Weekly Update for December 12-16

Dear Families,

Happy Holidays! This week is always one of the most challenging as our minds wander just a few days ahead on the calendar. As we will be having treats here and there throughout the week, it would be wise to pack extra healthy snacks! J

A Few Reminders/Important Dates:

Monday is a FULL day! Lunch and Dismissal are routine.

Early Dismissal: Tuesday through Thursday (12/13-16), at 12:15 and 12:30. There will be no lunch

Tuesday, 12/13 6:00pm: Mallet Masters/Treble Makers- CPA Theater

Wednesday, 12/14:      Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland Party!

                                      Rome Topic Choices due

Thursday, 12/15:         Nervous System Test

                                      2^nd/3^rd Grade Concert – Dayspring United Methodist

Friday, 12/16:              Kingdoms Meeting

This Week at a Glance

Language Arts: We will not be teaching new Riggs words this week due to the shortened week. We will continue to test on the words taught last week, but will not be assigning spelling practice. There WILL be reading logs assigned. We will be practicing Reader’s Theater scenes from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. For writing, I will be asking the students to reflect on aspects of this semester each day: what topics they enjoyed, what challenged them, what they find themselves curious about now, how they feel about their performance this semester, and goals they have for next semester.

The Main Event: Wednesday 9:30-11:30- Alice Party! A big thank-you to all the volunteers who are bringing supplies or giving their time to make this event possible! It is going to be an absolutely magical day, bringing literature to life! You are still welcome to come by and see the fun, even if you aren’t able to stay and help.

History & Geography: This week we will read Chapter 13 and 14 of the History Text. The directions and timeline for the Ancient Rome Project went home on Friday. Students must make their top 3 topic selections, get them signed by an adult, and return them by Wednesday, 12/14. I will assign topics on a first-come basis, with the goal of having as little overlap in topics as possible.

Science: We are wrapping up our study of the nervous system. We will have in-class review on Tuesday. On Thursday’s Unit Test, the students are expected to be able to recall the functions of the nervous system, distinguish between the central and peripheral nervous system, identify the parts of the nervous system, identify the parts of a neuron (nerve cell), and identify the parts of the brain and their functions. I will send home a list of important terms for this unit to help the students focus their studying at home.

Have a wonderful week. Thank you for all that you have done to make this semester such a success!

Again, Happy Holidays!

With Gratitude,

Miss Smith and Mr. Sultana

Riggs Words for Nov 28 - Dec 2

Weekly Update for November 28 - December 2

Sunday, November 27^th, 2011

Dear Families,

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving break! As your students will probably tell you, we are right back in full swing!  

A Few Reminders/Important Dates:

We are still collecting empty ink cartridges for the cartridge contest. The last day for collection is Nov. 30^th!

We are also still looking for Green Team members. These members would stay after school on Tuesdays to help collect the recycle bins around the school. If your student is interested in participating, please e-mail abecerra@archwaychandler.org for more information.

We have begun preparations for our Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland Party! It will take place on December 14^th. If you are interested in volunteering to come in please sign up at http://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0B4AADAA2E5-alice. We will also be accepting donations of supplies. If you’d like to take a look and see if you have any of these supplies lying around  please visit http://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0B4AADAA2E5-donations. 

Nov. 30^th – Soccer Registration Deadline

Dec. 3^rd – Parents’ Afternoon Out- CPA’s senior class will be joined by Archway Staff Members in providing an afternoon of games, snacks, crafts, and wildlife to give parents a free afternoon! This is to raise funds for the senior class trip to Washington, D.C. Contact Ms. Bettis at dbettis@archwaychandler.org for additional information.

This Week at a Glance

Language Arts: Our Riggs words this week (while still being pulled from content in Alice, Ancient Rome, and Science) are focusing on the rules for forming the plurals of nouns. This exercise can easily be extended to other words at home. We will be reading and discussing Chapter 10 and 11 of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. We will be having another Touchpebbles discussion on Friday, so please ask your children about their discussions and, as Mrs. Fawcett mentioned, let me know if you want to join us!

History & Geography: This week we will read Chapters 6 – 9 in the History Textbook. Because we are moving so fast, I am assigning this to be their reading log choice each night. Please feel free to discuss the information with your students and encourage them to share any connections or revelations they might make in your discussions. 

Science: We are now beginning our final (and my favorite) body system – the nervous system! We begin with an overview of the functions and structure of the nervous system. Then we will take a closer look at the brain for the remainder of the week.

Virtue: This week we are focusing on the virtue of courage. If you or your students encounter any stories of great courage, please bring them in to share with the class! 

Warmly,

Miss Smith and Mr. Sultana

Weekly Update for November 21 - November 23

Sunday, November 20^th, 2011

Dear Families,

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope this update finds you with rising excitement for a long weekend of family and gratitude! 

A Few Reminders/Important Dates:

Family Fun Night: Monday, November 21^st. 3^rd Grade teachers will be gathered in the Multi-purpose room for a very exciting game of croquet, played Wonderland style of course! 

Muscular System Unit Test: Tuesday, November 22^nd.

Early Dismissal: Wednesday, November 23^rd, at 12:15 and 12:40.

NO SCHOOL: Thursday and Friday November 24^th and 25^th.

This Week at a Glance

Language Arts: We will not be teaching new Riggs words this week due to the shortened week. We will continue to test on the words taught last week, but will not be assigning spelling practice. There WILL be two “words of the week” and reading logs assigned. Your students have written their own (slightly improved) versions of the Princess and the Pea. We will be “publishing” final copies complete with illustrations which they can bring home and share with family on Thanksgiving! We will be reading and discussing Chapter 9 of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Time permitting, we will be having another Touchpebbles discussion on Wednesday. Last week, the students blew me away as we discussed why dogs are man’s best friend, related the life of a dog to the life of a slave in Rome, and explored the meaning of freedom. We even questioned if there was such a thing as being completely free (the students noted that even the wild wolf was mastered by his hunger.) We usually have our discussions on Fridays, so please ask your children about their Touchpebbles Discussions and, as Mrs. Fawcett mentioned, let me know if you want to join us!

History & Geography: This week we will read Chapter 5 and discuss the life of Julius Caesar and the transformation of Rome from Republic to Empire! 

Science: We are wrapping up our study of the muscular system. We will have an in-class review on Monday. On Tuesday’s Unit Test, the students are expected to be able to recall the functions of the muscular system, label muscles with their scientific names, recognize and describe the types of muscles (skeletal, cardiac, and smooth), and understand and describe how muscles produce movement. I highly recommend a game or two of Muscular Simon Says at home this week (where Simon indicates the scientific names of muscles to locate, i.e. “Simon says flex your tricep.”)

Virtue: While it is not indicated as one of the Core Virtues for Archway, we will be talking this week about gratitude. 

Again, Happy Thanksgiving!

With Gratitude,

Miss Smith and Mr. Sultana

Weekly Update for November 7th, 2011 - November 10th, 2011

Sunday, November 7^th 2011

Dear Families,

It’s finally starting to feel like fall! The change in weather is likely to be a little tough on our immune systems! Let’s make sure to bring healthy snacks in every day, rather than candy or other sugary “crashers”.  The students are also encouraged to dress appropriately. (Keep in mind that students may only wear the Archway Sweaters inside, but any outerwear is acceptable for outside use.) Finally, I came across some notes from my Sleep Psychology class this weekend and thought I would share them. I’m making it my goal to improve my sleep habits this week, to try and give my immune system a fighting chance! You can find them at the end of this update!

A Few Reminders/Important Dates:

Spanish Test: Monday, November 7th. 

PE Test: Thursday, November 10th.

Skeletal System Unit Test: Thursday, November 10th.

NO SCHOOL Veteran’s Day: Friday, November 11^th.

This Week at a Glance

Language Arts: Your students are encouraged to bring home their spelling notebooks each night to better prepare them for Spelling Practice. We have found it is often difficult to fit the words and markings in so little space in the agenda. In Writing, we are working in our Aesop’s Classical Writing Workbooks on Lesson 5 with The Princess and the Pea. We will be discussing elements of stories- characters, setting and plot. We will read and discuss chapters 5 and 6 of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. I still strongly encourage discussion of this novel at home! There is a lot of fun to be had with word play and witty references which might be exciting to explore together! 

History & Geography: We are beginning the very exciting unit on Ancient Rome! We will begin on Monday by looking at the geography of the Mediterranean Region. Tuesday we will read Lesson 1 and discuss the importance and evolution of myths and legends. The students will create books on the legend of the founding of Rome with the story of Romulus and Remus on Wednesday. We will read Lesson 2 on Thursday.

