Welcome to Mrs. Dutton's Class

• Friday Folders - Inside will include their final Lexile, iXL suggestions, and End of the Year math test.  
• Report Cards - These will be handed out on the last day of school.
• Last Week - I will be sending home their final projects and materials next week.  Please send your child to school with an empty plastic/paper bag to take it all home in.  
• Picnic at McCabe - On Tuesday, May 24th, we will have our end of the year celebration! Thank you so much to everyone that has volunteered to bring in items and ‘chaperone’.  We will be heading over to the park around 12:30.  This way, it allows students to pick-up their hot lunch if parents prefer that.  
  • Chaperones - we will meet you at the park!  If you are bringing in items and chaperoning, please meet us at the park.  If you are able to lay out the items on the picnic table, that would be great :)
• Volunteer Items - If you are bringing in items and not chaperoning, please bring them with your child, or drop them off at the office in the morning. 
• Share A Bit - Your student did amazing!  I was very impressed at the maturity level the students showed by being prepared on their designated date, and how much information they taught the class!

• Homework - Our class is officially done with homework packets!  We have the Share A Bit project that they can be working on.  Reading at night is encouraged.  If your child has not maxed out Reflex, they do need to continue that until it is complete.
• SBAC - Your students are officially done with their first year of SBAC testing!
• Open House - The school is hosting an Open House for all families from 6-7pm on Thursday, May 12th.  Feel free to come by and check out our classroom, as well as peek into what next year has in store for them :) 
• Mother’s Day - I hope you all have a wonderful Mother’s Day celebrating with families and loved ones.  Inside their Friday Folder is a large envelope for the Mom’s/Aunt’s/Grandma’s in your child’s life.
• Minimum Days - There are 2 more minimum days this school year - Friday, May 20th and Friday, May 27th.  These are “real” minimum days with dismissal at 12:55.
• End of the year Party - Our class party will be at McCabe Park where we will have a picnic and play games.  Thank you to those that sign-up on the SUG to bring items and join us for fun from 12:30-2pm.
• Share A Bit - I have linked the Share A Bit of Knowledge sign-ups. Since the deadline to return the blue slips has passed, please email me what your child chose and I will update the list.  Students cannot duplicate a topic.

• SBAC - Students have officially completed the Math portion of SBAC testing.  Next week, we will be doing the ELA (reading, writing, and listening) portion of the test.
• Thank you to those that brought in snacks to help motivate the kiddos!  They’ve been looking forward to their snacks from you, and daily inspiration treats from me.
• Last Month - Please make sure to be looking at the schedule and school calendars as there are important dates this month :) 
• Share A Bit - The students are coming home with their final project - it is a blue paper explaining everything.  Please have them cut off the bottom strip and return it by Friday. 

 

• Warmer Weather - Students are loving running wild outside and getting great exercise.  They do a great job rehydrating and bringing their water bottles to school.  Some have been complaining about how hot and sweaty they get in the afternoon, so I recommend wearing layers and practicing good hygiene.
• Jackson Laps - As requested per students, we are going to start doing “Three-Lap Thursday” and “Four-Lap-Friday”.  Because of this, please make sure they continue bringing water to school and are wearing appropriate footwear.  Students have the option to run or walk.
• Community Project - Students have access to a GoogleDoc template they may use on GoogleClassroom.  They do not have to use it, but it may be helpful to organize their photos and captions.
• Buddies - We love our little buddies and the students always look forward to spending time with them.  Today we were able to do some buddy bonding and enjoy the Spring weather.

• Celebration - Students had a fun-filled week celebrating all things St. Patrick's Day!
• Lexile - We took our Lexile test today, so all students have a new number.  I also write the number on a bookmark for all of them :)
• iXL - Please remind your child to do their 10 minutes of iXL OR Master a concept at home.  This is a part of the homework and needs to be completed at home, not in class.
• Friendship - As we begin the third trimester I would love for our class to focus on friendship and expanding our friend circles.  Encourage your kiddos to branch out and try and make friends with someone new for a day, or eat lunch for a different classmate, etc.  Our class is continuously working on kindness, and making friends is a great way to practice it!

