoos:   $0.50
     Pens:      $0.50
     Wristbands:     $2.00
     Seat Cushions:   $4.00
All items are blue/white for school colors and have some type of Cadet log or name displayed.  The committee also hopes to have Cadet folders and water bottles soon.

The students were disappointed last week when they found out they don't get to go to the fire station or listen to firefighters present about Fire Prevention as they had in grades K-2.  Sadly, that stops in 2nd grade with the big wrap up of spraying the teachers with the fire hose.  I know all of you are aware of the coloring contest they held as well.  In grades 3 and up, the students can still participate in the coloring contest.  It is called the "open division" and includes students in grades 3 and up, faculty, and staff.  All a person would have to do to enter is submit a fire related picture, colored neatly by October 21st.  Each person who does submit a picture will be given a complimentary ticket to the Cresco Fire Department Pancake Supper held November 2nd.  A winner will be chosen from both the 3rd grade and up division, as well as an adult division.  So, if your child would like to participate, he/she should have a fire related picture to me no later than October 21st.  This is not required, but many students still enjoy entering the competition.  Good luck!

I am also sending home information about a writing contest titled "I Love America".  Again, this is a choice the students have and can enter the contest if they please.  The directions are stated on the sheet and entries must follow the directions carefully.  I am not requiring students to enter the contest but hope that many will as I have some very talented writers in 3B.  Students are to have their essay entry to me, Mrs. Kerian, by October 29th as they will be picked up on October 30th.  Remember to follow the activity listed for 3rd grade.

Book Orders - I am sending home book orders for October.  Please take some time to browse through them as there are really great books available.  If you decide to order, remember to send cash or check made out to me so that I can order them online.  Please return any book orders by this Friday, October 15th.

Enjoy the sunshine and have a great week!  Remember that if your 3B child still has his/her science book or picture dictionary at home, I would like them returned tomorrow.  Thanks and keep reading for Book-It!!!

Wrapping up Science Unit and Kicking Off Fundraiser!

Burr!!!!  Suddenly the weather is a lot chillier than before.  I just want to remind everyone that it is colder in the morning than in the afternoon.  Many students are outside before school waiting until 8:20, and today many came in cold!  I would suggest dressing your 3rd grader in layers so that he/she can be warm enough in the morning yet not too warm in the afternoon.  They can always leave the extra sweatshirt in their locker in the afternoon and take it home if it warms up that much.  Thanks you!

Last week we kicked off our fundraiser.  I am sure your child has brought his/her fundraiser packet home already as they were very excited to get started.  There was one change that was made that I wanted to let parents know.  On the envelope it states that each student must sell 35 items to ride in the limo.  That has been changed to 25 items.  Hopefully that will help more students be eligible for the ride in the limo.  Again, if we pass what we sold last year, the school will earn a Mega Party-which is always a great time!!!!  The fundraiser is optional so you do not have to encourage your child to participate, but it does help fill our school piggy bank for fields trips and fun activities.  If you have any questions, feel free to give the school a call or send me an email.

We are wrapping up our unit in science on plant and animal populations this week.  Look for your 3B student to bring home his/her science materials with a study guide to use to study.  I will be doing a big review on Thursday with the students as well.  Our tests covers different learning styles so there is a hands-on component, a visual component, and a critical thinking component.  Please encourage your 3B student to study over the weekend and return his/her science book next Monday.  Everyone has loved this unit and learned a lot.  After this unit, we will be moving into a unit in Social Studies. 

Your third grader should have brought a reading calendar home last Friday to kick off Book-It.  I wrote about it in my last post.  If you have questions, feel free to contact me.  The reading for Book-It must be done out of school hours but can involve reading anything; magazines, books, newspaper etc.  Students can also check out books from our 3B homeroom to read at home as well. 

