The Year's End - Rain or Shine

Our Third Grade picnic will be on Tuesday, May 31st.  The students need to bring a sack lunch for the picnic including something to drink.  We will play on our playground the hill and baseball diamond. 
All library books are due back in the library today.  Mrs. Peek and Mrs. Reeder need to inventory the books before Razzle Dazzle book check out.  All Sibley students may check out 10 books for summer reading. 
IT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO READ ALL SUMMER!!!

Spring Warblers Continue their Flight

Baybreasted and Canada Warblers are feeding on insects in our wooded back yard. We also have redstarts, orioles, rosebreasted grosbeak and indigo buntings!  Life is good in Oakwood.

Ornithology - Spring Warblers

 It is the time of the migration of most incredible colorful birds in the world.  May is when warblers make there way from Central America to Canada.  We are lucky to have them migrate through Freeborn County.  Please keep your eyes open for the wonderful feathered creatures.  Here are some websites to view of few of the many kinds of warblers.  It is my favorite week of the year and I get to share this with you!

http://www.wbu.com/chipperwoods/photos/spwarb.htm
http://www.saintpaulaudubon.org/
http://www.stokesbirdsathome.com/birding/behav/behavpages/behav112.html

Looking for books? Try: Better World Books

Here is a website for new and used  books.  This none profit company's purpose is to recirculate books so they do not end up in a land fills and any profits the company makes goes to world literacy.  There is no shipping costs so the books are really inexpensive compared to bookstores or book sellers.  I buy my own book club books here and also find great books for our classroom library. Since there are thousands of inexpensive adult to children books, it is better to know the books you would like to purchase. Then you type it in.  Very popular books such as Diary of a Wimpy Kid are available but not the newest books of a series.
 Happy Book Hunting!      New and Used Books sold for less than store prices:
http://www.betterworldbooks.com
Bargain Books 3 for $10:
http://www.betterworldbooks.com/bargain-books-cheap-books-H5473-P5.aspx?InventoryMix=99

Muffins in the Morning and Spring Break

On Wednesday, April 20th Sibley will host Muffins in the Morning.  You and your family are invited for muffins, bananas, and juice in the gym from 7:30 until 8:10.  The PTO is sponsoring the event and are hoping you will join them Wednesday morning.

Our spring break will begin Thursday, April 21st through Monday, April 25th.  Tuesday, the 26th will be the last day to prepare for our MCA Math computer testing.   MCA Math tests will be Wednesday, Thursday, April 27th and 28th.  The students did so well on the MCA reading tests this week.  They worked slow and steady and proved their answers by looking for the evidence.  They need to stay focused and work out the problems on their paper before they choose the best answer on the math test.

MCA READING

Wow!  What hard workers we had today on the first day of MCA reading.  Everyone went back  to the text for the answers (to find the evidence).  This class spent more time than any other class on this test.  The students were proud of how hard they worked.  I am very pleased too and so is Mr. Williams.  Have a good night of sleep and be ready for testing tomorrow again.  Remember everyone is routing for you!

FACTS and OPINIONS and MCAs

The third grade  MCA Reading tests will be on Thursday and Friday.  (fact)  It will seem long or short depending on your child's stamina. (opinion)  They need a good night sleep and a good breakfast to help them do better on the test.  (fact)  If they look back and find the evidence for their answers they will do better. (fact)  I think everyone is ready for the testing.  (opinion)  Mr. Williams spoke to the students about working hard and doing their best. (fact)  He believes everyone will do their best.  (opinion)  We have an awesome school (opinion) with awesome parents and students (opinion) that will do there best.  (I hope this will be a fact.)  YOU CAN DO IT!   YOU CAN DO IT!    YOU CAN DO IT!   You can do it!  You can do it!  You can do it!