Science: We are wrapping up our study of the skeletal system. Students will be learning about the composition of bones, as well as constructing models of joints. We will have an in-class review on Wednesday. On Thursday’s Unit Test, the students are expected to be able to recall the functions of the skeletal system, label bones with their scientific names, recognize and describe the types of joints, and understand and describe the composition of bones. I highly recommend a game or two of Skeletal Simon Says at home this week (where Simon indicates the scientific names of bones to locate, i.e. “Simon says touch your clavicle.”)

Virtue: Our school will focus once again on the virtue of perseverance. The students have been challenged by Mrs. Fawcett to memorize the entire Code of Conduct by Winter Break. I will pass along the names of any student who can do so to her, and she will have a special reward for their hard work!

As promised, here is a summary of what I learned about building better sleep habits.

Good Sleep Habits

Observe a consistent, regular bed time. The human body automatically follows internal circadian rhythms. Our “inner clock” is mostly programmed by our exposure to sunlight, but it is also affected by our activities and levels of arousal. A consistent bed time helps maintain our “programming” even into our sleep cycles, ensuring that we get enough of both kinds of sleep.  

Follow a regular routine prior to bed-time. We are absolutely creatures of habit. We unconsciously respond to cues in our environment that prompt physiological reactions. Thus, if it is consistently paired with falling asleep, the very routine of getting ready for bed can cue your body to begin slowing down and preparing for sleep.

Limit non-sleep cues in the bedroom. It is best to set up your sleep environment so that it is conducive to sleep. For kids, this could mean putting away all toys and distractions prior to the bedtime routine. For adults who struggle with falling asleep, the first suggestion is to remove TVs, computers, and books from the room! 

Avoid bright lights immediately before bed. (This one is tough!) As I mentioned, our internal clocks are light-sensitive! Prolonged exposure to the bright lights of a television or computer can actually confuse your circadian rhythm and disrupt your sleep cycles. If you do (like me) have to do a little computer work before bed, try to dim down your screen as much as possible (without straining your eyes).

I hope you found some useful information somewhere in this update!  As always, please don’t hesitate to let me know if you have any comments, questions, or concerns.

Warmly,

Miss Smith

Weekly Update for October 31 - November 4, 2011

Dear Families,

Thank you for such a wonderful birthday!  Your thoughts, gifts, and well-wishes were so warm and made my day a truly special one!

A Few Reminders/Important Dates:

Picture Retakes! Tuesday, November 1^st. 

Picnic Lunch Orders Due: Tuesday, November 1^st.

Rivers Unit Test, Thursday, November 3^rd.

Archway/CPA Family Picnic: Saturday November 5^th.

This Week at a Glance

Language Arts: Your students are encouraged to bring home their spelling notebooks each night to better prepare them for Spelling Practice. We have found it is often difficult to fit the words and markings in so little space in the agenda. In Writing, we are continuing to diagram simple sentences with articles. We are also working on writing good expository paragraphs and will now be introducing transitions as well. We will read and discuss chapters 3 and 4 of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. I still strongly encourage discussion of this novel at home! There is a lot of fun to be had with word play and witty references which might be exciting to explore together! 

History & Geography: We will continue our study of World Rivers. We will be working on Ch. 7 Monday, Reviewing on Tuesday and Wednesday, and will have the Unit Test on Thursday, November 3^rd. Make sure that you keep those chapter review worksheets and talk to your child about the importance of each major river we study.

Science: We are continuing our study of the skeletal system. Students will be learning about the function and overall structure of the skeletal system, as well as learning the scientific names of the bones. We will be constructing and labeling models in class. So, you might want to bone up on some of those names with your student by making flash cards or other study tools at home!  This week we will also be discussing joints! Students will be able to identify and name examples of each type of joint in the human body!

Virtue: Our school will focus once again on the virtue of responsibility.

Thank you, again, for your continued support! Have a wonderful week!

Miss Smith

Riggs Words for 10/24 through 10/27

Weekly Update for October 24-28, 2011

Dear Families,

I want to extend my heart-felt thanks to those of you who came to conferences. I really enjoyed spending a little time with you and hearing more about your students, as well as sharing our classroom experiences with you. I imagine the half-days had their trials for you as well, so I hope you are as glad as I am to jump back into the regular swing of things.