Just a reminder there is a 3 hour early out this Friday for Homecoming.  It was great to see all the hats today for "Hat Day"!!!  The rest of the week is as follows:
     Tuesday:  Wear your Favorite Jersey
     Wednesday:  Wear work out Clothes (as we will go for a walk for fitness)
     Thursday:  Twin Day
     Friday:  Blue and White Day

The forecast for the week sounds fabulous!  That is an excellent word to describe 3B - FABULOUS!!!!

Pizza and Reading!!! YUMMY!

Looks like we have a great week ahead of us as the sun is out and the forecast is great!  The students have a busy week so it will be nice to have sunshine to perk everyone up.

We started MAPs testing last week, the first test being math.  I was so impressed with how hard everyone tried.  Wow!  This week we will be taking science on Monday, reading on Tuesday, and language on Thursday.  The test are all at 1:15 in the afternoon except on Thursday, which is at 8:45.  Please be sure your child is at school on time that day because we will be starting our tests as soon as everyone is ready.  I appreciate the parents switching appointments around so that students are not missing these tests.  It makes everything a lot easier so thank you.  Give your 3B child an extra hug each night this week because some of the questions on these tests are pretty hard!  They have been troopers and giving their best!!!  Very proud of my 3B kiddoes!

3B has caught the bug...yes, we have a little bug floating around....and it's not the bugs we have been studying in science.  Lots of students sniffing, coughing, and feverish....including the teachers.  Please encourage your child to get lots of rest, drink plenty of water, and wash their hands as much as possible.  I have already refilled our hand sanitizer bottle 3 times and decided to purchase a big one because of how fast we are going through them.  If you would be willing to donate a bottle of hand sanitizer, we would greatly appreciate it.  We know it will be put to good use!!!

Last Friday we also finished our first math assessment over unit 1.  There are a few people who need to finish the assessment, so please look for your 3B child to bring his/her home by the end of the week.  I will also be sending home a letter explaining the assessment and the ratings that go with it.  I am pretty sure most of you are familiar with (B) for beginning, (S) for secure, and (D) for developing as that is the same ratings that were used in 2nd grade.  By the end of the week, I hope to be moving into unit 2 on addition and subtraction facts.

October kicks off Book-It!!!!  This is a reading incentive program sponsored by Pizza Hut that a lot of students find pleasure in....who doesn't like Pizza Hut?????  A calendar will be sent home with your child October 1st stating the goal set for him/her based on minutes of reading.  Your child should record the amount of time he/she reads at home and return the calendar at the end of each month for their Pizza Hut coupon.  While I hope that all 3rd graders are reading at home, I do not require all students to participate.  This is a totally optional activity that runs each month October - March.  BUT.....and yes it is a biggy....those students who do participate all six months will celebrate by having a pizza party with me!!!!!  I will be supplying the pizza and drink in April for all the students who reach or surpass their reading goal ALL six months. Those that do not participate, will eat lunch in the cafeteria as usual with a different teacher.  So, I hope that you encourage your child to read and participate......now....GET READING!!!!

I also wanted to let you know that I will be starting guided reading this week.  3B has build our stamina up in read to self, read to someone, word works, and work on writing that we are ready to get rolling.  I have done various writing and reading assessments on students, held individual conferences, and am ready to begin guided reading.  Based on the spread of levels in our classroom, my goal is to meet with every student every day, but that may be through guided reading or individual conferencing.  The students are eager to start guided reading....so am I!!!!!

Hopefully your little scientists has shared all our findings and information about our insects and critters.  We now have aphids on our plants, fruit flies, an ant farm, daphnia, and damsel flies.  Friday we put the daphnia with the damsel flies.  This morning, many of the daphnia were gone!!!! Wonder what happened????? The students will soon find out. :)

Have a great week!

Wow! What are Daphnia? Take a Look!

The students were so excited today in science as we had a new visitor. So far we have done insects and land animals. Today we had our first water animal called a daphnia. The students were amazed that they looked transparent and you could see their digestive track AND eggs!! It was also very amazing that the daphnia have antennae that look like tree branches. Very cool!!! I thought I would share a picture of them so you know what they look like as well. The students also learned what an "exoskeleton" was, as daphnia have them. Do you know what that is???

