We would like to welcome everyone back from what we hope was a very relaxing and restful spring break. it is always nice to have that week to get ready for the end of the year activities of the spring. We have only 9 weeks left of school--so hard to believe! The year has gone so fast.
- Reading month was a huge success. We would like to thank Mrs. Bacolor for organizing such fun activities for the month. The kids loved ending with the p.j day and a fun movie to celebrate.
- Mrs. Knuth's Class and Mrs. Deis' Class had a lot of fun at the planetarium. Mrs. Covert's class will be attending on April 10th. The bus for the planetarium leaves at 8:45 so it is important to be to school on time. We are so lucky to have our own planetarium in St. Joe so our children can learn about our solar system.
The third grade teachers would like to send a very heartfelt thank you to all of you! Our PTO has provided us with funds to purchase sets of high quality literature that provides an opportunity for students to analyze literature, practice important reading skills while reading authentic literature, participate in book discussions, form and backup opinions about text, and build vocabulary. This is such a wonderful opportunity for our 3rd graders. It is important to remember that this money comes from your donations through Paws on the Path. Your donations, your support, and our PTO is what make St. Joe a wonderful place to send your children to school. So, from Mrs. Covert, Mrs. Deis, and Mrs. Knuth--THANK YOU!
Reading Camp
We will be setting a date soon for our annual reading camp. We will need a great deal of volunteers for that day in order for it to happen. Activities are very easy to run as a volunteer and all materials will be set up and provided by teachers. If you only have a half day to volunteer, feel free to split the day with another parent. We can help with that if you can't find anyone to share the day with. Please watch for the note to come home at the end of the week.
End of Year Testing
The window for 3rd grade testing begins on April 29th. Your child will participate in the M-Step Reading and Math Assessments for the first time this year. This is an online assessment. We will review how to use the tools for the test at school. It would be beneficial for you to check them out at home as well. In addition, to M-Step, your child will take the end of the year NWEA test.
There are two distinct differences between these tests. The M-Step assesses your child on skills that were taught during 3rd grade and before. This assessment will give you a good indication how your child is doing with grade level material in reading and math and the results will be compared to other Michigan schools and students. Again, this test only covers concepts up through the 3rd grade. The NWEA test is an adaptive test. This means that your child is given different types of questions to determine his/her level of knowledge in the area of reading and math. As your child answers questions correctly, the answers will become more in-depth and of a higher skill level. The results of this test will show you how your child is performing in the areas of reading and math and will compare them nationally to other students.
While it is important to keep students relaxed and stress-free about these tests, we also want them to put forth their best effort. In the classroom, we will be discussing strategies for keeping yourself calm during testing as well as having perseverance and grit when things feel tough. Reinforcing these ideas at home will benefit your child during these testing sessions.
Calling All Colors
All third grade classes will participate in their 2nd session of Calling All Colors this month. The dates are as follows:
Knuth: April 22nd
Deis: April 25th
Covert: April 15th
Next Week's Schedule:
