Mrs. Halimi

Good afternoon Haigh Families. The weather is beautiful out today!

Reminders for the week:

• Turn in permission slip (Permission to walk to Bryant to practice for music performance)
• Library check out tomorrow; please bring books
• Wednesday @ 7:00 Spring Concert at Bryant
• Thursday–PBIS
• Social Studies TEST Thursday; study guide will be sent Tuesday

This week looks to be a busy week with extra music practices and preparation for our spring concert on Wednesday. I am sure it will fly by and Friday will be here before we know it.

In reading this week we will continue to look at our M-Step prep folder and work on CER questions. We will share our rhino writing and compare how we did to the state examples we were given to see how strong our writing is in comparison.

In math we have been working on locating fractions on a number line. Students are getting the hang of locating fractions greater than one on the number line. We will continue this and practice comparing fractions on a number line as well.

We will finish up our social studies unit on the government of Michigan this week. I plan to do the last lesson tomorrow, followed by a study guide on Tuesday, and test on Thursday. We had Abdullah Hammoud visit our classroom on Friday to read to our class and share about his job as a state representative. The kids had lots of great questions and enjoyed meeting him.

Academic Words:

1. Equivalent- being equal to.
2. Draft- The first writing that you do that is a work in progress.
3. Antonym- words that are opposites.
4. Citizen- a person that is a member of a city, state, and country.

Looking forward to our last week before SPRING BREAK!

Good afternoon and happy St. Patricks day!

Weekly Reminders:

Monday–

• Mid Module Math assessment. We completed a study guide in class on THURSDAY.
• Book fair—Our class will visit tomorrow afternoon
• Reading logs are due tomorrow am

Wednesday– Book fair family night after school 3:35-7:00

Academic Words:

1. Elaborate- To provide more details about a topic.
2. Comma- A mark used to show separation of words.
3. Adapt-The process by which a species becomes better suited to its environment.
4. Passage- A short story or writing about a topic.
5. Jury- A group of citizens chosen to hear the facts in a court of law.

This week in reading we will continue to work through our M-Step packet. We are learning to read the questions first to set a purpose for their reading. As they read the passage they get a “Brain tickle,” which tells them the answer to a question is near. We also are discussing how we can scan the text for keywords in the question so we do not have to reread the entire passage for each question asked. We will also be discussing context clues that we didn’t get to last week. In writing we will begin writing our draft, edit and revise, and write a final copy of our rhinoceros and bird paper.

In math this week we will start the week with our Mid-Module Assessment which means we are half way through our unit on fractions! Students are doing really well with gaining understanding of fractions and developing their reasoning skills as to what fraction is greater by comparing to half and whole. This week we will work on locating fractions on a number line. Some students have already begun this learning as they are working their way through the lessons on Zearn, both in the classroom and at home. Be sure to ask your child what lesson they are on Zearn. In the classroom we will be on lesson 15 come Tuesday.

This week we will work on finishing up our unit on the government of Michigan. We will be learning about the the judicial branch and the rights and responsibilities of citizens.

As the spring weather is approaching please be sure to have a conversation with your child about listening and following directions in the classroom. “Spring fever” seems to be going around and students are needing frequent reminders to follow directions the first time so we can use our time wisely. Thank you for your support:)

We do have spelling and academic words this week. I edited the “Sunday” post last night to reflect the 5 academic words. Sorry for the inconvenience. Your child will come home with their regular spelling list homework.

As a reminder, I am also sending home a weekly reading log for them to complete along with tracking the minutes for the March is reading month calendar.

Good afternoon Haigh families. This week is SPIRIT WEEK 🙂 Students are encouraged to show their school spirit and participate in this fun event. Donations of $0.50 a day is to help support the Haigh library.

• Monday–Pajama day
• Tuesday–Twin day
• Wednesday–Wacky Wednesday (Crazy hair, mismatch)
• Thursday–Dress like a book character
• Friday–Wear green for St. Patrick’s day

Reminders for the week:

• Monday– Read-A-Thon for those who returned permission slips and money will be directly after school. Students may bring a small blanket/beach towel and a pillow/stuffed animal to stay cozy while reading and dancing at this event.
• Tuesday– BINGO for books St. Patrick’s style, 6:00 PM
• Wednesday– LATE START
• Thursday–Readers are Leaders Assembly
• Friday–Popcorn Day

**** please have students bring their March is reading month “reading log” to school tomorrow so I can check in with their progress. We have discussed our goal of reading every day after school  A LOT and I want to encourage and help ALL students stay on track with this VERY IMPORTANT daily habit.

