1. Last Week’s Happenings…
Ms. Deming’s Weekly Newsletter
September 13, 2015
Last Week’s Happenings…
Reading Workshop
The students have been doing a great job launching the reading workshop! We have about one week left in our launching unit. Students learned places that were worth stopping and jotting about and places that were not. Students also learned about the rubric that will be used to grade their stop and jots. They will choose their best stop and jot each day to put in their reading notebook. Each week I will usually collect one stop and jot to take as an information grade.
Our 1st Science Experiment
Students learned the steps of the scientific method. They put them into practice by conducting our first science experiment. We were trying to determine what would happen when we put a gummy bear into salt water, oil, and vinegar. We let them sit overnight and students determined if their hypotheses were correct or not.
Student Reading Survey
Students analyzed themselves as readers by taking a reading survey about themselves. They had to answer questions such as how often they read, what their strengths and weaknesses were as a reader, what their favorite book or series was, how they feel about reading aloud, where their favorite place to read is, what they do if they don’t understand what they are reading, what they do when they come to a tricky word, and so much more! I will be using these to help me get to know the students better as readers.
Letters for 9/11
The students wrote letters to the local fire department and police department in honor of 9/11. The letters were sent directly to them!

2. Important Information and Reminders
Happening This Week…
Math
This week we will finish our place value unit. The students will learn how to compare numbers and how to write numbers in expanded form. The students will be having their first unit test on Thursday. They were given a study guide last Thursday that is due on Tuesday. We will spend time in class going over the study guide and reviewing. The students will then take their addition & subtraction unit pretest on Friday. They will begin personalized learning next unit.
Reading
Last week the students learned how to stop and jot. This week the students will be writing a stop and jot that will be collected and taken as an informal grade. They will also learn how to make movies in their minds as they read, what to do if they have internal or external distractions, what to do if they come across a confusing part in their book, how to have effective conversations about books with their reading partners, how to retell a story, and finally how to make book recommendations to their friends.
Writing
This week in writing students will be doing writing activities that will help them generate ideas for topics for their writing when we start writing our personal narratives. Students will choose a place that is special to them to draw a map of it. They will then write all of the memories they have of that place on their map. Students will also create a list of writing territories, where they have to list things like their favorite things, accomplishments, first times, last times, etc.
Science- Students will learn about the three states of matter: solid, liquid, and gas. Students will be able to identify them and learn about their basic properties. Students will also be conducting an experiment.
Social Studies- Students will continue to learn about changes in communities over time. Students will take a closer look at Winston Salem and identify the changes in this city over time. Students will also explore Charlotte and how it has changed over time. They will create a brochure advertising Charlotte now.
Dates to know…
-9/14 R&R Day (Students wear their PJ’s to school. They will read and watch movies while the teacher conducts individual reading assessments).
-9/14 First day of BYOT (Bring Your Own Technology) to school
-9/15 Place Value study guide due
-9/16 1:30-3:00 MAP Reading Testing
-9/17 Place Value Unit Test
-9/18 Our 1st class economy store (Students get to spend the $ they have earned)
-9/22 2:30-4:00 MAP Math Testing
-9/24 3rd Grade Fire Safety Program
-9/25 August and September Birthday Celebrations 2:45-3:15 (Instead of 3:30-4 due to our recess being at that time!)
Notes from Ms. Deming 
-Reminder, students may wear their PJ’s to school and bring up to 2 comfy items (ie. Pillow, blanket, stuff animal) to school. It is R&R Day. We will be testing students all day 1:1.
-You may begin looking at your child’s grades online through Powerschool. I will be uploading grades this week. You must go to the link below and set up an account. They also have an APP that you can download to use!
-Students will participate in their 1st class store this Friday. They will get to cash their checks that they have earned for money and they can spend it at the class store. We are in need of a few more supplies if you can sent any in!
-Please don’t forget to sign your child’s agenda, reading log, and credit/debit sheet nightly. This counts towards students daily homework!
Important Information and Reminders
New CMS Grading Scale
90% -100% A
80%-89% B
70%-79% C
60%-69% D
59% and below F
A few more classroom economy store items still needed (erasers, mechanical pencils, grippers, twist up colored pencils, markers, notebooks, toys, snacks, etc.). If we have extra, we will save them for the next class store at the end of the first quarter.
4 clipboards