Weekly Update #21: January 21 - January 25

Announcements: 

• Bluebonnet Book Program: Today was the last day to take a Bluebonnet Book Quiz. I'm so proud of our class. Every single student read and passed 5 quizzes!  That means everyone gets to go to the Bluebonnet Book Party next week!  Yippee!  We had 13 students read 10 or more books, with 3 students reading all 20 books. That is amazing! 
• Progress Report Cards: Your child's progress report card for the 3rd nine week grading period will be coming home in 2 weeks. Please, check Home Access every week with your child to see what assignment he/she may be missing. 
• Scholastic Book Orders Due Next Week - The January Scholastic Book Orders are due Thursday, January 31st. Place your orders online - Your Class Activation Code NP79X.  The link to order is HERE.  Thank you to Jose's mom for putting in an order online!
• Economics Fair Information:  The Economics Fair Information sheet went home this week.  There was a yellow information sheet that explains the project requirements and expectations.  The other side of the form is for you and your child to complete over the next 5 - 6 weeks as your child begins to work on his/her project. Please, turn this form back in by next Friday, February 1st. I want to check and make sure each child has a project picked out and ready to begin making.
• The 100th Day of School: To celebrate the 100th day of school, we invite kids to dress up as if they are 100 years old!  Suggestions: eyeglasses, gray hair spray. For girls: large purse, scarf, printed skirt, pearl necklace, sweater or cardigan sweater. For boys: a button down shirt, flannel shirt, suspenders, tie, mustache (drawn on). 
• Valentine Boxes and Valentine Cards - A pink flyer went home in your child's Thursday folder about decorating a Valentine Box and making Valentine cards for each classmate. The list of students in our class is on the pink flyer. Please, bring these items to school on February 14th. 
• Six Flag Reading Program - The form came home yesterday in Thursday folders. Please, read and follow the directions on the form. Students can turn this form in anytime before February 22nd.  
• Home Access Center: Check your child's academic progress every week. Link to Home Access Center.   If you still have trouble logging in please contact our school's front office.
• STAAR Assessments May 13 and May 14:  They are just around the corner.  Want to help prepare your child at home?  Suggestions for math: khan academy (students have a login already or set one up for FREE) and my "Math Links" tab are excellent online resources your child has access to. You can also create your own subscription to ixl.com and create an account for your child. It's a great math resource!  Suggestions for reading: reading comprehension passages with questions and other reading comprehension skills. Check out the "Reading Links" tab for tons of great online resources. 

Upcoming Events:​​​​.​ ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​​​​​​

• January 29 - Bluebonnet Book Party (I Read 5) and Meteorologist Visits 
• January 31 - Science Unit 6 DCA: Soil, Erosion, and Natural Resources  
• January 31 - Last day to place a January Scholastic Book Order
• February 1 - Economics Fair Project Sheet - Check in (What item are you making for the fair?)
• February 1 - STEAM Day (with guest speaker) and the 100th day of school (dress up day)
• February 14 - Third Grade Valentine's Day Party (1:30 - 2:30)  -  Valentine Boxes and Cards are due!!
• February 15 - Economics Fair Project Sheet - Check in (Are supplies and materials purchased? Have you gotten started on making your products?)
• February 22 - Career Fair Day
• March 12 - Economics Fair Day! - All items must be present for the fair for selling - major grade! 
• March 16 - 24  SPRING BREAK
• March 25 - Ocean Adventure School Assembly 
• March 29 - Mrs. Lilleboe's Class Field Trip to Westcave Preserve 

***Library Day is on Wednesdays (it's on Thursdays for TAG kids). 
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What's Been Happening In Class?  

• Writing: This week our focus was on Adverbs and working on our final Biography Book Club presentations in Google Slides. 
• Reading:  We started our new unit....Traditional Literature!  We've been reading folktales this week finding the story elements (characters, setting, plot, problem, solution), the theme (lesson/moral) of the story, and the main events in the story. We'll continue with Traditional Literature next week with Tall Tales and Legends. 
• Math: We are in the Geometry unit. This week the focus has been on "finding the area" of a rectangle/square or other polygon shape. We are using multiplication to find the area (length X width). We'll continue with area next week and start learning about 3D shapes too! 
• Science: We started our next unit: soils and natural resources. We completed a Soil Shakes activity and began learning about our natural resource (renewable and nonrenewable resources). Next week we'll continue this discussion and add more vocabulary: biodegradable, composting, man-made products, recycling, conservation. Science DCA is on Thursday, January 31. Check the "science links" for ways to study up for the test! 
• Social Studies: We learned more about Martin Luther King Jr.
• Eslot: Enrichment groups