Hi All,
As I am certain your children shared with you, we began CSTs last week. Both second and third grade took the first 2 portions of the Language Arts test. Fortunately, no one was absent on Wednesday or Thursday! We will continue this week, wrapping up the ELA and then moving into the 3 math sections. Your kids have been working hard, and have behaved responsibly by remaining quiet until all their classmates have had time to complete the tests. They have also enjoyed the gum, and snacks provided by the district. Please continue to avoid absences, unless your child is ill!

Our other big activity this week is writing the animal reports. Most of the third graders, and all of the second graders, have completed their research and are drafting the reports. Those third graders that need additional time will be bringing home paragraphs to edit and/or recopy throughout the week. In light of this, there will be no spelling homework. This extra time should also be used to work on dioramas, which are due the following week, on May 11th.

Finally, remind your child to work on Lit. Circles throughout the week, and hand them in on Friday. Several students forgot their Lit. Circles this past week. It really hurts the group when students are not prepared.

Have a great week; hopefully it will continue to be sunny!
Carroll

Hi All,
I hope you all are enjoying our beautiful spring weather; I know I am!

This week, on Wednesday, we will begin CSTs. Because of this, I will not need Parent Volunteers for Wednesday through Friday of this week, or any days the following week. In addition, please make sure your children get to bed on time, and eat a good breakfast before school. Students may bring sugarless chewing gum to have in the classroom during testing, but please send enough to share. It is also helpful if you avoid scheduling doctor and dentist appointments during these weeks, particularly in the morning.

If your third grader has not yet printed an article on their chosen animal for animal reports, please have them do so right away. The kids are very enthusiastic about this project and it streamlines the process if students locate their research materials at home. Second graders are making great progress on their animal reports, which are being written during Rotations with their second grade group. And a reminder: second graders and all interested third graders should also have their Science Fair projects well under way.

Finally, please stay on your kids about homework. There have been several kids who have not turned in Lit. Circles, which are due every Friday. If your child forgets their Lit. Circle, it effects the entire group. A sense of responsibility is an important component of homework process. For the third graders, fourth grade --with graded homework-- is just around the corner. Students in both grades should also be studying nightly for their math timed tests. If your child is stuck on a particular level, it's time to re-evaluate his/her math practice sessions. However, during the testing period there may be some days when your child will not have the regular math homework because we will be doing CSTs in math.

Have a great week! As we enter this testing period, I will be working to keep the environment in school both focused and relaxed.
Carroll

Hi All,

We have another busy week ahead!

On Thursday, our class is heading to San Jose to visit the Discovery Museum. All students must bring lunches on that day, as we will be gone from 8:00 until about 1:30. All of the parents who signed up for the trip are needed as I have exactly the right number of spaces for our class. Parent drivers need to send in money for their own tickets to the museum, as well as their kid's. At this point I have permission slips and money from all students but one, however many drivers need to send in their money. Thank you to all of the non-drivers who sent in extra cash to offset the cost of parking in San Jose. Drivers on this trip are: Mr. Bettencourt (3), Mrs. Benson (3), Mrs. Kolassa(2), Mrs. Jaque(3), Mrs.Lanagan(5), Mrs.Broxton(3), Mrs.Woodley (3). Thank you so much for your help.

This is our last full week before CSTs begin. We are doing some practice tests in class, which gives us an opportunity to review concepts addressed earlier in the year. Practice tests are also a chance to expose 2nd graders to the testing format, as this will be their first "state tests." Testing (for real) begins on 4/28.

We are also beginning our second block of Spectra Art. Claudia Stevens will be teaching drawing and painting for the next 5 weeks on Monday afternoons from 11:45-12:45. We are happy to have a real art teacher. Thank you, parents, for the fund-raising that makes this possible!

Third graders are beginning mammal reports this week and should locate articles on-line. Please help your child print a readable (to them) article. They may also bring books with information about their mammal. Details about the at-home component of this project (the diorama) will be coming later this week.

Third graders have spelling homework again this week. In general, some students are getting less reliable with homework, particularly Lit. Circles and math. Remind your child that it is his or her responsibility to carefully complete the homework, and get it from home to school.

Finally, a reminder to keep going on science projects. These are required for second, optional for third. However, many of the third graders are eager to do a project, which they didn't get to do last year.

Thanks again, and have a great week.
Carroll

Dear Parents and Students,
Welcome back! This week we are back to the routine of 3rd grade spelling homework, as well as the nightly math assignments, Lit. Circles, and 2nd grade Red Hot Readers. The third graders will also begin mammal reports. During the break, students were encouraged to select a mammal, but were not expected to work on the report. This week we will send home guidelines so that students can locate articles on their chosen mammals. Our second graders have already begun their animal reports, on animals other than mammals.

