Welcome to the 2012-2013 School Year!

Dear IMA Families:

It has been quite a whirlwind these past three weeks.  The third graders have settled into their new classrooms and we are so impressed with this group!  They are eager to learn and such a friendly, cooperative team of kids.  We are VERY proud of our fourth graders and the ways they have served as great role models and leaders for our third graders.   The first three weeks hold great promise for a happy, productive and exciting year of learning.

Our assessments are FINISHED and we are ready to dive into our studies with 100% of our class time. We look forward to busy and productive workshops!

Homework:  
Students will turn in a reading log and math log next Thursday (9/20) Please look for homework information and a sample reading and math log in your child's backpack on Monday.  Logs can be turned in 3 different ways.  Kids can submit their work:

• on our blog
• with an email
• on a paper

Talk to the IMA kids about:

Math Talks 

Where’s The Math? 

Poetry Friday 

The IMA Kids-Our Class Blog

Read Aloud Time:

Each day at 11:45, our groups gather together and share a novel before lunch.  Novels are presented with traditional books or Kindle versions on the Smart Board.  Read Aloud is a special time of day for us!

The Boys Start The War, by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor is the first read aloud of the year for the third graders.  Our conversations focus on plot development, point of view, and the excitement that conflict adds to a story.  This is a fun book that leaves you wondering what will happen next! Naylor has published over 135 books, so look for other books by this prolific writer.

The fourth graders are enjoying the book, Hatchet, by Gary Paulsen.  A tense plot, character development and the integration of mapping skills all add up to great conversations and wonders about how a character can survive tough challenges.  If your child likes adventures, look for more Gary Paulsen books at the library!

Thanks to all of the support and enthusiasm from our families.  We look forward to a great school year together!