Week of May 19 through May 23

Hello! What a beautiful weekend we had! I sure hope the cold, snowy days are behind us! It's finally here--the end of yet another school year! Thank you for sharing your child with me--I enjoyed each one tremendously! The school years go by so quickly--it's hard to believe another one is over. Please see important announcements for the week ahead.

• On Tuesday, May 20th, our class will be having an end of the year/summer birthday party. This party will take place at 2:15pm. A few parents have volunteered to help. If you haven't had the chance yet and you want to help--just contact me at school and I'll let you know what we need. Thanks in advance!

• On Wednesday, May 21st, our class will be walking over to the aquatic center for swimming from approximately 9-11. The fee is $3. Students who have a swim pass still have to pay the $3 fee. Please send this as soon as possible--I will keep it safe at school until our swimming day. Also, due to the fact that all of the other third graders in the district will be swimming, only third grade students will be allowed to swim. You are more than welcome to come and watch, however. 

• On Thursday, May 22nd, our class--along with Mrs. Zimmer's class--will watch "The Crood's" and enjoy doughnuts. This will take place in the morning. Please sign the salmon-colored permission slip that will be going home with your child on Monday (19th). "The Crood's" is rated PG and parent permission must be given before your child is allowed to view the movie. If the permission slip is not sent back your child will not be able to watch. (An alternative activity will be chosen.) 

• Friday, May 23rd is the last day of school! Just a reminder--Friday is an early release day. This means that school will be dismissed at 12:45pm. Report cards will be going home on this day--please look for the envelope in your child's backpack. 

Once again, I have enjoyed your child tremendously. The end of this school year is somewhat bittersweet for me. I will be moving on from 3rd grade after this school year. Next year I will be responsible for teaching technology to all elementary-aged students. I'm excited for this change--but 3rd grade has been my home for the past 10 years. In fact, my first '3rd graders' are graduating this year! 

Don't hesitate to ask if you have any questions about the week ahead! Thanks! Have a wonderful summer, and please encourage your child to keep on reading!

Sincerely, 

Mrs. Martinez

Week of May 12th through 16th

Hello! I hope all of the mothers had a wonderful Mother's Day! We're down to the wire now!! Please see below for important announcements regarding the week ahead!

• A yellow note will be going home on Monday, May 12th regarding important dates to remember for the remaining two weeks of school. On the 2nd page of this yellow sheet there will be a paper for you to fill out if you would like to sign up to help with our summer birthday/end of the year party on May 20th (at 2:15). If you would like to help by bringing treats or planning a game please fill out and send the 2nd sheet back as soon as possible. 

• The last MAP test (Science) will be this Thursday, (May 15th) at 10:30. 

• We will be having a root beer float party on Friday, May 16th. This is a way for students to celebrate meeting their goals (at least 2 of 3) on the MAP tests.  

• Just a reminder: We will be going swimming with the other 3rd grades in the district on May 21st. The fee for this is $3. Please send the money anytime between now and the 21st. 

• This week will be the LAST spelling test of the school year. Please see below for the words. These words may be a tad more difficult than the previous words have been. 
• during
• what
• their
• said
• some
• would
• other
• could
• use
• thought
• landed
• during
• today
• example
• heard
• several
• change 
• answer
• were
• very
• called
• much
• right
• because
• name
• might
• father
• however
• room
• sea
• against
• top
• turned

Have a great week!

Mrs. Martinez :)

Week of May 5th through 9th

Hello! I hope you enjoyed the nice-weather weekend! We are closing in on the end of this school year--it's hard to believe that it's almost been 9 months! I don't know about you--but the school years seem to fly by! Please see below for important announcements regarding the week ahead.

• The students rocked it on their Reading MAP test! Horray for them! All in all, 82% of the students met their end of the year goal. All of them tried very hard! I shared each student's goal with him/her on Wednesday last week. If you would like to know what your child's goal is for reading, math, and language usage--I have taped the goals to the very back inside cover of their planner.

