Wednesday night I had the privilege of presenting with my daughter at Werner Literacy Night about our experiences starting a family book club. If you weren't able to make it and that is a topic that interests you, I loaded the PowerPoint that we presented on the language arts page of the website (scroll to the bottom.) Not everyone has time for that but we do all want to make sure our kids are reading good books so I am attaching a book list that my son's third grade teacher and I compiled. The list shares book series that are at a higher reading level for upper elementary. Another resource I shared was a website where you can put in the title of a book and see if it is appropriate for your child (it will give you a quick rating and if the book is marked mature, tell you why.) I know, being the mother of a 13 year old, that it is impossible to read everything before they do so use this website to help: https://www.commonsensemedia.org/ Third grade math is underway. I always like to kick off my groups with a cooperative activity to help them realize the value of working with others to problem solve. Although not directly tied to a math concept, the kids had fun "Saving Fred" this week with their partner. Fred is our friendly gummy worm whose boat capsized and he has to get his life preserver on (otherwise known as a gummy life saver!) The trick is you can't use your fingers directly but must instead use paperclips and ingenuity. This has become an annual event for 3rd grade so if any of your kids refer to gummy worms now as Fred - you know why! Check out more photos on the photo page. Fourth and fifth grade math students took their first unit tests this week in our class. You should see your child's test coming home in Friday Folders this week (if you do not ask your child where it is.) There are also progress reports for these two grade levels that show their current grade including this test. Tests count for 40% of their grade. Because they are such a big piece and because I think the focus should be on learning, mistake making, and fixing mistakes, I offer students the opportunity to fix their test for a higher grade. They can earn back 1/2 of the percentage points they missed if they use a test reflection sheet to re-solve their problems and reflect on why they think they missed it. Sometimes they have time in class and sometimes they need more time outside of class. A big part of learning is taking ownership of their learning and their grades as part of that. As long as a student does not get a D or F, they have the choice of fixing their grade. I always encourage them to think about if they are happy with the grade and feel it is their best effort. If they got an A and they still want to fix it, great! If they got a C and choose not to fix it, that is part of owning their learning. Please take time this year to chat with your child about what your expectations are for their grades and what your family values related to grades are. It is much easier to set expectations now than in middle school and high school. So that you know what the reflection sheet looks like I have attached it below. And as always, if you have questions about this, please let me know.
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Tracey BeanWerner Elementary Archives
May 2018
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