January Star Student

 The award for January Star Student of the month goes to our newest student, Lashanti!

 

Favorite food – pepperoni pizza

Favorite color – pink

Favorite artists – Katie Perry

Favorite T.V. show – Jessie

Favorite book – Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Favorite thing to do – math

Favorite subject – Math

What he wants to be when he grows up – a teacher

Favorite 3rd grade memory so far – making new friends

Scholastic Book Order

 

I sent home Scholastic Book Club order forms on Friday afternoon.  If you would like to purchase a book (or two) for your student, you may send a check back to school (payable to Scholastic ... please no cash!), or you may order online!  Please don't feel pressured to purchase, but there are books in all price ranges available.  No tax or shipping costs need to be added.

Click here - our classroom code is HKCZW.

I will close out our classroom order on the afternoon of Friday, February 1, 2013.  Please have your orders and money turned in by that time.  The books should be delivered to the classroom the next week.

Happy shopping!

Donors Choose

Hi Parents and Friends,
 

I wanted to let you know about something I've organized to get more materials for our classroom.  I've created a classroom project request on a 501(c)3 charity website called DonorsChoose.org.

 This particular project is to gain more information and nonfiction (animals, machines, space, etc.) books for our classroom.  Students love these books and we know that reading nonfiction helps students develop comprehension skills and in turn makes them into better readers!

 
I'm writing to ask for any donations possible for my students - no matter the size, it will help my kids. What's even greater, is that this week only, any donation you make to my project will be doubled! If you know anyone who is passionate about education, please pass this along. Your tax-deductible donation will have a direct impact on at least 18 students (and many more in the future), and you'll hear back from our class about your impact on our learning!

To learn more or donate:

1.     Visit my Teacher Page, www.donorschoose.org/rtaff
2.     Choose one of my projects, enter the amount of your donation, and click "Give"
3.     During check-out, enter the word INSPIRE where it says "Match or gift code", and your donation will be matched dollar for dollar.

The INSPIRE match code will double your donation for the next 7 days, until January 27, 2013.

Please feel free to send me any questions you may have, and know that my students and I greatly appreciate your support.  Thank you!

Week of January 14-18 Updates

This week we are beginning DIBELS testing.  Please make sure you are completing Reading Log each night (at least 20 minutes nightly).  Our winter benchmark is 92 words per minute.

Graded papers go home tomorrow, as usual, and report cards will be sent home on Thursday.

Science Chapter 11 (physical and chemical changes) test is on Thursday, and Reading/Spelling Lesson 16 (story-Lon Po Po) is on Friday.

Today in Saxon Math we learned how to tell time to the minute.  This is a skill that is mastered over time-no pun intended!  So, find an analog clock and practice telling time with your student!

Have a wonderful week!

2nd 9 Weeks Over

We are officially done with the second nine weeks.  Can you believe we are halfway through the school year?  : )

The winter benchmark test in DIBELS will begin next week.  Report cards will be sent home on Thursday, January 17.

Also, tomorrow, Friday, January 11, is a student holiday!

Thanks for all you do!

PCES Writing Fair

The following letter will be sent home tomorrow, Thursday, January 10, 2013.

We are geating up for our 2013 writing fair at PCES.  The district theme this year is "Abracadabra:  The Magic of the Pen".  Your child will be working on their fiction and nonfiction entries in class, however if your student wishes to enter a piece in the poetry division the writing will need to be completed at home.  All writings are due in class by Wednesday, January 23 - NO EXCEPTIONS!

Entries should follow the theme, but any form of poetry is acceptable (rhyming, acrostics, etc.).  Also, please remember that this is a student competition.  All work should be authentically written by your child.  Entries can be typed or handwritten.

We will have a classroom winner in each of the three categories.  Those entries will go on to be judged in our grade level competition, and a first, second, and third place winn will be chosen in each category.  If you have any other questions, please don't hesitate to contact me.  Thanks!

Learn as much by writing as by reading.

New Year's Resolution

We'd love for you to stop by and check out these New Year's Resolution writings by our students.

Students were given the following resolution writing prompt:

2013-
2 ways to be a better student
0 something to stop doing this year
1 classmate you'd like to get to know better
3 books you'd like to read

December Owl Star Student

Before our students got out for Christmas break they voted on the December Owl Star Student of the Month.  Congratulations, Tatyana!

Owl Star Student of the Month

Tatyana

Favorite food – cheese pizza

Favorite color – purple

Favorite artists – Katie Perry

Favorite T.V. show –

Good Luck Charlie

Favorite book – any adventure book

Favorite thing to do - read

Favorite subject – Math

What she wants to be when she grows up –

teacher

Favorite 3rd grade memory so far –

class Christmas party

Happy New Year

Happy New Year!

I hope each of you and your families have had a fantastic holiday, and that 2013 brings many blessings to you.

I am looking forward to seeing each of our students back at school on Thursday!