Humane Society Drop Off

What a successful donation drive we had for the Humane Society. The staff and animals were so grateful for the toys, blankets, treats, and toys. It made the holiday. Mrs. Tsengas, several students, and I dropped off the supplies today after school.

Thank you for the friends who donated for the Humane Society. The animals said, "MEOOOOOW" and "WOOOOOF!" ( This means thank you)

Holiday Celebration

Our class holiday party will be on Wednes. the 16th. Don't forget to send in the slip that was sent home this week indicating an item we would like for our celebration. We need to make sure we have enough of each item so we can plan accordingly. At our party we will be doing several holiday activities, reading holiday books, and creating crafts while enjoying some yummy treats. Thank you for all your help and support in the classroom!

The Spirit of the Season

During the holiday season, it has been a tradition at Chets Creek to create a holiday wreath/decoration to auction off. Each class created some kind of holiday craft and the highest bidder received the wreath. This year, things are a bit different. Each class was told to decide on some kind of volunteer project or donation drive to help our community. After brainstorming, the children voted on helping out the Jacksonville Humane Society. As the best way to help them out would be to adopt all their pets, we realized this was a bit unrealistic. After explaining to students that their parents could not properly adopt 343 cats and dogs, we did bit of researching on how else we could help.

Ways to Help the Humane Society

The Humane Society has a website that lists all the items they are in need of. Also, you can even make donations right there on the website.

Dog Crates (Medium & Large)
Kuranda Dog Beds (40x25)
Cat Carriers (Small & Medium)
Dog Treats
Cat Treats
Cat Toys
Stainless Steel Food & Water Bowls (small & large)
Towels
Blankets (no stuffing)
Paper Towels
Clorox Bleach
Dawn Dishwashing Liquid
Laundry Detergent
Playtex Rubber Gloves
Tug-a-Jug Interactive Dog Toys
Hard Rubber Dog Toys (Kong or Nylabone brand)
List of Treats for Kong Toys
Meaty Bone Flavor Treats (18 oz)
Lamb Meal & Rice Biscuits (24 oz)
Milk Bone Crunchy Mar-O-Snacks (24 oz)
TBonz Filet Mignon Flavor (22 oz)
Milk Bone Chewy Chicken Drumstix (9 oz)
Liver Treats Hollywood Stars (4 oz)
Pup-Peroni Original Beef Recipe (25 oz)
List of Needs for Maintenance
Shovels
Rakes
Power Blower
Lawn Mower
Weed Eater (w/blade attachments)
Chain Saws
Wheelbarrows
Pitch Forks
Rack Hooks (for hanging equipment)
Upright Tool Box
Hatchet

Pretty neat! These items do not have to be brand new. If they are in a decent condition, they accept them as well. However, if you purchase an item, try to have your child with you as you purchase it. I will be delivering all the items over the holiday break. As a result, all items are due Tuesday, Dec. 15.

Happy Holidays!

Main Idea

How do you find the main idea of a story? This was the question the students have been working on in Reader's Workshop this week. They were taught that every paragraph has a main idea, and many supporting details to back it up. However, students frequently mistake details with the main idea. They learned that the main idea is what everything is about. Unlike details, which are the tiny events that only happen once in a story.

For example: In the Tree Little Pigs, the main idea is that 2 pigs realize they should have worked harder and built a strong house like their older brother pig when the wolf ruins their houses.

A detail is that the first house was made of straw and the second house was made of sticks.

See how a detail is small part that happened and the main idea is what the entire story is about?

Here are some practice websites and games to test your child's ability to sift through the details and discover the main idea.

Main Idea questions

Test yourself!

Finding the Main Idea in Paragraphs

Studying Allen Say

In Readers and Writers Workshop, we have been studying the author Allen Say. During an author study, students learn all about the author's craft and style of writing. This type of unit allows students the chance to compare and contrast themes, characters, and plots more deeply.

During each reading, we fill out an attribute chart to monitor his books. This chart includes: theme, setting, plot, genre, noticing, and characters.

Then, students have been completing writings responses on his stories.

They have really started to notice many similarities in his books such as how many characters chase their dreams, believe in themselves, cultural differences and struggles, and the bonds of family. Ask your child about their favorite Allen Say book! Or, visit the website below to view summaries of his books.

