Reading

Reading Millionaire!

Congratulations to Kennedy, our newest reading millionaire. Great Work!

Reading Calendars

Also, a reminder that after our long break the March Reading Calendars will be due. That will be on April 7, 2015! I won't send home the April reading calendar until they get back, but hopefully they'll still find time to read.

Lots of Notes

Report Cards and Permission Slips

The students report cards are getting sent home or e-mailed today. If you get your child's report card sent via e-mail I am also sending home an envelope with a couple of extra pieces of information. There will be a WKCE report for the social studies and science portion that they took in the fall. Also, there is a permission for our field trip to the Capitol on April 27. Please return the second page signed and $5 as soon as you are able.

Parent/Teacher Conferences

Don't forget that conferences are tomorrow and Friday of this week. Here's the document to check your time: I-G Conferences

Book Fair

The buy one get one free book fair is going on at the school right now too. We will be making a wishlist at the end of the day today (Wednesday). Your child can bring in money on Thursday or the bookfair will be open during conferences.

Xtra Math

Congratulations to Ashley for finishing the division portion of xtramath.org. She has now finished all four math functions!

Cobb Library Activities

"LEGO Club"

Where: Cobb Public Library

When: Saturday, April 4 @ 1:00pm - 2:00pm

Who: All ages are welcome.

~ LEGOs provided 

    ~ FREE                      

~ Children 6 and younger must be accompanied by an adult.

Movie Morning

Where: Cobb Public Library

When: Thursday, April 2 

         10:00am - 11:30am

Showing: HOP

Rated: PG    Running Time: 96 minutes

 ~ Children 6 and younger must be accompanied by an adult.

P/T Club Fundraiser Letter

Attention Parents and Guardians:

We would like to inform you that we are starting a new fundraiser for play ground equipment.   We will be selling America's Freedom Card featuring the “My Deals” mobile app. The App is a free download for smart phones that can be downloaded from the App Store or Google Play. Each America’s Freedom Card has a unique Member Id# for unlimited usage for one (1) year from the date of activation for local and nationwide discounts that travel with you!

Simply find the discount within the My Deals App, hit the redeem button, and show your smart phone to receive discounts such as buy one get one or 50% off at over 300,000 locations.  “My Deals” is easy to use and there are many ways to save money in our area.  The app works all over the United States, which is useful for those who travel. It’s also a plus for you to sell cards to friends and relatives who live out of the area.

We are asking your family to sell as many Mobile App Member Id’s as you can to reach our goal. This unique discount mobile app will not only benefit the Playground Fund, but will also benefit you, the purchaser.  Once you download the My Deals App and enter the profile information to include your Member ID# you will have access to hundreds of large national chains stores such as Subway, A & W, Petco, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Super 8 Hotel, etc...

Our Goal is to raise $30,000 to purchase new play ground equipment. We are making progress towards this goal; we now have $10,904 in our account.   We think our parents and students are the best and wish to thank you for your assistance in helping to raise funds.  We know that with your help we will soon provide the students of IGEMS with a safe, fun place to play.

On the back of this letter you will find a form to use as you sell the cards.  Please return the bottom portion of the paper with your money and the number of cards that you are selling. The cards will arrive soon after we place our order. 

All orders are due on Wednesday, April 8, 2015.  

Let it Snow?

This is what our family did on Jessie and Alstan's first day of Spring Break! I hope Iowa-Grant has a lot better weather for our break.

Badger Exam Practice Test

We are doing a practice test for the Badger Exams today in computers. This will allow students to see the different tools available to them while they are taking the test. We will try the math practice exam today. The link below will give them access to the practice exam.

Badger Exam Practice Test


Friday Fun!
Don't forget that tomorrow we are having our electronics day. The kids will get to play their electronics during what is normally our gym time.

Also, Friday is a half day! Kids will dismiss at 12:30.

Finally, wear your Badger gear or red since the Badgers play on Friday evening.

FFA Coloring Competition

Lit Wars and Reading Millionaire

Evie and three other fourth graders competed at the Literature War today. There were 19 different schools represented and 150 students in attendance, so this is quite an accomplishment! 

Evie also became the classrooms first reading millionaire this week. It has been a huge reading week for Evie! Be on the lookout for more reading millionaires to come too.

Congratulations! 

FFA Coloring Competition

Jeran won the FFA Coloring Competition for our class! His coloring page is on display near the office. 

