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Spelling: We took a spelling pretest today. This test included 30 words, and will be used as a basis for your student’s first spelling list. Tomorrow, students will correct the words missed on a Words to Learn list. This will be their list to study for the next spelling test. Students also received their first spelling worksheets, which are due at the time of the spelling test. View the spelling words for this year, and well as the first spelling practice worksheets, on the Spelling page.

Cursive: None today. We will start reviewing cursive letters this week.

Reading: Today, we learned a strategy for finding a book that is just right, not too easy or too hard. The trick is called the “Five-Finger Rule.” Students pick a full page of text and read, holding up a finger for each word they don’t understand. Names do not count. If the student gets to five fingers, the book is too hard. We practiced this rule in the library.

Writing: We learned to make a memory list when writing to a prompt. Students learned to start with memories of “today,” then “the other day,” then “a while ago.” Students made their own memory lists for the topic of “solving problems.”

Math: We played mathsketball while solving math preview and review problems.

Science: None today due to art.

Social Studies: We began reading about the Mississippi River in the southeast, pp. 71-75.

Behavior Update:

• Yellows: six magnets
• Oranges: none
• Reds: none

Ask your student how they did today.

Notes:

• Don’t forget these suppies students will need: dry erase markers and three poly envelopes (I have them for $0.50 each), and a mug for our “paper and coffee” Fridays. See the schools supplies page for more information.
• Students are welcome to bring to or keep at school a water bottle, to keep from having to ask frequently to go get a drink.
• Help! Our Room 130 Pride board is looking a little sparse! Your student can help by bringing in three “objects” that show who they are, and that can be put on display for all to see. These could be photos, postcards, papers, medals, or little trickets that can be put in bags and hung on the board. The only limitation is size, and being able to be attached somehow to a bulletin board. These objects can remain with us the whole year, or rotated out whenever the student wants.
• Don’t forget to return the Emergency Data Cards (still missing 3) and Student AUP form (still missing 3) sent home last week’s eagle folder!

Spelling: None today. We will start with a pretest this week. View the spelling words for this year, and well as the first spelling practice worksheets, on the Spelling page.

Cursive: We took a cursive pretest today. We will start reviewing cursive letters this week.

Reading: Today, we looked at how the arrangement of text on a page can make the selection look difficult, even if the words are easy to read. Students looked at pages of text with one large column, two columns, three columns, three columns with a picture, and one small column with a large picture. Students learned that the “trick” is to look at the text first before deciding if it is hard to read, and to not give up.

Writing: We learned to make a list of ideas when we are asked to write about a certain topic. After making the list, students learned to pick one idea and “stretch” the list, extending it with more details. Today, students practiced making lists with the topic of “solving problems.”

Math: Math Scavenger Hunt! Students used their SRB to hunt for answers to the questions on journal page 2. Homework is to complete math journal pp. 2 and 3.

Science: Students made posters showing what they know and what they think they know about magnets.

Social Studies: We began a study on the southeast region of the US by previewing important words. Students selected words, such as river, wetland, Mississippi, shipping, source, to create preview sentences. They also sorted the words into possible groups. Later, we will revise the sentences, and create some new ones after we read about the southeast.

Peaceful Authority: A group of police officers from the City of Flint came today to perform about bullying, staying safe by avoiding weapons, doing all homework, and being patriotic.  

Notes:

• Students will need a dry erase marker and three poly envelopes this week. I have them for $0.50 each, or they can be purchased at any office store. See the schools supplies page for more information.
• Students will also need a mug for our “paper and coffee” Fridays.
• Students are welcome to bring to or keep at school a water bottle, to keep from having to ask frequently to go get a drink.
• Help! Our Room 130 Pride board is looking a little sparse! Your student can help by bringing in three “objects” that show who they are, and that can be put on display for all to see. These could be photos, postcards, papers, medals, or little trickets that can be put in bags and hung on the board. The only limitation is size, and being able to be attached somehow to a bulletin board. These objects can remain with us the whole year, or rotated out whenever the student wants.
• Don’t forget to return the Emergency Data Cards (still missing 3) and Student AUP form (still missing 3) sent home last week’s eagle folder!

Spelling: None today. We will start with a pretest this week. View the spelling words for this year, and well as the first spelling practice worksheets, on the Spelling page.

Cursive: None today. We will start reviewing cursive letters this week.

Reading: We looked today at what students know about taking tests, and also what makes different types for texts (phone book, cookbook, poems, picture books, maps, magazines) easy and hard. For the hard parts of texts, we brainstormed some strategies and “tricks” students can do to work through the text.

Writing: We began a unit to review test writing, focusing on the type of writing students will see on the MEAP. We looked at what students know about test writing, and what can be difficult about it.

Math: Students received their SRB and math journal today. We began an overview of help features of the SRB. Students also took their first Mad Minute facts quiz. Students will take Mad Minute quizzes several times a week, working on building fluency with math facts. Today’s minute test was over addition.

Science: We discussed tests students did on the color-changing beads they received on Friday.

Social Studies: None due to Technology.

Technology: We went to the computer lab, and students learned how to log in to the class website, how to send email to each other using our private website system, and how to use the private student ShoutBox.

