Important Information about Me….Mrs. Kerian

While it is a wonderful time with the holidays soon approaching, it is also a sad time for my family.

This morning, Sunday morning, I received a call that my grandmother had passed away.  She was my "only grandma" growing up and had a very special place in my heart.  Don't we all adore our grandmas?

Because of the need to be with family and attend the funeral/wake out of town, I will not be at school Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday.  I know this is not "good timing" but family comes first.  I promise the students, my 3B kiddos,  will be in good hands.  I have everything planned out for the substituted and know it will go smoothly.  (right 3B??)

If you need to get ahold of the school Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday, please call Linda in the office.  Do not email me as I will be out of town.  Linda will then forward the information to the substitute.

So this will be my last blog post before the holidays.  I want to take the time to wish all of you a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!  Enjoy your time with family and friends!  I will be missing my 3B students and can't wait to return and hear about what a wonderful break each and everyone had!

Thanks for a great first semester of school and happy holidays!

The Hour of Code!!!! Awesome Week of Coding!

Last week students in 3B participating in the Hour of Code.  This was a week of focusing on coding…..a job that will be a large part of the students' future!  Students and adults around the nation and world worked on coding through various means. We were among them!

We had a super, yet challenging time coding various apps and creating our own games through coding. It is wonderful as a teacher to see students problem solve and analyze information to code their way through a problem.  It involved a lot of critical thinking as well!  The students have blogged about their feelings about the Hour of Code so don't forget to check out their posts.  As usual, comments are always welcome. You will notice that many students say that it was fun yet hard at times!  

I happened to tweet out a picture of some students in 3B working their way through some coding apps. To our surprise, mainly mine, the famous singer Shakira "liked" our class tweet!!!!  That was so cool!!!! I think I was most excited!!

Here is a video I used to kick of "The Hour of Code".  you will notice Shakira, as well as many other famous singers, actors, and athletes encouraging students and adults to code.  Will you give it a try???

Did We Forget How to be Respectful?

We have run into a little bump in the road in 3B.  I think some of us have forgotten how to be respectful….especially when I, Mrs. Kerian, am gone to meetings and there is a sub.  What happened?

Last week I was gone to meetings in Des Moines with the principals.  I came back to a message from my sub that said the students were very disrespectful.  Behaviors such as blurting, tattling, pushing, and not listening were listed.  This is not what any teacher likes to return to.  Thus the reason why many students wrote letters to their parents last week and the letters were returned signed.  I wanted parents to be aware of the choices some of the students were making.  The students knew I was very disappointed because this is not the first time a sub has left me that kind of note.

As a class, we discussed everything on Wednesday.   We have developed a chattiness problem as well as forgetting how to show Cadet Pride outside the classroom.  We have had time to review and talk about being respectful and being good listeners.  I would like parents to discuss these issues with their 3B student and reinforce the idea of being respectful to EVERYONE…..they are great when they are with me so I know they can do it!!!

Remember what Kid President says…(we watched this a week ago)…."20 Things We Should Say More Often".

Big Blast Celebration

It is almost here!  Christmas!!!!! So hard to believe that half the school year is almost over.  Time just flew by!  At least the weather has been to cooperative and we have not had any snow days…..yet!  (Hope I did not speak too soon.)

One of the many activities that we have going on this week is the Big Blast!  This is the celebration for the efforts of our fundraising.  The students are so excited!!!!

3rd grade students will attend the Big Blast on Tuesday at about 1:50-3:00ish.  I wanted to let parents know in case they had appointments scheduled or things coming up.  The students hate to miss this great celebration.

There are also students in 3B that will be riding in the limo as an extra reward for selling a certain amount of items!  Great job to those students!

Let the fun week begin!

Cadet Time

The teachers at Crestwood Elementary have added a new element to our daily schedules.  It is called Cadet Time, also known as Intervention time (and there are many more names for it, but I won't go into that right now).  We officially started last week, and I am glad to say the first week was a success!

