Homework for the Christmas Weekend

Hi Guys,

      Merry Christmas! The homework is quite simple, yet very important. The students have to do the corrections for their New Vocabulary Sentences in the HW Cycle books for both The Strongest One (p. 8 - 9 and 14 - 15) and Tara and Tiree (p. 6 - 7 and p.12 - 13). If there are any mistakes in the sentence, your child needs to write it twice. This includes forgetting a period or comma.

Have a great holiday,

Mr. Kuhel

Unit Test Tomorrow the 23rd

Hi Guys,

The unit test for Tara and Tiree is tomorrow. Please make sure your child reviews the story on p. 2 of the HW cycle book and ALL the vocabulary on p. 3. Also, they NEED to review the questions on p. 9. 

For the grammar section, the students will have to use adjectives with the following:

     1. The 1st Way: adjective plus-er than / the adjective plus-est in the world

Ex: My mom is tall. My dad is taller than my mom. Taipei 101 is the tallest thing in Taiwan.
Ex: My friend is crazy. I am crazier than my friend. My dog is the craziest animal in the world.

or
     2. The 2nd Way: more adjective than / the most adjective  in my family

Ex: My uncle is handsome. My dad is more handsome than my uncle. I am the most handsome boy in the world.
Ex. Disneyland is incredible. Ocean World is more incredible than Disneyland. My room is the most incredible place on Earth.

There will also be questions about Have / Has (for people and animals) vs. There is / There are (for places and things).

Ex: I have 3 highlighters. (I = a person)
      There are 3 highlighters in my pencil case.(a pencil case = a thing)

Confidence comes from preparation,

Mr. K

HW for December 21st

Hi Guys,

The HW for tonight is to do the new vocabulary sentences for 6 - 10. The Unit Test for Tara and Tiree is on Friday, so you might want to review all the vocab and read the story again.


Mr. K

HW for Tuesday the 20th

Hi Guys,

The Unit Test for Tara and Tiree is this Friday. Review the story and vocabulary. For tomorrow, please do the new vocabulary sentences 1 - 5 on page 12. Also, do the daily verb for Tuesday on page 14.

Thanks,

Mr. K

HW for Dec. 16th

Hi Guys,

     The spelling test was great today. We had a 93 class average. The homework for this weekend is to read the story Tara and Tiree on page 2 of your HW Cycle book and highlight all the focus vocabulary pink. The weather has gotten a lot cooler this week, so bundle up.

Have a great weekend,

Mr. Kuhel

Dec. 14th HW

Hi Guys,

The homework for this evening is to write the New Vocabulary Sentences 6 - 10. Also, please read the YLE vocabulary on p. 20 of the communication book.

Thanks,

Mr. Kuhel

The Brazilian Village

Hi Guys,

The houses looked great! Spectacular! They are colorful, fun to look at and some are quite professional looking. Thanks parents for putting in a super team effort.

We are back to the regular HW Cycle. The HW for Tonight is the New Vocabulary Sentences 1 - 5.

Mr. K

HW for Dec. 9th

Hi Guys,

     The homework for this weekend is to read the next story in Reading Street called Tara and Tiree. Make sure to highlight all the words you don't know in green.

There is also a fun family activity. For the wonderful 60th Anniversary of Xinmin, the whole 3rd grade is going to decorate our classrooms like Brazil. Class 301 is doing an introduction to Brazil. Class 302 is doing the Amazon Jungle. 303 is doing a traditional Brazilian Village, Finally 304 is decorating their classroom in honor of all the great Brazilian soccer teams.

For the traditional village, we have already made some art and colored drawings. Next, we are going to make traditional houses out of boxes. Your child should already have a good idea what the house looks like...but go to google images and you will have a better idea on how to decorate your box.

This is going to be a super fun family activity and I look forward to seeing the results.

Have a great weekend,

Mr. Kuhel

To give you a better idea of the "favela box" go to google images and search for "favela box art" and you will see many examples of beautiful work. Or just click on the link below.

https://www.google.com.tw/search?q=favela+box+art&biw=1024&bih=510&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjmq9mqzebQAhWQQpQKHd1QBWQQsAQIFw

Here are a few examples of what I am talking about.

HW for Dec. 8th

Hi Guys,

       Tomorrow, we have our Unit Test for The Strongest One. Make sure you review all the new vocabulary (A and B), the Daily Verbs, and review the story so you can answer the comprehension questions. You will also have to write sentences using "-er/est" as well as "more and most" Finally, you will need to know the synonyms on the cover of the HW Cycle book.

Confidence comes from Preparation!

Mr. K

HW for Dec. 7th

Hi Guys,

            Today's HW is to write the New Vocab Sentences for 6 - 10. Also, you need to find the Subject and Verb in all the sentences of page 24 in your communication book. Finally, complete the Daily Verb for Wednesday.

