Mrs. Fraser

CHARACTER TRAIT:  Responsibility

Reference:  Matthew 5:16

Bible Verse:  

In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in Heaven.

Definition:  Doing what I know is my duty.

Opposite:  Ignoring my duty

SPELLING:  Lesson 12  Review Lessons 7-11

Lesson 7 Long o:  o, oa, oe, o_e, ow

1.  post

2.  coast

3.  toe

4.  cove

5.  below

6.  mold

7.  motor

8.  coach

9.  rope

10.  alone

11.  slowly

12.  throw

13.  chosen

14.  follow

15.  stroke

16.  rowboat

17.  tomorrow

18.  opening

High Frequency Words

19.  minutes

20.  pumpkin

Lesson 8 Long u:  ew, oo, u, ue, u_e, ui

1.  huge

2.  knew

3.  clue

4.  crew

5.  loose

6.  choose

7.  root

8.  fewer

9.  uniform

10.  usual

11.  cruise

12.  suit

13.  overdue

14.  tube

15.  foolish

16.  fruit

17.  useful

18.  truthful

High Frequency Words

19.  Mr.

20.  Mrs.

Lesson 9  Consonant Blend

1.  kept

2.  clasp

3.  craft

4.  asks

5. behind

6.  drifted

7.  risk

8.  interesting

9.  subtract

10.  gifts

11.  facts

12.  actor

13.  meant

14.  except

15.  speech

16. skipper

17.  present

18.  understand

High-Frequency Words

19.  toward

20.  finally

Lesson 10 Consonant Blends and Silent Letter

1.  calf

2.  silky

3.  built

4.  palm

5.  lamb

6.  fields

7.  world

8.  helper

9.  gulped

10.  crumb

11.  melted

12.  Psalms

13.  building

14.  climber

15.  calmed

16.  halftime

17.  yourself

18.  cornstalk

High-Frequency Words

19.  nothing

20.  machine

These boxes, which will be sent to poor children around the world, provide an opportunity for our students and their families do something for someone else this Christmas. A pamphlet with ideas and the forms you’ll need was already sent home.  There are boxes in the office if you would like to pick one up. Since the third graders are going to the Monterey Bay Aquarium on Thursday, November 7, our boxes will be due on November 6th for those who wish to participate.

COMING ATTRACTIONS

CHARACTER TRAIT:  Faith

Reference:  Hebrews 11:1

Bible Verse:  Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

Definition:  Believing what God has said in His Word.

Opposite:  Disbelieving God

SPELLING:  Lesson 11

Three-Letter Consonant Spelling Patterns

1. thrill

2. three

3. squall

4. spray

5. shrink

6. school

7. throat

8. strong

9. shrimp

10. thread

11. squeak

12. splinter

13. sprinkle

14. scratch

15. struggle

16. splashed

17. Christian

18. Christmas

High-Frequency Words

19. laugh

20. special

Challenge Words

* rancherias

* constitution

PARENT CORNER

REVIEW CHARACTER TRAIT:  Diligence

Reference:  Colossians 3:23-24

Review Bible Verse:  

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart.

As working for the Lord, not for human masters,

Since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward.

It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”

 Definition:  Working hard to accomplish a task in a way that pleases my Lord

Opposite:  Laziness or slothfulness

SPELLING:  LESSON 10

Pattern Words-Consonant Blends & Silent Letters

1.  calf

2.  silky

3.  built

4.  palm

5.  lamb

6.  fields

7.  world

8.  helper

9.  gulped

10.  crumb

11.  melted

12.  Psalms

13.  building

14.  climber

15.  calmed

16.  halftime

17.  yourself

18.  cornstalk

High-Frequency Words

19.  nothing

20.  machine

Challenge Words

* folklore

* reservations

PARENT CORNER

END OF THE FIRST QUARTER

The first quarter concluded Friday, Oct. 11th. Grades will be finalized by Tuesday evening. You will be able to view your child’s report card on Powerschool and print it by Wednesday of this week.  These reports should help serve as a guide to set goals for the second quarter.  Congratulations to those students who worked hard to do their very best and to those who exhibited strong character traits and faith!

COME PRAY WITH US!

Moms in Prayer International gathers women together to pray specifically and scripturally for our children and schools.

Who: Fresno Christian K-12 Moms

Day/Time: Fridays, 8-9 am

Where: People’s Church, Room 204, behind the church office.

Contact: Janet Moore @ 448-0947/349-1643 or rjdamoore@att.net

FALL FESTIVAL

 Our fall festival this year will take place on October 19th from 4:00 PM- 7:00 PM on the North Field.   Bring your blanket or chairs and come enjoy the food and fun!  This is a great time for family and friend’s fun!

