10/20/08 - Every Vote Counts!!
Register to Vote!! (see the Helpful Links Page)
10/2/08 - BEST Robotics at UAB on October 11th!
The BEST robotics competition will be next Saturday, October 11th, at the
Bartow Arena at UAB. The day is filled with several activities, with the
start of the competition around noon and lasting until around 4:30pm.
The competition is expected to bring nearly 1000 students and parents to the
event. Students have been building a robot over the past 2 months to compete
among 23 area schools. The robots compete by solving some task (e.g.,
constructing an airplane from raw parts).
This will be an exciting event. Please consider coming and brining family
and friends.
For more details, please see:
http://www.eng.uab.edu/best/
9/22/08 - We will begin our unit on the 2008 Olympics. Please see the site
at "Helpful Links". We hope to have this completed by 10/3/08 so that we can
begin our unit on the 2008 Presidential Election 10/6/08.
8/23/08 - Welcome to Gifted Ed at Irondale Community School. Mr. Hobgood and
I (Mrs. Smith) will be your instructors this year. We will study 'Change'
through the Olympics, the Presidential Election, "Alice" and several other
topics.
Please don't hestitate to e-mail me should you have any questions, concerns,
etc.
I'm looking forward to an exciting year with you!
06/05/08 - Hi. Check out the "Out of the Box" page and email me your answer!!
Mrs. Smith
05/23/08 - WOW! Has it really been 5 months since I've updated this?
I knew we'd been busy, but not that busy!
I will try to do a better job keeping this up.
If you're going on to middle school, but would like to stay on our mailing
list, please let me know. I will purge names/emails by the end of June.
Just click on the email link at the top.
Mrs. Graffeo won't be with us next year - She'll be full time at Chalkville
where she taught the rest of the week this year. We'll miss her terribly but
look forward to our new teacher (who hasn't been announced yet!!)
I'll keep you posted on our curriculum for next year, schedules, our new
teachers, etc.
Please feel free to contact me over the summer if you need anything at all
or just miss me like I'll miss you.
Love,
Mrs. Smith
01/14/08 - We will be starting our Programming Classes today with "Alice".
"Alice is an innovative 3D programming environment that makes it easy to
create an animation for telling a story, playing an interactive game, or a
video to share on the web. Alice is a freely available teaching tool
designed to be a student's first exposure to object-oriented programming. It
allows students to learn fundamental programming concepts in the context of
creating animated movies and simple video games. In Alice, 3-D objects
(e.g., people, animals, and vehicles) populate a virtual world and students
create a program to animate the objects.
In Alice's interactive interface, students drag and drop graphic tiles to
create a program, where the instructions correspond to standard statements
in a production oriented programming language, such as Java, C++, and C#.
Alice allows students to immediately see how their animation programs run,
enabling them to easily understand the relationship between the programming
statements and the behavior of objects in their animation. By manipulating
the objects in their virtual world, students gain experience with all the
programming constructs typically taught in an introductory programming
course."
You may download your free copy of Alice at www.alice.org. Please go to the
Home page here to fill in the "class website" info and then click
on "helpful links" on this site to go to the Irondale Community School
website for that info.
We will be attending the Annual Alice Competition at UAB later in the year
and entering our projects!
As always, should you have any questions or would like more information,
please contact us at the school either by phone or by email.
12/20/07 - Our second semester ends tommorrow. Due to a few scheduling
glitches (DIBELS Testing and Technology Training, etc.), we will take the
first week when we return from Christmas to complete our chess units. Report
cards will go home after that.
We will begin our unit on software programming the week of Jan 14th.
I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Be careful, have
fun and READ SOMETHING while you're out of school.
Love to all, Mrs. Smith & Mrs. Graffeo.
11/11/07 - I know we're out of school tomorrow, but I thought I'd send you
an "Out of the Box" to work on. You can email me your answer or bring it to
school with you. What is so special about these three words: hawk, ion,
plume? According to Marilyn vos Savant who published this puzzle from Will
Zeris of California, it's a doozy. But, she says that readers of our
westernmost state might crack it.
We'll continue working on our Chess Unit this week. You will research the
history of Chess and write your second sidebar.
You can find the unit at home by going to the schools website at
www.jefcoed.com/schools/Irondale/index.htm and then following the link
for "Great Links for Irondale Students".
You can also follow this to play the chess games at home. Have mom or dad
check out the sites where you can register and play against someone online -
but remember the internet safety rules!!
Have a great week!
Mrs. Smith & Mrs. Graffeo
07/19/07 - Summer is almost over and school will be starting in less than a
month!! I don't know about you, but I'm very excited about it! We're going
to
have a great year! See you in August. MS
5/20/07 - This is the last week for RLC. We will be making our solar system
mobiles using information that we have learned this past nine-weeks.
(However, Monday's class won't meet due to 5th Grade Honors; Thursday class
won't meet due to Field Day.)
Another year has flown by. It's especially sad for me as my own child will
be
leaving my school for another one - I'm sure he'll be glad to go to school
without "Mom", but it's been very special for both of us to be in school
together!
Have a great summer and let me hear from you - I check my email regularly -
mariasmith@jefcoed.com!!
(All the 5th grade records will be taken to Gresham. Your GEPs are good
through October, but they will meet with you to update them asap for their
prorgram. If you are changing schools this summer, please contact Gresham
for
a copy of your files.)
3/12/07 - It's hard to believe the 3rd nine weeks is almost over (3/14).
We're doing report cards this week and celebrating our Oceans unit by
watching an entertaining sea life video. Your child should be bringing home
his/her work from this nine-weeks. Report cards will be sent home next
Tuesday with regular report cards. Please sign and return these as well.
Also, we have about 10 students who have not yet paid (and 2 who haven't
said if they were going at all) for the field trip to the Huntsville Space
and Rocket Center on May 11. If your child is going and we haven't spoken to
you about their payment, please send it asap. We will also be sending home
forms to order t-shirts and to update emergency contact
information for the trip. The children are very excited about the trip!!
We'll be sending home more info about what time to be at the school, etc.
when it gets a little closer.
Please feel free to call us should you have any questions, concerns, or need
any information about our program at any time!
12/25/2006 - I hope everyone is having a wonderful Christmas break - It's
5:52 AM and Tre's been awake all night!!! We will be studying Oceans when we
return. Below is some helpful information - this will also come home with
your child's first Tuesday papers and report cards on January 9th!
Please don't hesitate to call me or Ruth Kelley should you have any
questions
or need more information. Merry Christmas!! Mrs. Smith
We will be studying the Earth’s Oceans (Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, Artic,
and
Southern). Elements in that study will include Animal Life, Weather (Water
Cycle, Hurricanes, Typhoons, etc.), Pollution, Currents, Plant Life,
Landforms/Geography, Mythical Creatures and Places).
The Oceans Project includes group work and individual work. Once your child
decides on his/her project, your child may also choose to complete it
individually or in a small group.
We are planning to create many models, dioramas, etc. during this study for
the students to present what they have learned. By the end of the 9-weeks,
we
suspect that our room will be full of more ocean life than the oceans
themselves!! In order to achieve this, we will need supplies for our
creations. We are requesting donations of supplies such as colored tissue
paper, poster paper, shoeboxes (or other boxes suitable for dioramas),
glitter glue (no loose glitter, please), large sequins, ribbon, etc.). If
your child is making a diorama or poster, please ensure that he/she has this
supply on hand before his/her class date. We will be purchasing glue and
student scissors from our state money and have already purchased colored
pencils and crayons from our own funds. Additionally, your child should also
have his/her own colored pencils and crayons for Gifted class use.
Please feel free to contact us at any time should you have questions,
concerns, or just want to talk about your child’s experience/progress in our
Gifted Program. We’d also love for you to visit our classroom – we could
always use parent volunteers, especially for this very hands-on study. You
can call us at 379-4200 or email us at mariasmith@jefcoed.com or
rkelley@jefcoed.com. (Smith: Monday – Thursday; Kelley: Friday).
11/19/2006 - Please excuse the lateness of the RLC progress reports from the
1st nine-weeks. I have them finished and will send them home with Tuesday
papers this week. As you may know, my aunt and uncle are seriously ill and I
have all but moved in with my aunt to help her. We have moved my uncle to a
retirement home for Alzheimer's patients and he settling in as well as can
be
expected. I appreciate your understanding in this matter.
This 9-weeks' project on New World Explorers is going well. The students are
making "ABC" books on the explorers on PowerPoint and are enjoying the
integration of research and technology. Please let me know if you have any
questions about it.
11/09/06 1st quarter progress information will be coming home shortly. We
had
a great learning experience with Ancient Explorers and everyone worked very
hard on their reports.
This 9-Weeks we are studying New World Explorers. The children have 15
explorers they are required to research and then another 15 or so of their
own choosing. We are making "ABC Books of New World Explorers" that they
will
be able to transfer to PowerPoint once they're finished with their research.
These will be due 12/20/06. They are not required to do any research at
home,
but may do so if they desire. Most of the information on the exploreres is
available at www.enchantedlearning.com/explorers.
(Also, I appreciate all the prayers and thoughts. As you may know, my
elderly
aunt and uncle are quite ill and Mitchell, Tre and I have been practically
living with them the last 3 weeks. I'm glad that we have this opportunity to
spend this irreplaceable time with them and appreciate everyone's support,
prayers and cards. M)
10/16/06 If you have NOT turned in your report on Ancient Explorers, I must
have it by Monday, October 23rd or you will receive a zero (0) for your
grade.
Thank you!
10/13/06 - I hope you're enjoying your first day of Fall Break. We'll be
starting our new unit on New World Explorers on Wednesday, 10/18.
There is also a great new link on the links page -
www.ikeepbookmarks.com/irondalecommunityschool. This is a "favorites" page
that can be accessed anywhere. The faculty at Irondale will be adding our
favorite sites to it for everyone to use. Please feel free to send me any
good, educational/uplifting sites you'd like to recommend. We have included
some student-recommended, fun, game sites for our kids as well. These have
been screened for potentially inappropriate games (i.e., fighting, etc.) and
we have instructed the students they are NOT allowed to play any of these
type games at school.
Yours,
Maria Smith/Ruth Kelley
9/26/06 - The following field trip information will be coming home today.
Please be sure to return it by Friday 9/30. Thank you. Mrs. Smith & Ms.
Kelley
September 25, 2006
Dear RLC Parents:
I have been working with a representative from the U.S. Space and Rocket
Center in Huntsville trying to plan a field trip for our Gifted Students.