Remember To Be Responsible!

Another week has quickly approached. I can't believe that it is October next week. Time goes so quickly. The students are amazed on how fast the day goes, let alone the month. I guess that is a good sign that we are busy as well as having fun.

My day started out a little disappointing as many students in 3B forgot their homework. They were to bring in a book in which they practice "reading the punctuation", a strategy we have been practicing to build our fluency. Sadly, almost half the class forgot their books. A reminder note was send home last Friday......so I think you understand why I am disappointed. Because this was homework, our "Character Counts" slips will have to be completed by each student who forget as they demonstrated lack of responsibility. I hope this isn't the sign of what the year will be like.....I know it won't! Let's just remember to try and be responsible students....we can do it!!!!

Your child should have brought his/her word works list of words home as well last Friday. The list shows how your child did on his/her word works test Friday. If there was a word or words highlighted on the sheet, the students missed that word(s) on the test. I was very pleased how well the class did as a whole. This shows me they are taking all five days of our word works very serious and using each mode of learning focused on. This week we are focusing on the sounds /ar/ makes. We called this one of the "Bossy Rs". Look for your child's list of words to be brought home Tuesday. I have enclosed pictures of some of the activities students do during the week with their words.

Tomorrow we will be having our first math assessment. There is no reason to study for this assessment so don't freak out on me looking for materials sent home to study. It is over a review chapter. There are two components to the assessment: an oral/dry erase board assessment as well as a written assessment. Hopefully I will be sending your child's assessment home by the end of the week with an informational sheet attached explaining the ratings.

My student teacher, Miss Twetten, is only with us 3 more weeks before she moves on to kindergarten. I just wanted to let you know that she will be teaching math and science the next 2 weeks (with my supervision of course). She needs to do some lead teaching as part of her student teaching. Up to now, she has been leading the Morning Meeting the last 2 weeks to start the day. I will still be in the room, participating, and monitoring the students as well as her teaching. I just wanted to let you, the parents, know.

Finally, I wanted to make you aware that your 3rd grade child will start the district assessment test called MAPS this week. The students took this assessment online last year and will be taking it again this year. The assessment is done in the fall as well as spring, with the hope of growth being shown. We will start by taking the MAPs test for math this Friday. We will then be taking science, language, and reading next week. I know we can't help it if our children get sick, but please try to schedule dentist or doctor appointments around these assessments. It is harder for the student to make them up than have them here taking it with the rest of the class. Also be sure your 3B child gets plenty of rest and eats a great breakfast. Thanks for your cooperation and understanding!

I have also posted two pictures of students showing great reading stamina with Read to Self! Great job 3B!

Have a great week! We have more science critters coming so I know we will!

On the Hunt for Words

Today I read the book Max's Words to the class. The book is about a boy who wants to start collecting things like his older brothers, and he decides he wants to collect words. He ends up cutting single words out of magazines, newspapers, etc. until his room is covered. He then finds out that if he puts the words together, he can make wonderful sentences that lead to a super story. The class was so excited about it that we decided we wanted to start collecting words and see what we can create with them. So the students decided they would like to start cutting out individual words, all different kinds, shapes, and colors, to bring in. We will see how many we have by next Friday. If we need more, we will go for one more week. If not, we will see what kind of story we can create......simply from the power of words. (A valuable lesson for writers). So, please remind your 3B child to do his/her part hunting and cutting out words that can be brought in each day. I will have a container that they can put the words in every morning.

Thanks for your cooperation and support. This is a wonderful activity that pulls together our discussions about how writers get ideas and how words/sentences can be powerful (besides a little review on making descriptive sentences). The students are very, very, excited!

Have fun!

Gotta Keep Reading!

