Math Test...FRIDAY!

Due to my absence this afternoon, I'd like to take just one more day to review and enforce some of the time concepts.  So we'll write the test this Friday as oppose to tomorrow.

Just to give the heads up to parents on what to expect...

To five minute intervals:
- putting hands on an analogue clock
- reading analogue clocks
- writing the time in words (e.g., 10:55 = five to eleven, 3:20 = twenty minutes after three, 4:45 = quarter to five)
- word problems with elapsed time (e.g., At 5:30pm I ate dinner.  I went out to play 40 minutes later.  What time did I play?  6:10pm)

- Students also need to know:  how many months in a year, weeks in a month, days in a week, days in a month, hours in a day, minutes in an hour, seconds in a minute, etc.

New Spelling words and Homework - Due Wed. April 6th.

Homework - choose any 2 of the following:
sentences, ABC order, ZYX order (ABC and ZYX cannot be the 2 choices... one or the other), short story, 3 rhyming words, definitions
Grade 2
own
low
snowflake
blow
hello
snow
yellow
grow
window
show
throw
shadow

Grade 3
thick
thunder
nothing
another
truth
bath
mother
other
bother
father
rather
feather
together
gather
author
theatre

Grade 4
drain
except
drawer
everybody
drew
evening
drill
enough
dump
engine
during
electric
earn
elbow
earth
either
edge

One more day!

I'm going to move the math test back one day. It will now be written on Thursday, March 31. 

Things you'll find in your childs bag tonight...

Math homework - elapsed time and clock maniputlative (must come back with homework!) -
Due Wednesday, March 30.

Reading Material - new book with comprehension questions - Due Thursday, March 31

Donation Reminder w/ Crane - a small donation to the Japan fundraiser - Due Tomorrow

Photo Day form - Spring Photo Day is April 8th

Request from the office -  Regarding Clairlea's newsletter being set directly to your email address

REMINDER

Moms and Dads if you have a note written in the agenda for me, please please please remind your son/daughter to show me in the morning.  Thanks!

Interavtive Game Site

I love this web site! 
This BBC site offers plenty of practice with literacy and math concepts ranging from EASY to REALLY HARD!

This link will take you directly to the math component, however once on the site, look to the left side of the screen where you will see the literacy option. 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/ks1bitesize/numeracy/

New Spelling Word

Grade 2
old
cold
gold
hold
fold
told
bold
sold
scold
roll
troll
stroll

Grade 3
scout
scream
scrub
skunk
skin
slip
sled
smell
smooth
snack
spell
spend
straight
sweet
swamp
scribble
snowflakes

Grade 4
damage
damp
danger
dare
deaf
dear
death
decide
deer
didn't
died
dirt
disappear
discovered
divide
double
downstairs

Important Dates

Wed, March 23 -    Math Homework Due

Thurs, March 24 -   Reading homework Due
                               Pizza Lunch Money Due

Fri, March 25  -      Scholastic Book Orders Due
                               Spirit Day - Wear rainbow colours
                               Earth Hour - Lights out!
       
Tues, March 29 -    Toonie Tuesday for Japan fundraiser

Wed, March 30 -    Math Test on time

Telling Time Game Sites

http://www.free-training-tutorial.com/telling-time-games.html#airport

Clicking on the link above will take you to a site with various time telling games. Useful tools to reinforce the concepts.

In grade 3, the curriculum expectation for telling time states: 
by the end of grade 3, students will read time using analogue clocks, to the nearest five minutes, and using digital clocks (e.g., 1:23 means twenty-three after one o'clock) and represent time in 12-hour notation.

Welcomed with Homework!

Hello all and welcome back from a much needed March break!  We were able to share a lot of great stories this morning and it sounds like everyone had a great week off.

Homework:
New reading books with comprehension questions have been sent home today and will be due back this Thursday. 

Math is also coming home  - with a focus on telling time.  These 2 practice sheets will be due on Wednesday.

A reminder that there were no spelling words provided this week.  New words will be given on Wednesday. 