I am thrilled to welcome Mr. Sultana to our Metropolis! Many of your students are excited as they may have worked with him in second grade last year. We will work this week on making any necessary changes to contact information, etc. on the website, which will continue to reference Miss Williams as she so graciously set it up. Please let me know if you start experiencing any problems with our communications, as I am not technologically savvy! :) 

I will be traveling to a dear friend’s wedding on Friday, and leaving our class in the capable hands of Mr. Sultana. If you would like to come in an provide a little additional volunteer support as this will still be a fairly new class for him, please send me an e-mail to let me know (lsmith@archwaychandler.org)! The students will be in Kingdoms from 8:15-9:30, Math from 9:30-10:40, and back in our room from 10:40 through dismissals at 12:25 and 12:40. An extra set of hands and eyes is always appreciated!

A Few Reminders/Important Dates:

We begin Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland tomorrow, Monday 10/24! Please send students with their books!

Family Dinner Night is Tuesday, October 25^th  

at Rock Taco Cantina at Chandler Fashion Mall. 

See the weekly update for details!

 The Box Top Contest (With its pizza party prize) 

ends Wednesday, October 26^th.

Student Poetry Recitations for the class will be held on Wednesday 10/26 and Thursday 10/27! Depending on time, I may offer it to any students who are ready earlier, so feel free to send any props or visual elements in when you are ready.

Friday 10/28 is a half-day! Again! Students will be meeting in Kingdoms.

This Week at a Glance

Language Arts: We are starting up our Riggs words again. I will remind students that they can bring their spelling notebooks home if they have trouble copying the words into their planners clearly. The Words of the Week assignments (which are copied on the reverse of the reading logs) have changed slightly. They will only be doing 3 per week now. I will choose which days based on the homework load. In Writing, we are learning to diagram simple sentences with articles. We are also working on writing paragraphs with quality topic sentences and at least 3 supporting sentences. I am thrilled to say that we are beginning Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. I strongly encourage discussion of this novel at home! There is a lot of fun to be had with word play and witty references which might be exciting to explore together!

History & Geography: We will continue our study of World Rivers. We will be working on Ch. 4 Monday and Tuesday, Ch. 5 Wednesday and Thursday, and Ch. 6 on Friday. The Unit Test will be Thursday, November 3^rd. Make sure that you keep those chapter review worksheets and talk to your child about the importance of each major river we study.

Science: We now begin our study of the Human Body. We will be starting with the skeletal system. Students will be learning about the function and overall structure of the skeletal system, as well as learning the scientific names of the bones. We will be constructing and labeling models in class. So, you might want to bone up on some of those names with your student by making flash cards or other study tools at home! J

Virtue: Our school will focus once again on the virtue of Wisdom.

Thank you, again, for your continued support! Have a wonderful week!

Miss Smith

Weekly Update: October 3-7, 2011

Hello, wonderful families!
Conferences are coming! Conferences are coming! Sign up for your spot today! Our link is up and running at www.SignUpGenius.com/go/fall2759. I tried to provide a wide variety of conference times. If you are able to meet in the afternoon, please do, as morning and evening conference times are limited.

Please consider signing up for Tuesday reading groups when we return from fall break! We will be reading Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. It can lead to some really phenomenal discussions. If you have questions about reading groups, please don't hesitate to send me an e-mail!

Please continue to be mindful of student uniforms including: belts for boys, matching hair accessories for girls, and appropriate shoes for all! :)

This week at a glance:
Language Arts- we will not be learning new Riggs Words this week, but will instead be working on our Riggs Notebook. This will lead to additional discussion and practice with spelling rules and markings. We will still have spelling tests on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday to test last weeks' words. We will also continue our focused review of grammar, with a quiz on parts of speech on Friday. In reading, we are finishing up Shiloh on Monday and Tuesday. Then we will be writing interviews with the main characters during the week!

History & Geography- we have a special guest speaker from Australia coming to talk to our class on Monday morning. Then we will begin our unit on World  Rivers. We will be reading the first 2 chapters of the History and Geography text this week and discussing how rivers play an important role in the development of major cities and in daily human life.

Science- We will continue our study of ecology, wrapping up with a test on Thursday. The students are responsible for understanding the following terms and concepts: ecology, environment, the four features of habitat, herbivores, omnivores, carnivores, predator/prey relationships, food chains and food webs. We are taking detailed notes together in class, which combined with worksheets and handouts will be sufficient review material for the test. Our final event will be a dissection of Owl Pellets on Friday! You don't want to miss this exciting exploration into ecology! :)

Weekly Update: September 26-30, 2011

Hello Families!