9/11: Due to the significance of the day, we looked at some images taken by photographers on September 11, 2001 and in the following months. We discussed what happened, and why.

Notes:

• Our Open House is today, September 11, from 6:30-7:30 pm. Stop by for a visit, tour the room, and get your questions answered about the class and field trips!
• Students will need a dry erase marker and three poly envelopes this week. I have them for $0.50 each, or they can be purchased at any office store. See the schools supplies page for more information.
• Students will also need a mug for our “paper and coffee” Fridays.
• Students are welcome to bring to or keep at school a water bottle, to keep from having to ask frequently to go get a drink.
• Help! Our Room 130 Pride board is looking a little sparse! Your student can help by bringing in three “objects” that show who they are, and that can be put on display for all to see. These could be photos, postcards, papers, medals, or little trickets that can be put in bags and hung on the board. The only limitation is size, and being able to be attached somehow to a bulletin board. These objects can remain with us the whole year, or rotated out whenever the student wants.
• Don’t forget to return the Emergency Data Cards (still missing 3) and Student AUP form (still missing 5) sent home last week’s eagle folder!  

Today, we had a full day of ground-laying activities. We’re being careful to spend time up front building teamwork and cooperation, so later, when fourth grade becomes more challenging, students are prepared to help each other.

1. Students completed a Student Interest Inventory, which will help me to get to know everyone. After it was completed, the students interviewed each other to find out a few new things about their neighbors.
2. Students performed skits on how to handle class library books and keep them safe from water, dirt, writing, tearing, and bending.
3. Students had gym and Spanish today.
4. I also introduced students to a few exciting additions to our class website: a live “shoutbox”, where students can chat with each other. I also introduced them to a private email system, where students can email other students within the class website.
5. Students received some special beads that students noticed changed color when they went to recess. We brainstormed some ideas on how the beads changed color. Students were challenged to do some tests on the beads this weekend and see if they can make them change color, then come back on Monday and tell about their discoveries.
6. We also learned about our class wireless weather station, which measures brightness, wind speed and direction, temperature, humidity, air pressure, and rain. Hopefully, our weather station will be live on the Internet soon!
7. Finally, we participated in Team Day. We started with a whole-class challenge called Sticky Ankles, in which students lined up shoulder to shoulder, then had to walk four feet while keeping their feet in constant contact with their neighbor’s. There were also three stations involving untieing knots in a rope wrapped around a tree (while holding onto the rope and not moving hands), holding hands in a group tangle and then getting untangled, and stepping from plate to plate without touching the ground. It was frustrating at times, but students learned that listening, taking turns, helping each other, and staying positive are the ways to solve difficult problems!

Notes:

• Our Open House is next Monday, September 11, from 6:30-7:30 pm. Stop by for a visit, tour the room, and get your questions answered about the class and field trips!
• Thanks for all the parents who volunteered for Team Day today! We couldn’t have had team day without you!
• Students will need a dry erase marker and three poly envelopes this week. I have them for $0.50 each, or they can be purchased at any office store. See the schools supplies page for more information.
• Students will also need a mug for our “paper and coffee” Fridays.
• Students are welcome to bring to or keep at school a water bottle, to keep from having to ask frequently to go get a drink.
• Help! Our Room 130 Pride board is looking a little sparse! Your student can help by bringing in three “objects” that show who they are, and that can be put on display for all to see. These could be photos, postcards, papers, medals, or little trickets that can be put in bags and hung on the board. The only limitation is size, and being able to be attached somehow to a bulletin board. These objects can remain with us the whole year, or rotated out whenever the student wants.
• Don’t forget to return the Emergency Data Cards and Student AUP form sent home this week in the eagle folder!

Today, we continued our school-year-startup tasks:

1. Students completed a Multiple Intelligences survey to see how they were smart. Everyone is smart in multiple ways. There are eight known intelligences: body, picture, music, math, word, self, people, and nature “smarts”.
2. We started reading “A Long Way from Chicago,” by Richard Peck.
3. We thought at first it might be fun not to have any class rules, but then we realized that our class wouldn’t be safe, helpful or fun. People could be rude, hurtful or disrespectful. We decided that we should have rules, and elected to have just one class rule: “Follow the High Fives.”
4. We discussed some problems that can happen when students mishandle class library books and we began planning skits to remind us how to handle books.

Notes:

• Don’t forget about Team Day, tomorrow from 2:15-3:30. If you would like to volunteer, just contact me.
• Students will need a dry erase marker and three poly envelopes this week. I have them for $0.50 each, or they can be purchased at any office store. See the schools supplies page for more information.
• Students will also need a mug for our “paper and coffee” Fridays.
• Students are welcome to bring to or keep at school a water bottle, to keep from having to ask frequently to go get a drink.
• Help! Our Room 130 Pride board is looking a little sparse! Your student can help by bringing in three “objects” that show who they are, and that can be put on display for all to see. These could be photos, postcards, papers, medals, or little trickets that can be put in bags and hung on the board. The only limitation is size, and being able to be attached somehow to a bulletin board. These objects can remain with us the whole year, or rotated out whenever the student wants.
• Don’t forget to return the Emergency Data Cards and Student AUP form sent home this week in the eagle folder.