May 6 Fund Run at Tom McCall Track
May 9 Last Day for Tree House
May 11 All Day O&A to Portland
May 16 Library Visit
May 18 All Day O&A to Gales Creek Campground
May 19 Morning O&A to Oregon Ballet
Homework Due by Thursday, May 5th
1. Read for at least 20 minutes every night.
2. Complete Reading Response letter
3. Complete at least 30 minutes of math practice.*
*Suggested IXL skills for 3rd grade math practice:
W.9, W.11, W.12, W.13 Fractions on a Number Line
For parents: How to show a fraction on the number line and examples from class
*Suggested 4th grade math practice:
Math Homework Worksheet Packet: Perimeter & Area
Area & Perimeter Skills Practice on Khan Academy
IXL Geometry P.1-P.25
Upcoming Out and Abouts
This week, we will see a presentation from Metro about reducing use of natural resources. Even though this doesn't fit with our current project focus, it will be a great example of how to use storytelling (in this case, through skits and songs) to teach. In writing, Plovers are writing stories to teach important events in Oregon's history.
On May 11th, we will go to Portland to see Oregon Children's Theater perform James and the Giant Peach. On May 18th, we will spend the day at Gales Creek Campground, practicing outdoor skills. On May 19th, we will visit Oregon Ballet Theatre's studio and start creating our performance for the talent show! Chaperones are needed for all trips; please sign up on VolunteerSpot!
State (SBAC) Testing
Last week, Plovers worked on their first Smarter Balanced ELA (reading/writing) assessment.
Testing is administered in the computer lab in short sessions, and students have the opportunity to work on the same test over multiple sessions so they can work at their own pace. Many Plovers finished in 4-5 sessions, but some are still working. Later this week, we will start the Performance Task, which will ask students to read 2-3 short articles and respond to a prompt using evidence from the texts. This task is expected to take 1-2 weeks. Please help support your Plover by: encouraging them to do their best, making sure they eat breakfast and bring a snack, and helping them get plenty of sleep.
Volunteer Opportunities
Breakfast Donations - Fruit and cereal/bagels needed for this week.
Library Chaperones - 2 chaperones needed for our next library trip (5/16).
Out & About Chaperone - Join us for outdoor fun on 5/18 or dancing on 5/19!
Become a Summer Garden Steward! - Please consider helping care for the garden this summer!
I would like to have some extra snacks available on SBAC testing days, so if you are able to donate a healthy snack (fruit, cheese sticks, granola bars, or something else easy to distribute and eat) for the class, sign up on the breakfast donation page for any of the following testing days: Tuesday 5/3, Wednesday 5/4 or Thursday, 5/5.
Weekly Review
All Plovers began reading a new adventure/survival novel last week and most students chose to participate in another book club. The books students are currently reading are: James and the Giant Peach, Island of the Blue Dolphins, Sign of the Beaver, Race the Wild, and Escaping the Giant Wave. Students 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 a 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.
During our recent Out & Abouts, Erin has been helping the Plovers write weather reports and collect data about temperature, wind and humidity. We've also had lots of opportunities to talk about one of my favorite things: CLOUDS! We have read and watched videos about how clouds are formed. For students (or parents!) who are interested in cloud watching and learning more about cloud classification, I highly recommend The Cloud Collector's Handbook and the Cloud Spotter app! The Plovers were already interested in doing a class performance at the talent show, and now they've decided the theme will be a thunderstorm (earthquakes were a close runner up)! The class worked together to write a letter to Robyn, a teacher from Oregon Ballet Theatre who visited earlier in the year, to ask for some advice. She invited us to come to their studios and get some ideas for cloud-inspired dance moves!
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.