Mrs. Aguirre's 3rd Grade Classroom

Homework: Wow! Lots of kids are getting those signatures. Thank you for your support at home. It is showing as students are increasingly motivated and focused on getting their work done. Keep up the good work. With the holidays, short days, too many sweets, and illness going around, your child may be tempted to get off track. Consistency is vital. Work habits get easier with regular routines.

November homework: I am going to try to set up homework packets this month. These papers will be hole-punched to go into their binder and stapled together. This will allow your child to have homework practice based on his/her individual needs. We will be using the binder (not the large envelope you used in 2^nd grade). Homework assignments will continue to be written in the daily planner (along with spelling words).

Remember, you may read to your child for 15 minutes or buddy read or they may read independently. Talking about their reading with them will build comprehension and comprehension. The Main Idea reading worksheets count toward this 15 minutes of reading. And, of course, they may read more if they really get into a book!

Homework is to be turned in on Fridays (or Mondays if you need the extra time).

Friday Reflections: I did not send “Friday Reflections” home last Friday due to all the fun events: Boo-ographies, Literacy Parade and our fabulous fall party. Thanks to all of you who contributed. It was a feast! We had extra food that I will be able to provide as snacks throughout this week.

All those papers in your child’s binder/backpack: generally, on Mondays you will receive lots of important notices and flyers from the Arcadia Office. Generally, you will receive our class newsletter to update you on various events or topics of interest.  And you may receive a whole pile of your student’s classwork. If it has a check or a star at the top, I’ve seen it and it is to stay home. If your child has piled up lots of homework that has not been turned in, talk with them about turning it in the next day. If your child is stuffing their backpacks with unfinished work…hmmm….let me know and we can set up a conference if need be.

Tuesday is the ALL-DAY-WRITE

Arcadia is having its fall all-day-write (usually just half a day for 3^rd graders). Be sure your child has 4 sharpened pencils. A good night’s sleep and a good breakfast is also very helpful for his/her stamina. Even though the 3^rd grade teachers use this assignment as instructional, it will go into their records as a baseline to measure their growth as writers. If your child receives special services for writing, they will be receiving modified or alternate assignments.

Call me if you have questions or comments.

Loreen Aguirre

464-5746,  aguirrl@deerpark.wednet.org

November, 2008

11 Veteran’s Day (No School)

19-25 Elem. Conferences (DPE/Arc Early Out)

Conference Schedule for November

HALF DAY – Thursday, November 19 – Students are dismissed at 12:18 p.m.

FULL DAY of school- Friday, November 20

HALF DAY – Monday, November 23 – Students are dismissed at 12:18 p.m.

NO SCHOOL – November 24 & November 25

26 Early Release – All Schools

27-28 Thanksgiving (No School)

Last week and a half of homework training at school: The kids are doing better each week. I think they will be ready to make this transition to doing homework at home, come October. Establishing these work study habits will help them all the way through school. It is worth it!

 Homophones: words that sound alike but are spelled differently and have a different meaning are the hardest spelling words. If your child has them in their spelling list, be sure that they practice them with a sentence. Context is the key!

 Rocket Math homework is beginning for those who need extra practice on math facts. Just one section per day, not the whole thing.

 Double 9 Dominos We could use more sets of dominos to practice our number sense. Best Practices in math learning are those in which the child is actively involved and feels “safe” to practice. Games that use math are a great way to build number sense. They’re fun, quick and your child is actively involved.

 Art Contest: this is optional but if your child chooses, he/she may complete the release form and tape to the completed art project. I will be sending these on October 9. Please follow the directions or I cannot mail your child’s work. If he/she chooses to do this, they may have a “free homework pass for 2 days”. Just note in their daily planner on those days that they were working on the Art Contest and I will excuse the regular homework.

 Friday Reflections: Beginning this Friday, your child will be reflecting on the past week and recording this on a “Friday Reflections” sheet. Attached to this will be work/tests they have done in class. This is so that you can review their work and see how they are being graded. This is to be signed by you and your child then returned on Monday. This also gives you and I another way to communicate any needs, comments or questions.

 Thank you for all your support,

Loreen Aguirre

464-5746

aguirrl@deerpark.wednet.edu

 If you would like to be added to the list to receive this newsletter by e-mail, just send me an e-mail! It saves paper and doesn’t get lost in the backpack

A parent had a wonderful suggestion: a glossary of new math terms!

regrouping/fair trades  is a new term we use for the idea of “carrying” or “borrowing”. It helps a child connect the idea that 10 ones can be “regrouped” for 1 ten, 10 tens is a “fair trade” for 1 hundred, etc. In class we use place value blocks. Your child is learning how to draw these place value blocks so you don’t need to have these at home.

Addition strategies are addition concepts of “counting on” by one, two or three. For example, if your give your child a number line, such as a ruler, and ask them 6 + 2, they should be able to easily skip a number  and come up with the answer of 8. We are working on being able to quickly do this in our heads.