Just prior to the break, I sent home Science Project organizers with the third graders. This is an optional activity for third grade, but it is one they didn't do last year in second grade. Several of the third graders expressed an interest in doing a project this year. It is mandatory for the second graders. The projects are due in May, so there is plenty of time to develop a hypothesis and test it out. The second grade plans looked great!

This week we will also begin reviewing for CSTs. The testing window is only a couple of weeks away, so we will spend some time practicing with the testing format, and reexamining concepts addressed earlier in the year. In addition, if you have not turned in your parent education survey, please do so.

Finally, we are still short on drivers for this Wednesday's field trip to the MAH. This is a very cool field trip; the kids learn a lot about local history. We also need drivers for the field trip to the Discovery Museum the following week.

Thanks to all,
Carroll Mayer

Hi Parents,
Just a few reminders...

Third graders' "Famous American" speeches have moved from Tuesday to Wednesday due to the 1st grade play on Tuesday. When I scheduled the speeches, I was not aware of the timing of the first grade school performances.

Secondly, I sent home 2 permission slips for April field trips. One is scheduled just 2 days after we return from Spring Break. I am still missing EIGHT permission slips. I am also short on parent drivers for both trips. If you have not sent in your child's permission slip, please do so right away.

Finally, Literature Circle assignments will be due on Thursday this week instead of Friday (since it's a holiday.)

Thanks so much,
Carroll

Hi All,
I hope you have been enjoying this beautiful spring weekend! The kids certainly seemed really stimulated last week, between St. Patrick's Day, Daylight Savings, Red Hot Readers, and "the Big Read". We also worked on our class's auction project with Alysen Lanagan and Cynthia Jauque! I expect this week to be much calmer, however there will be a substitute in class on Thursday and Friday, so that I can attend a district training.

I am looking forward to receiving the completed biography reports from third graders this Wednesday, March 24th. I have decided to postpone students' speeches from March 30th, to March 31st. The change in day is due to a schedule conflict with the first grade play. I know both second and third graders look forward to seeing the younger kids perform, and their play for the school is on March 30th. I have not heard from any parents volunteering to videotape, so if you've thinking about helping in this way, please let me know. I will also be working with second graders in wrapping up their "game cards" project this week.

Last week I sent home 2 permission slips. Just to clarify, both grades will be attending both trips. While the third graders have already gone to the Discovery Museum, it's a place that can be revisited year after year. They were quite insistent that they really wanted to go on this trip.

Thanks again for all your hard work. Combination classes can be tricky, and you and your children have been a real pleasure.
Have a great week.
Carroll

Dear Parents & Students,
Sorry to miss posting last week; the days just seemed to run away! First of all, I will be out of the class this Monday, March 15th for a training. Mrs. McCraw will be substituting.

Monday will be the last day third graders will have time in class to work on their biography reports. The class has had many hours to do research and work on writing but students' progress has varied. Some children will be typing or handwriting a final draft at home. Other children may need to complete the first draft, or even do additional research. The completed report is due in class on Wednesday, March 24th. The report should be 3-5 paragraphs long. Each of the boxes of the graphic organizer should be a paragraph, with the first 2 parts possibly combined into one. Students may have help with typing, or may do their work in neat printing or cursive. The speeches will be scheduled for March 31st. Because I want third graders to focus on completing their report, and then rehearsing their speech, there will be no spelling homework for the next several weeks. Additional information regarding the report and speech will come home on Tuesday, March 16th.

As for second graders, they will continue working on their biography game cards in class. Most students are ready to word process their clue cards. Second graders really enjoyed the Egg Drop this Friday. Many children in our class came up with successful packaging, but "scrambled eggs" teach just as much. Information about the 2nd grade Science Fair projects is coming home on Monday, March 15th. This project is to be completed at home in its entirety. Mrs. Hegerle, the 2nd grade science teacher, has reviewed the scientific method several times throughout the year. This project is not as involved as the 6th grade one, but is an opportunity for the kids to initiate and investigate a question. The projects will be on display at Open House on May 13th.

Finally, a heads up about several more field trips. Our class will be going to the Museum of Art & History on April 14th. The following week we will be going, along with all of 2nd grade, to the Discovery Museum. Our third graders will attend the Discovery Museum field trip too.

Have a good week,
Carroll Mayer