Friday, April 25, 2014


AAPL (a computer Chinese test) and DIBELS (a reading fluency test testing is on Monday, April 28. 

We will be practicing for our SAGE testing by using the laptops this week.  We will also finish our circle stories to go off track.

Please return all take home library books and library books.  The take home library closes while we are off track so I need all the books in so inventory can be done.

Homework went home on Friday, April 25.  Please return by May 1.  You can always turn it in early.

Spelling for April 28-May 2:
About
Again
Almost
Also
Always
Another
Anyone
Are
Beautiful
Because
Before
City
Could
Community
Confusion
Countries
Discover
Enough
Especially
Everybody

Words are on spellingcity.com
Under List Third Grade Words One
if you want to practice there.

Words will also be written in their planners.
UTIPS
Homework:
No UTIPS homework, continue to do the paper homework I sent home Friday.
Keyboarding
Help:

The school has used a free internet program called Dance Mat typing.
bbc.co.uk/schools/typing
Reading Days:

Remember to record your reading days!!!

Your child needs to read 20 minutes or more to count as a day. 

Thursday, April 17, 2014


We will continue our circle stories.  They are lots of fun, and your children have done a great job.

AAPL (a computer Chinese test) and DIBELS (a reading fluency test testing is on Monday, April 28.  Please let me know ASAP if you will be gone.

Spelling for April 22-25:
Knight
Night
Die
Dye
By
Buy
Site
Sight
Tide
Tied
Fined
Find
Write
Right
Its
It’s
Knit
Nit
Mist
missed
Words are on spellingcity.com
Under List 19
if you want to practice there.

Words will also be written in their planners.
UTIPS
Homework:
No UTIPS homework, continue to do the paper homework I sent home last week.
Keyboarding
Help:

The school has used a free internet program called Dance Mat typing.
bbc.co.uk/schools/typing
Reading Days:

Remember to record your reading days!!!

Your child needs to read 20 minutes or more to count as a day. 

Thursday, April 10, 2014


I am posting this early because I will be out of town Friday and Monday.  We will be reading and writing circle stories for the next two weeks.  It should be lots of fun!

Spelling test will be on Thursday, April 17.  It is a short day.

Spelling for April 14-17:
Stake
Steak
Plane
Plain
Way
Weigh
Stair
Stare
Made
Maid
Ate
Eight
Pail
Pale
Pear
Pair
Waste
Waist
Brake
Break

Words are on spellingcity.com
Under List 18
if you want to practice there.

Words will also be written in their planners.
UTIPS
Homework:
UTIPS seems to not be working as I would like.  I will be sending home a packet on Tuesday of homework.  It is a great review for the SAGE testing done in June.

Your student has already done this homework in class at the beginning of the year.  This is a review though.

Since we have spring break, it will not be due until April 25.
Keyboarding
Help:

The school has used a free internet program called Dance Mat typing.
bbc.co.uk/schools/typing
Reading Days:

Remember to record your reading days!!!

Your child needs to read 20 minutes or more to count as a day. 

Friday, April 4, 2014


Congratulations to our spelling bee winners.  The school spelling bee is on April 15 at 9:00.  Next week we will be working on writing some fun persuasion pieces.  Your children just might bring you a letter to try to persuade you for something.

Upcoming events are the third grade AAPPL test.  It is a listening and speaking test in Chinese.  It will be done in the computer lab on April 28.  I hope all your children will be able to be there to take the test.  If you already know you won’t be, please let me know so I can make other arrangements.
 
Spelling for April 7-11:
Jumped
Loaded
Rained
Needed
Snowed
Walked
Screamed
Melted
Bumped
Turned
Missed
Started
Passed
Mailed
Twisted
Cleaned
Handed
Dressed
Dusted
Asked

Words are on spellingcity.com
Under List 17
if you want to practice there.

Words will also be written in their planners.
UTIPS
Homework:
 Comp-Mixed 8
Keyboarding
Help:

The school has used a free internet program called Dance Mat typing.
bbc.co.uk/schools/typing
Reading Days:

Remember to record your reading days!!!

Your child needs to read 20 minutes or more to count as a day. 

Friday, March 28, 2014

Yeah, writing testing is done.  There will be no spelling this week, just the spelling bee on Friday.  Homework is just UTIP comp-mixed 7 and reading.  Thank you for all your help and support during our testing.  I am proud of how hard they worked.

Friday, March 21, 2014

Next week, March 24-28, we are doing end of year testing in writing.  Your students have been working so hard, and I am so proud of them.  Please make sure to have them eat a good breakfast, if they bring cold lunch, have a good cold lunch, and that they get a good night sleep.  I told them they had to go to bed early!  There will be no spelling, or other homework, except reading.  Their homework is to play after school.  After testing is done for the day, we will be doing art.  Your child can bring markers if they would like.  I do have plenty if they don't want to though.  Thank you for all your help and support.  I know they will do great!

Friday, March 14, 2014


Once again, no UTIPS this week.  A writing prompt will be sent home on Monday so look for that and then you have until the next Monday to return it.  Thanks for all your help.  Remember, writing testing is March 24 and 25 so make sure your student is there.

Spelling for March 17-21:
Dishes
Stitches
Places
Classes
Dresses
Houses
Flashes
Badges
Lunches
Plants
Inches
Bushes
Boxes
Girls
Glasses
Pages
Taxes
Months
Pieces
wishes
Words are on spellingcity.com
Under List 16
if you want to practice there.

