Spring Conferences

Dear Parents,

Spring conference is a time when I will be meeting with a select group of parents to go over their child's progress. I will not be meeting with all of you. If your child is meeting or above grade level expectations then we will not be meeting.

At this conference my priority is to meet with those that are not at that goal yet or have made just recently reached that goal. Some students will be meeting with me to go over their progress and growth, as well as concerns. It is at this time we work together to create new goals for them to reach. I will be sending home a form to only those parents that I need to meet with during spring conferences.

For those that I will be meeting with please note that I have after school yard duty from 1:00 - 1:15 all week and so I will not have a starting time of and after school meeting until 1:20. My top priority is to meet with all the parents that I have requested to have a conference.

Thank you,
Mrs. Walker

February 27th - March 3rd

Welcome back! I hope everyone had a great vacation. I was sick all break, but luckily I am finally feeling better.

READING

The Night of the Pufflings

Comprehension Skill: Fact and Opinion
Strategy Focus: Evaluate

Spelling
hair
care
chair
pair
bear
where
air
pear
bare
fair
share
buy
could
flair
farewell


MATH

Monday: Review Chapter 9
Online Practice Test

Tuesday:
In class (paper) Chapter 9 test

Wednesday:
Chapter 10 Introduction to Fractions
10.1 - Using Models to Compare Fractions: Same Denominator

Thursday: (No Math due to Dr. Seuss day and Violin)

Friday:
Chapter 10.2 - Using Models to Compare Fractions: Same Numerator


SCIENCE

This week we will be doing a review of the sections relating to Light and Energy. We will be having a test on Friday for them both. Students are encouraged to take home their practice book from Science and study.


CONFERENCE WEEK
Next week is the start of our Spring conference week.
I do not need to meet with every parent this cycle.
I will be sending home a form to the students that I have selected to have a conference.
If you do not receive a form then I feel your student is meeting grade level requirements and a conference is not necessary at this time.
Spring conferences are a time to go further in depth with a smaller group to go over student progress.
If you feel even though they are at grade level or above that you need a conference please email me and I will let you know after I have scheduled all the other conferences first.

March 10th - March 17th will be early release days and the students will be going home at 1:00 P.M.


PARENT WORKSHOP RESEARCH STUDY

Mrs. Shem, a fellow 3rd grade teacher here is currently working on her Master's in Administration like I did last year. She is doing a research paper on the effects of having parent engagement workshops on the academic achievement in 3rd grade students in English Language Arts. I will be sending home a consent letter to you parents today and would hope that you would participate in this study.

Requirements
Participation on an online confidential survey (at home) 5 - 10 minutes
Attendance of 2 hour long workshops at Northwood (one in March, one in April)

Homework over the Break

Homework over the Break

Please read the entry on the Practice SBAC testing prep. I am asking that students log on two to three times over the break to do a practice run. They can work on it for about 20-25 minutes each time.

Lexia and Dreambox are available for the students over the break, and if they have the time it would be great for them to work on moving up a level. Our class goal in Lexia is to have every student pass Level 14 by the end of the school year.

Over the break it is important that students keep reading and logging their reading journal. They can still chose between a past choice board activity or on a summary writing. This means a total of four reading journals like a regular school week.

When we come back to school February 27^th we will be having two tests that week. One is our Chapter 9 math test and the other is the Science test on Light and Energy. We will review for the beginning of the week, but students should study those sections over the break. They are allowed to bring home their Science workbooks. 

Have a wonderful break!

SBAC Practice Tests

Dear Parents,

This year as 3rd graders the students will be taking the Smarter Balance State test online. In order to get them ready for this test in April/May it is very important that they spend some time practicing the test online. This will help them get ready to take the test at school.

The URL for the practice test is : HERE
Click the link to take you to the log in screen.

This is the log in screen please leave as is and click "Sign In"

The second window will ask "Is This You?" Please select 3rd grade for the test.

Once you reach this section of the site select either ELA or Math. It is important to try both sections.

After you have selected the test you want to do a practice test on it will ask "Is This Your Test?" please select "Yes".
Audio Playback will ask you to test the sound on your computer once you have select "Heard"
Instructions show you how to use the mini tools that are included on the Smarter Balance test. Students do not need to use the calculator, but zooming in and out can be valuable. 
Once you have read through the instructions you will click "Begin Test Now".
Students will be allowed to do the practice tests as often as they like and it is important they work on this at least once a week. 
We will be doing our own practice tests in class as we get closer to the testing window. Please take the time to go over this at home as well. The more practice the better. 

Thank you,
Mrs. Walker

February 13th - February 17th

These are the last five days before we are gone for Winter Break from February 20th - February 24th.

Class Supplies
The class is in need of some donations of copy paper, pencil, and with the rainy weather tissues. If you would like to donate to Room 406 we would be very thankful.

Math

Monday: 9-5 Fraction Number Lines

Tuesday: 9-6 Locating Fractions on the Number Line

Wednesday: 9-7 Fractions and Length

Thursday: 9-8 (Problem Solving) Writing to Explain

Friday: Chapter Practice Test Online

When we come back from break we will have a review day and another practice test to refresh then on Tuesday when we return we will have the Chapter 9 written test. 

Wayside

This week is our last week with Wayside School. We will be going over their comprehension questions for the book. They are also finishing up their student from Floor 29. When they are all finished they will take home their book.

Next up in reading we will be back in our textbooks for the next story. We will also be using our practice reading workbook as well.

Science

This week we will be finishing up on light with "What is Color?". We will be having a review week when we come back from break before giving our test for Energy and Light. Then we will be working back in Social Studies.  

February 6th - 10th

Two more weeks until its President's week off from school. Reminder we do not have school the week of February 20th through the 24th.

MATH

The students will be starting Chapter 9 this week with the introduction of fractions!

Monday: 9.1 Dividing Regions into Equal Parts

Tuesday: 9.2 Fractions and Regions

Wednesday: 9.3 Fractions and Sets

Thursday: 9.4 Fractions Parts of a Set

Friday: Review 9.1 - 9.4

WAYSIDE SCHOOL
The students will be working still with our novel unit of Wayside School. They have been working on on vocabulary, comprehension, and critical thinking questions through out this unit. We will be working on a final project for the book next week.

SCIENCE
We will continue with science with light and energy this week.

Monday: What is Electrical Energy?

Wednesday: What is Light?

Friday: How is Light Reflected?

Class Supplies:
The class is in need of some donations of copy paper, pencil, and with the rainy weather tissues. If you would like to donate to Room 406 we would be very thankful.