The tentative date is Thursday, March 15th (pending board approval).
The overnight trip includes a museum hunt, a trip to the rocket park,
Olympus Mons Mining Colony (space walk, space shot, g-force accelerator and
astronaut training simulators) and an IMAX movie as well as learning about
the major influences in today’s space program. It also includes overnight
accommodations in their Habitat, 4 meals and a t-shirt with our school name
on it.
The cost for this is approximately $160.00 per person. Jefferson County
requires one adult per every 5 students. In addition to our students, we
would have to have at least 12 parents attend.
We would have to have half paid before Christmas and the other half would be
due mid-January.
Our other option is to go on a day-long outer space adventure that is
designed to introduce students to the dramatic history of space exploration.
This field trip would cost approximately $50.00 per person. The US Space and
Rocket Center requires 1 adult for every 10 students. In addition to our
students, at least 6 parents would need to go.
Please let me know by September 29, 2006 the following information:
Student’s Name: __________________________________ Homeroom Teacher:
_________
____ My child wants to attend the overnight, 2-day trip for approximately
$160.00
____ My child and I want to attend the overnight, 2-day trip for
approximately $320.00
____ My child wants to attend the day trip for approximately $50.00
____ My child and I want to attend the day trip for approximately $100.00
____ My child will be unable to attend either trip.
We’d like to be able to attend the overnight trip and provide this
opportunity for our students. However, I do realize we all have different
budgets and this may not be the right time for it. The day trip will still
afford them with a wonderful learning opportunity. If everyone cannot go on
the overnight trip, we will go on the day trip.
Thank you so much for your assistance in planning educational opportunities
for your child.
Yours,
Maria Smith/Ruth Kelley
Gifted Instructors
Irondale Community School
PLEASE!! Do not send any money at this time!
9/16/2006 - Just a little info about the research project. We've been doing
this in pieces in class. Now we're pulling it all together.
Step 1 - Decide on your topic (from the handout)
Step 2 - Make a web of required information (from the handout)
Step 3 - Decide the order of your paper - it should "flow" (or make sense -
in other words, don't hop around from biographical information on
your explorer to his discoveries to his education)
Step 4 - Write an outline:
Name of Explorer
I. Biographical Information
A. Birthdate and Place
B. Education
C. Family Information
II. Reasons for Exploration
A. Goal (what was he looking for?)
B. Discovery (what did he find? - was it was he was looking
for?)
C. Benefit (how do we use/how did we benefit from the discovery)
Step 5: Notecards
Make a notecard for each point in your outline
____________________________
|I.B. Education |
| |
| |
| |
| |
_____________________________
Then, as you are researching, write your notes on the appropriate
card. Make sure you write the source for each piece of information.
Step 5 Rough draft
Put your note cards in the order of your outline.
Copy your notes in your own words.
Check for completeness, clarity, and correctness.
Sketch, draw, make charts, illustrations, etc.
Step 6 Final Report
Recopy or type report putting illustrations, etc. in best place.
Make an inviting cover with your topic, your name, grade, and class-
room teacher on it.
************ Due week of 10/11/06 **************
I hope this clears this up a bit. Call me if you need more info at 379-4200.
Or email me at mariasmith@jefcoed.com.
9/10/2006 Please check the calendar for due date changes to our research
project. We will be doing notecards this week and next and helping the
students put them in order and then write and outline. I think this might be
a little easier.....
Also, this is the week for our schedule change. All classes will move down
one day. For example, if your child came on Monday, he'll be coming on
Tuesday for the coming 4 weeks, etc. This allows the children to work in the
Media Center once a semester and keeps them from missing the same lessons in
their regular classroom. Please check the schedule page for your child's
schedule.
8/22/2006 Curriculum Plans will be coming home today with Tuesday Papers. I
am also listing it here for your convenience.
Gifted Education Program Description
Irondale Community School
2006 – 2007 Conceptual Lens: Explorations
1st Nine Weeks
Unit Theme: Ancient Explorers
Enduring Understanding(s):
1. Exploration requires recognizing purpose and responding to it.
2. Exploration confronts the “unknown”.
3. Exploration may result in new findings or the confirmation of old
findings.
Guiding Questions:
1. In what form is exploration present?
2. In what ways does exploration confront the unknown?
3. How does exploration result in new findings or the confirmation of
old findings?
4. How can exploration recognize purpose and the responding to it?
2nd Nine-Weeks
Unit Theme: European Exploration of the New World
Enduring Understanding(s):
1. Exploration requires recognizing purpose and responding to it.
2. Exploration confronts the “unknown”.
3. Exploration may result in new findings or the confirmation of old
findings.
Guiding Questions:
1. In what form is exploration present?
2. In what ways does exploration confront the unknown?
3. How does exploration result in new findings or the confirmation of
old findings?
4. How can exploration recognize purpose and the responding to it?
3rd Nine-Weeks
Unit Theme: Ocean Explorations
Enduring Understanding(s):
1. Exploration requires recognizing purpose and responding to it.
2. Exploration confronts the “unknown”.
3. Exploration may result in new findings or the confirmation of old
findings.
Guiding Questions:
1. In what form is exploration present?
2. In what ways does exploration confront the unknown?
3. How does exploration result in new findings or the confirmation of
old findings?
