Interim Reports

Sorry for any inconvenience, but I will not be sending interim reports home until Monday March 1st!

Homemade Compost Pile Recipe

We are learning how to make our world a "better place."  There are things we can do at home that can help.  Did you know that about 30% of trash thrown away each day can be composted?!?! 
Here are some benefits to composting courtesy of the EPA:
   1. It helps get rid of plant diseases and pests.
   2. It eliminates the need for chemical fertilizers.
   3. It produces healthier crops.
   4. It is cheap...nervermind...its FREE!!!

   5. It removes solids, oil, grease, and metals from stormwater runoff.

Composting helps our Earth by:
   1. Enriching soil.
   2. Cleans contaminated soil.
   3. Helps prevent pollution.
   4. Reduces need for water, fertilizer, and pesticides.

Here are all the steps you need to create your own compost pile at home:

Materials:
Animal manure

Cardboard rolls
Clean paper
Coffee grounds and filters
Cotton rags
Dryer and vacuum cleaner lint
Eggshells
Fireplace ashes
Fruits and vegetables
Grass clippings
Hair and fur
Hay and straw
Houseplants
Leaves
Nut shells

Sawdust

Shredded newspaper

Tea bags

Wood chips

Wool rags

Yard trimmings

Steps:

1.Select a dry, shady spot near a water source for your compost pile or bin.

2.Add your brown and green materials as you collect them, making sure larger pieces are chopped or shredded.

3.Moisten dry materials as they are added.

4.Once your compost pile is established, mix grass clippings and green waste into the pile and bury fruit and vegetable waste under 10 inches of compost material.

5.Optional: Cover top of compost with a tarp to keep it moist.

6.When the material at the bottom is dark and rich in color, your compost is ready to use (this is usually occurs in two months to two years).

Math Olympics- Light the Fire Within

Today we held our First Math Olympiad at Smith Elementary!!! There were only 6 events between two classes and even though most kids wanted to show off their competitive side, optimism and teamwork was everywhere.  Here are some pictures of the students in action at each event.

The Right Handed Marble Grab

(measuring mass)

The Left-Handed Sponge Squeeze

(measuring capacity)

The Big Foot

(measuring area)

Cotton Ball Shot Put

(measuring length)

The Plastic Straw Javeline

(measuring length)

The Paper Plate Discuss

(measuring length)

Each student had to estimate their measurement before they could complete the event.  Boy did they underestimate their athletic talents!  We had a blast!

Gazette Memo Feb. 22-26

Why did the gardener plant his money? Because he wanted his soil to be rich!!!

   We are starting our Goin’ Green Unit (Soil/Plants) this week. Our magnet status has really helped us on focusing on objectives we find essential for your child’s understanding of the world around them. The class will discuss what they already know about soil, composting, pollination, and plants. Then on Friday, we will be creating something very important for our school (I would tell you, but I hate to ruin the surprise)!!! Lots of pictures will be taken throughout this unit. An end of unit project assignment is in the making and the grading scale will be sent home within the next few weeks…so please be on the lookout!

   No one has turned in their $8.50 for the Soil Scientist field trip. This money isn’t due until the beginning of April, but if you can pay early, that would help us tremendously.

   There is a Math test on Tuesday and a Reading test on Thursday. I grade the tests immediately, so your child should be able to tell you how they did!!! I’m expecting the best of grades of course 

    Interim reports will be sent home on Friday. They will need to be signed and returned.

   The African American History Trivia has been very enlightening. We have learned about many knowledgeable and caring people who have shaped our culture. Thank you for working with your kids…the grades have been outstanding!

Objectives this week:
*Math- multiplication and division word problems, estimation, order of operations (Pass My Dad A Spoon), finding the unknown in a number sentence, test on Tuesday
*Reading- compare and contrast stories or characters, author and character point-of-view, double consonants, small group independent projects on the novel they are reading, test on Thursday.
*Writing-Imaginative Narrative
*Science- Soil: list and explain the functions of parts of a seed, identify how properties of soil influence the soils ability of hold water, conduct investigations analyzing how soil type affects water absorption rates, identify the properties of soil that support most plant growth, list the basic parts of soil, humus, sand, and clay, explain how composting recycles discarded plant and animal materials, determine how heat aids in the decay of plant material in a compost pile

Spelling Feb. 22-26

1. begged
2. bottles
3. collect
4. common
5. correct
6. different
7. hugged
8. jelly
9. lesson
10. running
11. supper
12. matter
13. pulled
14. silly
15. possible

Spelling Feb. 15-19

1. choose
2. loose
3. stoop
4. coop
5. troop
6. proof
7. moose
8. stood
9. brook
10. foot
11. setting
12. conflict
13. problem
14. resolution
15. character

Gazette Memo Feb. 15-19

Did you know your child could work for a card company?!?! Last week, the class was put into teams and each student was given a task to complete on an assembly line at C&K Car Company! They worked diligently and in the end, some cards were accepted while others were rejected.
Math, Science and Technology Night was a huge success. I was happy to catch most of my class sharing their knowledge at different stations throughout the cafeteria!
Our Valentine’s Party was lively and full of sugar ;) We learned about the history of Valentine’s Day, wrote Cinquain poems to friends, read Valentine books, and of course, played a few games before the day ended. I was unable to attend the Winter Dance, but I heard that it was tons of fun and everyone was out on the dance floor showing off their smooth moves.
This is a very busy week and I will be calling some parents if your child is being considered for retention. I do need to meet with you or discuss your child’s progress over the phone. A blue letter went home last Thursday to set up a conference. Please send that letter back to school immediately if your child is being considered for retention. Thank you and I look forward to talking with you about what we can do to help your child become successful in third grade!

