December+3

= **December 3** =

Thank you to everyone who contributed to The Great Bedtime Story Pajama Drive! We collected over 140 pairs of pajamas for needy children in central Iowa. Scholastic will donate a book to go with each pair of pajamas. We are grateful for your generosity to others!

== **What a fun afternoon with our guest speaker, who came all the way from France! Max was a foreign exchange student with the Coppinger family about 7 years ago, and he visited today to show us pictures of French landmarks, to tell us about his country and teach us some words, and to sing us a very cool French song! Thanks to the Coppingers for sharing him with us!** ==

//** Please consider joining us on a Friday in January or February! **//
= = ===**IMPORTANT UPCOMING DATES: ** ===

Friday, Dec. 10....Boxtops due.

Friday, Dec. 17...Kids' Club, 2:00

Wednesday, Dec. 22...Last day of school before Christmas vacation (full day)

==** Please be sure your child is appropriately dressed for cold weather recesses! ** ==

===Mrs. Comer has been working on a 2nd and 3rd grade art wiki - website to showcase project information, student examples, etc. Please feel free to check it out! http://vmelem-art-comer. wikispaces.com ===

**__Math:__ **
Please encourage your child to practice their basic addition and subtraction facts. ===We are continuing to work on chapter 2 which covers time, money, and calendar skills. ===

===**__Social Studies:__ ** === We are currently studying rural, suburban, and urban communities. We will discuss how communities grow and change, and share what we know about customs, cultures, and National Holidays. We will be taking the chapter test next Wednesday. A study guide will be coming home with your child on Monday. As with chapter 1, there is nothing to complete on the study guide. It is simply a summary/review of the chapter. We will be helping the students to prepare in class as well.

==We are getting geared up to start our Flat Friend project. Your child needs to have their friend in to me by Monday at 8:30. We are also needing addresses to send our friends on a visit. Please remind your child if they haven't yet turned in either of these items. Thanks==

===**//Thank you to Mrs. Abrahamson for volunteering to sew our flag! THANK YOU!// ** ===

===**__Science:__ ** === == This week we left the rainforest and moved into the desert habitat! We read about deserts and then made a "web" in our science notebooks, we did an investigation which showed us how desert plants soak up and store water, and we went to the Mac Lab again to research a desert animal and share our findings with our classmates. ==

===**<span style="font-size: 1.3em; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;">__Language Arts/Writing:__ ** === Our third graders continue to write their fiction stories. It is very exciting to listen to all of their ideas. We also have been working on organization of our stories and expanding our sentences.

Encourage your child to bring home their author's notebook to share a few of their stories with you. Just remember to bring it back.
==<span style="font-size: 1.3em; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;">**<span style="font-size: 1.3em; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;">__MISC:__ ** == ==== //**Want to help our students become life-long learners? Then become a model for life-long learning by sharing! The third grade teachers are looking for individuals to share their passions, talents, and/or careers with our students. We would love for you to volunteer to come in and share with our third graders. If you are interested, or know of someone who would be willing to share, even via skype, please contact your child's teacher.**// ====

==== Please remember to send birthday invitations through the mail if the entire class is not invited. Also, the school requests that presents, sleeping bags, etc. be taken directly to the birthday girl/boy's house instead of coming to school with the students. We want to avoid hurt feelings. Thank you for your cooperation. ====

==== **//The town bus and bus 3 (Ruth Erdman's bus) are full. These buses are not able to take many extra students home. Please be aware of this when requesting bus passes for extra students to come home with your child.//** ====

====<span style="font-size: 1.06em; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;"> **//The students are starting to practice keyboarding skills in computer class. You may access this link so your child can practice keyboarding at home!!//** __<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; color: #810081; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 10px;">[] __ ====

==<span style="font-size: 1.3em; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;">**<span style="font-size: 1.3em; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;">__Mrs. Volk:__ ** == Your child may have brought home a skills packet or two in the past weeks. They may need your help with this. There is not a due date on this packet. I simply wanted to send home some practice skills that may go along with the goals they set after viewing their MAP scores. Please feel free to work on the packet during times that are convenient for your family. Also, your child is able to access Skills Iowa from home. This program will also help them with reading, vocabulary, math, and language arts. Please see a few paragraphs down for further information on the Skills Iowa Program.

Please remember to have your 'book exchange' book at school, wrapped with a 'to and from' tag attached by the 17th. Our book order will be placed today and I will send the book home when it arrives. IF you ordered books for a gift and would prefer that I call you instead of sending them home with your child, please send me a email in the next few days.

Please visit my personal site to view our Best School Year Ever powerpoint. Thanks!

Monday is the last day to turn in the November reading calendar.

Christmas is around the corner! I know, I know we haven't even gotten through Thanksgiving yet, but I'm just following the lead of the retailers. :) I will be sending home two more book orders before Christmas. Books make great gifts so if you would like to order secretly let me know, and I will let you know when it comes in.

We have been using a computer program in school called Skills Iowa. This program allows students to work through specific skills in reading, math, language arts, and vocabulary at their own pace. Your child can access this program at home by typing in ac.corek12.com or by clicking on the SkillsTutor link on the Van Meter Elementary Voice and Tech site. The students have been given a personal username and password to use. Wish list: sidewalk chalk, hula hoops, other small prizes to use for our PBIS rewards, dusting clothes, and an age appropriate game that addresses vocabulary words/skills. Thank you to those of you that have already donated! We appreciate it! Thank you to Greta and her family for donating colored paper, colored card stock, sidewalk chalk, air fresheners, and Lysol wipes. We very much appreciate it! Thank you to Audrey and her family for donating colored card stock and silverware! We were excited to receive them!

Our class will be participating in the Scholastic reading program this year. Students are encouraged to read at least 10 books this year at their level. Once all the students in our room have met the 10 book goal, Scholastic will donate books to needy schools in all 50 states. Information about this program came home with your child recently. Please continue to encourage your child to read, read, read! Remember to also keep track of the minutes your child is reading and record them on our reading calendar. Reading calendars are due at the end of October. Please return your October reading calendar! Miss McIntire last day with our class is on December 10th. ===<span style="font-size: 1.1em; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;">**<span style="font-size: 1.4em; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;">__Mrs. Skahill/Miss Stephens:__ ** === **Please remember that your child has drawn another 3rd grader's name in our Christmas book exchange. The Scholastic order has been placed and won't take long to arrive. We are asking that all books be wrapped with a "to and from" name tag attached, and brought to school by Friday, December 17. Thanks!**

On our wish list: <span style="font-size: 1.1em; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;">//Ream(s) of colored copier paper; HP black ink cartridge #98 and/or color #95.//

<span style="font-size: 1.3em; line-height: 32px; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;"> __Mrs. Schenck:__
== I have placed the Scholastic book order and will send it home with your child when it arrives. If you stated that these were a "surprise", I will give you a call when the order arrives. Please remember to have the gift wrapped with a "to and from" tag. Have these placed under our tree (if I ever get it up :)) before Friday, December 17th. ==

I will be placing another order on Monday, if you forgot to send it to school with your child. (These should still arrive on time.)