Teachers were at school on Monday, March 25th to collaborate on the ELA and Math Common Core Standard and assessments, among other things. We used the sample questions provided by the state to gauge readiness and most valuable test strategies to practice before the assessments. I had to laugh when I read the author's of the reading selections: Leo Tolstoy and NASA. Those passages were challenging and the questions were even more so! The math questions were a mixture of sort of normal level questions and killers. The state is announcing everywhere it can find space that test scores are expected to drop.
The week of April 1st is a "catch up" week for ELA. Our ela series often has more weekly material than can be taught and digested in a 5 day week and last week was full of assemblies and weather delays. The kids have already taken the spelling test but we haven't completed the comprehension practice, reading group strategies, or writing selection (persuasive writing). So, no spelling packet for the week!
I look forward to hearing about all the fun things the class got up to over the break!
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
I CAN POST FROM MY SCHOOL COMPUTER!!!!
Hurray! I can finally update our classroom blog from my school computer! No more 10pm posts! And now we can have the kids put in their ideas from time to time. This is great!
We are giving a test tomorrow called the Test of Cognitive Skills. As far as I can tell its an assessment of quantitative and verbal reasoning. It will take most of the morning. The kids did a short practice test today so they know what to expect and how to fill in their answers.
In ELA we're reading a brief biography of James Naismith, the fellow who invented basketball. The focus skills are generalizing from details, summarizing, and using graphic sources. Our writing piece for the week is persuasive writing. Students will write to persuade the reader to try something the writer thinks is fun.
In math we are continuing to work on multiplication and division problem solving while introducing 3rd grade fraction concepts.
Students who have met with me to go over their Topic 7 math test will be bring home their score and some extra practice for the type(s) of questions they missed. They have corrected their test while they met with me. Please try to do some of the practice attached to your child's test. No need to send it back. This is such a time consuming process! I'm trying to replicate what you probably do when the test themselves are brought home by sitting with each student. Not sure if I can do this for every test. It may take the rest of this week to finish!
Next on the horizon.... NYS TESTING IN APRIL!
We are giving a test tomorrow called the Test of Cognitive Skills. As far as I can tell its an assessment of quantitative and verbal reasoning. It will take most of the morning. The kids did a short practice test today so they know what to expect and how to fill in their answers.
In ELA we're reading a brief biography of James Naismith, the fellow who invented basketball. The focus skills are generalizing from details, summarizing, and using graphic sources. Our writing piece for the week is persuasive writing. Students will write to persuade the reader to try something the writer thinks is fun.
In math we are continuing to work on multiplication and division problem solving while introducing 3rd grade fraction concepts.
Students who have met with me to go over their Topic 7 math test will be bring home their score and some extra practice for the type(s) of questions they missed. They have corrected their test while they met with me. Please try to do some of the practice attached to your child's test. No need to send it back. This is such a time consuming process! I'm trying to replicate what you probably do when the test themselves are brought home by sitting with each student. Not sure if I can do this for every test. It may take the rest of this week to finish!
Next on the horizon.... NYS TESTING IN APRIL!
Friday, March 15, 2013
Family Math Night Was Fun!
The 3rd grade team was joined by students and their families for an evening of fun with math. The whole gym was filled with math games and activities. It looked like everyone had a good time The marshmallows and toothpicks building center, beanbag measurement toss and pentominoes were especially popular. I took some pictures for the yearbook so look for yourself in the yearbook!
I hope everyone will have a great weekend and a very happy St Patrick's Day!
I hope everyone will have a great weekend and a very happy St Patrick's Day!
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Students brought home many papers today that we've worked on in the past. Just FYI, no need to do anything with them.
Tonight's homework is to do the next spelling page, complete a workbook page on irregular verbs begun in school, read and log. Don't forget to send in you PARP reading logs when they're complete.
Many students were overheard talking about going to a different school next year. I'm not going to raise the topic unless I'm actually asked. My answer will be that the vote hasn't made anything official yet, but we will all have many friends where ever we find ourselves next year.
Tonight's homework is to do the next spelling page, complete a workbook page on irregular verbs begun in school, read and log. Don't forget to send in you PARP reading logs when they're complete.
Many students were overheard talking about going to a different school next year. I'm not going to raise the topic unless I'm actually asked. My answer will be that the vote hasn't made anything official yet, but we will all have many friends where ever we find ourselves next year.
Monday, March 4, 2013
Fewer Tests To Be Sent Home
Teachers received an email today directing them NOT to send home tests which come from the publishers of our math and ela series. That means no weekly ela, no ela unit tests, no math topic tests. Spelling tests and times facts tests will still go home along with any teacher-made quizzes. If you have questions or concerns please contact Dr. Marijane Reinhard at the district office. After each test I'll send home a note with the grade. I'd like to find an efficient way of showing you areas of concern, if any. This has just been announced so I will need some time to look into the best way to do that.
Dr. Bryant is making his recommendation to the board tonight about which elementary school to close. Even if Park remains open, our little community will change forever. I know it will be for the best, but I can't help wishing we could keep things as they are.
It looks as though there's another bug making its way through our student population. Every teacher I talked to had at least 4 children absent today. Time for the no sharing-no touching talk tomorrow!
Tonight's homework: cause and effect worksheet, spelling 3 times each, read and log, math lesson 7-3 division worksheet (both sides) using a multiplication chart to help with answers. The cause/effect worksheet is part of the 20 minute!!!!
Dr. Bryant is making his recommendation to the board tonight about which elementary school to close. Even if Park remains open, our little community will change forever. I know it will be for the best, but I can't help wishing we could keep things as they are.
It looks as though there's another bug making its way through our student population. Every teacher I talked to had at least 4 children absent today. Time for the no sharing-no touching talk tomorrow!
Tonight's homework: cause and effect worksheet, spelling 3 times each, read and log, math lesson 7-3 division worksheet (both sides) using a multiplication chart to help with answers. The cause/effect worksheet is part of the 20 minute!!!!
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