March Madness Pics:)

Here are a few pictures of special events in our classroom.

First, our class participated in World Math Day and World Spelling Day this month. About 1.57 million students from all over the world competed in the events and we got to be a part of it! The World Spellometer showed 54,985,637 points earned for words spelled correctly, while the Mathometer ticked off a total of 293,571,830 points! Click here to see the class awards ceremony we had last week.

After about two months of very hard work, our first nine animal information books have been published! The students were divided up into small groups around the room, so that all nine authors could read their new books aloud and answer questions from their listeners. I was so impressed! Click here to see pictures of our class story time:)

Have a great week!

Traditional Story Sandwich Book Reports

Traditional stories are ones that were passed down orally for many generations before being written down.  They include fairy tales, folk tales, tall tales, legends, fables, and myths.  In the Public Library, these books are found in the children's nonfiction section under call numbers beginning with J398.2.  Students are required to choose a book from this section of the library.
The stories are many and varied, familiar or new, and rich with cultural heritage and moral themes.  I hope the students will take advantage of the wonderful opportunity they have to explore this genre.  We are certainly enjoying studying the books together at school! Below are a few examples: 

Altara Fundraisers

Last week we had a special assembly to kick off Altara Student Council's "Jump Rope for Heart" service project/fundraiser.  The event will be held April 12;  a letter and packet were sent home last week with more information. Below are a few fun pictures from the assembly, which featured a jump rope team. 
Also, Altara's students reached the PTA Box Tops goal, so Mr. Jameson dressed up like a clown and visited each class during the day.  He happened to visit third grade during music and enjoyed hearing us sing the end of "See us Shine."  Thank you for supporting the box top drive in February and the Jump Rope for Heart event coming up in April!

Multiplication Mastery

Over the last few weeks we've moved on to other concepts in math (geometry and fractions), so there hasn't been as much time at school to practice multiplication facts.  Right now, these facts are mainly in the students' short-term memories.  In order to make the transfer to long-term memory, multiplication facts need to be continually reviewed (5-10 minutes per day is plenty of time).  Many students, even those who have passed off all of their fact families, are forgetting facts they once knew.  This is a normal part of multiplication memorization, which is why constant review is so vital.  The nation-wide math core curriculum that Canyons implemented last year assumes that multiplication facts x0-10 are mastered when students begin 4th grade.  The better they know their facts, the easier upper grade math will be for them.  The children know where to get flashcards in my room whenever they need them.  If you are looking for flashcard games to play with your child, click on the link below.  Another great strategy for facts x2, 3, 4, 5, and 9 is to have the students practice writing down all of the multiples (answers).  Then they can use those answers on their drills.  Good luck!

February Fun

 The last few weeks have been very full!  Below are some pictures to give you just a taste of what we've been doing at school together.  Also, remember that this is the last week to schedule parent-teacher conferences.  We're looking forward to seeing you in a couple of weeks!

Online Scheduler Open

Parent-Teacher Conferences are coming up on Mar. 7-8. The Online Scheduler is available on Altara's home page Feb. 13-26, so that you can plan for Parent Teacher Conferences at your convenience.  Instructions are below.

1. Click the following icon:

2. Scroll down to "Altara Elementary" and click "go."

3. Type in the school password (altara) and click "login."

4. Type in your student's ID number.
(hint: The student ID is the username for Envision Math found on the sticker inside of your child's homework folder.)
5. Select an available time slot that works best for you.

If you have any problems or would like support setting up your schedule, feel free to visit the office or call Susan Taylor, our school secretary, for assistance.

Valentine's Day Party and February Current Events Coming Up!

Dear Parents,
We'll be holding our class Valentine's Day party next Tuesday, February 14th.  Students should decorate a box, or other container that fits easily on top of their desks, and bring it to school on that day.  If they choose to give valentines to class members, they should be sure to include every student.  Click here for a class list of names.  Our party will begin at 1:50 p.m. and students will be able to pass out their valentines during that time.  If you are interested in volunteering, please contact our room parent, Tyler Kettle.  Know that all parents are always welcome at our holiday parties:)

Current Events begin this week!  For the last two current events, students printed articles off at school and brought them home.  This month, they are encouraged to use the blog websites or other appropriate resources to find current events at home.  They should choose events they can understand and explain and that have made a difference for good.  They are also encouraged to write complete and thoughtful questions and responses on their current event papers.   Student responses to the articles are really more important than the articles themselves, since they show the depth of the student's comprehension and personal application.

Thank you and have a great week!