Encouragement Cards

Parents, thank you for writing such thoughtful and encouraging notes to your children. Today, they received their first cards for the CAASPP state testing , and they loved them. This is one of my favorite things that we ask parents to participate in. It truly makes a big difference in the children’s confidence and stress levels. They want to make their parents proud, but sometimes get too anxious over the test.

Take a look at a couple pictures of the students happily reading their notes first thing in the morning. Our first day of CAASPP testing went off without a hitch. After the test, the students reflected on their own performance, and many expressed an increased confidence and a sense of relief after reading their parents' notes.

Open House: 5/21

Mark your calendars for Wednesday, May 21st 6:00 - 7:00 PM for Woodbury’s Open House! We are excited to welcome parents into the classroom to admire their children’s hard work from the school year.

Open House will give you the opportunity to walk through the classroom and browse through portfolios and collections of your student work. Feel free to take pictures of what is out on display, but please don’t take any of the items home just yet. The school year is not quite finished, and we still have more projects to complete. All of the portfolios will be sent home the last week of school.

Simutown Commercial Samples

Student vendors may choose to film an OPTIONAL commercial for Simutown. I have been SO impressed by the children's creativity in past years.  Students will earn SimuBucks when submitted by one by the following due dates.

  • May 19th for $20 SimuBucks

  • May 21st: $10 SimuBucks

Go to Padlet to record your commercial.

Use a video recording device (such as a ChromeBook, iPhone, iPad, digital camera, etc.) to record your commercial. You can complete as many “takes” as you need until you are satisfied with your commercial. Try to keep your video between 40 to 60 seconds long. Submit your commercial by the Due Dates above!

Take a look at previous commercials for Simutown! These are fantastic examples. Be sure to practice what you want to say, show your product clearly, and use a loud and clear voice. Entice your customers to buy your products! We will be filming our commercials on Padlet.

Lunch on the Lawn

Update: New pictures posted!

Lunch on the Lawn will take place Friday, 4/25! Come join your child for lunch from 11:50 - 12:30 out on the grass. Most families plan to bring a blanket or chair to sit on, and often pack/bring a special lunch to enjoy together with fellow families and friends!



Simutown Storefront Samples

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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, 4/28. They will be due 5/23.

***Do NOT decorate the left or right side panels. Only decorate the large center space.

State Testing (CAASPP)

State testing (CAASPP) for third grade will take place the week of May 5th - May 9th. 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 25th.

Try to make sure your child is not absent for reasons other than illness the week of May 5th. Make-up tests will take place, but it would be best to keep students in class for the testing schedule.

Simutown is coming!

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!

 

Animal Reports

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! 

Autism Awareness Month

Today, April 2nd, is Autism Awareness Day. In fact, all of April is Autism Awareness Month. Some of you may know that before my time here at Woodbury, I was a one-on-one behavioral therapist and I worked with children with autism. These children will always hold a special place in my heart. Every one of my clients had such unique personalities, and I loved every single one of them.

Autism is a “neurological and biological disorder that typically affects children between the ages of 18 months to five years of age. According to the CDC, autism currently affects 1 in 36 children (data from 2020). In 2016, 1 in every 54 children were diagnosed. In 2014, the statistics were 1 on 68. And in 2012, it was 1 in 88. It is estimated there are over 1 million people in the United States alone with autism. Autism affects each individual differently and at different levels of severity. Some people with autism are severely affected, cannot speak, require constant one-on-one care, and are never able to live independently. While others who have less severe symptoms, can communicate, and eventually acquire the necessary skills to live on their own” (TACA Now website). Typically, autism affects individuals in five key areas: communication (both verbal and nonverbal), social skills, behaviors, learning, and medical issues.

Working with children with autism has changed my perspective on education all together. It is astounding how varied the symptoms can be from one child to another. While one child may display communication skills both receptive and expressive, he or she may also display behaviors that may cause injury to him/herself or others. Another child may have no self-help skills such as eating, dressing, bathing, or toileting, in addition to repetitive self-stimulatory behaviors such as spinning or obsessively lining up objects. What some people may also not be aware of is that some individuals with autism can blend into their surroundings with their peers and may seemingly display no obvious traits of autism. However, these individuals may have struggles identifying and coping with social cues. The combination possibilities are endless. But no matter what the symptoms are or how severely impacted the child is, any amount of growth, progress, or development is a reason to celebrate.

The video that I’ve included in this post is TACA’s Hope After Diagnosis video (July, 2010). I’ve had the blessed opportunity to work with Lisa and her son Jeff, (who by the way is a recent a graduate of Concordia University, is the most endearing and hilarious kid ever, and someone who I will never, ever forget). This video makes me cry every single time I watch it and see Jeff sing. Please watch it whether you know someone with autism or not.

If you have a child with autism, or if you know a family who has an individual with autism, please know that support and services are available! You are not alone. Talk About Curing Autism Now (TACA Now) is an organization that began in the year 2000 in the living room of a mother named Lisa who had a son with autism named Jeff. She wanted to create a support system for families with autism that wasn’t just a monthly meeting of moms crying and complaining about how hard their life was because of their child. Instead, she wanted a support system that was proactive in finding answers to all of the questions linked to autism. TACA began with just a few families meeting together at Lisa’s house. Fast forward to today, TACA serves thousands of families across the United States and has Chapters operating in over 20 states!

Lisa also has a blog called Real Help Now that provides a wealth of information to anyone who is seeking help. And again, if you have a child with autism, or if you know a family who has an individual with autism, please know that support and services are available! Contact TACA Now, and their friendly staff will provide you with the information you need!

TACA Family Video

Since it is Autism Awareness Month, I wanted to share another video about the amazing organization that is TACA (Talk About Curing Autism). Please take the time to watch the video; it is about 13 minutes long. If you know someone with autism, please know that help and resources are available. Contact TACA now!