Mrs. Hoehne's Teacher Page
Welcome to my website! This is to provide you a place where you can visit to learn all of the important information about what is going on in our classroom and at school. This website will keep you informed of the events and learning activities for the 2012-2013 school year. If you every need to contact me please send an email or leave a message at the Whittier office and I will get back to you as soon as I can. Looking forward to a very successful and productive year!
May 10, 2013
Dear Families,
We finished the MAP testing this week and everyone worked so hard. I was very proud at how serious they took the test and wanted to do their best. The results will go home with the end of the year report cards. On Monday we will have our final Dibel's (fluency) testing and I will also include that score in with the report card.
Next week will be our last week of Spelling words. I have already attached the list on the Assignment page. Just a reminder that our Book Report project is due Friday. Students should bring in the written and creative part on that day. We will try to get as many presentations in as possible that day. We will continue on Monday with the remaining ones left.
Please read the newsletter that went home today. I have also attached it for your conviencence.
Everyone have a wonderful weekend. Happy Mother's Day!
Nancy Hoehne
April 29, 2013
Dear Families,
Thank you all for getting your slips in for the book report project. I love the variety of genres that were chosen and am excited to hear about what is learned and where they might go with the creative project. We talked today about not putting this project off to the last minute because I know schedules are crazy at this time of year. Tomorrow I will give the written sheets and go over expectations. I will also post these worksheets on this web page.
Today I passed out the Literature Circle books. I know some students are feeling a bit overwhelmed with reading this book and their book report book at the same time. If it would help them to do the Literature Circle book reading at school please have your child bring the book to school. I will schedule time every day for silent and/or partner reading if it will help. This first week is a fast turn around (reading and homework is due Friday), but the next two weeks all students will have a full week to get the chapters read and the assignment done.
I want to let you know that MAP testing for our classroom starts this Thursday in the morning. We will have our second test next Tuesday in the morning. The spring Dibels (fluency) test will be the following week.
Lastly I want to Thank you for talking to your child about staying focused for the remainder of the year. I have really noticed an improvement with everyone. We had a good last week with very little redirecting. I hope this continues, it makes everyone happier. :)
Have a great rest of the week and enjoy the weather.
Mrs. Nancy Hoehne
April 19, 2013
Dear Families,
I hope everyone stayed dried yesterday. I guess we can all mark our calendars for the last day of school to be Friday, May 31st. Due to us being behind a day with our schedule, I am going to give the class till Wednesday, April 24 to decide on a book and get the Book Report signature slip turned in. On Monday we will go to the library and go over the three genres and find a book. I have already heard of some great choices. I will attach the directions to the assignment page.
There is not spelling next week. We will also have Institute Day on Friday.
Our plant unit is plugging along. There were quite a few plants that did not come up. Some of us replanted on Wednesday and hopefully we will see some growth when we come back on Monday.
As we are nearing the end of the year, I see some students getting a bit casual about following the rules and my directions. If you could have a conversation with your child about the importance of staying focused and doing their best work till the end of the year, I would appreciate it. Lately, I have given too many warnings/redirects about behaviors that should not be a part of our classroom at this point of the year (silly noises, visiting people during independent work time, and just not doing what was asked). If this behavior does not improve I will be calling homes of the individuals involved. We have really grown this year as a class, I do not want us to go backwards. Thanks with your help on this matter.
Everyone have a great weekend.
Take care,
Nancy Hoehne
March 13, 2013
Dear Families,
We made it! The whole building worked hard this past week and a half. It feels good to have the ISATs behind us and be able to move forward through this last trimester. Here is some new updates...
We had our Classroom Spelling Bee today. All of the students who participated did a fabulous job. I am so proud of them for trying. Our three ladies that will move on is Aliyah Aldridge (participant), Hailey Nowak (participant) and Julia Maldonado (alternate). Congratulations to the three girls and good luck to them on Friday, April 12th!