 

• Friday Folders
• Report Cards - These are in white envelopes inside your child’s folder.
• Data - There is a stapled group of papers that include their iXL data and their Reflex frequency and accomplished facts.
• Leprechaun Trap - Due Wednesday, March 16th so we can put them in the school garden overnight!
• Leprechaun Village - This math project is due on Friday, March 18th
• Allergies - students have been having itchy eyes sneezing a ton with all of the plants and trees blossoming.  Just wanted to let you know in case your student is complaining of sneezing :) 
• WAKA Field Trip - We will be going at 8AM on Friday, March 11th.  Again, this is at 8AM, so your child needs to be at school EARLY.  We will be eating lunch at school, so no sack bags are necessary.  
• Reflex - The data showed me that I had 0 students “go green” 3 times this week.  I have emailed the IT department and the Reflex IT Help Desk as I believe the students that said they did their Reflex.  Because of that, students all got a pass, due to the honor system if they truly believe they went green 3 times.
• MAIDU Pictures - I will be emailing you guys photos shortly :)

• Field Trips - We are trying to fit in as many field trips as we can :) 
• Maidu - Our class field trip is this Friday, March 4th!  Students will need to wear their purple class shirts.  Please make sure to email me if you plan on coming as a chaperone.  
• Wak-amatsu Farm - New field trip!!! This will be Friday March 11th!  I know it is coming so soon, and field trip forms are in Friday Folders.  
• Farm Day - Wednesday, May 11th
• Leprechaun Trap/Assignment - This will be sent home next week, start thinking about what ways you’ll be able to catch the leprechaun.
• Trimester 2 - Your student's report card will be available online Saturday, March 5th. I will also be sending home a paper copy with your student, as well as a pink cover sheet.
• March SUG - Please look over the March SignUp Genius and fill in any spots you’re interested in.. including field trips!

• Scholastic Book Fair
• Preview day with class in on Wednesday
• Shopping - Friday @ 9-9:35 - Look at the flier in their Friday Folder on how to set up an E-Wallet
• Animal Reports - Students have been working so hard on their animal reports.  We have begun our presentations and they are very impressive.  I highly encourage you to ask your children to present their Animal Apps to you at home.  They’re very proud of their work and I would love for them to share it with you!
• Math - Students did a great job on their fractions test!  They are in their Friday Folders and we will be starting our new unit on Tuesday, about perimeter and area.
• 3-Day Weekend - Please keep in mind that there is NO school on Monday, February 21st in honor of President’s Day
• Looking Ahead - As we approach March and are learning about perimeter and area, students will be creating a Leprechaun Trap!  This project is similar to the Valentine’s Day boxes, but will include some additional math about finding perimeter and are.  Keep and eye out for this and instructions over the next couple weeks.

• GoogleClassroom Tests - Please be reviewing the students’ GoogleClassroom tests with them, as it is all online and not a paper copy.  All scores are released back to them right after they take it (you have access to see their scores).  I am still having students not following directions, and choosing 1 answer, when it says choose 2.  Please have a talk with your student, as this is affecting their scores.  Each week we take the Spelling/Grammar test and the ApplyIt! which entails comprehension questions from the weekly reading.
• Benchmark Tests - We are continuously improving our scores as we become more familiar with the Benchmark format.  This assessment is very similar to the SBAC format, so we are practicing and learning test-taking skills. 
• Valentine’s Day Party - Big thanks to Mrs. Anderson (Jack A’s mom) for putting together our valentine’s Day party.  Students will be coming home with a special gift.
• Olympics - Students continue to look forward to our morning Olympic recaps.
• iXL - I have sent home the students monthly iXL report.  The blue bars indicate the time spent at home.  If there are no blue bars, that means your child has not been completing their iXL homework.
• Maidu Field trip - We are all looking forward to our maidu field trip on March 4th.  There are parent spots open still, so please feel free to sign up!
• 3-Day Weekend - I hope you have a wonderful long weekend :)

• Olympics - Today marks the first day of the 2022 Winter Olympics.  Students enjoyed previewing some of the US competitors and were amazed by their performances.  
• iXL - As a reminder, students are to be completing 10 minutes of iXL a night at home.  These skills are to reinforce class concepts, as well as prepare them for the state testing for math and english.
• Valentine’s Day - In the Friday Folders are instructions on how the students are to create their Valentine’s Day boxes.  We will be having a class party on the 11th, in addition to our Valentine’s exchanges. 
• Groundhog’s Day - Students loved watching Punxsutawney Phil announce that there will be 6 more weeks of winter.  They conducted a survey and questioned their classmates on what they thought Phil would predict.
• Black History Month - February is dedicated to learning about influential men and women. We have a variety of class books students can read, as well as daily comprehension questions after reading a passage of a significant person in black history.
• Lunar New Year - Happy Chinese New Year!  As a class we learned about why Chinese New Year is celebrated this time of year, and how people celebrate it.
• Spirit Week (next week):
• Monday - Crazy Sock Day
• Tuesday - Twin Day
• Wednesday - Sports Day
• Thursday - PJ Day
• Friday - Valentine’s Day Colors

