Medcalf Minutes
September 28th - October 2nd
ANDERSON GROVE'S PURPOSE AND DIRECTION
Purpose: The purpose of Anderson Grove Elementary is to prepare all students to achieve their greatest potential and to positively impact the future.
Values & Beliefs:
Family Atmosphere
Collaboration and Communication
Integrity
Continuous Improvement
3 Be’s – Be Safe, Be Respectful, Be Responsible
Be Known
Anderson Grove is Known for Being a . . .
Collaborative
Dedicated
Positive
Community
School-wide expectation focus of the week
Be Respectful:
- Greet others appropriately
Be Responsible:
- Arrive on time
- Have necessary supplies
- Go directly to walking club or classroom
Be Safe:
- Walk around building and in hallways
- Stay on the designated walking areas
- Keep hands, feet, and objects to self
Notes from Mrs. von Nagy
Have a spooky good time at this monster of a book fair!
Our fall Scholastic Book Fair will be in Anderson Grove’s library during Parent-Teacher Conferences this year. Come check out the friendly monsters that eat up everything they can read during these times and hours:
October 6th from 3:15-4:00
October 7th from 3:15-4:00
October 8th from 3:30-7:30
October 9th from 3:15-4:00
October 13th from 3:30-7:30
Notes from Mrs. Medcalf
- Fall Conferences: Parent-Teacher Conferences will be held on Thursday, Oct. 8 and Tuesday, Oct. 13. This year parents will be scheduling their child’s conference time online. The site, www.pickatime.com, is open. Several other schools in the district have used this system, with very successful results. If you have questions or difficulty with scheduling, please call the AG office and we will try to assist.
Upcoming Events
Oct. 7 - National Walk to School Day
Oct. 8 - Parent-Teacher Conferences @ 3:20-7:40Oct. 13 - Parent-Teacher Conferences @ 3:20-7:40
Specials
Tuesday - Day 8 - PE
Wednesday - Day 9 - Media/Check Out Day
Thursday - Day 10 - Music
Friday - Day 1 - PE
A Peek at our Week
Reading
In Class - Readers will show what they have learned about comprehending different texts in our first Comprehension Assessment. They will apply the strategies we have been studying in the areas of Within the Text (grammar, vocabulary, and story elements), Beyond the Text (their own thinking – combining what was read and their own background knowledge), and About the Text (thinking like an author about the text they read – organization, title, questions, etc.).
At Home - Have your child practice their reading skills with this online resource! There are several passages for students to read and then answer Within the Text questions (“just the facts” – either right or wrong). http://mrnussbaum.com/readingpassageindex/
Writing
In Class - Writers are continuing to develop their personal narrative rough drafts by adding in details and dialogue to help their reader feel as if they are experiencing the event themselves!
At Home - Discuss why and how authors use paragraphing, leads, and endings in their writing. You can look at books (fiction or nonfiction) with your child to do so. Ask: “How did the author organize his/her writing?” “How does his/her paragraphing help you as the reader?” “How is this paragraph organized?” (the topic of the paragraph), and "Why did the author start a new paragraph here?"
In Class - Mathematicians are studying data, specifically how to collect, organize, and analyze qualitative data (not number-specific). They are focusing on making, reading, and interpreting single and double bar graphs. They will also learn how to do the same with quantitative data (numbers) on line plots. Vocab: data, bar graph, mode, category, classify, line plot, range.
At Home - Check out these websites with your child!
http://www.ixl.com/math/grade-3 Scroll down to "data and graphs" section
http://www.learnalberta.ca/content/me3us/flash/lessonLauncher.html?lesson=lessons/15/m3_15_00_x.swf Data Bank Game
http://pbskids.org/cyberchase/math-games/bugs-in-the-system/ “Cyberchase: Bugs in the System”
Science
In Class - Scientists have had the opportunity to investigate seeds and their structures. We have saved a few of these seedlings and will grow them hydroponically. Students will monitor how these seeds mature using a class growth chart. Vocab: seed, seed coat, embryo, cotyledon, dormant, germination, organisms, growth, roots, seedling, stem, and leaves.
At Home - Support your child's understanding of seedling structures by visiting the following links. Be sure to discuss each part and its function!
Parts of Plant MatchingParts of Plant Labeling
Magic School Bus "Gets Planted" (YouTube)
Spelling
In Class - Students will work with words that have the -tch or -ch digraphs. Here is our list for the week: approach, catch, latch, change, pitched, charming, pouches, chosen, reach, coach, riches, ditch, searching, watchful, itching. Help your student understand which digraph to use by reinforcing that -tch does not start words (used in the middle or end) and -tch usually follows a single, short vowel. Of course, there are always exceptions to this rule (riches)!
At Home - Ask your child to find words that follow the same pattern as they are reading a book. Help your child practice their spelling words for 10-15 minutes every day, spelling on a whiteboard, in a notebook, or using our class page at Spelling City, http://www.spellingcity.com/BeckyMedcalf/.