The week of Jan. 23rd is Family Fitness Week! Let's pledge to get fit together as families this week! In class today, we did a "Fit Kids" workout DVD to get our bodies moving. There are many good sites out there to learn about Fitness Week and nutrition, such as http://www.projectappleseed.org/fitnessnutrition.html or http://www.kaboose.com/features/healthykids/shape-up-week1.html.
We have finished our DRA testing! I am working on scoring them and will be adjusting children's reading levels based on the data.
WEATHER
We plan to play outside every day, even on snowy and cold winter days, unless the temperature or wind chill is below zero. Please send warm outdoor gear every day. Also, please send in clean, dry shoes for your child to wear inside our classroom AND snow boots to change into for outdoor play. Our classroom floor is carpeted and is a big part of our workspace. We try hard to keep it clean and dry!
Reading
At this point in the year, children are expected to read at least 20 minutes each night. Reading logs will go home on Mondays to be returned the following Monday. AR books that are sent home on Fridays can be counted toward the 20 minutes and recorded on the logs. Packets containing a Homework Policy and Responsibility Schedule were sent home on Monday, Nov. 28th.
MATH FACTS: I have sent Math Facts Reports home with all students twice this year. Please continue to review these to monitor your child's progress. It is critical that your child be able to QUICKLY recall basic addition and subtraction facts. If they do not have automatic recall, please practice daily at home with flash cards, calling out problems in the car, computer games, or any other strategy that works for your child.
If your child is bringing home a lot of assignments, it is classwork that he/she is not completing. If this is the case, please encourage your child to "use his/her class time wisely".
Math
Reader's Workshop
We are working on several different comprehension strategies this year. Children should be making inferences in their reading, they should make predictions, check for understanding, visualize, and make connections. For oral fluency, we are learning not to read like robots- we use expression, read like we're talking, put words together in meaningful groups, and notice punctuation when we read.
Children need to be reading books that are a good fit to become lifelong readers. Books that are too hard can frustrate children, cause them to lose interest and understanding, and steer them away from a love of books. We've learned that to be a successful athlete we need the right shoes that fit us to play our best. To be successful readers, we need books that fit our interests and abilities, just like shoes.
Water Bottles:
We do not have a drinking fountain in our classroom. Please make sure your child has a water bottle for school and that it is short to fit under our small sinks to be refilled. Water bottles can be refilled first thing in the morning before the bell rings. We will not be leaving our room for excessive drink breaks or to fill bottles throughout the day.
Thank you!
Thank you to all parents that are working with their children everyday to help them become strong readers, writers, and mathematicians! Thank you to all the families that have generously donated pencils and supplies to get our year started.
Class Needs:
Please check our "Thankful" board outside our class door. We are often in need of items for our classroom. If you can supply one of the items on our list, just remove the turkey and send it back in with the purchased item. Some of our current turkeys are for skinny dry-erase markers and double-sided tape. Thank you!
I am always looking for books that are in good condition and third-grade level for our classroom library. If your child has some books that he/she is done with, please consider donating them to our classroom. If we can't use them in our room, I will pass them on to another class in our school.
Thank you!
