Heifer International Project Reminder

Don't forget to have your child turn in his/her Heifer Project donations! Check out the website: https://secure1.heifer.org/fund-a-project.html A big thank you to Jose's family for supporting his reading efforts! Jose was able to purchase a flock of chickens. Read about the good that will be done with his donation: A flock of chicks can help families from Cameroon to the Caribbean add nourishing, life-sustaining eggs to their inadequate diets. The protein in just one egg is a nutritious gift for a hungry child. Protein-packed eggs from even a single chicken can make a life-saving difference. Heifer helps many hungry families with a starter flock of 10 to 50 chicks. A good hen can lay up to 200 eggs a year - plenty to eat, share or sell. With Heifer recipients' commitment to pass on the offspring and training, the exponential impact of adding chickens to communities in poverty is truly a model that helps end hunger and poverty. Because chickens require little space and can thrive on readily available food scraps, families can make money from the birds without spending much. And chickens help control insects and fertilize gardens. In Tanzania, Omari and Kulwa were struggling to raise a family on just 50 cents a day. With the training and chicks they received from Heifer, egg sales have boosted their daily income to $2, so they can now buy food and still pay school fees. Now, through passing on the gift, all of the children in their village are going to school.

Valentines Holders 2012

Homework for Thursday, February 16, 2012

Due Date: Wednesday, February 22, 2012 Check out our Blog site! At the top right side of our classroom page, you can subscribe to our Blog, and new postings will show up on your Google homepage. http://forestridgec4.blogspot.com/ Assignments: Family Writing: We’re continuing our study of functional writing. Please have your child write directions on how to take care of something. Using transition words like first, then, last, and finally are good to use. Numbered directions could also be used. The topic could be about how to take care of my dog, how to trim a cat’s nails, how to care for a gerbil, etc.. 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. Reading: Language arts homework, “History of Soccer (3rd grade reading level) and “Cat or No Cat” (2nd grade reading level) are similar in format and skills to the Oregon third grade reading assessment. It will benefit your child greatly to complete it each week. PLEASE feel free to help your child with it, even on some of the reading, if necessary. I tried to give your child the story at the reading level that will benefit him/her the most. Keep reading 30 minutes each day. Don’t forget to help your child remember to bring the RAH (Read at Home) folder back to school each day. If you don’t have time to read one evening, please still sign the card with 0 minutes written in. That’s ok once in awhile! Math: *3rd Grade~Pg. 132 and 135 *2nd Grade~Pg. 102 and 104 *Use Sumdog website. If you need your username and password, please ask me for it. * Go to: www.xtramath.org. Follow the directions on your XtraMath letter (in your packet last week). Practice 10-15 minutes each day! Only eleven students have participated in this. The feedback I’ve had from parents has been very positive! It’s such a great way to practice the math facts quickly!

Craft, Functional Writing, and Speech

Due: Tuesday, February 14, 2012 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! 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 2nd and 3rd 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. Hints  Practice, practice, practice!  Practice in front of a mirror using a loud, pleasant voice. Figure out some hand gestures that go nicely with the speech. Practice a couple of times without your script in front of the mirror. Practice in front of an adult.  Time yourself at an appropriate pace (2-3 minutes) and make yourself slow down, so you don’t say it too fast.  Memorize your script. Extra Credit! To gain a 5 in Content/Ideas add extra interesting details. To gain a 5 in organization make your transitions clever. To gain a 5 in language look for some new vocabulary words that can be appropriately placed to spice up your speech. To gain a 5 in delivery practice, practice, practice! Let someone hear you speak and give you pointers on how to make your self sound and look better. Then practice what he/she told!

Homework for Thursday, February 9, 2012

Due Date: TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2012----CHECK OUT THE DUE DATE!!!!!!! Check out our Blog site! At the top right side of our classroom page, you can subscribe to our Blog, and new postings will show up on your Google homepage. http://forestridgec4.blogspot.com/ Assignments: Family Craft, Writing, Speech See extra sheet. Reading: *No extra assignment because of the craft, writing, and speech. Keep reading 30 minutes each day. Don’t forget to help your child remember to bring the RAH (Read at Home) folder back to school each day. If you don’t have time to read one evening, please still sign the card with 0 minutes written in. That’s ok once in awhile! Math: *No extra assignment because of the craft, writing, and speech. *Use Sumdog website. If you need your username and password, please ask me for it. * Go to: www.xtramath.org. Follow the directions on your XtraMath letter (in your packet last week). Practice 10-15 minutes each day! Only eleven students have participated in this. The feedback I’ve had from parents has been very positive! It’s such a great way to practice the math facts quickly! Valentines: *Students are to make a valentines holder out of reused materials at home. It needs to stay at home until Tuesday, February 14. Valentines for every child (attached is a student list) may be brought to school on Monday, February 14. There is always a contest at Forest Ridge for the most original holder made with reused materials.