4. How can exploration recognize purpose and the responding to it?
4th Nine-Weeks
Unit Theme: Space Exploration
Enduring Understanding(s):
1. Exploration requires recognizing purpose and responding to it.
2. Exploration confronts the “unknown”.
3. Exploration may result in new findings or the confirmation of old
findings.
Guiding Questions:
1. In what form is exploration present?
2. In what ways does exploration confront the unknown?
3. How does exploration result in new findings or the confirmation of
old findings?
4. How can exploration recognize purpose and the responding to it?
Students will also have 8 weeks of Technology Classes – 4 between August &
December & 4 between January & May
7/13/06 - If your child is in 3rd or 4th grade, you will be receiving a new
GEP (Gifted Education Plan) that shows the change in hours and/or schools.
Please sign and return this as soon as possible. ALL Gifted Ed students will
receive a copy of this year's curriculum.
6/15/06 - The new school year will be here before you know it! We'll be
making a few changes to our gifted program - mainly blocking classes -
you'll
be coming once a week for 3-4 hours. And, we're adding another teacher who
will teach one day a week!
4/21/06 - We've been working on our independent research projects for about
3
weeks now. Your child should be just about finished with his/her research
and
be writing an outline or a rough draft.
We have posted a computer schedule in our class. They are also encouraged to
reseach at home using available resources there (books, newspapers,
computer,
etc.)
Final project is due 5/17/06. They may be a typed or handwritten report, a
powerpoint presentation, etc.
3/18/06 - Spring Break is here and I'm sure you're making the most of it. We
will start our independent research projects when you return on Monday,
3/27.
I should have the Dine Sandpainting Mosaics ready for viewing and exhibiting
by then as well.
SAT/ARMT Testing is April 4 - 14th. We'll be working on Math word problems,
Reading Comprehension problems, Language mechanics, etc. during our 30-
minute
sessions each day. During testing week, please make sure you read every
night, get a good night's sleep each night, and eat a good breakfast each
morning! Then just take a deep breath and do your best!
2/23/06 - We've been busy weaving Dine Rugs - please make sure you stop by
our exhibit during PTA on March 7th!
1/28/06 - We're studying the Dine (Navajo) People and the symbolism in the
Sand Painting and Weaving. We will also look at the Navajo Code Talkers from
World War II.
11/28 is THE last day to pay for the McWane Center trip if you're going.
It's $12.00 per student and $8.00 per adult.
See you there!
11/16/05 - Einstein Links
Einstein Archives Online
... writings, professional & personal correspondence A joint project of the
Albert Einstein Archives and the David and Fela Shapell Digitization Project
at the Jewish ...
Albert Einstein - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
... has a collection of quotations related to: Albert Einstein Wikisource has
original works written by or about: Albert Einstein Wikimedia Commons has
media related to: Albert Einstein Works by Albert ...
Einstein-Image and Impact. AIP History Center exhibit.
An online exhibit of the life of Albert Einstein, by the AIP Center for
History of Physics. Text by leading historians and many illustrations and
quotes show Einstein's scientific ...
Albert-Einstein.com Person of the Century
Albert Einstein Albert-Einstein.com Biography Links Person of the Century
NOVA
on Eeinstein Einstein Online Suggest ...
Albert Einstein Quotes - The Quotations Page
... reality, they are not certain; and as far as they are certain, they do
not
refer to reality. Albert Einstein - More quotations on: [ Mathematics ]
Before
God we are all equally wise - and equally foolish. ...
Albert Einstein Online
... by Immanuel Velikovsky (correspondence with Einstein) The Quotable
Einstein Albert Einstein: A Series of Selected Quotations Albert Einstein
Quotes Albert Einstein Quotes (Denmark) Uncle Albert ...
Collected Quotes from Albert Einstein
... like that. Still, the quotes are interesting and enlightening.] Collected
Quotes from Albert Einstein "Any intelligent fool can make things bigger,
more
complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of ...
Albert Einstein Archives
The Albert Einstein Archives at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem own the
Literary Estate of Albert Einstein, as declared in his last will and
testament
Albert Einstein Archives Albert Einstein ...
Albert Einstein Online
- Nearly everything related to Einstein on the web.--
http://www.westegg.com/einstein/ Science: Physics: History: People:
Einstein, Albert
Albert Einstein
Short biography and sketch from PBS.--
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/hawking/cosmostar/html/cstars_eins.html Kids and
Teens: School Time: Science: Scientists: Einstein, Albert
Roger's Collection of Famous Quotations
Quip, proverbs and sayings by famous and not so famous people that ranges
from
Aristotle to Warren Zevon featuring Albert Einstein, Mae West and W.C.
Fields.-- http://angelfire.com/sc/pac/quote1.html Reference: Quotations
Albert Einstein
An overview of his life, from childhood through the final decades.--
http://www.phy.hr/~dpaar/fizicari/xeinstei.html Kids and Teens: School
Time:
Science: Scientists: Einstein, Albert
Critial Thought and Religious Liberty - Quotes
Includes pages with quotes from America's founding fathers, Albert Einstein,
Adolph Hitler, and Stephen Jay Gould.--
http://www.stephenjaygould.org/ctrl/quotations.html Reference: Quotations
NOVA Online/Einstein Revealed
Profile of Albert Einstein, with additional teaching resources, Shockwave
demonstrations, and animations of relativity concepts.--
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/einstein/ Science: Physics: Relativity
11/14/05 - We'll be going to the McWane Center in December. Payment is due
by Friday, November 18th ($12.00 for students & $8.00 for adults).
