Secret Santa

Today we exchanged names for the Secret Santa gift exchange. Please send your gift in BEFORE Friday. Limit $10.00.

Christmas Program

What a great job! I'm so proud of the 5th grade for the job they did and am thankful for Mrs. Valerie Terman who does an amazing job as our music teacher.

3 Things a Bar Graph MUST Have

1. A good title that describes what is being graphed.

2. A list of the groups or categories for which bars are drawn.

3. A number line with a scale: usually labeled.

Food Drive THIS WEEK

It is a tradition here at InterAmerican Academy that we have a school-wide food drive in December. The food is then divided up and given to the maintenance workers.

These man are absolutely amazing. They work hard, they are helpful, they are cheerful, and they are a big part of our school. Please be super-generous in your donations.

The winning class (percentage-wise) will receive a pizza party. However, let's just be generous for the sake of being generous.

Thanks.

Holiday Program THIS WEEK!

The 2nd - 6th Holiday program is this Wednesday, the 8th at 6:30. Please bring your child to my classroom by 6:15.

It is very important that students memorize the words to the music.

See you there!

Take your personality test: http://www.constitutioncenter.org/FoundersQuiz/

Play: http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/games/interactiveadventures/john-smith/

Social Studies Powerpoint

The social studies PowerPoint is due Monday at the end of the day. Students have chosen one of the early settlements: Roanoke, Jamestown, or Plymouth. The PowerPoint should include pictures and tell the who, what, when, where, why, and how of the colony.

Reading strategies parents

Check out this SlideShare Presentation:

Reading strategies parents

View more presentations from mssstevens.

Social Studies Test Scores

Many students did not take advantage of the online test practice site before they took the test. This is vital practice for the students. They should complete the online preparation as many times as needed until they achieve a perfect score.

The site is listed in the sidebar.

Formative and Summative: Clearing it up

When you receive the math test data, you can see that some of it is formative and some is summative.
Summative Assessments are given periodically to determine at a particular point in time what students know and do not know. Students should have mastered the material on this portion of the test.

Formative Assessment is part of the instructional process. When incorporated into classroom practice, it provides the information needed to adjust teaching and learning while they are happening. In this sense, formative assessment informs both teachers and students about student understanding at a point when timely adjustments can be made. This material has been taught, but the student is not expected to have mastered it yet.

Open Response is a measure of a student's mathematical reasoning process, how they approach a multi-step problem, and how well they can explain their thinking.

Scores: Two scores are reported, the first score includes all three sections, and the second score does not include the formative portion of the test. Students receive the higher grade of the two on their test.

WOW! Games Organized According to RIT Score

What a great find! Here's a site, where your child can work at home to build up skills AT THE LEVEL WHERE THEY ARE! Just look at their MAP scores for this fall and locate games in the area they need at the level they need.
http://www.belleplaine.k12.mn.us/se3bin/clientgenie.cgi?schoolname=school357&statusFlag=goGenie&geniesite=133&myButton=g5plugin&db=g133_b545
This site was developed by a teacher and looks wonderful.

Thank a Veteran Today

Practice Thankful by Jonny Lang

Schedule for November Guided Reading

Parents, please note. Reading groups set their own schedules. Some students are reading over vacation.

Halloween Schedule

Students come to school in costume (Reminder, weapons must be "holstered." No terrorist-type weapons.)

7:30 - 8:00 time in classrooms (stories)

8:00 - 8:20 Trick or Treat 5th grade (12th, 10th, 8th)
ALL GRADES (Library and Administrative Offices)

8:20 - 8:35 Haunted House

8:35 - 9:00 Trick or Treat

9:00 - 9:30 Elementary assembly

9:30 - 10:15 Class party

10:15 - 10:30 Recess break

10:30 - 11:30 Secondary show

October Guided Reading

Practice for social studies test online

To go online and practice for your test:
Click on "Social Studies Alive Enrichment" in the sidebar of this blog (under social studies)
Click on "Social Studies America's Past"
Sign in as new user (write down your password so you don't forget it) or sign in using the account you set up earlier in the year.
Select Chapter 4
Select Internet Tutorial
Select Internet Tutorial again
Enter your name and Select Chapter 4 (on left)
Do "New Words", "Just the Facts,", and "Using Your Multiple Intelligence" to prepare for test. Keep doing it until you get them all correct.