During Cadet Time, students are broken into groups and work with a 3rd grade teacher or associate on specific reading skills or strategies.  The three sections of 3rd grade students are mixed up so they are not always with their homeroom teacher for Cadet Time.  The groups are smaller and can focus on specific areas of need or enrichment that are student specific.  Teachers selected skills and strategies to focus on for 2 week periods.  These skills and strategies are based off class assessments and those taught within the classroom during literacy.  These skills and strategies are then reassessed at the end of a literacy unit to determine if growth was made. After 2 weeks, new focus skills and strategies will be determined, groups mixed up based on demonstrated need or areas to enrich, and new small group instruction will occur.  

Currently, the 3rd grade Cadet Time runs daily from 9:30-10:00.  We currently have groups working for two weeks on summarizing, cause and effect, or building fluency.  The three Title 1 Reading teachers as well as Mr. Knoblach also work with small groups during this time so that we have ample amounts of teachers working with students to build their reading as well as challenge them in various ways if they have demonstrated success with the skills and strategies selected for the two week period.  

I wanted to let you know about this in case your child mentioned "Cadet Time".  If you have any questions, feel free to contact me.  

It was Bound to Happen

Snow….yes….snow.  Like the title says, I guess it was bound to happen eventually.  While I agree it was pretty falling, I am not a fan of snow!  I like a little on Christmas eve/day, and then it can go away. But….Mother Nature does not listen to me I guess.

Along with snow, even without snow lately, comes cold weather.  Please remember that students go outside unless the temperature and/or wind chill is below 0.  I have reminded the students to dress warm, but many are coming in from recess or before school very cold.  While we did not go out for recess much last week due to the cold weather, the temps are suppose to be above zero this week, but not much.  Please remember to send mittens, hats, boots, etc with your child.  If there is snow outside and students do not have boots, they will have to stay on hard surfaces.

I also encourage the students to put an extra pair of mittens and/or socks in their school bags.  Many times, after one recess, the students have wet gloves and socks from the wet snow.  It is not comfortable to have to put those mittens back on for the next recess or wear wet socks all day.  Having an extra pair in their school bags will be great for those wet times.

Let's cross our fingers the weather does not get too out of control.  Even though we all love a good snow day, we have too much to do in 3B….and a lot more fun planned.

The Hour of Code

I am very, very, very excited to be involved in a week long celebration called "The Hour of Code"!!!  I signed our 3B class to be participates in this recognized activity because "coding" will be an important job for the future of my 3rd graders.  Watch this video that I am showing the students Monday to kick off the week for "The Hour of Code".



The students in 3B have already had a lot of time exploring various apps and creating/manipulating objects through coding by some of the apps that I have put on their iPads.  These include HopScotch, Daisy the Dino, and Cargo-Bots.  I can not express how engaged every student is with these apps!  There is so much deep thinking, planning, creating, and creativity going on…..I am in awe at what they can do!!!

On Monday, I will be introducing them to two new apps that focus on coding as well as some online activities that guide the students through coding programs.

Check out the Hour of Code website at http://csedweek.org

Check out our Illustrated Idioms!

Last week during literacy the students learned about idioms.  We read books full of idioms and learned about many other idioms through various activities.  At the end of the week, the students picked an idiom and illustrated it using the iPad app of "Doodle Buddy".  They illustrated what the idiom says, not what it means, which was the fun part!  Then then put the real meaning at the bottom of their picture.

Students then posted their illustrated idiom on their student blog page.  Please check them out by clicking on the link to the right titled "Student Blog Pages"!  We would love some comments from parents, relatives, friends, and visitors!!!!  I tweeted out our illustrated idioms and one of our followers from Arizona commented on a few!  Cool!  The world is our audience…..

We hope you enjoy our illustrated idioms as much as we did making them!  Here is an example from a students blog page...

A Surprise….Buddy The Elf

We had a surprise guest in our room Monday……it was a little elf and a book with a note that stated "Read Me".  We were all surprised….especially because the little elf made a mess with the blocks we use for math!!!