TUESDAY LIBRARY DAYS

Just a reminder that every Tuesday afternoon is Library Day for our third grade class from 2:00-2:45 PM.  Please remember to return your library books to the library in a timely manner.  Students may keep their books for book report projects until the projects are due.  Students also should check out a minimum of 1-2 Red Star books weekly for the Reading Counts program.

MINIMUM DAY

Wednesday, October 16 will be a minimum release day at 12:00 PM due to staff in-service.

BOX TOP LABELS

Congratulations third graders!!!!!  We are in the lead with the most box top labels so far!!!!!  Keep those Box Top Labels coming in every Friday!  We want to take first place at the conclusion of the contest.  Collecting labels actually generates quite a bit of money for our school and we are proud to help our school!

BURN AWARENESS ASSEMBLY

The Fresno Fire Department will present an interactive Burn Awareness Assembly  for Grades 1-3 this Thursday, October 17 from 1:00-1:45 PM in the Student Ministries Center Main.  Fire Safety and Family Emergency/Evacuation Plans for the home will be covered in helping children to think smart and quick in an emergency.

SOCIAL STUDIES

This week we begin Unit 2 Native American Indians.  We will learn about  “The Land and the First People”  including tribes of California, using the land, trade and government, customs and folklore.  We will also study about “California Native Americans Today” and learning to preserve the culture.

DISCOVERY OF THE YOKUTS

On Monday, October 21, Silas Emerian’s great aunt, Nancy Hoyt, will visit our classroom.  She visits many 3rd and 4th grade classrooms in Fresno and the surrounding areas to give a presentation about local Native American tribes.  She will be our guest from 12:30-2:30 PM to share original artifacts and photos about the Yokuts tribe (who lived from Stockton to Dinuba).  

After the presentation the class will break into four groups:

One group will grind acorns (she has the original pestles)

One group will look at books of animal footprints, foods the Indians ate, etc.

One group will make copies of woven basket designs on fake leather;

One group will examine arrowheads  

It will be a very hands-on afternoon and Mrs. Hoyt has an amazing way with children to bring these things alive.  We look forward to a great day of exploring and discovering!

SCIENCE

Last Friday we learned how to draw the largest creature on Earth– the endangered BLUE WHALE!  We learned that they can grow up to 100 feet long!!  Our sketches turned out beautiful!!  This quarter we will begin a study of the ocean habitat.  We will learn about the rocky seashore, the sandy shore,  the wetlands, kelp forest, deep sea canyons, tide pools, open ocean, marine mammals, sharks, skates, and rays, fishes, and food webs in the sea.  We are so excited about our approaching  hands-on experience at the Monterey Bay Aquarium on Thursday, November 7.  Next week I will list the parents who are planning to accompany our class as chaperones.

OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD

Operation Christmas Child brought smiles to the faces of 7.7 million poor, sick and suffering children in more than 100 countries last year through shoeboxes filled with school supplies, hygiene items, toys, candy and other small gifts.  But these boys and girls received something even more important than a Christmas present.  They also leaned about the greatest gift of all—God’s son, Jesus Christ.

Each year, Operation Christmas Child delivers millions of shoebox gifts to children in desperate circumstances around the world.  In addition to bringing happiness to boys and girls who other wise wouldn’t receive any presents, this exciting project of Samaritan’s Purse also opens doors for presenting the Good News of Jesus Christ.  Through children’s literature and evangelistic programs, many lives are changed for eternity.

We would like to invite you to join us this year as we again reach out to boys and girls in the Name of Jesus Christ. Our goal is to collect 250 shoeboxes at Fresno Christian Elementary by November 7 for children who face a daily struggle against war, persecution, disease, natural disaster, poverty, illness, or neglect.  Pray that God will meet their physical, emotional and spiritual needs.

BIBLE

This quarter we will finish our study in Unit 2 of Abraham and the story of Isaac.  We will begin Unit 3 with the story of Jacob and his brother Esau and their struggle over the birthright and blessing. We will also explore the challenges of Joseph and his 11 brothers and learn how Joseph is sold into slavery in Egypt, follows after God’s own heart, and rises from prison to palace as the second highest in command of all of Egypt, the most powerful country in the world at this time in history.  We will also continue to hide God’s word in our hearts as we memorize character trait verses each week which teach about following Christ’s example.

MATH

Wednesday, October 16th our class will have a test over Chapter 2 Money and Time.  A pre-test will be sent home as a study guide in preparation for Wednesday’s test.  Please return the completed study guide the day of the test.