If you don't have Internet, reread the chapter and study the vocabulary.

Six Ways to Practice Spelling

1. "Trace, Copy and Recall"

Make a chart like this with 3 or four spelling words you want to learn:

Fold over the "recall" part so that only the first two columns show:

Then:

Say the word to yourself.

Trace it in the first column, saying the letters as you trace,and say the word again. You

might put a little rhythm into it. ( "WORD . W - pause - O - pause R-D - WORD!).

(Remember, the goal here is to remember how to spell the words, not to successfully fol-

low these directions.)

Go to the second column, say the word, and write it the same way.

While the rhythm and the sound and the feeling are fresh in your mind, flip the paper

over and say the word and spell it out -- the same way, saying each letter (because, after

all, practice makes permanent).

If it's a hard word, put it on the list more than once. If you're feeling particularly smart,

trace and copy TWO words, and try to remember them both before you flip the page

over. However, if your short-term memory isn't big enough to hold all that, do one at a

time because you want to practice the words RIGHT, not make guesses.

After you've done a small group of words this way a few times, start doing them two

or three at a time, and when you feel like you know them, practice the list again -- but

skip the tracing. And if you’re feeling VERY confident, skip the tracing and the copying

both.

2. Reverse chaining by letter

1. Say the word. Then write it, saying each letter (be enthusiastic and expressive!)

W - O - R - D

2. Skip a line and say it and write it again -- minus the last letter. Say the last letter,

but don't write it.

W - O - R - ____

3. Skip a line and say it and write it again - minus the last two letters. Say them, but

don't write them.

W - O - ___ ____

4. Do that until you're only writing one letter.

5. Go back to the top. Read the word, then spell it out loud.

6. Fold the page over so you can't see the whole word. Say the word, spell it, and

add that last letter.

7. Fold the page back again. Say the word, spell it, and add thelast two letters.

8. Keep going until you spell the whole word.

9. GO BACK AND CHECK -- make sure you didn't leave out a letter!

3. Reverse chaining by syllable (this is harder, for longer words)

1. Say the word. Then write it, saying each letter (be enthusiastic and expressive!)

S-E-P-A-R-A-T-E

2. Skip a line and say it and write it again -- minus the last syllable. Say the last sylla-

ble and spell it out loud, but don't write it.

S-E-P-A-______________

3. Continue until you aren't writing anything -- but still say the spelling out loud.

4. Go back to the top. Read the word, then spell it out loud.

5. Fold the page over so you can't see the whole word. Say the word,

spell it, and add the last syllable.

6. Fold the page back again. Say the word, spell it, and add the

last two syllables.

7. Continue until you spell the whole word.

8. GO BACK AND CHECK -- make sure you didn't leave out any letters!

r o om

Resource

o o

should

shoul__

shou__ __

sho __ __ __

sh__ __ __ __

s __ __ __ __ __

__ __ __ __ __ __

4. Highlight the Hard Parts

This is a good strategy for learning rules and patterns. If you want to learn a bunch of IE

words -- that "I before E" rule that so many people find so hard to use -- this is a good way

to do it. It’s also good for those words with a letter that’s hard to remember, such as sepa-

rate. (Some people can remember it by thinking “There’s a rat in separate.) You don’t want

to guess - if you guess wrong, you’re practicing it wrong, and practice makes permanent,

after all. Here's something to help you focus on the troublesome part.

Get different color pens or pencils or markers, and index cards. Write the words vividly,

boldly on the cards -- and make the 'hard part' a different color than the rest... maybe with

stripes on the letters. Make a mental picture of that card, read the word aloud and spell it

aloud, and change the way you *say* the "hard part," maybe saying it louder, maybe putting

on a British accent.