All parents are welcome!!
I'll be adding links to our link page, but here is a list of some gifted
sites. Just copy and paste them into your browser.
FEDERALLY FUNDED CENTERS & SITES
National Research Center on Gifted and Talented at the University of
Connecticut
http://www.gifted.uconn.edu/
National Research Center on Gifted and Talented at the University of Virginia
http://curry.edschool.virginia.edu/curry/dept/edes/gifteded/NRC
Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory
http://www.nwrel.org/nwedu/fall%5F97/
Jacob K. Javits Gifted and Talented Education Program
http://www.ed.gov/proginfo/Javits/index.html
National Excellence
http://www.ed.gov/pubs/DevTalent/
Prisoners of Time
http://www.ed.gov/pubs/PrisonersOfTime/index.html
US Departments of Education and Labor Gifted Education/School-to-Work Models
http://www.stw.ed.gov/products/html/1543.htm
UNIVERSITY SITES
Institute for the Academic Advancement of Youth (IAAY), The Center for
Talented Youth at the Johns Hopkins University
http://www.jhu.edu/~gifted/
Duke University Talent Identification Program
http://www.tip.duke.edu/
Center for the Study of Giftedness (CSG), University of Nijmegen
http://www.socsi.kun.nl/psy/cbo/engels.htm
Center for Talent Development at Northwestern University
http://www.nwu.edu/schools/programs.html
Education Program for Gifted Youth at Stanford University
http://www-epgy.stanford.edu/epgy/
The Center for Gifted Education at the College of Wm. & Mary/ School of
Education
http://www.wm.edu/education/gifted.html
The National Conference of Governors’ Schools
Information about Governors’ Schools and listing of Governors’ Schools that
have web sites
http://www.pgss.mcs.cmu.edu/ncogs
The Rocky Mountain Talent Search
http://www.du.edu/education/ces/rmts.html
Connie Belin & Jacqueline N. Blank International Center for Gifted Education
and Talent Development (CBJNB International Center)
http://www.uiowa.edu/~belinctr/
SENG (Supporting the Emotional Needs of the Gifted), Kent State University
http://monster.educ.kent.edu/
(Select Special Interests)
Gateway
Peabody College, Vanderbilt University
http://people.vanderbilt.edu/~lynette.henderson/
MISCELLANEOUS SITES OF INTEREST
Beth’s Arsenal
http://www.britesparks.com/
Carnegie Mellon Center for University Outreach
http://www.outreach.mac.cc.cmu.edu/cuo/index.html
Carnegie Mellon Institute for Talented Elementary Students
(CMITES)
http://www.outreach.mac.cc.cmu.edu/C-MITES
Children of High Intelligence (CHI) Support Society
http://www.users.dircon.co.uk/~tutorcom/chi
Chuck Eby’s Counseling Resources
http://www.cybercom.com/~chuck/counsel.html
Gifted and Talented (TAG) Resources Home Page
http://www.eskimo.com/~user/kids.html
GIFTED-CHILDREN.COM
http://www.gifted-children.com/
Gifted Development Center
http://www.gifteddevelopment.com
GT World
http://www.gtworld.org/
Hoagies’ Gifted Education Page
http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/
International Baccalaureate Organization
http://www.ibo.org/
Intelligence Theory and Testing
http://www.indiana.edu/~intell/
Inventors and Inventions
http://hps.k12.mi.us/~stheast/inventions.html
Jon’s Home-School Resource List
http://www.midnightbeach.com/jon/#main.pages
Mensa
http://www.mensa.org//
Multiple Intelligences (MI)
http://edweb.gsn.org/edref.mi.intro.html
http://www.twsu.edu/~coewww/mi.htm
Search the ASCD product database using the term Multiple Intelligences
http://www.ascd.org/
Read an ERIC Digest on MI
http://www.cua.edu/www/eric ae/digests/tm9601.htm
Look at some research on MI (Project SUMIT)
http://pzweb.harvard.edu/Research/SUMIT.htm
National Association for Gifted Children
http://www.nagc.org/
National Consortium for Specialized Secondary Schools of Science,
Mathematics,
and Technology (NCSSSMST)
http://www.ncsssmst.org
National Foundation for Gifted and Creative Children
http://www.nfgcc.org/
National Network of Families with Gifted Children (NNFGC)
http://come.to/gifted
Odyssey of the Mind
http://www.odyssey.org
1994 State of the States Report
http://www.netc.org/web mod/gifted ed/
Research Science Institute (RSI)
http://rsi.cee.org/cee/home.html
Resource Group for Gifted/Learning Disabled
http://208.6.87.17/users/rggld/
Study WEB
http://www.studyweb.com
TAGFAM’s home page
http://users.erols.com/tagfam.html
World Council for Gifted and Talented Children
http://www.WorldGifted.org/
8/15/05 - Welcome to RLC 2005-2006!
Our first unit of study is the Constitution & Citizenship.
