Homework for Week of September 22, 2008
September 22, 2008 by James Hendricks
Hi Team Hendricks Families,
As we are beginning the new Bridges in Mathematics program this school year, there are bound to be bumps along the way. After collaborating with our mathematics consultant on Home Connection #1, there apparently was an issue with the timeline. For that, I apologize! Because of the issue, I am going to reduce the “written” homework this week and will only be assigning the Home Connections activities.
As I told the students today, it is important for them to get as much done on Home Connection #1 on Monday and Tuesday. This will alleviate some of the homework this weekend. I do not normally assign homework over the weekend, but the timing of the Home Connection #2 is important. Below, you will find the homework for the week and weekend.
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Homework for the Week of September 15, 2008
September 15, 2008 by James Hendricks
Hello Team Hendricks Families! There was a bunch of paper work that went home this week. Let me try to break it down for you!
Math Pack Weeks 5 and 6 - This pack is due on Friday, 9/19.
Home Connections Book #1 - This book should be completed and handed in on Friday, 9/26. We have been working diligently on the activities that are included in the book. Students should be able to do this with a little assistance.
Home Connection 1 * Activity Sheet - This is a letter about the Home Connections Book. Please sign and return that tomorrow, Tuesday, 9/16.
Second Grade Muscle Word Corrections - Students received a blank pack. District guidelines report that students who did not get all of the words correct must write them 10 times. The corrected test is included on the last page. As some students only had two or three words wrong and some students had more, the due date is different for every student. It is written on the top of the sheet. Please have your child pass it in by the approprite date.
There is a lot of things on tap this week. Please use your best judgement when it comes to math facts and the third grade muscle word practice. Students should always read at least 15 minutes and this should be integrated into their daily homework routine.
Classroom Update - September 15th
September 14, 2008 by James Hendricks
It really is hard to believe that we are in the fourth week of school already. We are already into the thick of many things!
Reading - We have finished reading two selections in our anthology: The Lost and Found and The Ballad of Mulan. Both of these selections have centered on the theme of adventure stories. We have worked on summarization and inferences in our reading focus. In addition, students have been working on making personal connections to our stories. In addition to our anthology, students began chapter book reading groups this week. These chapter books are geared toward your child’s reading ability and allow students to take the skills we have learned in anthology lessons and apply them to their chapter books. We will start this week off with another selection called The Waterfall by Jonathan London. Family newsletters have been posted by clicking on Reading above or by visiting http://www.teamhendricks.com/reading.
Spelling - We have just completed an assessment of the second grade muscle words. Students will receive a copy of their test this week and they will be required to write the words 10 times to practice them. In Cast-A-Spell, students are working on the vowel-consonant-e pattern. Some examples include close, late and fuse.
Math - In our first unit of Bridges in Mathematics, we are looking at addition strategies for mental math and patterns. Last week, students worked on repeating and growing patterns, an analysis of addition fact strategies, and working with calculators! Students will receive their first Math Home Connection Activity Pack on Monday. This pack reinforces the activities that we are completing in school. I urge you to spend time working with your child so that they can practice the math concepts we are working on.
Beginning-of-the-Year Assessments - During the month of September, third grade students take several different assessments to assist students with the development of classroom instruction. As was previously stated, students have taken a traditional spelling test of the 100 second grade muscle words. Last week, students took something called the DRP test. DRP stands for Degrees of Reading Power and this test gives teachers a look at how well students read with difficult vocabulary. The DRP has passages on a topic and students fill-in missing words from a multiple choice selection. This week, students will take a comprehension test which includes multiple choice and open-ended questions on two passages that they will read. In addition, students will complete a writing prompt where they write on a specific topic and it will be scored by third grade teachers across the district. All of these assessments give me a good idea of how your child learns in the area of langauge arts.
Constitution Day - Saturday, September 20th is Constitution Day. We will participate in some activities to learn about the United States Constitution.
That should be it for now! I hope that you have a great week! Jamie Hendricks
Homework for Tuesday, September 2, 2008
September 2, 2008 by James Hendricks
Homework for tonight was to complete the cursive k and t page in students’ cursive books. Other homework includes practicing addition facts and muscle words, and reading for at least 15 minutes.
Reading Theme 1: Off to Adventure
September 1, 2008 by James Hendricks
Information about our first reading theme has been posted in addition to the first selection The Lost and Found. For more information, please visit http://teamhendricks.com/reading/.