• Paragraph of the Week - This week’s writing focus was Descriptive Writing where students got to write about their dream home.  We have been working on imagery, adjectives, and details. 
• Science Fair - Congratulations to our very own Dominic and Michael for participating in this year's Science Fair!  As a class, we were able to look at all of the projects and experiments from all participants.
• Reading Rainbow - Our Reading Counts rainbow shows every student making their own individual progress!   It is important to continue encouraging your students to read chapter books at their level.  Scholastics has an amazing selection, where you can even filter by Lexile level!
• Animal Research Project - Students are off to a great start for their animal projects!  We have all chosen an animal, and now the research begins!  All necessary items are posted in GoogleClassroom.  This project is primarily done at school.  However, if your child doesn’t complete the research topic of the day, it will be sent home in a yellow folder to complete.  Each day, we will be researching a different topic.  The timeline is provided on Google Classroom, along with website suggestions.
• Homework Packet - The new HW packet is posted… The permission slip for MAIDU is on the last page!  Please make sure to complete the HW packet AND the permission slip.  We will be having our Maidu field trip on Friday, March 4th.

February Volunteering - The new SUG has been made :)

• MLK Projects - Students have been working hard all week learning about Martin Luther King Jr. and his legacy.  We have read multiple children’s books, done art projects, and written assignments to expand the children’s knowledge and thinking.
• Photos - I have been updating the class photos on the website to include the art projects that are displayed in the classroom!
• Independent Packets - Remember, if you are absent, to complete the Independent Student Contracts and return them when you come back to school.  You only need to do the days that you are absent.
• Reflex - Please make sure your child is completing their Reflex homework.
• Friday Folders - Due to the high numbers of absences, I have been putting the missed classwork into students’ Friday Folders instead of keeping them to be completed later.  They do NOT need to complete this at home, as they have been doing their Independent Contract work.  But, since I printed the papers anyways, figured I would send them home in case you’d like them to complete it or see what we are doing in class.

• Amazing Feedback - The substitutes raved about how polite and courteous your children were at school.  Thank you for all of your hard work as parents for raising such kind and caring kiddos.
• Independent Student Contracts - Parents will now have access to the Independent Student Contracts on my class website, and are responsible for printing them out, and having your students return them to me when your child comes back.  All of the information is on the website/packet.
• Maidu Field Trip - We are working hard to find a replacement date, where more students will be able to join us!
• Scholastics - I will be submitting Scholastic Book orders next Friday, January 21st!  
• MLK Day - I hope you all have a wonderful 3-day weekend!  We have spent time discussing Martin Luther King Jr. and the children have been really interested about him and his legacy.
• Toys/Pokemon Cards - There have been multiple incidents and issues regarding students bringing Pokemon Cards and Pop-Its to school.  I do not allow either of these in my classroom, as they only cause problems.  Please make sure your child leaves them at home or in the car, before coming on campus.

• Substitutes - I will be out the next few days, and I would appreciate it if you could have a conversation with your child about respecting all adults and teachers.  They are always using their manners, so I have no doubt that they will be respectful to their substitutes.
• Field Trip Form - Thank you to the many of you who have turned in your field trip permission slips and $10!
• Winter Weather - As the weather gets colder, please make sure your child has appropriate outerwear for the weather.
• Reflex - If your student is still in addition and subtraction in Reflex, they should be doing Reflex FIVE times a week until they are in multiplication and division.
• SignUp Genius - Please take a look at the volunteering opportunities on the website, including being a parent chaperone for our field trip!

• Happy Winter Break! I hope you all have a fabulous couple weeks with your families :)
• Friday Folders - Students spent time cleaning out and emptying their desk and folders.  All work that wasn’t finished or turned in was sent home.  None of this needs to be returned.
• The students had a wonderful last day at school celebrating their joy and friendship with each other.  The book exchange went amazing and all children used their manners and ended up with a book they're excited to read!  I also absolutely loved seeing many of your family Christmas cards :) You all have beautiful families.
• Thank you all for the support you give your kiddos and allowing me to be their teacher!  They are all so special and loved.
• We are returning January 3rd, 2022.  There will be no homework this week, as we will all be working on getting back into our routines and reviewing class rules and behavior expectations.