This week we will also begin spending the next few weeks learning to add and subtract greater numbers.  We will also round numbers to estimate sums and differences.  You can expect to see work that provides practice in adding and subtracting numbers with up to four digits, using regrouping.

WRITING

This 2nd quarter our third grade class will be  focusing on writing a personal narrative on an event or an experience in their lives.  They will be taught to write a beginning paragraph which will include the characters and setting,  a middle paragraph with the events, supporting facts or details to help the reader imagine the event or experience and an ending that ties it all together.  We will continue to review correct grammar, punctuation, and capitalization.  Students will also learn how to use the rubric to see the expectations and to grade their own writing.  Benchmark writing assessments will be in December.

CHARACTER TRAIT:  Diligence    

Reference:  Colossians 3:23

Bible Verse:  Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward.   It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

Definition:  Working hard to accomplish a task in a way that pleases my Lord

Opposite:  Laziness or slothfulness

SPELLING WORDS:  Lesson 9

Pattern Words-Consonant blends

1.  risk

2.  kept

3.  gifts

4.  asks

5.  clasp

6.  facts

7.  craft

8.  actor

9.  meant

10.  behind

11.  except

12.  drifted

13.  speech

14.  skipper

15.  present

16.  subtract

17.  interesting

18.  understand

High-Frequency Words

19. finally

20. toward

Challenge Words

* economy

* government

PARENT CORNER

PICTURE RE-TAKE DAY

Tuesday, October 8, 2013 the photographer will be back one last time for any students who were absent, not satisfied with their original purchased package, or did not get to purchase on Picture Day.  If you are retaking an original order, you must return your complete picture package for a new one or you may not be photographed.  No retakes for CD orders.  Pictures will be taken for school records, yearbook, and portrait package.  Order forms are available in the School Office.

FUNDRAISER PICK-UP

The Fall Fundraiser was a great success!  Thank you for all your hard work.  You can pick up the items that you sold on Thursday, October 10th from 2:30-5:30 PM.  The location will be behind Building 5.  Please be sure to make appropriate plans as there is no space to put the items not picked up.  Thanks so very much!

BOOK REPORT PROJECT

 CHARACTER TRAIT:  Initiative

Reference:  Galatians 6:10

Bible Verse:  Therefore, as we have the opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

Definition:  Making the first move without being asked

Opposite:  Seeing a need and letting someone else take care of it.

SPELLING WORDS

Lesson 8

Long u:  ew, oo, u, ue, u-e, ui

1.  suit

2.  clue

3.  fruit

4.  root

5.  tube

6.  huge

7.  usual

8.  loose

9.  crew

10.  knew

11.  useful

12.  cruise

13.  fewer

14.  foolish

15.  choose

16.  truthful

17.  uniform

18.  overdue

High-Frequency Words

19.  Mr.

20.  Mrs.

Challenge Words

* igneous

* sedimentary

PARENT CORNER

RETIREMENT RECEPTION FOR MRS. LANGE

You are all invited to the Retirement Reception tonight for Mrs. Martha Lange, our beloved second grade teacher.  Come celebrate 36 years of Mrs. Lange’s service to Fresno Christian Schools as one of the founding teachers of FCS!  There will be a dessert reception in the Student Ministries Center at Peoples Campus from 6:30-8:3o PM.  All students, new or returning, are invited to join with their parents to come and congratulate Mrs. Lange on the beautiful legacy she has left upon our school of loving children in such a lasting way.  See you there tonight!!!

FIELD TRIP TO THE BIG FRESNO FAIR-OCTOBER 3rd

This Thursday, October 3rd, our class will be going to the Fresno Fair.   All third graders will get into the fair for free, but parents will need to pay a $5.00 entry fee at the gate. These parents are helping transport students:

Beverly Foshee

Patty Steele & Lisa Radke

Silva Emerian

Melissa Gleason

Emily Phillips

Jennifer Dansby

Dorothy Siqueiros

Andi Bull

Ernie Ruiz

Natalie Munoz

Sandi Friesen (Micah’s Grandma)

Parents, please join us in our room at 8:00 AM for parent guideline packets, carpool arrangements, and instructions for the day.  Students will participate in a scavenger hunt in their groups during the morning.  We will leave school at 8:30 AM and and return around 1:30-2:00 PM.  Be sure to wear comfortable walking shoes.  Please have your child wear their class t-shirt. Transportation will be by car.

