Fusco Fun-Times
2016-2017 School Year
Celebrate Creativity, Courage & Collaboration!
This week, we celebrated International Dot Day!
We were able to connect, collaborate, and celebrate creativity this week. I read the book, The Dot by Peter Reynolds. This is a story of a caring teacher who dares a doubting student to trust in her own abilities by being brave enough to "make her mark". What begins as a small dot on a piece of paper becomes a breakthrough in confidence and courage, igniting a journey of self discovery and sharing. This has inspired our class to join in on this exciting self discovery and continue growing our brains and working on a growth mindset!
We were also able to Skype with the author and listen to kids all over the world ask questions about what inspired Peter Reynolds to write this book. I think we have some inspiring authors in our room, just waiting to create a new book of their own.
We ended the week by creating our own dots or "making our own marks". This was an exciting week and I was just as encouraged this week, as the students were too to make a "mark on the world"!
We love the book, The Dot by Peter Reynolds
Peter Reynolds, the author of The Dot, read the book to us!
Listening to the Discovery Education Virtual Visit
Peter Reynolds -the author of The Dot book
So exciting!
PBIS News
We set a class goal for the month of September! We will be working on lining up for the hallway quietly. If we are successful in reaching our goal 80 % of the time in September, our class will have an electronic party!
We are off to a great start so far!
Curriculum Information
Reading
This week, students took their Beginning of the Year Reading Assessments to help establish small reading groups! While I am meeting with the Guided Reading groups and performing individual conferences with your child they will be engaged in Daily 3 activities. Daily 3 is the strategy we will use during our Literacy block to practice and perfect our reading. The 3 areas we concentrate on are: Read to Self, Word Work and Work on Writing. In addition to Daily 3 I incorporate Data Driven Instruction (DDI) into every facet of our learning. Your child will become aware of reading concepts and ideas that will truly impress you! We will focus on Informational Text and all of its components, Literature and Foundational Skills and Vocabulary. We will work hard to grow as readers this year!
Our Reading curriculum is Reading Street and our vocabulary words come from each weeks story based on the phonics concept being taught. To teach with fidelity all students will be responsible for these words weekly. There is a selection of challenge words and the original set of words go along with the Vocabulary skill for the week.
We will take a Spelling Test on Friday each week and will be using the Spelling City app to perform this task. Each week your child will have required spelling activities through Spelling City. They are allowed time during Daily 3 Word Work, but if they are not completed during the school day they are encouraged to use home time to complete the tasks. If two or more are not completed by Friday they will be completing them during our WEF (Wonderful ExcitingFriday) time, so please encourage them to be staying on task with these activities, so they do not miss out on this fun time.
*** Please note if your child is not in school, they can always access their Reading task through our Haiku page. There is a variety of tasks that they can complete that aligns with what we do in class and is good practice for the Reading concepts of the week. Also, if your child misses a Friday, the Reading Street assessment is always assigned and should be taken over the weekend. Please make sure you are reminding your child to go to Reading Street Realize and complete the test. Thank you for your partnership regarding this.
Look at our wonderful hallway with our Best Part of Me writing!
Weekly Reading Snapshot
Literacy
Weekly Story: Kumak's Fish-Tall Tale
Comprehension Skills: Sequencing
Conventions: declarative and interrogative sentences
Vocabulary: unknown words and context clues
Writing: Personal Narrative
Guided Reading and Fluency practice at home!
For extra fluency practice, your child is bringing home an activity to complete at home. Your child will read the passage three times on three different days of the week. Please time your child for one minute. Count and record the number of words your child reads correctly. Record this in the boxes at the bottom of the page. The goals is try to increase the number of words each time your child reads while concentrating on these skills:
Writing
The focus of writing in third grade is to be able to write a well-thought out response to literature, whether it be fiction or informational text.
During writing we focus on sentence development, parts of speech, paragraph development and poetry writing.
This week we continued to work on our personal narratives. We will go through each step of the writing process-brainstorming using a graphic organizer, rough draft, adding sensory words and transitions, revising and editing, final draft, and publishing!
Math
This week we started Topic 2. Multiplication facts and using patterns. Please make sure your child is practicing their facts nightly. Thank you for your help at home!
Xtra Math/Front Row/ Prodigy– These are useful math practice websites we will be using in our classroom. Please do not forget to make fact practice a part of your evening routine. The quicker you set it up as a requirement the sooner your child will just do it on their own:) The extra practice is critical to mastery of the facts. Thank you for supporting the nightly practice of Math facts.
Practice Pages- when these come home, it is very important that your child is completing their math homework and returning it the next day. Your child will very rarely have math homework on Friday’s, but please make sure you are practicing their math facts as this will help them as we continue to work with them daily in math.
Guided Math: Guided Math will be a practice in our classroom. It is very similar to Guided Reading and allows me an opportunity to work more closely with all of my students one on one or in small group, while other students are working on lesson work or practicing their math facts for mastery.
Social Studies
Unit 1- Map Skills: Reading and Creating Maps
Unit 2- 5 Regions of the United States- Which state is in which region
Unit 3-Illinois- History and Changes to the state
***We will complete one unit of Science and then switch to Social Studies. It is easier to complete one whole unit in each subject than switch back and fourth each day since we are on a very tight schedule daily.
Science
Homework Policy
Homework Policy:
1st day late– note attached to assignment notebook to be signed by parent and returned to school the following day with finished assignment.
2nd day late-student will be a part of a Friday Study Hall Group and will not attend W.E.F. (Wonderful Exciting Friday).
* Missing work more than a week late will receive a zero.
Reminders
Absentee line—847-659-3711
Please send a note in if you will be picking up your child
Please Read 20 minutes every night and record it on your child’s calendar in their agenda (planner). Also, please sign your child's agenda each night.
Important Dates
September
28th-Spirit Wear order forms due
28th-Fall Picture Day-forms to come home soon!
30th-Crazy Hair Day
October
7th- No School- Institute Day
10th- No School- Columbus Day
28th-Career Day
November
4th- End of Trimester 1
21st & 22- No School - Parent Teacher Conferences
23rd- No School
24-25- No School- Thanksgiving Break
December
22- Jan. 3rd- No School- Winter Break
January
4th- School Resumes- Welcome Back
16th- No School - MLK Day
February
15th- End of Trimester 2
16th-17th- No School
20th- No School- President's Day
March
27th-31st- No School- Spring Break
April
3rd- School Resumes after Spring Break
14th- No School
24th- No School
May
26th- earliest last day of school- if no emergency days are used
29th- No School- Memorial Day
June
2nd- tentative last day- End of 3rd Trimester
Volunteers
Volunteers- Do you want to help out in the classroom? If so, you need to fill out and return the volunteer form. A copy of this form was at Open House. If you need another form please let me know.
Calendars were sent home this week for September. If you are unable to make your time and day, please let me know.
Thank you!
Box Tops
Music News from Mrs. Crowe
Conley Spirit Wear
Classroom donations needed:
Starbursts
Smarties
Sweettarts
Thank you so much!
An ending note....
Enjoy your weekend!