• This week we will be doing the Language Usage portion of the MAP test. This is scheduled for Wednesday, May 7th at 9:30am. If you know your child will be absent on this day please let me know and we will plan ahead. If your child is absent due to illness the MAP test will need to be made up when your child returns to school. 

• Also this week is our MAP Math test on Friday at 12:30. I know Friday afternoons aren't the best testing time--but since ALL grades are testing *someone* has to do it on Friday afternoon and that someone is us this week! Please let me know in advance if you know your child will be absent and we can have him/her complete the test before the testing day. 

• There are a few students who have birthdays in the summertime. Due to this, I always have an end-of-the-year/summer birthday party on the last week of school. I will tentatively schedule this party for Tuesday, May 20th. (This date may change.) We will plan on having this party from 2:15 until 3:00. If you have a child who has a summer birthday, or if you would just like to bring treats please feel free to sign up to help with this party. I will be sending a note home on May 12th; you can sign up on this letter. 

• We are going swimming with the other 3rd graders in the district on Wednesday, May 21st. We will be at the pool for a majority of time in the morning. We will be walking over and we'll be back at East Side in time for lunch. The fee will be $3. (Students who have Aquatic Center passes STILL have to pay the $3 fee.) Since this will be all third graders in the district, only third grade students will be allowed to swim. However, you are more than welcome to come and watch your child. I will be sending a note home as the date nears closer. 

• My class will be serving for the LAST time this week. Please check with me if you would like to take your child out to lunch--just to be sure he/she isn't serving on that day. Students will also serve in 4th and 5th grade. 

• Book orders will be due on Friday, May 9th. I will place the order right away to ensure that the books arrive by May 23rd. You can always order online using my classroom code--which was on the first book order form. 

• Please see below for this week's spelling words. 
• there
• then
• its
• little
• know
• different
• still
• often
• school
• once
• began
• today
• however
• sure
• knew
• it's
• try
• told
• said
• about
• would
• through
• don't
• important
• picture
• since
• across
• young
• sun
• thing
• whole
• hear

As always, if you have any questions please feel free to contact me at school or via e-mail. Have a great week!
Mrs. Martinez

Week of April 28th through May 2nd

Hello! April is about ready to be gone in a blink of the eye! I hope you had a great weekend! Please see below for important announcements regarding the week ahead.

• On Monday, April 28th our class--along with the other 3rd grade classes in the district--will participate in Worland's annual Arbor Day celebration. This will be held at the Community Complex at 12:30pm. Students NEED to bring a cold lunch--as we will be eating lunch at the Complex prior to the program. All are invited to attend! It should last no longer than 30 minutes. (We scheduled it over the lunch hour so possibly more parents could attend.)

• Forget spring, it's testing season. With PAWS and SAWS behind us--it's time to look ahead to MAP testing. This testing is done every spring and fall. The nice thing about MAP testing is that results are immediately available. This week the students will be doing the MAP Reading test. This will be on Wednesday (30th) at 9:30am. I will be letting your child know what he/she scored in the fall and what his/her goal is this time around. If students meet their goals in 2 of the 3 testing areas (Reading, Math, Language Usage) then a root beer float will serve as the reward. It is very important that your child is at school--as this test MUST be made up--which will require your child to miss regular class time for make ups. Please let me know if you know your child is going to be absent--as it might be possible to have your child complete the testing prior to his/her absence.

• This week is Bike Safety Week. Please encourage your child to always wear his/her helmet when riding a bike---this is important every day--not just during Bike Safety Week! 

• A new book order will be going home on Monday, April 28th. I'm sending it home a little early to ensure that the orders that are placed will arrive in time before school gets out. Therefore, this book order will be due on May 9th. 

• Just a reminder: There is NO SCHOOL on Friday, May 2nd. This is a teacher inservice/workday. Enjoy the long weekend! 

• See below for this week's spelling words. Mrs. Zimmer and I have decided to stick with the 3rd grade words--even though the SAWS testing is over. It is so important that your child is able to spell these common everyday words. 
• what
• were
• your
• their
• now
• through
• think
• because
• place
• something
• don't
• until
• without
• paper
• hard
• near
• sentence
• better
• there
• said
• then
• would
• could
• very
• know
• why
• air
• never
• world
• best
• across
• during
• today
• however

Have  a great week!