Allen Say's Homepage

Can you Comprehend?

What is reading comprehension,why is it important, and why do we have weekly test on this?

The purpose of reading is to connect the ideas on the page to what you already know. You have a framework in your mind for reading, understanding and storing information. Learners must be able to make use of what they read to expand their knowledge in subjects at school in social studies, math, and science. They must be able to understand and make use of the information that they read for a variety of purposes. Skilled readers don't just read, they interact with the text.

Skilled readers:
-Predict what will happen next in a story using clues

-Create questions about the main idea, message, or plot of the text
-Monitor understanding of the sequence, context, or characters
-Clarify parts of the text which have confused them
-Connect the events in the text to prior knowledge or experience

Here are some extra practice tests to build your child's reading comprehension. Print one off and your child can receive a 2 tickets for each test!

Keys to Successful Reading Comprehension

Practice Reading Comprehension Tests

More Fiction Practice Tests

Tree Hill Field Trip

Enthusiasm and energy were exploding after our latest field trip to Tree Hill. Check out the pictures below. We had such an amazing time learning about animal and plant adaptations. This was such a wonderful experience for all the students to witness the types of things they are currently learning about in Science.

Having 'hands-on' learning experiences are priceless in a child's education. Do you want to visit yourself? Having strong jealously pains from not being able to spend a few hours learning and exploring nature? DON'T BE! Here is their website and traveling information so you can visit yourself. :)

Tree Hill

Open House

Thank you so much for all the parents who came to Open House. It is always so wonderful to talk with each of you and get reacquainted. Having a close parent/teacher relationship is key to me and I love having a chance to talk with each of you. Remember, I am always an email, or phone call away if you ever have any questions. :)

The students were very excited to take you around the room and show off their classroom. They really have been working extremely hard and I am so proud of them. I hope they all enjoyed the experience of teaching you a few things about school.

Here are a few reminders:

-Weekly Reader sponsors are still needed as about half of the class has submitted their $4.00.

-Progress Reports will be sent Monday

-There are no longer + or - signs used on Report Cards

-You can order Scholastic Books online and earn a free book for our class. Refer to the handout that was sent for our class password or let me know if you need it again. Scholastic Books

-Volunteers are needed for the Fall Carnival. The carnival is from 6-9 and we need parents to help run our class booth. Please send in a note in your child's planner if you would be willing to help run it for 30 minutes/hour. We really appreciate your help and support with this event!

-Tree Hill Field Trip is next Thursday, Oct. 1. I recommend putting bug spray on your child before they come to school. Also, pack a brown bagged lunch for your child.

If you missed Open House tonight, or want to review something covered, the Powerpoint that was shown is on the left side of my blog under "Class Updates."

Cheers to another great week in the Caribbean!

Spelling Test Practice

Looking for ways to become a better speller? In our classroom the students are given an option to select for their weekly spelling homework. I felt that students would enjoy having a choice in which method of studying and practicing their weekly words. They were given a handout on the choices and have to turn them in each Friday before our test.

Here are the options again.

1. Write them 3 times each


2. Write them in alphabetical or reverse alphabetical order


3. Illustrate the words


4. Write each in a sentence


5. Write them in a paragraph


6. Divide the words into syllables


7. Write them in cursive


8. Write them in a pyramid


9. Rainbow write your words with colored pencils
   

Rainbow Writing was very popular this week!

It sure made me smile seeing how excited they were to show each other which way they picked to complete their homework.

Also, make sure to visit http://www.spellingcity.com/ to view the weekly words. I post them so you don't have to enter them. Your child can take practice tests and play games with our words.

Steps to Follow:
Go to "Find a list". Click "Teacher". Type EVANKO. Pick the correct week to see the words.

Great job on your first spelling test this week spellers. Keep up the superb work!

Book of the Month: 14 Cows for America

“…there is no nation so powerful it cannot be wounded, nor a people so small they cannot offer might comfort.”

When was the last time you did a selfless act? Each month Mrs. Phillips shares a book with us that she selects to represent the book of the month. For September, she has chosen 14 Cows for America. This true story shows the generosity and compassion one tribe in Africa has for America after hearing about the events that took place on 9/11.

