You don't want to miss the exciting things happening this spring at Southside! The first week of March is Read Across America Week! We'll celebrate reading and Dr. Seuss's Birthday with dress up days. On Thursday, March 6th, we will have our 2nd grade music program for families at 6 p.m. On Friday, March 7th, we'll host our annual Heavenly Hats Fundraiser Hat Parade. That day also marks the end of the 3rd quarter, and we have early release at 12:00 p.m. for Spring Break. Spring Break is the week of March 10 - 14, and classes will resume on Monday, March 17th.
When we return from spring break, on Tuesday, March 18th, Hamilton Studios will be taking Spring Pictures. For students who met the Bluebonnet Challenge in the library, they'll attend a special field trip on Friday, March 21st. Report cards for Quarter 3 will come home on Tuesday, March 25th.
Our 3rd - 5th grade students will take MOCK STAAR tests the last couple weeks of February. These are practice tests administered following the same procedures as the state STAAR tests in April.
MOCK STAAR Test Dates (Practice)
February 18 - Reading/Language Arts MOCK STAAR: 3rd - 5th Grade
February 20 - Science MOCK STAAR: 5th Grade
February 26 - Math MOCK STAAR: 3rd - 5th Grade
* Teachers will be sending home the results from your child's tests on Tuesday, March 4th. Please check their Tuesday folders!
OFFICIAL STAAR Test Dates
April 15th - Reading/Language Arts STAAR: 3rd - 5th Grade
April 17th - Science STAAR: 5th Grade
April 23rd - Math STAAR: 3rd - 5th Grade
Learning to read takes practice. Loving to read takes enthusiasm. Read with your child often and create a sense of enjoyment, wonder, and a passion for reading.
- Read together every day. You can read the morning news at breakfast, share a story after supper, or cuddle up for a book at bedtime. A daily reading routine is something everyone can look forward to.
- Talk and build vocabulary. Interesting conversations build vocabulary, language skills, and knowledge about the world. Talk is a child’s best source of exposure to new words and ideas.
- Model reading. Kids want to do what the grownups do. Make sure your kids get to see you reading and hear you talk about it.
- Point out print. Read and talk about the words you see in the world around you. There’s lots to read—signs, recipes, cereal boxes, instruction manuals, bus schedules, news, maps, and menus.
- Visit the library. Take advantage of all the books, materials, story times, programs, and resources your local library has to offer.
- Create a reading-rich home. Find books at the bookstore or yard sales. Provide a special shelf or basket for kids to keep their own books and one for library books. Make sure there are quiet, comfortable places to read.
- Encourage your child’s reading. Praise the efforts of a soon-to-be or beginning reader. Make sure schedules of older readers include time for reading for pleasure.
- Keep books handy. Stash books in your bag to read aloud when you travel or have to wait at restaurants or for appointments. Or keep eBooks on your phone.
- Start reading traditions. Beyond bedtime stories, consider a special birthday book, holiday favorites, or a regular family read aloud night.
- Let kids choose books. Offer titles that explore your child’s interests, expand horizons, and offer exposure to different kinds of writing. Show them there are books where they can see themselves and books where they can see the worlds of others.
- Make everyone comfortable. Find a spot to read together where you are both comfortable. Sometimes kids have to move around to be comfortable.
- Be an active reader. Use expressive voices for characters, make sound effects, and point things out in the text and illustrations when you read aloud.
- Discuss what you read. Give your child enough time to absorb the story and look at the pictures as you read. Think aloud about what you are reading and looking at and encourage your child to do the same.
- Ask questions when you read. Ask your child to guess what comes next. Ask open-ended questions that help them relate to characters or events in the book. Let your child get involved and ask questions too–interruptions are okay!
- Encourage re-reading. Repetition helps kids learn. Re-reading favorite books and poems helps kids make meaningful connections between themselves and books.
- Connect reading and writing. Write your own reading material, like a story about your life, a story featuring your kids, or a story kids make up.
- Make media matter. Connect kids with appropriate technology—videos, apps, or games that help them learn new words and interesting things about the world.
- Get help. If you have concerns about your child’s language development, hearing, or vision, see your child’s pediatrician as soon as possible.
- Make reading an experience. Link life experiences with books, like a trip to the zoo and books about animals, or planting a garden and reading The Ugly Vegetables by Grace Lin.
- Have fun. Your idea of fun may differ from your child’s, so appreciate your child’s special joy for learning new things. Try different approaches, such as having them read to you or acting out a favorite story. Even something as simple as a story time outside can make reading together livelier and more memorable for you and your child.
By: National Education Association
Published: January 28, 2021
In 3rd grade, emphasis is placed on learning how to multiply and learning the multiplication facts. Our students receive daily practice on facts up to 12! (For example: 1x1, 1x2, 1x3, 1x4, 1x5, 1x6, 1x7, 1x8, 1x9, 1x10, 1x11, 1x12) At this point in the year, all 4th and 5th grade students should know all of their multiplication facts through 12. If your child is still struggling to memorize their multiplication facts, here are some fun ideas to practice at home!
- Roll two dice and multiply the numbers.
- Select two random dominoes, put them side by side, and multiply the numbers.
- At the grocery store, ask about how many cokes would there be total if you bought two 12 packs or how many eggs total if you bought 3 dozen.
- For an extra challenge...multiply with animal stories! My favorite are cows and chickens. If there are three cows and two chickens, how many legs do they have? (For example: 3 cows x 4 legs each = 12 legs / 2 chickens x 2 legs each = 4 legs / 12 cow legs + 4 chicken legs = 16 legs total) Of course, you can use any combination of cows and chickens to increase the level of difficulty. You can even throw in a snake (with zero legs)!
The Coffee on the Go coffee truck visits Southside each month! After dropping off your children, it's a convenient way to grab your favorite beverage on-the-go or a quick breakfast snack before heading to work! The coffee truck will be in our side parking lot on the following dates from 7 - 9 a.m.
February 19th / March 26
Southside Elementary
Email: southside@angletonisd.net
Website: https://www.angletonisd.net/o/ses
Location: 1200 Park Lane, Angleton, TX, USA
Phone: 979.864.8008
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SouthsideElementaryAISD
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