Chess Club
Chess Clubs have ended for this school year. We had a mini tournament the last day which the students seemed to enjoy.
Talent Show
4th and 5th graders who would like to participate in the talent show should get their permission slips in as soon as possible. Sign-up sheets for auditions are located on the bulletin board in the front hallway. I hope to have the auditions done within the next couple of weeks.
MAP Testing
Map testing begins on Monday. Please make sure to encourage your child to do their best. You can help by making extra sure that your child has had a good night's rest and a good breakfast before heading out to school. It is an exciting time for teachers and students as they see the growth the students have made since the beginning of the school year.
Friday, April 27, 2012
Friday, April 20, 2012
For the Week of April 23rd
Chess Club
Tuesday's club is having their last meeting this week. Thursday's club is already finished for the school year.
Wednesday
Wednesday is early dismissal day. Students will be dismissed at 11:00 a.m.
Figure it Out
Even reluctant readers are more likely to read if the subject matter is something that interests them. It is worth both teacher's and parent's time to figure out what they want to read. For example, I have a student who loves to read about black holes, the Bermuda Triangle, hurricanes and tornadoes. Since this student is normally a reluctant reader, it is key to get books into his hands that are of high interest - because then he will read. Sometimes students don't realize that there are books written about their interests. Spend time at the library or a bookstore browsing. Figure out what will encourage your student to read. It is time well spent.
Tuesday's club is having their last meeting this week. Thursday's club is already finished for the school year.
Wednesday
Wednesday is early dismissal day. Students will be dismissed at 11:00 a.m.
Figure it Out
Even reluctant readers are more likely to read if the subject matter is something that interests them. It is worth both teacher's and parent's time to figure out what they want to read. For example, I have a student who loves to read about black holes, the Bermuda Triangle, hurricanes and tornadoes. Since this student is normally a reluctant reader, it is key to get books into his hands that are of high interest - because then he will read. Sometimes students don't realize that there are books written about their interests. Spend time at the library or a bookstore browsing. Figure out what will encourage your student to read. It is time well spent.
Friday, April 13, 2012
For the Week of April 16th
Chess Club
Chess Club meets both Tuesday and Thursday this week.
Earth Day
Prairieview is celebrating Earth Day on Friday, April 20th. Wear an earth day shirt or a green shirt (or blue or brown) to help celebrate.
Words Make a Difference
On my blog last week I wrote about a student who had learned the names of the continents and some of the countries and where they were located simply because he had had a map of the world on his wall at home for many years. What I have noticed about this student since I commented on how much he knew about the map is that every day when he comes into my class, he now goes up to the map and looks at it some more to discover other things about it. People liked to be recognized for their accomplishments. It inspires them to do even more. Students respond to praise. Different educators site different numbers but they seem to agree that praise should outnumber, by about 6 to 1, negative statements. As parents and teachers, let's work on motivating our children and students with our praise.
Chess Club meets both Tuesday and Thursday this week.
Earth Day
Prairieview is celebrating Earth Day on Friday, April 20th. Wear an earth day shirt or a green shirt (or blue or brown) to help celebrate.
Words Make a Difference
On my blog last week I wrote about a student who had learned the names of the continents and some of the countries and where they were located simply because he had had a map of the world on his wall at home for many years. What I have noticed about this student since I commented on how much he knew about the map is that every day when he comes into my class, he now goes up to the map and looks at it some more to discover other things about it. People liked to be recognized for their accomplishments. It inspires them to do even more. Students respond to praise. Different educators site different numbers but they seem to agree that praise should outnumber, by about 6 to 1, negative statements. As parents and teachers, let's work on motivating our children and students with our praise.
Friday, April 6, 2012
For the Week of April 9th
Chess Club
Both Tuesday's and Thursday's chess clubs will meet this week. We will be practicing wise opening moves this week.
Ozzie's Reading Club
If you participated in Ozzie's Reading Club, please make sure that your ticket orders are in by Tuesday. The check should be made out to Kane County Cougars.
How to Decorate
The other day while teaching a small group of students, I had an eye opening experience. We were reading a book about animal predators. Each two page spread featured a different animal and in the top left corner of the spread was a small map of the world with the areas that the animal lives colored in with black. No words were on the map. So as we were reading, I asked the students to look at the map and tell the others where that particular animal lives. Of my small group of students, only one was able to recognize the continents and various areas of the world without difficulty. I complimented the student on his ability to recognize all of those places without having any names to refer to. He said that it was because for a long time he had a map of the world on his wall at home. Teachers put important information that they want their students to remember on their walls, but I hadn't thought of the importance of items placed on walls at home. Obviously, they can make a difference also.
Both Tuesday's and Thursday's chess clubs will meet this week. We will be practicing wise opening moves this week.
Ozzie's Reading Club
If you participated in Ozzie's Reading Club, please make sure that your ticket orders are in by Tuesday. The check should be made out to Kane County Cougars.
How to Decorate
The other day while teaching a small group of students, I had an eye opening experience. We were reading a book about animal predators. Each two page spread featured a different animal and in the top left corner of the spread was a small map of the world with the areas that the animal lives colored in with black. No words were on the map. So as we were reading, I asked the students to look at the map and tell the others where that particular animal lives. Of my small group of students, only one was able to recognize the continents and various areas of the world without difficulty. I complimented the student on his ability to recognize all of those places without having any names to refer to. He said that it was because for a long time he had a map of the world on his wall at home. Teachers put important information that they want their students to remember on their walls, but I hadn't thought of the importance of items placed on walls at home. Obviously, they can make a difference also.
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