Thanks,

Mr. K

HW for Monday, Dec. 5th

Hi Guys,

Today's HW is to do the spelling on page 7 of the Homework Cycle Book. Also, do the Daily Verb for Monday on page 10.

HW for December 1st

Hi Guys,

Tonight's homework is to simply get ready for the spelling test tomorrow morning. The vocabulary on the test is on page 6 of the Homework Cycle Booklet. Your child should also review The Daily Verbs on page 10. My spelling test is graded as follows:

1. Spell the word correctly = 2 points.
2. Know either the synonym or easy definition = 7 points.
3. Spelling and definition of the 10 words = 90 points.
4. Write 4 SVO sentences from the Daily Verb exercises (2.5 points per sentence)  = 10 points.

Make reviewing a fun game. Have your wife or husband ask a word while you and child compete. Beating Dad is always fun!

Have a good evening,

Mr. K

HW for the 29th

Hi Guys,

The homework is to write the New Vocabulary Sentences 1 - 5. Here's how you do it.

For the vocab sentences (every Tuesday and Wednesday), you need to write 7 things per word.

1.  The number of the vocabulary word (1—10)

2.  The new vocab word

3.  The word form (noun, verb, adjective, adverb or phrase)

4.  The synonym

5.  The easy definition

6.  The sample sentence

7.  Your own sentence using the new word correctly

Examples for Tuesday and Wednesday’s vocabulary sentences:

1. a message (noun) a note

Easy Definition: a note or anything that gives you info

Sample: The girl sent a text message to her friend.

My Own: I wrote a message on my friend’s notebook.

2. beautiful (adjective) super pretty

Easy Definition: s.o. or s.t. that is cute or really good-looking

Sample: Everyone says my sister is the most beautiful girl in her grade.

My Own: My mom is the most beautiful woman in the world.

HW for the 28th

Tonight's homework is a return to the HW Cycle. During the Review Week and Exam Week the homework is a little different. Now, however, it's business as usual. Write the spelling words 1 - 10. Just to remind you how it's done, I'll post the instructions again.

This is how you do your homework in Mr. Kuhel’s class. Every week is the same.

Monday – write new vocabulary words with easy definitions x3/x2/x1

Tuesday – write new vocabulary sentences 1 – 5

Wednesday – write new vocab sentences 6 – 10

Thursday – rewrite any sentence (1 – 10) with a grammar mistake x2.

Prepare for spelling and grammar quiz

Friday – read and highlight (in green) the next story of Reading Street

For the spelling, you need to write the each of the new vocabulary words (NVW) with its easy definition (EasyD) and Chinese x3/x2/x1 on one line. It looks like this…

1. NVW EasyD NVW  EasyD NVW 中文   

2. NVW EasyD NVW  EasyD NVW 中文

.

.

.

        10. NVWEasyD NVW   EasyD NVW  中文

Examples for spelling (every Monday):             

1. a message a note a message a note a message  信息

2. beautiful super pretty beautiful super pretty beautiful   美麗 的

3. to miss to wish for s.t. to miss to wish for s.t. to miss  想

HW for the 25th

Hi Guys,

     This weekend you just have to read and highlight in green the next story in Reading Street. It's called The Strongest One. I have a couple of friends in Taipei for the Thanksgiving holiday. I think they will leave for the airport around noon on Sunday. If so, I will be joining you Sunday afternoon at Cafe Grazie.

Have a great weekend,

Mr. Kuhel

HW for the 24th!

Hi Guys,

     The 2nd midterm exams are in the books. Everyone did great with a class average of 87%. Please keep in mind that I am not teaching or focusing upon specific vocab or grammar patterns that your child is required to know for one monthly test. I am trying to break the "memorize then forget" cycle. The exams only provide a short-term progress report while the real skill...test taking skills that will greatly benefit your children in the long run...are my main concern. These new abilities are at first quite difficult to master, but be patient! Once learned, they will accelerate your child's progress for the rest of his/her academic careers.

     While the day to day vocab and grammar changes with each successive exam, the format for all the exams will remain basically the same. I have been teaching for over 30 years and by the end of the Spring Semester, it has been my experience that these important fundamental skills will have become mastered by the great majority of my students. I am thereby creating a solid foundation to ensure your child's success in elementary school, junior high school and beyond. So please do not focus on a specific test score at hand, but the final results that will come at the end of the academic school year next June. Take a deep breath and trust me!

The English homework for tonight is:

1. Prepare for your Chinese exams!
2. Parents sign the exam
3. Do the test corrections for any mistake (x3)

See you next week during the parent teacher conferences,

Mr. Kuhel

HW for Tuesday November 22nd

Hi Guys,

The midterm exam is tomorrow. Go over the comprehensive review that we did in class today once more focusing on any mistakes.