Mrs. Martinez

Week of April 22nd through 25th

Hello! I hope you and your family had a wonderful and restful spring break! I, for one, will be glad to get back into a routine. Please see below for important announcements for the week ahead.

• This Friday, April 25th, there are 5 students who will be joining me for a Book-It pizza party at our regular lunch time. These students brought back each and every Book-It calendar from October through March. If your child is one of the participating students he/she will receive a parent letter tomorrow. Great job and keep up the reading! 

• This week the students will be completing the last two SAWS (Student Assessment of Writing Skills) prompts. These prompts will be completed on two separate days. We will start at 8:30 on Wednesday and Friday. It is important that your child is at school on these days (and everyday) as these tests MUST be made up if they are missed.

• Starting NEXT week the students will be taking the MAP test in the areas of reading, math, language usage, and science. I will let you know the exact times on the Sunday, April 27th blog post. I will be letting your child know what his/her Fall 2013 test scores were (for reading, math, and language usage only) and also what his/her goal is this time around. My goal is for each student to meet their goal on 2 out of 3 subject areas (or all three). If students do this, they will be rewarded with a root beer float party at the end of the testing. 

• Also next week, on Monday, April 28th, the students will be taking part in the district-wide 3rd Grade Arbor Day program. This will be taking place at the Community Complex. A letter will be going home very soon with more details. I do know that STUDENTS WILL NEED TO BRING A SACK LUNCH on this day. 

• Please see this week's spelling words below.
• there
• first
• people
• new
• around
• off
• house
• don't
• world
• without
• almost
• earth
• light
• night
• picture
• being
• study
• second
• they
• been
• through
• write
• again
• together
• important
• above
• began
• year
• soon
• story
• since
• white
• ever

Once again, I apologize for not posting to the blog last week. Things got busy and hectic! Just a little side note: There are only 22 1/2 days of school left--and a lot more to learn and do!  Have a great short week!

Mrs. Martinez

Sorry!

My apologies! I'm out of town on a family trip this week and forgot to post my blog this past Sunday. I'm sorry! I know some of you have come to depend on the blog. I will resume this week on Monday, April, 21st. Thank you for understanding. Have a great spring break!

Mrs. Martinez

Week of April 7th through 11th

Hello! I hope you had an enjoyable weekend! Please see below for some important reminders for this coming week and also the weeks ahead.

• Book orders are due by April 11th. Please send the order form along with the money to school by that day. Or, you could also order online. 

• Mark your calendars for these important dates! 
• Monday, April 28th--District-Wide Arbor Day celebration--all third graders in the district will take part in this Arbor Day program at the Community Complex. This will take place over the noon hour. A letter will be going home--also, I will post specifics on this blog as the date comes nearer. All are invited to attend! 
• On Wednesday, April 30th, Wednesday, May 7th, Friday, May 9th, and Thursday, May 15th the students will take part in [district-mandated] MAP testing. MAP stands for Measures of Academic Progress. This test will provide immediate feedback as to how much your child learned in 3rd grade. Students completed MAP testing last fall and those scores will be compared to the scores they will receive on the dates mentioned above. Exact times will be given on this blog as well as in a letter that will go home as the dates come closer.
• The Student Assessment of Writing Skills (SAWS) testing window opens April 14th and closes the first part of May. In addition to MAP testing, students will have to complete this SAWS test (state-mandated). Once again, I will let you know exactly when this testing will be.  
• Fun times are ahead! Our class, along with Mrs. Zimmer's class and the other third grade classes in the district, will be going to the Worland Aquatic Center for swimming on the morning of May 21st. Once again, I will let you know more when I know more. I do know that even if you have a membership to the Aquatic Center your child will still have to pay for entry to the pool. (This has been an issue in the past.) Please call the Aquatic Center if you have any questions. 

