January 31, 2013

Due Thursday, February 14, 2013

Dear Parents: 

            Continue the great work in reading with your child for 30 minutes each day and recording it in the RAH folder.  Possibly set a goal for earning money by reading or doing homework to donate to the Heifer Project to support our school in the effort to help others.  The first part this term in reading, we’re working on character qualities, point of view, cause and effect relationships, recounting stories, theme, moral and lesson, sequence of events, and compare and contrast.

          Falcon Fast Facts are now on the RAH folders.  Have your child work on Xtra Math or flashcards (These were sent home on Monday.) for a few minutes.  Mark your initials by Falcon Fast Facts on the RAH folder each day.

            Please continue to have your child use SumDog.  If you need the password for SumDog or Xtra Math, please let me know. 

       Family Writing/Construction of Valentines Box/Speech:  See another Blog entry for "Valentines Holder" for the long-term (2-week) project.

   

            Valentine's party will need to be planned soon!  Is there a parent who would like to volunteer to organize it?  Are their any parents willing to help with the party?  Send me an e-mail, and I'll share your contact information with the parent(s) who wish to organize.  The party will be from 2-3 on Thursday, February 14.

Sincerely,

Ginny Ryan

Valentines Holder

Due:  Thursday, February 14

1. Create a special and original decorated valentines holder.  It may be made of anything you have around your house.  The more reused items you put into your holder, the better!  (Forest Ridge has a contest for the most creative use of recycled items in making a valentines holder.) Do not bring the valentines holder to school until February 14!!!
2. Write a “How I Made My Valentines Holder” paper.  Include a materials list, and step by step procedure, so someone else could make it.
3. Plan a speech about “How I Made My Valentines Holder”.  Include: 

1.      What did you make and where did you get your idea?

2.       What materials did you use?  (Be sure to make a point of talking about the reused materials!)

3.      Give step by step directions of how you put it together.

4.      Tell what you’re going to do with it after Valentine’s Day.

Each term 2^nd and 3^rd  graders will be assessed on their speaking ability.

The areas assessed include:

Content/Ideas

™       Ideas are clear.

™       It is evident the speaker knows what he/she is talking about.

Organization:

™       It is evident the speech was prepared ahead of time.

™       The speech includes a beginning, middle, and ending.

™       There are interesting and clear transitions.

Language

™       Words to make the speech interesting are used.

™       Words are appropriately used.

™       Diction is clear.

Delivery

™       Show confidence.

™       Smile appropriately.

™       Stand straight.

™       Use appropriate hand gestures and at other times keep hands comfortably at sides.

™       Make eye contact with students and teacher.

™       Project voice.

Effort

™       There is clear evidence that the child has rehearsed the speech several times in front of an audience.

 ™       Practice, practice, practice!

™    

January 24, 2013

Due Tuesday, January 29

Dear Parents: 

            Continue the great work in reading with your child for 30 minutes each day and recording it in the RAH folder.  The first part this term in reading, we’re working on character qualities, point of view, cause and effect relationships, recounting stories, theme, moral and lesson, sequence of events, and compare and contrast.

            Math: Continue playing the array games a couple of times a week. 

          Falcon Fast Facts are now on the RAH folders.  Have your child work on Xtra Math or flashcards (These were sent home on Monday.) for a few minutes.  Mark your initials by Falcon Fast Facts on the RAH folder each day.

            Please continue to have your child use SumDog.  If you need the password for SumDog or Xtra Math, please let me know. 

       Family Writing:  Write a letter to someone.  It could be a thank you note for a gift, or just a friendly letter.  There are 5 parts to a friendly letter (Heading—date, Greeting—Dear ________, Body—what you want to say-indenting paragraphs, Closing—Sincerely, Yours truly, Your friend, Love, and the Signature—your name.  Be sure you use “Friendly Letter” format!  I will return it with no marks on it, so it can be mailed or given to the person.  Writing together encourages your child to see you having fun with writing, and allows you an opportunity to spend time with your child while he/she learns.

Sincerely,

Ginny Ryan

January 17, 2013

 Dear Parents: 

            Continue the great work in reading with your child for 30 minutes each day and recording it in the RAH folder.  The first part this term in reading, we’re working on character qualities, point of view, cause and effect relationships, recounting stories, theme, moral and lesson, sequence of events, and compare and contrast.

            Math: Continue playing the array games a couple of times a week. 

