Majarkeun

Lots of Testing Going on at Crestwood

Last week the students completed their first FAST test.  This is a test that is given to all students in the state of Iowa to measure their individual fluency and reading comprehension/skills.  The fluency assessment is given to the students by myself, the teacher, one on one, and the other part, titled AReading, is done individually on the iPads.  These scores are then used to determine which students need interventions in the area of literacy.  Scores from these assessments will be shared with parents at conferences in November.  Students will retake the same FAST assessments mid year and at the end of the year.


This week we will be taking the MAPs testing.  Hopefully everyone is familiar with these assessments as the students have done them since 1st grade.  We will be taking Reading on Tuesday, Language on Wednesday, and Math on Thursday.  These assessments are not timed, students work at their own pace, and scores are analyzed by teachers upon completion.

The students will also be taking their first math assessment on Friday for unit 1.  It is a review unit that the 3rd grade teachers have revised to match the Iowa Core.  This assessment will cover recognizing time, counting money, making change, recognizing patterns in numbers and basic beginning skills.  I have worked with a few students on advanced skills, such as elapsed time, so a those students may have this on their assessment as well.

So it is a busy week for 3B.  I know they are going to knock my socks off with their great effort.  Parents at home, remember to make sure your child gets a good nights rest and eats a great breakfast every morning to help them be successful at school not only on assessments but daily activities.

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Lots of Fun for Arbor Day!

Even though it was a little chilly, we all survived and learned a ton on our Arbor Day field trip last Thursday!  The stations that the students rotated thru were:
*  Trees
*  Planting Seeds
*  Wildlife
*  The Watershed
*  Bird Observations

As some of you already know, each 3rd grader was given a seedling, young tree, to take home and plant.  They were all very excited!  It was fun for them to hear me tell about planting my kids trees when they were in 3rd grade and how big they are now.  They thought that was very cool.  I hope that the students found a great spot to plant their trees and enjoy watching them grow over the years.

Here are some pictures from our fun day at Vernon!  Thank you to all the presenters! It was a fun day!

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Lots of Tulips and a Cheese Slicer

Yesterday, we drove down to Keukenhof Gardens near Amsterdam to see the tulips in bloom. The gardens are open for a limited period of about two months in spring every year. Since spring decided to make a delayed entry, the tulip season is almost upto the end of May this year.
My first connection with tulips and Holland is of the movie Silsila. I still remember how I just wanted to be there as soon as I saw the song Dekha ek khwaab toh with millions of tulips in it. I wondered how it would feel to be amongst so many flowers. I now know how it feels. And I also know that the feeling is so overwhelming that it is too difficult to be put in words. Actually, I said jokingly to my husband that I have become so used to the urban I-see-nature-only-on-my-balcony-and-nowhere-else life, that I am getting stressed looking at all those wonderful flowers. :) And nature is supposed to de-stress you!

So, is this a non-food post then? No, there IS a food connection. And that is actually one of the souvenirs I bought at the gardens. Here it is.

As usual, while I was looking for a souvenir, it was the foodie in me looking for one too. (And no, I dont suffer of Split Personality Syndrome. :)) This Cheese Slicer is what both of us agreed upon. Isnt it nice? And very souvenir-ey? And it slices cheese too!

I tried using it on the block of Parmesan that I had in the fridge, and it gave me neat, thin shavings. Now I dont know whether to use it regularly or whether to just preserve it, so that I can pass it on as a family heirloom later.

What do you think I should do?

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