• Please see this week's spelling words below. We are still working on everyday words. 
• were
• there
• been
• use
• long
• also
• around
• air
• might
• show
• large
• often
• took
• four
• head
• above
• kind
• began
• first
• through
• new
• too
• another
• because
• different
• off
• always
• without
• life
• almost
• live
• page
• got
• earth

Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions. Have a great week! 

Mrs. Martinez

Week of March 31st through April 4th

Hello! I hope you had an enjoyable weekend! Please see below for important reminders for the week ahead.

• Book-It calendars are due this week. March is the last month that we will do Book-It. If your child participated in Book-It faithfully he/she will be invited to our class pizza party sometime in April. 

• In addition to Book-It calendars, fitness calendars are also due for Mr. Heyer. Please remind your child to send this to school ASAP.

• A new book order will be going home this week. This will be due on April 11th. This is the second-to-last book order--time is running out to take advantage of the great deals offered by Scholastic! 

• Please see this week's spelling words below. We are continuing to focus on everyday words. 
• from
• their
• could
• been
• its
• too
• around
• different
• home
• large
• form
• feet
• land
• side
• without
• boys
• there
• these
• find
• little
• know 
• another
• left
• something
• thought
• house
• once
• animal
• life
• enough
• took

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me at school. Have a great week! 

Mrs. Martinez

Week of March 24th through 28th

Hello! Good news! PAWS reading and math testing is over with! Not so good news! We will be having the Student Assessment of Writing Skills (SAWS)  mandated state test in a few weeks. (Ugh!) But as for next week--there's NO testing going on! Please see below for important announcements for the week ahead.

• Where has March gone?? Book-It will end this month. Please remind your child to bring his/her Book-It calendar early next week (by Apr. 1st). Also, right along with the Book-It calendar is the fitness calendar that Mr. Heyer has been sending home since September. This calendar will continue to go home for the remainder of the school year. 

• A pizza party for those students participating in Book-It will be scheduled sometime in April. Please look for a letter in your child's blue folder. 

• I realize that students are beginning to get excited about the upcoming summer break. Please remind your child that school is not out until May 23rd. There is plenty of school left--therefore, plenty of learning left! Rules/procedures/expectations still need to be followed. I will also remind students of this at school. 

• Please see this week's spelling words below:
• what
• there
• each
• write
• right
• around
• another
• help
• always
• show
• asked
• world
• going
• want
• school
• important
• which 
• their
• more
• first
• because
• again
• went
• great
• until
• form
• food
• keep
• children

I realize that a lot of these words have already been spelling words in the past couple of weeks. Some students still have a difficult time with those repeated words. Therefore, repetition is one way to help with this. Please don't hesitate to contact the school if you have any questions or comments. Have a great week!

Mrs. Martinez

Week of March 17th through 21st

Hello! I hope you had a nice weekend! Thank goodness we're halfway through PAWS testing! The good news is that everyone was present and no makeups are necessary for the reading portion we did last week! Thank you for your help with ensuring your child was at school. :) Please see below for important reminders for the week ahead.

• Our Math PAWS testing will begin on Tuesday, March 18th. Please see below for testing dates/times:
• Math Sessions 1, 2, & 3 PAWS: March 18th, 19th, 20th from 8:30-10. 
• Plenty of rest and a good breakfast will help ensure your child does his/her best.

• Leprechaun traps are due on Monday, March 17th. The students will be showing and explaining their trap to students in kindergarten through 2nd grade at 12:30.

• Report cards will be going home with your child on Wednesday, March 19th. Please be on the lookout. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns concerning report cards--please don't hesitate to contact me (347-4662--East Side).  

• Please see below for this week's spelling words. Just a reminder, these words are everyday words that third grade students need to be able to spell correctly each and every time they are written down.  Some of these words may be a repeat from last week. This will happen from time to time. 
• there
• their
• about
• out
• very
• know
• too
• because
• found
• read
• might
• few
• those
• always
• show
• large
• they
• what
• said
• many
• over
• our
• think
• also
• often
• together
• asked
• house
• don't
• There will be NO extra words this week. 

Have a great week! Happy St. Patrick's Day! 