We will be learning the history and text of the Constitution and
what it means to be a U.S. Citizen. The students will be studying
symbols of our nation and interviewing other students about their
understanding of the Constitution and what it means to be a
citizen.
We will also interview new citizens for their viewpoints.
Students will produce reports and powerpoint presentation to
share in the regular classroom and for "Constitution and
Citizenship Day" in September.
07/29/05 - Beginning with the 2005-2006 school year, I will be teaching
the RLC students!
I have enjoyed being in my 3rd grade classroom these last years,
and I'm very excited about working with my new students, both at
Grantswood and at Irondale Community School!
I am leaving the 2004-2005 School year links active for a while
should any of my parents need that information.
Please let me know if I can be of any assistance to you or your
child.
Mrs. Smith
07/25/05 - We will be mailing student lists on Friday, July 29th. I hope
you've had a great summer!
In the meantime, here's a little humor and good advice:
What I Learned From Noah
Everything I need to know, I learned from Noah's Ark...
ONE: Don't miss the boat.
TWO: Remember that we are all in the same boat.
THREE: Plan ahead. It wasn't raining when Noah built the Ark.
FOUR: Stay fit. When you're 60 years old, someone may ask you to do something
really big.
FIVE: Don't listen to critics; just get on with the job that needs to be
done.
SIX: Build your future on high ground.
SEVEN: For safety's sake, travel in pairs.
EIGHT: Speed isn't always an advantage. The snails were on board with the
cheetahs.
NINE: When you're stressed, float awhile.
TEN: Remember, the Ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic by professionals.
07/05/05 - Hi. I'm in the process of updating the website...please feel free
to email me if you notice any errors or have any suggestions!
5/25/05 - Last full day of school is today!
No school tomorrow!
Friday - Come for your report card early - dismissal 8:30 a.m.
Have a great summer - Read every day!
5/22/05 - No Spelling this week; however, we will be learning the National
Anthem!
3rd and 4th grade Honors Ceremony is Monday at 8:30 a.m. All
parents
are welcome to attend. Parents of the students who will be
recognized have been notified.
Our schedule for this week is as follows:
Monday - Awards Ceremony 8:30
National Anthem review
P.E. - 10:20
Lunch - 10:55
Recess - 11:20
Science - Water Life Celebration - Making your own Fish
Dismissal - Regular Time
Tuesday - Textbook Turn-In Party - ALL textbooks must be in!
Class Party at 1:30 - Parents' welcome --- thanks to
Mrs. Pierce and Mrs. James for helping at EVERY party
this year!
Dismissal - Regular Time
Wednesday - Desk/Room Clean Up Party
Dismissal - Regular Time
Thursday - Teacher Workday - Students sleep in!!
Friday - Report Card Pick up ONLY!
Dismissal - 8:30 a.m.!
It's been a great year and I've enjoyed working with all your kids!!
Love to all, Mrs. Smith
5/9/05 - Spelling words (the "Pledge of Allegiance" )
We are continuing with our review of 3rd grade skills.
Please ensure your child has turned in any missing work. ALL work
is taken for a grade and must be turned in!
5/2/05 - Please check your student's Tuesday papers carefully. We are
reviewing skills that they should have mastered by this point. If
your child made less than an 85 on any work, please review it with
them.
Additionally, please ensure they are studying for their Spelling
Test
every night!
We will be choosing travel buddies this week. Students NOT going on the trip
should report to school. They will be assigned to a 4th or 5th grade
classroom. They should bring books to read. This will be a great day to catch
up on missing work and AR points!!
4/24/05 - Any missing work is due by Tuesday, April 26th.
We will be attending the Children's Theatre on Friday, April 29th.
Please reading the following information regarding the field trip.
Please let me know if you are going in your car so that I can begin to assign
students to chaperones. (I will send a form home on Tuesday with Emergency
Contact information.)
Our Chattanooga field trip is fast approaching on May 5, 2005! An itinerary
is
included for your information. Here are some important reminders as we
prepare
for our trip:
Students (and accompanying chaperones) need to bring a sack lunch,
snack,
and two drinks clearly labeled with a name. No coolers, please.
Students may bring souvenir money. We will have a limited time to
purchase
souvenirs. Please decide on a reasonable amount of money to send with your
child. Remember – neither the teachers, nor the tour bus personnel can be
responsible for keeping track of the money!
Students may bring portable CD players for Gameboys (with
headphones) to
listen to or play with during the bus ride. These will be left on the bus
while we are in the museum and the theatre. Students are responsible for the
safekeeping of these items.
The tour buses are equipped with VCR players. If you wish to send a
G-rated
movie for us to enjoy on the trip, we will be happy to use them and return
them to you. Please put your name on the tape.
Be sure to watch the weather report and send your child dressed
appropriately. Comfortable walking shoes are a must!
Please note that we are scheduled to leave the school at 7:30 A.M.
sharp!!!
We cannot hold the buses for late arrivals, and we will not be able to refund
money for those arriving late on that morning. The buses will be here at 7:00
A.M. and we will begin boarding at 7:15 A.M.
Our scheduled return time is 6:30 P.M. Please make arrangements to
pick up
your child at the school promptly!
In the event that we need to get in touch with a parent, we are
asking that
you include current telephone, cell, and emergency numbers for us.