Eagle Cam

Enjoy watching the eagle and her 2 chicks. Will the other egg hatch today?http://www.raptorresource.org/falcon_cams/index.html

Thank You All

Thank you all for making such heart felt cards.  It was very sweet of you all.  They really do makes me feel better.  My sister Joy was an amazing woman who had compassion for all.  She was my big sister and she always will be.  She is especially missed by her husband, two sons, daughters-in-laws  and grandkids. Like you wrote in the cards, she will live in our hearts.   Sincerely, Mrs. Berg

My Sister Joy

Mrs. Berg writes with a saddened heart:  My oldest sister Joy, died Monday night in CA of ALS. It was a surprise to everyone that it went so quickly. She ate out last Tuesday with friends and was starting to have difficulty breathing. On Friday she had hospice started and oxygen. She talked with difficulty this weekend and said which she needed to say to her family and friends. She did not wake up on Monday and sleep through until her final breath on Monda night. Joy was at peace and ready to meet her final glory with those who went before. My two sisters, brother and I will go out next week for her memorial.  She was a stong care giver and a great friend, mother,grandmother, sister and wife.  Bless her memory.  

$$ Making Change $$

We learned how to make change two different ways.  We can count up from the cost to the given amount or we can subtract the cost from the amount given. Here is a link to to making change.
 http://www.mathplayground.com/making_change.html
  Example:
                                                                           
Carlos paid $5 for a hamburger that cost $3.25.

              Q            Q          Q          $1
 $3.25, $3.50,  $3.75,   $4.00,   $5.00 

so the change back would be   $1.75  ($1 and 3Q)

          $5.00
           -3.25
           $1.75  change back is $1 and 3Q.

The goal is to find the change back with the least amount of coins.
  (not 75 pennies  or 70 dimes and 5 pennies)

Symmetry, Symmetrical and Line of Symmetry

The pairs of students played a game using pattern pieces to learn about symmetry. There was a line down the center of the paper which was the line of symmetry.  They took turns placing pieces so that the design was the same (or a mirror image) on either side of the line.  Here are photos.

Interactive Math Games

I just posted a link to a math website that looks really terrific.  Use your Winter RIT score from your Math Map assessment.  You can find it on the blue MAP sheet or the backside of the pink conference report.  Your score is circled.  Have at it! 

Winter Conferences Begin Tomorow

Conferences will begin after school on Thursday, February 3 until 7:00pm.  They will start again on Friday morning at 7:30.  Last Monday's evening conferences will be next Monday, February 7th.  Please call if you can not make the rescheduled day.  It is best to have your child at their conference but is fine if it is not convenient.  Remember The Scholastic Book Fair sponsored by SHARE.  It is a great way to buy books for your child and it helps out Sibley's projects that are funded by SHARE.  The Book Fair will be open for Monday's conferences.  I hope to see you all there!

Male Pileated Woodpecker at the Suet Feeder

The woodpecker came to our suet feeder Sunday @11am. We also saw him there at Christmas. Pileated woodpeckers are 16 -19 1/2 inches in length with a wingspan of 29 inches. A pair has a  territory of 150 - 200 acres, so this woodpecker's territory is Oakwood, Oakhurst and probably Edgewater Park.  They climb the trunks of the trees and make oval shaped holes. Woody Woodpecker is a caricature of this bird.  I was so excited to capture him in the photo and then share it with you!

Monday, January 31, at 4:30pm the female pileated woodpecker came to our feeder.  On February 2, we had another siting at 4:20pm.  So there definetly is a pair. We are very excited to have this rare species  in our neighborhood.

Conference Slips - No School Friday (1/21)

Please bring back the conference slips for the week of January 31st.  There will be no school on Friday, January 21 (teacher workday) or February 4 (conference day). Thanks to all who brought them back.  Reading, studying math, facts and spelling words was the only homework for this week.

The Wizard of Oz Prairie Fire Children's Theatre

My husband spent too many hours downloading photos a new blog.  Here is the link: http://sibleyprairiefire.blogspot.com/

The Wizard of Oz Prairie Fire Children's Theatre

Here is a link to The Albert Lea Tribune's article on Sibley's theater production.  http://www.albertleatribune.com/2011/01/14/off-to-see-the-wizard-%E2%80%A6/
Coming soon, Sibley Prairie Fire Blog.  The blog will feature photos, cast members from the this production and last year's play.  Hopefully this play will be on Albert Lea Charter Education Channel.

The Wizard of Oz

Prairie Fire Children's Theatre and Sibley's presents 

The Wizard of Oz Friday at 7:00pm 

and Saturday at 10:30am at Southwest Little Theater.

Come and be entertained by Sibley's wonderful actors.

                                           Dorothy, Glenda & the Munchkins

                                       The Munchkins

Dorothy & The Flying Monkeys

Sibley Christmas Program