Words will also be written in their planners.
UTIPS
Homework:
Writing instead.  It will be sent home on Monday, March 17 and should be returned Monday, March 21.
Keyboarding
Help:

The school has used a free internet program called Dance Mat typing.
bbc.co.uk/schools/typing
Reading Days:

Remember to record your reading days!!!


Your child needs to read 20 minutes or more to count as a day. 

Friday, March 7, 2014


Once again, no UTIPS this week.  I promise we will get back to it.  I just want to practice writing for a few more weeks.  A prompt will be sent home on Monday so look for that and then you have until the next Monday to return it.  Thanks for all your help.  Remember, writing testing is March 24 and 25 so make sure your student is there.

Spelling for March 10-14:

Couldn’t
Who’s
They’ll
Wouldn’t
There’s would’ve
That’ll
Aren’t
Here’s should’ve this’ll
Weren’t
Where’s
Might’ve
She’ll
Doesn’t
He’ll
Hasn’t
You’ll
What’s

Words are on spellingcity.com
Under List 15
if you want to practice there.

Words will also be written in their planners.
UTIPS
Homework:
Writing instead.  It will be sent home on Monday, March 10 and should be returned Monday, March 17.
Keyboarding
Help:

The school has used a free internet program called Dance Mat typing.
bbc.co.uk/schools/typing
Reading Days:

Remember to record your reading days!!!


Your child needs to read 20 minutes or more to count as a day. 

Monday, March 3, 2014


For homework for the next few weeks I thought I would do something different.  We will go back to UTIPS after the writing assessment on March 24 and 25, but in order to prepare for the assessment, I thought we should do some writing.  We will be doing it in class as well, but some support from home would be nice.  For this first week, I would like your students to think of something they know a lot about.  It could be a sport, a game, an animal, or something in science.  Anything your child is interested in and can write about would be great.  Then have them write about it.  Tell them they are “informing” the reader about the topic.  Have them do an introduction and a conclusion.  There is no requirement of length, but I would love for them to type them if a computer is available to them.  When they bring them back to class I will find a time for them to read them aloud to each other.  I won’t have these due until Monday, March 10, but you can bring them in earlier if it is done.  Thank you for your help and support with this.

Spelling for March 3-March 7:
Badge
Stage
Charge
Range
Ridge
Rage
Cage
Bulge
Lodge
Fudge
Huge
Change
Judge
Bridge
Ledge
Sponge
Dodge
Hedge
Plunge
Pledge


Words are on spellingcity.com
Under List 13
if you want to practice there.

Words will also be written in their planners.
UTIPS
Homework:
See above note
Keyboarding
Help:

The school has used a free internet program called Dance Mat typing.
bbc.co.uk/schools/typing
Reading Days:

Remember to record your reading days!!!

Your child needs to read 20 minutes or more to count as a day. 

Friday, January 31, 2014


The week of February 3-7 is so busy with Chinese New Year that we will not have a spelling test.  I am still looking for one more volunteer on the 7th from 8:45-11.  If you can come join us for the party we would love to have you.  Let me know so I can put your child in your group.

Also, we only have one more week in the computer lab before we go off track.  When we come back on track the school will be in the midst of testing.  We will need to “practice” our test before going off track.   I think it would be helpful for you to realize and understand how testing will be done this year.  If possible, I would love to invite you to come on Wednesday (9:30-10:00 for the Red Class, and 1:30-2:00 for the Yellow Class).  You can sit with your child and go through the practice test with them.  You will be able to see the “tools” that will be available for them to use and be able to help them understand how to use them.  Please consider coming for this little while.  There is a small problem.  We can’t have younger siblings come since we will be in the computer lab.  If you have a friend in the other class, I would love for you to offer to babysit for them for this ½ hour.  I would like as many parents as possible here to be with their children.   

I appreciate you taking the time to come to school.  I am hoping this will help your children have a successful testing experience.  Our first test is writing and it is currently scheduled for March 24 and 25.  The rest of our testing is currently scheduled for the week of June 2-6.  Please try to schedule vacations around this time so your child does not miss those days.


Thursday, January 23, 2014


I am posting this early this week since I will be out of town on Friday and worry I won’t get it done.  This week we will be working on completing our third Performance Task for language arts.  Keep having your children read during the week and recording it on the Road to Success website.  Chinese New Year is coming up so make sure you complete your lion masks.

Spelling for January 27-31:
Prince
Tease
Leave
Glove
Choose
Dance
Fence
Shove
Loose
Glance
Piece
Cheese
Peace
Wise
Solve
Bounce
Prove
Sense
Twelve
Pounce

Words are on spellingcity.com
Under list 12
if you want to practice there.

Words will also be written in their planners.
UTIPS
Homework:
Comp-Mixed 6
Keyboarding
Help:

The school has used a free internet program called Dance Mat typing.
bbc.co.uk/schools/typing
Reading Days:

Remember to record your reading days!!!

Your child needs to read 20 minutes or more to count as a day. 

Friday, January 17, 2014


This week we will be reading about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  We will be learning a little about his life and contributions to society.  We will also be finishing up several writing projects we have going on.

Spelling for January 21-24:
Gave
Center
Circle
Code
Gem
Gym
Golf
Circus
Cart
Guess
Cell
Cub
Gentle
Guest
Cent
Calf
Guide
Cycle
Ginger
Giant

Words are on spellingcity.com
Under list 11
if you want to practice there.

Words will also be written in their planners.
UTIPS
Homework:
Comp-Mixed 5
Keyboarding
Help:

The school has used a free internet program called Dance Mat typing.
bbc.co.uk/schools/typing
Reading Days:

Remember to record your reading days!!!

Your child needs to read 20 minutes or more to count as a day.