it's March already?!?!?!?

Where does the time go? I can't believe it will be March by the end of the week!

Upcoming this week: 
March 1st- (Thursday) Spring Pictures
March 2nd- Encore practice (8:10-8:45), Dr. Seuss activities in our classroom


Math- Last week we discussed 2-D and 3-D shapes. We spent a lot of time talking about what a vertex (corner), an edge, and a face (sides) were. The kids even categorized the different shapes and had a chance to build using marshmallows for the vertices and toothpicks for the edges. This week we will focus on lines, line segments, rays, and angles. We will take our geometry test on Thursday and take some time to make geobots (robots made from geometric shapes).

Reading-   This week we will read  Tornado Alert by Franklyn M. Branley. This is a nonfiction piece about the dangers and destruction that comes with tornado season. The students are always amazed to learn that Iowa is part of the “Tornado Alley,” and how they can be catastrophic. Students will discuss the main ideas and supporting details of the story.

Text Talk- This week we will use  The Cow Who Wouldn't Come Down again. Our text talk words will be different from our reading vocabulary words. So the kids will get a double dose of vocabulary from this text. Our text talk words are: contrary, glide, ignored, sternly, innovative, and rivals.
 
Science- The students are finishing up talking about rocks and minerals. The study guide and test for this may or may not be given out this week. I will keep you posted, a lot depends on the rate of  evaporation. 


Writing- We will continue our work in our ABC books. Our reports have been written after creating a t-chart and transferring it to number notes. Students thought taking the t-chart to number notes was far more complicated than taking the number notes to a 4 paragraph report! :) We will continue to work with transition words as I did not require them in our non-fiction report. During our technology time for the next couple weeks students will be typing reports and creating a 2 slide PowerPoint presentation, which will be shared at conferences. 


Upcoming this month: 
3/13 Encore performs- 7:00 p.m. Marion High School
3/14 1:30 Dismissal
3/20 Conferences 4-8 p.m.
3/22 1:30 Dismissal, Conferences 2-6 p.m.
3/23-3/30 No School- Spring Break
4/2- Classes back in session :) 


Have a great week! 
Mrs. Jodie Yuska

2nd trimester expectations

Report cards are going home today! Please look for them in your child's brown envelope.

You may notice some big differences in your child's scores. This is largely due to how drastically expectations can change from trimester to trimester. Here is a breakdown of some of the skills your child was asked to master.

Math:
Place Value-

·      Compare and order numbers through 100’s

·      Ordinal numbers and estimation 

·     Rounding to 10’s and 100’s

·     Skip count by 2, 3, 5, and 10 (starting at various numbers)  

Problem Solving strategies- 
·    Can solve multiplication, subtraction, and addition story problems with 1-2 steps 

Addition Skills-
·    2 digit with regrouping (earns % on assessment and practice pages)

o   90%  = 4

o   80% = 3

o   70% = 2

            o   60% = 1

Subtraction Skills-   
·    2 digit with regrouping (earns % on assessment and practice pages)

o   90%  = 4

o   80% = 3

o   70% = 2

            o   60% = 1

Multiplication Skills-
·    earns % on assessment and practice pages

o   90%  = 4

o   80% = 3

o   70% = 2

            o   60% = 1

Algebra- 

·      Solve patterns for 2, 3, 5, and 10

·      Solve for an unknown in addition and subtraction

     (5+?= 8,  10-?= 2) 

·      Quantitative change with one variable leads to a change in the second variable (Stacy is 10, her mom is 38. When Stacy is 12, will her mom be older, younger, or stay the same?

 Time-
·       Can tell time accurately

·      Uses appropriate vocabulary (quarter, half past)

Money-

·      Add and subtract monetary values 

·      Count back change from a dollar with fewest coins possible 

Measurement- 

·      Understands and applies vocabulary (inch, foot, yard, ounce, pound, minute, hour)

·      Decides and uses appropriate tool and unit of measurement

Reading:  

  Fluency-  Independently Reads a 3^rd Grade Passage
·     Guided Reading Level and Dibels Passage used to determine
·     5 point fluency scale (phrasing, expression, pace) are all assessed

Comprehension:  Independently Comprehends 3^rd Grade Reading Material ( *1st trimester assessments were read to students. 2nd and 3rd trimester students read assessments on their own)
·     % on basal story quizzes and unit assessments

o   90%  = 4

o   80% = 3

o   70% = 2

            o   60% = 1

Vocabulary:  Independently Comprehends 3^rd Grade Reading Material ( *1st trimester assessments were read to students. 2nd and 3rd trimester students read assessments on their own)
·     % on basal story quizzes, unit assessments, and Text Talk quizzes

o   90%  = 4

o   80% = 3

o   70% = 2

            o   60% = 1

Writing-
Develops and organizes effectively: Uses Write Tools writing lessons to:


  ·     Able to develop number notes, simple statements, and a question statement 
  ·   Writes a paragraph with a topic sentence, concluding sentence, a big idea, and a give me more      


Word usage: (assessed on writing and daily language assignments)
  ·  Uses correct grammar


Applies correct capitalization and punctuation:

·       Capitalizes days of the week, months of the year

·       Capitalizes salutations and closings of letter 

·       Capitalize beginning of nouns 

Spells correctly in written work

 ·       Spells frequently used words (Word Wall Words) correctly


Hope this helps, please let me know if you have any further questions! :)

Mrs. Jodie Yuska

Happy President's Day!

