Monday, December 19, 2011
Math Test News
We will conclude our Unit 5 study with a test on Thursday (12/23) morning. Major concepts include addition/subtraction (word problems and comparisons), counting money and making change, rounding numbers, and reading tables. A sample test can be found in the student, hard cover handbook, Vol. 1. These books will be sent home Tuesday. Additionally, we will be completing a practice test on Wed. that can be used for additional review on Wed. night. I don't think further review will be needed - many of these concepts are extensions of previous units. Please contact me if you have any questions.
Sentence Codes for Homework 12/19
Declarative (Statement) D “.”
Interrogative (Question) IN “?”
Imperative (Command) IM “.” Or “!”
Exclamatory (Excitement) E “!”
Friday, December 16, 2011
Success in the Savanna 12/16/11
Dear Parents,
Tuesday’s brass rubbings, mosaics, and holiday crafts were a lot of fun for everyone. The holiday excitement extended into Wednesday when we were treated to the sounds of the season by the 4th Grade band, orchestra and chorus with their annual holiday concert. This gave the kids a small taste of the music programs they can participate in next year. We ended the week with the 5th graders sharing their music with us. What a merry week!
Our studies continue and it looks as if both our science and social studies units will conclude after our return from break. With a little push, I hope to conclude Unit 5 in math next week. Students can expect a short test on Wed. or Thurs. Concepts to be covered include higher order addition/ subtraction, word problems, rounding, and money purchases. Look for more information about this test on Monday.
As you know, on Wednesday December 21st we will be having a “Healthy Food Celebration.” This is a class luncheon in which the students bring their healthy food creations to share with their classmates. It is fun to see the pride the children take in presenting their dishes. Please know that it is not a project requirement that children bring their project meal to share. But, if they do so, it is nice to consider portions for approx. 6 – 8 people.
Last week the children brought home information about this year’s Gratitude Baggie project. This year the children are being asked to count the amount of different foods in the house, and donate change to reflect the number of these items in your home. This year all monies collected are going to be used in two different ways. First, some of the monies will go Heifer International to purchase animals for communities around the world. Other monies will stay closer to home with a donation to the Arlington Food Assistance Center. During this time of giving, please consider participating in this worthy project. Extra copies of the gratitude form are included in this week’s folder.
Finally, I appreciate the many invites to holiday concerts or sporting events. I am getting out to as many of these as possible. I know too that basketball season is starting so I appreciate folks sending in these schedules as soon as possible. I will try to get to at least one event for each child. Your efforts in helping this to happen are appreciated.
Below are a couple of important dates to put on your calendars;
Wednesday, December 21st- Healthy Food Feast 11:00 am (see Invite in Friday Folder)
Friday, December 23 – Monday, January 2 - Winter Break
Tuesday, January 3- School Reopens
I hope the weekend is fun for everyone.
Sincerely,
Ms. Coffman
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Websites for Rounding Practice
Try these links at home to boost your rounding skills!
http://www.funbrain.com/tens/index.html this one is also good for place value practice!
Health Project Due 12/21
Dear Student:
We are just kicking off Chapter 4 in our Health book but you need to know about an exciting and yummy project that will conclude our unit. Please read the information below and return this contract by not later than Wednesday, December 14th. See below for more important news!
Your chapter 4 project will be “take home test” of a different sort! As this chapter is all about healthy foods and good nutrition, this is your chance to apply some of that knowledge in your own home with your family. Your test for this chapter will be to find an age-appropriate recipe for any type of healthy food (breakfast, lunch, dinner, desert, appetizer, etc.). Your grade for the test will be your choice based on the requirements below. Please discuss this test and the grading options with your parents and return the bottom portion of this form to me by Wednesday, December 14th. The final projects are due by Wednesday, December 21. Coincidentally, that is the same day that we will be doing our “Healthy Holiday Celebration” in the third grade so you are welcome to bring your healthy food to share on that day if you want to (note: bringing your food to share is NOT a requirement for the grading).
Your options for grading are:
1. A grade of “C” will be issued for completing the following:
Find a recipe on line or in an age-appropriate recipe book that is healthy and full of nutrients. Use your text, Chapter 4, and the food guide pyramid or the NEW USDA food plate (http://www.choosemyplate.gov/) to determine what foods are most healthy. On a sheet of notebook paper and in your best penmanship, copy the recipe including the ingredient list and the directions for making your recipe. Write a short paragraph, not less than 5 sentences, that explains why you chose this recipe and why you consider it a healthy recipe. Consider what ingredients or cooking methods make it so healthy.
2. A grade of “B” will be issued for completing the following:
Do all of the things required above in (1) for a grade of C. Additionally, you must MAKE the recipe on your own but with the assistance of parent or other adult. Again, include a short paragraph, not less than 5 sentences, about why you chose this recipe and why you consider it a healthy recipe.
3. A grade of “A” will be issued for completing the following:
Do all of the things required in (1) and (2) above for a grade of B. Additionally, you must write a second paragraph, not less than 5 sentences, which RATES your final food product! For example, if the process was fun and the food was very good, then give “the chef” or “the recipe” a high rating. If the process was very difficult and you didn’t think the food was very good, give “the chef” or “recipe” a low rating. The rating you issue will not effect your score (in other words you can think the recipe was hard to do or that the food was not that great and still get your A).
