December 18 First Salmon Ceremony
December 21 - January 1 Winter Break
January 11 Library Visit - Chaperones Needed
Homework Due by Thursday, December 17th
1. Read for at least 20 minutes every night.
2. Complete Reading Response letter (Homework Rubric)
3. Complete at least 30 minutes of math practice.*
*Suggested IXL skills for 3rd grade math practice:
V.6 - V.7 Geometry
Need help with geometry vocab? Congruent or Similar video. Reflection, Rotation, Translation aide.
V.20 Angles
*Suggested 4th grade math practice:
Multiplying using an area model: Kahn Academy Lesson Link
Comparing with multiplication word problems: Kahn Academy Lesson Link
Multiplication facts up to 12: IXL D.2
Division Facts up to 12: IXL E.1
Upcoming Out and Abouts
We are using our Out & About time this month for Science Labs! Level 2 students will be exploring geology, earthquakes and engineering. This week, we'll get to hear from Level 4 experts about earthquakes! Plovers will also make model seismographs and use them to investigate different wave patterns.
First Salmon Ceremony
Early Northwest Coast people believed that the animals they hunted were really animal spirits that let themselves be caught to help people. If the spirits became angry, it was feared that they would not return as animals, and people would go hungry. An important tradition was the First Salmon ceremony. After the first salmon of the fishing season was caught, it was carefully cooked during a special ceremony. Each person in the village ate a small piece of it. Then, its bones were returned to the water. People thought that if the bones of a salmon were not put back in the water, its spirit would become angry and salmon might never swim up the river again.
This Friday, we will have a ceremony to celebrate the conclusion of our Early Northwest Coast project. This celebration will include storytelling, music, games and a feast! I've added a few special requests to our Friday Community Breakfast sign-up page for the traditional foods that students requested: jerky, berries, dried fruit, cider and "blubber" (aka jello). There are multiple sign ups to ensure that we have enough food and a variety of options! Students should bring their own reusable mugs for cider and tea.
Another part of the ceremony involves giving gifts. Students will have time in class this week to make a small trinket (like a friendship bracelet or painted rock) to give to another student. Some Plovers may want to work at home on their gift, but this is not required and you are not expected to buy any presents or materials!
Volunteer Opportunities
Breakfast Donations - Jerky, berries, cider, dried fruit and "blubber" (aka jello) needed for our First Salmon Ceremony this Friday.
Weekly Review
The Plovers participated in an event last week called The Hour of Code. This campaign was a part of Computer Science Education Week and its goal was to introduce students of all ages to the basics of computer programing. The Plovers tried out several self-paced tutorials which introduced computer science skills such as drag-and-drop programing, creative problem solving, sequencing and patterns, and basic algorithms. To learn more about The Hour of Code or try out some of the tutorials at home, please visit http://hourofcode.com/us
Communication
Please contact me with any questions or concerns. Parents and students can e-mail me at [email protected]. You can also leave a voice message on the class phone or come into the classroom before/after school.