January 18 No School
January 20 Wizard of Oz (Theatre In The Grove)
January 26 Book Orders Due
Homework Due by Thursday, January 14th
1. Read for at least 20 minutes every night.
2. Complete Reading Response letter
3. Complete at least 30 minutes of math practice.*
4. Bring in $5 for Wizard of Oz tickets
*Suggested IXL skills for 3rd grade math practice:
V.9 - V.11 Perimeter and Area
U.3 - U.4 Measuring length
*Suggested 4th grade math practice:
Fractions worksheet: Fractions Week 1 Homework
OR play the Math Facts card game sent home 12/18/15
OR multiplication and division practice on IXL (D.2, E.1)
Upcoming Out and Abouts
During our in class engineering lab last week, students designed water towers that could withstand an earthquake - using only spaghetti, marshmallows and tape! The winning designs incorporated strong shapes like symmetrical triangles and crosses. This week, we are going to use our knowledge for a new challenge - to build an earthquake-proof dam across a model of Hagg Lake. To help us simulate an earthquake, we have a fantastic shaking table designed by the Roberts family! At home this week, take a moment to observe some of the structures in your home and notice what makes them sturdy with your Puffin or Plover, or even try making your own spaghetti tower with your family.
On Wednesday, January 20th, we will see Theatre In The Grove's production of Wizard of Oz. To help cover the cost of the tickets, we are asking families to contribute $5. All Plovers will be able to attend, even if your family cannot contribute at this time. Please have your student turn in money directly to Laura.
Volunteer Opportunities
Breakfast Donations - Fruit and cereal/bagels needed for this week and next week.
Library Chaperones - 2 chaperones needed for our next library trip (2/1).
Literature Circles and Book Clubs
Some students began meeting with new book clubs last week. Each book club agreed on a book to read and decided together how many pages to read. All Plovers will have time in class to read and write about their book, but some students may choose to read at home and complete their book club assignment as extra homework. I do not want this to be an extra burden for families, so if your Plover seems worried about completing their assigned reading or writing, please let me know so I can help their book club figure out a more reasonable pace. Not all students have joined a book club yet, but my hope is for everyone to try it out during the months of January and February!
Weekly Review
Last week I introduced some new options for Academic Choice that will require a longer commitment from students (2-6 weeks, depending on the project) and provide them with opportunities to learn something new! Academic Choice is a weekly opportunity for students to work on their personal goals or pursue other interests in the classroom. Plovers must complete their homework by Thursday morning to be able to participate in Academic Choice. So far this year, students have enjoyed projects like building bridges, practicing coding and programming, creating plays and dance routines, designing scribbling machines, building circuits, making a beanie baby gondola, and building with cardboard! Some of the new projects involve constructing a marble machine, designing a classroom post office, making stop motion animations, and sewing new pillows, toys and decorations for the classroom!
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.