We have another busy week here in Metropolis 112! (Is there really any other kind?) I was really inspired this week by one family's approach to helping their struggling student succeed. As a result, I wrote you all a letter which I sent to Mrs. Fawcett for approval. She asked to include it in her newsletter, so I didn't want to fill up your inbox with it twice :). Please just make sure that you take a look at the Headmaster Update. The bottom line was that I believe in your students, and I am committing to expecting their very best!

As a class, we are struggling with transitioning quietly. You may have noticed the extra homework assignment that came home as a result. I would appreciate your help in encouraging your students to take personal responsibility for their behavior during transitions. They can show you the hand-signal reminder, the silent fox. :)

Important Dates
9/29 Canada Unit Test
9/29 Family Dinner- California Pizza Kitchen
9/30 1/2 day
9/30 Totem Pole Projects due

Reminders
Friday is a half day! The dismissal times are 12:25 and 12:40. This is different from last Friday! We are hoping this will work better for afternoon pick-up! Remember, we have NO LUNCH on half-days, so pack a hearty snack.

Thank you for bringing in classroom supplies! If you have any questions about when you are due to purchase such items as paper towels, tissues, hand sanitizer, or clorox wipes, please direct them to our Classroom Liasons, Mrs. Vilaboy or Mrs. Stevenson.

This Week at a GlanceLanguage Arts:
Riggs- this weeks words can be found at www.archwaychandler.org/third. This reference is for you! Your children have been taught these words and they should do their best to explain the markings to you!
Writing- We are going to focus on being good editors. The students should be able to edit for capitalization, end punctuation, and complete sentences. We will be editing our previous writing samples, and writing final drafts.
Grammar- We are doing a focused review of parts of speech.
Reading- We are reading chapters 11&12 Monday and Tuesday and chapters 13&14 Wednesday and Thursday. The students will be asked to do their Reading Logs and summaries on each Shiloh Chapter this week. Please ensure that they are reading ALOUD for 20 minutes!

History & Geography:
We are reading and discussing Ch. 3 on Monday and Tuesday. We will review and take home a study guide on Wednesday. The Canada Unit Test is on Thursday. Students will be expected to label the 13 provinces and territories, major bodies of water, and the United States. They will also be asked questions about Canada's history and culture, and what life is like in Canada today. The totem pole projects will be due on Friday. Their totem poles will be displayed for everyone to see. The most impressive projects may even get to present to the class if time permits!

Science:
We are now beginning our unit on Ecology, or the study of the relationship between living things and their environment. We will look at the features of environment and habitat, distinguish between herbivores, carnivores and omnivores, explore the predator/prey relationship, and see the delicate balance of producers, consumers, and decomposers in forming food chains/food webs. On Friday, we will assign a Habitat diorama project!

Virtue:
This week we are learning about Citizenship. The pledge to Citizenship is quite lengthy, so students aspiring to memorize it may want to practice early. If you have a great discussion in your family about citizenship this week, I would love to hear about it!

Thank you for all your support and encouragement. It is such a pleasure to share in your child's life!

Miss Smith and Miss Williams

Weekly Update: September 19-23, 2011

 Hello families!

I apologize for the miscommunication! I mistakenly thought I had sent out the invitation to our class website several weeks ago, and recently discovered there was a delivery error with that message! I hope that you find this website helpful and informative, if a bit belated. :)

Important Dates:
Tuesday 9/20 6:00 pm Understanding Riggs Workshop
Friday 9/23 1:00 pm Science Unit Test on Animal Classification
Friday 9/23 6:30 pm Family Fun Night
Friday 9/29 10:50 am History & Geography Unit Test on Canada

Reminders:
Class begins promptly at 8:05. Thus, students should arrive by 8:00, to ensure that they have time to unpack and get settled prior to start of instruction. We also really enjoy having a few minutes to visit and check in with each child. Often, those 20 minutes before class offer valuable opportunities for one-on-one interactions that are difficult to achieve throughout the busy day.

Archway is being even more mindful of the uniform policies this year. Please ensure that your student is wearing shoes that are appropriate for PE every day. The issues that present themselves for PE are just as problematic at Recess. Boys need a working belt every day, and they need to know how to properly tuck in their shirts. Take a moment to ensure that no additional teaching is necessary. :) Girls may not wear any jewelry except earrings unless it is religious. In addition, please make sure that hair accessories also match their uniforms, i.e. no hot pink flowers.