As I read the story to the students, they were deeply moved by the kindness this tribe had for Americans. We discussed the symbolism of the cows and why the tribe was willing to give them to Americans to show life and hope. Then, we pointed out how sometimes objects can stand for a certain feeling or emotion. I challenged to students to create their own personal similes and metaphors for common emotions. Below are their responses to what stands for these emotions to them.

"Sadness is letting a puppy go." Cynthia
"Happiness is like a big house full of frozen yogurt." Adam
"Disgust is old eggs." Alexandra
"Happiness is like a walk in the park." Caitlyn
"Happiness is my dog Hershy." Zachariah
"Happiness is like new presents and flowers." Katie R
"Grumpiness is like being the second kid in line." Veronica
"Happiness is like a big bowl of ice cream." James
"Happiness is puppies." Maritza
"Laziness is a bed sleeping with nothing to do." Rex
"Sadness is a cut in the leg." Katie S
"Happiness is a water park." Garrett
"Happiness is a new Game Cube." Mario
"Disgust is a meat loaf." Ian
"Sadness is like looking at the moon with nobody to talk with." Yatzaret
"Sadness is getting rid of dogs." Alyssia
"Rage is my brother annoying me." Baylee

"To me, rage is homework." Alex
"My monkey is life." Brendan
"A tight warm blanket is happiness." Maryssa
"Hope is a play date waiting." Anne
"Rage is a lady driving. " Danny
"Security is a bed." Parker
"Laziness is a early morning." Brenna
"Sun is hope." Evelyn
"Happiness is a trip to North Carolina." Roberto
"Disgust is my sister's diapers." Affan
"Rage is a F on a test." Monique
"A skateboard is life." Victor
"Hope is getting inside a rainbow." Emily
"Happiness is a Wii remote." Luke
"Sadness is a snakebite." Anasia
"Grumpiness is taking out the trash." Vincent

To learn more about this book you can view the homepage below.
14 Cows for America

What a FABULOUS orientation!

WOW! It was such a wonderful day seeing old and new faces at orientation. I am so excited to start the new year in the Caribbean. I loved seeing so many smiling and eager faces. Thank you for already sending in all the items on the supply list. We are really stepping it up in 3rd Grade and organization is key!

A few reminders, please make sure to fill out all of the paperwork that was sent home in the folders. They will also be given a Code of Conduct booklet on Monday that has pages at the end that need to be signed and returned.

Also, please have your child wear their NEW Chets Creek shirt given to them for FREE from the PTA on Tuesday. This t-shirt is just one of the many ways PTA gives back to your child. Remember you can sign up for the PTA by filling out the envelope in your folder and giving $5.00 for the entire year.

I can't wait to work with you and your child this school year. Remember if you have any questions to email me (evankod@duvalschools.org) or leave a post on the blog. With your help and support we will make this year the best year ever!

If you check the Class Information tab to the left you can view the ABC's of 3rd grade that we discussed. I also posted the Daily Schedule. Enjoy! :)

Are you getting smarter over the summer?

We know that we are getting smarter using Miss Evanko's suggestions for summer activities! I hope you all are enjoying your summer vacation. Feel free to leave a message on the blog and update me on all the exciting events you take part in. I miss you all already!

As you are aware, inside of the report card envelope was a packet of summer activities. Please take advantage of this packet and utilize the games online. I want to make sure your child stays right on target for next year. In case it gets misplaced, I'm going to attach it to the right of this post under "Class Information."

Enjoy and have a safe summer!

Can you Wordle?

Wordle is an exciting online activity to brainstorm or create a group of words. Using this website you type words and then select 'go'. From there, you can play with fonts, layouts, and color schemes. When you are done editing, you can print or save them to the Wordle gallery to share. Check out our Wordle we made after reading the Tomie dePaola book The Legend of Bluebonnet. In the story she gave up her more prized possession. As a result, we decided to respond to the book by writing about our most prized possessions and then created a class wordle!





Go get your 'word on' students!

Our Class Trip to MOCA

Learning about Art at MOCA

What a blast we had learning about all the different types of artwork at our trip to the Museum of Contemporary Art! A.K.A (MOCA) We were given our own private tour through several areas of the museum. While we stopped at different pieces, we were able to express our feelings, thoughts, and wonderings about each creation. Also, we asked probing questions about the artist's inner thoughts and purpose for their creation.