Check out this video made by students about reading to the tune of "I Got a Feeling" by the Black Eyed Peas!!! As the title states....."Gotta Keep Reading"! I showed the students this video Monday before we set off to build are Read to Self Stamina! They did incredible!!!!

Read to Self Stamina -Wow!!!!

Happy Monday! I hope that everyone enjoyed the beautiful weekend! Let's cross our fingers that we have many more like that!

Last week was a great week for 3B as we had lots of wonderful activities and a super discussion about September 11th. I hope you had time to look at the Wordle the students all created about keywords connected to September 11th. If you did not, you can always check it out on the side of my blog page. We watched some great videos, read a super book, and did some writing about heroes to pull together everything we learned and talked about. The students were so eager to learn more as well as caring and empathetic. I hope they had a chance to share some of our learning with you.

We were also busy in science planting our seeds for our next visitors. Wonder what they will be? Students did an excellent job being scientist and using their eyes to go on a science hunt last week outside in the butterfly garden. We were looking for various plants and animals so that we could do a comparison of the two. I have some great pictures to share that I hope to post this week. Students were surprised to see how many "critters" they could find in the butterfly garden. This week we will be creating an ant farm as well as anxiously awaiting our next visitors? HMMMMM?????

I am also very pleased with the progress students in 3B are making with their Read to Self and Read to Someone in literacy. We have built our Read to Self stamina to 30 minutes and our Read to Someone stamina to 15 minutes!!! Wow! Excellent. Today I will be introducing another part of the Daily 5/literacy component and that is Word Works. Some people like to call it spelling, but it is a different routine than the traditional spelling. With Word Works, students are involved in various activities throughout the week that focus on different modes of learning (hands on, oral, visual, etc.) Today your child picked his/her words off a focus word list that the class created. He/she will be bringing those words home on Tuesday. While it is not necessary that you study the words at home, I have found that some parents like to see what words the students are working on and review them at home. So we will be sending the list of words home Tuesdays. Our focus this week is using the "silent e" rule with words to make the vowel long and say it's name. Our Word Works tests then are always on Friday, part of the 5 day routine. If you have any questions or concerns about Word Works, feel free to send me an email or call.

Within literacy, I just wanted to let you know that I am completing some individual assessments this week and will hopefully be starting guided reading next week sometime. Along with guided reading and various mini lessons, I will be starting individual conferences with students on their reading strategies and goals to work on while reading. As you can tell, we are a busy class.

Book Orders....the students are anxiously waiting for them. I am sending our first set of book orders home today. If you decide you would like to order some books, please return the order form with your 3B child by Friday. You can send cash or a check. If you are writing a check, please add all orders (if ordering from more than one book order form) together and make the check out to me. I order the books online so that they arrive quicker and use my credit card to make the purchase so if the checks are made out to me it is a lot easier to complete the order. There are many wonderful books in the book orders!

My last comment is not a positive one. It appears as if my digital camera has been taken by someone in 3B. The students have been taking digital pictures for various activities so it is often in use. Well, last week I set the camera on my desk when students were coming in in the morning. After the students arrived and I greeted them, I realize the camera was gone. This all happened in about 20 minutes time. I discussed it with the class and many saw it on my desk but no one seems to know where it went. If you have time, please discuss this with your child and see what he/she says. It saddens me to know someone in 3B would steal something that did not belong to them. We also lost a bunch of pictures we had taken for a book we are creating so now we have to take them all over. Bummer huh?

Have a wonderful week!

Brine Shrimp - "Sea Monkeys"

Sadly, our brine shrimp did not make it through the three day weekend. I showed the students this video during class about what they would eventually look like. They thought it was so cool and decided we needed to have it on our blog page. So, here you go.