Mrs. Martinez

Week of March 10th through 14th

Hello! Thank you for your understanding with the lateness of this blog post! What a busy time it is!
Here are some important reminders for the week(s) ahead.

• PAWS testing begins tomorrow. Our testing dates/times will be as follows:
• March 11th, 12th, & 13th (Reading sessions 1, 2, 3) from 8:30-10
• March 18th, 19th, & 20th (Math sessions 1, 2, 3) from 8:30-10                                   ***Plenty of rest and a good breakfast will help to ensure your child does his/her best on these state-mandated assessments.*** 

• The 3rd quarter will end on Friday, March 14th. Report cards will be sent home next week. As always, if you have any questions regarding your child's report card please feel free to contact me. 

• Book orders are due this Friday, March 14th. 

• Leprechaun traps are due on Monday, March 17th. This is NOT an optional assignment. Students will receive a grade for creating his/her own leprechaun trap. 

• You will notice a bit of a change in your student's spelling word list. I have noticed many careless errors in students' everyday writing. Due to this, I have decided to work on ensuring that students know how to spell everyday 3rd grade words. A blue letter was sent home today with your child regarding this new spelling list. These words will be easy for some, but tough for others. In April, when students take the state-mandated writing test, students will be marked down if they cannot spell common 3rd grade words. Please, remind your child of this important message: If you can spell a word right for a spelling test then that word should be spelled correctly for LIFE. Please see this week's spelling words below. 
• with
• one
• there
• would
• been
• little
• think
• because
• great
• small
• never
• along
• while
• might
• next
• sound
• from
• their
• said
• could 
• first 
• back
• right
• help
• between
• below
• saw
• something
• thought
• both
• There are NO bonus words this week (or for the next few weeks). 

Have a great week!
Mrs. Martinez

Oops!

Hello!
I just realized that I left my spelling word list at school! I want to apologize--I will have to post my blog *tomorrow evening* (3/10/14) instead of tonight. I do want to mention, however, that PAWS testing will begin Tuesday at 8:30. Once again, sorry this blog won't be complete tonight. Please check back tomorrow--thank you for understanding!
Mrs. Martinez

Week of March 3rd through 7th

Hello! I hope you stayed warm over the weekend! Spring is upon us, right?!? From here on out there will be a lot going on at East Side. Testing is upon us. Please read the following note from the office of Mrs. Anderson regarding our upcoming PAWS testing. (This note was sent home with your child on Friday, Feb. 28th.)

Dear Families,

I want to let you know that the PAWS (Performance Assessment for Wyoming Students) window for testing is from March 3rd through March 28th this year.

This is a very important test for both student and East Side. As a school we look at school wide results and develop action plans to improve instruction and curriculum. At a student level we use the data to develop Individual Learning Plans for those students who may need extra help. It is very important for your student to do their very best work.

Please be mindful of the testing dates and make sure your student is at school. We also recommend that students get plenty of rest during the testing period and have a good breakfast.

If you have any questions please contact your student's teacher or the office. We will be glad to assist you in any way possible.

Sincerely,

Linda Anderson
Principal

For my class, testing dates will be on the following days: 

• March 11th, 12th, 13th from 8:30-10: Reading parts 1, 2, 3
• March 18th, 19th, 20th from 8:30-10: Math parts 1, 2, 3

Once again, it is VERY IMPORTANT that your child is at school on these days--as any missed PAWS testing must be made up. 

Please see below for other important information regarding the week ahead.

• Due to staff development, there will be NO SCHOOL on Friday, March 7th. 

• P.E. fitness calendars and Book-It reading calendars are due at school on Tuesday, March 4th.

• A new book order will be going home on Monday. This book order has a coupon attached to it that will allow you to receive one free book (up to $5 in price) with the purchase of $10 in books. These book orders will be due on Friday, March 14th. 

• It's time to think green!! St. Patrick's Day is quickly approaching. All third graders are required to design/create a leprechaun trap. Tips and ideas for how to create this leprechaun trap will be sent home on Monday. (It will be a green sheet.) This leprechaun trap will be due on Monday, March 17th. On that day students will have the opportunity to show their traps to fellow classmates as well as East Side students! 

