Ruby Holler

This month at Westside we are celebrating reading month, and tomorrow's task is to decorate our door to look like a favorite book. We chose our very first read aloud from last fall...RUBY HOLLER!!! When I went back Friday night to finish I ran out of dark green leaves (so it isn't quite finished), but I wanted to give you a chance to see it before inevitably someone accidentally rips one part or another. I'll post another picture once we finish adding the rest of our details!!!

I have always wanted to turn my door into a tree, and now that I've done it once I have a feeling it will be repeated. LOVE IT!!! Oh, and the yellow circle is actually a Newberry Medal, but the exposure on my phone makes it hard to see the design and title written around the perimeter.

REQUEST FOR READERS --- I'm sure many of you have a long list of favorite books, and probably a few that you still fondly remember from your childhood. We have two requests:

1. Email Mrs. Clarey a list of your favorite books from when you were growing up so that she can compile a list to share (click on the email link on the top of the right-hand column of the blog).
2. Visit our classroom to read one of your favorite books to the class as a read aloud! Times to visit can be scheduled at 8:30, 9:40, 11:10, or 2:10. Contact Mrs. Clarey for a time to be a guest reader!!!

Quick Announcements

Just a few more things to get you up to speed!

• Return the February calendar for Fargo Force minutes! March will be our last month, and we want to finish strong!!!
• March is also REDHAWKS READING month. Students can "double dip" with their minutes for both reading incentive programs. For Redhawks, students will earn a different prize each week. Weekly prizes are completed by reading 200 minutes. Each week that students meet their goal they earn a base
• 1st = Pizza Hut personal pan pizza
• 2nd = Subway 6 inch sub
• 3rd = Redhawks poster
• 4th = Free DQ Blizzard & a free ticket to a Redhawks Game
• As in baseball, you can't get to second if you haven't gone to first. So students need to be sure to be tracking their reading daily and bringing in their tracking sheets every MONDAY!
• March is reading month, and to celebrate here is what we're doing the next few days:
• Wednesday - Hat's off to reading, wear your silliest hat!
• Thursday - turn off the television and read!
• Friday - Cozy up with a good book! Wear your pjs to school!
• Tuesday (the 12th) - Read with a family member
• Wednesday - Reading is EVERYWHERE! Wear a readable t-shirt.

I'm sure you've noticed that mastering multiplication and division is taught very differently now than when we were all in school. Many of us are the product of the "drill and kill" method of mastering facts, and many of us grew up without a true understanding of what multiplying really meant, or we figured it out on our own later. Thankfully students are taught and encouraged to understand strategy prior to memorizing nowadays. We have spent tons of time discussing strategies for multiplying, and boy can our kiddos figure out problems. (ie: 2x4 is the same as 4+4. 2s facts are the same as doubles in addition! 4x4 is the same as (2x4) x2. Multiplying by 4 is the same as doubling a double!) Now that we have such a great understanding of what it means to multiply (combine equal groups) and divide (share equally), we just need to practice them to get them quick and fast. In this we need your help!  Be sure to practice multiplication and division facts at home 3-4 times each week until your child can use strategies quickly! Be creative! Make it active! There are also games online, apps for phones and ipads, etc, and don't forget to utilize the time you spend driving around quizzing any fact you can thinking of!