Success in the Savanna, 3/30/12

Dear Parents:

          We have certainly packed a lot into this last week of the Third Quarter. Class pictures, book fair, Young Author’s Night and the Wax Museum, just to name a few.  In the classroom we enjoyed listening to all the Wax Museum presentations during our rehearsal, completed our third quarter math assessment, wrote family griot stories, made fraction “cookies” and started a culminating activity/project about Mali.  It was a very busy week indeed!

          I would like to thank everyone who was able to come visit the Wax Museum on Wednesday.  The children worked hard this past month on this project and took their roles quite seriously.  The children’s presentations on Wednesday were evidence of all their hard work, and a delight to watch. I think we may even have a few budding actresses and actors in our midst!

As I noted above, we have completed the third quarter and we are in our last months of school. We will continue our learning through the very end of the year.  Yes, signs of summer are visible everywhere but we still have so much to do.  I look forward to sharing all of these final learning moments with your child. 

I hope everyone enjoys their Spring Break.

                                                                             Sincerely

                                                                             Ms. Coffman

                                                                            

Upcoming Events

3/30- End of 3^rd Quarter

4/2-4/6- Spring Break

4/9- Teacher Work Day-No School for Students

4/10- School Re-opens

4/25- Report Cards Issued

Important Handout Coming Home Today!

An important reminder letter about our Wax Museum event on Wed., March 28th, is coming home today.  Please look for it and be sure that your child reads it and understands the expectations for this community wide project.  

The event will take place in our classroom from 11 - noon on Wed.  Parents are welcome to visit!

Please contact me soon if you have any questions.

POSTED AGAIN - Wax Museum Schedule

March Book Report: Overview

February 29, 2012

For this report,  you will read a biography/ or autobiography about someone and present your book report as an oral history of that person in a Third Grade wide Wax Museum format on Wednesday March 28, 2012. You may choose to do this biography on anyone on the list in your Wax Museum packet.  We ask that you find an age appropriate book about the person you wish to portray.  You may use the school library, classroom library or the County Public Library to select your book.

In order to help organize this project into manageable pieces, there are several key dates and deadlines that you will need to follow.

Wednesday, March 7- All books selected and signed off by teacher and parent

            Wednesday, March 14- Finish reading book, complete packet

            Wednesday March 21 - Initial Note Cards Due

            Monday March 26 - Final Note Cards Due. Costumes and props assembled

            and practicing begun.

Wednesday March 28 - Wax Museum Presentation- All parents invited 11:00-12:00.

We will be grading according to the Wax Museum Rubric as well as the completion of each of the deadlines listed above.  If you have any other questions about this project please let your classroom teacher know.

Success in the Savanna, 3/23/12

Dear Parents/Students:

          Wow!  Did we end the week on a beautiful note!  We worked in our garden to transplant lettuces that have been growing under our lamps for the last month.  We also planted another mystery crop (Ms. Coffman doesn’t know and wants to be surprised at harvest time).  Thanks to Mrs. Ryan, Mrs. Creedon, and Mrs. Clark who assisted with this effort. 

          In math, we have kicked off fractions and will be having lots of fractional fun in the next week.  In social studies, we are learning about the early rulers of ancient Mali and comparing them to our own leaders of today.  In science, we are doing a short unit on the solar system and simultaneously working on a plant pack to review concepts learned in earlier grade levels.  In language arts, we worked to develop note cards, in bullet form, and used these note cards to create short stories about our biographical character, Jacques Cousteau.  Hopefully, your child has learned something about the note card process.  Please remember that final note cards are due on Monday.  The Wax Museum is Wednesday, the 28^th, from 11 – 12 noon in most of the third grade classrooms and hallway.  Parents are welcome to attend.  We appreciate all the help and guidance that you have given as your child has prepared for this community project.  Look, please, to the classroom blog for several posts related to this project.

          Have you heard the rumor that Ms. Coffman met the President at the White House on Thursday?  Well, as “she” tells the story, Ms. Coffman dropped back inside to check with the other groups just as President Obama was racing down the stairs to jaunt off to Oklahoma.  He wasn’t able to greet the students but did send his well-wishes for great success next week at our museum.  Although there are many doubters of this story, I can only ask again:  how would I have gained an autographed box of M&Ms if not presented by the President, himself?  Is there any other reasonable explanation?  I think not!  ;) Thank you again to the Servidio Family for their efforts to make this happen.  Thanks to for the many parents who were able to join us and assist with this trip.