***Students, wear your Class T-Shirt with Fraser’s Praisers, bring a sack lunch, clearly labeled with your first and last name, grade, teacher, and school.  You may bring $5.00 for spending money.  Remember, you are responsible for your own money.

END OF THE FIRST QUARTER

 CHARACTER TRAIT:  Self Control  

Reference:  Proverbs 16:32

Bible Verse:  Better a patient man than a warrior, a man who controls his temper than one who takes a city.

Definition:  Surrendering the control of my total “self” to the Holy Spirit

Opposite:  Self-Indulgence

SPELLING:  Lesson 7

Pattern Words: Long o- o, oa, oe, o_e, ow

1.   toe

2.   post

3.   cove

4.   rope

5.   mold

6.   alone

7.   coast

8.   below

9.   coach

10.  slowly

11.  follow

12.  throw

13.  motor

14.  stroke

15.  chosen

16.  opening

17.  rowboat

18.  tomorrow

High-Frequency Words

19.  minutes

20.  pumpkin

Challenge Words

*  aqueduct

*  reservoir

PARENT CORNER

PARENT/TEACHER CONFERENCES

This week  FCS will conduct elementary parent conferences.  Monday through Friday  will be minimum days with release time at 12:00 noon.   Each appointment will be a 20 minute block of time so kindly assist each other by being on time for your scheduled conference.   At conference time we can focus on strengths and areas for future growth together.  Thanks for your insights.  I am looking forward to meeting with each of you!

DOT DAY

In honor of International Dot Day, and celebrating creativity and encouragement at FCS, Student Council has elected to make Friday, September 27 Spirit Day  clothing as “DOTS”!  In lieu of the FCS spirit shirt, please wear clothing with dots:  shirts, shorts, socks, shoes, bows.

 THE BIG FRESNO FAIR FIELD TRIP

Next week Thursday, October 3rd our third grade class will be going to the Fresno Fair.  Please return your child’s carpool permission form if you have not already done so.

Parents, please join us in our room at 8:00 AM for parent guideline packets, carpool arrangements, and instructions for the day.  We will leave school at 8:30 AM and and return at 2:00 PM.  Be sure to wear comfortable walking shoes.  Please have your child wear their class t-shirt. Transportation will be by car.

***Students, bring a sack lunch, clearly labeled with your first and last name, grade, teacher, and school.  You may bring $5.00 for spending money.  Remember, you are responsible for your own money.

COMING ATTRACTIONS

CHARACTER TRAIT: Orderliness

Reference:  I Corinthians 14:40

Bible Verse:  But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.

Definition:  Everything in its place

Opposite:  Disorder, confusion, or lack of restraint

SPELLING:  Lesson 6

CHARACTER TRAIT:  Honesty

Reference:  Ephesians 4:25

Verse:  Therefore, each of  you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body.

Definition:  Truthful words and ways

Opposite:  Misleading others through lying words or deceitful actions

SPELLING WORDS:

Lesson 5  Long i:  i, ie, igh, i_e, uy, y

1.  fright

2.  shine

3.  childhood

4.  buying

5.  tiny

6.  tried

7.  blind

8.  reply

9.  skyline

10.  mighty

11.  lies

12.  apply

13.  nearby

14.  tired

15.  bicycles

16.  brighter

17.  lives

18.  pliers

High-Frequency Words

19.  shoes

20.  very

PARENT CORNER

PARENT CONFERENCES

Parent-teacher conferences from September 23-27 with minimum release days Monday through Friday at 12:00 PM.  Please contact Kerry Roberts in the office to reschedule if the time allotted to you is inconvenient.

MATH

We will have a test over Chapter 1 Place Value on Thursday, September 12 covering Rounding Two-Digit Numbers, Rounding Three-Digit Numbers, Estimated or Exact Amounts, Place Value to Thousands, Comparing Numbers, Ordering Numbers, Rounding Four-Digit Numbers, Problem Solving Strategies for Finding Patterns, Place Value to Ten Thousands, Place Value to Hundred Thousands, and Reading Graphs.  A Chapter 1 Pre-Test will be sent home  as Math Homework this week as preparation for  Thursday’s test.

READING

In reading groups we continue  adventure short stories and literature studies of Charlotte’s Web.  We will focus on vocabulary development, identifying story elements, sequencing, comparing characters, summarizing, drawing conclusions, phonics review, and identifying outcomes.

BOX TOPS FOR EDUCATION 

This year we will again be participating in the Box Tops for Education fundraiser.  Each Box Top collected is worth cash for our school.  As an incentive we will be having a class contest.  The class bringing in the most Box Tops at the end of this promotion will receive a “prize”.  We will post class totals monthly in the Office window and on our Campus News located on our website: fresnochristian.com.