Students who do not participate or do not turn in a recipe of any type will receive an E for this assignment. Please submit the recipes and paragraphs on standard notebook paper as I intend to create a cookbook using all the recipes and this format will ease the process. Notebook paper is available in our classroom for your use. Also, I have several child-friendly, cookbooks in my classroom and can recommend many others if you need assistance. For example, Mollie Katzen (“The Moosewood Cookbook”) is a cookbook writer who has done several cookbooks for children such as “Honest Pretzels” and “Pretend Soup”. Also, the internet offers a variety of wonderful websites such as those listed below:
The Food Network/Recipes
The Washington Post/Food Section/Recipe Finder
Cooking Light Magazine/Recipe Finder
Good luck on this project. I hope you will have fun as you discover “hands-on” the value of healthy eating and good nutrition.
Please see me if you have any questions.
Ms. Coffman
Success in the Savanna 12/9/11
Dear Parents:
We are at the end of another good week of learning. In Science we are moving forward in our new unit on ecosystems. In Social Studies, we are taking a virtual field trip to Ancient Greece and taking on the roles of merchants, politicians, soldiers, and historians. In Math, we are reviewing the concept of rounding and will be working with money and graphing in the coming weeks. In Health, we are quickly concluding our Chapter 3 study so that we can begin our healthy food unit next week. This is a fun unit for the children as we learn about the food plate (formerly known as the food pyramid) and healthy food choices. Coming home today will be information about the healthy food project (due Wed., Dec. 21st). Not coincidentally, this project culminates in our classroom on Wed., the 21st, for our Healthy Holiday Celebration. More information about that event will be sent home soon.
Next week we will have a visit from the London Brass Rubbing Centre. They will demonstrate the art of Brass Rubbing to the children on Tuesday, December 13th. This is a long-standing tradition for the third grade and we will need extra hands to help the children with the rubbings. I’ve had several offers to assist – thank you! Parents are welcome to join us after 9:15 am in Mrs. DiNardo’s room. There will be a 30+ minute explanation of the art of brass rubbing. For those who are unfamiliar with the process, this is actually a very exciting information session. Thereafter and until noon, all the children will have an opportunity to make their rubbing as well as complete several other craft projects. Again, all helping hands are welcome so just “report for duty” on Tuesday morning!
Outside of the classroom Tuckahoe is participating in the Gratitude Bag project again this year. The children are being asked to donate to help those in our community who do not have enough to eat. I would like to encourage everyone to participate in this worthwhile holiday project. If you have any questions about this, please let me know or refer to the flyer in the Friday Folder.
Below are a couple of important dates to put on your calendars;
Tuesday December 13th- London Brass Rubbings
Wednesday December 14th- Holiday Concert
Wednesday December 21st-Healthy Food Feast/Early Release
Friday December 23rd- Monday January 2nd - Winter Break
Tuesday January 3rd- School Reopens
Have a nice weekend.
Sincerely,
Ms. Coffman
Friday, December 2, 2011
Success in the Savanna 12/2/11
Dear Parents,
I hope that you all had an enjoyable Thanksgiving with family and friends. I had the opportunity to host my entire family for Thanksgiving dinner – I’m still cleaning up from the event!
A special thanks to Mr. Clark and Ms. Kisloff for helping out with our Expeditions this week. We couldn’t do this without you!
We closed two units this week (in math and science) and opened another in social studies (Ancient Greece). In Language Arts, we are continuing our discussion on reading strategies. In the next few weeks, we will start to create journal responses in the classroom that demonstrate our use of these strategies while reading. Shortly after, these journals will become our weekly homework. Look for more information about the journal process coming home later this month or in early January. As writers, we are coming close to the end of our mechanical/grammar review and will start putting greater emphasis on the creation as “super sentences and perfect paragraphs”. At this point, I am more heavily critiquing writing pieces and looking for correct punctuation, capitalization, spelling, and more. Neatness is important too so please encourage your child to work towards their most legible productions.
In addition to all the content focus, we also have a couple of fun projects planned for this month as well. On Tuesday December 13th members from the London Brass Rubbing Centre will be coming to Tuckahoe to teach the Third Grade about the art of brass rubbing. The children will have an opportunity to learn about this ancient craft, and create their own rubbing to take home. We will need volunteers to help with this project as well. If you would be able to assist us between 9-12 on the 13th, please let me know. In addition to the Brass Rubbing we will also celebrate the holiday season with our Healthy Food Feast on Wednesday December 21st. More about this project will be coming home with your child next week.
With a busy month in front of us, here are a few important dates to put on your calendars.
Tuesday December 13th- London Brass Rubbings (See Fri. Folder)
Wednesday December 14th- Holiday Concert
Wednesday December 21st-Healthy Food Fest/Early Release
Friday December 23rd-Friday December 30th- Winter Break
Tuesday, Jan. 3 - School Reopens
One last request, please forward me any basketball, hockey, or other schedules as you get them. I was able to visit many of the children earlier this fall but still have several that I have not seen outside of the classroom. I am still hopeful for this opportunity.
Have a great weekend and stay warm. As always, thank you for all that you do to make our learning experience so rewarding!
Sincerely,
Ms. Coffman
Beginning next week the Savanna will be sent in electronic form only on my blog. If you have not had the chance to view it, please visit the Tuckahoe website, Third Grade, and click on the link below my picture.
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