Recent class news, happenings and photos
The annual Mustang Olympics have begun! Students compete in various physical events. There are gold, silver, and bronze medals for the top three boys and girls in each class. Events include the bean bag toss, basketball shoot, the soccer kick, the 50 meter sprint, the 100 meter sprint, a relay race and the long jump! GO MUSTANGS!
Each week, a student is selected to be our Barista of the Week. Baristas have special responsibilities throughout the week, and have opportunities to share their All About Me Google Slides, decorate a mini-poster, bring share items in, and invite (or record) a guest reader for our class! Click through the slides above to view directions when it is your child’s turn to share. New Baristas are selected on Friday afternoons.
Below are pictures of our parent and family guest readers who have visited the classroom!
Meet Carly Fleischmann. She is a remarkable young girl who has autism. For years as she was growing up, many thought Carly was incapable of learning. Her explosive tantrums and inability to use any bit of language led everyone to believe she didn't have the mental capacity to communicate with the world around her.... that is until she was provided a computer and a keyboard. Her true inner thoughts were soon out in the open for anyone willing to listen. I guarantee this young girl will surprise you. Watch this amazing video about Carly as her story is told on ABC News.
Here are few examples of previous Simutown storefronts. The children are encouraged to be as creative as they can to make their storefronts stand out. Boards will be provided from the classroom teacher and sent home on Monday, 4/29. They will be due 5/24.
***Do NOT decorate the left or right side panels. Only decorate the large center space.
State testing (CAASPP) for third grade will take place the week of May 6th - May 10th. We are preparing for the test in class.
Please do not let them (or yourselves as parents) "stress" about the test. It will only make it difficult for your child to do well in May. Your children need to know that they are smart, capable, and have every potential to rock the test!
As eight and nine year old children, they should NOT be overly concerned with being perfect or how they perform on the state test. They should know that they only need to do their best and to understand that it is the mistakes we make that make us better. Please partner with me to positively encourage and empower the children. Remind them that you love them and are proud of them, and you just want them to do their best!
Please visit the CAASPP website to view practice tests. Click on the green “Student Interface” icon to view what a sample test looks like. Step-by-step pictures are below. We will be completing the practice tests in class as well as other practice work.
Please understand that the data collected from state testing is not utilized for third grade report cards, nor is it used for fourth grade placements. It is just a collection of data to analyze the school as a whole.
Headphones/Smart Watches:
Each student must have wired headphones/earbuds for testing. It is best if your child has personal headphones to use at school; we will provide one if necessary (though they are not always the most comfortable). Students may not use Bluetooth enabled earbuds (i.e. Apple AirPods or wireless Beats headphones). Additionally, students may not wear “smart watches” during the week of testing.
Parent Homework:
Your child should have brought home a white envelope with index cards inside. Please read Mrs. Dyer’s “CAASPP” email for instructions on what to do. Parent homework is due April 26th.
Try to make sure your child is not absent for reasons other than illness the week of May 6th. Make-up tests will take place, but it would be best to keep students in class for the testing schedule.
Parents are invited to attend the GATE information night on Thursday, April 18th at 6:00 pm in the MPR. A few upper grade teachers and Mrs. Snyder will be presenting an overview of the GATE program here at Woodbury. Parents who have questions about GATE or the APAAS program are strongly encouraged to attend. The night is not intended for those that already have kids in Woodbury’s GATE program.
Countless children all around the world have grown up watching the characters on Sesame Street, myself included. "Sesame Street began in 1969, it was considered an experiment. The question: Could television be used to educate young children? Well, research proved the answer to be yes," (cbsnews.com). This beloved show began with characters such as Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch, Bert and Ernie, Cookie Monster, and others. Over the years, new characters were introduced like Elmo, Abby Cadaby, and Murray. But now, viewers will get to meet Julia. Julia has autism. And through her, people will get to learn a little bit more about others who have autism. Though it's important to know that while Julia will give viewers a new window into this unique world, it is just as equally important to know that the autism spectrum has a vast range and individuals can both blend in with the crowd around them, and exhibit different types of behaviors and habits.
Julia's debut episode first aired on April 10th, 2017 on HBO and PBS Kids.
Students will be working on their Animal Report project for the next few weeks. Some of the work is done in class, but some of the work must also be completed at home. Each student will have a large manila envelope with the animal report instructions and pacing guide.
Students must select an animal (living or extinct) to research and find an informational book and an Internet article using a credible source on their animal. The book may be a hard copy or an electronic book (i.e. on a Kindle). Students who bring me their book sooner will get their first choice on animal topics (there will be no duplicates). There are MANY possible choices. Here is a list of animals that have been already selected.
All students will have an opportunity to check out a book from our school library on our library day (but of course, some students may want to get a headstart before our assigned library day). Previous years' samples are below.
Animal Report Components:
Folder:
(front) Large, hand-drawn illustration of the animal with large lettering for the name. Student name and number written along the vertical tab.
(center) Photo gallery with at least six photos with captions; The captions should give factual details that match the photo.
(back) A minimum of four "creatives." Students may choose to use given templates or design their own!
Informative Report:
Typed report that follows formatting guidelines; printed and inserted into the folder
Be sure to check all edits and revise your rough draft before printing.
Diorama:
Foreground with a large printed picture, large lettering for the animal name
Background with illustrations of the animal's natural habitat
Students will also utilize the Internet to research information. They will also need to find, print, and highlight important facts in at least one article. Possible research websites are below, but there are countless more online!
One of the highlights of third grade is our Simutown project. Simutown is a classroom program that simulates business, banking, and civic activities. Your child will have an opportunity to start and run a business and become involved in local government. The program has strong content components in math, social studies, economics, consumer skills, and language arts. This week, your child’s homework is to begin brainstorming ideas for their Simutown store. Each child will open up his/her own store and sell his/her own handmade products. The third graders will use “SimuBucks,” our town currency to buy and sell their products. Students in previous years have “sold” a variety of items such as drawings, plants, bead jewelry, hand drawn trading cards, self-created comic books, bookmarks, handmade wallets, flower pens, pet rocks, crafts made from recycled products, decorated pencil cups, and many, many more creative ideas. One year, a student even had a fortune telling booth!
Please review the Parent Letter and help your child think of idea that will cost you little or no money; help your child be resourceful (nowadays, Pinterest has become an excellent resource)! You can even view Mrs. Dyer´s Pinterest board for ideas. This is not a project that is intended to require any families to purchase store-bought items to sell. The students should be CREATIVE and IMAGINATIVE when deciding their store ideas. Encourage your child to think outside of the box as we cannot have duplicate ideas. Each child will need 60-80 items prepared ahead of time to sell. Please note that due to possible allergies, we cannot allow food products to be sold. More detailed information is to come.
If you have questions, feel free to email me (ericadyer@iusd.org). Simutown is an exciting project, and like the Living Museum, it is one of the most memorable events of third grade!
Often likened to Monet, young Iris Grace is a talented artist. And she has autism. She was diagnosed at 2 years old, and has come a long way with the help of many expert therapists. As part of her speech therapy, Iris was encouraged to paint. She developed a great love for art, and her paintings have an indescribable serenity and beauty to them. Young Iris is just another example how children (and adults) with autism surprise many in the general population and have many unique and special talents that they can share with the world!