Please hand in your trimmed Box Tops in a Ziploc bag or envelope, labeled with your child’s/teacher’s name and the amount of Box Tops to your teacher or school office.

You can find a list of Box Tops online at: www.boxtops4education.com.

Thank you for your support.

GRANDPARENTS’ DAY

As part our social studies of Fresno County of our local agriculture and economy, our class will attend The Big Fresno Fair on Thursday, October 3rd.    I will be sending home a carpool permission slip the week before our trip that needs to be filled out and returned in order for your child to attend this field trip.  Please look for this in your child’s homework packet.  If you would like to chaperone this field trip and were not able to sign up, please let me know.  Also, don’t forget to fill out the Car Insurance form I mentioned at Back to School night available in the elementary office which allows you to transport students.  Entrance to the fair is free for all 3rd graders w but parents will need to pay a $5.00 entry fee at the gate. There will be 6 free passes for the first 6 parents who signed up to chaperone students at Back to School Night.  So far the following  parents signed up at Back to School Night:

1.  Beverly Foshee

2.  Patty Steele

3.  Silva Emerian

4.  Melissa Gleason

5.  Emily Phillips

6.  Jennifer Dansby

7.  Dorothy Siqueiros

8.  Andi Bull

Parents, please join us in our room at 8:15 AM for parent guideline packets, carpool arrangements, and instructions for the day.  We will leave school at 8:30 AM and and return at 1:30 PM.  Be sure to wear comfortable walking shoes.  Please have your child wear their class t-shirt and bring their lunch.   Transportation will be by car.

***Students, bring a sack lunch, clearly labeled with your first and last name, grade, teacher, and school.  You may bring $5.00 for spending money.  Remember, you are responsible for your own money.

 IMPORTANT DISMISSAL PROCEDURES

If you have children at different grades with different dismissal times, please pick up your child that is dismissed first and then wait for your older child.  Many children are lingering, waiting for their parent to pick them up when the older sibling is ready.  This ends up being a 20-25 minute wait.  If your child has permission to meet you in a different place other than the pirate ship or wait for a sibling, please send  written permission with your signature and we will allow them to do this.  Many thanks for your help in this matter.  We just want to be sure our younger students are safe and secure.

SUSTAINED SILENT READING

As a way to wind down and cool off, we are having a Sustained Silent Reading time of 15 minutes after lunch recess.  The children will need to bring a book from home to keep in their backpacks.  Thanks!

COMING ATTRACTIONS

SEPTEMBER

Monday, September 9 – Fall Fundraiser Ends

Monday, September 9 – HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOSHUA!

Tuesday, September 10 – Elementary Pictures

Friday, September 13 – Grandparents Day

Wednesday, September 18 – Minimum Day @ 12:00 PM – Teacher In-service

September 23-27 – Parent Teacher Conferences-Noon Dismissal

OCTOBER

Tuesday, October 1 – Scholastic Online Book Orders Due

Thursday, October 3 – The Big Fresno Fair Field Trip

Thursday, October 3 – Fancy Folder Fiction Book Reports Due

Sunday, October 13 – HAPPY BIRTHDAY LUKE!

CHARACTER TRAIT:  Obedience                        

Reference:  Ephesians 6:1

Verse:  Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.

Definition:  Doing what I am told with a happy spirit

Opposite:  Doing what I want to do

SPELLING WORDS

LESSON 4-Sept. 3-6

Pattern Words: Long e-  e, ey, ie, y

1.  brownie

2.  monkey

3.  secret

4.  pieces

5.  honey

6.  equal

7.  grief

8.  yield

9.  only

10.  icy

11.  keys

12.  busy

13.  chief

14.  valley

15.  sleepy

16.  snowy

17.  beyond

18.  believes

High-Frequency Words

19.  favorite

20.  against

Challenge Words

*  plateau

*  landform

SPELLING CARDS AND ENVELOPE

At the beginning of each week your child will bring home an small envelope which has spelling words children have cut into small paper cards.  Students may use these cards to study 5 a day on Mondays, 5 new words on Tuesday plus review the 5 from Monday, then study 5 new words on Wednesday plus review the previous words, and Thursday study the final 5 words and review all 20 words along with the Challenge Words.  Students can practice putting their words in A-B-C order.  Chunking the words into smaller groups over the week will bring a greater retention for long term study purposes.

