3-19-12: Please read Reading note for information about JDFR and Spring Pictures that you received on Friday. Make sure to return pictures if not buying. Friday is a teacher workday. This week will be the end of the third nine weeks. We will be looking at spring LDPs and having conferences as needed. If you would like to schedule a conference please let us know. Thanks for all you do.
12-15-11: Here is information about Education City a website your child can go for extra homework help. Keep the card in your child's agenda. Also read information about your child's Reading Range and expectations for Reading Logs
Education City Password:
Today your child is bringing home his/her password to EducationCity.com. It is on an index card in the back of your child’s agenda. Please have your child keep the card in his/her agenda. Your child will need it to login to the website. We will go to the computer lab and use the passwords as well. This is a site where your child can learn by completing different activities. Directions:The login address is highlighted in orange at the bottom of the City Pass. Use your child’s codes for the student ID and password. You will then get to choose a grade level. ***Grades 3-5 only have science option, to prepare students for the Science EOG in fifth grade.***Grades K-2 only have language arts and math options. You can use these to catch your child up in areas that they need extra reinforcement. Your child may visit any of the open links. Reading Range:At the bottom of the card you also have your child’s new reading range for the second nine weeks. Students need to use this to pick out books to read each night that are in their reading range. We will take two more assessments (3rd nine weeks, and 4th nine weeks), and I will write the new levels on the card. Each nine weeks your child should improve the reading range. Just about everyone moved up some from the first nine weeks. (Great Job!!) This is showing growth. Our goal by the end of the year is to have students reading on a 5.0 or higher level (that is fifth grade beginning of the year). As long as your student is showing growth, we are working towards this goal. The only way to improve reading level is to practice reading each night using books that are just right. Students who hang out and read books only at the bottoms end of their range will not grow as much. They don’t have to go to the top end either, use a variety. When having your child read for 25 minutes each night, make sure they are using books in their reading range. Nightly reading is “Brain food.” Your child need to be sure to record minutes and page numbers that are being read each night. This way they can be more accountable with their own reading. After 25 minutes more than 2 pages should have been read and easier books with pictures can have more pages read than novels. We have talked about this in class. Students are responsible for filling in minutes and pages on logs. I will collect each Friday and grade on minutes read and pages. As a parent, you just need to initial that the reading is done, and provide an opportunity to read each night. I require 100 minutes by Friday. Students can modify reading times to fit their schedules, but by Friday when they turn it in, I will count up minutes, any less that 100 will be their grade. Points will be deducted if pages aren’t noted. We took a lot of time going over this in class. Students who do not turn in logs on Friday, will get a grade 0 zero for the week. If logs are lost, students can make a new one on notebook paper. Students need to keep log in Homework Folder each night.
Thanks for all your help in helping your child be the best he/she can be. Ms. Willis
