May Madness

Tuesday marks the beginning of the busiest month of the school year—May! Even though there is only one month of school left, there is still much to do. Please talk with your child about listening and learning during this month. Thoughts turn to summer vacation and students’ attention often slips. It is still critical to master skills that will help your child be successful as a 4th grader. The Voyageur Encampment is set for Thursday, May 10. On this day, all 3rd grade students will travel to Lake Lansing South for a journey back in time. Students will learn what Michigan life was like in the early 1700s. They will go to different areas of the park and listen to historians tell tales and share artifacts from that time period. This is a fun-filled event that needs parent help and we need you! As of today, we have one parent that has volunteered to chaperone a group of students. We need more! There will be an informational meeting on Wednesday, May 2nd at 6:00 PM in the classroom. If you can’t make it, but still would like to help, please contact me. Thanks in advance for considering helping on the day of the Encampment. You’ll even learn about our state’s early history!

On Tuesday, May 1, second and third grade students will go to NCG to see Disney’s “African Cats.” Several parents have volunteered to chaperone. Thank you very much. Please be advised that you will need to get a background check at Central Office before Tuesday. This is a very quick procedure, but needs to be done before parents can attend. This is a yearly procedure, so even if you did it last year, you’ll need to stop in again. Thanks for helping to keep our kids safe.

The final DIBELS assessment will be given to 3rd grade students next week. This is an oral reading fluency assessment, as well as comprehension. Students read three passages within one minute and then provide a retelling. The goal for 3rd grade for the final assessment is 100 words per minute. Practicing oral reading at home with a kitchen timer is a great way to keep up this skill.

Second and third graders will also go to Wharton Center to see “Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters” on Monday, May 7th. Watch your child’s mail for more details on this fun event.