Indians and Cereal Box Book Reports

This weekend was all about school projects.
Shawna’s class is studying American Indian’s. She was given the Yurok Tribe to do a report and art project on. The report part was fairly easy given she’s in 3rd grade. I wasn’t sure how the

Art project would go. She could do a drawing, mask or diorama. She (we) choose a diorama. We had a bunch of stuff left over from Paula’s Mission project last year like grass, trees, rocks, animals. I just had to buy

A couple more Indians and some glue.

Shawna drew a picture of their traditional house, knew exactly where she wanted the trees and deer to go. She even came up with the idea to puncture the grass with the bottom of the tree, then insert the tree bottom, kind of like putting an earring thru an ear hole. This way the tree’s would stand up better. It worked great.

Todd and Paula left the house so I could concentrate. I can’t help with these projects if others are in the house making noise and stuff. In 2 hours we had her project completed.

Paula’s project day was Sunday. Hers was a cereal box book report. Her book was WAR HORSE. If you’ve never read the book the book is told by the horse. The movie is told by the boy I’m told.

She had to create a cereal using her book as inspiration. She named her Cereal Horse Pops. A toasted vanilla cereal shaped in a horseshoe. Her project took like 5 hours. She had to create a game for the back of the box. She made up 2 games. A prize was optional. We had a horse prize to put inside. On the sides of the box you had to list the Ingredients (main characters) and summary of the story. As the kids get older the details get more intense.

I have scrapbook supplies I used to use for scrapbooking, but now they are just for these activities.

Todd and Shawna took off at 11am to his parents house to help with his dads computer. They didn’t return until 5pm.

Paula had just finished her project In fact, we were still tweaking it a bit even after they returned home.

She’ll turn it in tomorrow.

Pictures below

Field Trip

Yesterday both 5^th grade and 3^rd grade attended a play on Tom Sawyer.  Thankfully both my kids are in those grades so I was able to be a chaperone and kill two birds with one stone. Which is to say, I attended a field trip for both my kids but it only cost me 1 day out of work.  Heh. 

I was technically a driver and had another mom in the car with me. I had to get my car washed prior because dang….the car was a filthy mess.  I have been on field trips where I didn’t wash the car first.  It’s not a must for me. But there was so much dust inside my car on everything plus the windows were awful.  In certain lighting it was hard to see out! 

I had 3 girls and 2 boys in my car.  The mom chaperone with me belonged to one of the boys.  I didn’t know her son or her so I’m glad they paired us up.  On the way home I think I even convinced her to chair the Halloween Event next year.  Score!  She was saying how she wished we had one like another nearby school does, where her bosses child attends. I explained we used to have it, but the chairperson no longer wanted to be in charge of it (it’s a big task) so a few year ago it went away.  This mom thinks she might get a couple others involved for next year.  Yay! 

I really enjoyed the play and especially enjoyed experiencing the reactions of the children in the audience.  Kids are so funny.  When the scary Indian showed up in the graveyard the kids got scared, when the actors did funny things they all laughed and giggled. When Tom and Becky kissed the audience giggled louder.   I was sitting next to the 3^rd grade teachers aide for half the show (during intermission Shawna decided she wanted to sit on the other side of me so we switched places).  Even the TA was cracking up at the kids reactions. 

Paula sat up higher in the seats with her classmates so I wasn’t able to see her reaction.   I was a driver for the 3^rd grade so sat down with the kids I was in charge of. When we were outside before the show Paula came up and gave me a hug. She was really glad I attended, even though I wasn’t her chaperone per se.  Another plus is one of the 5^th grade boys in our school was acting/singing in the play.  All the children in our school knew him and enjoyed watching him on stage.  After the show he signed Paula’s program book.  She was impressed.  LOL

I just had the best day ever yesterday and forgot I even had a job to go back to today. 

Study Habits

We've hit that point in time with our 4th grader where she needs to study in order to do well on tests.  It creeped up on us and we were ill prepared.

She always had good grades.  Her memory was excellent.  She never needed to study to get an A on test.

Until this year. 

The first semester of 4th grade she had almost all A's or VG's (equivalent to an A). Then in 2nd semester 8 of her 12 categories decreased.  She went down from an A to an A- or a B+ to a B.  What is going on here I asked?  She didn't know.  I looked at my husband. He didn't know.  We hadn't changed anything.  THAT was the problem. 

She needs to study for tests.  

Once I figured out this fact I thought we had an easy fix.  Turns out it wasn't an easy fix.  Why?  Because she doesn't know HOW to study.  How is it you don't know how to study?  This baffled me.  Don't they teach you how to study in school?  No.  

Last week, after she had some frustrating tears, I sat her down and helped her study for her science test.  Turns out she had an entire page of notes written up from when the teacher explained to the kids all the pertinent facts. Her words as she points to the 3 pages of notes "I don't know what to do with those".   Again, baffled over here.

I explained to her calmly, you read and memorize those notes. You read and memorize the bold print in the text book also.  How do you learn all the words to a Selena Gomez song?  You memorize by repetition.  We spent an hour on those notes and she had the answers down pat. 

She only missed 2 on the test the next day.  Yay!  I felt like such a good mom!  I also foolishly thought she understood how to move forward.  I was wrong. 

