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