• Please see this week's spelling words below. We will be discussing the suffixes '-er', '-ly', and '-ful'. Please keep in mind that due to no school on Friday the spelling test will be on Thursday and contracts will also be due on Thursday. 
• singer
• loudly
• joyful
• teacher
• fighter
• closely
• powerful
• farmer
• quickly
• careful
• friendly
• speaker
• wonderful
• truly
• hopeful
• safely
• listener
• calmly
• Extra spelling words:
• sincere
• managed
• loaded
• loveliest
• terror
• conversations
• inspired
• reunion
• currently
• pleasure

If you have any questions about any of the information above please don't hesitate to contact me at school. Have a great week!

Mrs. Martinez

Week of Feb. 24th through 28th

Hello! Another week is upon us. Please see below for important announcements for the week ahead.

• There's not a whole lot going on this week. However, next week PAWS testing will begin and will last sporadically through March. It is imperative that your child is at school each day--as PAWS testing must be made up. Please anticipate any needs so that your child misses a minimal amount of school for the next few weeks. 

• Students are allowed to bring healthy snacks on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. The school will provide snacks on Tuesdays and Thursdays. 

• As of late, the playground has been extremely wet and full of puddles due to the melting snow. Please, if possible send your child with some waterproof boots or snow boots. An extra change of socks in your child's backpack would be helpful, too. Students will NOT be allowed to call home due to soaking feet or wet pants. I will remind the students to stay out of the water as much as possible--please do the same at home.  Just remember, a change of tennis shoes is necessary on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays--when we have P.E. 

• Please see this week's spelling words below. We will be discussing the prefixes '-ed' and '-ies or -es'. Specifically, we'll talk about changing the y to i and adding es or ed.
• cities
• cried
• puppies
• hurried
• stories
• flies
• parties
• tried
• pennies
• fried
• carried
• babies
• spied
• ponies
• pretty
• very
• countries
• libraries
• Extra spelling words:
• migrate
• survival
• plenty
• frightening
• accidents
• solid
• chilly
• landscape
• thunderous
• dramatic

Don't hesitate to contact me at school if you have any questions or comments. Have a great week!

Mrs. Martinez

Week of Feb. 18th through 21st

Hello! February is sure going by quickly! Please see the announcements for the week ahead below.

• Just a reminder, students can bring a HEALTHY snack on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. The school will provide snacks on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

• The following link will direct you to the district event calendar. On the calendar you can click on the daily menus for any particular day. This will help to determine if your child will need to bring a cold lunch or not.

• Please also remember, you can check your child's progress in each subject and/or pay lunch accounts on the parent portal. Click on this link to arrive at that portal. If you have not yet registered to use the parent portal, please check with Kari in the office. 

• This week's spelling words are below. This week we will be discussing '-ed' and '-ing' endings. Sometimes letters are taken out at the end of a word when 'ed' or 'ing' are added. For example: come = coming. (The 'e' is removed.)
• coming
• swimming
• dropping
• tapping
• taping
• invited
• saving
• stared
• planned
• changing
• joking
• loved
• gripped
• tasted
• making
• stopped
• freezing
• scared
• Extra spelling words:
• scout 
• puzzling
• violently
• unaware
• surrounded
• underground
• soggy
• narrow
• glassy
• liquid

Please don't hesitate to contact me at school if you have any questions. Have a great week! 

Mrs. Martinez

Week of Feb. 10th through 14th

Hello! Is it spring yet?! I'm sure ready for it! Valentine's Day is upon us. Please see important announcements for the week ahead below. 

• This past Thursday your child was given his/her valentine assignment (purple sheet). This assignment consists of constructing a valentine holder. This can be made out of a shoe box, cardboard box, or even a paper bag. The most important aspect of your child's holder is that his/her name needs to be written clearly (and large) on it. This way, when students are passing out valentines they will be able to easily see each student's name. Also, this valentine holder is not due at school any earlier than Friday, February 14th. There is not enough room in the classroom to store 23 holders until Friday. Thank you for your help with this!

