Miss Branchick's Weekly Newsletter
May 15-May 19
Simple Machines Project
What should I use? You can use any materials from home. You do not need to go out and buy anything. Be creative! Talk with your parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, whomever, and see what materials they have that you can use.
When is it due? The project is due Tuesday, May 23rd, 2017 - This is Field Day. Presentations will be on Wednesday and Thursday that same week. All projects will be taken home after their individual presentation, unless donated as an example to Miss Branchick.
How will it be graded? Here is the rubric.
-Project was turned in on time: 5 points
-Project uses one or more simple machines: 15 points
-Project does work/solves a problem: 10 points
-Project can be explained when sharing with the class: 10 points
-Paragraph explains how the project works: 10 points
50 points total
We will being discussing simple machines on Wednesday, May 10th. We will go over every type of simple machine, and example of simple machine projects other students have made.
End of the Year Activities
Friday, May 12th - Dress Like a Twin Day + Extra Recess + Tie Dying
- Students will get extra recess in the afternoon and our class alone will Tie Dye tshirts (see note below)
- We will not finish tie-dying today and will continue next week!
Monday, May 15th - Chalk It Out!
- Part of our day will be spent outside answering reading or math questions in chalk!
Tuesday, May 16th - PJ Day
- Students will get to wear their pajamas and bring their slippers to school (students must have regular shoes, too!)
Wednesday, May 17th - Let's Go Camping!
- Students will be able to bring in a blanket, small pillow, stuffed animal, and/or flashlight. We will get cozy by a "campfire" and buddy read with a furry friend.
Thursday, May 18th - Board Games
- Students can bring in their favorite board game to play with friends.
Friday, May 19th- Field Trip Day
- Students are encouraged to wear our new tie dye tshirts on the trip!
Monday, May 22nd - Beach Day
- Students will take a pretend field trip to the beach! Students can bring in beach towels and wear Hawaiian or bright colored shirts. I will provide sunglasses, Hawaiian leis, and mini umbrellas in lemonade as we read outside on our beach towels.
- A beach themed movie will also be played!
- Yearbook signing will be from 12:45-1:15pm
Tuesday, May 23rd - Field Day
- Students may wear a hat or sunglasses to Field Day.
- I encourage all students to put their items in a drawstring bag to carry around with them!
Wednesday, May 24th -Jersey Day + Kickball Tournament
- Students are encouraged to wear anything athletic.
- Third grade classes will be having a kickball tournament in the morning.
- Students will also receive Class Awards that their classmates voted them for at the end of the day.
Thursday, May 25th- Last Minute to Win It!
- In the last minutes of the school year, we will play Minute to Win It games and win cool prizes.
- If you would like to come in and lead the class in a game, let me know! The more the merrier.
Tie-Dying will take place on Friday, May 12th or Monday, May 15th - depending on schedules of IA's for help. Please send in a plain white tshirt and a plastic grocery bag or gallon sized baggie for your child's tshirt as soon as possible. Once they are tie-dyed students will bring them home. They will need to be washed alone.
If you cannot send a tshirt in, please let me know as a few extras have already been donated. If you would like to send in extras, we will happily accept donations! If on Monday, your child hasn't brought one in, they will get one of the extras regardless =) Everyone will have a tie-dyed tshirt.
**If you are wanting and able to help us out in the classroom or with washing of tshirts let me know! I would LOVE the help!
End of the Year Celebration
If you volunteered to bring a food or drink item in, I have passed your name and email address along to Carrie Kirk who has graciously volunteer to coordinate these items for us. She will contact you at her earliest convenience to coordinate. If you have any questions, please let me know!
PTO Openings
The PTO is an integral part of North and South Elementary. They run amazing fundraisers and events that keep students connected in school and having fun outside of school. Without the PTO, there would be a lot of negative effects.
There are currently three open positions that desperately need to be filled; President, Secretary, and North Coordinator.
If you are interested in being a part of the PTO and potentially taking over one of these positions, please contact PTOdanville@yahoo.com for more information or to express interest.