Unit 7 Math Test (Multiplication and Division) will be next Wednesday, March 20. The study guild will go home on this Friday. Please make sure students practice their Multiplication facts nightly. Six through nine facts will be on the test.
The moment everyone has been waiting for...Invention Convention! Next week we will have three Lego builds to review simple machines that we studied back in the Fall. I will also go over and hand out the Invention or Machine Homework direction sheet for students to start thinking about what they would like to do. The assignment is not due till Wednesday, April 10th (Invention Convention will be in the afternoon or parents can stop in at the beginning of the day too). So, I do not want anyone to feel this assignment has to be done over Spring Break. Just talking and getting ideas would be a great start.
Lastly, report cards go home on Friday. We will go through and discuss what some of the vocabulary means and what assignments made up their grades for Second trimester. Please be sure to have a discussion about grades, effort, and comments with your child. I would like everyone to grow this last trimester as a learner/person so they are all ready for 4th grade. Please sign and return the report card envelope only.
Thanks again for all that you do.
Nancy
February 28, 2012
Dear Families,
A few reminders and updates to welcome our new month March. Tomorrow if you can send in all or some of your ISAT motivation slips that would be great. I would like every student to have a personal slip for the first test which is at 9 am Tuesday morning. Your words mean so much to them and they just love the surprise. Thank you!
I will type up the ISAT schedule and send it home tomorrow. Please make sure children get a good nights sleep, eat a healthy breakfast and come with an "I try" attitude every day. Everyone at Whittier is here to support and cheer them on. I want this to be a positive experience. Remember they will not have any homework while we are taking the ISAT tests.
Our Primary and Intermediate Spelling Bees are in April this year. Students received their spelling list on Monday of this week. Our classroom Spelling Bee is going to be on Wednesday, March 13 in the afternoon. At that time it will be determined who our two contestants and one alternate will be. The classroom Spelling Bee is optional. I do encourage everyone to try to do his/her best, but also understand if there is no interest.
I hope all is good on the home front. Thank you for all the effort to keep me informed. Everyone have a wonderful three day weekend. Take care.
Mrs. Nancy Hoehne
February 6, 2013
Dear Families,
It is hard to believe that I have not written on this page for over a month. I hope you were getting my updated emails in between these entries. If you have not, please email me and I will make sure your address is in my Parent group. There is a lot going on and all of it is very exciting.
Today students who were interested in doing the Animoto video as their creative piece in the Country project got a chance to work with Ms. Small. You might want to go over what they learned tonight while it is still fresh in their minds. Next Friday all of the Fact sheets are due and it will be the first day of presentations. We will sign up for presentations tomorrow. We will do a few each day starting Friday and continue into next week. Everyone should be wrapping up their research and begin working on their creative assignment. The creative assignment is due on the day that the student does his/her presentation. If there are any questions please be sure to ask. I am extremely excited to learn about all of the different countries.
Our Valentine's Party is next Thursday. The party will be from 12:00-1:00, right after lunch. I will send home the list of classmates and reminders to families that volunteered for food in this week's newsletter. Newsletters will go home Friday.
One final note is a big THANK YOU to all of you for coming to conferences and making them enjoyable. I was my pleasure to talk to each of you. This is probably my favorite round of conferences because it is an opportunity for your child to participate. I can not do this job on my own and I truly appreciate the support and advice that you give me. Please continue to keep the communication lines open.
Have great rest of the week.
Mrs. Nancy Hoehne
January 17, 2013
Dear Families,
We are off to a running start. The class is very enthusiastic about so many things that our self control is waving from disruptive to focused. I did talk with the class about how important is to still be able to learn even when there are exciting things going on. As a team we need to continue to work hard all the time to prepare for what is ahead. I just wanted you to know what we talked about this week and what we are working on during the school day.
