Teacher's note March 30, 2015

Our class was proud of Carrie and Treasure singing "The Star Spangled Banner" so beautifully in the talent show last Friday.  Way to go girls! 

If you wish to order Spring pictures, please hand in the order by this Tuesday. 

Our third quarter Strive for Excellence Assembly will be Monday morning at 9:15.  Hopefully the families of the six students being honored can attend the assembly.  I know the kids love to have a family member there. 

Our Soleng Tom track team will be competing in their regional meet this Tuesday.  Good luck to Audrey, Sasha, Emily, James, and Joseph at regionals!  I am one of the track coaches and will be with our team.  A substitute will spend the day in my room with the rest of my students.  I hope it will be a terrific day for everyone whether on campus or at the meet. 

The kids will be asked to finish an opinion paragraph for homework on Wednesday. I expect the kids to organize their paragraph like an OREO.  First state their opinion, give a reason, share an example and finish with your opinion stated in different words.  I would appreciate your help making sure the paragraphs are well organized. 

Third grade is about to finish the addition and subtraction unit.  We will practice adding money and determining change.   The unit assessment is scheduled for Wednesday.  Please review the study guide on Tuesday evening with your son or daughter. 

Fourth graders continue their data analysis unit by writing a survey question and collecting the data from two different classes.  The kids will be asked to build a double line plot and then write comparison statements.  We are started the process on Friday and the kids seemed excited!

Last week my All Stars were way too chatty.  I repeatedly asked them to talk less and work more.  This week one of my goals is to make sure the kids are working more and visiting less.  I will be assigning lunch detentions or asking students to phone home if they are talking too much.  Please encourage your son or daughter to stay focused on their work. 

Enjoy your three day weekend!  There will not be school on Friday. 

Take care,
Mrs. Figueroa

Homework week of March 30, 2015

Third grade
Monday - vocabulary 39 & 40, math 65 - 67 and reading log
Tuesday - spelling 87 & 88, math study guide and reading log
Wednesday - opinion writing paragraph(s) and reading log
Thursday - Enjoy your three day weekend!

Fourth grade
Monday - vocabulary 100 & 101, math 13 - 16 and reading log
Tuesday - spelling 84 & 85, finish math pages from class and reading log
Wednesday - opinion paragraph(s), math page 19 and reading log
Thursday - Enjoy your three day weekend!

Third grade spelling: Cocoa Ice

1.  blooming
2.  settled
3.  stamping
4.  leaving
5.  liked
6.  taking
7.  getting
8.  filled
9.  swimming
10.  rolled
11.  hoping
12.  used
13.  hurrying
14.  buying
15.  worried

Bonus words
trading
pulp
schooner
bargain
harvest
support
machete

Fourth grade spelling: Saguaro Cactus

1.  pollen
2.  even
3.  urban
4.  seven
5.  kitchen
6.  reason
7.  human
8.  season
9.  burden
10.  wagon
11.  oven
12.  dragon
13.  horizon
14.  orphan
15.  sudden
16.  eleven
17.  button
18.  canyon
19.  slogan
20.  golden

Bonus words
brush
spiny
teeming
habitat
topple
decomposes
perch
nectar

Teacher's Note March 23, 2015

Welcome back to the fourth quarter of this school year. I hope it is our best quarter of the year! 

The third quarter progress reports will be sent home on Tuesday afternoon per Mr. Dotson's request.  Please remove all of the papers inside the envelope, sign the back and return it to me on Wednesday.  Feel free to contact me if you have questions or concerns about the progress report. 

This week is going to be exciting!  Fourth grade has the Science AIMS test, we have a field trip on Wednesday and the talent show on Friday!  Congratulations to Caroline and Treasure for being selected to perform in the school talent show!

Monday the fourth graders will be spending time preparing and reviewing for the Science AIMS test that will be given on Tuesday morning.  Tuesday would be a great day for perfect attendance!  I will administer the test to my fourth graders while my third graders go to music, P.E. and math with one of my third grade colleagues.  The test is expected to take from 9:00 to 11:00, but students may take as long as necessary to complete the exam. 

Wednesday is our field trip to Sweetwater Wetlands - hopefully this time we really go!  We are expected to leave about 9:00 or when the busses arrive and return about 1:00.  We will eat our lunch once we return to school.  Students may order an express lunch from the cafeteria or bring their own lunch. Eight students still need to return their permission form in order to go on this field trip.  Another permission form will be sent home on Monday and please return it on Tuesday.  We do need one more chaperone to go with us on this field trip. 

We will be reading a selection from our reading anthology this week.  The third grade will be reading "Boom Town" and fourth grade "A Very Important Day".  Determining fact or opinion and using reference sources will be the skills that we will try to enhance.  Wednesday the kids will write a summary of the field trip.  We will review how to write a summary and then the kids will start in class and finish as homework. 