            If you don’t have computer access for you child, please work on flashcard practice or the array games.  Second graders need to know their addition facts through 10 + 10 (or 20’s) and subtraction facts through 20’s.  Third graders need to know addition, subtraction, and multiplication facts through 10’s (11’s and 12’s would be nice, too!) 

          Falcon Fast Facts are now on the RAH folders.  Have your child work on Xtra Math or flashcards (These were sent home on Monday.) for a few minutes.  Mark your initials by Falcon Fast Facts on the RAH folder each day.

            Please continue to have your child use Xtra Math and SumDog.  If you need the passwords, please let me know. 

       Family Writing:  Five students still need to finish up their fiction story that was assigned before winter vacation.

          Write a New Year’s Resolution.  Choose one thing you’d like to improve to make you a better student.  Explain what that is and how you plan to improve it. 

          Writing together encourages your child to see you having fun with writing, and allows you an opportunity to spend time with your child while he/she learns.

Falcon Fast Facts Start Today!

Here at Forest Ridge we are continuing to foster a culture of excellence.  In order to thoroughly prepare our students, not only for the next grade but for life, we are implementing a daily practice program for math facts.  Fast Falcon Facts will be individualized to meet each student’s level of mastery. 

In order to master these basic facts we will form a partnership that combines work in the classroom with practice at home.  In class we will focus our learning on the math fact strategies.  At home, students will practice daily applying these strategies to a group of facts. 

How Fast Falcon Facts works:

1. The Fast Falcon Facts monthly practice log will come home in your child’s RAH Folder

2. Your child will bring home Fast Falcon Facts envelopes with the fact cards they have mastered to keep for review and the fact cards they need to practice for mastery.   Put these envelopes in a safe place where they will not get lost.  Your child will use them all year. 

3. Your child will also bring home a Fast Falcon Facts Challenge Ticket/Strategy Card and a sheet of related math fact cards he/she needs to practice for mastery.  Cut apart cards and place in white practice envelope.

4. Each day, help your child practice their math facts and focus on the current strategy.  This can be for just a few minutes going over each fact twice or play one of the suggested games or activities on their Fast Falcon Facts envelope.   

5. Initial the Fast Falcon Facts practice log each time you help your child practice..  

6. When you think your child has mastered his/her current strategy, initial the Challenge Ticket and send it back in the RAH folder.

7. If your child meets the challenge, he/she will bring home the next Challenge Ticket/Strategy Card and related fact cards.  Move the mastered cards to the review envelope and cut the new cards out and place in the white envelope.  If they need more practice we will send back the Challenge Ticket indicating he/she needs more practice. 

Two or three minutes of practice each day will not only help your child master their basic math facts, but it will also develop consistent study skills.  Make Learning Fast Falcon Facts fun for your child.

Packets were sent home today.  If your child was absent, please have him/her pick the packet up tomorrow!

January 10, 2013

January 10, 2013

Dear Parents: 

            Continue the great work in reading with your child for 30 minutes each day and recording it in the RAH folder.  The first part this term in reading, we’re working on character qualities, point of view, cause and effect relationships, recounting stories, theme, moral and lesson, sequence of events, and compare and contrast.

            Math: Continue playing the array games a couple of times a week.  Second graders actually only need to know their multiplication (arrays) through 5X5, but I've included all the arrays because many of the second graders are ready for them!  For third graders (and second graders who are ready), looking on the backside of the array, tell the other factor. That’s division!

            If you don’t have computer access for you child, please work on flashcard practice or the array games.  Second graders need to know their addition facts through 10 + 10 (or 20’s) and subtraction facts through 20’s.  Third graders need to know addition, subtraction, and multiplication facts through 10’s (11’s and 12’s would be nice, too!) 

            Falcon Fast Facts are now on the RAH folders.  The school still is not ready to send home the flashcard packets.  They will be coming soon!  In the meantime, either have your child work on Xtra Math or flashcards for a few minutes.  Mark your initials by Falcon Fast Facts on the RAH folder each day.

            Please continue to have your child use Xtra Math and SumDog.  If you need the passwords, please let me know. 

       Family Writing: 

    Don't forget to have your child do or finish the fiction story that was assigned before vacation.  I must have them all turned in by Monday, January 17, so I can scan the pictures, and have them ready for students for a technology lesson.

This week's writing:

Everyone has a wish.  What is yours?  Write about your wish and tell why it’s important to you.  Use the graphic organizer to think through what you want to say before writing your paragraph.  Be sure you have a beginning, middle, and ending.

http://forestridge.salemkeizer.net/  School website