ITINERARY
Motorcoaches will meet at the school at 7:00 a.m. for a 7:30 a.m. (CST)
departure.
Scheduled times below are on Eastern Standard Time; please adjust your
watches.
All Coaches
11:30 a.m. Enjoy a popcorn and drink before the movie.
11:45 a.m. IMAX Show – “Sharks”
Show begins at noon; you must be in line 10 minutes prior to
Showtime.
1:00 p.m. Lunch – Students should bring a sack lunch from home.
Students will board the motorcoach after the show to go to
the park for lunch.
2:00 p.m. The Tennessee Aquarium – Journey through a spectacular 60-
foot
canyon and two living forests where animals swim, crawl, and
fly in their natural habitats. Our appointment time is 2:15
p.m.; you should arrive 15 minutes early for check-in.
5:00 p.m. All motorcoaches depart for home with an estimated arrival
time of 6:30 p.m. (CST).
4/18/05 - Progress Reports will come home tomorrow with Tuesday papers.
Please sign them and return them with your child's Tuesday papers.
I will make you a copy for your records.
**As many of you can tell, the children need to work more on
completing their work on time AND getting it turned in. There
are also a few chidren who are not writing their names on their
papers and/or using the correct heading format. THERE ARE ONLY 4
WEEKS LEFT UNTIL 3RD GRADE IS OVER ---- 4TH GRADE REQUIRES
EVEN MORE ORGANIZATION AND PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY THAN 3RD
GRADE.
Please work with your child at home if this is an area of concern
for them. You can help by checking their agenda nightly to ensure
they have writting down any assignments and/or homework. Please
write me any notes and/or questions in their agenda.
There is NO SCHOOL Friday, April 22 & April 25th. Have a great long weekend!
4/9/05 - The ARMT and OLSAT are over --- just 2 more SAT tests to go! We will
take the Language and Math Problem solving on Tuesday.
As your child may have told you, our lunch schedules have been
changed depending on the length of the tests each day. Please
ensure your child has a healthy, protein-packed breakfast each
morning. We cannot have a snack during the test. A full stomach
means more energy to think with and less distractions during the
tests.
The children are doing quite well -- especially as this is the
first standardized test most of them have ever taken.
On Monday, we will work on Language Skills - capitalization,
punctuation, grammary, etc. and on Math Problem solving with a
lot of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.
Tuesday papers will come home April 12th for both weeks. There is
very little graded work as I did not feel it was fair to grade
the test preparation work we did week before last (other than a
participation grade). We have been doing group work in preparing
for the next tests each day out of our textbooks.
On Wednesday, it will be regular school work, etc. I will give a
modified spelling test on Friday of this week as well. We will begin
the next Unit on Tuesday afternoon.
The next 2 field trips will be here before we know it -- the
Children's Theatre is 4/29 and the Chattanooga field trip is 5/5.
As always, if you have any questions, problems, concerns, and/or
suggestions, please feel free to contact me!
3/20/05 - Have a great Spring Break! We will return to school on Tuesday,
March 29th. While we're out, remember to read every day!!
When we return, we will be doing practice tests for the SAT/ARMT
which will be given the following week. Don't stress over these,
just do your best to:
1. Do your best!
2. Get plenty of rest!
3. Eat healthy meals with plenty of protein (meat, cheese, eggs).
4. Read every night.
5. Ask questions during the final practice week.
6. Use your best manners so that everyone in the class is in
a good mood and a good frame of mind.
7. Do your best!
3/14/05 - Spelling Words are posted for this week. We'll be working hard on
Contractions! Don't you think they're easy to spell?
Balances for the Chattanooga Field Trip are due by this Friday,
March 18th.
Report cards will come home Thursday. Please sign and return them
on
Friday. I will make you a copy for your records.
3/7/05 - The coupon book sale has been extended until today. Please try to
sell at least one book. We get $7.00 for EACH BOOK SOLD and it is
our
primary source of funding for our office supplies.
Balances for the Chattanooga field trip are due by March 18th!!
The kids worked really hard last week preparing for the second
PASS (SAT/ARMT Preparation) Tests. We should have the results in
about 2 weeks. I will send these home again. This is the first time
most of our students have taken a standardized test and this is
great practice -- not only for what they know but also for test-
taking skills. It is VERY difficult for Third-graders to sit for
an hour with NO talking, NO wiggling and having to think completely
for themselves. However, they did a fabulous job on both tests!
Since we did test preparation all week, I have given each student a
full participation grade in Reading, Language, Spelling and Math. I
will send home answer sheets, etc. that we did but there will be
no graded work sent home on Tuesday papers this week.
This week will be the last week of the 3rd Nine-Weeks. We still
have a lot of ground to cover before the SAT/ARMT (1st full week of
April) and before your child is ready for 4th Grade.
In Counseling this past week, we talked about our goals for the
future -- what they want to be when the grow up --- and how school
plays a major role in their ability to reach these goals. This
includes academics and social skills!!
2/28/05 - Today is the last day for Coupon Book Sales!
We will take our second PAS (SAT & ARMT) Practice test on Friday,
March 4th.
PTA is next week on 3/9.
Chattanooga Field Trip Balances are due by March 18th.
2/19/05 - JumpRope for Heart will be held on Friday, February 25th at 1:30.
You must turn in the signed permission slip AND a minimum of
$10.00
in pledges. All money goes to the American Heart Association!