Cadet Pride and Books Coming Home

I hope you enjoyed your three day weekend with your family and friends. Mine was great except I would have loved it even more if it were a little warmer. Oh well... we can't be picky can we? :)

There has been a lot going on in 3B that I am excited to share with you. The students are into a super routine and working hard. Have they mentioned anything about Cadet Pride? Cadet Pride is showing that you are caring, respectful, responsible, and trustworthy. It involves all students K-8 working on appropriate behavior. When a student is caught demonstrating Cadet Pride, he/she is given a ticket to put in their class bucket. When the class gets 100 tickets, they get an ice cream party and extra recess. Well....we did it!!! We reached 100 tickets last week and had our ice cream party last Friday. The students were so excited and eager to have ice cream, with toppings of course! I was very proud of them as well. Now we have to set a new goal and decide what our reward will be. Great to see the students working so hard on demonstrating Cadet Pride everywhere in the building. Keep it up 3B!

Science is also a big hit as we have a "mystery object" in our classroom. Students made hypothesis on if the "mystery object" was a seed or an egg. They will find out today that it is called "brine shrimp". Pretty cool. Sadly, a lot of ours died over the weekend but we are able to view some on the internet as well as borrow some from another teacher. There will be more visitors arriving as part of our science unit on plants and animals....What will they be????

As a start to our day, the students are involved in a "Morning Meeting". The Morning Meeting revolves around four components: greeting, sharing, group activity, and morning message. I will be sending an informational note home about the different components. The main purpose of a morning meeting is to welcome everyone and let them know, and feel, like they are an important part of our class. It was the favorite part of the day with my class last year, and I can tell my 3B family this year is enjoying it. Today we did a greeting called "Shoe Greeting". Ask your 3B child about it and see what they say.

Some students have been asking about when they will be taking books home to read. I told them I would go over that this week. There are so many routines and things to cover that we did not get checking books out for home. We will this week. Today we made it to 23 minutes for our Read to Self stamina! That is great! I can tell I have a class or readers, which I am very excited to see.

I have also introduce a keyboarding website to the students that we will be using to build our keyboarding skills so the students eventually type a little faster. 3rd grade teachers are expected to introduce keyboarding so I found an online site to use. Some students have tried it at home, as I have introduced it and modeled it in the classroom. If your child wants to give it a try at home, the site is http://www.freetypinggame.net. Remind them to put their eyes on the screen, fingers in the home row, and try not to look at fingers. They are so excited to try it and I love their eagerness!

Enjoy your week. Hopefully summer isn't quite over yet!

This Week's Favorites

Madison: My favorite was having ice cream for Cadet Pride tickets
Kacey: I liked the ice cream also
Rachel: Ice cream as well
.Kailyn: Ice cream
Libby: Ice Cream
Jamie: Ice Cream party.
Erika: Same as above.
Reece: Me too!
Angelina: Same as me.
Emma: Science project of Mystery Objects
Lee: I liked the ice cream for Cadet Pride.
Colby: Ice Cream as well
Jada: Ice Cream party.
Everyone else loved the ice cream party as well except:
JD: I liked our art project.
Austin: Recess
Hailey: I liked having guidance for the first time.
Matthew: I liked math today doing Name Collection Boxes
Miss Tweten: Mine was reading "The Best Part of Me" and starting our writing project.
Mrs. Kerian: I enjoyed the whole week as we worked hard on Cadet Pride responsibilities. Keep it up!

Great First Full Week!

I hope your 3B student shared all the great activities we worked through last week - mixing liquids, taking digital pictures, math stations. It was a busy week but great one! I am pleased with the routine the students are getting into and their attitudes about school. Wonderful! Keep it up 3B! I thought I would just comment on a few activities we completing last week.

As I just mentioned, students kicked off science with an activity looking at the inquiry process and what scientist do. We first started off with a question to solve, then made an hypothesis, which the students learned was an educated guess. After that, we decided the procedure of our experiment and then conducted it to make a conclusion. The first question I guided them through was if cranberry juice, Diet 7-up, and blue Gatorade would mix or layer if poured on ice. Many students were surprised to find that it layered. So the next part of the activity was for students to work in groups, set up their experiment and work through the process to determine if all liquids would do the same thing when poured on ice. It was super fun! We found that some do and some don't based on sugar content and density. While it was not important for students to totally understand the rationale, the meaning behind that activity was to help students understand what scientist do everyday. This will set the stage for the many hands on activities we will be doing throughout the year. As one student said, "This is cool!" I agree.