          The Book Fair is next week and flyers have been sent home with the students.  Also, classroom and individual pictures will take place on Monday.  Your child should have an envelope that can be returned on Monday and delivered to the photography team.  If you have any questions, please contact the front office.

          Spring Break is nearly upon us so please let me know if you have any plans to depart early for spring time vacations.  I do plan on sending home a work pack for optional practice/review.  Also, spring sports are starting soon and I once again look forward to the opportunity to see my students – particularly those who I haven’t visited yet – on the field.  Please send these schedules as soon as they are available.

          Happy Friday and best weekend wishes to all.

         

                                                                   Sincerely,

                                                                   Ms. Coffman

Field Trip Reminder!

Tomorrow is our trip to the White House!n  As "ambassadors" for Tuckahoe, we have asked that students dress up for this event.  Further information was sent home last Friday and a reminder slip is coming home today.  Preferably, we have asked that students not wear jeans, sweatpants, shorts, or athletic gear.  Also, due to security measures, students and parents will not be able to bring any cameras, bags, drinks, etc.  Parents who are joining us on the trip will need to bring a government issued identification card.  You may also bring a cell phone.  Further items are discouraged!

Parents, please report to the classroom by 9 am.  We will be departing about 9:15 to assure that we make our 10:30 reservation.  If you are meeting downtown, we will look to meet you at the entrance for visitors located at the SE gate or intersection of Hamilton Place and Executive.  There is a horse/soldier statue in this location and that is likely a good spot to collect and look for our arriving group.

Thank you again for your assistance.  And, we send a big THANK YOU to the Servidio family for bringing this opportunity to our doorsteps!

Note Card Tips!

Wax Museum Note Cards

First Draft due Wed., March 21^st!

A few guidelines for working on your note cards this weekend and next week:

·        Use index cards. It’s helpful to keep them together on a metal ring, with a binder clip, or in a small plastic bag.  Index cards are available in the classroom for your use!

·        Double space your writing. It will be easier to read.

·        Use outline or bullet form instead of complete sentences.

·        You may write in either first person (I was born…) or third person (Eleanor Roosevelt was born…).

·        Remember to list your information in chronological order. Begin when the person was born and end when they died (or today, if they are still living). 

·        You don’t have to include every detail! Pick the most exciting things that happened to them, or most important things they did.

·        You should have not less than six cards and probably no more than twelve.   

·        You should include a bibliography card at the end listing all of your resources (see sheet in your Wax Museum Pack).   

·        This is your first draft. You do not have to have everything perfect by next Wednesday.  On Wednesday, bring in whatever you have completed (even if it’s only a few cards) and show them to me. I need to see that you are working on the assignment. You will have almost another week to complete and proofread your work. Final note cards are not due until March 26th.  If you forget your cards on this date, you will lose points!

·        As always, do your best work and have fun!

Field Trip Form Reminder!

 Parents:

We are trying to finalize lists for the pending White House trip(s) next week.  For this reason, we asked for a quick turn around of student forms and parent/chaperone confirmations.  If you have not submitted your child's form OR confirmed your own attendance, please let me know asap.  Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter. 

Wax Museum Project Pack

Dear Parents and Students:

Many questions have arisen regarding the "due date" for the Wax Museum Project Pack that was issued to all students in the past week.  In my classroom, this is to be used as a template for collection of ideas as the student is reading the book.  It is a place in which main ideas, questions, connections, questions, and more can be recorded.  These notes can then be used as the basis for the notecards (draft and final) that will be created in the next week or two.  It is not my intention to grade the students on these packs.  Rather, this was provided as a tool to assist them in organizing their thoughts and to prepare for the final project.  The notecards, both draft and final, have very specific due dates and criteria.  These cards will be collected and graded at the end of the project.

In my classroom, my readers have been working hard to finish a Literature Circle assignment and then we will be taking a break from circles to do a short biography unit.  During this unit, we will collect details and create notecards very similar to those expected for the Wax Museum Project.  I believe it is the intention of other third grade teachers to do a similar project with their students in order to help prepare them for the project. 

I hope this eliminates some worries regarding this matter.  I will issuing further documents to assist with this project in the very near future.  Thank you!

Theresa Coffman

Recorder Karate Packs

This is a reminder to all students that THEY MUST BRING RECORDER KARATE PACKS ON MONDAY.  They are sent home each week for practice purposes.  But, for instructional purposes, the packs must come back on Monday so that they can be used with Ms. Dubois in the classroom.

As added note, homework this week is to practice the song "Gently Sleeps".  There will be test on this piece next Monday.

 

Science Test TUESDAY, March 13, 2012

Our Water Cycle and Weather test is tomorrow.  Please review the portfolio items sent home on Friday.  Also, there are good review "tests" at the end of both chapters 1 & 2 in Unit D.  As always, I'm sure everyone will do their best work!

Success in the Savanna, 3/8/12

Dear Parents/Students:

          Go Tuckahoe Sliders!   By the time you read this, the big game will likely have concluded.  I have no doubt that we agree that there are no losers in this event.  We are all winners and this is evident in our shared pride in our community, schools, families, teachers, and more.  What more could we as teachers or students want?  Go Tuckahoe and Go Nottingham – we both ROCK!

         

          What haven’t we been up to in the classroom?  We have finished our study of the Ancient Rome civilization and are slowly starting to learn about Ancient Mali.  In Science, we are “cycling” through water and weather and will have a test next week on this unit.  Look for portfolios coming home today for this purpose.  In Language Arts, we are eagerly working to finish our first Literature Circle read and then will do a short unit on biographies.  This unit will give your child experience with taking notes and creating note cards.  All students were given a Wax Museum Project pack to help them organize their thoughts when reading.  Further information about the project will be forthcoming.  For now, it is most important that all children are reading their books and learning what is it that made their character such a memorable individual in our world today.  In Health, we are learning about drugs and medicines.  It is never too early to learn to “Just Say No – AND Go!”.

          On a separate note, I want to compliment all my students on the hard work that they are putting forth in their response journal response.  This effort is now SIX weeks old and I am so impressed with the quality of responses being offered.  I have put together a “tip” letter to help guide the letters to an even higher level of expectations.  As your child knows, my favorite part of any pizza (or anything for that matter) is the “cheese”.  For this reason, I use this metaphor to describe my favorite part of their letters: their opinions, connections, questions, visualizations, inferences, and more.  Please look to the letter that was sent home earlier this week and has been posted on this blog.  Remember too that this is a parent’s “hands off” activity and I appreciate your efforts to abide by this direction.  I realize that it’s often easier to jump in and offer assistance but, truly, this must be an independent activity for your child if it is not already.  Thank you again for helping me (and them) in this effort!

          Have a great weekend!

                                                                   Sincerely,

                                                                   Ms. Coffman

Important Dates

3/13- Dessart Night

3/22 or 3/23 – White House Visit – STILL PENDING!

3/26-30- Book Fair- More Information to follow

3/28- Wax Museum Presentation- 11:00-12:00

3/28- Young Author’s Night

3/30- End of 3^rd Quarter

4/2-4/6- Spring Break

4/9- Teacher Work Day-No School for Students

4/10- School Re-opens

JOURNAL WRITING UPDATE: March 8, 2012

Dear Parents/Students:

As of this week, you have been writing in your journals for SIX weeks.  You are all doing a wonderful job and it has been a delight to read your thoughts and comments about what you are reading each night.  I am providing the following “tips” to help you in the journal writing process.  I am also providing some new and thoughtful questions that you can use to help you write.   You may still use the other question lists that were provided.  Try using different questions each time you write.  This will make the writing process more fun for you and the reading process more fun for me!

Tip #1:  Use the questions provided to help you think about what you are reading.  Your journal entries should be YOUR original comments and thoughts about your visualizations, your connections, your questions, your inferences, and more.  Some retelling of the story is fine but mostly I want to read YOUR thoughts about the story.  Again, the questions have been provided to help you in this process so please use them!!

Tip #2:  When you are done writing, take a few minutes to re-read or edit your work.  You should correct any obvious errors in spelling, punctuation or wording.  Journal entries are not expected to be perfect but they should make sense and each sentence should be a complete thought.  Apply the rules of grammar that you have learned in class.  I am looking to YOU to make these corrections before you submit your journal for review. 

Tip #3:  Include the date and title of your story or book with each journal entry.  This is important for me to better understand your writing AND it lets me check to see that you are writing two times each week.  You may write more if you want but you are only required to make two entries per week and each entry should be at least a full page long (skipping lines). 

Tip #4:  Read my responses and incorporate my suggestions into your next response letter.  You don’t always have to answer my questions; however, you should read the suggestions and make changes (as necessary) to your future letters.

Biography Selections Due Tomorrow!

Today we visited the library to make selections for our Wax Museum biography project.  Please know that all selections are due by tomorrow.  I have made sure that all students have forms for parent and student signature.  These forms, with book titles and authors, are due TOMORROW. 

For note, I appreciate the flexibility of certain students and parents who have had to make changes after finding that their first pick was already taken.  I know that the reading and project experience will still be a rewarding one for you.  Thank you for being such a team player!