New Tuslaw Website

Visit the new Tuslaw Website at www.tuslawblogs.org

NEW BLOG!

I started a new blog (it's an official Tuslaw Blog!) Please click the attachment to see the new blog. I will be updating this blog now!

http://tuslawblogs.org/communities/hussar/default.aspx

Easter Baskets

Next week, we will be making Easter Baskets in school. If you would like, you may donate a small, wrapped treat to put in each child's basket. This is only if you chooose to donate. Thank you! Please send items to school by March 18th.

National Reading Month!

Our goal, as a class, is to read 3,200 minutes by spring break (March 20th). If we reach our goal, we will have a popcorn and movie party!

As of March 17th, we have read 4,085 minutes! We have made it to our party! Great job!

Math and Reading Achievement Test

We will be taking the Math and Reading Achievement Test at the end of April/beginning of May. We have been continually preparing for these tests. The end of the unit assessments in Language Arts are modeled after the reading achievement test questions.

We have already taken the reading achievment test, but all students will take the test again in April. As we have discussed in school, the goal for all students is to do better on the test in April than they did in October. Students have been learning and growing for many months during third grade and its important that they show this growth during their Achievement Test.

To help us prepare for the math test, we are completing a few practice questions each week. The practice questions are questions that have been on past achievement tests. Students are using these questions to practice explaining how they got their answer and to review concepts that will be on the test. The practice questions will be sent home prior to the test and then can be reviewed at home.

Everyday Math

We will be having math quizzes on Wednesdays over the content discussed during the previous week.

Unit 9 is a longer unit - Concepts covered will be:
- Multiply and Divide with Multiples of 10,100, and 1,000
- Using mental math to multiply
- Using arrays to multiply
- Modeling Multiplication with Base 10 Blocks
- Multiplication Algorithm (Partial Sums)
28
x 4
______
(4) 20's = 80
+
(4) 8's = 32
___________
112
- Finding Factors of a Whole Number
- Sharing Money (Ex: $1.00 shared equally among 4 people, $71 shared equally among 5 people, etc.)
- Lattice Multiplication! (Look for an explaination of this to come home!!! This is a VERY fun way to learn mutliplication! I love it! It's different, but it is very interesting! Have your students teach you how to do it (have an open mind) and you'll like it too!)
- Products of 2 digit multiplication
- Positive and Negative Numbers
- Practice area and perimeter for our test



Please continue practicing multiplication facts at home. Ask your child what timed tests he/she has passed. To pass a timed test, students must correctly answer 25 out of 30 questions in one minute. Students will need to be passing these tests. Those students who have not mastered their facts will have written homework to help the students practice their facts. Practicing multiplication facts for a few minutes each night (focusing on the facts that have not been mastered) is very helpful! Students can practice ANYWHERE! As your child facts while in the car, while standing in line at a store, while you are making dinner or doing chores, before your child is able to play video games, or anywhere else that you can think of. This does not have to something that is written down or even done with flash cards - they can be asked outloud. Practicing a few facts every day will really, really help!

Counting change by "Counting up"
Ex: An item costs $1.37 and the person who buys the item gives the cashier $2.00. To find out the change start at $1.37 and count up to $2.00
Start with pennies (unless you are at 5 or 10 cents)
Use 3 pennies to get to $1.40. Then use a dime to get to $1.50. Last, use two quarters to get to $2.00.
To find the change, count 3 pennies, 1 dime, and 2 quarters. The change given is 63 cents.

- Check the links on the blog for math games online!

(This information can be found in the Math Book (Student Resource Book)). It can be taken home any night that you like to look up this information.

http://everydaymath.uchicago.edu/parents/index.shtml

Assignments

Monday, March 15th
H.L. 9.10
WS 9/10 spelling workbook page
Math test April 2nd

Tuesday, March 16th
Spelling Test Wednesday
WS 33 - "In Your Own Words" - part of speech
WS 21 - Mutliplication
Math test April 2nd

Wednesday, March 16th
Skills and Vocabulary Test Thursday
H.L. 9.11
Reading Calendar Due Thursday
Math test April 2nd

Thursday, March 17th
Happy Spring Break!
Math test April 2nd

Review at home!

I know that there is a lot going on at school, but it is very important to continue studying with your child. Please review for all tests and quizzes that are taken. Most of the information comes from worksheets, study guides, etc. done at school. It will greatly benefit your child to review the things that are sent home in their "take home folder" for a few minutes each night.