Field Day
Who: North and South Faculty and Students
What: North & South Elementary Field Day
When: Tuesday, May 23rd and rain make-up day on Wednesday, May 24th
Where: South Elementary & Warrior Stadium
Why: To help celebrate the end of the school year and have fun!
The forms need to be returned as soon as possible. This form is not necessarily permission to participate but gives us information about their transportation, lunch, and tshirt sizes for Field Day.
Field Trip to Wonderlab- May 19th
We will be departing South Elementary at 8:45am and returning to school by 1:45pm. We will be eating lunch at the Wonderlab Museum. If your child does not bring a lunch from home, he/she can purchase a sack lunch from the school cafeteria to take.
All students in our class have turned in their permission slips and paid =)
I have already chosen our two chaperones for this trip.
The week of our field trip I will send out an email reminding parents about what lunch choice they chose for their child.
Thank you!
Rocket Math
Students who turn in Rocket Math will earn their House points.
If your child is telling you they no longer have to do Rocket Math, they are mistaken. I am just no longer giving negative consequences for not turning it in.
Tuesday Data Folders and Grades
Tuesday data folders will go home on May 16th.
Reading Lessons
Unit 6 Week 5- Week of May 15-19
Comprehension Strategy: Narrative Poem
Comprehension Skill: Point of View
Genre: Literary Elements: Rhythm and Rhyme
Vocabulary Strategy: Idioms
Spelling: Suffixes
Grammar: Prepositions
3rd Grade Math Lessons:
May 2 - Lesson 9-4
May 3- Lesson 9-5
May 4 - Lesson 9-6
May 5 - Flex Friday
4th Grade Math Lessons:
Fourth Grade:
5/15- Lesson 8-13
5/16- Unit 8 Review
5/17- Unit 8 Review
5/18- Unit 8 Unit 8 Test/ Field Trip
5/19- Unit 8 Unit 8 Test/ Field Trip
5/22- Finish any Unit 8 Test / Go over tests
5/23 - Field Day
5/24- End of the Year Test
5/25- Last Day of school - No Math
*All dates and lessons could change.
**Math homework is done nightly, based on the day's lesson. If there is no new lesson taught, there is no math homework.
***Extra math packets used as a review are completed in class. They are not homework, unless a student chooses to work on it at home.
Here is a link to the website students can log into at home for review and practice.
Behavior Management- Updated
Students have responded very well to group points, and due to our shared love of Harry Potter, our classroom has been broken into four houses; Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. There are 7 students in each house and they all work together to earn their house the most points each week. The House with the most points on Friday will win the House Cup. I bought a real trophy to be our House Cup and it will travel from house to house each week.
Instead of a clip chart, students will simply earn and lose their House points based on a list of standards we created as a class. They are as follows:
-Turn in homework: +1
-Student earns an "A" on any test: +10
-Participates in class: +1
-Student of the Week: +15
-Student of the Month: +50
-Earns compliment from another teacher: +2
-Misbehaves in another class: -2
-Student complimented by another student: +5
I originally placed all students in the four houses. Students will be given the opportunity to be sorted into a different House if they choose, later this week.
Please let me know if you have any questions. I am hoping we will have a successful second semester without our clip chart!
Reading Homework
A new reading homework page will be sent home with your child today.
Math Homework
Even though students may have a new math teacher- math homework will still be collected by me on Fridays.
Snack
Birthday Treats
Number of students: 28
Allergies: peanut
One student has an egg/milk allergy and has been provided with his own special birthday treat.
I am asking that cupcakes or cake are not brought in as these are very messy and leave crumbs on the floor which lead to unwelcome critters joining us in class. All other treats are accepted but if you have any questions please let me know.
I ask for at least a one day notice if you plan to bring treats in so I can make sure to schedule it in. All birthdays are celebrated at the end of the day, around 2pm. You are more than welcome to send treats in with your child in the morning, or bring them in yourself and stay for the celebration at 2pm.
**If your child has a summer birthday and you would like to send in a treat, please choose any day between now and the rest of the year. Just let me know when!