Bear-y Good Newsletter
Mr. Nakano's 2nd/3rd Grade Classroom
A Note from Mr. Nakano
Lots in store these next couple of weeks!
2nd Grade Parents - Please submit the field trip form for the Environmental Nature Center on May 9th. We can take two volunteers, so if you would like to accompany us on this trip, please let me know.
3rd Grade Parents - CAASPP testing is upcoming next week. More information about the state testing is found below.
Dates to Remember
April 23rd-25th: Book Fair
*Tuesday: 11:50-1:00pm and 2:35-3:35pm
*Wednesday: 11:50-1:00pm and 1:20-2:20pm
*Thursday: 11:50-1:00pm and 2:35-3:35pm
April 26th: Taste of Eastwood 4:30-7:30pm
April 29th - May 2nd: CAASPP Testing (3rd Grade Only)
May 9th: Environmental Nature Center Field Trip (2nd Grade Only)
May 24th: Minimum Day
May 27th: NO SCHOOL - Memorial Day
May 31st: Aesop's Fables Musical @ 9 am (2nd Grade Only)
Taste of Eastwood
2nd Grade
2nd Grade at a Glance
Language Arts
We will continue our unit on fables this week. Students will begin practicing for our Aesop's Fable Play at the end of May!
Math
This week, we continue to subtract double and triple digit numbers with regrouping. We will be using standard, picture, and expanded form to subtract.
Science
This week, we will take a closer look at what animals need in order to survive including what habitat they can be found in. Can all animals survive in the same environment? What makes the habitats different or the same?
Have your child update you on their Grass Heads and the progress of their radish seeds!
3rd Grade
3rd Grade at a Glance
Language Arts
Students are working on elaboration in writing and finding more "precise" nouns in their reading.
Social Studies
We are traveling back to the Modern History of Irvine in exploring more about the Native Americans and how their living history continues in our area today.
State Testing
The students will be taking two English Language Arts and two Mathematics assessments, all on separate days. The currently plan is to assess Monday-Thursday, April 29th-May 2nd at the beginning of the day.
PLEASE NOTE: Your child will need headphones for these tests. We will provide a pair for each child, but they are allowed to use their own from home as well. If your child has a preferred pair for comfort, make sure they have them at school during these two weeks.
How Can I Help My Child During State Testing?
- Ensure your child is on time to school.
- Ensure your child does not miss school during this time frame unless they are ill.
- Encourage an early bedtime. Getting enough sleep will be important for students to be at their best.
- Prepare a nutritious and filling breakfast. If students are hungry or having peaks and valleys in blood sugar it will be hard to concentrate.
- Give them a rest. We encourage you to keep your afternoons full of rest and play during this time frame. Students will be working extra hard at school during these two weeks. Consider keeping after school schedules light and full of unstructured time.
- Speak positively. Spend extra time encouraging your child and letting them know all the amazing things you appreciate about them. Consider centering this encouragement on things other than their academic skill. Make sure your child knows that regardless of their performance on this test they are super important to you and you see value in their heart, their creativity, their uniqueness, etc.
- Create calm. We know that stress can cause people (kids especially) to under perform. Don't stress the test. These test results will provide one measure of your child's academic skills. This test is not an all encompassing picture of who your child is as a student. We plan to set your child up for success and guide them to let go of any pressure they may feel. We hope you do the same.