• Diwali - Our class had a special treat as some students shared their Diwali family traditions and taught the class what the Festival of Lights is all about!
• Scholastic - If anyone would like to purchase books, I will be submitting the order today, 12/13
• CandyTrain - Thank you so much for all of the candy!  Every single student brought in their requested items and we are well on our way to piece together the Candy Trains this week :)
• Hour-of-Code - Our class participated last week, as I introduced to them a new coding site called Scratch.  The students also had a choice to code on Kodables or CodeMonkey.
• Lexile - Students took their Lexile test on Friday, 12/10.  They have a bookmark with their updated score.

• Scholastic Books - We will be doing another Scholastic Book order.  This will be due next Friday, December 10th.  
• Candy Train - This highly anticipated event will be on Wednesday, December 15th.  Please make sure you follow the directions from the pamphlet and have all items turned in on time.  There are also spots available on the SUG to volunteer on the day before to help sort and prep the candy, and day of the actual paty!
• Holiday Party - Our class party will be on Thursday, December 16th.  Please sign up on SUG, and reach out to Mrs. Anderson if you’re able to help run a station. 
• Book Exchange - Please start thinking about what wrapped book your child is going to bring for the Book Exchange.  All books are due by the 15th and we will do the Book Exchange on Friday, December 17th.
• Reading Counts - Please encourage your kids to be taking their Reading Counts Quizzes on the chapter books they’re reading at home.  All of these students are capable of being high achieving readers, and may just need a little extra encouragement.  Can’t wait to see how many students we can get to a million words by the end of the year!

• Conferences - Thank you to every child’s family that took the time to meet with me and discuss their child’s progress.  I was so happy to meet with each and everyone of you.  
• Military Care Package SignUpGenius - Thank you to those that have donated.  If you still want to participate, the link is on the tab!  I will be working with some of the staff and students to put the boxes together on Monday, November 29th.  If you do not wish to purchase anything but still want to participate, handwritten letters from the kiddos are a perfect addition to the boxes :)
• Thanksgiving Break - We are officially on break starting at 12:55pm today!  The students are very excited and have earned a nice vacation.  Some of them asked if I was going to give them homework, and the answer was no!  Let them have a mental break.  Reflex, Prodigy, iXL and Reading Counts quizzes should be available over break if they do want to keep up with that.

• Veteran Day Project - All of the Veteran Day projects were very special.  The students all shared who they wrote about, and why they chose that Veteran.
• Conferences Week - Minimum day all week (12:55 release).

• Pastries with Parents - It was so fun seeing many of you at the PTO event this morning!  Thank you for coming and supporting our school and strengthening our school community. Special thanks to the amazing parents in our class that helped!
• Veterans Day Project - The students did an amazing job on the Veterans Day project.  I hope they enjoyed it and were able to learn something special about a veteran.  I always love hearing the stories and the kids were very excited to share!
• Trimester 1 - You made it!  Trimester 1 is already over - WOW!  The kids had a long week of assessments and showing me what they know, and they did great!
• Conferences - If you haven’t already, please sign up using the SignUp Genius link on the left side of the website.
• Kudos to the Kids - I am so proud of the students’ behavior and show of respect towards others.  The yard supervisors and other teachers compliment them frequently and are impressed by their manners and positive attitude at school.  The kiddos also had a substitute on Thursday, while I did one-on-one student assessments on campus, and the substitute was blown away by them!  You should all be very proud of your third graders :)

• SignUp Genius Links - These are located on the left side of the "Home" page.  The November volunteering link has been posted.
• Conferences - Please make sure you sign up for a conference slot.
• Halloween Party - Huge thank you's to those that volunteered and were a part of our party today - it was amazing!
• November - There are a lot of unusual days this month.  Please keep an eye on the school calendar for release days/times.
• Assessments - Next week we will be doing Report Card Assessments.  It is very important that your child is at school, if they are healthy :)  Please notify me as soon as you can if your child will not be here.

• Scholastic Book Orders - I will be submitting these tonight!  Please get your orders in, if you haven’t already done so :) 
• Sign Up Genius - A couple days ago, I sent out an email from SignUp Genius.  This will be where I post all volunteering opportunities.  I will update it each month, and add different opportunities.  I recommend checking this weekly, as I add slots as things come up.  I understand many parents are working, or have a full time job being a parent, so I do not expect everyone to volunteer.  However, I had over half of the class mention they were interested in volunteering on campus :) I am just grateful for the guidance you provide your child and support on homework.  
• Friday Folders - No news from the office this week, so just classwork and the student’s Chapter 3 Math Test!