So we followed the direction and read about this little surprise.  We learned that he was an elf sent from Santa, and we were to name him.  The class vote was….yes….Buddy the Elf (sound like a movie we all know??).  We learned that we are to never touch him or it may break his magic. We also learned that he goes back and forth every night to let Santa know how we are all behaving.  (Monday was not a good afternoon so I am surprised he returned.)  But he did…... and the rest of the week has been better.

Today we all showed up to school to Buddy the Elf and a huge mess!  He had tried to jump the filling from one beanbag chair into another and made a huge mess on the floor….with a trail!  I thought you would get a kick out of seeing what the students had to pick up after our little friend. Wonder what he will do tomorrow?

Always fun in 3B!

We Made the TV and Internet News!

It is not a surprise to have visitors at Crestwood Elementary going through the rooms with Mr. Carver, stopping in to see what is going on.  So yesterday, Tuesday, when Mr. Carver stopped in with a woman, the students and I did not think anything of it. We just kept going on our day.

Well, when I got home I saw a parent had posted a link to the KIMT news stating that her child, in our 3B room, was on the news.  So of course I clicked on it to see what it was.  I guess the lady who stopped to visit and take pictures/video was from channel 3, KIMT news!!!!  We are TV stars!  (hahaha just kidding).  Myself, just coming in from a rainy, foggy recess duty did not pay any attention to her, as we are told to keep doing what we normally do….but geezzz….this was a surprise.

You can click the link before to read the article and watch the clip from the news.
http://www.kimt.com/news/local/stem-committee-releases-recommendations-in-broadband-study

Nice job 3B for representing some of the students from Crestwood Elementary!  I am very proud of all of you….as well as the Howard-Winn School District!  It is an exciting time to be in school!

Cadets for A Clause

Throughout the months of November and December, Howard-Winneshiek students have been/will be working on the Character Counts pillar of "Caring".  One way to become compassionate, caring citizens is to help others.  During the week of December 2-6, we will be collecting monetary donations to help families within our school district who are experiencing hardships.  No donation could ever be too small (this even includes pocket change!).  Please send your donation in an envelope or bag marked "Cadets for a Clause".  The money will be used to buy gifts and food so that families may have a wonderful holiday season.

A note stated the above information is being sent home today.  Thanks for our participation!

Great Visit from a Published Author!

As I mentioned last week, Crestwood students had the honor of listening to a published author share her book and travels! The author's name was Jamie Sanders, and the book she published was titled Adrian's Adventures in Indonesia.   Mrs. Sanders lived in Indonesia for 2-3 years and wrote a book about the life there using her son, Adrian's, name.  She shared many interesting facts about life in Indonesia as well as read her book to us.  It was awesome!

Special Day! Author Visit!

The students at Crestwood Elementary are very fortunate in that a real life author will be making a visit to our school!!!!  Now,  I tell the students we are all authors, but this person has made a living out of it and tours talking about her books.  How cool is that??!!

Her name is Jamie Teahen Sanders, and she has written a book titled Adrian's Adventures in Indonesia. She will be visiting with the 3rd graders tomorrow, Monday, afternoon sharing her story!  Look for pictures to be posted soon!

I am very excited!

Happy Thanksgiving Week! Another Message from Kid President!

I came across this great video by one of our favorites, Kid President.  I plan to show it to the students tomorrow, Monday, but I thought it would be beneficial to post here as well for everyone to watch.  It always amazes me how Kid President just puts it out there, states what's important, and has such a powerful impact.   We can all use a little reminder about what is important, especially with the holidays approaching.  

Being it is the Thanksgiving holiday this week, the 3rd grade teachers thought it would be fun to treat

the 3rd graders to a movie on Wednesday, November 27th.  Students are invited to bring their own snack and beverage for the movie that day.  The beverages can be whatever they like, but we are asking that they do NOT bring pop.  Other choices would be juice, water, Gatorade, etc.  The beverage must have a twist top as well.  Students should not bring their snack and beverage before Wednesday.  Of course, this is optional.  Students do not have to bring anything, but realize that one will NOT be provided by the school.  It is also the students responsibility to remember to bring it if they would like as no one will call home if they forget.  Thanks and we look forward to wrapping up the short week together as a large group of 3rd graders!

