Wilson School

ACCELERATED READING PROGRAM Your child has a level range as determined by the diagnostic element of the program. I have adjusted some children’s level based on what I know of their ability so far. The “test” is computer based and is more of a vocabulary test than a reading test, so is not always accurate as a level. I only adjust levels UPWARDS, not down. If your child’s level seems too high as he or she brings home books for reading as homework, then let me know and we will adjust. Your child MUST read their AR book from the library or my classroom as homework. If they are enjoying another book out of their level with you or on their own, that is fine but the 20 minutes of homework each night are required from their reading level so that they may take tests, gain points and ascend through the levels in the format we use here at Wilson School. Each third grader brought home a book on Thursday to read. If it was a shorter picture book, then they may have finished and taken a test on Friday. They should have then returned their book and gotten another one. Your child should always have an AR book in their possession from school. The process is outlined below. You can help your child by knowing where they are in this process at all times, and by making sure they know, too. 1. Your child gets a book in their level at the library (can be done at recess, before school, after school, at centers or art time) 2. Put their name on the board at school for “need a test date” 3. Negotiate an “A/R quiz due” date from the teacher 4. Read the book 5. Put your name on the “need an A/R test” side of the board 6. Take a test THAT SAME DAY at school 7. Return the book and get a new one Begin again with #1 Your job as the parent? Check in with your child that they are moving through this process. Kids get STUCK with a book and are not reading it, nor are they taking tests on it, nor are they gathering points, getting new books and taking tests. When this happens, they are missing an integral part of their education and growth. Thank you for your help. » read more...

Room 4 Newsletter Weeks of November 8-19, 2010 Mrs. Janice Garrigan, 3rd grade, Room 4 (707) 776-7325 Jbgarrigan@comcast.net Room 4 needs SMALL DRIED BEANS, SEEDS, POPCORN for a Thanksgiving project. Thanks General “Wilson School” Notes Conferences are Nov 8-10 and Nov 15-19th. These are early release days, with school ending at 1:50 each of those dates. Please mark your calendars. We have no school for Veteran’s Day on the 11th of November or the following day, Friday the 12th. This year we have the entire week of Thanksgiving off. A progress report will go home right before the winter break, giving us just over 5 weeks of scoring and skills to report. Chuckie Cheese PTA fundraiser will be held on Wednesday, November 10th. Please do come out and enjoy the evening with no dinner to cook or dishes to do. Proceeds benefit Wilson School directly. The book faire will be held next week in our cluster. This is a perfect opportunity to get holiday gifts while helping our school. Bedtime Story Night will be November 17th in the cluster at 7pm. Fun! CURRICULUM MATH It is now imperative that your child has a good start on memorization of the multiplication facts to 10x10. A packet will go home on Monday, due the following Friday. We are continuing with geometry this week and next. We are making geometry vocabulary books in class that will help your third grader with all of the new words and concepts that geometry requires. child if he or she knows their multiplication facts. LANGUAGE ARTS The grammar skills you see going home for homework have been taught that day in class and are tested in the unit assessment approximately every five weeks. It is very useful for your child if you go over the homework with them, making certain they are following the directions and understanding the concepts. We work on verbs, more dictionary skills and possessives/apostrophes clues this week in language arts. There are review spelling words this week to be tested on Wednesday. They have already gone home through the weekly lists and should be mastered already. These reviews are opportunities for students to increase their spelling test grade. Our writing focus last week was on organization and you can see the books we made hanging outside of room 4. We are focusing on revising our writing for this week and next. PLEASE make certain your child is READING the directions of the language arts homework and doing what is asked. I checked homework this weekend wherein many children did not read what was asked and will therefore be re-doing them at recess this week. SOCIAL STUDIES & SCIENCE We are beginning our study of the earth and outer space this week in science, as well as economics in social studies. All room 4 third graders will be given a “checkbook” for class “money” to spend. They will gain and pay interest depending on their spending habits and they accrue paychecks by doing what’s required in class. This is a fun way to teach the students about many economic concepts such as income, budgets, supply and demand, interest and loans. HOMEWORK If you are not receiving many homework sheets corrected and returned in your Thursday packet of papers, it’s likely because your child is not remembering to put their name at the top. I will write it and remind them as often as I catch it but it sometimes ends up in my pile before I can do that and then I have no idea whose it is. Thank you for helping me to remind your child to put his name on his paper. Also, all homework is to be done in pencil. No ink is allowed in any grade. FINAL NOTES You should be checking that your child is almost finished with their book for the “book project” to be completed at home. It is due on the 15th of November, one week from today. The directions are very clearly explained and outlined in the paperwork. If you have any questions at any point along the way, do not hesitate to ask me. It includes a timeline for you and your child to follow to get it done on time. If you need any supplies you don’t have at home or cannot get from the store, ask for my assistance with that, too, please. Late projects lose a grade per day from what the student earned. The scoring rubric I will use has been included for you and your student to determine how to get an “A” on this fun project. PLEASE make sure your child is reading their accelerated reader books at home and taking tests for points at school. If not, their grades in reading will be severely negatively affected. Because Thanksgiving is so much longer than in the past, we will not be having a celebration in Room 4. We will, however, embark on a study of cultures and celebrations in social studies starting after the Thanksgiving break for the three weeks until winter break That unit will culminate in an “ethnic feast” for families and children in third grade. It will take place on the last Friday before school is out for winter, so if you need to request time off work to attend, I hope to have given you enough time to do so and join us. It will take place with Room 3 third graders, as well. Thank you for your help in the classroom, on field trips, and by donating items for my many intensive projects that the kids love and appreciate. You all give, give, give in such tremendous and varying ways! We are having a truly fantastic year and I adore your children. This newsletter covers all information for this short week and the following one. There will not be any newsletters until after Thanksgiving Break. » read more...

Please see the newsletter for more details of these events November 8 - 19th = early release dates, conferences November 15th = Puppet Project due November 10th = Chuckie Cheese Pizza fundraiser night November 17th = Bedtime story night November 15th-19th = Wilson School Book Fair December 17th = Ethnic Feast for third graders/holiday break celebration December 13th - Progress reports go home » read more...