The
COYOTE
Newsletter
INDEPENDENT READING
Research has shown that independent reading fosters reading
comprehension and fluency. To encourage the students to read
to themselves, they are required to read at school and at home.
They have already had homework assignments to read at least
20 minutes at home (when this is listed as homework, please
initial the Daily Planner/Agenda so I know they have read at
home).
September 15, 2014
Class website: http://gulllakecs.org/Pge/2273
Class Daily Agenda: http://tinyurl.com/HoweAgenda14-15
“Getting to Know You” Questionnaire:
http://tinyurl.com/HoweForm
Harvest Moon Acres is excited to announce a
special fall event that is guaranteed to thrill young readers.
On Saturday, October 25, author of the extremely popular
Michigan and American Chiller series, Jonathan Rand will
be signing autographs at their farm.
Harvest Moon Acres will be providing many give
away items for your students and their schools on October
25.
FREE!
FREE!
FREE!
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Complete the Jonathan Rand Reading Reward and
receive a free pass to the Corn Maze and Fun Park!
All students receive a free Michigan Chiller pencil with
their autograph at the farm.
Find any of the seven hidden stations in the corn maze
and be entered to win a free signed copy of a Michigan
Chiller book, hat, or t-shirt.
Find all seven hidden stations in the maze and be
entered to win a free set of the Michigan Chiller series
for you and your classroom!
This is going to be an event you will not want to miss!
Contact Cindy Broekhuizen from Harvest Moon Acres for
more information as well as promotional posters and
materials.
Cindy Broekhuizen
Harvest Moon Acres
(269)628-5401
www.harvestmoonfun.com
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Ideally, the students will be choosing books to read from their
Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) which is a range slightly
below and above each student’s Grade Equivalency (GE) that is
determined when they take the STAR Reading Comprehension
Test. The ZPD and GE are recorded in the student’s Reader’s
Notebook so students can use this data to make goals in reading
and to see if progress is being made throughout the year. You
will see this data at Parent/Teacher conferences, but if you would
like to know what those results sooner, please have your child
copy down those numbers in his/her agenda.
Also, each student will be required to complete Accelerator
Reader tests for points at school. Required points that are
earned from the Accelerator Reader test will be individualized
according to each student’s reading level (GE). Whatever the
GE is the students adds 3 to that number for the AR goal. For
example, a student with a GE in 2nd grade will need to earn 5
points; 3rd grade- 6 points, 4th grade- 7 points, and 5th grade - 8
points; 6th grade 9 points, etc. by the end of the first trimester. Of
course, though, earning even more points is encouraged!
In the weeks to come the student and I will determine reading
goals for the year. The goals may include earning a certain
amount of AR points, reading with more expression, reading a
book from a particular genre, using post-it notes to record
thinking while reading, achieving a certain score on a reading
assessment, etc. In a few weeks you may want to ask your
student what goals he/she has chosen and how s/he plans on
achieving those goals (Begin With the End in Mind☺)!
Science Vocabulary!
Lots of new academic vocabulary will be introduced in
our Organisms in their Environment Science Unit. To help
your child learn these words please have him/her go to
http://quizlet.com/class/467919/ . Your child will need to
scroll down until s/he sees “Organisms in their Environment to
find the link. At this site your child will find the list of words
s/he needs to learn along with some fun activities and games to
play!
1st Spelling List
Spelling Pattern:
Short Vowel Sounds
Your child has taken a pretest using the
Regular Word List. If s/he received 9 or 10 correct,
the challenge word list will be given for the final test.
Spelling Test will be Friday, September 26.
Students may study spelling words at
www.SpellingCity.com/mhowe.
Regular Word List
Challenge Word List
victims
shrubs
silver
cockpit
contact
rustic
windmill
tablet
solid
punish
pasture
bottomless
cactus
lettuce
doctor
principle
minimum
billion
hundred
traffic
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The 7 habits we are talking about are:
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Be proactive
Begin with the end in mind
Put first things first.
Think win-win
Seek first to understand, then to be
understood
Synergize
Sharpen the saw
At home you can help to reinforce the use of these habits
by trying these activities with your child:
• The next time you want to argue with
someone, ask, “How can I make you
happy, too?”
• Think of someone in your life who you
think is a good listener. What do they do
that makes them a good listener? Try to
emulate them.
• Watch your favorite sports team play a
game. Pay extra attention to how all the
players work together as a team.
• For two nights in a row, go to bed early
and see how great you feel when you
wake up!
Food at School and
the Federal Mandate
Some of you may have heard from your
child that we were told that no candy,
popcorn (unless air popped), pizza (unless
whole grain), or ice cream (unless low
fat/sugar) is allowed at school anymore due
to a recently passed law at the federal level.
This past week we received clarification on
this mandate, and we have found out that
this only applies to food that is being sold in
the cafeteria. In other words, we can still
occasionally consume these foods in the
classroom. Please, though, still send healthy
snacks to school (fruits, veggies, yogurt,
cheese, crackers, etc). Eating healthy during
the day really does make a difference in
how well your child learns.
Also, please note, that we have children
in our classroom with peanut and kiwi
allergies. To keep these children safe please
avoid birthday or holiday treats with any
peanut products or kiwi in them. Thank you!!!
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Calendar
Mon., Sept. 15—Special: PE/Music; HOMEWORK:
Read 20+ minutes; Study Spelling Words at
www.SpellingCity.com/mhowe; Begin studying Science
Vocabulary at http://quizlet.com/class/467919/
Tues., Sept. 16—Special: Art; HOMEWORK: Read 20+
minutes; Study Spelling Words at
www.SpellingCity.com/mhowe; Begin studying Science
Vocabulary at http://quizlet.com/class/467919/
Wed., Sept. 17—Special: Computers/Library; Ryan
Rally T-shirt Orders, Pizza Dinner Orders & After
School Permission Slips Due;HOMEWORK: Read 20+
minutes; Study Spelling Words at
www.SpellingCity.com/mhowe; Begin studying Science
Vocabulary at http://quizlet.com/class/467919/
Thurs., Sept. 18—Special: Music/PE; HOMEWORK:
Read 20+ minutes; Study Spelling Words at
www.SpellingCity.com/mhowe; Begin studying Science
Vocabulary at http://quizlet.com/class/467919/
Fri., Sept. 19—Special: Spanish; HOMEWORK: Read
20+ minutes each day this weekend
Fri., Sept. 26—Spelling Test
Fri., Oct. 3-Ryan Rally!, Pizza Diner 5-6:30 (Volunteer
link: http://tinyurl.com/rallyvolunteers2014 )
Sat. Oct. 25—Author, Jonathan Rand at Harvest Moon
Acres in Gobles!
Tues., Nov. 4—Lansing Capitol Field Trip (more on this
later)