Important Information from Mr. Adams, Our Principal

Mr. Adams emailed this to all the staff and asked that we post it on our blog pages.  Please read all the information below as it has some information that references start time for school as well as pick up at the end of the day.

Breakfast & the Start of the School Day
This is a reminder that breakfast begins being served at 7:45 a.m. and students are expected in the classrooms by 8:15 a.m. Please help students arrive by 8:00 a.m. if they plan to eat breakfast.

Procedure for Picking up your Child at School
The following procedures are ways in which you can help with the safety and security of all children within our building.  Recall that door locks and camera system were installed in the entry way at the beginning of the school year. We ask parents and visitors to report to the office upon arriving at school. Your child will either be waiting for you in the office based upon a prior note or phone call informing the school of an appointment, or secretaries will call your child's teacher asking them to send your child to the office to meet you. Please report to the office rather than reporting directly to the classroom.
This would also apply to picking up your child after school. Parents and siblings are being asked to wait in the cafeteria, allowing teachers to get students ready for dismissal, and then students will walk to the cafeteria to meet you.  Thank you in advance for your help.

EduCare Tutoring in Reading & Math
Supplemental Educational Services (SES) such as before school, after school, and summertime tutoring in reading and math is once again being offered to eligible students at Crestwood Elementary. The services are in addition to the instruction the students receive during the school year. We plan to renew our contract with EduCare, the same company that provided tutoring services last year.  In addition, we are excited that they are interested in allowing us to expand upon their program with iPad usage. Students are eligible based on family income and attendance at Crestwood Elementary.  A second letter will be sent this week. Please respond by completing the form or calling Crestwood Elementary at 563-547-2300.  We plan to start the tutoring sessions after the first of the year.

Greg Adams

Howard-Winneshiek CSD 

Grades 2-6 Principal, Special Education Director

Measuring Mania!

The students are busy measuring away!  They are even measuring each other!  We had a lot of fun yesterday practicing measuring to the nearest 1/4 inch!  Thought I would share some great pictures of the day!

We will continue to work on measurement, moving into perimeter and area this week as well!

Genius Hour Update!

I love that so many parents commented about the passion their students have for Genius Hour.  The learning and time spent during that one hour each Wednesday (except early outs) is so powerful.  I love it!  We have so much learning, thinking, planning, experimenting, and collaborating going on!

Kyle preparing his lego creations for his Lego Movie

I thought I would post a few pictures of some students at work.  While many are still gathering information and preparing what they would like to do, some have already starting constructing models, making posters, creating displays, and blogging about their findings.

Britain's model of gymnastics equipment

What I think is wonderful is how the students are learning from each other as well.  One student may be learning how to make a Lego Movie with the app on our iPads titled "LegoMovie" and others may see him/her doing that.  They then become curious and wonder what is going on and may select that for their next genius hour learning/project.

Vince and Aiden creating a wind turbine

So here are some pics of some of the great ideas and topics being discovered.  I am trying to set up some Skype session and volunteers to come in and help as well.  Topics range from wind turbines, remote control cars, how football fields are made, to how to prepare to be an Olympic gymnast, as well as many more topics.

We are all geniuses!

Great Conferences!

I want to thank everyone who attended their child's 3rd grade fall conference! It was wonderful to share the great things the students are demonstrating and talk about some areas we will continue to focus on.  Most importantly, it was super to sit down and have a conversation with all the great parents that are part of the 3B family!

Please remember that it is important for your child to read every night!  That is the homework that the students should have regularly.  Other pieces of homework will be sent home randomly as well, but it is very important that the students continue to read at home.  I told them I was so impressed with how many students turned in their Book It Calendar for the month of October.  More than I have ever had in one month!  That is super!  Let's keep it up 3B!

Please do not wait until the next conference to chat about the kids in 3B.  Feel free to contact me via email or phone if anything ever comes up or you just want to chat about how your child is doing.  Communication is the key!

Thanks again to those who attended their child's conferences!

Introducing Inferencing!