PARENT CORNER

PARENT CONFERENCES

Parent conference forms will be coming home today with your child’s Homework  Folder. Please sign and send your form in before Monday, September 16th.  Early dismissal will begin on Monday, September 23rd at 12:00. Early dismissal will be each day of the week through Friday, Sept. 27th. Please assist each other by being on time to the scheduled conference as we have only 20 minutes per conference. At conference time we can focus on strengths and areas for future growth together.  I am looking forward to seeing each of you!

HOMEWORK

As the workload increases, please check your child’s folder for any incomplete assignments not finished in class.  Students should finish and return assignments for an improved score.  Students may also take any daily unfinished assignments home to complete and return the next day.  This is a developmental skill which needs to be encouraged and nourished on a weekly basis.  It is part of learning to use time wisely in class.  Thank you for helping our little ones grow in responsibility of assignments.

FALL FUNDRAISER

The last day to turn in cookie dough and magazine order forms is on Monday, September 9.

COACHES NEEDED

FCS still looking for an elementary volleyball coach and an elementary flag football coach. If interested please contact our Sports Department at 299-1695 ext. 123 or email: mregnerus@fresnochristian.com

FCS FRIDAY SPIRIT DAYS

Grandparents Day is on Friday, September 13, 2013.  It is a fun day for the children to spend with their grandparents.  Now would be a good time to start making plans to invite  your grandparents and SAVE THE DATE.   If your grandparent is unable to come, feel free to invite a close, senior family friend.

The staff is organizing chapels for the year and I am  looking for  a Chapel Speaker for Tuesday, November 12 from 8:00-8:45 AM.  If you or someone you know of is gifted in speaking to children in grades 1-6 and would be willing to come as a guest speaker, please let me know.   Please notify me if you know of someone or have a youth pastor at your church that would be interested. THANK YOU!!

BIBLE

We have been studying about how God created the world, how God created Adam and Eve, how Adam and Eve disobeyed God, and the story of Cain and Abel.  We begin the month of September with The Second Beginning, The Flood and God’s Promise, Noah’s sons, and the Tower of Babel.

BOOK REPORTS

Our class will begin an independent reading program.  Students will be involved in reading books covering several genres of literature including, fiction, biography, science, poetry, Bible/Christian themes, folk tales, fables, historical fiction, sports, travel, and hobbies.

Students will be assigned a specific category of books to read for a book report.  Students should choose a book from the school, home, class, or public library that is age and ability appropriate.  After reading the book, students will participate in a variety of book report project styles as assigned by the teacher which may include:  mobiles, diorama, puppetry, book jackets, written or oral book reports, book boxes, book posters, 3D book reports, etc.  You will find attached to the newsletter specific directions for each project as assigned along with a due date.  Students will be marked down a full grade for reports turned in late.

Our first book report will be to read a fiction chapter book and then complete the FANCY FOLDER book project attached to your newsletter.     See attached grading rubric indicating expectations for total points possible.    The book report project is to be completed outside of class.

FANCY FOLDER Display fiction book report projects are due Thursday, October 3th.

READING COUNTS PROGRAM

The Reading Counts Program is a school-wide incentive reading program to develop fluency and comprehension in reading.  Students are inspired to read literature books from their recommended reading list.  Participation in Reading Counts is part of the reading grade.

Each child will take the Scholastic Reading Inventory on the lab computers at school this week to determine their reading interests and comprehension reading level.  From this a recommended reading list of books is generated which will help students select books that are a good fit for the Reading Counts program.  Students are encouraged to read “Red Star” books and then take computer quizzes to measure growth in comprehension on a weekly basis.  Points are accumulated for books read and quizzes passed at 70% or above.  If a book is not in the computer system, students may complete a written book report form to receive points toward the Reading Counts program.  Students can also count their books for class book reports and READING COUNTS at the same time.

Starting next week as part of their Reading grade, students are required to read a minimum of 1 book per week and take at least 1 quiz per week.  They make take quizzes in class or online at home with adult supervision.  They are not allowed to use their book to answer the questions.  Go to Fresno Christian’s website and choose Grades K-6 on the home page then SRI & SRC and then click on Scholastic Reading Counts.  They will need their username and password to access this from home.  Scholastic Reading Inventories may not be taken at home.