Monday the class received the criteria for the Countries Project. Today we chose our countries. We have a great selection of places. This year Europe seems to be the most popular continent. On Tuesday we had Ms. Small (GTD teacher) come in and demonstrate one of our creative project choices called Animoto video. It is like a power point but with music and colorful text. It is very cool. The username and password is in the criteria for the project. Be sure to check it out! If you have not signed the Parent signature sheet for the project can you please do that and send it in. This project will be done mostly at home and will need some guidance. If there are any questions let me know. Thank you!
I am still short some conference sheets. I am completely booked on Thursday from 5:00 on. I do have openings for both days in the afternoons. You can contact me through email if that would be easier or send back the sheet. Looking forward to seeing you all again and having your child be a part of the conversation.
Keep an eye out for the next Greenleaf, our class will be featured in the writing portion this month. We shared individual New Year's Resolutions, as well as, resolutions for our classroom, Whittier School, Oak Park Community and the World. The ideas were fabulous! I am very proud of the thoughtfulness that went behind this assignment.
I have attached the Countries directions and Fact Hunt sheet to the web page. Next week we will have a spelling list but it will be shorten to 15 words due to the short week.
Everyone have a fabulous three-day weekend.
Mrs. Nancy Hoehne
January 6, 2013
Dear Families,
Happy New Year! I am looking forward to getting back into our routines. We have a lot to look forward to looking ahead. I will continue to use this website and emails to keep you informed. The most recent news is we will be having a Community Share this week for the primary classes and any of you that can stop by. As of right now I am planning on Friday morning from 8:15-10:15. The groups did an amazing job working together to construct a certain type of community. We hope to see you then.
On Friday look for a newsletter and a sheet to sign up for conferences. Conferences are Wednesday, January 30 from 2:20 till 5:00 and Thursday, January 31 from 12:20 till 8:00. I would like to encourage in this round of conferences that your child joins us in the conversation. On the form you will pick three times that best fit your schedule. Remember the sooner that sheet comes back the better the chances are that you will get your number one time slot. I look forward to seeing everyone again.
Students will be getting a new assignment notebook for the rest of the year tomorrow. Along with the new notebook each student will be assigned a homework buddy. The pair will have to check each others' assignment notebooks before they can go to their lockers. I have many students who handle this responsibility very well and I am hoping with the extra support everyone can learn some good organizational tips from each other.
I hope everyone had an amazing break. It is hard to believe it is almost mid January. Please continue to keep the lines of communication open so that your child can continue to have a successful second half of the school year.
Take care,
Nancy Hoehne
November 13, 2012
Dear Families,
There are lots of things to remember these days. One of the things I forgot to add to the list in yesterday's email was the field trip permission slip and money are due on Friday. Please send that in as soon possible.
At Library yesterday, Mrs. Conley went over how to cite your sources for our research paper. It is very simple and the students did very well with the activity on the Smart board. Here are the guidelines:
book: Last name of author, First name, Title of the book (underlined), copyright year
website: URL address (www.etc...), date went to the website
If the information was not collect for citing the source it will not hurt your child's grade. It is just a good introduction for students to become aware that it is important piece for any type of research.
Spelling words are attached in the Assignment page. Students are working hard to get there checks and letters. Looking forward to Friday and learning about all the different Presidents facts. Be sure students practice learning their facts at home this week.
Have a great rest of the week.
Nancy Hoehne
November 6, 2012
Dear Families,
Happy Election Night! It is hard to believe it is here. We have had great discussions at school about the candidates and the whole political race. Be sure to ask your child his/her views on the topic. :)
I wanted to give you an update on the President Fact Report. If you have been checking assignment notebooks I have encouraged everyone to begin the rough draft and bring it in Wednesday, Thursday or Friday of this week. I just want to check in with each student and make sure facts are detailed, written in own words and that there is progress happening. I will read it over (I will not proofread it) and send it home the same day. Any questions or concerns please let me know. I want this to be a fun experience for everyone. We will have a small celebration of pretzels/popcorn on Friday, November 16 to celebrate finishing our first research paper. I look forward to hearing what the students have learned. Be sure your child picks out 8-10 facts to share. Your child should write these facts on a separate sheet of paper and practice reading them. When he/she is sharing it will be smoother and more interesting. I will talk more about the presentation in class early next week.