The students asked me to post these two videos on our blog page.  They really enjoyed watching them and learning about what inferencing is.  The videos are wordless short movies in which students have to make inferences to determine what is going on without anyone speaking.  It is an excellent way to start learning/reviewing about inferencing and then lead into making them while reading.  Here is the definition of inferencing.
Inferencing: Experienced readers make inferences as they read. Readers use what they already know and think about what they have read to construct meaning. The reader should ask themselves, "What I already know in my brain" and "What did I just read or see?" to make an inferences that is not stated by the author of person 

Enjoy!

Classroom Happenings!

As usual, we are very busy in 3B.  Here are some quick comments about what has been up in the classroom:

1.  We had our first visitors from the Food and Fitness group of high school students.  They will be coming over once a month to talk to the students about eating healthy foods and staying fit.  The kids really loved it!

2.  Last Friday we went to the Discovery Center and listened to 7th graders from Miss Kerian's reading class share their books with us.  They used an online program called Storybook Jumper to create pictures, add text and create a picture book version of a book they had just finished.   3rd graders also had the chance to mess around with the program as well learning how to create a page.

3.  As part of wrapping up our science unit on Plants and Animals, the students are creating a short video using the app "Videolicious" in which they share information about a selected animal.  The presentation has requirements such as using vocabulary from our unit correctly as well as the overall presentation format.  The students are loving it and amazed that this is part of their "test".  These types of assessments (project based) will be used frequently in 3rd grade as they present a better picture of a child's learning.

Just a glimpse at some of the great activities and learning going on in 3B!  Crazy week ahead with volleyball tournament and football playoffs……..might have some sleepy children (and sleepy teacher).

Have a great week!

Book It Reading Calendars for October!

Many students are telling me that they are reading away at home!  Awesome!  The best way to increase your reading skills and strategies is to read!

Reminder that October reading calendars are due on Friday (or Monday if he/she forgets Friday).  I will be sending home November reading calendars at the end of the week. The goal increases in November to 250 minutes.  Remember that if a student brings his/her reading calendar back at the end of the month and has met the goal required, he/she will get a pizza certificate to Pizza Hut.  Those students who return their reading calendars every month through April get rewarded at the end of the school year.

Remember that this is an optional program and is not required.  But……you might as well get rewarded for something that students should do anyway.  Right???

Conference Scheduler

If you have not scheduled your parent teacher conference time yet, please do so as soon as possible.  Information on how to do that was sent home last week.  If you are having difficulties getting online and scheduling, please call the elementary office and the secretaries will assist you in getting a time set up that works for you.   If neither of the two dates given on the schedule work with your's, please contact me and we can work something out.

Report cards will be sent home Wednesday, October 30th.  We will discuss them at conferences.

I am anxious to share all the great things happening in 3B and some goals we need to continue to work on. See you next week!

Picture Retakes are Tomorrow!

Just a quick reminder that picture retakes are tomorrow, Tuesday, October 29th,  for any one who would like to have that opportunity.  Please plan accordingly.

Book Orders....Change of Due Date!

Because some students got their book orders late, I am pushing back the due date until Monday, October 21st.  Hope that helps and gives everyone enough time to order what they would like if they are going to order.

Any questions, just give me a call or email me.  Thanks!

We Love Genius Hour

After many weeks of understanding and learning about what Genius Hour looks like, the students jumped right in today and it was awesome!  They were so engaged trying to find information about their choice of a learning project!  It was wonderful! I walk around and help people, guide them in the right direction, give suggestions, but it is all up to them. They could have gone on for hours looking for information, watching videos, planning how they are going to share their learning.  And it all boils down to them learning about what they want to learn about!  I can't wait to see what they all come up with!!!!   Ask a 3B student what they want to learn about for Genius Hour.  We have some learning about wind turbines, robots, how airplanes fly, animals, what the inside of human body looks like, how an ipad works, computers....the list goes on. So exciting!!!

Spencer learning about how airplanes fly and work.

Everyone working hard!  You could have heard a pin drop!  

Food Chain Fun!

Yesterday we had another visit from the Howard Count Naturalist, Angela.  She came and talked to us about food chains as we are studying food chains as part of our science unit.  The students had a super time going through a simulation of a food chain and how each part of the food chain relies on the other for energy (she called them "energy points").  Angela was "Mother Nature" and awarded "energy points" to the plants to start off the food chain.  It was super because she used terms like decomposer, carnivore, omnivore, herbivore, and many others that we are studying in science.  Great connection!

Thanks Angela!

"Mother Nature" giving the plants their "energy points".

Mother Nature introducing food chains.

Book Orders Due Friday, October 18

Book orders are coming home today, Tuesday. The students were very excited about them as there are many great books for the students to select from.  If you decide to order books for your child, there are two ways you can do that.  They are described below.

1.  Complete the order form for which ever books you are interested in ordering.  Write your student's name on the form so I know who the order belongs to.  Return the order along with a check or cash for the total amount from all orders.  (If ordering from more than one book club, you can add the totals together and write one check.)  Please make the checks out to me, Kim Kerian, because I place the orders online and use my credit card to make the payment.

2.  You can also order online using the following link and placing your order online.  You can also just go to http://scholastic.com/readingclub and enter our class code of DWBBF.

https://orders.scholastic.com/DWBBF

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me.  Happy Reading!

Book Orders and Unit 1 Math Assessment

My goal to have book orders sent home last week was not met. So...they are coming home tomorrow.  There will be a note attached explaining how to order either via returning the book order with a check/money or via online.  Please look for it to come home tomorrow.

I will also be sending each students' Unit 1 math assessment home tomorrow.  Please take some time to look it over with your 3rd grader.  I do not need them returned.  This unit was a review unit over basic concepts from last year.

Unit 2 for math will be a little different.  Last week I gave the students a pretest on the concepts/skills in unit 2.  Using that information, students will work through the skills/concepts they struggled with while moving on to harder, more challenging concepts if they demonstrated an understanding of the skill already.  Basically students are grouped for each concept or skill we will be working on based on the pre-assessment.  We started this last week and the students are very much enjoying it.  Visualize it to be kind of like guided reading, only guided math, where students work were they demonstrate their ability to be at and then work up from there.  I will share more information with everyone about this at Parent-Teacher Conferences (yes, they are coming up fast), but I wanted to give everyone a heads up.

Tomorrow's Trip to the Theater!

Just a reminder that tomorrow the 3rd graders throughout the district are headed to UNI to watch the play of "Tomas and the Library Lady".  Please remember that students are to bring a lunch from home as we will be eating on the way to the production.  We are taking Hawkeye Stages buses and a movie on the bus will be provided by the teachers.  A note was sent home last week explaining what students are allowed to take on the bus for this trip.  If you did not receive that letter, please let me know.

We plan to depart the elementary at 10:30 and be back around 3:15.

Please remind your 3B student that this is a big production and they represent Crestwood Elementary.  I know that each of my 3B kiddos will be on their very best behavior and enjoy a great play!

Here is the book trailer I showed the students today that gives some background about the story behind the play.  It goes great with our literacy theme of "Changes".

Cadet Nation!

Here are a few pictures from last Monday!  The students throughout the school district represented "Cadet Nation" and "Stomp Out Bully Day" very well in their new tshirts!

Remember to "Be the One" to stomp out bullying!

First Field Trip - Next Week!

Next week we will be going on our first out of the district field trip for the year.  The third graders will be heading to Cedar Falls, Iowa, on Tuesday, October 15th, to the theater at UNI!  A note with information will be sent home later this week about what each child can bring as well as information about lunches.  We will be leaving the school around 10:30 and returning around dismissal time at 3:20.    We will be watching the production of Tomas and the Library Lady.  I am excited to take this trip to the  "theater" with my little "ladies and gentlemen of 3B"!  :)

So look for information later this week.

International Stand Up to Bullying Day! Be the ONE!