Doubles are 1+1,  2+2, 3+3, etc. Dominos are a good way to practice this strategy as they can see the dots and count them if they need to.

Doubles plus 1, plus 2, plus 3 are used for harder equations. If a child knows 3+3=6, then they can easily figure that 3+4=7

Bridge to 10 is a strategy that uses 10 as a mile post. Using their 10 fingers is a great way to bridge to 10. For a number less than 10, ask them to show you (using both hands). For a 3, they will hold up 3 fingers on one hand and a closed fist on the other. It becomes very clear to see how many more make 10. Your child may also use a number line (such as a ruler) to figure “how many more make 10″.

Ten frame is another way to make “bridge to 10″ visible. 9 + 6 is made with counters (such as beans). 9 is made as a row of 5 with  a row of 4 just below (this makes it easy for your child to see that it only needs 1 more to be 10). The 6 is displayed in another ten frame as a row of 5 with 1 below it. The child takes one away from the 6, adds to the 9. It is clear to see that 9+6 is the same as 10 + 5. Some kids catch on quick and begin to do this in their heads. Some kids need the materials to touch and move in order to master this concept.

Read everyday!

Write everyday!

Practice spelling everyday!

Do math everyday (see math games & packet on regrouping)

Well, O.K., no homework on Thursday

Have a wonderful, safe family time.

If your child does not have their own individualized spelling words written in their daily planner for the week, here’s a list of the words that we are practicing in class:

Week of:

November 30      night, picture, being, study, second

December 7      soon, since, story, white, ever

December 14      paper, hard, near, sentence, better

January 4       best, across, during, today, however

 January 11      sure, knew, it’s, try, told

 January 18      young, sun, thing, whole, hear

 January 25      example, heard, several, change, answer,

 February 1      learn, point, city, play, toward

 February 8      himself, five, usually, money, seen

 February 15     didn’t, car, morning, I’m, body

February 22      upon, family, later, turn, move

 March 1      face, door, cut, done, group

 March 8      true, half, red, fish, plants

 March 15      living, black, eat, short, United States

 April 5      run, book, gave, order, open

 April 12      ground, cold, really, table, remember

 April 19      tree, course, front, American, space

 April 26      inside, ago, sad, early, I’ll

 May 3        learned, brought, close, nothing, though

 May 10      idea, before, lived, became, add

Your child’s homework packet is for the entire week. Check your child’s planner for each day’s assignments. Homework should not take more than an hour a night and often less. The packet will include

Main Idea Reading pages, Math4Today, Take Home Task 11, Math Worksheets, Spelling Sentences. There is an extra credit art project that your child may choose to do when the other homework is complete. Your child may turn in homework on Friday or Monday.

 If your child was not here to get the spelling words, his/her words may be:  mother, light, country, father, let. These are the words we are practicing in class this week. Some students chose challenge words instead. Challenge words are words selected from books or environmental print such as posters, cereal boxes, classroom walls, etc.

Room 408 Aguirre Newsletter November 16, 2009

Homework: The students seem to like the homework packets and many are blazing through them. Be aware that everything does not need to be done on Monday night. Check their binders where their assignments for the day are written.

The worksheets give them extra practice on what we are learning in class. The hardest part on the worksheets is the directions. Your child may need to read them aloud to you. Or you may need to guide them through it. Let them do as much as possible themselves.

Homework may be handed in on Fridays or on Mondays.

Occasional Friday Reflections: I’m sorry that I haven’t been more consistent. Our Fridays are busy days and sometimes we run out of time. I should call these “Occasional Friday Reflections”. If your child has special classes or leaves early, they may be called “Once in a Blue Moon Friday Reflections”.

Organization: We have been taking time on Friday afternoons for desk cleaning and classwork folder cleaning. Our three rules are 1) If you don’t need it at school, throw it away or take it home 2) Put like things together and 3) Put small things into a container. You might want to use these simple rules for cleaning out their backpack, bedroom…..

Supplies: Check if your child needs more pencils or erasers. Our classroom pencil sharpener should be named a pencil grinder-upper!

As the weather gets cold, our school policy has the kids go outside for recess unless the temperature is below about 19 degrees. Make sure your child has socks, foot covering shoes, warm coat, mittens, and hood or hat.

Snacks: send an extra snack with your child for snack recess (no sweets, please). On Tuesdays and Thursdays they may buy snacks from the student store. Or talk to your child about saving some food from the free breakfast offered everyday at school for their snack.

All those papers in your child’s binder/backpack: generally, on Mondays you will receive lots of important notices and flyers from the Arcadia Office. Generally, you will receive our class newsletter to update you on various events or topics of interest. And you may receive a whole pile of your student’s classwork. If it has a check or a star at the top, I’ve seen it and it is to stay home. If your child has piled up lots of homework that has not been turned in, talk with them about turning it in the next day. If your child is stuffing their backpacks with unfinished work…hmmm….let me know and we can set up a conference if need be.

Call me if you have questions or comments.