• The Valentine's Day party will be on Friday, February 14th at 1:15 P.M. Treats and games are already taken care of via the parent valentine party committee. 

• The list of names for the valentines was located on the back of the purple sheet detailing the students' valentine holder assignment. 

• Our class will be serving this week. If you would like to take your child to lunch on a particular day please contact me and I will let you know if your child is serving or not.

• The February book order is due Friday, February 14th. 

• As a reminder, students are allowed to bring healthy snacks on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Healthy snacks are provided by the school on Tuesdays and Thursdays. 

• Please see this week's spelling words below. This week we are focusing on compound words. Although these words are longer in nature they shouldn't be too difficult. 
• birthday
• anyone
• sometimes
• everything
• homework
• afternoon
• airplane
• grandmother
• something
• without
• himself
• faraway
• sunburned
• daylight
• someone
• cannot
• scorekeeper
• everybody
• Extra spelling words:
• wilderness
• constant
• shelter
• colony
• unexpected
• overheated
• layer
• climate
• region
• gliding

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to call! Have a great week! Happy Valentine's Day!

Mrs. Martinez

Week of Feb. 3rd through 7th

Hello! I hope you had a great weekend! The cold air is upon us and this week will be tough for the kids--as I'm sure recess will be held indoors for a majority of the week. Please see below for important announcements for the week ahead.

• Please remember that parent/teacher conferences are scheduled for this week. Please call the school if you need to reschedule or won't be able to make it for your conference time. If you chose to do a phone conference I will be contacting you this week.

• Due to parent/teacher conferences, there is no school on Friday, February 7th.

• Mrs. Zimmer and I have decided to NOT have spelling words this week. Please look for a new spelling list next week. Enjoy the week off! There WILL still be some math homework, however.

• I told the students last week that they are allowed to bring a HEALTHY snack on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. On Tuesdays and Thursdays the school provides a healthy snack for every student at East Side. Since I'm sure the students are not just hungry for a snack on Tuesdays and Thursdays I have decided that this it will be okay to bring a snack on the other days of the week. Please remind your child that the snack needs to be healthy--no candy, candy bars, chips, pop, or the like. Examples of healthy snacks include but are not limited to: fruits/vegetables, string cheese, yogurt, or a granola bar. Water will still be the only allowed drink in the classroom. 

• During indoor recess days, the students are allowed to bring toys or games from home to play with. I would just like the students [and you] to please remember that items brought to school are the responsibility of the owner--therefore, if items get lost, broken, or stolen--it is no one else's fault. Valuables should still remain at home--to prevent something from happening to them. 

• A letter will be going to home to the parents who offered to help with the Valentine's Day party. If you are one of these volunteers, once you receive the letter please call the others on the list to find out who will bring what. Let me know what you will be doing/bringing as soon as you find out. 

• Last but not least, a February book order will be going home on Monday. This book order will be due on Friday, February 14th. Also, just a reminder that the January Book-It and Fitness calendars are due as soon as possible, but no later than Wednesday, February 5th. 

Have a great week! I look forward to seeing/visiting with you this week during conferences! 

Mrs. Martinez

Week of Jan. 27th through 31st

Hello! And just like that......January is nearing its end! That's hard to believe! I don't know about you but I'm ready for the warmer weather! Please see important announcements for the week ahead below.

• Parent-teacher conferences are scheduled for next week. I still have not yet received the green sheet back from a few parents indicating the type of conference you prefer. If you haven't sent that form back, please do so as soon as possible. 

• In relation to parent-teacher conferences, if you chose a face-to-face conference I will be sending a confirmation home this week with your child. Please review this confirmation sheet and send back the bottom portion as soon as possible. This will let me know if the time I chose for the conference will work. I'm looking forward to meeting/talking with you!

• This week's spelling words focus on the 'oo' sound as in the word 'boot'. This sound can be made with the following spellings--'oo', 'ew', and 'ue'.
• mood
• wooden
• drew
• smooth
• blue
• balloon
• true
• crooked
• chew
• tooth
• hooves
• cool
• food
• pooch
• blew
• foot
• loose
• jewel
• Extra spelling words:
• fiery
• within
• panicking
• horrifying
• immediately
• prehistoric
• scientific
• mysterious
• ancient 
• emergency

Have a great week! 