Conferences Next Week

Don't forget conferences are next week. You can still sign up on that sheet or by contacting me. I included the link if you wanted to double check your time too. Spring Conference Schedule

Crafts with the Easter Bunny

Where: Montfort Community Building

When: Saturday March 28th 10-11:30am

Make sure to bring your camera!!

Bake Sale provided by Wingville Clovers 4H club

End of the Week

We have a few interesting things going on at the end of the week. Some of them involve our class activities and some are just random things.

Thursday, March 19

• Wear Orange - This was originally scheduled for Friday, but is being moved to Thursday. This is for our school wide fairness activity.

• Language Arts Test - We are going to try the new tests available with our reading series based on this weeks story, Hercule's Quest. This test is a little different in that they will be able to take it online and see their results as soon as they are finished. I'm excited to try it out.

• Mineral Point to State - The Mineral Point boys basketball team made it to state in basketball. They will be playing at around 8 p.m.

Friday, March 20

• Half Day! - It's the end of the third quarter already. Students will be dismissed at 12:30.

• Electronics Day - The students have earned their electronics day, and we will do it during the time we usually have P.E. On half days we don't have P.E. because Mr. Allen has scheduling conflicts between the elementary and high school. This seemed like a perfect time for us to have our electronics day. When the students are not using their electronics I would like them to keep them in their desks. I'll lock the door whenever I leave.

• Spring! - Friday is the first official day of spring!

• Wear Red or Badgers Gear - The Badgers play on Friday for the NCAA tournament. Students can wear their red or Badgers gear to school.

A Couple of Extras

Basketball Camp

Here is a form for a basketball camp in Platteville this summer. The camp is on March 15, 2015. Here is all the information: Optimist Club Tri-Star Basketball Skills

Cobb Library Movie

MOVIE MATINEE

Where: Cobb Public Library

When: Friday, March 20 @ 1:30pm - 3:15pm

Showing an action comedy adventure about brilliant robotics prodigy Hiro Hamada, who finds himself in the grips of a criminal plot that threatens to destroy the fast-paced, high-tech city of San Fransokyo. With the help of his closest companion-a robot named Baymax-Hiro joins forces with a reluctant team of first-time crime fighters on a mission to save their city.

Rated: PG

FREE - Children 6 and younger must be accompanied by an adult.

MOVIE MORNING

Where: Cobb Public Library

When: Thursday, April 2 @ 10:00am - 11:30am

Showing a comedy about E.B., the teenage son of the Easter Bunny. On the eve of taking over the family business, E.B. leaves for Hollywood in pursuit of his dream of becoming a drummer. He encounters Fred, an out-of-work slacker with his own lofty goals, who accidentally hits E.B. with his car. Feigning injury, E.B. manipulates Fred into providing him shelter, and Fred finds himself with the world's worst houseguest.

Rated: PG

FREE - Children 6 and younger must be accompanied by an adult.

News and Notes

Math

The kids in my math class had their Unit 5 test today, which was focused on measurement. Mrs. Bast's class will take their math test on Friday, while Mrs. Hrubes' class will have theirs a little further down the line.

Even though my math class had a test today I am still giving them homework. They need to get outside and play for at least 900 seconds!

Baseball and Softball Reminders

Tomorrow is the last day to turn in your child's baseball and/or softball sign-up sheets and money. After that there is a $25 late fee. I sent home extra copies for students who said they needed them.

Electronics Day
The students next PAWs activity will be coming up very shortly. We don't have a date yet, but I would guess it will be before Spring Break. They chose to have an electronics day, where they can bring in their own device. This makes me a little nervous, but next year they will all have their own iPads so this will be good practice. I will ask the students to keep their electronics in their desk on that day. If I leave the room I will lock the door to make sure they are safe. Finally, if you don't have electronics, we have five iPads in the room and I'll bring mine from home as well.

Orange Out
On Friday, March 20 the PBIS Team is encouraging students and staff to wear orange for our Fairness trait.

Adverbs

We are working on adverbs in Language Arts this week. Today we watched Lolly, Lolly, Lolly Get Your Adverbs Here!

Robotics Afternoon

WHERE: Cobb Public Library

WHEN: Tuesday, March 31  -  1:00 PM - 3:00 PM

WHO: Grades 4th to 7th

WHAT: You will design and build a "Lego Mindstorms NXT Robot" and learn how to program it to do specific tasks.

