May 8-11

Thank you so much for all of the Teacher Appreciation gifts and acknowledgments. You are all such amazing parents.

We are down to our last two weeks! I can never believe how quickly the school years fly by. I have enjoyed having your children as my students - they are an absolute joy to be around. 😊

On Thursday we had our Market Day - the first graders had a blast shopping at all the businesses. We had quite a bit of product left over, so we will have a second Market Day on Monday for the second graders.

Coming up this week:

MovieBell: Tuesday, May 16 12:15-1:30. Students will get to eat tacos and watch Sing. They'll get two tacos each - if you think your child may want more to eat, please pack them a lunch.
Poetry Slam: May 17 @3:00 in our classroom. Come watch as our students recite poems they have memorized.

Last week's schedule:
Monday, May 22 Junior Achievement 8-12
Wednesday, May 24 Secret Surprise: Mrs. Moon and I have something special planned. Your child will not need a lunch that day. 
Wednesday, May 24 Report cards will go home
Thursday, May 25 Field day! All students will be provided lunch and will go home at 2:00.
Whoo-hoo, two days without having to pack a lunch!!

May 1-4

Last week we took the SBAC ELA - thank you very much to everyone who brought in breakfast.
Your children worked so hard!

Outside of testing, here is what we did:
We finished our biographies.
Started filming commercials and prepping for our Market Day.

The 8th grade Lemonade Stands will be running during student lunch times.

Sign ups for Field Day will be coming out soon.

April 24-27

First off I'd like to give a big THANK YOU to all of the volunteers! Our school wouldn't be successful without you. I appreciate all of the help you have provided me this year - I really do value your time.

FIRST WEEK of testing:
Your children did great. They took their time and persevered. This next week we will do the SBAC reading test - part one and part two (Monday/Wednesday).
Please ensure your child brings his/her headphones if they have them. I have a few spare, just in case!

Thank you to everyone who signed up to bring in food for our kiddos on testing days - they are pretty pumped about it :o) There are just a few slots left that need to be filled, so if you haven't had the chance to take a peek, please take a minute to do so.

Besides testing...
*We've been working on our Market Day project. Their businesses are established and products are being made. They're doing very well with their budgets. They're grasping the concept of selling their product for more money than it took to make in order to gain a profit. Our Market Day is May 17 and they'll be selling to the first graders.

*During reading we are doing a traditional Daily 5, with no extra assignments from me. I have been pulling students to start on my end of year reading assessments.

*We've been working on writing biographies.

Next week...
-We will record the business commercials in projects. They've been writing scripts and practicing. Businesses will continue making products and preparing for Market Day.
-We will review grammar standards that need to be readdressed.
-We will finish up our biographies.

THANK YOU to the Rotary Club of Fallon - if you haven't seen them yet, please ask your child about their awesome new dictionaries.

ACT Monday and Wednesday

On Monday and Wednesday your child will be taking the ACT Aspire.  This test is timed, so there is no chance of it taking hours in one sitting. I will provide a power snack for your kiddos on these two days; however, we will not be having breakfast in class. 

Please ensure your child:

-has plenty of rest

-eats breakfast

-takes a water bottle and snacks to school

-I'll provide gum, but if they're particular, you are welcome to send them with some :o) 

-brings their headphones

-is on time to school

If your child is really nervous, maybe pack them a special snack to have during testing with a little note of encouragement. 

On another note, these tests for the next three weeks can be stressful. I have reiterated to my students (and even my own child who is getting nervous) that they will be just fine. We have been "preparing" for these tests all year as they are based on standards we've covered. They need to just breathe, take their time and do their best. We will all be proud of their efforts. It's hard to sit and test all day long, I truly feel for the kids - Mrs. Moon and I do our best to make the test days fun and low-stress with the breakfasts, longer recesses, and relaxing project filled afternoons. 

On Thursday, we will be taking a peek at the SBAC. Students will get to go on the practice site and learn how to navigate and use the tools. This sometimes eases nerves as they become familiar with the test prior to actually taking it. 

April 10-13

Happy Easter!

Reading: We have been reviewing literature standards covered in the first semester.  Students took their last spelling test on Thursday - they did very well, too!

Writing: Students started writing biographies on their choice of a scientist, inventor, or entrepreneur.

Grammar: We've been reviewing grammar standards.

Projects: We started a new Market Day project. We learned about budgets, producers, consumers and scarcity (supply/demand). Students created businesses with the people of their choice. They decided what they'd lie to create and sell at their store, how much it would cost to make each item, and how much of each supply they'd need. They received a budget of $100 and went to the MoonRiver Supplies store to start purchasing product supplies. They will be selling their products to the 1st graders.

Misc:

Testing dates are as follows:

Third Grade: 4/24,4/26, 5/1, 5/3, 5/8, 5/9

We will not do the big breakfasts/treats on the first two dates as they are timed and don't take as long. Please ensure your child is here and well rested/fed on these days. I will send out a SignUp Genius next week sometime to get the food squared away for 5/1, 5/3, 5/8 and 5/9.

Book Fair!

Buy one get one free Scholastic Book Fair next week. The book fair will run April 17-20, Monday-Thursday and will be open in the morning from 7:45-8:00 am, during lunch time 11:30-2:15 pm, and after school 3:45-4:15 pm.  Students will be allowed to shop at these times but they will not be excused from class to do so - they must go before or after school or during their lunch recess time. There will not be a family night so be sure to stop by during the listed hours.

April 3-6

Reading:
This week we watched Scholastic videos and determined the main idea/supporting details of these videos.
We had a LG test on Thursday. Students received new spelling words on Monday and will assess on 4/13.

Writing:
Students wrote opinion and informational papers on roller coaster safety.

Grammar:
We reviewed grammar standards and will continue doing so into this next week.

Projects:
Students finished up their adaptation projects. Thank you for coming to their presentations.

We will start a new project (our last project of the year!) on Monday.

Misc:
Testing is in two weeks. I will send out a SignUp Genius soon for breakfasts/snacks on those days.

PROJECT PRESENTATIONS

TODAY AT 2:30 IN THE CAFETERIA!