ADDITION FACTS CHALLENGE

Our third grade Addition Facts Challenge officially began on Monday, Sept. 21st. A letter was sent home on that date that explained how the challenge works. Your child should be bringing home his/her math facts daily to practice. If he/she spends just a little time practicing each day, that time will really pay off. The Addition Challenge will end on Oct. 29th. At this time, your child needs to be completed with his/her facts up through the 9's, as this is a graded assignment. Also, a 100 fact timed test will be given on this date, including all facts from the 0's - 9's, that will be worth 50 points. These facts are essential to all further math operations and need to be mastered. Thank you for your continued parent support.

WHAT'S NEW?

We had our schoolwide Olweus Bullying Prevention Program assembly on Friday, Sept. 18th. The program's Anti-Bullying School Rules were reviewed and recited. Sixth grade students performed a skit to demonstrate what bullying looks like and sounds like, and what you can do to help stop it. There was also a team challenge to show the benefits of working together. The winning fifth grade team beat the teacher team by pulling together and giving it their very best effort! Anti-Bullying Pledges were sent home with all students, to be signed and returned. A special "Catch Them Being Good" display will be centered in the cafeteria; with monthly prizes drawn and awarded to recognized students. Here's to a Bully-Free school year!

READING TO YOUR THIRD GRADER

So many times when a child learns to read a parent stops reading to a child. We rationalize it by saying, “Well, he can read himself now; he does not need me to read to him anymore.” This is only partly true.

Third graders may indeed know how to read, but they still enjoy being read to. Here are some of the benefits:

• Snuggling up on the couch to read to your child (who is now too big to sit on your lap) gives you and your child quality time together.
• You can model for your child good expressive reading.
• Your child can be exposed to books that are too hard for him/her to read by himself, but are not too hard for him/her to understand.
• Your child’s listening vocabulary is greater than his/her reading vocabulary.
  It is a great way to wind down at the end of the day for both you and the child.
• Reading to your child will help them to be better at comprehending what he/she reads.
• And you can help your child better comprehend by doing the following:
• Ask your child to predict what he/she thinks will happen next and then listen carefully to see if that prediction comes true.
• Ask your child to stop you if he/she wants you reread a section that they do not understand.
• Make connections to your own life as you read and ask your child if he/she hears anything to which he/she can connect. Say, “This part of the story reminds me of ….”.
• When you are done reading ask your child what part he/she liked the best or the least.
• If it is a picture book, stop and look at the pictures before you read and then again while you read.
• Ask which character in the story would he or she like for a friend and why.
• Talk about the plot of the story: what was the problem and how was it solved.

When you do the above suggestions, you are modeling for your child what he/she should be doing when they read.

The goal is to help children love to read and to understand what they are reading.

Let me know how this works for you. Any success stories?

OUR ONE OF A KIND SCULPTURE

On Tuesday, September 1st, "Artist Dave" presented our school with this beautiful sculpture of sixth grader, Kelly, during our schoolwide assembly, outside by the flagpole. The statue of Kelly flying a kite was unveiled to hundreds of "ooohs"and "aaahs"! Kelly earned the distinct honor of being the model for the sculpture when she won an essay contest back in fourth grade. Members of Kelly's family were present for this special event, along with community members, students, faculty, and staff.