READING COUNTS GOALS

Special Reading Certificates
BLUE – 25 POINTS
RED – 50 POINTS
BRONZE – 100 POINTS
SILVER – 250 POINTS
GOLD – 500 POINTS

 Year-End Awards

100 points- Ice Cream Party

500 points- Pizza with the 3rd and 4th grade teachers

JUST RIGHT BOOKS

Students may use the 5-finger rule for finding a JUST RIGHT book.  To determine a JUST RIGHT book the student reads the first two pages:

0-1 Missed Words          Too Easy Reading

2-3 Missed Words          Just Right

4-5 Missed Words          Too Difficult Reading

SEPTEMBER SCHOLASTIC BOOK ORDER

The opportunity to order books will be offered monthly.  Scholastic publishes excellent books  for children at a moderate price.  Purchases will be made online only.  I will be sending home the parent information letter for online ordering.  I will not be accepting checks or cash.  Your first book order was sent home today and orders will need to be placed by Oct. 1st.  Thank you!

WRITING

Third graders are learning to write expository person paragraphs.   We will write descriptions of people, places, or objects.  We will learn to use concrete sensory details or descriptive words to present and support unified impressions of people, places, or objects.  Students will learn to use a rubric to analyze their writing.  Students will be tested on these writing skills through Benchmark Assessments at the end of the first quarter.

MATH

This week  third graders will be finishing up Chapter 1 in Place Value.  Next week a Pre-test will go home with your child to be completed at home and returned Thursday as well.  Please look it over and help your child if there is any area they are struggling with before our test on Thursday, September 12.

ACADEMIC END OF THE YEAR MATH REWARDS

All students who reach the third grade level goal of mastering  Form A and Form B of 100 facts in Addition and Subtraction Facts in 4 minutes will receive an ice cream party.  All third graders who reach the goal of mastering Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, Division, and Mixed Facts of Form A and Form B in 4 minutes will become Lifetime Members and will be rewarded a pizza party off campus with the third and fourth grade teachers.

SCIENCE

We will be  studying 6 different habitats in Science.  The Savanna, Desert, Pond, Forest, Polar and Ocean Habitats will all be covered as we prepare for our first field trip to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. You will see a packet coming home after we study each habitat with the Ocean Habitat being the last one we study before our trip to the Monterey Bay Aquarium on November 7.  Details for the trip will be sent out next month.

COMING ATTRACTIONS

SEPTEMBER

Monday, September 2 – NO SCHOOL-Labor Day

Monday, September 9 – Fall Fundraiser Ends

Monday, September 9 – HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOSHUA!

Tuesday, September 10 – Elementary Pictures

Friday, September 13 – Grandparents Day

Wednesday, September 18 – Minimum Day @ 12:00 PM – Teacher In-service

September 23-27       Parent Teacher Conferences-Noon Dismissal

CHARACTER TRAIT:  Respectfulness              

Reference:  I Peter 2:17

Bible Memory Verse:

Show proper respect to everyone:  Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the King.

Definition:  

Showing honor and love for everyone God allows in my life, because every human being bears the image of God

Opposite:  Lack of reverence for God and others

SPELLING WORDS

LESSON 3:  Long e:  ea, ee, ei

1.   leaf
2.   beat
3.   easy
4.   jeans
5.   steep
6.   really
7.   mean
8.   eager
9.   reach
10.  queen
11.  speed
12.  street
13.  please
14.  breeze
15.  receive
16.  deceive

17.  cleaned

18.  between

HIGH-FREQUENCY WORDS

19.  said

20.  says

CHALLENGE WORDS
* carnivore
* herbivore

PARENT CORNER

MOVIE NIGHT UNDER THE STARS!

It was great to see so many of you turn out for the first ever Movie Night Under the Stars!  The weather was perfect and the fellowship was GREAT!!

BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT

Thanks to all who were able to attend the Back to School Night last Tuesday.  It was a wonderful evening getting to know you better.  If you were not able to come, a Back to School Packet was sent home with your child the following day with content on curriculum, schedules, dress code, field trips, and other items.  You may wish to take time to look through the packet when you have a quiet moment.  Thanks so much!

STUDENT COUNCIL ANNOUNCEMENT

Student Council is a team of students who play a vital role in every school. Participants share ideas and interests to promote school wide events, fundraisers, and service projects. Student council promotes responsibility, commitment, and collaboration among students. On Monday, students in grades 3-6 will be given the opportunity to apply. Those who desire to be an active leader must complete and return their application by 8:00 AM on Wed., August 28. Tweleve students will be elected to represent the 2013-2014 FCS School Year. Those who are elected must be willing to commit to the following responsibilities for the 2011-2012 school year.

Responsibilities of Representatives:

-Attend meetings twice a month to discuss ideas

-Work at special events

-Help with school service projects

-Serve as a positive role model to other students

-Maintain academic and behavior excellent status

-Pray together and for our school

A TOTAL OF 12 STUDENTS WILL BE SELECTED BASED ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE, AVAILABILITY, LEADERSHIP, AND DEMONSTRATION OF RESPONSIBILITY.