INSTRUCTOR: Deb Ivy - Iowa County 4-H Youth Development Agent

 - Free program with all supplies provided 

- Pre-Registration required at the Cobb Public Library

- Limit of 10 Participants

Book Fair

Dear Parents and Families,

You are invited to our Buy One Get One Free Scholastic Book Fair, a reading event packed with excitement for students and families.

Our theme – Book Fair UNDER THE SEA – will make reading as exciting as exploring the deep ocean. The entire school community will delight in an exciting adventure of discovering great books, thrilling stories, and family fun. Readers of all ages will walk away from the Book Fair with the grandest treasure of all: a lifelong love of reading!

The more a child reads, the stronger reader he or she becomes. Strong reading skills are essential to a child’s success in school and life. Our Book Fair encourages this success by offering students access to great books at affordable prices. Children are more likely to read books they personally choose. The wide variety of choices offered at our Book Fair ensures that there will be something for everyone!

See you there!

Fair Dates: March 25-27, 2015

Shopping Times: 

Thursday, March 26^th Noon-8 p.m.

Friday, March 27^th 8-11 a.m.

Spring Conferences

The link for spring conference sign-up is now available.  Here is the link if you haven't signed-up yet:

Spring Conferences

Parent/Teacher Conferences

The Sign-Up sheet is supposed to be on the website this evening (March 4).

Starting with the Spring Conferences this year Iowa-Grant will be doing the sign-up using Google Docs. It may sound complicated, but it allows parents to make sure they are getting times that are convenient for them. It will allow you to keep your time slots close together if you have multiple kids at IGEMS. If you do not have Internet or the new technology stresses you out please just write a note to me telling the times you prefer. If you are going to write in a time please give me three different options though, incase your first choice is filled.

Google Docs

The Spring Conference sign-up is on the Iowa-Grant homepage and it is a shared document. A shared document means multiple people can open it and add information. The document will look like a large table. Just find the appropriate teachers and put your name in the time you'd like. Google Docs saves automatically, so when you are finished there is no save button to click.

Conference Information

As for the conferences, they will be on Thursday, March 26 and 27. The March 26 conference time is from 4-8 p.m. while the March 27 time will be 8-11 a.m. The sign up times are split up into 15 minute blocks. So on the first night we will have a sign-up at 4:00, 4:15, 4:30, etc. The last time slot is 7:45. Again, if you aren't comfortable with using Google Docs just give me three available times you have and I'll insert it for you.

Adjusting Times

I had one or two kids who said they were going somewhere right after school for Spring Break. If that is the case, you can let me know and we'll make plans on an alternative day. I can meet many days before or after school or we can arrange another time that will work too. If you need a different time please contact me via e-mail (avanovermeer@igs.k12.wi.us) or phone (608-943-6313 ext. 1048)

Notes

Reading Calendars

Congratulations to the following students for turning in their February Reading Calendars: Jalyssa, Teejay, Mackenzie, Madalyn, Kennedy, Indigo, McKenna, Jeran, and Alexiyia.

The April Calendars have already been sent home. As I tried to be funny I made a mistake on those calendars too. I put they were due April 1 (No Joke), but we will be on Spring Break during that time. The March calendars will not be due until Tuesday, April 7. The March Calendar is also the last month students get a Pizza Hut Coupon.

Spring Craft/Vendor Sale

IG High School

March 14, 2015, 9:00 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Appearance by the Easter Bunny 11am-1pm

Concessions available with the proceeds going to IGEMS Parent/Teacher Club & Playground Fund

Journey's - New Reading Series

We started our new reading series today that we will pilot until the end of the year. The structure will be similar as we will have a main story that we read along with vocabulary, grammar, writing and spelling.

One of the changes that you will see right away though is the spelling list. This program has a more traditional spelling list of twenty words. We will be trying this out for a while. There won't be a sort that goes with the word list. It is more of a traditional spelling list that parents probably grew up with.

Tomorrow we will read the main story of the week, Riding Freedom. The kids will have several different ways that they can read it or even have it read to them digitally.

Each week we will have a Focus Wall that has the story and major concepts that we are working on. The Focus Wall will appear as a large poster in the back of the room, but also as a webpage. From the webpage there are many links that go through our story. Here is this weeks Focus Wall. 

I also set up spelling city for the rest of the year with our Journeys Textbook. If students go to our Spelling City Page they will find the entire word list for spelling and vocabulary. We are going to start on Week 16 for spelling.