Confidence comes from Preparation!

Mr. Kuhel

HW for Monday the 21st

Hi Guys,

The Written test is 2 days away on Wednesday November 23rd. The homework for tonight is to prepare for the test.

1. Review the worksheets that we corrected in class last week.
2. Review how to alphabetize in the Reader's / Writer's Notebook p. 42
3. Again, in the worksheets from Henry and Mudge / A Walk in the Desert, make sure you know how to answer reading comprehension questions with a COMPLETE sentence.

Study like the wind!

Mr. Kuhel

HW for Friday the 18th

Hi Guys,

The Listening and Reading Exam went really well. We had a class average of 90%. Good job everyone and thanks for your hard work.

This weekend, the only homework is the following:

1. Review the two stories Henry and Mudge as well as A Walk in the Desert
2. Review the Reader's/Writer's Notebook for how to identify the Subject, Verb and Object of a sentence.
3. Parents, please sign the Listening and Reading Exam.

Have a great weekend and don't forget to take a break and exercise a little!

Mr. Kuhel

HW for Thursday the 17th

Hi Guys,

Tomorrow is the Listening and Reading Exam. So get ready. Look at your Test Scope to see which pages you need to review. Just in case you can't find it, I will post it one more time.

You really need to review and practice saying the final "s" and "ed".

1.     The final “S” is usually pronounced [z] . (yellow)..

2.     For a final p, k, f, t …

       say [s] . (green) .

3.     For a final s, sh, ch, x and ge …

say [iz] . (pink) .

s, es, ies				ed, d, ied, and (1+1=2) ed
hope	wish	look	girl	hop	hope	wish	look
drip	dry	need	work	drum	drip	dry	need
watch	pen	game	hunt	cash	marry	mess	pop
end	grab	grip	talk	cook	end	grab	grip
kiss	mix	start	add	laugh	kiss	mix	start
wash	cherry	boy	fix	use	wash	sniff	clap
hug	pen	walk	lunch	cry	hug	paint	walk
cry	park	brush	toss	want	sip	park	brush
itch	bag	visit	patch	pick	itch	wait	visit
stop	taste	pencil	fry	shade	stop	taste	play

1.     The final “ed” is usually pronounced [d] . (yellow) .

2.     For a final s, sh, ch, x, p, k, f …

      say [t] . (green) .

3.     For a final d and t …

say [id]  . (pink) .

Here is the test scope for the 2nd Midterm Exams

Second Exam Test Scope for Weeks 7 – 10

The 2nd Midterm Exams will be held Nov. 15^th - 22^nd

Please note the scheduled test dates: 

§ The Vocabulary Review Test: Tuesday, Nov. 15^th

§ The Listening/Reading Test: Friday, Nov. 18^th

§ The Written Test Wednesday, Nov. 23rd

The three tests will cover the following: 

VOCABULARY:

Communication Book P. 8–11 from Weeks 7–10.

Homework Cycle from Week 7–10.

R/W Notebook p.25–26, 29–31, 34–38, 41–43, 46–48

LISTENING & READING:

Communication Book P. 8–11 from Week 7–10.

Homework Cycle from Week 7–10.

R/W Notebook p.25–26, 29–31, 34–38, 41–43, 46–48

R/W Notebook p. 28, 34, 40, and 46

SPELLING: 

Communication Book P. 8–11 from Week 7–10.

Homework Cycle from Week 7–10.

R/W Notebook p.25–26, 29–31, 34–38, 41–43, 46–48

PHONICS: 

Review Notebook pages: 25, 29, 34, 37, 41, and 46

Final ‘s’ and ‘ed’ HW Cycle Weeks 9–10 p. 15

 

GRAMMAR: 

Review Notebook pages: 36, 42, 43, and 48

Communication Book P. 23–24 from Weeks 7–10.

Daily Verbs HW Cycle Weeks 7–10

COMPREHENSION: 

Reading Street:

1.      Henry and Mudge

2.      A Walk in the Desert

Communication Book P. 23–24 from Week 7–10.

R/W Notebook p. 25–26, 29–31, 34–38, 41– 43, 46–48

Reviewing a little every night makes a lot of sense!

Do your best,

Mr. Kuhel 

HW for Wednesday the 16th

Hi Guys,

The homework for tonight is the following:

1. Complete each packet of worksheets from Henry and Mudge as well as A Walk in the Desert. 
2. Review and practice the phonics for the inflected endings for "s" and "ed"
3. Parents, please sign your child's Vocabulary Review Exam

HW for Tuesday 11/15

Hi Guys,

I have already graded the Vocab Exam and the class did great! We had a 90% class average with 18 students scoring 90 or higher.

