Happy New Year! January 2010

The children have returned to school with excitement! We are heading back to the reading unit with a conclusion of Incredible Stories. There will be an assessment week for vocabulary and study skills connected to our theme.

Beginning on January 18 the children will be taking a break from the usual weekly stories and focusing on preparation for the state tests called the ISAT tests. These tests will begin on March 2, and all 3rd graders in Illinois will be participating in these comprehensive tests on reading, math, and writing. Our work in class will consist of reading longer, more challenging stories, working on reading strategies, enhancing all reading and math skills, and developing expository writing skills.

There may be a different style of homework coming home each day as the children practice the skills taught in class.

The children are now studying the 5 classes of vertebrate animals...fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. This unit will take about a month to cover, and the children are excited to read many books and research wild and unusual animals.

Conferences will be scheduled for Feb. 2 and 18. The registration will be online soon.

Please encourage your children to read each night for at least 20 minutes. A January reading log will be coming home this week. This independent reading is a part of our homework requirement, and there will be a story map to complete by the end of the month. Anyone who is logging their reading minutes for the Six Flags ticket should also be filling the form out as he/she reads.

Any practice with math skills at home would be beneficial.

Another thing that I could use your support on is reminding your children to remember to complete homework and bring it back to school the following day...assignment notebooks and papers have been left at school and at home quite often lately. Thank you for your help with this issue.

Stay warm and keep your children prepared to go outside on these cold days. We have been indoors for a few days, but once the temperature reaches 20 the children will be out for recess.

Thank you again for your help throughout the year. It is a pleasure teaching your children!

Kathy O'Shaughnessy