The balance of your money for the Chattanooga field Trip must be
in
by March 18th!
We are continuing our SAT/ARMT preparation. Please help your
student
prepare for these tests by:
1. Ensuring that they are getting enough rest every night.
2. Ensuring that they are eating a balanced diet and getting
good exercise
3. Ensuring that they are doing their homework and reading
every night.
4. ASKING YOU QUESTIONS when they're not clear about something.
ASKING ME QUESTIONS when they're not clear about something.
5. You asking them questions such as:
a. how did you get your answer to that math problem?
b. show me where you found that answer in the story
6. Making sure they bring their manners and their good study
habits to school
7. Making sure they bring all their supplies to school (books,
homework, etc.) -- This includes eyeglasses!!
8. Making sure they're bringing everything home they need for
homework.
The SAT/ARMT will be given the first week or two of April. That means we only
have 6 weeks left to cover all the concepts that will be on it and that your
child must have mastery of before he/she leaves third grade. It means a lot
of
hard work, but working together, we will get there!
2/6/05 - Congratulations to my 8 students whose behavior was "above reproach"
while I was attending the FETC Technology Conference Feb 26-28th. Kimberly,
Amy, Kiara, Katlyn, Ruben, Ashleigh, Lauren, and Ki-Jana, I am so proud of
you! These children were treated to a treasure, ice cream at lunch and extra
recess time!
We are continuing our study of Black History as well as beginning to
prepare for the SAT and ARMT which will be given in April. We took our first
practice tests on Wednesday and should have the results back in a week or so.
From that, we'll see the areas we need to re-cover as well as a few topics we
haven't studied yet. I'm sure your child has told you about the "geometric
shape with congruent sides" question on the Math test!!! :-O
I cannot stress enough the importance of your child making good choices about
his school work and behavior. We have only 3 months before they will be
"FOURTH GRADERS" and their personal responsibilities and work load will only
increase with each grade. Completing and turning in their work in a timely
manner, making sure their paper is headed correctly (i.e., writing their name
on the paper) and making good behavior choices are imperative every day.
Progress reports will come home this Tuesday. Only 1 student has met their AR
goal through the 4th week (at least 5 points/85% minimum grade) thus far. I
am
aware that a few students are reading longer chapter books and will allow
them
time to finish them, but they should also read 2 shorter books along with
their chapter books each week. Remember, the AR grade is 30% of the reading
grade.
1/24/05. This week we will continue our study of the Civil Rights movement.
Last week we studied Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and started learning about
Ruby Bridges. We will continue our study of her this week.
Please check your child's Mountain Language and Mountain Math when their
Tuesday Papers come home. The children are given ample time to complete their
work and to make any corrections to this work. Additionally, please remind
your child that it is his responsibility to 1) do his work, 2) WRITE HIS
NAME,
NUMBER, and DATE on it, and 3) turn it in ON TIME!!!!
Deposits for the Chattanooga field trip are due by Tuesday, January 25th!! We
were able to secure another bus to allow as many parents as possible. The
deposits are $25.00 per person (student AND parent) who are going. The
balance
($22.00 for students and $30.00 for parents) will be due at a later date.
1/18/05 This week are learning about about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and
his
contributions to our country. Your child will be reading and writing about
him. Please share with your child any personal memories that you have of his
work and how his peaceful mission changed all our lives for the better.
We have made some changes to our Spelling curriculum. We will be using our
Speller (the yellow book with the soccer player on it) each week. It has
writing and grammar skills in it along with spelling. We will begin with
Unit
19 and proceed from there each week. I will continue to post the words on
this site, but will not send home a list. Homework will be the same except
that the 9 assignments will now count as a test grade (see the Spelling page
for more information.)
All students will begin multiplication and division this 9 weeks. We will be
learning these 2 skills together as inverse operations (3 x 3 = 9 therefore
9/3 = 3). We will have timed tests each week. Your child must pass these
with
90% accuracy to go on to the next tables. Your part ---- practice, practice,
practice! We'll be making flash cards in class (you may also purchase some
at
Wal-mart!!). You can practice multiplication/division anywhere -- in the
car,
in the tub, at the table, at the grocery store, while they're helping you
cook, etc. (Don't overdo it with them, but do use those "teachable moments"
to help them practice!!)
Our Mountain Math and Mountain Language will continue each week. The
children
answer 5 Language and 5 Math questions independently each morning. We review
the answers and then they are allowed time to correct/finish any answers.
(This is a "pencil's up" time as I do not want them copying the board when I
review it. Copying from the board does not help them understand what we're
doing --- it's only enabling them to "fill in a blank".) They are allowed to
ask their neighbors or me if they were out and missed any of the work and
need to check their answers. THIS WORK IS DUE BY FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND COUNTS
AS A TEST GRADE IN LANGUAGE AND IN MATH!!
This is a fun, yet challenging way to ensure we cover every possible Math
and
Language area before the SAT 10 and ARMT that the students will take in
April. If your child seems to be struggling, I'll be happy to send home a
set
and a sheet for you to do with him/her over a weekend -- or stop in and see
what we're working on!!
Please ensure that your FROG brings his manners and respect for others with
him/her each day to Irondale Community School. This will keep our learning
environment open for learning many new things every day!!!
