Ms. Arnold's Weekly News
Week of 5-18-15
**New videos attached at the end of the newsletter each week. Please share with your student. :)
***Multiplication Fact Focus attached to weekly math and multiplication videos attached to help with studying at home.
****See Mrs. H's website below for extra copies of My Math Homework pages.
This Week's Special Events
*M-Step (ELA)
Wednesday:
*M-Step (ELA)
M-Step Parent Letter From the Michigan Dept of Education
Information About the M-Step
http://www.michigan.gov/mde/0,4615,7-140-22709_70117-350540--,00.html
What information do you need from me?
Weekly Specials and Nightly Homework
Monday: Computers; Red folders come home; Math Homework #1; Study facts
Tuesday: Gym; Red folders come home; Math Homework #2; Study facts
Wednesday: Computers; Red folders come home; Math Homework #3; Study facts
Thursday: Gym; Red folders come home; Math Homework #4, Study facts
Friday: No specials, bring library books, Fun Friday (if earned); Red folders come home; Facts Tests
Math Homework News
Go to www.mrshkeicher.com to print off My Math homework pages. There will be other homework assignments other than the My Math pages. These "other" homework assignments cannot be printed off this website. They have to get a new "other" homework copies from the classroom instead. We are working on uploading end of unit study guides as well.
Our Classroom Learning Time
Our Focus Points
Reading / Language Arts
Students are continuing to work through our Daily 5 rotations, Read to Self, Read to Someone, Partner Fluency Time, Listening Time, and Teacher Time. Students are also meeting with me one-on-one and/or in small groups through the week to work on specific skills and set goals. Other areas of focus throughout our Daily 5 rotations are: response to reading, writing, fluency, listening, book talks, book analysis, and word building. I am very excited to see their excitement and focus to their day to day reading and writing grow. We are truly building life long readers and writers. In addition to the Daily 5 rotations, a reading resource we are excited to have this year is RAZ-KIDS. It's an online reading program that the students use a lot through the week. I monitor there reading and meet with them to discuss various reading skills and strategies.
Added this week: Some M-Step test practice in preparation for our May testing.
At Home Reading Tips:
*students should witness their role models reading at home
*parents/guardians are encouraged to read every day with their child
*alternate reading with and to students
*ask students to make predictions before reading a chapter or a new book
*ask students to summarize or retell the story, after reading the text
*help students decode words during reading
*don't be afraid to ask students if what they read made sense
*don't worry about things such as names and titles. These are small things that don't change the meaning of the story
*praise students for what they did well
*help students make connections to the text
Writing
Students are continuing to gather stories in their writer's notebooks. This is an ongoing process through the entire year. We are also creating an interactive "grammar" notebook that students will use through the year. This notebook will include pages that focus on: nouns, plural nouns, singular nouns, proper nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, possessive nouns,... Students will also be working on building sentences, stories with multiple paragraphs, using commas in a series, developing informational pieces on a variety of topics and working on their revising and editing skills. Paragraph structure and legible handwriting are continuously encouraged and taught.
Students are finishing research for their "opinion" piece and will finish drafts this week. Students are also working on cursive and poetry books.
Writing topics this year include:
-test taking skills: written responses in math, reading, and writing (M-Step)
-personal narrative
-paragraphing and sentencing (writing multiple paragraphs in the same story)
- a variety of informational pieces (short and long pieces)
-an opinion piece
-a variety of poetry
Science and Social Studies:
Science topics we're learning about this year:
*Motion
*Forces
*Magnets
*Traits (OUR TOPIC)
*Plants/Animals
*Organisms/Habitats
*Weather (graphing)
*Hands-on engineering
Social Studies topics we're learning about this year:
*Michigan geography and maps
*The people of Michigan: the three fires, the french, the pioneers (OUR TOPIC)
*Michigan's economy: fur trade, farming, logging, mining, lumbering, automotive
*State government
*Public issues
Math (Chapter 12/Unit 12)
Last week we began unit 12. Unit 12 is all about area and perimeter.
