SBAC stands for Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium. The SBAC is a computer-based, standardized test in math and English Language Arts (ELA) given to students every year starting in the 3rd grade. The assessment tests each student on grade level skills and competencies and is aligned to the Common Core standards for Math and ELA.

Knowing that the last year of learning has been interrupted and delivered in a variety of models, I want students to approach the test with a stress-free mind set. We'll use this test as an opportunity to celebrate! We'll celebrate our curiosity, effort and resiliency. We'll celebrate making it through a truly strange year. And we'll celebrate all things we learned at home, online and in school. From an adult/ teacher perspective, this test is also an opportunity for us to to get back on a regular cycle of data collection and to ease our students into another aspect of a "normal" school year.  

We'll take the SBAC in the morning on April 27, April 28, May 4 and May 5. Each testing session will take about 1 hour. The rest of our school day will be a regular school day. We'll review the test features and tools and take a short practice test the week of April 20 so students can gain familiarity with the test tools. 

Please make sure your student is at school on the above testing days. It always helps to get a good night of sleep and plenty of playtime outside on test days. 

 

Here's what we're doing in April!

Math

• Area
• Using square units and multiplication to find the area of a rectangle
• Adding together compound shapes to find area
• Scaled Graphs
• Reading and interpreting picture and bar graphs
• Creating scaled graphs
• Fractions
• Understand what a fraction is
• Understand fractions on a number line

Assessments: Lesson 15 quiz (week of March 29); Lesson 16 quiz (week of April 5); Lesson 19 quiz (week of April 12); Lesson 20 quiz (week of April 26)

English Language Arts

• Reading/Social Studies Integrated Unit: Becoming an Active Citizen
• Explain how characters’ actions affect the sequence of events in a story
• Determine main idea
• Identify structures of government
• Determine actions of an engaged citizen
• Writing: Opinion Writing
• Determine purpose and structures of opinion writing
• Writing: Poetry
• Determine features of free verse poetry

Assessments: Final severe weather informational essay (due week of April 5); Final opinion essay (due week of April 26)

Science

• Force and Motion
• Observe, investigate and measure the forces on an object

Assessments: None planned

Upcoming Events:

April 6: Picture Day

April 19: Remote Learning Day (4 day school week)

April 27-28: SBAC ELA test

May 4-5: SBAC Math test

 

What is SBAC testing? 

SBAC stands for Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium. The SBAC is a computer-based, standardized test in math and ELA given to students every year starting in the 3rd grade. The assessment tests each student on grade level skills and competencies. Parents receive results in mid-summer. Look for more information in coming weeks. 

Here's what we're doing in March!

Math

• Multiplication and Division
• Connecting Division to Multiplication and fact families
• Solving division word problems
• Area
  • Understanding area
  • Multiplying to find area

Assessments: Lesson 12 quiz (week of March 1); Lesson 13 quiz (week of March 8); Unit Assessment (week of March 8); Lesson 15 quiz (week of March 23)

English Language Arts

• Reading: Recount Key Details and Ask and Answer Questions
• We'll be reading non-fiction books about weather to:
  • Retell key details
  • Answer questions using evidence.
  • Use context clues to determine the meaning of unknown words.
• Writing: Drafting, revising and publishing a book of original poetry; Drafting, revising and publishing an informational essay about a severe weather topic.
• Spelling: Continuing our spelling procedure

Assessments: Poetry book due week of March 23; Severe weather essay due week of March 23

Science

• Weather:
• Understanding Climate
• Severe Weather
• Engineering solutions for natural disasters

Assessments: None planned

 

Upcoming Events:

March 1: Remote Learning Day

March 1-5: I Love Reading Week (see blog post below or Google Classroom)

March 8: Remote Learning Day

March 11: Full instructional day (changed from 1/2 day)

March 8-11: Parent-Teacher conferences

March 11-19: Spring Break

 

 

I Love Reading Week is March 1-5. Join us for fun dress up days and awesome read alouds!

Monday: Read at Home Day: What are you reading today? Take a picture of your favorite reading spot or read in your pajamas and post to our padlet: https://padlet.com/selee4/bxjjupcit84wg9u5

Books of the Day: Mr. Scruff by Simon James and The Rumble Hunters by Courtney Dunlap

Tuesday: Read ME Day - wear a shirt with words on it 

Book of the Day: Just Ask by Sonia Sotomayor

Wednesday: Stripes Day - wear ALL the stripes!

Book of the Day: A Bad Case of the Stripes by David Shannon

Thursday: Rattlesnake Readers- wear a Rattlesnake shirt or green and yellow.

Book of the Day: Are They Really Scary? by Julia Inserro

Friday: Favorite Character Day- Dress up like a character from one of your favorite books!

Book of the Day: Riley Can Be Anything by Davina Hamilton 

Click on the blue link to hear each book read aloud, or check out our 3-Ibis Google Classroom page. 

 

Please click here to view the Remote Work that is due 3/2. 

 If you need assistance accessing online assignments, please see the post from September 23 entitled "Remote Learning Day and Accessing Google Classroom and Clever at home." 

Please click here to view the Remote Work that is due 2/23. 

 If you need assistance accessing online assignments, please see the post from September 23 entitled "Remote Learning Day and Accessing Google Classroom and Clever at home." 

We'll celebrate Valentine's Day on Friday, February 12. We'll do an art project and create special compliment (tootles) cards for our classmates. Please do not send cards or treats from home. 

 

 

Here's what we're doing in February!

Math

• Multiplication and Division
• Using Place Value to Multiply
• Understanding the meaning of Division
• Connecting Division to Multiplication
• We'll continue to work on modeling and memorizing multiplication facts from 0-10 

Assessments: Lesson 9 quiz (week of Feb. 8); Mid-Unit Assessment (week of Feb. 8); Lesson 10 Quiz (week of Feb. 15); Lesson 11 Quiz (week of March 1) 

English Language Arts

• Reading: Recount Key Details and Ask and Answer Questions
• We'll be reading non-fiction books about Weather to:
  • Retell key details
  • Answer questions using evidence.
  • Use context clues to determine the meaning of unknown words.
• Writing: Drafting, revising and publishing a creative narrative about The Year of Miss Agnes; Drafting, revising and publishing an informational essay about a severe weather topic.
• Spelling: Continuing our spelling procedure
• Daily 3: Building our stamina for independent reading, writing and word work.

Assessments: Creative narrative due week of 2/8; Severe weather essay TBD

Science

• Weather
• Weather Instruments
• Climate
• Severe Weather

Assessments: None planned

 

Upcoming Events:

 

Monday, 2/1: No Remote Learning

Monday, 2/8: No School for teacher PIR day

Monday, 2/15: No School for President's Day

 

 

 

Below is the Remote Work that is due 2/2. While this week's online activies are optional, please complete the offline/paper activities and spend some time on MyPath.

• Math Assignment: Complete Session 5 and the blue worksheet.
• Reading Assignment: Read 20-30 minutes each day.
• Optional Remote Day Assignment: 2 My Path lessons

 

If you need assistance accessing online assignments, please see thie post from September 23 entitled "Remote Learning Day and Accessing Google Classroom and Clever at home." 

Please click here to view the in-person schedule for phase 2, starting Jan. 25 for grades K-2 and February 2 for grades 3-8. 

Please note that online assignments are optional for January 25 and Februrary 1. We appreciate your patience as we figure out systems, procedures, and homework during this transition.