The news of President's Day is a welcomed event in my household. No, not because any of us have the day off. We are very thankful for our freedoms and those before us who made our country great. But, because it is a sign that the end of tax season is that much closer. Yes, my husband is a tax accountant, however I am not sure who this is the hardest on; my husband, my two daughters, or myself! :) 

News of the week:This week we will not have a new story or Text Talk book, which the students will be tested over. Instead we will be using a lot of extra valuable time with our Animal/ Rainforest research. We will also take some time to dive into some lessons about weather before reading Tornado Alert and Storm in the Night in the upcoming weeks.

Math- Last week we ended our 2nd trimester finishing up our unit on measurement. This unit has a lot of information piled into it, which the students really enjoyed. We will revisit measurement in May. This week we are starting our Geometry unit. Students will begin learning about 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional shapes, lines, angles, polygons, and congruence. 

Reading/Writing- We will be using this time to read some books about weather and have some much needed time to work on our Animal reports. So far we have taken our research information and created notes, a poster, and a T-chart (used with Write Tools). Our next step is to turn our T-chart into Number Notes (also Write Tools). Our goal is to publish (have the students use the mobile lab to word process) a multi-paragrah report. I am hoping to have enough time before conferences to have each child create 2 to 3 PowerPoint slides to present to the class and to their families at conferences. 

Text Talk- We do not have a Text Talk book this week so we will be using the time to work on our Rainforest ABC books. 

Science- This week students performed a scratch test to see which minerals were the hardest and which were the softest. They are in the middle of determining what minerals are found in Granite. They will complete a series of tests including another evaporation test (with vinegar) to see what materials are there but our eyes can't see. While trays are evaporating (and Mrs. Clark's room begins to smell like an Easter egg factory!) they will be taking a look at the water cycle and how our weather depends on evaporation (transpiration), condensation, precipitation, and collection.

 *Second Trimester report cards will go home Thursday in brown envelopes. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns as conferences are student-led and a month away yet! :)

Have a great week! 

Mrs. Jodie Yuska

Valentine's Party Highlights

Here is some fun we had at our Valentine's party. I felt very loved today! :) Hope your children were not too hyped up on sugar, the kids were told to limit their intake!

Checking out our Valentine bags

A creative and time consuming treat I'm sure!

Lots of huddles formed sharing Valentines, it was noisy in our room but nice!

So many Valentines to look at in so little time.

The children were very creative decorating their bags this year.

SO MUCH SUGAR! :)

A creative treat and way to share a treat.

A creative Valentine. The kids all love fortune tellers.

Highlight of the sugar, especially the rings!

It was like and endless bag (I kept thinking Mary Poppins).

Valentines from me. You can thank my daughter Katelyn for the idea!

Another very creative Valentine. I was very excited mine was not decorated with Hawkeyes! (just kidding Katie)

The kids loved the rings' fashion statement.

Happy (Early) Valentine's Day!

 Quick updates:
*Happy belated birthday Ty- 2/11  
*Our class Valentine's party will be on Tuesday, February 14th 2:50-3:15 
*No School Friday, February 17th- teachers will be working on report cards
*Lunch menu changes- 

February 16th- Cook's Choice- Chicken Burrito, Corn, Peaches, Vanilla Pudding

February 20th- Snow day make-up- Chicken Nuggets w/ Breadstick, Tri Tater, Apricots, Animal Cookies

Math-We are wrapping up our measurement unit. Today we discussed temperature and appropriate things to wear at certain temperatures. Tomorrow we will be using candy hearts for some fun Valentine math activities. Then it will be back to a measurement review. We will be reviewing the standard and metric units of measurement for length, capacity, weight, and temperature. As well as the area, perimeter, and volume of objects. Our measurement test will be on Thursday, February 16th.

 
Reading-   This week we are reading one of my all-time favorite stories Cloudy with a chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett.  This is a story where a breakfast incident with a flying pancake prompts Grandpa to tell an intriguing bedtime tale about the fantastic, faraway town of Chewandswallow, where food- not rain, sleet, or hail- falls from the sky! Students will analyzing the plot, discuss cause and effects, and use the illustrations to understand the story.

Writing- This week we are continuing to work on our ABC books, as well as our research projects. We are creating animal posters today. Then will be working on our multi-paragraph report using number notes and grading rubrics from our Write Tools lessons.

Science- Last week the students finished investigating their mock rocks.  They learned a rock is really a bunch a minerals that are mixed together; a lot like a chocolate chip cookie. Mrs. Clark used evaporation trays to discuss how water changes to gas and evaporates into the air, leaving behind particles (salt), which the water contained. This week they are moving on to test and rank the hardness of certain minerals. 

A look a head- 

Watch for an extra post from me this week with pictures from our Valentine's party.

Snow make-up day on Monday, February 20th. The kids will have a regular school day. 

Have a great week! Please be careful out today with the fresh snowfall! :)

Mrs. Jodie Yuska