Requests:
We really appreciate the help we have been receiving in Thursday reading groups! We would love additional support on Tuesdays as well! If you can schedule yourself for a few Tuesday afternoons via the Reading Group Sign-Up Genius, it would be a great help.

Our wonderful homeroom parents, Mrs. Vilaboy and Mrs. Stevenson are developing a schedule for classroom supplies. Please be looking for information about when your turn to furnish tissues, paper towels, hand sanitizer, or clorox wipes might be coming up!

This week at a glance:
Language Arts:
Reading- We continue to explore Shiloh together. I have been very impressed by the students' participation in some exceedingly thoughtful discussions. Through this text the students are discussing questions like "How does lying separate you from others, particularly the people you love?" and "Why do we name things? How do names create relationship?" Talks like these let me see that there is still quite a lot for me to learn in the third grade! As always, reading logs should be completed every night. The student should be reading ALOUD for twenty minutes and then writing a summary of what has been read- whether that is an entire book, a chapter, or just a handful of pages. Most students find it beneficial to discuss what they've read prior to writing the summary.
Writing- We will focus on writing letters this week. We will learn about the proper formatting and parts of a friendly letter. We will also be writing letters back to Nathaniel, the character from the first chapter of our History & Geography book.
Riggs- We will now be on the regular Riggs spelling schedule, which involves learning and testing 20 words per week. The students learn 5 words a day, Monday through Thursday. They are tested on 20 words each day, Tuesday - Friday, but only the oldest 5 words are counted for points. The rest are corrected together so that the students have a chance to learn from any mistakes and clarify any misunderstandings. In addition, we have introduced "Words for the Week." This will now be on the reverse of the Reading Log. The students are assigned one word in class to research each night, Monday-Thursday. This is designed to help them build their dictionary skills, comprehension skills, and writing skills.

History & Geography: We have concluded our Map & Map Skills unit and have now moved into our study of Canada. The students will be responsible for mastering the provinces and territories of Canada as well as the information contained in their textbooks (which they will be receiving this week). The Canada Unit Test will be on Thursday, 9/29. On Friday 9/23, we will assign a take-home project for the following week, building a Totem Pole. Specific guidelines will be sent home so that the students can discuss this project with you.

Science: This week, we are wrapping up our unit on the Classification of Animals. We will discuss and compare Reptiles and Amphibians, and then review all the classes of animals. The students will be responsible for making distinctions between the classes. A final study guide will go home on Wednesday. The test is on Friday, 9/23.

Virtue: This week the students are discussing and memorizing the virtue, Courage. If this is something you discuss as a family, please encourage your student to share their thoughts with me as well. Those one-on-one discussions can be an excellent opportunity for me to see their sense of wonder and depth of inquiry! :)

The very welcome change in seasons is fast approaching, and with it, the unwelcome viruses and bugs! I am already feeling the strain on my immune system, and I would guess the students are as well. Let's all try to get plenty of rest, exercise and nutrition to keep ourselves healthy!

Warmest Regards,
Miss Smith and Miss Williams

Weekly Update: September 12-16, 2011

Dear families,

These days are just flying by! I am proud of all the hard work students have been putting in.

A few reminders:
-Sign those planners every night! I want to know that parents are seeing the students' homework each night.
-Complete those reading logs! It's 20 min a night M-Th and 40 min to be doled out over the weekend. If you lose the form, use a scratch paper until you can transfer to a reading log.
-Most students have math every night. If they say they have no homework, work on math facts for 10 minutes. Math should be a daily part of the homework routine! :)

Classroom Needs:-Tissues
-Hand Sanitizer
- Empty paper towel rolls! We are collecting paper towel tubes for a project in a few weeks. We'd appreciate your donations!

Week at a Glance:
Language Arts- Riggs: We have started spelling words! The words and their markings are recorded daily in the agendas. If a student ignores directions and doesn't copy down the words, the natural consequence is that they will still have spelling practice to finish at school the next day, or they will end up with a try again on their homework. I remind the kids several times throughout the day to get those words in and stress the need for perfection. They can do it! We will also begin doing a weekly word study sheet. 4 words a week will be examined. The students are expected to build dictionary skills by finding the word in a physical dictionary themselves. This is a standardized test skill, so please do not allow them to use online dictionaries. Let me know if you have any questions about the homework or the expectations with Riggs.
Writing- We will begin focusing on parts of speech this week. The students will be drawing distinctions between nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs. We have also begun the second story in Aesop's Classical Writing. That workbook should be coming home a few nights this week as well.
Reading- We will continue to work through Shiloh. We may pick up the speed now that the students are getting adjusted to discussion groups. (I really appreciate all the parent help we've had!)