Mrs. Martinez

Week of Jan. 20th through 24th

Hello! Please see below for important announcements for the week ahead.

• This is a pretty quiet week as far as announcements go. I would just like to remind you that parent/teacher conferences are quickly approaching (Feb. 3-5). While there will be no report cards going home, since they went home two weeks ago, this will be an opportune time to discuss any concerns or questions you may have regarding your child's progress in 3rd grade. Please look for a note this week regarding the best day/time for either a face-to-face conference or phone conference. 

• This week's spelling words focus on the 'k' sound. This sound can be made in the following ways: 'k', 'ck', 'qu', and 'c'. 
• shark
• check
• queen
• circus
• flake
• crack
• second
• squeeze
• quart
• squeak
• quick
• coldest
• Africa
• Mexico
• black
• thank
• correct 
• question

• Extra Spelling Words:
• pollen
• clumps
• store
• spines
• absorb
• throughout
• coverings
• tropical
• dissolve
• passages

Have a great week!

Mrs. Martinez

Week of Jan. 13th through 17th

Hello! I hope January is treating you well! Please see below for important announcements for the week ahead.

From the office of Mrs. Anderson (Principal):

• Mrs. Anderson announced last week on the intercom that students should NOT be at school prior to 7:45. The staff members who are in the building prior to 7:45 are there to work--not supervise. Some students have been showing up a little after 7:00--this is far too early. Thank you for your help in this matter. 

• In addition, Mrs. Anderson wants to remind students and parents alike that the students need to bring hats, scarves, mittens/gloves, boots, and all other necessary winter clothing to school each day during the wintertime. Even though students do not go outside when it is below zero--they WILL go outside even if it is a few degrees above zero. This is still very cold! Please ensure that your child is wearing the proper attire for wintertime in Wyoming. It seems that we have had more very cold and/or below-zero days this school year than we have had in the past! Thank you for your help in this matter as well. 

• The January book order is due Wednesday, January 15th. 

• Please see this week's spelling words below. This week we are discussing the soft g and soft c sound. The soft g sounds like the letter 'j' and the soft c sounds like the letter 's'. 
• age
• space
• change
• jawbone
• jacket
• giant
• pencil
• circle
• once
• large
• dance
• jeans
• bounce
• huge
• nice
• place
• excited
• gigantic
• Extra Spelling Words
• clues
• prove
• fierce
• remains
• buried
• uncovering
• skeletons
• evidence
• fossils
• location

Have a great week! 

Mrs. Martinez

Week of Jan. 6th through 10th

Hello! Happy New Year 2014! I hope you and your child had a relaxing winter break! It's back to the grind! First of all, congratulations are in order--you probably noticed the picture in the paper regarding the $300 that was raised for the New Hope Humane Society. Thanks to you and your child this was made possible! Our goal was only $100; Mrs. Zimmer and I were very pleased--and a bit surprised--that we exceeded our goal by so much! Congrats to the kids and thank you as well! Please see important announcements for the upcoming week ahead.

• Report cards will be coming home this week. Please look for this in your child's backpack. Something else to keep in mind--parent/teacher conferences are only a month away.

• Please see this week's spelling word list below. This week we will be working on the long 'a' sound as well as the long 'e' sound. Specifically, the long 'a' spellings we will be discussing include 'ai', 'a consonant e', and 'ear' as in the word 'bear'. For the long 'e' spellings we will be discussing 'ear' as in 'near'. 
• air
• wear
• chair
• stairs
• bare
• bear
• hair
• care
• pear
• pair
• share
• near
• ear
• beard
• buy
• year
• earring
• compare
• Extra Spelling Words:
• recycle
• dripping
• shade
• rubbish
• complicated
• project
• carton
• global
• hardly
• pollution

Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions. Thank you, in advance, for helping to get your child 'back into the groove'. Have a great week!

Mrs. Martinez