Next, we were able to become artists and make our own personal book using three types of medium: water color, pencil, and HOME MADE stamps. Using fruit as our inspiration, we sketched the same piece using each type of medium. I am sure you enjoyed seeing this creation as they took them home. :) Remember, you can make your stamps out of rubber, potatoes, and linoleum.

Our final journey was to the 5th floor called "The Loft." This was the big hit of the day. There we were able to explore the 16 fun and interactive art stations. We had such a blast in this area. We were all inspired to take on an artist's life and experiment with a variety of objects and art.

This was an amazing final field trip for us 2nd graders. Remember, MOCA is FREE for families on Sundays. Please take advantage of this wonderful museum and all it has to offer your child.

Relay for Life

The Cancer Relay for Life Coin collection will begin on Monday. We are collecting coins for 2 weeks to help support this cause. There will be a jug in our classrooms for students to empty out any change into. Many of us know, or have known, someone who has fought and even conquered cancer. Therefore, please search those couch cushions or check under car seats for a few extra coins. A little will go a long way!

Check our Chets Creek Relay for Life team!

Relay for Life

Don't Suffer if You're Stuck on Suffixes!

This week the students learned the meaning of the most frequent suffixes used. They learned just as in a prefix, a suffix is a group of letters that change the meaning of a root word. However, suffixes are added to the end of a word.

-ly (doing something in a certain way) ie. sadly (doing something in a sad way)
-less (without) ie. hopeless (without hope) endless, homeless, careless, thoughtless
-ness (being) ie. darkness, kindness, greatness, brightness, happiness
- ful (full of) ie. truthful (full of truth) beautiful, peaceful, careful
-er (someone who does) teacher, driver, boxer, singer,
-est (comparing meaning the most) ie. kindest, softest, loudest, quietest,

However, they also found out there are plenty of new rules to learn as well when using them! Rules for: CVC doubling, Silent E, and words ending with 'y'.

1. CVC-Consonant doubling: If you add a suffix that starts with a vowel, and it is a CVC word, double that last consonant. (run+er=runner)
2. Y RULE-Changing y to i:When the suffix starts with a vowel and there is a consonant before the ‘y’, drop the ‘y’ add i (happy+est=happiest, fly+=flier)
- Vowel+y just add the suffix-play+er=player
3. SILENT E- When a word ends in silent e, take out the silent ‘e’ and add the suffix if it starts with a vowel (er, est, ing) ie. make+ ing=making
-If suffix starts with a consonant,(ness, ful, less) just add suffix.
ie. Hope+ful=hopeful

Oh the English Language is always full of such crazy rules! Here is a website that does a great job explaining each rule and it also provides examples.
Suffix Rules
Suffix Jeopardy

Remember, the homework and the morning work sheet your child brings home on Monday is a review of what we are learning. You can always check that for any clarification.

Finding the theme in BIG CHICKENS

After a reading lesson on theme, or the main message the author is trying to tell, we read the March book of month Big Chickens. Next, students were told to think about the lessons the characters learned and what they felt the theme of the book was. Students learned that good readers can argue what made them decide on the theme by providing specific details in the story that led them to believe this. Posted above are several students who did a great job of writing the theme and explaining what details from the story supported their thinking.

This assignment is a simple way children can respond to a book. However, it is an extremely meaningful way to encourage children to think deeper about a story. Please encourage your child to always think about the theme as they read and explain what led them to this conclusion.

Destination Success

A new wonderful resource is now available for your use. Below is a link to the Duval County supported website, Destination Success By clicking the link and logging in, you will gain access to many games and activities focused on developing your child's reading skills. Then, I can see what you have done and work with you on the things you need help with! This site is provided to our school free of charge, and we are encouraging everyone to utilize it!

To login:Username: firstname+lastname+264 (all lowercase and no spaces)Password: 2 digit birth month+2 digit birth day (no spaces)

Enjoy these free and SUPERB resources!

What to relearn your prefixes?