Third graders will be working on adding and subtracting money this week.  The fourth graders will be building double line plots and comparing the data.  They will develop a survey question that has a numerical answer to gather data, build a double line plot and write comparison statements. 

Science will be fun as we build electromagnets and circuits with switches.  We  might even have time to build a flashlight!

May we all have a wonderful week full of learning opportunities! 

Warmly,
Mrs. Figueroa 

Homework week of March 23, 2015

Third grade
Monday - vocabulary 35 & 36, math 52 & 53 and reading log
Tuesday - spelling 84 & 85, finish math 55 - 59 and reading log
Wednesday - language 37, finish field trip summary and reading log
Thursday - study spelling words, math study guide and reading log

Fourth grade
Monday - vocabulary 95, study science packet, and reading log
Tuesday - spelling 81 & 83 and reading log
Wednesday - reading 96 & 97, finish field trip summary and reading log
Thursday - study spelling words, math 13 - 16, and reading log

Third Grade Spelling: Boom Town

1.  belong
2.  hotel
3.  focus
4.  miner
5.  pupil
6.  begin
7.  music
8.  future
9.  behind
10.  tiger
11.  become
12.  motel
13.  baker
14.  cabin
15.  ocean

Bonus words
stagecoach
settle
miners
boom town
nuggets
landmark
skillet

Fourth Grade Spelling: A Very Important Day

1.  table
2.  final
3.  handle
4.  personal
5.  animal
6.  usual
7.  jungle
8.  actual
9.  example
10.  bottle
11.  possible
12.  single
13.  several
14.  national
15.  hospital
16.  trouble
17.  candle
18.  dial
19.  equal
20.  jingle

Bonus words
apologized
obliged
certificate
examiner
petitioners
resounded
enrich

Teacher's note March 9, 2015

We had an excellent class talent show last Wednesday that included eight performances.  Oh how we wish more than three could advance to the school talent show.  Congratulations to Caroline, Treasure, Jenna, and Cady for being selected to try out for the school talent show.  Good luck!

Please remember that Wednesday is Spring Pictures at Soleng Tom.  I'm sure a reminder will be sent home in Monday's Dragon Folder. 

I hope you already know that this is a four day school week for the students and next week is Spring Break.  Friday is a teacher grading day.  You probably already have plans what you want to do or not do during your vacation.  Enjoy the break.

We will be doing double language arts this week.  I want to complete the last thirteen chapters of Because of Winn Dixie and read a selection from our anthology.  We are approaching the climax of the novel and so it will be easy to get hooked into the plot.  The kids will study the vocabulary and spelling words from the anthology, but we will not have time to take the spelling tests. 

I did not give the fourth graders the division and multiplication math test on Friday.  We had many students out of the room and we needed a little more time on four digit multiplication and division. 
Monday the fourth graders will take the test.  Next we study data analysis by building line plots and make statements using the vocabulary mode, median, range and outlier. 

My third graders will continue to study addition and subtraction strategies.  Now we are working on adding three addends, rounding and estimating.  I have been pleased with the students' addition and subtraction strategies. 

The kids seem excited about our electricity and magnet science unit.  This week they will build series and parallel circuits and learn about magnetic force.  It should be fun and educational. 

I send my best wishes to all of you for an enjoyable Spring Break!  It is hard to believe third quarter is drawing to an end already. 

Take care,
Mrs. Figueroa

Homework week of March 9, 2015

Third Grade
Monday - vocabulary, math 37 and reading log
Tuesday - spelling 78 & 79, math 39 & 40 and reading log
Wednesday - Fact and Opinion 25 & 26, math 43 & 44 and reading log
Thursday -  Have a terrific Spring Break!!!!

Fourth Grade
Monday - vocabulary 90 and reading log
Tuesday - spelling 78 & 79, math 1-3, and reading log
Wednesday - references 91 & 92, math 7 & 8, and reading log
Thursday -  Have a terrific Spring Break!!!!

Third grade spelling: Leah's Pony

1.  sometimes
2.  pickup
3.  dishwater
4.  notebook
5.  upstairs
6.  football
7.  sunshine
8.  outdoors
9.  hallway
10.  timeout
11.  doorway
12.  sunset
13.  bookcase
14.  everyone
15.  everything

Bonus words
glistened
county
galloped
clutched
bid
auctioneer

Fourth Grade spelling: Fire!

1.  doctor
2.  dollar
3.  power
4.  sugar
5.  corner
6.  collar
7.  danger
8.  ladder
9.  labor
10.  cellar
11.  other
12.  motor
13.  hunger
14.  calendar
15.  horror
16.  officer
17.  finger
18.  director
19.  master
20.  regular

Bonus words
ventilate
billowing
brigade
flammable
curfew
dedication