December Newsletter
It’s the most wonderful time of the year…and it’s a busy one, too! With December upon us, we are going to jump into the holiday season with both feet. Santa can’t come soon enough for all of us! In the meantime, we will continue to be diligent elves getting our work completed and finding time for special moments, too. Here is a look at our short month: Reader’s Workshop: Monday and Tuesday students will take the mid-year iReady Diagnostic Reading Assessment. I will report these scores to you on the second quarter report card in three weeks. I’m excited to see the reading growth! Currently in reader’s workshop we are creating an interactive notebook on Missouri History. We are reading books, watching video clips, and viewing powerpoints with interesting information about our great state. So far we’ve discussed early Missouri residents—Native Americans. We’ve studied about the Osage Tribe and look forward to viewing contents this week in the Osage Trunk on loan from Springfield History Museum. Next, we studied about early explorers—French Canadians Jacques Marquette and Louis Jolliet and then Frenchman Robert LaSalle who traveled the Mississippi in 1682. We learned the area known as Louisiana changed hands from the French to the Spanish and then back to the French. This week we will discuss Missouri as related to the Louisiana Purchase, the Missouri Territory, and the Missouri Compromise. In the future we will touch briefly on Westward Expansion, the Pony Express, and Missouri pre- and post-Civil War. Later, we will move from Missouri’s history to Missouri geography and then to famous Missourians (after Christmas break). We have a lot of ground to cover in the next three weeks but it is so interesting! We will end our unit with a mock-World’s Fair! Students will travel through different third grade rooms which will be set up like exhibitions from the original St. Louis World’s Fair. Writer’s Workshop: Students have completed research using books and the internet to locate information about their chosen state. Students began synthesizing the information and writing expository paragraphs before Thanksgiving break. This week we will continue our rough drafts, revise, and edit in preparation for final copies. When completed, we will create a final project to share with our neighbors in the hallway. We will also share our reports in the classroom so we can learn more about the different states in our great country and understand the natural beauty and bountiful resources of the different regions. We will better understand the U.S. as a whole—what each state is known for and what they contribute to tourism and the economy. Fundations: This week we will review and test over our very last unit in the Fundations Level 2 book. Yeah! We will begin Level 3 which starts off with cursive letter formation—the day we’ve all been waiting for! Level 3 Unit 1 words will be coming home via backpacks as soon as I receive them back from the print shop. I’m hoping they will be ready early this week so you have plenty of time to review trick words and focus words for this unit. Students continue to blow me away with their word attack skills. I hope you’ve noticed a big improvement in your child’s spelling, too! Character Word of the Month--Citizenship: Our Character Student of the Month for November is Mackenzie Dace! Mackenzie is a model citizen in our classroom community. Mackenzie demonstrates positive character traits every day—initiative and integrity. She is respectful, responsible, and helpful. She follows community rules and encourages others. Congratulations, Mackenzie! We appreciate your commitment to being a model friend and neighbor! Happy Birthday this month to Parker (14th) and Kaden (21st)!! We are looking forward to celebrating with each of you this month. “Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday, Happy, Happy Birthday to you!” (…part of our birthday song) Here are some “need to knows”: We will be saying goodbye to Miss Reynolds this Friday, December 6. This week is our last week with our wonderful student teacher, Miss Reynolds. We will be celebrating her with a surprise party on Friday. If you’d like to send in a note or small gift, I’m sure she would appreciate the kindness and encouragement. We wish Miss Reynolds the best as she graduates in December! December Book Order—Multiple fliers from the Scholastic Book Club along with a cover note will be coming home this week. If you would like to order books for your child for Christmas, please send back the completed forms along with a check made out to Scholastic in an envelope. I will be sure to put the books in a paper bag so students can’t see what you’ve ordered. If you order online, I will be happy to do the same thing. Let’s try to get orders in by Friday, December 6. I know it is short notice but we can be assured of books arriving back in time. Thank you! Share Your Christmas: This is the last week to collect items for Share Your Christmas. This week’s focus is new or like-new toys. Thank you to everyone who has sent in items the past three weeks! SBU Basketball Game: Bolivar Intermediate School has been invited to watch a basketball game at SBU on Monday, December 16. We will be leaving at 10:00 and returning by 2:00 pm. We will be eating a sack lunch at the fieldhouse. More information about this fun event will be coming! Electric Company Presentation: Third grade students will be watching a presentation about electrical safety on Thursday, December 19. Each year this presentation is informative and could save a life. BIS Holiday Movie: Third grade students will be watching a holiday movie in the afternoon on Wednesday, December 18. Each year grade levels gather for a Christmas movie to celebrate the end of second quarter and the beginning of Christmas break. We will watch the movie in the gym. STUCO Holiday Store: Student Council will sponsor a holiday store December 17-20 for students to buy inexpensive gifts for their family members. We will view what is available at the store one day and shop another. More details to come! (Hint: Items range from $.25 up to $5.) December Dates to Remember: December 2-3 iReady Diagnostic Reading Assessment December 6 Scholastic Book Orders are due December 6 Miss Reynolds last day with us (Insert sad face!) December 14 Happy Birthday, Parker! December 16 Basketball Game at SBU December 17-20 STUCO Holiday Store December 18 Holiday Movie in the gym—3rd Grade December 19 Electric Company Presentation December 20 Class Christmas Party: Early Dismissal at 12:45; 2nd Quarter Report Cards coming home December 21 Happy Birthday, Kaden! December 23-January 3 No School I hope you all had a wonderful time with family and friends over Thanksgiving break. I’m looking forward to all that December will bring! Call or email if you need anything. Happy December! Joyfully, Mrs. Endres
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AuthorHello! My name is Heidi…I love my family, the Lord, and chai tea lattes! I’m a wife to an amazing husband, mama to four wonderful kids, new Grammy to a cute baby boy, and a chubby 3rd grade teacher. (I've eaten too many birthday cupcakes!) I love people, learning, and creating. Thanks for stopping by! May you be blessed today as you bless others. Archives
March 2020
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