Welcome to the wonderful world of prefixes! This week we have been learning the meaning of most common prefixes. These short several letters can have a huge effect on the meaning of a root word. Here is a review of the prefixes we are learning. Also, we learned the rules to using certain prefixes such as: il, im, ir.

dis (not): dislike, disagree, disappear
im (not): impolite, immature, impossible
in (not): incorrect, incomplete, inappropriate
un (not): unplug, unsure, unaware
re (again): rewrite, retell, return
pre (before): preview, pretest, prehistoric
mis (wrong): misspelled, misunderstood, mistreated

*Use il- before words starting with l. So not legible = illegible.
*Use ir- before words starting with r. So not relevant = irrelevant
*Use im- before words starting with m but also with p.


Are you ready to play some games to test your skills? Remember you don't want to have a disadvantage when it comes to taking a quiz on this so practice away!

Prefix fact sheet and quiz
Prefix jeopardy
Prefix matching meanings
More prefix matching games

Honoring our Troops

In class today we read the new book of the month, The Impossible Patriotism Project. The story is about one young boys struggle to think of a way to show patriotism for his class project. During the story we noticed how the main character dealt with his problems and frustrations. However, through his continued thinking he finally got an idea and a little inspiration from his heart.

One way to encourage your child to show patriotism is by visiting the website, Lets Say Thanks. Here you can select and send digital postcards that were actually created by students around the United States to show our appreciation for their sacrifices and hard work.

The post below is the website you can visit and give your appreciation! How cool is this?

Let's Say Thanks

Send thanks to our troops

Edgar's New Folder on the Blog

With all the wonderful letters from Edgar I decided to give him his own spot on my blog! This way, it is easier to keep an update on his life. You can now just click and see all of his letters and trips.

If you look on the right side of my blog under Class Updates, you will see his folder. It is called, "Edgar Grams." Once you click on it you can see all the exciting adventures he is having out at sea. Thank you again Mr. Smith for taking the time to show Edgar all around and help him with his typing.

Remember, our class Chet bear is here in the classroom. If you are planning any trips please give a comment on this post or let me know so you can take Chet along with you. He told Mrs. Tsengas and I he needs more excitement in his life.

Valentine's Day Pictures

Valentine's Day Party

We had another amazing party on Friday. This event was not possible without your help and the students and I thank all of you again. The donations were wonderful, as well as the parent help at the party. Parents are the best!

We started our morning off by decorating our bags to collect Valentines in. I read several fiction/non-fiction stories involving Valentine's Day. It was a great way to really compare and contrast the genres and information that is presented.

After we finished decorating our bags it was time to deliver all the Valentines the students worked so hard on. I even got cards too! The students loved delivering their cards to each other.

Next, it was time for some goodies and special snacks. Our buffet had juice, cupcakes, a special trail mix, cookies, fruit, chips and so much more! Of course a Valentine's Day party isn't a party with the candy conversation hearts. They giggled over the mini-messages: "2 cute", "LUV U', "Be Mine", "Call me". My favorite is still, "Fax me". Many of them weren't quite sure what that meant. I guess I am old. :(

Later on I introduced the candy estimation jar. I HAND COUNTED candy hearts into a jelly container. Whoever guessed the closet would win the jar. Students wrote down guesses from 50-1,000,000. Quite a range! Well, the winner will be announced on Tuesday. How many candy hearts were in the jelly container? 150! Were you close?

The last event was BINGO! Mrs. Tsengas lead a fierce battle over bingo. They students made their cards with cut out Valentine's Day pictures. The winners received a NEW CAR! Ok, just kidding. They got the second best prize of their own box of mini-candy hearts.

This was such a fabulous and fun-filled day at Chets Creek. Thank you again to all the parents who came in to help hand out food and clean up. Also, thank you for all the generous donations. Enjoy your long weekend and remember, no school on Monday! Happy Valentine's and President's Day!

Zoo Pictures

Our trip to the Jacksonville Zoo!

What a WILD and WONDERFUL day at the Jacksonville Zoo! Our class had a blast exploring and learning all about the animals many of them used for their report. Seeing these animals up close and personal was such a fabulous experience.

After we hiked around the zoo, we were able to attend an educational class that taught us all about several different animals like a screech owl, red snake, turtle, crocodile, and chinchilla. The baby crocodile was pretty scary! The teacher of the class was very impressed by how much they all knew about animals' habitats and behaviors. She was in awe of the vocabulary words they were using. Way to go class!