• Fall Festival - I am SO excited to see you tonight!  I will be there around 5!
• Multiplication Tests - The next few math chapters are about multiplication and division.  After many years of studying effective math teaching techniques and assessments, time tests are not found to benefit the students.  Instead of that, I will be calling up students one by one and individually assessing them as I give them facts orally.  By the end of third grade, students are expected to know their multiplication and division facts 0-100.
• Scholastic Book Orders - I have sent home a paper magazine in their Friday Folders.  Please submit Book orders online by next Friday, October 8th.  
• Friday Folders - There are a handful of handouts: Hot LunchMenu, Epic Info, GoNoodle Coloring, Growth Mindset Pamphlet, and Book Order Form.
• Pizza Paragraph - Students worked so hard on their pizza paragraph.  I have sent home all of their drafts and edits in addition to the final draft (home handwritten and some typed).  They were surprised with a pizza party (Big thank you to the Garland Family for the pizza and Priya’s Dad for the cookies)!  I am actually impressed by all the parents that no students knew about it.  So good job keeping the secret!

• Lockdown DRILL - Students did an incredible job taking our lockdown drill seriously.  They were quick to respond and safely hid silently.  
• Fall Festival Donations - Thank you for the Fall Festival Monster Mash Bash donations!  Mrs. Anderson has been working so hard to make the basket amazing!
• Fall Festival - I look forward to seeing everyone here on October 1st!  This was my favorite memory as a kid at Jackson School.  We have such an amazing community, and I know the PTO has been working endlessly.  Not to mention, we can all put in raffle tickets for our class basket!
• October 4th - NO SCHOOL - This is a staff development day, so students do not have school :)
• Pep Talk - You are doing an amazing job.  Just wanted to pass along the message that all of your kids are respectful and kind.  I feel very lucky to have each of your children in my class.

• Rotations - The third grade team has begun our rotations.  Your students started their Art rotation with Mrs. Hadden and are loving it!
• Positive Reinforcement - The students work towards earning a “Star in their Jar” and when they earn enough, they get to choose a reward (lunch with me, Prize Box, Teacher for the Day, etc.).  As a class, we are working towards earning “Shooting Stars”.  The entire class works to fill up this jar, and will earn a reward of their choosing (PJ Day, extra Free Choice, GoNoodles, Flashlight read-a-Thon, etc.)
• Planned Absences - If your child is going to be absent, please let me know ahead of time so I can plan appropriately and prepare their work. 
• Friday Folders - The school has provided a Garden Club form, and more information regarding Monster mash Bash Fall Festival.  
• Math Books - Students are taking home their old math books (Ch1 and Ch2).  I select specific problems and pages, as well as supplement with other work.  That is why there are unsolved problems/pages.  They do NOT return this.
• Library Books - Please make sure your child returns their library books on Thursdays.  The librarian will not let them check out a new book if they already have 2 out. 
• Chapter 1 Math Test - These were sent back last week.  Please make sure you sign and return these so I have them in my files.
• Calendar Correction - I previously wrote "Conferences and Minimum Day for the 23-24.  I misread this, as that is for Middle Schools ONLY.  We will have normal schedule on the 23rd and 24th.

 

Another week in the books!  Today brought us some rain with a side of crazy energy :)  These kiddos are full of excitement for the rainy weather, and I am so happy they got the chance to run around and play outside under the cloudy skies.  Please make sure to print out this week’s homework, and see my notes below...

 

Happy Friday

 

We had a week full of learning, and enjoying the blue skies.  Captain was very excited to see some of you at the Ice Cream Social!  It made me so happy to know that almost the entire class came to the PTO event.  Love that about our school community :)

Below I have noted some important info/updates from the week...

 

 

Dear Classroom Family,

 

We have had another great week of school, and have seemed to work through any technical difficulties!  Thank you for being patient with me and reaching out with any problems or confusion.  I appreciate the open communication!  Below I have noted some changes/important information.  Please make sure to read over it, as well as print the homework for the upcoming week (Homework tab).

 

 

 

If you're reading this, then CONGRATULATIONS! You've found my class website! In order to print the homework each week, follow these steps: