Success in the Savanna 9/27

September 27, 2013

Dear Parents,

            It is so good to have had the feel of fall in the air this week!  We are well into our routines and the children are all working hard to keep up with their responsibilities.  I am very pleased with their (and your) efforts to date.  Remember this is a process and perfection is not expected, rather trying your best.

            The children have been learning about maps and globes in Social Studies.  In Math we continue to work with place value, how to identify numbers in a variety of ways as well as adding larger numbers.  In Language Arts the children have been learning how to identify important information in non-fiction text, creating visualizations, and looking for those robust words in writing that add color and meaning to the text. 

            I appreciate all the offers of help that I received at Back to School Night.  I will be reaching out to those of you who signed up if I have not already done so.  This also goes for those of you who showed an interest to chaperone our field trip to the National Building Museum.  I am limited to five adults on our bus so I may need to ask for volunteers to withdraw or to meet us at the museum. 

            I would like to remind everyone that the children might need a sweater or light jacket when they come to school as the temperature begins to fall.  This will also mean reminders to bring these items home each evening.  Please remember that we do go outside everyday, and we would like for your children to be dressed appropriately for the weather.  Also, we are beginning to see the first colds in the classroom.  When assessing your child’s ability to come to school with a cold, please remember that we ask if your child has a fever that they stay at home, and not return until they have been fever free for 24 hours.  If your child is sick and not coming to school, please call the Attendance Line (703-228-8320) and report your child’s absence.  Please know that in the classroom the children are being reminded to wash their hands several times a day, as well as to wipe down their desks a couple of times a week.

I hope everyone enjoys a relaxing weekend.

                                                                                    Sincerely,

                                                                                    Ms. Coffman

                                                                                    Theresa.coffman@apsva.us

See back for upcoming events list ->

Upcoming Events

Tues. 10/8- Building Museum Field Trip- 9:00am-12:30pm

       Thur.-Fri. 10/10-11- Parent Teacher Conferences

       Mon. 10/14- Columbus Day- No School for students

       Tues. 10/22- Mini-Walk for the Homeless

       Fri. 10/25- Harvest Fest- 7:00pm

       Thurs. 10/31- Halloween Parade- 2:00pm

          

Favorite Math Practice Sites - all FREE!

www.aplusmath.com

www.aaamath.com

www.gamequarium.org

Use these for flash card practice, generating worksheets, playing games, and more!

Success in the Savanna, 9/20/13

Dear Parents,

            I would like to thank those of you who were able to attend Back to School Night on Tuesday evening. It was so nice to meet you all.  I realize there was a lot of information shared in a short period of time, however I do hope you came away from the evening with a bit of an understanding about the year ahead.  While it is a year of change and transition for your child, remember, it is a process and there will be a lot of small steps along the way.

It is amazing to me that three weeks of school are under our belts.  We have accomplished quite a lot this month.  In Reading we are learning how to look for important words in non-fiction text, and to “read” the pictures for information.  In Math we have been reviewing number value and place and working with groups of ten and hundred.  I have introduced your child to several, free math websites.  Links for these can be found o the Tuckahoe website OR on our classroom blog.  Assignment notebooks and binders are now even more familiar and our room is operating at a near-normal, high paced rhythm.  It’s hard to believe that it has been only three weeks.    

            Look for a field trip permission slip coming in this Friday Folder.  Also, conference confirmations for those scheduled next week are also enclosed.  Finally, if your child is playing a fall sport, please send me their schedule.  I do like to get out over the weekend and catch a game or two. As always, thank you for all you do to send your child to school excited and ready to learn.  Enjoy the weekend.

                                                                                    Sincerely,

                                                                                    Theresa Coffman

                                                                                    Theresa.coffman@apsva.us

Upcoming Events

                 

Tues. 10/8- Building Museum Field Trip- 9am-12:30pm

         Thur.-Fri. 10/10-11- Parent Teacher Conferences

         Mon. 10/14- Columbus Day- No School for students

          

Health Project 9/26 - IN CLASS

September 20, 2013

Dear Student:

Next Thursday, September 26, you will be given approximately one hour of class time to complete a health activity of your choice.  These activities will be considered in determining your final grade for chapter 1 of our Health content.  Please choose one of the projects below and begin preparing/planning for this activity today.  I will provide a box of scraps, glue, some materials and some art crafts such as pipe cleaners and buttons.  If you need something more to complete your project, please bring it from home on Tuesday or Wednesday so that you will have it during our class time that afternoon.  Your options are:

1.     Friendship Card

Choose a family member or other individual in your close circle of friends who you would like to make a special friendship card for.  Feel free to use pictures, sentences, short poems or more to express your feelings for this person.  The card should be at least 5” x 7” and it should include both opening and closing greetings as well as a full paragraph or two expressing your feelings.  If you want, you can even prepare your card for mailing – bring a stamp, envelope and your person’s address.  I will help you prepare the mailing and we can even mail it from Tuckahoe!

2.     Responsibility List

Make a list or graph of your daily responsibilities or chores.  This includes responsibilities at school, at home and in your community.  Put a check mark next to the ones that you do all by yourself.  Write a minimum 10 sentence paragraph, with descriptive sentences, telling why these are important responsibilities or chores for you to do.  Give specific examples of how you do this chore each day and why it is a good responsibility or chore for you to have. 

3.     Totem Pole

Make a totem pole that represents members of your family.  The pole should have a piece representing each member of the family and each piece should display some special quality or trait about that person.  You may include aunts, uncles, grandparents, pets and more.   You will also prepare a one page summary sheet that tells who each piece represents and what quality or trait you believe best describes that person.  For example:  “The blue piece represents my mom.  She is kind and caring which reminds me of the color blue.  She is also located at the top of the pole because she takes care of all of us below”.  

4.     Personalized Math Mobile

Using paper scraps in the classroom, cut out geometrical shapes – such as triangles, rectangles, and circles – to create a numerical mobile.  Each shape should have one number that tells us something unique or special about you.  Each shape should have a different number and a sketch representing that number.  You will then glue your shapes onto a piece of string or yarn to hang from a ceiling.  On a separate piece of paper you will write one sentence (or more) explaining why each number is important to you.  For example:  “The number seven represents the number of people in my family including my siblings and my parents”.  

In addition to getting credit for the actual content of your project, you will also be graded on creativity and neatness.  Just “do your best” and you will do fine on this evaluation.

Ms. Coffman

Free dictionary link for students

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/

Success in the Savanna, 9/13/13

         September 13,2013

Dear Parents,

We have accomplished quite a bit this week.  All of the beginning of the year assessments are complete, which the children were quite relieved about. In Math we have been reviewing number and place value while working with groups of ones, tens, hundreds and thousands.  Assignment notebooks and binders are now more familiar and papers are where they need to be for the most part.  Most important is that we are enjoying each other’s company and learning to work together as a community of learners. Looking back there are many successes to celebrate. 

            As we look towards next week I want to bring your attention to Back to School Night on Tuesday evening, September 17th.  The program will begin at 7:00 pm in the Gym and then move into the classrooms.  I hope you will be able to join us for this evening of information, and opportunity to volunteer both in and outside of the classroom.

Please know that you can this newsletter and other classroom information on our third grade blog.  You can access it through the main Tuckahoe Website.  Go to the “Classes” tab and click on “3^rd Grade”.  Under my name there is a link to my blog.  I will be using this my primary method to keep you up to date on what is happening both in our classroom as well as posting upcoming events.  As I will make updates to the Savanna during the week, I am asking that you visit this blog a couple of times per week to stay up to date on what is happening in our class.

As always, thank you for all you do to send your child to school excited and ready to learn.  Hope you all enjoy your weekend

                                                                                                Sincerely,

                                                                                                Ms. Coffman

                                                                                                 theresa.coffman@apsva.us

                                                                                                                                          

Upcoming Events

                 

         Tues. 9/17- Back to School Night- 7:00 pm

Tues. 10/8- Building Museum Field Trip- 9am-12:30pm

         Thur.-Fri. 10/10-11- Parent Teacher Conferences

         Mon. 10/14- Columbus Day- No School for students