When you write the whole word, think about the hard part, what it looks like or sounds like.

So, while you're writing "separate," you might be thinking "sep AY rate" and/or that bold, red

A.

Don’t overwhelm your brain -- don't try to learn 5 words at a time like this unless you've got

an amazing visual memory. Better to do one word 5 times -- and start spelling it right in

your writing.

5. Use a Tape Recorder to test yourself, and to practice using them.

Read the words -- be sure you're pronouncing them right -- into a tape recorder. Record it

like it's a spelling test -- word, example sentence, word. (For example, you'd say "

Separate. Put the papers in separate piles. Separate. Spelled s - e - p - a -r -a - t - e.” )

Play it back - and try to say the spelling before the tape plays it.

6. Use the words creatively.

If separate is the word, think of 5 different phrases with the word and write them down.

Let's see... separate rooms, separate cars, separate houses, A Separate Peace... Or, try to

use 20 of your words in the same story. Get silly -- have fun with the words!

Susan Jones, Resource Room.

Schedule

Tomorrow: 1:35 Pep Rally

Students receive report cards

Parent conferences in the evening (Full day of school for students.)

Friday: Parent conferences in the morning (No school for students.)

Monday: Teacher Curriculum Day (No school for students.)

Thank you all for signing up for conferences. Please be prompt! :-)

A Great, and I Mean Great Site for Practicing Math Facts!

http://www.arcademicskillbuilders.com/

Check it out! It says you can somehow play these games on your wii. The kids loved watching me play.

Also, I would like all the students to be playing this National Geographic game on their home computers during our Social Studies unit on Explorers. It's safe and a LOT of fun.

http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/expedition-week-game

Spirit Week Next Week!!

Spirit Week starts next Monday October 11th. The Student Council has
confirmed the Spirit Week daily themes!

Monday 11th is Animal Day-dress up as your favorite animal.
Tuesday 12th is Senior Day-dress up as your favorite senior citizen.
Wednesday 13th is Sports Day-dress in your favorite sports jersey or uniform.
Thursday 14th is School Color Day-dress up using all red, blue, and white clothes.

"Top Three Tips to Raising a Child Who Loves to Learn and has a Great Background of Information."

1. On the wall of each of his children's room, as well as in their family room, he hangs a world map and a US map. When the family is reading a book, magazine, newspaper, watching a program, or having a conversation, they can always discover where in the world the subject is located.
2. Each night at dinner, they muse over 5 words from books, newspapers or magazines they've been reading. The words are written on a piece of paper, discussed, and a challenge issued. They have to use the words in conversation the next day. The next evening's meal begins with raucous banter revolving around who used the words, how they'd used them and how many times they'd snuck them into conversation. Choosing new words is a responsibility they all share.
3. He reads to his children every single day. He began when they were infants and continues without ceasing. He reads to his high school aged children and the college sophomore at every return visit home. From board books to a lively mix of classics, best sellers, newspaper articles, magazines, instructional manuals and editorials, their lives are rich and deeply immersed in text.

Quoted from the 2 Sisters, Daily Cafe, Tip of the Week

1. Design a lunch to bring to school and eat in the classroom.

2. Your lunch must have the following characteristics:

· Girls: Total calories less than 660

· Girls: Total calories from fat less than 198

· Boys: Total calories less than 780

· Boys: Total calories from fat less than 234

· It should be a “healthy” lunch and include at least one fruit or vegetable and some kind of protein in addition to carbohydrates.

3. You must show your calculations on the Lunch Work Sheet.

4. Get your data for the Lunch Work Sheet from the Nutritional Facts Label on the back of food packages.

5. If you want to eat something that doesn’t have a label, you can probably find the nutritional information on http://www.thecaloriecounter.com/Foods/900/Food.aspx or www.nutritiondata.com

6. So, you must:

· Bring in the lunch that you planned.

· Show your calculations on the Lunch Work Sheet.

· Turn in the Nutrition Facts label for each food.