In addition, please check pinnacle often! This will give you an idea as to what grades your child is earning and it gives your their current overall grade in each subject.
All passwords and student IDs were sent home this year in each student's first interim report. Call the office if you have further questions about passwords or IDs.

https://www.sparcc.org/piv/piv.exe?action=signin

Dates to remember

March 20th - End of the 3rd nine weeks
March 20th - Movie and Popcorn reward for reading 3,200 minutes this month!
March 21st - March 30th - Spring Break!
April 4th - Report Cards go home
April 4th - Spring Pictures
April 8th and 10th- Writing Assessment
April 17th - 3rd and 5th grade music concert
April 19th- Fun Fair
April 25th - Interim Reports Go home
April 28th - Ohio Achievement Test - Reading
April 30th - Ohio Achievement Test - Math
May 5th - 8th - Right to Read Week "Get a Clue, Read"
May 5th - 9th - Spring Book Fair

Soil

We will be studying soil when we return from spring break. We will have a short test over soil. Students will be asked to bring soil to school as part of this unit. Please look for a letter to come home.

After we have studied soil, we will study rocks and fossils.

AR Books!

http://tuslawblogs.org/communities/library/archive/category/1026.aspx

Go to the above website to download a list of AR books for TMS. The page will be updated when
new books are added to the list.

Students need to be earning 5 AR points each nine weeks. Please remind your child to read AR books at home and at school. At school, students are given time to read silently. Those who earn 25 AR points during the year will be given a candy bar as a reward for their hard work!

Keep up the good work and keep checking Friday Folders to see if your child has taken AR tests that week!

Reading and Language Arts

http://www.eduplace.com/
Students completed their end of the unit reading assessment and the students did such a good job. I am very proud of the students and the fact that they really took their time and they looked back for the answers. If everyone does this well on the upcoming Reading Achievement Test, I know that everyone will improve their score from the test taken in October!!

Starting March 5th we will be wrapping up the unit by taking an end of the unit reading assessment, end of the unit writing assessment, and an end of the unit spelling assessment. Look for information to be sent home regarding these assessments.

The end of the unit spelling assessment will be March 12th

Our 4th language arts unit is "Animal Habitats." Our first story is Nights of the Pufflings
Spelling Test March 19th
Vowel + /r/ sounds
1. hair
2. care
3. chair
4. pair
5. bear
6. where
7. scare
8. air
9. pear
10. bare
11. fair
12. share
13. flair
14. farewell

Vocabulary Test March 20th
1. ashore – On or to the shore (from the water).
2. burrows – Holes or tunnels dug in the ground by small animals.
3. Instinctively – Acting on an inner feeling; doing without thinking.
4. launching – Throwing; sending forcefully upward.
5. stranded – Left in a helpless or difficult position.
6. Uninhabited – Having no people living there.
7. Venture – To set out to do something even though it might be dangerous.

Skills Test March 20th
1. Fact or Opinion
2. Syllabication
3. Part of Speech
4. The verb “be”

Monthly Reading Calendar

The March Reading Calendar will go home on March 3rd. Your child should have bring it home on Monday. Please keep it in a safe place and return it to school on (or before) the end of the month.

This reading calendar is a little different from the other reading calendars we have done so far. March is national reading month and we are doing something special. Student will still read for 15 minutes 3 times a week. However, instead of returning the calendar at the end of the month, students will write one good, detailed sentence each day that he/she reads. Parents will sign a slip and return the sentence (describing the book) to school the day after he/she read for 15 minutes. Students will then put a sticker on a shamrock displayed on our classroom door. Students will be able to go above and beyond the required reading. At the end of the month, the calendar should be initialed and turned in on, or before, March 20th.

Being that spring break is during the month of March, the reading calendar will be due before spring break in order to give everyone time off from school work. Reading Calendar is due March 20th.

If our class reads 3,200 minutes during the month we will have a popcorn and movie party. Students who do not do their part and read 8 times for 15 minutes will not be able to attend the party.

Lunch changes

I was just notified by Mrs. Magnacca that there are some changes that the cafeteria is implementing in an effort to make the lunch period go more smoothly. As before all lunch money must be sent to school in an envelope. The follow information needs to be on the envelope:

Students first and last name

Miss Hussar

Pin Number

The cafeteria is asking that lunch money not be sent in a Ziploc bag with the information written on the front of the bag because the information is coming off prior to it reaching the cafeteria. By doing this, it helps the cafeteria make sure that the money gets into the correct account.

Students will no longer be able to pay for their extra main dish (pizza, chicken pattie, etc.) as they go through the line. All money for extras must also be sent to school in an envelope with the identifying information written on the front. It is often taking too long to go through the line because of students paying for extras.

The next change being made is that students who have charged 3 lunches will be given a sack lunch instead of the lunch being served that day. Please pay all charges as soon as the charge notification sheet is sent home.

If there are any questions on these new policies, please contact me or Mrs. Magnacca with questions.