Objectives this week:
*Math- multiplication and division word problems, estimation, order of operations (Pass My Dad A Spoon), finding the unknown in a number sentence
*Reading- compare and contrast stories or characters, story elements: characters, problem (conflict), solution (resolution), setting, theme
*Writing-Imaginative Narrative
*Social Studies- African American History and practice for PTA performance.

C&K Card Company

Here are some pictures and a video of the class practicing being active members in an assembly line! They were AWESOME!

Math, Science and Technology Night

I was so excited to find many of my students at Math, Science and Technology Night. Here are some snapshots of my kids busy at work:

Marshmallow/Toothpick Shape Making Station

Easy Make Pinwheels

Multiplication War (a class favorite)

Diaper Estimation Station

Graham Cracker Bridge Making Station

Famous African Americans

*Must be able to match person and accomplishment by Friday
1. George Washington Carver- Was a botanical scientist. He changed agriculture in the South by developing hundreds of products (flour, paper, soap, dyes) from crops such as peanuts, pecans, and sweet potatoes.
2. Harriet Tubman- An escaped slave who made at least 20 trips from Maryland to Virginia helping free over 300 other slaves on the Underground Railroad.
3. Booker T. Washington- Became a teacher by listening to lessons as a janitor. He started Tuskegee Institute for freed slaves so they would have productive and dignified lives.
4. Rosa Parks- Worked for the advancement of colored people. She is well known for sitting in the front of a bus and refused to give up her seat to a white passenger. She received the Eleanor Roosevelt Woman of Courage award for her bravery.

Spelling Feb. 8-12

1. chair
2. pair
3. stair
4. throw
5. growing
6. below
7. crowded
8. powder
9. airplane
10. allow
11. fantasy
12. fable
13. novel
14. fairytale
15. short story

Gazette Memo Feb. 8-12

This is just a reminder that we will be having a Valentine’s Party on Feb. 12th during the afternoon. We will be playing a few educational games and then will have a few snacks. The kids will need to bring in Valentine’s for each student in the class (24). I have found that it is a lot easier to have each student write their own name on the Valentine in the “From” section and not writing everyone elses name on the “To” section. That way they can be passed out much more quickly. All Valentine’s need to be brought in by Friday morning (the 12th).
On our website you can see pictures of a secret surprise we had last week. We had such a blast…literally!
A field trip (on campus) letter will be sent home this week. Your child will need to bring in $8.50 by April 6, 2010. We are about to start our unit on plants and soil in the next few weeks and would love for our kids to have the opportunity to experiment with different types of soils and plants.

Objectives this week:
*Math- multiplication and division word problems, order of operations (Pass My Dad A Spoon), properties of multiplication and addition, fractions (reducing)
*Reading- types of fiction, story elements: characters, problem (conflict), solution (resolution), setting, theme
*Writing-Personal Narrative short story…almost done! Will begin working on Imaginative Narratives thanks to the Story Starter Wheel on Scholastic.com. They can write a story using this at home too!!!
*Social Studies- Economics: division of labor, assembly line, scarcity, supply, demand

Mystery Surprise!!!

I'm sure your wondering, "What in the world is that?" This afternoon we crawled inside this contraption and were floored when we discovered an indoor planetarium right in our school!!! We sat in a circle and listened to Mrs. Wood as she shared stories about the constellations that surround us each and every day. We learned about Native American legends and Greek Mythology (most of them we knew from our constellation Power Point Presentations)!!! The class was able to share their knowledge with their peers and we reflected on facts we learned about our solar system! I hope you had an intriguing time class!!!

Gazette Memo Feb 1-5

Can you believe all the snow we had this week?!?! Hope you were able to make a snowman or two! Since this week has been cut short we will not be doing spelling this week.
February is not only the month of LOVE, but it’s also African American History Month.
Each day I will share information about one or two famous people that have influenced our country in a positive way. On Friday, your child will have to match the person with their accomplishment.
So there will be NO vocabulary words this month…only African American history match-up on Fridays!
We will be having a Valentine’s Party on Feb. 12th during the afternoon. We will be playing a few educational games and then will have a few snacks. The kids will need to bring in Valentine’s for each student in the class (24). I have found that it is a lot easier to have each student write their own name on the Valentine in the “From” section and not write everyone elses name on the “To” section. That way they can be passed out much more quickly. All Valentine’s need to be brought in by Friday morning (the 12th).

Objectives this week:
*Math- multiplication and division word problems, order of operations (Pass My Dad A Spoon), properties of multiplication and addition, fractions (reducing)
*Reading- types of fiction, story elements: characters, problem (conflict), solution (resolution), setting, theme
*Writing-Personal Narrative short story…almost done!
*Social Studies- Economics: division of labor, assembly line, scarcity, supply, demand

No School Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday!!!

It's true!!!! Make up days will be on Feburary 15th, June 10th and March 29th. School will resume tomorrow with a 1 hour delay. Click here for more information! Hope you're having as much fun in the snow as we are ;)