April+11

=**APRIL 11**=

Thank you to Greta's grandparents for coming in to talk to our third graders about composting worms. They showed us how to make a worm composting box and then showed us a completed box. They also were kind enough to bring us a treat made of dirt and worms...AKA crushed Oreos and Gummy worms! Delicious!

**We enjoyed our Monday field trip to the Science Center very much! Thank you, thank you, thank you to all of our chaperones, who helped the day run so smoothly! And once again, we are very grateful to VMEPC for paying the $12 admission for each student!**

== Our field trip to the Neal Smith Wildlife Refuge is scheduled for May 18th. We will be needing chaperones for this trip. Please consider spending the day with us! Contact you child's teacher if you are interested. You will need to drive yourself, or carpool with other chaperones. The cost is free, but you may want to bring money for the store located at the center. You will also need a completely disposable sack lunch. More information and a permission slip will be coming home as the date nears. ==

===**//Parents...Grandparents....Neighbors...Aunts and Uncles... The year is winding down, and our April Fridays are almost all booked. So PLEASE consider joining us on a Friday in May! We would love to hear about your job, your hobby, or a special area of interest. The students are SO proud when one of their parents come to visit, and we are learning so much! Contact any of us and we'll set up a dat e! // ** ===

==__IMPORTANT UPCOMING DATES: __ == **Wednesday, April 20**....**NO SCHOOL.** Staff Development **Friday, April 29**...Puppy Dog Relays; 12:00-3:15 **Monday, May 2**...Puppy Dog Relays Raindate **Friday, May 13**....Kids' Club; 2:00 **Wednesday, May 18th**...Field Trip to Neal Smith **Thursday, May 19**...Country Potluck; 5:30-6:30 **Monday, May 30**...**No School.** Memorial Day **Monday, June 6**...**Last Day of School!**

3rd Quarter Bee Winners: Math ~ Blade, Cody, and Holden Geography ~ Cody, Taylor J., and Sullivan Spelling ~ Patrick, Anthony, and Olivia Congratulations to those students!

 __Social Studies:__
===** We continue to hear from our friends' adventures. Please ask your child what states and/or countries we are hearing from. ** === ===<span style="font-size: 1.1em; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;">** We are starting a new unit. This unit covers Native Americans and Newcomers, Moving from Farms to Factories, Immigration, and The Age of the Automobile. We have started our country research. We are using the new MOOSE lab and books from the AEA! :) ** ===

**<span style="color: #0006ff; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">COUNTRY INFORMATION...PLEASE READ... ** The students picked out their country for their project. Please ask them what country they chose. Please see my personal google site for country information. (<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 10px;">[] ) <span style="color: #6200ff; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 23px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">The potluck is scheduled for Thursday, May 19th from 5:30-6:30 p.m. in the school cafeteria. Thank you to Mrs. Rhoads for volunteering to create and assemble our Country Cookbooks! Please be sure to send a copy of your country recipe in ASAP so that we can have those ready to distribute by the end of the school year. Please include your child's name and country so that we can label each recipe. Feel free to send in a recipe to be included in our book even though you may not be able to attend the potluck. Your child also brought home a hard copy of the country information. Please ask to see it if you haven't yet had the opportunity to read it!

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This week we further investigated our five unknowns by doing chemical tests with vinegar, iodine, and (in one class) red cabbage juice. We are rearranging and narrowing down our predictions of what these unknowns might be, and we think we're pretty smart! =====

<span style="font-size: 1.3em; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;"> __Language Arts/Writing:__
Students are learning how to add details to their stories. They continue to work together to write and revise their stories in groups. They are also beginning to edit their stories with their group.

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;"> __MISC:__ = =<span style="font-size: 1.4em; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;">**<span style="color: #0000ff; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;">Attention Parents: If you email one of us regarding changes in your child's dismissal procedure and you do not receive a reply acknowledging that we received the email, please call the office and have Soni notify your child of the changes. Our email has been known to go down, and sometimes we have subs that are not able to check our email or phone messages. Therefore your child may not find out about the change of plans. The safest route is to just always let the homeroom teacher AND Soni be aware of any important messages for your child. Thanks! ** =

==== //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//. ====

Some students are stopping to play in the creek on the way home. We have had some parents concerned about the dangers of playing in the creek, especially without adult supervision and without parents' knowledge. Please remind your child that he/she should not stop to play, but instead head straight home.

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.

** 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] **

** 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; cursor: pointer; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 0px;">[] **

<span style="font-size: 1.3em; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;"> __Mrs. Volk:__
Book orders were sent home today. Orders are due on the 15th. Please feel free to order on-line. My code is GXPY2.

Your child may have brought home a skills packet or two. 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 visit my personal site to view our Best School Year Ever powerpoint. Thanks!

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.

www.multiplication.com is a great site to help your child practice math facts. My math class visits this site in school and they love it.

I have signed the class up on a numeration website called SUMDOG. Your child has been given a username and password. They are welcome to access this at home.

Wish list: 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!

Our class is 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. 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.

Our class blog can be found at: <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 10px;">[] e

Please help your child to remember to have their success charts signed weekly. We have students missing stamps and points because the chart is not signed. I remind them almost daily in class, but sometimes a reminder from home works better. Thanks

We recently had an opportunity to do an activity that required students to write down their home address. Many students did not know their address. Please check with your child to be sure that they know their home address, home and/or cell phone numbers. This is an important piece of information that your child should know. Thanks!

Please look over your child's homework packet before he/she returns it. We are seeing a number of careless errors. Our goal with the homework packets is to encourage responsibility by (1) having the packets returned on time and (2) having them accurately completed. This is the year when it's okay for mom and/or dad to help with the homework packets. Don't do it for them, of course, but do help your child learn to proofread and correct mistakes.

<span style="font-size: 1.3em; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;"> __Mrs. Skahill/Miss Stephens:__
//Please look over your child's homework packet before he/she returns it. We are seeing a number of careless errors. Our goal with the homework packets is to encourage responsibility by (1) having the packets returned on time and (2) having them accurately completed. This is the year when it's okay for mom and/or dad to help with the homework packets! Don't do it for them, of course, but do help your child learn to proofread and correct mistakes.//

On our wish list: Ream(s) of colored copier paper; HP black ink cartridge #98 and/or color #95.

===<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. Schenck:__. === I have signed your child up for a website called Sumdog. The students have user name and password.

Continue reading and working with your child. Parental support at home plays a large role in the success of your child here at school.