Weekly Planner for November 3, 2008 & Weekly Planner for November 11, 2008

Reading Journal Homework Due November 5, 2008

Reading Journal Questions

Reading Response Paper

Welcome to November!  Team Hendricks has been extremely busy over the past several weeks preparing for the Vote Southeast mock election.  We researched candidates, set up our ballot, were poll workers, and analyzed results.  Mrs. Brenda Sullivan from Mansfield Today came to interview students about Vote Southeast; links to her article are available at www.teamhendricks.com.  Your child was extremely excited about our democracy in action.  I hope that it continues throughout his or her life. If you have a chance to take your child to the polls tomorrow, please consider it.  It is a great way to instill the “right to vote.”

In reading, we have started our second theme Celebrating Traditions.  Students have read two stories:  The Keeping Quilt and Anthony Reynoso: Born to Rope.  Both of the stories provide insight into different cultures and how those families celebrate their heritage and traditions.  We continue to read chapter books during reader’s workshop.

In writing, students are working on developing their own stories during writer’s workshop.  Students create first drafts, revise using writing hint cards, conference with peers, and then with adults to create a finalized piece.  The entire process takes awhile to complete, but as students finish they will have their own little book that has been word processed and illustrated.  We are just starting to computerize some stories.  Several students are working on wireless laptops in the classroom.

We continue to work in the new mathematics program.  Over the past several weeks, students have been working with numbers in base five.  Even though this seems like a high-level concept, students are able to “forget” misconceptions about our regular base ten number system and gain a deeper understanding of how number systems work.  A green letter came home early last month about flexible groupings.  Some students are working with our third grade mathematics interns and Mrs. Susan Irvine, our enrichment teacher.  Other students remain in the classroom.

It really is hard to believe that we are coming up to the end of the first marking period.  On October 31, 2008, I sent home a letter about scheduling parent conferences.  Due to a scheduling conflict beyond my control, some conference will need to be scheduled outside of the normal school conference times.  If you can use one of those other time blocks, it would be be greatly appreciated!

Informational articles, like this one, are placed online periodically.  Please visit www.teamhendricks.com for more information.  As always, please feel free to email or call me if you have any concerns or questions.

Have a great week!   Jamie Hendricks

Link to Article

• Cursive |p and |a
• Bring back library field trip permission slip and library card (if you have one). Due as soon as you can bring it in!!

• Bring back library field trip permission slip and library card (if you have one). Due as soon as you can bring it in!!
• Bar graph Paper

  WEDNESDAY

• Fire Prevention Plan Worksheet

  THURSDAY

• Fire Prevention Plan Worksheet

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.

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.

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

Weekly Friday notices include:

• Mileage Club
• 22nd Know Your Towns Fair 2008
• Mansfield Parks and Rec Youth Basketball
• 2 Southeast School Library Notices

I hope that your child has found that third grade is a really great place to learn!  Enjoy the three day weekend.