Honu News

October 2015
Important Dates
Oct. 1, 2, --ERB Testing
Thursday, Oct. 8Bento Order due
Monday, Oct. 12-- No School; Discoverers' Day
Wednesday, Oc. 14Rock Box project due
Thursday, Oct. 22Class Picnic, Kaimana Beach
Friday, Oct. 23Haiku Stream Field Trip
Thursday, Oct. 29Halloween Activity for students
Friday, Oct. 30No School, Prof. Dev. Day for Kumu
Saturday, Oct 31Happy Halloween!

Chapel
I'm sure you'll agree that Na Honu did a fabulous job of spreading the message of
Aloha United Way at their chapel on Monday. It was so much fun for them to do and the
laughter and applause made it all worth while to them. Mahalo for all of your help with
memorizing lines and costumes. A big mahalo to the parents who donated the flowers
and decorated the altar. It added so much to the performance. Mahalo, also, to the
parents who brought in all the goodies for everyone to enjoy following chapel.

Parent Conferences
I really enjoyed meeting with each of you during our Parent Conference. Thank
you for your insights into your child and for all that you do to help. I know we are off to a
great year! Our next conference will be in early February. At that time we will also have
a Progress Report to go over.

In The Class...
All I can say is that the month of September flew by!! Between Open House, a
field trip, chapel and conferences, its amazing we got as much done as we did in
reading, riting, and rithmetic!
In Reading Workshop we are fishishing with our first novel Half A Moon Inn. The
students are working on responses which include telling about their feelings and
thoughts about what they have read. I have been trying to have them include more
details by writing at least three sentences that are related to one idea. This will help
them construct paragraphs and organize their writing. The students are also working on
discussing their ideas and feelings about the novels so that when they break up into
small book club groups they will know the types of things to discuss, how to participate
in a discussion, etc. We will start another whole class novel soon. Hopefully we will

start book clubs in the beginning of November. I am also encouraging the students to
read chapter books and fiction during their own time.
I am continuing to establish the idea of quality work: neatness, writing on the
line, erasing cleanly, showing effort, thoroughness, proofreading for mechanical
and spelling errors, and having a clean, unwrinkled paper. Please encourage your
child to do the same.
In math, we are working on numeration, place value and addition and subtraction
of numbers. Last month the students really enjoyed making graphs. We will also be
working on moneycounting money as well as making change. Any opportunities your
child can have to practice these concepts will be helpful and reinforcing for them. Please
remember to practice basic subtraction and addition facts with your child as well.
In September we started a Hawaiian Studies/ Science unit on geology. This
month, the students will continue to learn general information about island formation,
volcanoes and rocks. We will visit Gates Science Workshop next week to do activities
around the three main types of rocks (igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic). At the
end of the month we will begin our study on streams and go on a field trip to Haiku
Stream in Kaneohe.
Our field trip in September (Geology Bus Tour) gave the students a wonderful
opportunity to learn first hand about Oahus geological past. To assist us on this trip
and to help teach the students about Hawaiis geological past was Kumu Marian Leong
from the Papahanna Kuaola Program. She gave an hour and a half slide show/lecture
about Hawaiis geology earlier in the month. (She even brought in a large piece of the
new little island that is forming off of the Big Island, Loihi. The students were thrilled to
actually be able to touch Loihi!) The students learned so much on the trip. Making
connections between what we read and see in class and what they see in real life is
definitely the way to learn!
A required geology project is due on October 14a rock box. The students will
need to make a rock collection. Information will be coming home today. Your child may
need a little assistance with it such as a stop at the beach. Thank you for your help with
it. It's a fun project that they really enjoy.
Another fun thing occurring in class is using the iPads. The students just finished

a project on Book Creator reflecting on the field trip last week. Wow, they're awesome
with the iPad! I just need to present an idea to them and they take off running with it.
As you know, this week the Aloha United Way drive started. The students have
already started to bring in their money to class. I know most of them said they wanted to
work on earning money over the weekend which is fine with me. Deadline is
Wednesday, October 7. Mahalo for your kokua with this school wide project.
A surprise happening todaythe Rotary Club of HawaiI will be visiting Third
Grade to give each student their own dictionary. The students are thrilled to receive it. I
will have them keep it in school so they can use it here. They love the "extra" information
in it. The Rotarians have been giving a dictionary to every third grader in the STATE for
years now! What a great project.
The last school day of October, the 29th, we will be celebrating Halloween with
some activities in class, thanks to some parents. The students will not, however, be
wearing costumes in school. Luckily for us kumu, Halloween is on a Saturday this year!
One last thingthe boys start swimming on Monday, November 2. Mr. Smith will
send a letter home with the boys with details soon. The dates will also be on the
calendar next month. They swim during PE times until December 1. The girls will start
swimming on December 4 until mid-January.
Our class Weebly is ready to go. I will send you the site address shortly. The web
site will have pictures, calendars, and newsletters on it.

Mahalo for all you do for Na Honu!