Today we are celebrating "International Stand Up to Bullying Day".  It was so awesome to see all the students wearing their Cadet Nation t-shirt, which goes along with the colors of Stomp Out Bullying (blue and orange).  Look for a class picture later today or tomorrow.  We also painting (yes, even the boys) our one pinky finger blue to show that we will be the one to stand up to bullying!

The students and I had very powerful discussions, activities, and responses to the idea of standing up to a bully.  One of the videos that I showed the students is below.  Not only are the messages in the video powerful, but so is the music!



3B students have also made post on their blog pages about some of our discussion today, creations they made on their ipads using "Doodle Buddy", as well as a picture of them showing their blue pinky and wanting to be the "One".  (They would love some responses as well from parents and friends-hint, hint)

Hopefully the discussions we have today and throughout the year will remind them of the power they can have when they stand up to a bully.

Out of Control Insects in Science

We are all loving science and the "special guest" we have had arrive for science!  After analyzing the creatures, the students have loved watching a live example of a "food chain".  Some of the critters we have in our room are aphids, damselfly nymphs, daphnia, and today, ladybugs. Ask a 3rd grader about each of the visitors and what they remember about them.  True learning about predator, prey, and food chains!  

Damselfy

Students watching damsefly ready to eat daphnia

dapnia

Homecoming Success!

Homecoming week was a huge success!  The students and teachers had a wonderful time with the dress up days and then wrapping up the week at the big pep rally in the high school gym!  The weather held off so that we could walk over there and also enjoy a sack lunch supplied by the school that day.  Too bad the weather did not hold off for the varsity football game.

Due to the weather, the varsity game will now be played Monday at 7:00.  There will be no admission cost as many people had already paid for the game on Friday.  Hopefully some of you will be there to cheer the Cadets to a victory!

Here is one picture I took of some of the students dressed in their camo for Camo Day!  It was great to see all the students so involved and having fun!

Book It......Reading at Home

Today I am sending home the calendars for Book-It.  As many of you know, this is a reading incentive program sponsored by Pizza Hut to encourage students/kids to read at home.  The kick off/start month is October, which begins on Tuesday.  A goal is set and written on the calendar for the amount of time each student is to read or surpass, recording their minutes on the calendar or each day that he/she reads. At the end of the month, students return their calendar showing they have completed or passed the goal.  He/she is then given a coupon for a free personal pan pizza from Pizza Hut.

While I encourage every student to read at home, participation in Book-It is optional.  I would love to see all of my students in 3B participate as reading at home is very important!  But again, I am not going to require the students to participate and return the calendar for Book It if they decide not too.  We will start checking books out of our classroom library to go home starting next week so students will have books they could be reading at home not only from the classroom but library as well.

BUT........those students that do participate and return their calendar EVERY month for Book-It will enjoy a celebration with me in April as a reward for returning their calendars, participating, and meeting/surpassing their reading goals every month!!!!!  Last year the celebration involved dinner and a movie in the classroom during lunch.  Only those that participated could enjoy dinner and a movie with me.  So......why not participate, have fun reading, build those reading skills/strategies and have some fun along the way?

So...get reading!

Reminder of Homecoming Dress Up Days

Here are the days for Homecoming next week:
Monday:  Jersey/favorite sports team day (Wear your favorite sports jersey or sports team shirt)
Tuesday:  Camouflage Day
Wednesday:  Color Day, 3rd grade is to wear orange (no face paint)
Thursday:  Wacky-Tacky/ Mix and Match Day (come to school dressed in clothes that don't match)
Friday:  Blue/School Colors Day

Can't wait to see everyone's outfits to celebrate Crestwood Homecoming!

Aphids......Our First Science Visitors

Today we had some special guest visit our classroom.  They are called aphids.  They are the first of various insects we will have visit, eat our plants, and demonstrate a food chain.  The students were very excited to learn about aphids and watch them on our bean plants yesterday.  Here is a picture of these creatures.  Wonder what will come next????

Showing our Creativity on Dot Day!

The students had a wonderful time celebrating Dot Day and their creativity!  I know they all "made their mark" in the world through all the fun stations and activities.  Here are some pictures from the day:

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