Multiplication Fact Focus: 9
-Strategy focus: repeated addition
-Strategy focus: finger trick
-Memorization
-Singing
Previous Fact Focus: multiplying by 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Another Fact Focus: multiplying the "doubles" (1X1, 2X2, 3X3, 4X4, 5X5, 6X6, 7X7, 8X8, 9X9, 10X10, 11X11, 12X12)
Multiplication Tricks:
0- When multiplying by 0, the product (answer) is always 0
1- When multiplying by 1, the product is always the other number (1 x 2 = 2)
2- When multiplying by 2, the factor is doubled (2 x 3 = 6... 3 + 3 = 6)
3- Sing the 3's to the tune of "Jingle Bells"
4- Sing the 4's to the tune of "Dashing Through the Snow"
5- Just count by 5's
6- Hold up the number of fingers you are multiplying, count by 5s, then count again by 1s
7- Sing the 7's to the tune of "Happy Birthday"
9- Starting with your left hand, count the number of the factor you are multiplying. Then count the number on the left of the bent finger, and then the number to the right of the bent finger.
10- Take the other factor and just add 0
Addition/Subtraction Baseball (tests given weekly)
By the end of 3rd grade, students are expected to be able to add and subtract fluently within 1,000. To help students with this concept we take weekly mixed addition and subtraction quizzes. There are six quizzes for students to pass, each quiz with 25 problems; students are given 10 minutes to complete the entire quiz, and may only miss 2 problems to pass. If a quiz is not passed, students will continue to retake the quiz until they pass it. The quizzes start with small numbers 0-10 and gradually move onto larger numbers 0-1,000. When students pass each quiz they move around the baseball field. Upon passing the last tests, students will have hit a home run! Students earn a token upon passing all quizzes. Students fully pass the tests once they have passed all tests A-F.
Multiplication Football (tests given weekly)
3rd graders are expected to be able to fluently multiply up to 10 x 10 by the end of the school year. Each week we focus on a new factor, starting at 0 and moving along to 10; then we take a timed (3 minute) multiplication quiz at the end of the week. Each multiplication quiz consists of 30 problems. To pass they have to get 100% before moving to the next number. Students must continue to take the quiz until they have mastered the fact. As students pass each fact, they move along the football field. After passing all facts 0-10, students will receive a token.
Multiplication Karate (tests given weekly)
Once the kids have mastered each fact, they will begin taking mixed review quizzes. The quizzes are 5 minutes long, and because we are aiming for mastery, students may miss only one problem. If a student does not pass a mixed quiz, then they will continue to take the quiz until they have mastered that level. For each quiz they pass they will receive a "belt." Once students pass all the quizzes, and receive a "black belt," then they will receive a token.
Spelling is over for the year!
List #26
Last list of the school year!
Math Strategies and Videos
Coming soon...a list of KEY math vocabulary!
Click the Link Below: Multiplication Videos
Multiplying by 9s Video
HAVE AN AMAZING WEEK STUDENTS AND PARENTS!!!
Keicher Newsletter
DATES AT A GLANCE
May
18 4th Grade Mackinac Trip
19 4th Grade Mackinac Trip
M-STEP – ELA – 3rd & 6th Grade
20 4th Grade Mackinac Trip
M-STEP – ELA – Part 2 - 3rd & 6th Grade
21 5th Grade Trip to Detroit Science Museum and Tiger Stadium
25 NO SCHOOL - Memorial Day
26 Michigan Center Community Food Pantry – 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.
28 Track and Explore – 5th Grade – MIS – 8:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
29 6th Grade Orientation – H.S. – 9:30 – 11:30 a.m.
High School Graduation – MCHS – 7:00 p.m.
JUNE
1 6th Grade Camp
2 6th Grade Camp – Return 2:00 p.m.
3 Field Day
4 Field Day – Make-up if needed
5 Last Day of School – Dismiss at 1:25 p.m. - Summer vacation begins
9 Michigan Center Community Food Pantry – 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.
18-21 Michigan Center Carp Carnival
20 Carp Carnival Parade – 11:00 p.m.
23 Michigan Center Community Food Pantry – 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.
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1. THE LAST DAY OF SCHOOL and report card day is June 5th. We will be dismissing school at 1:25 p.m.
2. TIGERS BASEBALL – May 21st is the departure date for the Detroit Science Museum and Tiger Baseball trip. The 5th grade students are getting excited and hoping for good weather. All students not going on the Tiger baseball trip are expected to attend school as usual. We will have a classroom teacher for those students not attending the outing.