Loreen Aguirre

464-5746,

November, 2008

19-25 Elem. Conferences (DPE/Arc Early Out)

Conference Schedule for November

HALF DAY – Thursday, November 19 – Students are dismissed at 12:18 p.m.

FULL DAY of school- Friday, November 20

HALF DAY – Monday, November 23 – Students are dismissed at 12:18 p.m.

NO SCHOOL – November 24 & November 25

26 Early Release (for teachers)- All Schools

27-28 Thanksgiving (No School)

aguirrl@deerpark.wednet.org

Monday-Thursday

Read 15 minutes every night (includes Main idea worksheets)

Spelling (choice of grid, RSCPP, rainbow, sentences, pyramid, abc order)

Math4Today

Math worksheet

Rebecca Sitton worksheet

Science (extra credit)

Homework is due Friday. It may be turned in on Monday if you need the weekend. Your child may have extra practice in math if they are struggling with a strategy or concept.

Read for 15 minutes Monday-Thursday, log in Reading Record, parent signature

Spelling: Monday-Thursday: grid, RSCPP, choice of rainbow, pyramid, abc order

Math: Math4Today

Rocket Math: practice for those who have needed more than 3 tries to pass a level

Spinners: practice addition strategies: count on 1, count on 2, count on 3, bridge to 10, doubles, doubles +1, doubles +2, doubles +3

Keep up the homework at home this week!  Remember to check your child’s reading log as well as the planner. I’ve had a parent request for a homework packet similar to those used at the Deer Park Elementary. I will be looking into that. Please let me know if you have any comments or suggestions on how to make homework consistent and accountable.

Food Sense:  We will be beginning a series of lessons on Food Sense. They will occur once a month throughout the year. We will have extra activities as well. P.S. Does anyone know a French chef?

Harvest Party: we will have a class party later this month. I will be sending home a notice about what you might share, times, etc.

Sickness: Please keep your child home if they have symptoms similar to seasonal flu symptoms, include rapid onset of fever with cough and/or sore throat.  Some people may also have diarrhea and vomiting.  If your child or any family member experiences these symptoms, stay home until symptoms have diminished and they have been free of fever (less then 100°F, without using fever reducing medication) for at least 24 hours or as directed by your health care provider. To protect yourself and your family against H1N1 influenza, as well as seasonal influenza, and to help prevent the spread of disease, teach your children to:

• Wash their hands often.
• Cough or sneeze into their sleeve/elbow not into their hands.
• Cover their nose and mouth when sneezing, coughing or blowing their nose.
• Promptly dispose of used tissues and wash hands with soap and water.
• Not share food, utensils or beverages with others.
• Avoid close contact with sick people.

Thank you for all your support,

Loreen Aguirre

464-5746

aguirrl@deerpark.wednet.edu

If you would like to be added to the list to receive this newsletter by e-mail, just send me an e-mail! It saves paper and doesn’t get lost in the backpack

Homework at Home this week! The third graders are ready but they will need your help to transition to doing homework at home. Establish a quiet time and place for your child. You may need to turn off the T.V. You may want to let the answering machine do its job. Then don’t help your child unless they are working hard. If they start whining: just walk away (Love and Logic tip).

Science: we are beginning our study of life science. I’ve received requests from boys and girls who want to bring in their critters to “show and tell”. I’ve said O.K. As long as they are kept in a container, they may come for one day only. We may have allergy concerns with anything that has “fur or feathers”. If we set up a time with advance notice for other parents, you might be able to bring these animals to share briefly (10 minutes). Please call me this week if you have allergy concerns about cat hair. And please, for safety reasons, no glass jars on the bus and no poisonous spiders.

Homophones: words that sound alike but are spelled differently and have a different meaning are the hardest spelling words. If your child has them in their spelling list, be sure that they practice them with a sentence. Context is the key!

Rocket Math homework is beginning for those who need extra practice on math facts. Just one section per day, not the whole thing. Spinners are to be kept in their binders and used to practice addition strategies (5 minutes) +1, +2, +3, doubles, near doubles +1, near doubles +2, near doubles +3

Art Contest: this is optional but if your child chooses, he/she may complete the release form and tape to the completed art project. Due back by Thursday, October 9. Please follow the directions or I cannot mail your child’s work. If he/she chooses to do this, they may have a “free homework pass for 2 days”. Just note in their daily planner on those days that they were working on the Art Contest and I will excuse the regular homework.

Friday Reflections: your child will be reflecting on each week and recording this on a “Friday Reflections” sheet. Attached to this will be any work/tests they have done in class. This is so that you can review their work and see how they are being graded. This is to be signed by you and your child then returned on Monday. This also gives you and I another way to communicate any needs, comments or questions.

Thank you for all your support,

Loreen Aguirre

464-5746

aguirrl@deerpark.wednet.edu

If you would like to be added to the list to receive this newsletter by e-mail, just send me an e-mail! It saves paper and doesn’t get lost in the backpack