This trip was not only wonderful for the students, but for the teachers as well. :) It is so rewarding for the students to be able to apply what they have been learning in class. It was clear to the workers at the zoo, and myself, that they can use their recently acquired knowledge. AWESOME JOB!

Plural Nouns

This week we have been studying the rules for making words plural. We discussed the different ways to make words plural depending on how the word ends. The students were given a "Plural Noun Cheat Sheet" that they put inside their homework folder. This is a great tool for them to use to double check themselves as they do their homework. Just in case you need a refresher course in making words plural, here are the basic rules!

1. For most nouns, add s. Examples: car-cars, horse-horses
2. If a noun ends with ch, sh, s, x, or z, add es. Examples: bus-buses, brush-brushes, wax-waxes
3. If a noun ends with f, or fe, drop the f and add ves. Examples: scarf-scarves, leaf- leaves
4. If a noun ends with a y and the letter BEFORE the y is a vowel, just add s. Examples: boy-boys, monkey- monkeys
5. If a nouns ends with a y and the letter BEFORE is a consonant, drop the y and add ies. Examples: nanny-nannies, penny-pennies
**Some nouns form a plural differently like: man-men, goose-geese, child-children, foot-feet, mouse-mice, tooth-teeth**

Here are some games and activities to practice this new skill!

Plural Nouns

Plural Noun Matching

Who wants to be a plural millionaire?

Multiple Meaning words

This week we studied multiple meaning words. These are words that, unlike homophones, are spelled the same but mean different things. For example, the word "bat" can mean an animal and an object a baseball player hits with. We learned you have to read around the word and use the context clues to figure out the correct meaning. Therefore, when we read the sentence, "The player grabbed his bat and went to the catcher" we knew they were talking about the object you hit with.

This skill tends to be tricky for readers because they tend to quickly jump to the definition they immediately think of. Students were given multiple meaning words and told to select the correct meaning based on how it is used in the sentence. Here's what they look like:

1. I washed my hands in the sink. Sink means:

a. opposite of float
b. rise
c. place in the bathroom

After thinking about how 'sink' is used in the sentence, you can make a decision the answer is C, even though sink DOES mean choice A.

Here is a super game to practice and learn other multiple meaning words.

Jeopardy Multiple Meaning Words

Koko's Kitten

Here the is the latest "Text Talk" book we read and discussed in class.


In this story Dr. Patterson described her career as a teacher and caretaker of a female gorilla, Koko. Koko has been taught how to communicate using sign language. For Koko's birthday she signed she wanted, "Cereal there. Good there drink. Cat." Later she repeated, "Cat. Cat. Cat." After waiting, Dr. Patterson finally gets Koko her kitten, All Ball. She becomes a wonderful, caring mother to her new kitten.

When something very serious happens to All Ball, we see how Koko and Dr. Patterson handle the situation. Koko shows us how even gorillas deal with the same emotions and problems as we do in our lives.

Here are our vocabulary words! Ask your child to use them in a sentence or explain how it was used in the story. :)

console:to give comfort in time of loss or suffering; make less sad.
affection: a friendly feeling of liking/loving
aggression: any mean, violent or unfriendly act
abandon: to leave behind with no plan to return
accustomed: to become used to or familiar with
capable: having the skill or power to do something
distressed: worry, pain, or suffering, or anything that causes suffering.

Reports are in the air

Have you heard there are a bunch of animals running all over the class? Well this is quite true as we have begun doing our animal reports.

I'm not 'lion'!




We have leaped right back into learning here in our classroom. We began studying Non-fiction Reading and Writing.

First, the students brainstormed possible topics they were interested in. After this, I went to the Media Center to retrieve books for them to research with. However, some books were not long enough to gather enough details to write a report. As a result, we discussed other ways besides reading books to learn information on their topic.

One way is to visit the Internet. Here are some websites I have found that your child can go to and print out information for their animal.

Animal Information

Animal Facts

Animals galore

Also, you can always visit other libraries to find more books. The Pablo Creek Library here in Jacksonville is wonderful. It is right down the road from Walmart on Beach Blvd. You can check out the magazines and books they have to choose from for free!




Happy hunting!