Word Study: There are no new spelling words this week. I will be assessing students on high frequency words as Friday is the end of the grading period. Can you believe we will be half way through the year?
Reading: We have continually practiced the most effective strategies for reading fluency (voracious reading, choosing "just right texts," high frequency vocabulary, and rereading). I frequently model these strategies with reading groups, during short passage skills practice and during our read alouds. We are now emphasizing strategies that deepen our understanding of what we read (main idea, summary, connections, asking questions, and making predictions). I spent much of this week collecting data on students as we near the end the quarter so I can best respond to individual student's reading needs. I will include the results of these assessments in your student's progress report. I have shared a great deal of background information to support student understanding of our read aloud's setting (where and when). Our head custodian is a history buff who specializes in Ohio's Civil War history. He read selected appropriate passages from soldiers' journals to support students' journal entries.
Writing: We are continuing to write responses to our read aloud as journal entries. Convention has slipped a bit, but we will start to emphasize it again next week and continue to assess it on spelling assessments as well as identifying students' strengths and focus areas utilizing the Developmental Writing Assessment (DWA) and modified DWA's that focus on specific elements of writing: content, convention, and process areas. Students are sharing their writing verbally to help them catch errors in their writing and to give them more opportunities to share, honoring their effort and investment in their writing. The stakes are higher if you know you WILL definitely share.
Math: I introduced decimal place and value to the tenths and hundredths. I hope to finish this next week and assess it. We continue to practice our multiplication facts and review previous content. Students who did not master addition and subtraction facts should practice at home. Please let me know if you need strategy pages (addition practice pages on the reverse of math homework).
Can you identify these African Americans and their contributions?
Social Studies: In anticipation of Black History month we started our African American research project. We began with a list of "famous African Americans" and compared that to a student generated list of famous "European Americans." Lists excluded artists and athletes (except for Jackie Robinson because he had to overcome race barriers). Students came up with six African Americans, pictured above, and I stopped our list of European Americans who have contributed significantly to our country at twenty-six because we ran out of space. Placing these lists side by side, strongly communicates to students the need to study African Americans' contributions to society. This is our first research project and we will use this basic research process of collecting information, organizing and sharing in future research projects. We will be partnering with the other third grade classes to check facts and develop our written sharing of what we learn. This project will also incorporate other social studies themes of people in societies, time lines, and history.
Important Dates and Reminders
Windermere's Kindergarten is collecting canned goods for a service learning project. Please see your student's bag and attached information letter. The food drive is from January 9th through February 10th.
Mrs. Delcamp and I have reviewed our schedules and student progress. We've determined we will go to a once per week ukulele practice schedule and will only be having ukulele on B days. We may add practices in the spring as we get closer to our performance date. This change should solve many scheduling conflicts with district and committee meetings, heavy class load days on D days, and will ensure we can both be present for all practices as we both bring unique perspectives to music and work better as a team. Too, this will give our young strummers more time to practice between rehearsals. I will be sending home all of the songs we will learn this year for your student to practice as they are introduced in class. Students should only bring their ukuleles on B days.
Nice job Mackenzie.
January 9 - February 10 - Kindergarten Food Drive (see letter sent home with bag)
January 10 - Author Julia Cook visits Windermere
January 11 - Yearbook Group Photos (This includes sports equipment collectors and Ukulele Orchestra)
January 13 - End of the 2nd quarter
January 16 - No school in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
January 17 - No school for students, Teacher grading day
January 19 - Family Fitness Night, 6-8pm
January 26 - Seona McDowell, Australian artist in residence
January 30 - February 3 - Box tops collection
February 2 - am school only, conferences for target students II will schedule with soon.)
February 7 - Kindergarten open house
February 8 - Early Release, dismissal at 1:15 for staff development
February 14th - Valentine's Day party: Please refer to earlier post regarding collecting donations for the Ohio Wildlife Center (http://3rdgradehudson.blogspot.com/2011/10/ohio-wildlife-center-wish-list.html)
February 17 - School Spirit Day, students wear their Hawk-wear
February 20 - No school in honor of Presidents' Day
April Assessment Dates - Please do not schedule appointments and trips on these dates if possible.
April 2-5 - Terra Nova and InView
April 23 - Ohio Reading Achievement Retakes (only for students who did not pass in fall)
April 24 - Ohio Mathematics Achievement Assessment