Science- This week we will cover reptiles and amphibians. Next week we will cover birds. There will be a test covering the common characteristics of each vertebrate class on Friday of NEXT week (9/23). The students have an 8.5 x 11 table of notes on the characteristics of each of the classes. They can begin reviewing those facts now to help them prepare for next week's test. Ask your students for interesting facts about each of the classes to help them share their excitement at home. After we finish the classification of animals, we will begin our unit on ecology.

History & Geography- We are taking a few days to discuss geographical terms and features, such as island, peninsula, isthmus, etc. We are making review sheets in class that can be used to prepare them for the quiz. The students should be able to draw each feature, and to describe it in words. We'll have a short quiz on these terms on Thursday, 9/15. Our next stop is Canada! We will begin with the geographical features of Canada, looking at a physical map on Thursday, and then begin learning the names of the provinces and territories on Friday. Students will be expected to memorize and label the provinces and territories on a map of Canada for the final Canada assessment.

Developing Core Virtues: This week, the students have been challenged to memorize "honesty". If you are looking for them, the core virtues can be found in the first few pages of the agenda.

As always, please let us know if you have any questions, comments, or concerns!

Another heartfelt thank-you goes out to our many volunteers. We are loving all our classroom support!

Warmly,
Miss Smith and Miss Williams

Weekly Update: August 29-September 2, 2011

Citizens of Miss Smith's Metropolis! :)

It is going to be a very busy week for us! We had picture day today, and I'm sure we'll get word of picture retakes soon for those who were unable to make it! We also have a half-day on Friday. Remember, we have NO LUNCH OR SPECIALS on half-days, so pack a great snack! Dismissal is at 12:35 and 12:45.

Classroom Needs: We are in need of

-hand sanitizer

-tissues

-sanitizing surface wipes

This week at a glance:

Language Arts- In Riggs we will be finishing our introduction to the phonograms, markings, and initial spelling rules. We will begin having spelling words next week! Again, make sure your student can tell you all the sounds of each phonogram! (You can use your cheat-sheets to check!) In Writing, we are beginning our Aesop's Classical Writing Workbooks. The students will also be writing their own "Big Race" fable after having read and analyzed "The Tortoise and the Hare". In Reading, we are beginning Shiloh. The students will be asked to re-read chapters aloud and write reading log summaries or complete journal entries on discussion questions for homework. If you have a copy of Shiloh at home, please send it in! (Extras are appreciated, too, as we have many families whose copies are still on back-order).

Science- We are focusing on the Classification of Mammals. Students have been placed in groups and given a study guide and research materials to create a poster of specific mammal orders which they will then present to the class. The students are being evaluated on the content and creativity of their poster, the quality of the presentation, and their level of participation in the group. The rest of the class will complete the study guide through the presentations. This will be reviewed on Thursday. If time permits, we will have the Mammals quiz on Friday. If I do not feel the class has had satisfactory time to prepare, I will postpone the quiz until Wednesday of next week. Then it is on to Birds and Fish!

History & Geography- We are continuing to build our map skills this week! We are introducing the idea of scale, using symbols on maps, and creating our own maps this week. We wrap up our Map Skills unit by creating books that show our location at increasingly specific levels. Next we will focus on geographical terms and features before moving into our study of World Rivers!

Developing Great Hearts- The students are working on developing their understanding of the core virtue Perseverance. I have encouraged them to take on the challenge of memorizing this code as it is stated at the front of the agenda. There is a prize motivator attached to this mission, but I am also just thrilled to have the students who memorize the code come in front of the class and give a genuine demonstration of perseverance at work. We will also be having our first "Kingdom" Event. The focus of the event is Friendship, so it would also be worthwhile to take a look at that virtue in the agenda.

Please remember to check and sign your student's agenda and reading logs each night! Feel free to use the agenda or e-mail as a means of communication with Miss Williams or Miss Smith. Have a wonderful week!

Warmly,

Miss Smith and Miss Williams

Welcome

Welcome to Miss Smith's class! We are excited to have your student in our class! We are working on getting the blog running and are slowly piecing it together.