Norris News - murrieta.k12.ca.us



Norris News

12/1/11 – 12/7/11

System 44- It was so nice to have so many students here at 8:00. We are making much better use of our time. Let’s keep it up!

Holidays – The holiday’s are here. How did that happen? Here is a brief and probably incomplete list ( of activities for the next two weeks.

12/6 Field Trip to see Santa Clause is Coming to Town at the Murrieta Valley High School. Permission slips and details have been sent home tonight with your child. Please complete the slip, jot down the times and dates before returning it to me my Monday. The theatre is always sold out for these performances so I will be unable to take any other parent volunteers. It should be a wonderful day for us!

12/13 Mrs. Seguin will be reading two holiday stories to the students during our library time. Thank you, Mrs. Seguin, for volunteering. I can’t wait to see what you come up with!

12/13 Holiday Craft Store – We will visit the holiday craft store right after lunch. If you would like your child to purchase small gifts for loved ones, please send money and perhaps a note so I can help them get what they need.

12/14 Christmas Around the World – All third grade students will rotate to the four different classrooms to experience Christmas Around the World Activities. I love this day and I know the kids will too.

12/16 Our holiday party. Mrs. Seguin and I will treat the kids to a continental breakfast, we’ll sing a play a few games while we enjoy the holiday spirit that overtakes us one and all during this time of year. We will also have holiday center activities, watch a classic holiday movie, share gifts, and open our Christmas stockings. I need our help. I have really scaled back this year to make things easier and to focus on the real joy of the season.

Please send in the following as soon as possible:

A stocking with your child’s name on it.

26 stocking stuffers for the stockings.

1 gift under $5.00 that is unisex with no name.

26 ice cream cones for an edible center piece.

4 cans of white frosting

Seasonal toppings (no sprinkles needed)

I will need at least 2 more parent volunteers to help run a holiday center. Centers will run from 10:40 – 12:20. Please send me a note or e-mail me ASAP. (

I NEED to borrow 8 good “cloth” scissors to cut cloth into scarfs. All of my scissors are old, dull, and have glue and glitter all over them so the students struggled with them last year. I can return them to you the same day. Please just label them with your name.

Finally, I will need help during my lunch break to pull our holiday art down and to get it into bags so the students can take it home for the holidays. Many hands make light work! (

AR IRP #2 – We have only presented 11 projects so far but they have been wonderful! I’m getting sloppy copies, final copies (or incorporated into the final project) and some wonderful oral presentations. I am so impressed with the general topic sentences. I am so happy with them.

The Third Independent Reading Project is now underway. It is due January 9th. It’s your choice of genre again and I can’t wait to see what you come up next.

Here are a few helpful hints:

1. Choose a full length book at your child’s reading level. Start reading today. Don’t waste time without a book.

2. Choose from a variety of genres. I will post a list of genres to the reference section as soon as my wonderful helper spruces it up! Please choose a book with characters, a setting, a beginning/middle/end, problem/solution, maybe even a lesson instead of books written as comics or journals. The book needs to lend itself to character descriptions and a summary.

3. Print a copy of the Characterization and Summary Template form from the web site. Complete it. This is your sloppy copy and it must be turned in.

4. Have an adult edit the sloppy copy.

5. Choose any project from the web site.

6. Here you have two choices. You can have your child re-write the sloppy copy into a “final copy” by incorporating it into the project or print another Summary Characterization form, re-write the sloppy copy on it as a final copy, and turn both in.

7. Practice your short 5 min. oral presentation. Do not plan to read your summary. I won’t let you. Just know enough about the characters to describe them and be able to tell us a summary of the main points of the book. Use your project as a visual aid, show the book to the class if it’s available, and have a gimmick if you want to. For example, test the other students on vocabulary words, pass out stickers, or involve them in the presentation in some way. Everyone likes to be involved. ( Remember, we have 26 students so you must be prepared to present in about 5 min.

8. Take pride in your work and plan ahead so these come in well done and timely. This is a very important lesson in itself. You have 42 days to complete the book, write, edit, and re-write the final draft into a project, and practice the oral presentation.

IXL - - Still working our way through multiplication.

In class, we are now moving into the chapters on multiplication. I had already placed the IXL standards on multiplication on this list as I taught it the first two weeks of school knowing it takes a full year for some students to learn their fact tables. Therefore I will not be adding more standards until we move into division.

I told you I would include a weekly list of standards your child should be able to play with little or no help. They are as follows:

A1 – A 12

B1 – B9

C1 – C16

D1 – D9

E1, E2 and

F1 – F13

I1, I2

L1 - L5

Guessing really has steep penalties in this program. Instead, train him/her to use pencil and paper to “really” figure problems out, re-read, draw pictures…..Also, when a problem is missed, train him/her to use the explanation box so the next problem can be answered correctly the next time. (

Test/Quizzes/classwork – Remember to place them all in a safe place at home so you can review them with your child as time permits. It’s very important that you praise and support your child’s efforts on a consistent basis.

PTA - Thank you for joining PTA. It’s not too late to become a member. Keep sending in those box tops. (

Web Site - You only need to check my web site on Thursday or Friday. Each Thursday or Friday, please read and respond to Norris News, start our new vocabulary and spelling, and print or write up a new reading log for the week. Some of you may also elect to print the vocabulary Thinking Maps and 2 - 100 problem math fact worksheets as well. I will not update the site repeatedly throughout the week so there is no need to check it repeatedly. (

Check your child’s backpack every night. Give positive feedback or support where needed. Please spend extra time supporting and correcting missed concepts on weekly tests. (

UQIA – on weekly comprehension test means – Use Question in Answer. It’s required and your child will get half credit just for copying the question into the answer. Our master at this is Justin!!!! Go Justin. (

CS – means write your response in a complete sentence. (Subject/Predicate, capital, and some kind of end mark)

Vocabulary (Back) – support your child if they are continuing to miss the dictionary skills found on the back of each vocabulary test. For some reason, some students just have a really hard time and may need repeated one-on-one instruction.

Homework Summary

Every Day – read and log it, multiplication facts, IXL

As Needed with pre-tests – vocabulary, spelling, other activities

Ticket To Read – Read and pass one passage with 80% or above

If your child does not have internet access for any reason, he/she must come to class. Six computers are available before school, after school, recess, and lunch. (

If your child needs something printed, just have them ask. ( Remember, a printer is not necessary. Simply work the 6 study areas in ways that do not require a printer. (Or ask me.) (

***** Now begin to look at your child’s study methods and activities and compare them to quiz and test scores. If your child is not being successful, change the method of study. ( It’s a wonderful gift to learn how to learn!

Sincerely,

Mrs. Norris

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download