I will be sending a parent note home soon explaining the structure of our literacy. Look for that sometime in the next week or so. Thus far, we have had many mini lessons on what is reading, how to pick books, and what good readers do. If you ask your child what reading is, hopefully they stand on a chair and scream "Thinking". I hope that does not get them in trouble as we try to add excitement in as many areas as possible in 3B. The class has built their "Read to Self" stamina up to 11 minutes, which is fabulous, and I hope to see that continue to build. "Read to Self" is one of the components of the Daily 5, a part of our literacy structure. Ask your child to explain what "Read to Self" looks like. We have been reviewing what it looks like and doesn't look like. Funny how they love to volunteer to model the incorrect way to read to self. Quite a site! This week we will continue to build our stamina, do some assessments, and work into the component of "Work on Writing".

Our specials are in full swing. Remember to send tennis shoes with your child on Monday and Friday as well as return library books on Friday.

Students have also been shown some online math activities on my web page that they enjoyed last week. If your child is bored or looking for something to do at home, get on my web page and go to the math link. There are a ton of online games your child can play to reinforce his/her skills.

Thanks for a great start to the school year. Enjoy your week!

The Best Part of our Week

Rachel: I liked the math stations today.
Kacey: I liked the layering liquids science project
JD: I liked the stations today.
Emma: I liked the liquids in science.
Madison: I liked the group activity of "Where's My Chicken?"
Jada: I liked when we played the chicken game.
Matthew: I liked math stations
Lee: I liked science this week.
Austin: I liked sharing our paper bags and guessing who it belonged to.
Kailyn: I liked the bags also.
Hailey: I liked doing read to self.
Annaleigh: I liked recess.
Kryslynn: I liked science.
Jamie: I enjoyed PE
Angelina: I liked recess.
Colby: I liked playing Star Wars at recess.
Reece: I liked science with the liquids.
Erika: I liked the story about Wodney Wat.
Libby: I liked our group activity.
Alex: I liked math stations today.
Mrs. Kerian: I liked watching the students use the digital cameras to take pictures for math.
Miss Twetten: I enjoyed doing the paper bags and learning about something interesting about the students.

Hot Start to First Full Week

I hope that you enjoyed the weekend - even if it was extremely hot! Looks like our week will start out that way, but then it will hopefully cool off. I love hot summer days, but I'd be okay with the temperature dropping a little bit. Last week was the first week I have ever had students say they did not want to go out for recess because it was too hot! I'd like to think that maybe it was because we were just having too much fun in the classroom.....

I'm sure your child has told you about some of the activities we did the first two days of school. There are always those "expectations and behavior" activities you have to go through with the students, but I really think it is important to teach those in a way that involves the kids and mix it up with other team building activities. So, while we did have to go over some "beginning of the year" things, we did have some fun getting to know each other as well. I can tell that I am going to enjoy this bunch of 3B students!

Thank you to those parents who send snacks for us to "munch on" the first few weeks of school. The students and their tummies were grateful! It is a hard transition from summer to a full day of school so we do appreciate the extra snack in the afternoon. In connection to that, I thought I would comment about our lunch. 3rd grade students, in the past, have gone to lunch and noon recess with kindergarten through 2nd graders. This year, 3rd graders are eating lunch and having noon recess with 4th and 5th graders. Because of that, students in 3B do not eat lunch until 11:50/11:55. That is over a half hour later for the students than when they ate last year so it will take some getting used to. Just remember to encourage your child to eat breakfast in the morning as it will help he/she stay focused during the morning hours.