Math Test and Homework

The math tests have been marked and will be sent home today.  Please review with your child.
Also, there will be no spelling lists provided until after the March Break. 

Reading and Math Homework

Math review activities were worked on in class today.  Those who did not finish have brought them home for continued practice.  It is important that it is done tonight in preparation for our math test tomorrow. 

Also, a new book has come home and it the comprehension questions will be due this Thursday, March 10.  

Money Test

On Tuesday afternoon I will be giving the class a money test.  This will bring us to the end of our unit. 
Below is an outline on what the test will cover. We will review over the next 2 school days. 

- Coin names and values
- showing dollar amounts in coins ( to $10)
- counting coins and bills (to $10)
- word problems (to $10)

Are pencils a thing of the past?

In this fast-paced world, technology is definitely dominating!
We will not stop using pencils in MY class but there will definitely be times down the road where the computer will be your child's writing tool.
Learning how to type can be fun and easy.  Typing programs are available in all sorts, but most come at a cost.  I've provided a link to a free typing program that the kids will love.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/typing/levels/level1.shtml

Poster and Presentation Update

Today everyone has been assigned a presentation time slot to commence next week.  Time slots were chosen at random.  I've decided to allow students to keep their poster until their presentation date, so they can practice with it at home.

Spelling Lists and Homework

Homework for both grades:  Put all words in a sentence.  Underline the spelling word.

Grade 2
boat
coat
goat
soap
road
koala
toad
soak
float
toast
most
roller coaster

Grade 3
breeze
brain
crab
cross
drift
drive
frighten
friend
front
grand
ground
print
program
trap
trash
tremendous
grouchy

Grade 4
hospital
hoping
hope
honey
holidays
hobby
hitting
highest
herself
heat
health
he's
he'll
harsh
handful
hair

OOPS! Don't forget!

Mme. Demeter has sent home colouring homework for the grade 3's.  Many have not brought the sheets back and without them, the final product cannot be completed.
If you find your child's name below, please insist that this gets worked on tonight...and brought back tomorrow!! Students with unfinished work will have time over recess to finish. 

Autumn
Trevis
Kian
Preyom
Aaron
Jeremy
Jacob
Josh
Calliope
Kazi
Jessica

Story Writing

We have begun exploring the art of story writing.  We are focusing specifically on SCARY STORIES.
We will start building our outlines tomorrow.  In the mean time, students are to brainstorm some ideas they'd like to consider for their story.  Here is a brief outline of what they are to keep in mind when writing:

Setting: Helps create the mood
Characters: are the people or creatures in the story (max. of 3-4)
Sensory Details: use the 5 senses to help the readers connect to the story
Foreshadowing: clues about events that could happen later in the story
Plot: different events in the story help make up the plot
Surprise and suspense: Keeps the readers turing the pages
Imagery: Helps the reader create images in their minds
Dialogue: characters need to speak to each other - allows readers to hear the conversations
Take Action: the main characters try to solve the 'problem'
Punctuation:  helps the readers adjust their voice/tone
Climax: the peak of the story (usually the scariest part)
Ending:  leaves the reader scared but satisfied

Math homework - Due tomorrow

Tonight the children  are bringing home their workbooks.  This is where they have planned out their kids menu.  Please make sure the workbook is returned tomorrow!
At this point, they are to have all their items priced out.  With these, they can now generate their 3-4 word problems. The word problems are based on the items listed in the menu.

For example:
Timmy ordered the chicken nuggets and fries, a ginger ale, and jello for dessert.  How much did he spend?
OR
Andrea ate the cheese pizza, an order of onion rings and a coke.  She had $10.  Did she have enough money to pay her bill?
OR
John and his brother shared a vanilla shake, fries and pizza.  They gave the waitress $8.50.  How much change did she give them?

Answers to the word problems need to be provided as well. 

Poster and Presentation Assessment

I've provided each of the children with assessment rubrics, which can be found in their bags. 
The rubrics will give the kids an opportunity to see where and how they can achieve the highest level possible. I've already done so, but please review the rubrics with your child in preparation for poster submission and presentation.  Hope it helps!