Last week of September!

Yikes! Where did the last month go! We are well into the groove of school and in the middle of several great projects. We have just finished pulverizing our mock rocks and are ready to begin discussions about what exactly are rocks and minerals, and what exactly could be in our mock rocks. Let the testing begin!!! This week we are also studying biographies and preparing to create a Kidspiration project (on the computer) to present about the individuals we've studied. We are really enjoying Miss V and the benefits of having two teachers. Double the attention and support for learning and activities!!!

Our October calendar will come home tomorrow, but you may access it on the "Calendar" page on the blog immediately!!!

Mock Rocks & Geologists

Our first unit in science is EARTH MATERIALS, and we are learning about geology. GEOLOGY is the study of earth. GEOLOGISTS study the materials on earth, specifically rocks. Over the coming weeks we will break our rocks down using several processes to discover how geologists test real rocks, and to determine the difference between ROCKS and MINERALS. Here is our first step...we used nails as our picks, but discovered that we needed a little more power behind to get them broken in half. Hence, our creative use of highlighters as well! The top pictures show the students hard at work, and the bottom show the results of our efforts yesterday. SO MUCH FUN!!!

 

Friday heads up!

We are running the mile tomorrow! Please make sure to send your child in comfortable clothes, not your Sunday best!!! A good pair of shoes and well-balanced breakfast are also important! Thanks!!

Oh boy, tired!

My goodness...Monday mornings are rough! I think my room was full of zombies and not third graders!!! You all must have had some crazy fun weekends. :) Just a heads up for some of you, we had a few lovelies who were honest (which I SOOOOOO appreciated) and admitted to secretly playing some kind of game boy or ipod in bed unbeknownst to you until VERY late. You may want to consider rounding up any gaming devices in your house at bedtime to assure this doesn't happen again. I know you all realize and understand the importance of a good night's sleep, and I myself am a night owl and guilty of a late bedtime often. Thank you so much for your efforts to establish and maintain a consistent and healthy bedtime! A good night's sleep (along with daily activity and healthy eating) GREATLY impact a child's attention, participation in class, understanding of learning topics, and relationships with their peers.

Developing Writers

Last year we implemented a new Writing Workshop in grades 1-3, and I continue to be amazed by how students respond. Our first two weeks we focused on brainstorming ideas to write about and developing these topics through storyboarding. If you ask your son or daughter, they should be able to tell you that we are working on writing personal narratives, and that these stories must have the following 4 things: characters, setting, problem, and resolution. No happy stories here! :)

Oh what a week!

Wow! Having a long weekend for Labor Day was a great break after our first week and a half of school, but boy is it hard to cram a week's worth of material into 4 days! Anyone want to send their kid in tomorrow? Josiah and I will be there anyway! :) Ok, just kidding...here is a look at some of the things we did this week instead:

Cursive! The students are SOOOO excited to be learning cursive. Our goal this year is to learn how to form all the letters correctly and be able to read cursive fluently. Even though we aren't expected to master cursive, I anticipate that cursive will end up to be easier and neater for several students than printing. Our favorite part, of course, is what we've nicknamed "cursive calisthenics." Check us out!!!

This was one of my more brilliant, spontaneous ideas, and it's a great way to get my kiddos up and moving while still learning. Speaking of getting up and moving, check this one out too!

I am a Pinterest fanatic, and I've found a ton of great dance videos that we've been using to keep our blood flowing. Circulation is not only great for heart and lungs, but also for brains! If you want to see some of the clips that we've been using, you can link to my Pinterest page from the blog (look over on the right for a big P). Once there find the "Active Classroom" board.

Other topics we studied this week: identifying characters and setting, how illustrations support the words in a story, words that end in -ed, 4 kinds of sentences (declarative, interrogative, imperative, and exclamatory - yes, we used those words!), telling time on an analog clock (one with hands), measuring with inches and centimeters, and using tally marks and bar graphs to study data.

The coupon book fundraiser is in full swing! Westside will benefit $10 from every book sold!!! That's amazing!!! The students are very excited about the opportunity to earn money for their school and to earn prizes for their efforts. We talked about polite, safe, and strategic sales strategies and prepped the materials. Please consider purchasing one and helping your son or daughter to sell a few more. The coupons inside are FABULOUS, so I'm sure it won't be hard to "get rid" of them!

Book order deadline extended until Monday for orders sent to school.

And, finally, a few photos from last Friday! What cute kids we have at Westside!!!

I can!

You will probably begin to read and hear statements that begin with the two words "I can..." quite often around Westside. Our Common Core standards have been rewritten in "kid-friendly" terms, and we are using a few each day to focus our learning and set goals for our time. They are so helpful, and I've been so amazed at how much more ownership students take in their learning when they know where we're going. It's hard to arrive at your destination if you don't know where you're going!!!

A few "I can..." statements from this week:
I can identify characters in a story and define setting.
I can explain how illustrations contribute to the words in a story.
I can use graphic organizers to plan my writing.
I can recognize when I need to double consonants, drop e, or change y to i when adding suffixes.

There are many more, but these stand out to me tonight after today's lessons!

Quick notes:

• Powerschool Gradebook: First few grades have been entered. Be sure to check through your Parent Portal access, and if you have any questions or need help setting up your account please contact Kristie in the office!!!
• Scholastic Book Order: Orders are due Friday. Either send a check and order slip by Friday, or order online using code GTTYN. Internet link was in the email I sent this afternoon!
• If you haven't yet, read my blog page titled "Homework." We are working on establishing activities at home to support learning in school and healthy living. Daily homework is to read, be active, and do a Home Link if one was assigned.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read our blog and remain involved in your child's time in school!!!

New calendar!

Click here for a link to our September calendar!!!