*** REMINDER*** WE ARE DEPARTING FROM EAST MEIJER COMMUTER PARKING LOT AT 7:30 A.M.
3. TRACK AND FIELD - Once again we are asking for volunteers. Our annual track & field day at the high school will be held on June 3rd. This will be an all-day event. It is a great day for everyone involved. We need your help for track events, field events, and the pool. If you would be interested in taking part in this day, please call 764-5200. Students will be bussed directly from home to the High School and the same for the afternoon bus run. We will have a bus for our walkers, daycare, and for any other students that do not ride a bus. If you will be picking up your child from the High School, there will be a pick-up spot separate from the busses. Please watch for the signs.
4. The MICHIGAN CENTER COMMUNITY FOOD PANTRY will be open every 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month from 6:30 -7:30 p.m. The pantry is located at the west end of Keicher. Follow the signs through the Pre-School playground gate. See dates above.
5. BOXTOPS FOR EDUCATION - Clip Box Tops on hundreds of your favorite products. Each Box Top is worth 10 cents to our school. Just send in the Box Tops and we will send them to Box Tops for Education. Twice each year, Box Tops will send our school a check worth 10 cents for each Box Top redeemed. So keep clipping!
6. DRESS CODE REMINDER – It is getting to be that time of year again to remind students of the dress code. Shorts may be no shorter than the longest finger when the student is standing in an upright position or five/six inches from the top of the knee to the bottom of the shorts (per JH/HS). Shirts must have sleeves in them and may not rise above the waistband. Please review the dress code rules with your child, sent home at the beginning of the school year.
7. CARP CARNIVAL will be June 18 – 21. Kick off your summer by joining us for the 58th Annual Carp Carnival, sponsored by the Michigan Center Lions Club. You won't want to miss this great community celebration that includes a parade, carp fishing contest, boat raffle, bingo, carnival rides, food vendors, the Lions Club “famous” barbeque chicken, family fun, and much more. Admission to the carnival is FREE! The Parade will be on Saturday, June 20th at 11:00 a.m. (starting at Arnold School).
8. JAMA AND SHOP RAT PROGRAMMING – The Academy for Manufacturing Careers and The Shop Rat Foundation are offering many different hands-on and STEM related camps for students from K – 10th grade, and I am pleased to inform you about these upcoming opportunities for your students. The link below offers descriptions of each available program along with registration information, and attached you will find a sample application packet for students. If you have a student you believe would benefit from one of these camps, the application can be filled out and returned to the address provided.
9. EASTERN BRANCH LIBRARY HAPPENINGS IN MAY – It’s almost the end of the school year, but at the library things are gearing up for our summer reading. I’ll be sending along more on that later, because we’ve got some great offerings this year. In the meantime, be sure to check out the Mario Kart Gaming we’ve got scheduled for Saturday, May 23, at 2:00 p.m. We’ll also have plenty of good food and drinks, as well as board games and LEGOS. Just a reminder, we are expanding our gaming options. We’ll soon have our own XBOX 360 and Minecraft. So, stop by and get your game-on at the Eastern Branch Library, right next to Arby’s on East Michigan Avenue.
One last thing. We have LEGOS and board games available every Sunday afternoon from 1:30 – 4:30 p.m. Be sure to stop by and have some great fun.
ASSET BUILDER FOR THE SUMMER - Keep active during the summer break. Reading is a great way to pass a summer day. If you enjoy sports, join a team or start up a game in your neighborhood. Roller-blading, biking and swimming are other summer activities you might enjoy. Whatever you do this summer, BE SAFE and ENJOY!
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FREE TICKETS!
Mackinac Island ferry coupons are available online at
www.mackinacferry.com/fun-services-coupons-34/
To print your FREE coupons, fill out the form using the code Bel15 and print. Travel this summer/fall and enjoy! These coupons are valid only for students who attend a school that hosted a Fun Services’ Santa’s Secret Shop® or Holiday Gift Shop® program in 2013 (Maximum age is 12 years w/ adult ticket purchase).
$12.00 savings per student
Ms. Arnold
Email: Stacy.Arnold@mccardinals.org
Location: Keicher Elementary School, Broad Street, Michigan Center, MI, United States
Phone: 517-764-5200
Facebook: facebook.com/KeicherArnold
Twitter: @Arnold12Stacy