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.

Cursive

We now have many students who have their cursive license!! Great job! Once again, many are very close to passing - so keep practicing! As I told the students, I am very picky about those who pass their test and those that didn't should practice their mistakes for our next cursive test. Until all students earn their cursive license, students will be taking the test a few days each week. Keep practicing at home!!

Even if you have your cursive license, there are letters to practice! :)

Go the the below link for additional practice for handwriting!

http://www.abcteach.com/directory/basics/handwriting/zaner_bloser/cursive/worksheets/

http://www.crayola.com/activitybook/subact.cfm?id=124&maincat=4

Lunch Menu

http://pages.sparcc.org/tuslaw/index.php?page=Middle_School

Click on the above link to see the TMS lunch menu.

Writing

This week, students wrote a friendly letter. The letters were very good and I really enjoyed reading them. Please review topic sentences, closing sentences, and adding details. We will continue working on these concepts throughout the year.

Mrs. Ellenberger

Your child will have Mrs. Ellenberger for Social Studies. She will teach Social Studies 4 days per week to our class and I will teach Science/Health 4 days per week.

Visit Mrs. Ellenberger's blog at http://www.mrsellenberger.blogspot.com/

Ohio Achievement Test

The Ohio Department of Education has updated its testing website! It now offers practice tests for the students! Also, the expectations are listed on the website (what each student should know to do well on the test.) Please take time to look at the website. It is really good!

The Ohio Reading Achievement Test is Tuesday, October 2nd. Please provide at least 2 sharpened #2 pencils, a large eraser, and a few reading books. Students may also bring a healthy snack to school on the day of the test to eat before the test. The test will take 2 1/2 hours and we will begin testing right around 8:30 a.m. with reading the directions and getting ready. We will be done with the test by 11:30 a.m.

http://portal.success-ode-state-oh-us.info/

Character Pillars

Each month, Tuslaw Middle School celebrates one of the character pillars. This month we are discussing responsibility. This is very important in third grade and students will hear this word often!

Mileage Club (Walking Club)

Starting on Tuesday, September 18th, students will be albe to participate in Walking Club at recess. Students will be given a foot token (along with a necklace to put the foot on) after walking a specific number of miles. Please see the letter that was sent home On September 14th for more information.

Box tops, soup labels, mustangs

We are collect box tops again this year! Please save these and send them to school.

Also, we will collect soup labels. Please put the soup labels in a bag, envelope, or in a rubber band with a note attached (or written on) saying that the labels are for Miss Hussar's class.

Lastly, during football season, the Canton Repository and the Massillon Independent will publish "coupons" for each school in the area. Please clip out the "Tuslaw" coupon and return it to school. Tuslaw can get receive a cash prize if we return many of these coupons!

Library

Students will go to library once every 5th school day. Books are checked out for 10 days and can be renewed twice, thus allowing students to have a book for up to 30 days. Students are to bring their books every visit to the library (whether they are renewing/returning) in order for the students to have reading material for silent reading time. Each student will be required to check out at least one book/magazine from the library. The library is a great place to get books to read during the monthly reading calendar and AR books for classroom and home reading. Students will be able to take AR tests in library along with taking tests during class.

Poetry Folder

This year, our class will be reading poetry each week in our "Poetry Folder." After we read and discuss the poem in class, students will have to read the poem to someone at home and then write a paragraph in response to the poem (a prompt will be given.) It is very important that this paragraph is written neatly, with many details, and in paragraph form (indent, topic sentence, and closing sentence). Please read the paragraph that your child wrote to ensure that it was done to the best of his/her ability. The folder will be due the following day (usually Thursday!)

Book Orders

Monthly book orders will be sent home (usually on the first Friday of the month.) It is not mandatory to order books, but there are usually cheap books included in the order that will be good to have at home (for reading at home and to use for the Monthly Reading Calendar). In addition, the classroom receives free supplies/books when orders are placed! Please write a check to the book company and do not send cash to school for book orders. I can only place a class order if the order exceeds $20. If the order (as a class) does not exceed $20, I will return your check and notify you that the order cannot be placed.