Here are a few important dates to put on your calendar:
February 15 - Early Release at 2:10
February 20-21 - 3rd grade Reading TCAP
March 1 - Field Trip to Manitou Cliff Dwellings
March 4-22 - DIII - DV TCAP and makeup days; 3rd grade will take Math and Writing tests at this time. 4th and up will take all (Math, Reading and Writing, plus Science for 5th and 8th)
March 4-22 - DIII - DV TCAP and makeup days; 3rd grade will take Math and Writing tests at this time. 4th and up will take all (Math, Reading and Writing, plus Science for 5th and 8th)
April 24 - Science Fair Projects Due
Science Fair Projects
February is just around the corner, and we hope that students have determined what questions they would like to answer for their Science Fair projects. With a month of time to work on this project under their belts, students should also have a hypothesis prepared and have done a bit of research to help them in creating experiments that will answer their questions. These portions of their science fair boards should be planned out, and perhaps even done in draft at this point.
During the month of February, students should be planning out their experiments, and gathering observations and data.
Here is a link to the Science Fair planning packet you were provided at conferences:
We expect that students will be analyzing concepts that truly interest them, and that the design of their experiments are unique and demonstrate the kind of advanced and creative learners we know them to be. As your student works through this process, please help them to prepare their science fair board so that it presents both a neat and creative appearance. We expect the work to be student created, however helping students with the finer points of board organization at this age is most helpful.
Science fair projects will be due April 24.
LifeSkills
Dr. Ricotta's students have been discussing conflict with peers and how to solve problems together. They are exploring four problem solving steps and are in the process of creating their own unique "Problem Solving"posters to keep in their binders. Ask your child to share it with you!
Students have started analyzing what "Leadership" really means in Ms. Brown's room. What does it look like to others? What does it sound like to someone outside of our learning environment? How can we recognize the five leadership skills in ourselves and others? Modeling the way, enabling others to act, inspiring a shared vision, challenging the process, and encouraging the heart--how can we make those part of our everyday lives? During Care and Compassion Month, we will continue to explore these characteristics of leadership and tie them to the FISH! Philosophy.
Students have started analyzing what "Leadership" really means in Ms. Brown's room. What does it look like to others? What does it sound like to someone outside of our learning environment? How can we recognize the five leadership skills in ourselves and others? Modeling the way, enabling others to act, inspiring a shared vision, challenging the process, and encouraging the heart--how can we make those part of our everyday lives? During Care and Compassion Month, we will continue to explore these characteristics of leadership and tie them to the FISH! Philosophy.
World of Math
Ms. Brown's class is currently analyzing fractional parts of the whole, learning how to write fractions properly, and recognize them in both written form and regional models. As this unit progresses, students will explore equivalent fractions as well as be introduced to the concept of mixed numbers.
Students in Dr. Ricotta's room have just completed an exploration of the use of partial quotients as a strategy to solve division problems and are also beginning their own study of fractions.
Ms. Burns' students are beginning a study of geometry, specifically the use of coordinate grids and ordered pairs. Playing games involving grids like this, such as Battleship, are fun ways to explore this concept!
Art of Language
Ms. Burns' Language Arts students are continuing their exploration of Frindle by Andrew Clements. Students are currently making predictions about characters and their motivation, while supporting their predictions with information directly from the text. One student made a very astute observation that a character from the book often chooses to create his own "drama" to get out of doing work in class!
Dr. Ricotta's students just completed a Reader's Theater integration with Mr. Jesse using excerpts from his own book, The Night the Moon Ate My Room! Her students performed for Mrs. McKellip's students last week and thoroughly enjoyed the experience of literature from an entirely new direction. Her students are also in the process of presenting their essays to explain directions to play a game each of them created on their own!
Ms. Brown's students recently completed pantoum poems on topics of their choice, and are currently finding their inner lawyers, infomercial hosts, and editorial writers by studying the art of reasoning and persuasive techniques. Students will be working in small groups, pairs, and then independently to tackle important hypothetical issues such as later bedtimes for children, required novel studies during summer break, and appropriate snack-times during school in addition to their own ideas. Hopefully, these reasoning (*ahem*...arguing) skills will transfer to your dinner table conversation! Feel free to require multi-paragraph persuasive essays from your children!
Historical Inquiry
Students are currently focusing on the geography of Colorado and how it has impacted the lives of the people moving here from other places in the past and present. We will begin exploring how our unique geography impacts our climate and the living things with whom we share our state in the coming weeks.
As we explore our state's rich history, we have planned a field trip on Friday, March 1 to the Manitou Cliff Dwellings to study an early resident of our area of Colorado, the Anasazi. Permission slips and other pertinent information will go home in Thursday folders on February 14. The fee for this trip will be $12.00. Please let your child's homeroom teacher know if he or she will need a sack lunch for this trip as soon as possible.
Due dates for permission slips and payment are not flexible. All funds and permission slips will be due back to homeroom teachers no later than the Friday prior to the trip--February 22. Students who do not return both of these items by that date will not be allowed to attend the field trip and will stay at school--no last minute exceptions will be made.
Due dates for permission slips and payment are not flexible. All funds and permission slips will be due back to homeroom teachers no later than the Friday prior to the trip--February 22. Students who do not return both of these items by that date will not be allowed to attend the field trip and will stay at school--no last minute exceptions will be made.
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