Thank you,

Mrs. Hancox

POWERSCHOOL

Please check your child’s grades on Powerschool weekly and let me know if anything needs to be changed.  Remember, I am not the only one grading assignments and we are all human and will make mistakes. Please save your child’s work each quarter in a file at home and send in anything that doesn’t coincide with Powerschool so I can make the change.  Also, be checking to see which assignments your child might be missing and have them complete them for a grade.

Remember, your child may re-do any assignment below a 70% that comes home in Monday’s packet for a better grade. If they are going to make changes, please return it to me by the end of the same week so it doesn’t pile up at the end of the quarter.  Thank you for your support and for helping your child succeed!!

HOMEWORK

Any work not completed in class, such as math, reading. language or spelling, is considered homework and needs to be returned the following day.  Students not finishing their work that night are subject to finishing it the next day at recess or lunch before they play.  Please communicate with me if there was a valid reason as to why a child was not able to complete an assignment. Thank you for your partnership in this area.

HONOR ROLL/MERIT LIST

At Back to School night I attached the requirements for the Honor Roll and Merit List certificates.  If a student receives honor roll all 4 quarters, they will also be awarded with a trophy at the end of the year awards ceremony! Please note that citizenship grades will count towards earning Honor Roll, as well as academic grades. If your student has any N’s or P’s in their character development grades or academic subjects, this will disqualify them from earning Honor Roll. They will still be able to qualify for Merit List.

 FIELD TRIPS/DRIVER’S CLEARANCE FORM

Parents, please note that if you plan on driving for field trips, you must have a Driver’s Clearance Form on file in the Central Office.  Please see Kerry Roberts for the proper form and provide driver information needed for approval prior to driving on a school field trip.  Thank you for your assistance with these matters.

FALL FUNDRAISER

We are off to a great start with the fall fundraiser!  Students are busy at work placing orders.  All checks are made payable to “Fresno Christian PTF” and orders are due no later than September 5.  Students are excited about earning the COOL prizes!  Keep up the terrific work!!

LOCKED DOORS

We wish to maintain a very friendly welcome to parents when you come on campus.  Thank you for understanding that our classroom doors must be locked at all times for security reasons.  If you knock on the door, students and teachers are not permitted to open the door.  So please report to the office and an authorized personnel will escort you to the room if necessary for entry.

VISITOR PASS

Be sure to check with the office and obtain a visitors pass BEFORE entering the classroom.

PORTRAIT DAY

Picture Day is coming soon!  Elementary pictures will be taken on Tuesday, September 10.  Watch for order envelopes in the near future.

PARENT/TEACHER CONFERENCES

Conferences are the week of September 23rd-27th. Monday through Friday of that week will be minimum release days at 12:00 noon.  Parent conference forms will be coming home next week on Tuesday, September 3 with your child’s Homework Folder.  Please sign and send your form in before Monday, September 16th.

Early dismissal will begin on Monday, September 23rd at 12:00.  Early dismissal will be each day of the week through Friday, Sept. 27th.  Please assist each other by being on time to the scheduled conference as we have only 20 minutes per conference.   At conference time we can focus on strengths and areas for future growth together.  I am looking forward to seeing each of you!!

GRANDPARENT’S DAY

Grandparents Day is on Friday, September 13, 2013.  It is a fun day for the children to spend with their grandparents.  If their grandparent is unable to come, feel free to invite a close, senior family friend. The schedule is as follows:

9:30-9:50 AM              K-12 Pick up schedules in the Peoples Courtyard

9:50-11:40 AM             K-12 Visit classrooms

11:40-12:25 PM            K-12 Lunch provided for you and your grandchild

12:25 PM                        K-12 Say Goodbye to grandchild

Shuttle service will be available from parking lots “A” and “F.”  For maps and further information, visit www.fresnochristian.com

SPIRIT DAY

Show your school pride each Friday and wear your favorite FCS shirt!

COMING ATTRACTIONS

AUGUST 

Wednesday, August 14 – Happy Birthday Micah!

Thursday, August 15 – Happy Birthday Macie!

Saturday, August 24 – Happy Birthday Diego!

SEPTEMBER

Monday, September 2 – Labor Day/No School

Monday, September 9 – Happy Birthday Joshua!

Tuesday, September 10- Elementary Picture Day

Friday, September 13 – Grandparents Day

Wednesday, September 18 – Half Day/Staff In-Service/Early Release at 12:00 PM

September 23-27  – Fall Parent/Teacher Conferences