This week we will continue to pick up form last week with our M-Step prep packet. We will also be discussing strategies to help figure out hard vocabulary words they encounter when reading a text by reviewing context clues strategies. This is an area of weakness for our third graders. So often kids just skip the word entirely and keep on reading instead of stopping to think about the text and text clues to help determine the meaning. Last week we took a look at the writing portion of the M-Step and analyzed the writing of sample papers from the state. Students worked together to grade the papers from a checklist/rubric to determine what grade they would give each essay. Students were surprised with some of the samples and I assured them that they are MUCH stronger writers then the examples from the state 🙂 This week we will work on our own essays of the same prompt and use the checklist to help ensure we have cited evidence from the text and have written a clear and convincing essay.

Academic Words:

1. Unit fraction- a fraction where the top number is one and tells how many pieces the whole is cut into.
2. Vote-a choice made by a person’s opinion of someone else’s beliefs.
3. Essay- a writing that is several paragraphs and is focused around a topic.
4. Constitution- a set of rules that tells how the city, state, or country works.
5. Dialogue- when characters talk in a story “____”.

In math last week we took a look at fractions greater than 1 and we have begun comparing these fractions with fraction strips. We will continue to work on that skill this week and talk about how we can use our knowledge of a half and a whole to compare fractions without relying on the fraction strips and instead rely on our mathematical reasoning.

In social studies we will be discussing the three branches of government. In science we will be discussing how selection can happen without people by investigating the adaptations that geckos have made over time.

Looking forward to a fun filled week at Haigh 🙂

Good afternoon Haigh families. It has been a BUSY weekend for me. My son had a state tournament for hockey in Kalamazoo. His team did awesome and won all 4 games,making it to the semi-finals! They played really hard but ended up losing to a team from Marquette 🙁  Making it to the top 8 in the state championship was an exciting experience for my awesome little hockey player 🙂

Reminders for the week:

• Tuesday PBIS BINGO celebration
• Friday; school store during lunch
• Friday; permission slips for school read -a-thon due

Academic Vocabulary:

1. Partition- to cut or divide.
2. Republic- A form of government where people hold the power by voting for people to represent them.
3. Cause- Why something happened
4. Effect- What happened

Welcome to March is reading month! Please be sure to review your child’s packet of information that was sent home on Friday. There is a calendar of events, reading log, and information and permission slip for our school wide read-a-thon.

This week in reading we will begin our M-Step prep packet. We will review test taking strategies and practice passages that mimic the state tests. We will also look at test taking strategies to help students develop good habits as they work to do their best on their tests. This week we will also work on another literary essay containing a prompt to help us prepare for the writing portion. Students have made a lot of progress this year  in writing and I enjoy reading what they compose.

In math this week we will continue to strengthen our understanding of fractions. We will take a look at the size of fractions and use fraction strips to compare them.

In social studies this week we will look at the the roles and responsibilities in the three levels of government. We will discuss laws that are made for local, state, and federal governments.

In science we will continue to work through our unit of animals over time and investigate what animals might look like in the future.

Looking forward to another great week at Haigh 🙂

Good afternoon Haigh families.

Reminders for the week:

• Tuesday—Animal Magic Assembly
• Friday begins March is Reading Month 🙂 Please review the packet that will be sent home on Friday. Students monthly reading log, calendar of events, and permission slip to the read-a-thon will be enclosed.
• Weekly reading logs are due on MONDAY’S. Please make sure your child has theirs ready to turn in.  Also, please check folder for tests with a RED stamp on them to sign and return 🙂

Academic Words:

1. Infer- An idea or conclusion that can be made based on the evidence and prior knowledge.
2. Fossil- Remains of plants and animals that lived long ago.
3. Government- A system of laws and leaders that helps keep people safe and protects their rights.
4. Numerator- The top number in a fraction that tells the number of parts (shaded)in the whole.
5. Denominator- The bottom number in a fraction that tells how many equal parts the item is divided into.

This week in reading we will review cause and effect. We will learn signal words and practice identifying cause and effect relationships in a text. We will read several texts and practice answering cause and effect questions both on paper and digitally through Readworks.org articles. In writing we will work on writing our literary essay using the book “A Chair for my Mother.” Last week we worked on making claims about the characters and theme and this week we will focus on finding text evidence in the story to support our claims. We will also work on extending our thinking through elaboration of the evidence.

In math this week we will continue to work with fractions. We will be back on schedule tomorrow with our “Math quiz Mondays” to monitor students understanding of concepts from last week. We are still working through our multiplication facts challenge, so please ask your child what fact they are on and help and encourage them to study:)

In social studies we will continue to discuss the importance  and purpose of government and learn how power is divided into local, state, and federal governments.

In science we will explore animals from the past. We will use fossil evidence to predict if a child “could” outrun a dinosaur.

Looking forward to a FULL week of school 🙂

Good afternoon Haigh families 🙂 I hope you all have enjoyed your mid-winter break! Thank you for all the beautiful and delicious Valentine gifts , my family and I have been enjoying treats for days 🙂

Reminders for the week:

1. Field trip to the Science Center on Thursday—bag lunch
2. Box top collections due by FRIDAY

This week in reading we will continue to work on inferring with a focus on non-fiction text. We will use our prior knowledge and text clues to think deeper about a text to help develop our comprehension.  In writing we will begin to develop an understanding for how to write a literary essay. We will use picture books and a prompt to focus a writing to enhance our understanding of the importance of using evidence from the text to support thinking.

In math we will begin unit 5 which is FRACTIONS. Students will receive brand new homework and in class workbooks on Tuesday morning, so look for a FULL BACKPACK of OLD books. You may use them for extra practice or recycle them at your convenience.

We will begin our new social studies unit which will be about the government of Michigan. Our field trip to Lansing was a great front loading activity to guide students to a better understanding of how our government works.

Reading logs will be sent home tomorrow. Please make reading a daily habit in your home.

We will NOT be having spelling or vocab words again this week; next week we will continue with our regular schedule of words.

Looking forward to a great week 🙂

Good Afternoon Haigh Families.

Reminders for the week:

• Monday- candy grams delivered, PBIS JANUARY celebration (after many reschedules due to snow days!)
• Tuesday- Learning Gizmos family math night
• Wednesday- MATH TEST
• Thursday 1/2 day, dismissal at 11:45, SOCIAL STUDIES TEST
• Friday- NO SCHOOL

Valentine’s day

Thursday is Valentine’s day! We will have a small celebration in the classroom. Students are encouraged to bring Valentines cards for each of their classmates (we have 26 students.) We will have a small treat, (already provided; PLEASE do NOT send in any additional SWEET TREATS), play a game, and decorate Valentine bags. Please send in a brown PAPER grocery bag with your child this week. We will be using it to hold all of the Valentines they collect from their peers. We will NOT be having a full blown party in the classroom so parent volunteers are not needed.

In reading this week we will work on making inferences in fiction texts. Students will learn how this important reading skill helps them determine the motives of the characters as well as gaining a deeper understanding of the story. In writing this week we will be finishing up our “Sweetest Things” flip books. These are turning out great, and they definitely prove that I have a batch of SUPER SWEET STUDENTS 🙂

In math this week we will be finishing up our area unit by finding the area of a household floor plan. This real world skill will help students to understand how area applies to their everyday life. Students will be provided with a study guide on Tuesday and TEST on WEDNESDAY.

In social studies we have been talking about the growth of Michigan. This week we will learn about the push and pull factors that brought people from other countries to Michigan. We will have a study guide on Tuesday or Wednesday with a test on THURSDAY.

We will not be having any SPELLING or VOCABULARY words this week.

Looking forward to a FUN week! I hope the weather cooperates 🙂

Good evening Haigh families! I know everyone is getting ready to settle down and watch the Rams vs. Patriots game so I will make this quick 🙂

We will be picking up where we left off last week since we had an incredibly irregular week of wacky weather! Today feels tropical 🙂

Reminders:

• Field trip forms were due Friday, but will be accepted by end of day tomorrow
• Valentine gram sales this week during lunch (Monday through Wednesday) $1.00
• LATE START WEDNESDAY
• Thursday school store during lunch
• Friday- Family Valentines dance in the gym 6:30-8:00 (FREE Family FUN!)
• Please sign and return report card envelopes and check your child’s folder for any papers with a RED stamp to sign and return—THANKS:)

Academic vocabulary and spelling will be the same as last week. Some students turned it in on Friday, but I returned it to them so they can study this week.

NWEA is just about finished. I only have a few students who have to finish up the science assessment.

Enjoy the SUPER BOWL with family! We have some amazing smelling wings in the oven right now 🙂

Snow, frigid temperatures, and negative windshields…….Yes, this week looks like a great week to hibernate inside. Please be sure to dress your child in their warmest winter gear including hats, scarves, and gloves.

Reminders for the week:

• Wednesday PBIS celebration
• Field trip permission slips and payment are due by FRIDAY the 1st.
• Last week of NWEA testing (We are almost done!)

Academic Vocabulary:

1. Manufacture- The making of goods in a factory.
2. Decompose- The breaking apart of numbers.
3. Hyperbole- Extreme exaggeration.
4. Width- The distance from side to side.
5. Habitat- The place where a plant or animal lives.

This week in reading we will be talking about monitoring comprehension of a text by asking and answering questions. We will also be working on answering extended response questions using the CER method to help us formulate strong responses. In writing students will create another realistic fiction paper on their own topic and ideas. They will practice including figurative language and strong descriptions into their plot.

In math we will continue to explore area and perimeter. This week we will look at finding the area and perimeter of irregular shapes. We will have our mid-module math assessment on Tuesday. The study guide will come home tomorrow.

We will continue to learn about the growth of Michigan in social studies.

Students will be finishing up their NWEA science test this week. Your child should be sharing their scores with you when they finish a test by recording their scores in their daily planner.

Stay warm this week 🙂