I hope you had a chance to enjoy the pictures from Open House and the first days of school on my previous blog. I showed it to the students and they were so excited to see themselves on the internet! I will continue to post more pictures and video throughout the year.

Highlights of the week to come involve getting into the Daily 5 for literacy, using digital cameras in math to explore numbers, exploring the inquiry process of science with a liquid layering activity, and building a deep understanding that we are ALL writers and authors. I am also going to try to introduce an online keyboarding activity for students to work on keyboarding skills so they can prepare to type on their own blog pages. As you can see, we will be busy as well as have fun along the way. More information will also be sent home soon to share information about the Daily 5 and our first math unit. Keep your eyes open for that coming home in your child's "Important Papers" folder. Remember that this folder goes back and forth between school and home each day.

Thanks for a great start to the year. Remember that if you have any questions or concerns, please email me or call me as we are a team.

Enjoy the week and stay cool.

Excellent First Day and Open House!

I was so glad to see everyone made it to Open House last night! I could tell when the night was over what a wonderful bunch of students I was going to have! I was so excited I could hardly sleep!

3B had a great first day of fun activities, laughs, as well as covering some of the "must do" discussions for the first day. We started out the day getting to know each other through an activity on the smartboard where the students actually go to throw a koosh ball at the smartboard....yes, THROW something at the smartboard! It was a fun way to get to know one another and start the day! We also put some "yummy in our tummy" by enjoying some Skittles. Little did they know, when they took their Skittles they would have to tell me something about themselves based on how many Skittles they had (for example, six Skittles meant tell me six things). Everyone loves a treat once and a while. The students went on a scavenger hunt through the room, which are included in some of the pictures, as well as ended the day with a quick activity with all 3rd graders. Each child should have brought home a copy of our "wordle" today in which they shared words and activities about our first day! As you can tell from the wordle, it was a fantastic day. (But I know many will be a little tired tomorrow.)

Enjoy the pictures of Open House and our first day! I am excited for our school year together!

Welcome Back To School

Hello everyone! It's almost time for school! Are you excited! I am very, very excited!!!!! This is where parents, family, friends, and students can look for information I post about our day or week, as well as share pictures! There is also a spot for parents, friends, and yourself to comment. So, if you would like, become a follower of this blog page and keep current on 3B events.

Can't wait to meet you at Open House! Don't forget to check out the book fair! I will be posting your pictures from Open House soon!

The Final Countdown!

First off I want to thank my "3B Family and Parents" for the caring cards, phone calls, and thoughts during the last week. My heart is saddened because I lost my brother, but it makes it a little easier with caring students and parents. So. . .thank you very much! It was nice to return yesterday to so many hugs! I needed them!!!

This will not be a long blog, but I thought you would like to know about some upcoming events to prepare for before the year is over. It is hard to believe that time is winding down. . .it really doesn't feel like it to me. The students have been real "troopers" and hanging in there, which is great! Here is what we have to prepare for:

1. This Friday, the students in 3rd grade who mastered all of there multiplication facts will be having their "Taco in a Bag" celebration. These 7 students in 3B will be eating a walking taco as an afternoon snack at 2:30. We would like those students who mastered all of their facts to also bring along something to drink. All other components (plates, etc.) will be provided. Great job to those students! Students who did not master all facts will not participate in the celebration and therefore do not need to bring a beverage.

2. Next Thursday, May 27th, 3rd graders will walk to the park for a little exercise and fun. At this time, I am not sure if we will be needing sack lunches. I will let you know about that by the end of the week.

3. Next Wednesday, May 26th, all parents are invited to our end of the year "Writer's Workshop Social". This is a time where we will celebrate our writing accomplishments with you and enjoy some snacks. An invitation will be sent home by Friday, but I wanted to let you know to mark your calendars. This celebration will take place in the cafeteria at 2:30. Parents who signed up to supply snacks for our final celebration of the year will receive a letter by Friday as well, reminding them to supply snacks for this celebration. Students and parents will also use this time to clean out lockers and get items home (lucky you! Be sure to bring extra sacks! :)

4. Next Friday, May 28th, will be the last day of school with a 3 hour early out. We have planned a fun morning with a "field day" for students and teachers to participate in as a last day celebration. There are lots of fun activities planned so I can't wait! Go 3B!