Starting this week, our class is working towards a READ-A-THON. If the class gets all of their checks and letters for the next two weeks we have a day (Tuesday before Thanksgiving break) to relax, sit around and read through out the school day. Students can bring in a blanket, pillow, stuffed animal and lots of reading materials and read to their hearts contents. This has been a favorite activity throughout my years of teaching and I look forward to sharing this experience with my class once they earn this privilege. I will send more information closer to the day.
Have a great rest of the week.
Take care,
Nancy Hoehne
October 26, 2012
Dear Families,
I hope all of you are well. We have had a busy and productive week. I have attached my newsletter with this posting. Be sure to read it, I did not send home a hard copy. The class does have homework this week. They should all continue to work on their President Fact Report (reading,taking notes and start working on picture). We went over note taking this week. I will model how to take the notes and put them together in cohesive sentences and paragraphs next week. I do like to check the rough drafts about a week(Week of November 5) before the project is due, so hopefully your child will be ready for this step next week/weekend. Please let me know if there are any problems. Thank you for your assistance on this project.
Halloween is Wednesday. Whittier Halloween Parade will start at noon. The party will be around 12:45/1:00. If you are on the list to bring in a food/drink item you can drop it in the morning or stop in after the parade. Thank you for your assistance with this in advance. (List of people in last newsletter below)
Just a reminder that there is a Fast Forward Parent/Guardian Night on Wednesday, November 7 from 6-7:30. Please RSVP with Susan Mura (smura@op97.org) or Chasity McComb-Williams (cmccomb-williams@op97.org) if you are able to attend.
A parent shared a great website to help study spelling words. Check it out! The website is spellingcity.com. I hope it helps and is a fun way to study!
Have a restful weekend. Thanks for all that you do!
Nancy Hoehne Newsletter 10.26.12
October 15, 2012
Dear Families,
We are in for a busy week. Today we picked Presidents for our fact report. We also went to the library and had the opportunity to check out a book. I did not notice many choosing to check out books. I did mention to the class that they can start their reading of their person by going to this website and checking out the links that are attached. Just look under HOME and click on Presidential Research. Everyone seems very pleased with who he/she selected. Later this week we will go online to check out these different websites. I will also give each student a list of questions about his/her president to find while reading.
There is spelling this week. The list can be a challenging if not studied. Be sure your child picks appropriate activities that will help them practice the words they do not know. Homework is due on Thursday.
Looking forward to our conferences. I will see you either Wednesday or Thursday.
Thanks,
Nancy Hoehne
President Fact Report Guidelines Newsletter 10.12.12
October 9, 2012
Dear Families,
Tomorrow is the Wildcat Fun Run! Third grade will be running/walking from 8:51-9:31. Please come out and cheer us on if you are available. Please have your child dress comfortably, in gym shoes and bring a water bottle. It is going to be a cooler day, please dress for the weather.
I have updated the assignment page for this week's homework. Please take the time to check to see what is ahead. There is no spelling this week due to the four days. One of the things we will talk about at conferences is how the spelling program is working for your child. I want everyone to have a strong year in learning their spelling words.
Tomorrow I will go over the criteria for the President Fact Report. Please make sure you read it over with your child in the next couple of days. All parent signature sheets are due back Friday or Monday. When we have all the slips back we will select which President will be researched by your child. I am looking forward to hearing all of the cool facts that the students will learn.
A newsletter will go home on Friday. A conference reminder will be attached and the names of the families that signed up to help with the Halloween treats will be listed as well. If there is a conflict with your conference time please contact me as soon as possible to find another time. I am looking forward to meeting with everyone next week.