Now comes yesterday.  She's typing up a summary or partial book report for a book.  The book, however, wasn't totally read. She needed to complete 8 or more pages of text.  This is problematic when your typing up a summary of those pages and according to her the teacher will KNOW if you didn't read those pages. Then she starts saying how I need to write a note to her teacher because she didn't complete her Religion Lent workbook due the next day. 
Why didn't you complete it? 
Because I didn't think it was being graded so I didn't do the pages. 
I'm not writing you a note. 
TEARS

I stayed up with her until 10pm even though I took a Benadryl upon arriving home (before I knew about all this undone work) and could not keep my eyes open.  She finished the religion booklet.  BUT, she didn't study for her science quiz that was also the next day.  Doh! 

Todd and I really need to learn how to help her.  We will learn because clearly we've hit a point where she needs us to aid in her organization and maintain structure.  Unfortunately to maintain organization and structure there comes a cost. The cost being weekday TV.  She is heartbroken since to her TV at night is HUGE.  It's how we all unwind at our house.  I do feel her pain.

I will need to monitor her homework assigned on Monday's via the school's class website, paying very close attention to quiz and test dates. I'm going to really need to be more present and available when it comes to helping her study for tests.  I'm going to need to be willing to study with her and quiz her.  I'll need to help her also be more aware of quiz and test dates where she can see ahead that next week is a test so we should study on Sunday to get ahead of the game. 

This new direction was inevitable, but I still feel like it came out of nowhere. It didn't.  I just didn't have my eyes wide open.  Now I do.  If I'm honest, I'm not looking forward to the time suck her homework takes from my personal "down time" but she's worth it. 

Shawna's report card email

HI Mrs. Teacher,

I saw Shawna’s report card. Below are my comments.

1: Reading: She just doesn’t get it. Even simple sight words are tough for her. She also gets frustrated that she can’t figure it out so she gives up and doesn’t want to try. I tell her to use the “sound-abet” as guidance but even that isn’t working. The need for glasses probably put her behind. Maybe the tutoring will help. What is your take on this whole thing? Also, keep in mind that Todd, his dad, brother, niece and nephew are all dyslexic when it comes to letters. We’ve kept a close eye on Paula and she seems to be okay. It’s possible Shawna is affected.

2: Writing: We will work on this one.

3: Participation: I asked her today why she had a needs improvement in music for participation. She says she doesn’t like the songs. I told her she has to sing anyway. If you can give me other specifics I can speak to her on them. In general I did mention again she needs to participate in class.

4. Glasses: She is new w/the glasses and takes them off in obscure locations. I didn’t notice a couple times before school that they weren’t in her case and I couldn’t locate them. (after school they were found in her share bag and next to my pillow in my room) We do have a Face or Case rule. She’ll get better with them and so will we.

5: Homework: Generally Todd is very good about this one. Last week someone put their things in her backpack while in extended care. When sorting it out somehow her folder got put into that person’s backpack.

6: Listening: I tell her everyday on the way to school to be a good listener. Since age 2 she chatters non-stop.

I’m open to any ideas or guidance you want to share with me. I probably missed something important above. I’m going off memory of what the report said.

Thanks,
Sandra


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Dear Mrs. Shawna's Mom

Thank you for your message.

1. Reading: At the beginning of the year Shawna was able to name most letters and keep up with us. But as the year has progressed, her attention has lessened, and probably her frustration increased. Shawna tries to go to the bathroom a lot. This seems to be an avoidance tactic.
I will have Mrs. Resource Teacher take a further look at her next week. For the peer tutoring, she gave the 8th grader a very very hard time last week. This week she seemed to be doing better with a different 8th grader, for the first few minutes I was there. Miss Assistant Teacher will let me know in the morning.

2. Writing: Please keep working on writing her name neatly, spelling her last name, and getting the letters to sit on the line.

3. Participation: She has very little during Music class, and often does not want to participate in other subject areas too, story time, repeating rhymes, saying prayers, answering a question, ... This is probably the area to focus on. She can do and she can participate. You told me at the fall conference that she said everything was boring. Please ask her what part of school she does like, and let me know so that we can capitalize on that.

4. Glasses: If she could wear them all the time it would be very very helpful. It must be confusing to see clearly sometimes and not others. Students in her situation usually do much better if they wear their glasses consistently.

5. Homework is every Wed. due back Thurs. so help her to become accountable for it. After she does her homework, she should be the one who puts it in her folder and into her backpack. She can handle that responsibility.

6. Listening involves eyes and ears and active participation.
Tomorrow morning I will start a little stamp chart, where I will stamp each box for the morning, mid morning, and afternoon, for her participation in class. You may choose to do with this chart as you wish, setting a possible goal of 12 out of 15 for the week could earn a fun activity at home ?

Let me talk to Mrs. Resource Teacher next week and I will get back to you on her reading.

Thank you,
Mrs. Teacher

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Hi Mrs. Teacher,
I really liked and appreciate your input.

This morning I asked Shawna what are her favorite activities in school? She immediately said being on the computer. Her next favorite was sharing. I probed more. She likes arts & craft's, she also likes the sound books that you read to them. Not the sound-a-bet (she was clear about that) but the sound books that each have their own letter. ???
That's as much as I got out of her.

Thanks for all your help. I think she'll like the stamps for participation.