5. We are currently taking a math test, which will probably be the last one of the year. We will also be squeezing in a quick social studies test next Tuesday. Look for study material to be sent home this Friday.

What else???? HMMMM????? If your child has a library book or book from my classroom, I would like them returned by Wednesday, May 26th so that I can see what is missing and returned.

Next week will be my last "offical" blog of the school year! I am sure I will have LOTS to say then. :)

Enjoy the sunshine!

Last Month of School. . .So Much to Do!

Well, hard to believe, but May is here! I really can't believe how quickly the time has flown by! It seems like just yesterday we were starting school and now we are almost to the end. Kind of sad for me. . . although I do enjoy my summer. Well, I just hope the students stay focused and working as hard as they currently are. We are cruising through so much and it is going very well. Keep it up 3B!

I am sending home the math test from last week. Please notice that I have written the percent and grade each child would have received if they were given a grade as they will be in 4th grade. It is a little "eye opener" for some students who like to rush as well as for those students who need to try a little harder. While we don't give letter grades in 3rd grade, students will be given them in 4th grade. On the math test, every option for an answer was a point, whether correct or needing to stay blank. The reason for that was because some problems has more than one possible answer and students needed to check all options. I think you will see what I mean when you look at the test itself. These do not need to be returned to school, but I hope you take a moment to look them over. There are a ton of concepts and processes in geometry, but I was pleased with their understanding of the concepts and recognition of geometry terms.

Science test will be coming home tomorrow or Wednesday as well. There will be grades on part of the test, as if in 4th grade, but not all being some are short answer. Again, they do not need to be returned to school.

In literacy, students are loving their book clubs!!!! They are having some of the best discussions as well so that is exciting for me to see! Every day someone ask me when we are doing book clubs. . . .which is wonderful as well. The purpose of book clubs is to build reading skills and strategies through discussion while building enjoyment in reading as well. Some students are very hesitate to share their thoughts while they read for fear of being wrong or other issues, but eventually, through practice, they see the benefits of sharing thoughts and that it is alright to be wrong sometimes. We will continue our book clubs through the month as some groups are in the middle of their books while others will be starting a new book. During this time, I also pull in my guided reading lessons to correspond with the books they are reading and the needs they demonstrate. These lessons range from comparing and contrasting, recognizing cause and effect, building communication while reading, and looking at word parts. A note will be sent home soon asking students to bring in a beverage as we would like to turn this into a type of "book chat" as if we are a Barnes and Noble drinking coffee - only we will be having juice or something else whild discussing our books. Something fun to throw in the activity!

Just a reminder that we will be taking a field trip next Friday to Wabasha, Minnesota. I have two parent volunteers already but need 1 more. If you are interested, please contact me as soon as possible to get that finalized. More information will be sent this week about what to bring, times of departure, and necessary information. Look for that soon!

We had a super time at Vernon last week for Arbor Day. Hopefully all of you got your tree planted. We still have each tree that my children planted in 3rd grade at our house, and they are growing like crazy. Look for pictures of our trip to be posted some time this week as well. My evenings are busy with my daughter's track meets out of town, but I will get them up sometime soon.

I also need to make one last comment about our biography presentations. I have uploaded them to a site called "Teachertube" for reasons that "YouTube" is blocked at school. They are having technological difficulties - just my luck- but I will hopefully have them embedded on each child's blog page this week as well for you to view and comment. I should also have the DVD made by the end of the week as well. While I love all the technology that students have access to, sometimes it takes a while to get it all "perfected". So thanks for being so understanding. . . .

Have a great week and enjoy the sunshine. . .hopefully it will stick around a while!