Have a great rest of the week.
Sincerely,
Nancy Hoehne
Newsletter for September 28, 2012
September 18, 2012
Dear Families,
Happy Almost Fall! Enjoy this cool weather and sunshine. I have finally updated my Assignment page on this webpage. I will put important assignment information on there, as well as, links to some handouts so that if the sheet does not come home you have a place to refer back to. I will not put all homework sheets on there, just the "bigger" ones, for example project directions, spelling lists, etc.. Notice there is a Math test this week. I am sending home the study guide today and will review tomorrow. Students' homework for the next two nights is to study for the test. We will talk about what that looks like today.
We started Fast Forward yesterday the class is working hard and being enthusiastic about the new experience. We will do it every day for the first 40 minutes of the day (30 minutes on the program). Most of the class has to get through the demonstrations first before they can log on at home. I have a few students that are eager to get started with this component. Be sure to ask your child what they have done so far.
Our class has made some nice progress in following directions and the rules. We will continue to work on paying attention and when the teacher is teaching to listen. I am enjoying everyone in my class. Thank you for sending them ready to learn every day.
Have a great rest of the week.
Nancy Hoehne
September 6, 2012
Dear Families,
Thank you for coming to Curriculum Night on Tuesday. It was great to see all of you. I hope the evening was informational. Please send me any concerns or questions that you might have regarding anything about third grade. I am missing some parents that did not sign up for conferences. I have two slots available on Wednesday, October 17th (3:00 and 3:20) and 8 slots (20 minutes each) available from 1:00 till 3:40 on Thursday, October 19th. Send me an email with a time that works for you.
As I mentioned we will start Spelling on Monday. I will send home the list of words, homework and a little note to remind you how the program works. Remember Spelling homework is always due on Thursday. I will put the list of words on this website under assignments.
I do have a schedule for our class. I will send this home tomorrow. The specials are in black bold type. I have linked the newsletter from last week the schedule and the Healthy Food Policy below.
Have a great weekend.
Sincerely,
Nancy Hoehne
No Cupcakes >
Newsletter 8/31/12 2012-2013 Schedule
August 24, 2012
Dear Families,
Happy Friday! We got a lot accomplished today. I sent home our Friday Folder (Take Home Folder) with some letters and information for you to read. There is usually no homework on the weekends unless we are working on a specific project. So you will not see the Assignment notebook. I ask that your child continue to read nightly for at least 20-30 minutes long. This will be so important for the students to have the stamina to be able to concentrate for longer periods of time in the future.
I noticed that scissors and a ruler were not on our supply list. If you could send those in next week I would appreciate it. I apologize for the extra school supplies request. This is the first time we did one supply list for the two grades and we have some holes to fix for next year. Thank you!
Thank you for your enthusiasm and support this first week of school. I look forward to working with all of you this year. Have a great weekend.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Nancy Hoehne
August 19, 2012
Dear Families,
Welcome to our classroom! What an exciting year we have ahead of us. I am looking forward to getting to know you and your child. Please always feel free to ask questions along the way. At this time the majority of you have gotten your school supplies. There were a few items that were not on the list because they were specifically for our classroom. If you could get these items in the next week and send them in I would appreciated it. Thank you for the extra effort.
Items: black permanent marker, one package of small cups, one package of loose leaf paper (wide rule), $6.00 for Scholastic News magazine, sketch pad (optional)
The first day of school, Wednesday, August 22 is a full day with early dismissal at 1:55. I will send home a letter about me and the structure of the classroom, along with an Information sheet for you to fill out and a fun homework assignment. Please keep an eye out for all three sheets which will be in your child's new purple Take Home Folder. Don't forget to write on your calendars about Curriculum Night/Open House, Tuesday, September 4 from 6:30-8:00.
Enjoy your last few days of summer. Looking forward to seeing all of you Wednesday.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Nancy Hoehne
District Policies