If you want to go the extra mile for a 4, you may calculate the percentage of vitamins and minerals that are in your lunch, for example: 54% of Vitamin A, 62% of Vitamin C, etc.

To get a 3: Do all that is highlighted in yellow.

To get a 3+ do all that is highlighted in yellow and what is highlighted in blue.

To get a 4 do all highlighted in yellow, blue, and pink.

No Hats; No Play

Students will be required to wear their school hats for recess and PE starting on Thursday. The school is concerned about sun damage. Thanks for your cooperation.

Pictures Tuesday

Tuesday is picture day for 5th grade. Even though we have PE that day, please make sure that your child brings his/her white shirt with the new logo for the photo.

Thanks.

Thanks Mr. and Mrs. Varni

I'm pleased to announce that Mr. and Mrs. Varni are our room parents for this school year.

I understand that an e-mail went out with the mistaken news that I had lost a grandchild. (Believe me, if THAT had happened I would not be in the classroom. As it is, my almost 15-year-old nephew was hit by a car crossing the street against the signal.

Here is one of several news stories that ran on ABC news in Baltimore about his death. The man in the light blue t-shirt is my brother-in-law speaking about our nephew.

Thank you for your concern.

Social Studies Test Tomorrow Chapter 2

To go online and practice for your test:
Click on "Social Studies Alive Enrichment" in the sidebar of this blog (under social studies)
Click on "Social Studies America's Past"
Sign in as new user (write down your password so you don't forget it)
Select Chapter 2
Select Internet Tutorial
Select Internet Tutorial again
Select Chapter 2
Do "New Words", "Just the Facts,", and "Using Your Multiple Intelligence" to prepare for test.

If you don't have Internet, reread the chapter and study the vocabulary.

Math Test Monday (Unit 2)

To help your child study:

Go over pages in Math Journal where they didn't do well and help them understand.
Help them learn the needed vocabulary (marked in bold letters).

They will need to be able to:

1. Add and subtract whole numbers and decimals.
2. Use map scale.
3. Convert inches, feet, and miles.
4. Identify place value.
5. Find multiplication errors.
6. Multiply (using method of choice).
7. Make a magnitude estimate.
8. Explain why making an estimate is useful.
9. Describe probabilities in words and numbers. (Likely, unlikely, etc.)
10. Write numbers in expanded notation.
11. Find landmarks for a data set. (mean, median, mode, maximum, minimum, range)
    

Picture Days September 27th and 28th

This is a very important announcement...

Monday, September 27th and Tuesday, September 28th

The photographer is coming to take the pictures of all the grades. Individual pictures and class photos.

Please in those two days make sure that yourchildren come properly dressed with THE NEW IAA polo shirt and with a proper hair style for the pic.

Academic Support

The NJHS/NHS has an in-service responsibility to the school. I am very happy to announce that this in-service will be completed in the form of an after school “Academics’ Lab” on Wednesdays and Thursdays in the Library. There will be two different Honor Society groups, one group of tutors on Wed. and another on Thurs. They will be available from 2:30 to 3:15 to help ANY students who are behind in homework or need specific help in a particular subject.

This needs to be coordinated with Mrs. Evans, the NHS sponsor. Please e-mail me if you would like your child to take advantage of this extra help.

A letter forwarded to you from the 7th grade

Dear Elementary teachers,

My name is Carlos Javier Perez seventh grader; I am sending this e-mail to inform that we the seven graders are planning to visit a poor school at Puerto Hondo. We are trying to get as much supplies as possible anything that you think will be useful for the kids (journals, pencils, card games, board games etc.) I´ll be going around your rooms to tell you and the kids more information. Encourage the student to help the one who needs help.

Thanks for your time, Carlos Perez

Guided Reading Calendar

Scroll to find homework assignment for tonight. A yellow band means I'm meeting with that group that day.

Teachers Teaching Teachers

We had a productive curriculum day yesterday:

• Ms. Marcela Doylet ran two workshops about how to best use the results from the MAP testing. They were informative and will help us better educate your child.
• Ms. Jody Zambrano ran a wonderful workshop about how to build background knowledge for our students which was helpful for all of our students, not just the ELL students. (Background knowledge is those things a student needs to know before they can complete the task at hand.)
• Dr. O'Hara and Mr. Nonnenkamp explained the procedure for working on the SACs accreditation visit this year and we began working in our groups.
• Ms. Daniela Silva taught a technology workshop about working with the Grade Quick program.
• I taught about using reading workshop to differentiate your teaching.
• (There was much more going on yesterday, but those are the workshops that I was involved in.)

Check out the P.E. site

Mr. Brown, our new P.E. teacher is doing a great job with essential questions, tests, and rubrics for P.E. Please click on his site to see the rubric for getting a 1,2,3, or 4 in P.E. as well as the questions that need to be answered on the test.

“Who gossips with you will gossip of you”

Today in guidance we discussed gossip: how to identify it, how to deal with it, and how destructive it is to both the gossiper and others.
Vocabulary for the day:
Gossip: rumors, unflattering talk done behind someone's back (can be true or untrue).
Condone: means to overlook or accept without protest. By remaining silent, we condone gossip.
Integrity: having beliefs about fairness and honesty and sticking to them.

Please discuss gossip at your dinner table tonight and help your child learn to identify gossip and deal with it kindly but firmly.

Private Piano lessons for IAA students

Ms. Valerie is offering private piano lessons for students in grades Kindergarten through high school. There is a fee of $15 for each 1/2 hour lesson, payable by the month. Please email her or talk to her in the music room if you are interested.
vterman@interamerican.edu.ec

Guided Reading

Don't forget to use sticky notes to mark words you didn't understand, other clunks, connections, etc.

E-mail issues

Our e-mail has been out since Wednesday. If you have tried to e-mail me, I am not ignoring you. :-) Please write a note in the homework agenda if you need to get in touch with me for now.

Social Studies Test

The social studies test today was centered around knowing geographical terms. Students were told to study the vocabulary and understand it.

Those who did study the vocabulary did well on the test. Those who haven't mastered the vocabulary struggled with the test.

Students may use their textbooks to correct their test and re-draw the map for question 15 to raise their grades!

Map Test this week!!!

Please, please, please make sure your child is on time this week. We will be doing MAP testing this week Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.

Also, make sure they get a good night's sleep and have a healthy breakfast.

Thanks!

Social Studies Test Tomorrow

Students should be very familiar with all the geography terms in Chapter 1, study chapter 1, and also study their student notebooks.

6-Trait Scoring

We had an informative two days scoring the 6 + 1 Traits school-wide assessment. Wednesday I was part of the scoring team that scored 6th - 12th grade, and Thursday I was part of the team that scored 2nd - 5th grade. Nursery - 1st grade will be scored next week.

As soon as I can, I'll get those scores posted and out to you so you can see how your child is starting out the year in writing.

Information for Parents

I'll be absent Wednesday and Thursday as I am involved in scoring 6 + 1 Traits assessments for grades 2 - 12. Your children are in the hands of a competent substitute, Miss Erica. They will work on an intensive social studies mini-unit with her.

Thanks for your understanding.

Open House

Thanks to those of you who came to the Open House last night. I really enjoyed meeting you. I'm sending a letter home to those of you who couldn't make it. Please read it!

I'm still looking for volunteers:

• To make posters
• Room parents
• To read with students
• To talk about your job or hobby

Open House Thursday Evening

This year’s Elementary Open House will take place on Thursday, August 19, from 6:30-8:00pm. This will be an opportunity for parents to meet the teachers and to become better acquainted with this year’s academic program. I'm looking forward to seeing you. Please come, it's important.

Sitton Spelling Information

Sitton Spelling

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Spelling

As you know, Sitton Spelling is about mastery, NOT about memorizing a list of spelling words that we soon forget. Thus, students do not know which words they will be tested on each week.

I put a list of the Sitton Spelling Core Words for 5th grade on the sidebar of this blog under "Word Work help."