Finale Friday! We're Done with ISTEP!

Hip, Hip, Hooray! We finished fall ISTEP+ this morning about 9:00! Yes! A special thank you for the brain food from the Drye Family yesterday (I apologize for not putting it in yesterday's blog!) and to the Salous Family today! The snacks were perfect!

I appreciate how hard everyone worked this week to get to bed early and in eating good breakfasts! These tests are intense! I can't wait for the results to see how everyone did!

We were able to celebrate the end of ISTEP+ with a bonus recess and art project today. We also enjoyed our Camp Under this afternoon where we got to lay around and enjoy a book! What fun!

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! If you happen to be grocery shopping this weekend, we are in need of 6-8 brown grocery sacks for a fun outdoor learning day we have planned in early October. If you prefer paper over plastic and have a few to spare, we would appreciate them!

Go Kingsmen! Go Irish!

Three Tests Thursday!

Another intense testing day! We only have one to go! Yahoo!

Don't forget to bring in your donation in the morning and a piece of gum to chew! Stop by and staple your bills up in the lobby and get your sticker! The money raised is going to a great cause...the Buddy Walk for Down Syndrome.

Also--we are having a camp under tomorrow. Don't forget to bring your sleeping bags, pillows, stuffed animals, flashlights and books! We will be celebrating the end of ISTEP+ by "chillin out!"

Only one more...we can do it!

One Test Wednesday!

Whew! We only had one test this afternoon! We've plowed our way through 4 of the tests! We're 1/2 way there! Special thanks to the Brough Family today for the yummy snacks! They were perfect!

We had a great morning together, getting to do fun things! We really enjoyed playing our strategy games first thing this morning. We also got to spend some fun time with our reading buddies. Just in case you haven't heard, part of our class is practicing for a play called Earthquack! During the year, each child in our class as well as Mrs. McGann's class will have the opportunity to participate in a play. If your child is in this play, they should be bringing home their scripts each night and working on memorizing their lines. We do not have a final performance date chosen yet, but we will let you know as soon as we are close! The kids really enjoyed getting their costumes today! We have some really cute animals in our class! :)

Please be on the look out for a bright pink paper that has the cereal box reading project rubric on it. This will outline exactly how the projects are going to be graded.

Don't forget that Stars in Service is sponsoring our first special day on Friday. All students who bring in $1.00 will be able to chew gum (that they bring in!) at a designated time and also help fill our wall of dollars! All donations will be given to the Buddy Walk which supports Down Syndrome.

Don't forget that tomorrow is another heavy testing day! Get to bed plenty early and have a good, hearty breakfast in the morning!

3 Done, 5 To Go!

Err...so it was brought to my attention that I posted my school blog on the wrong page yesterday! Sorry! Please read the previous post to find out what we did yesterday!

As for today--we got through 3 ISTEP+ tests. Whew! It's always a good feeling to get those books in our hands and confirm to ourselves that we've worried over nonsense! We know what we are doing! :)

We are spending all 4 remaining days this week with Language Arts classes.

Besides ISTEP today, we had the chance to spend a little extra time outdoors releasing pent up energy and also going to gym and music!

Special thanks to the Lindzy family for the yummy apples and cheese sticks! They hit the spot!

Don't forget to go to bed early tonight and eat another healthy breakfast in the morning!

Whew! Our only normal day we will have this week! It is very important that every gets to bed early this week and has a good, protein filled breakfast before coming to school each day!

LA: There is no story from our basals this week due to ISTEP+. We had a great time working on a special bubble gum writing project for most of the morning. We also had the priveledge of listening to a story Mrs. Stephan shared with us. We had our practice test for ISTEP+ today as well. It went great! We are as ready as we can be!
Check out this website for last minute help on ISTEP+. http://www.doe.in.gov/istep/docs/080807pr-ISTEP+changesFAQ.pdf

HW: None

Math: We had centers today. Students got to practice facts on the computer, work with me on review skills and play Number Top It.

HW: None--I will not see Math Kids again until Monday! Have a great week, I know you are going to make us proud!

Health: We had an open book pop quiz over the skeletal and muscular systems today. Students also began work on the Digestive System worksheet.

HW: Digestive System worksheets are due next Monday.

We're off and running! Don't forget to take time each evening to play and run around. We are going to have lots of pent up energy!

It's Friday and I'm Late In Blogging-Sorry

What a day! Assessments, rain, indoor recess, football on our minds...whew!

LA: We made some tweaks to our schedules today to allow more time for the assessments we had. It seemed to really make a difference! We were able to get through them, do Vocabulary Vine and even have time for Read Aloud before specials! Hooray!

HW: Don't forget reading projects are due on October 10th. There is an example in the office with Mrs. Stuckey if you are interested in seeing one for ideas. We didn't receive any word on AR today, but Mrs. Walsh is hopeful for Monday!

Math: We plowed through two lessons today, one on addition and the other on subtraction. The journals wanted us to do it many differnet ways, but we stuck to the good ol' fashioned way! Students worked very hard, as I wanted to make sure we got through these lessons before ISTEP+ next week!

HW: All journal pages that go with math lesson 2.7 and 2.9. Study links, too.

Health: Today we learned about the skeletal and muscular systems. We had great discussions about what these important systems do for our bodies.

HW: Get quiz signed.

We start ISTEP+ testing on Tuesday. This is a very intense week for our kids. We need to be able to focus well...please get to bed early, make time for a good, healthy breakfast and most importantly make time to play each night. Snacks will be provided by our very generous parents!

Next Friday, the Stars in Service crew will be collecting money for the Down Syndrome Buddy Walk that will be held on September 20th. If students bring in money to donate, they will be able to staple their bills up to the wall of money and also bring a piece of gum to chew! Please consider helping this amazing event!

Go Penn! Go Notre Dame!

Tomorrow's Friday Already?

Wowie, Wow, Wow! Another busy day today!

LA: Students had a sub this morning as I was out meeting with our Stars in Service Representatives. They had DEAR time along with practice with the spelling skills. They also read the story together to help prepare for tomorrow's assessments.

Just when we thought we had it...there has been a glitch found with AR...we are back on hold for taking AR tests. The corporation is really trying to work out all of the kinks before we go hog-wild with this. I'm so sorry for the delay!

Our ISTEP+ snacks have been taken care of! Thanks so much to the Drye, Brough, Salous and Lindzy Families for helping our tummies next week!

HW: Assessments are all tomorrow! Don't forget the spelling test is among these! Please remember that cereal box projects are due on October 10th. Parents--we have placed an example in the office with Mrs. Stuckey if that might help!

Math: We worked more with sets of data today. Not only did we do maximum, minimum, range and mode, we also learned about the median of a set of numbers today. Ask your child to explain this to you tonight!

HW: Students need to complete math box and study link 2.6 along with the extra practice worksheet.

Health: Students took the quiz today over the sense organs. Due to a fire drill in the middle of our time together, this was all we had time for.

HW: None

Just a reminder...WSTAR applications are due tomorrow. Also--tomorrow will be the last day that fund-raiser envelopes will be accepted. Don't forget that next week is ISTEP+!