Ms.

Ms Message
March 25, 2013

Welcome Back!
I hope everyone had a nice relaxing Spring Break! I cant wait to hear about everything you have done, the places you went, the people you saw, and the BOOKS you read! Now that we are back in school we are going to work really hard to get ready for OCCT Testing, that is going to start in April. This newspaper is going to help you, your parents, and my self get you ready for the tests and for the rest of the year.

Please make sure your student gets a goodnights sleep every night. A sleepy child does not absorb as much information as a well rested student!

Reminders:
Early Release Friday March 29th. April 5- Cooper Quarterly Awards Assembly 3rd-6th grade 8:05 April 9 Testing assembly- 8:05 April 10- State testing begins April 26- Early Release - students leave at 1:00 April 29- Book fair begins May 9- Talent show5:30 May 14- Field day

Studying & Assignments

Make sure that your child does all their homework and reading assignments, this will help make sure your child is prepared for the test. Encourage your child to space out their studying and homework assignments so that they won't be forced to cram on the night before the test. Provide a quiet, well lighted area with little distractions to help your child study efficiently.

We are busy scholars all week! Make sure to ask your child all of the amazing things we do every week!

Tips for Testing

If you are anxious about your child's test, it's ok but try to keep cool around your child, you don't want them to get anxious about their tests too.

Encourage your child to do well but don't pressure him/ her. You may stress him/her out. It is important for your child to stay relaxed for the test.

Keep a positive attitude about tests.

Our Scholar Schedule:

Monday: Quizzes, Tests, and Chapters Tuesday: Note Taking Wednesday: Centers & One-on-one meetings Thursday: Centers & One-on-one Meetings Friday: Review Over Weeks Objectives Homework DUE
Feel like escaping? Read a book. It can take you anywhere!

BOOK ORDERS
Our classroom will be getting the Scholastic book orders in a couple of weeks! Ordering from Scholastic is a simple and inexpensive way to buy books for your child. If you would like to order books as a surprise, just write me a note to let me know that I should hold the books for you until you come in to get them. Please consider ordering books each month because for each dollar you spend, the classroom earns bonus points where I can order more books for the classroom. Here is an easy way to order the books ONLINE:

Dont be afraid to go out on a limb, thats where the fruit is.

Classroom Promise Each day I'll do my best. And I won't do any less. My work will always please me, And I won't accept a mess. My writing will be neat. And I will not be happy, until my papers are complete. Ill always do my homework, And try my best on every test. I wont forget my promise, To do my very best.

https://orders.scholastic.com/M4 FB8

Snacks in Class
In the classroom I allow students to have a bottle of water or juice, and a healthy snack. This keeps their brain energized. It also keeps the students from asking to go get a drink every five minutes or so. Please send only healthy snacks to class.

NO: POP, CHIPS, or CANDY!

Writing is one of my passions! Writing is one of the best way a person can express themselves and reading is a great way to escape to another world. Every week, students will take home one of the prompt writing pieces. On it, you will see marks that indicate the areas your child is working on. Right now our focus is complete sentences and correct punctuation marks.
Ms. Ms Message

Tips for Testing Continued...

Mark down test days on your calendar so you and your child are both aware of testing dates. Make sure that your child gets enough sleep on the night before the test. Ensure that your child eats a healthy breakfast and avoid heavy foods that may make him/her groggy and avoid high sugar foods that may make him/her hyper. Make sure that your child gets up early enough so that he/she will be on time to school. Let your child relax for a few hours before bedtime, it can be stressful for a child to study all night. Talking about the test with your child can relieve stress about test taking. Praise/reward your child when they do well on a test or for their hard work preparing for a test. Encourage them to do better if they don't do well.

Review the test with your child after they have If your child is strug- Testing is very important. If taken it and go over any gling on their tests, talk to you take the test seriously, mistakes they have made so will your child. them about it and meet and make sure that they with their teacher to find understand what they did wrong and how they can improve for the out the best way to help your child. next test.

For the Students: While Taking THE Test...

Listen closely to any instructions. As the teacher hands out the test, be sure you know what's expected of you. Read the test through first. Once you have the test paper in front of you, read over the entire test, checking out how long it is and all the parts that you are expected to complete. This will allow you to estimate how much time you have for each section and ask the teacher any questions. If something seems unclear before you start, don't panic: ask.

Focus on addressing each question individually. As you take the test, if you don't know an answer, don't obsess over it. Instead, answer the best way you can or skip over the question and come back to it after you've answered other questions.

Continued...

Relax. If you're so nervous that you blank out, you might need a mini-break. Of course you can't get up and move around in the middle of a test, but you can wiggle your fingers and toes, take four or five deep breaths, or picture yourself on a beach or some other calm place. As we all know, it can be easy to forget things we know well like a locker combination. The difference is we know we'll remember our locker combination because we've used it hundreds of times, so we don't panic and the combination number eventually comes back. During a test, if you blank out on something and start to get tense, it suddenly becomes much more difficult to remember. Finished already? Although most teachers will let you hand a test in early, it's usually a good idea to spend any extra time checking over your work. You also can add details that you may not have thought you'd have time for. On the other hand, if you have 5 minutes until the bell rings and you're still writing, wind up whatever you're working on without panicking.

Volume 1, Issue 1

Page 3

Cooper Elementary
Courtny McFarland Educator Tulsa Public Schools E-mail: mcfarco@tulsaschools.org
You cannot open a book without learning something.

Have a Beautiful Day!

April 2013
SUN MON TUE
1 7 14 21 28 8 15 22 29 2 9 16 23 30

WED
3 10 17 24

THU
4

FRI
5

SAT
6 13 20 27

11 12 OCCT TESTING 18 25 19 26

OCCT TESTING

OCCT TESTING

Ms. Ms Message

Novel Study
We will be starting a new novel called The Cay By: Theodore Taylor.
ship by the end of the novel. Their relationship changes rapidly throughout the novel starting with complete When World War II breaks out, 11 year old hate and them showing signs of teamPhillip Enright and his mother board the work to a point where Phillip doesn't S.S. Hato to Virginia because the mother feels it's unsafe to stay in Curaao. The need Timothy anymore but Timothy needs Philip. Phillip is blind for most ship is torpedoed, and Phillip is blinded by a of the story, and heavily relies on blow on the head and is stranded on an isTimothy for a long time on the island land with an old black man named Timothy and a black cat named Stew Cat. They build until he adapts to being blind. After a tempest comes and kills Timothy, a hut, and keep track of the days by throw- Phillip is then rescued by a schooner ing pebbles in a can. They live alone togeth- and goes back home. A year after he er for two months. In the opening chapters of the book, the pair display significant difficulty in being able to tolerate and work with each other, partly because of young white Phillip's racial prejudice against the elderly black Timothy. The two characters learn to overcome their disdain for one another, and develop strong bonds of friendwashed up onto the island, he gets surgery to get his sight back. THE CAY" is a most interesting, believable and memorable book.
This is a powerful story about growing up, becoming independent despite physical disability, and about strength and selfreliance beyond the levels required of most human beings--let alone a child.