The End of September

I can't believe we are saying good-bye to September next week!  October brings with it autumn leaves, pumpkins, ghosts, and grade cards.  It is difficult for me to believe we only have 2 weeks left in this grading period.  Time flies when you are having fun!!

Thanks to all of you who made it out to McTeacher Night last night.  I didn't get to see many of you because I was working the back drive-thru.  Working McTeacher Night always gives me new respect for the fast food industry and reminds me how important it is to be patient and share a smile with those on the other side of the counter. 

If you haven't returned your Math-A-Thon pledge money, yet, you may do so on Monday, Sept. 30th. 

Looking Ahead:

October 11th: End of 1st Quarter
October 14th: No School -Teachers Work Day
October 23rd: Picture Retake Day
October 23rd and 24th: Parent Teacher Conferences
October 25th: No School
October 29th: 3rd Grade Demonstration Program and Math Night
October 31st: Halloween Parade and Celebration 2:00-3:00

October has some important dates, so please mark your calendars.  I will be sending more information out regarding the Demonstration Program, Math Night, and Halloween festivities later in the month.

Finally, I have sent home another Scholastic Book Order.  The order forms will be due Tuesday, Oct. 8th.  You are welcome to order online:  our classroom online code is 1EENK

SAY CHEESE!

Well, today is Picture Day and I'm so impressed with how nice all of the kids are looking!  Picture Day always has a special energy to it- everyone is buzzing about wearing their neatest outfit, cautious of their hair, and always a bit distracted trying to add the finishing touches, such as: "collar up or collar down?"  As a result of Picture Day scheduling, we didn't actually get to writing our "Weekly News" for you.  So, I'll debrief our week's learning for you.

Reader's Workshop:  We are beginning a unit entitled: Following Characters into Meaning.  In this unit we will be exploring the good work readers do to envision what is happening in their stories, make theories about characters based on what they say or do, predict how characters will act or react in our stories, and explain the lessons characters learn throughout the story.  The nature of this work depends on your child reading fiction text.  Because of this, I will be asking students to choose a fiction story to read during class time.  I know I have some information fans in here, but it is necessary that they independently practice these types of thoughts throughout the unit.  Of course, students are free to read other types of texts at other times of the day.

Writer's Workshop:  We are continuing to craft true stories.  This week we focused on finding the most important scene in our story and building it up.  We are trying to do what other authors do, such as: adding dialogue to our stories, adding lots of description so our reader's can envision, and choosing strong action words. 

Math:  This week we wrapped up our first topic: understanding large numbers.  I'm planning on having the students test on the topic early next week and hopefully begin our 2nd topic: Addition Stategies. 

Science:  This week our science lessons focused on the function of the stem.  Student observed celery that had been soaking in dyed water.  We were able to observe the tubes (xylem) that transport the water to the leaves of the plant with our eyes, a handlense, and a microscope!  Special thanks to Aidan Oldham and Bethany Behrens for sharing their microscopes with our class.  It was a very exciting experience.

LOOKING AHEAD:

This Saturday is another HAWTHORN PTA Night at Mercury Gymnastics @ 6:30. 
Monday we will have our first Hawthorn Cookout during our scheduled lunch time.  Students will be able to choose from Hotdogs, Hamburgers, and Yogurt.  Parents are welcome to join!
Thursday Sept. 26 is McTeacher Night @ the Barry Road McDonalds!  Come join us for some food and fun.
Friday Sept. 27 Math-A-Thon money is due.

Have a great weekend!

-Jodi 

Doing our reading assignment

Today Mrs.Coen was talking about geting our Time For Kids. She said last year we had to pass the magazines to another class.This year we get to keep them! this Time For Kids is about Martin Luther King Jr.  So then the teacher had us go some where around the room. She told us to at least read some of the articals in the book.The star people got to go first and I got to go next. I read one about a monster fire in California. then I read one of my books from home called Tinker Bell Secret of the wings. Then Mrs.Coen rang the chimes. She asked us to come to the gathering group. There we read some of the Martin Luther King Jr..

Fall Festival!!

Tonight should be the perfect night for the FALL FESTIVAL!!  There are so many fun things planned- Panthers drum squad, cheerleaders, bounce houses, games, food and more! I hope to see you there!

Thanks to all the parents who placed book orders!  Children should be receiving their books sometime next week. 

Please remember to sign your child's planner nightly.  I know life is busy, but taking just a few minutes to discuss their day really shows how much you care about their education and how they've spent their time away from you.

Next Week:

Mid-terms will be sent out Monday.  When you have had a chance to review the mid-term with your child, sign and return it to school.  I will then make a copy and send it back home for you to have as a reference. 
Tuesday, we will be taking our Math-A-Thon test.  Please continue to collect pledges from family and friends.
Friday, will be Picture Day!!  Picture day order forms were sent home with your child today.
Saturday, Sept. 21st is another Mercury Night for Hawthorn.  Mercury Night begins at 6:30pm. 

Have a great weekend!  Enjoy the beautiful weather.

-Mrs. Coen

September 6th, 2013

Hi Parents!!  This week simply flew by!  Not only because it was a 4 day week, but also because we were so busy learning how to be better readers, writers, mathematicians, and scientists...oh my!

Mark, Gabrielle, Faith, and Emily are my guest bloggers this week.  I'll let them update you on the specifics of what we've been working on here in room 205.  For this post I'll just remind you of special dates and happenings here at Hawthorn.

Weekly News:

Your child will be bringing home a "Weekly News" paper every Friday.  All I ask is that you read what they've written, discuss it with them (what you like, what they can work to improve, etc.), sign it and return on Monday.  The students who return their "Weekly News" on Monday will receive a responsibility Husky Buck. 

Book Order:

I sent home a book order this Tuesday with the due date of Sept. 6th stamped on it.  I realize this is a quick turn around.  I had a few kids bring in their book orders today, which was awesome, but if you didn't get around to crossing that off your "to-do" list this week, don't worry.  I'll extend the window into next week.  If you don't want to deal with the hassle of writing a check and remembering to send it to school with your little superhero; feel free to order online.  Scholastic Online Book Order  Our classroom activation code is 1EENK.

College Colors Day

Thursday, September 12th is College Colors Day!  Send your child to school wearing their favorite college's colors or spiritwear. 

Fall Festival

Fall Festival is next Friday, September 13^th from 5:30 to 7:30. We are still in need of a few more items for our classroom basket. At this point we have had only 1 donation in our basket.  If you can send an item in by Wednesday, September 11^th it would be appreciated.

 

Grade Level Themes:

K: Dress up

1^st: Arts and Crafts

2^nd: Outdoor Fun

3rd: Super Heroes

4^th: Science

5^th: Games & Family Fun

 

PTA is also in need of a few more volunteers. If you can donate 30 minutes of your time to help, please logon to Volunteer Spot to sign up : http://vols.pt/hMWUhU, thank you!

Math-a-Thon:

Math-a-Thon pledge sheets will be coming home next Monday.  This is a fantastic academic fundraiser for our school.  Challenge your child to excel by making a donation per correct problem or with a flat donation amount.