Vocabulary Parade, AR Reading and Native American Study

Olivia's "big" undertaking.

Cole's flamboyant display

The Annual Vocabulary Parade, held on Thursday, October 27th was a big success.  Thank you for helping the students create interesting, glitzy, flamboyant, colorful and unique displays.  All your efforts helped make the Vocabulary Parade an astronomical success. 

Last week the students took the STAR Reading test.  We take this each quarter and it helps us to assign AR Reading Ranges.  Along with student's receiving new AR levels, they also started with new AR goals.  2nd quarter, students need to reach their AR point goal AND pass at least 85% of the quizzes taken.  I have demonstrated how the % works for AR quizzes.  We have the goal of 85% written on the board and also our current classroom %.  Last quarter our classroom percentage was 84.8%.......we were oh so close to our goal.  Please remind your child he/she may bring home AR books to read, just as long as they remember to bring them back to school each day.  I allot at least 30 minutes of AR time in the classroom each day.  In addition, the majority of the read-aloud I books I share are also AR books. 

Students who met their AR goal 1st quarter, will celebrate with an extra recess on Thursday, Nov. 3rd.  We had 20 out of 24 (we took a little time to talk about fractions when we posted the number of students who met their goal.....I love it when more than one academic area fits together) students meet their AR point goals for 1st quarter.  Yeah, 3C!!!

Our current Social Studies theme is comparing/contrasting Native American communities and how habitat and/or landscape affected lifestyles.  We have discussed the Sioux tribe, the Tlingit (Klin-kit) tribe of the northwest and will add 2 additional tribes to our study.  Last week, Mr. Meeder, Mrs. Dickinson and myself put up a replica of a Sioux buffalo hide tipi (thank goodness we didn't actually have to abide in it.....let's just say it wasn't the most sturdy of creations).  Then we joined the 3 classes together to show arrowheads, examples of hatchets, dance sticks, breast plates, moccasins, clothing for children and beads or quills the Sioux people would have used to decorate.  Students were engaged in the discussion and asked great questions at the end.  Once I have the photos downloaded from my camera, I will post on the blog.