The HW tonight is:

1. Write Test corrections (each mistake x4)
2. Read the 10 important sentences on pages 23 & 24 of the communication book
3. Have a parent sign the Exam
4. Complete the worksheets Reading Street review worksheets by Wednesday night (We will go over these in class on Thursday)

Again, good job on the Second Vocabulary Midterm!

Mr. Kuhel

Homework for Monday, November, 14th

Hi Guys,

I have received notice that quite a few parents would prefer the homework be posted every day on the blog. I will do this happily. As the next two weeks are exam weeks, the homework is a little different than a regular week.

For Tonight, the homework is to just review all the vocabulary on pages 8-10 of your child's communication book. The highlighted words are the ones they are expected to know and be responsible for this exam AND all future exams.

The packet of worksheets the class got last Friday isn't due until this coming Thursday. They still have 3 nights to finish those.

Have a good week,

Mr. Kuhel

Unit Test for A Walk in the Desert

Hi Guys,

Tomorrow we have a Unit Test for the 4th story in Reading Street. Spend about 20 minutes this evening quizzing your child to help them prepare. Next week we have the Vocabulary Review Exam. Half the vocab on that test will be covered in the Unit Test tomorrow. They need to know all the vocabulary on pages 10 and 11 of their communication book.

For best results, I recommend quizzing your child for 10 minutes before dinner, 10 minutes after dinner and finally 10 minutes before bed. Make it a fun game and have your child quiz you and see if he/she can beat Mom and Dad!

Second Mid-Term Exam Test Scope

Hello Parents,

The second exam will be held from 11/14 – 11/22. Please note the scheduled test dates: 

l  The Vocabulary Review Test - Tuesday, 11/15.

l  The Listening/Reading Test - Friday, 11/18.

l  The Written Test - Wednesday, 11/23.

The three tests will cover the following: 

VOCABULARY:

Communication Book P. 8~11 from Weeks 7~10.

Homework Cycle from Week 7~10.

Reader/Writer Notebook p. 25-26, 29-31, 34-38, 41- 43, 46-48

LISTENING & READING:

Listening:

Communication Book P. 8~11 from Week 7~10.

Homework Cycle from Week 7~10.

Reader/Writer Notebook p. 25-26, 29-31, 34-38, 41- 43, 46-48

Reader/Writer Notebook p. 28, 34, 40, and 46

SPELLING: 

Communication Book P. 8~11 from Week 7~10.

Homework Cycle from Week 7~10.

Reader/Writer Notebook p. 25-26, 29-31, 34-38, 41- 43, 46-48

PHONICS: 

Review Notebook pages: 25, 29, 34, 37, 41, and 46

Final ‘s’ and final ‘ed’ HW Cycle Weeks 9-10 p. 15

 

GRAMMAR: 

Review Notebook pages: 36, 42, 43, and 48

Communication Book P. 23~24 from Weeks 7~10.

Daily Verbs HW Cycle Weeks 7-10

COMPREHENSION: 

Reading Street: Henry and Mudge as well as A Walk in the Desert

Communication Book P. 23~24 from Week 7~10.

Review R/W Notebook p. 25-26, 29-31, 34-38, 41- 43, 46-48

Class 303 and 304

Field Trip to the Art Musuem

Hi Guys,

I hope you all had a nice Halloween. It's a shame we couldn't have our Sports Day because of the rainy weather. Oh well, safety first...so it is a good thing it was postponed.

Tomorrow morning, we'll be taking a field trip to a cool museum. We'll see lots of beautiful colorful paintings and have lots to write about for creative writing class!

In the afternoon, we have our experience class. This month's theme is baseball, so we'll continue to learn the basic rules and history of the great game. If weather permits, we'll even play a few innings.

Friday is the weekly Spelling Quiz, so practice a little every night.

Halloween Party

Hi Guys,

Tomorrow we have our Week 9 Spelling Quiz. Practice a lot with your child tonight. Tomorrow we will also have an optional Halloween Party. If your child wants to dress up and wear a costume, that will be awesome. Also, if you don't want to wear a costume, that is perfectly OK. Furthermore, if your child wants to bring some snacks to share with his/her classmates, we will do that after lunch.

I apologize for the short notice. I was originally planning on having the party on the day after Halloween. This year, we have a special day off on Monday, October 31st... which is Halloween.

Have a great weekend,

Mr. Kuhel

The Importance of the Daily Verb

This Friday, we'll have a quiz on the story Henry and Mudge. The more your child reads, the better he/she writes, understands and participates in class. The story is in the Homework Cycle Workbook, so try to have your child read the story out loud to you once or twice this week. Reading out loud is a great way to practice pronunciation. It also allows your child to use 3 senses (eyes, ears, and mouth) to remember the story.

Last week's Spelling Quiz went very well. The class is really beginning to thrive in my system. The class average was over 90%, which is unbelievable.

The Daily Verb is an important exercise. Island-wide it's difficult to find any Taiwanese students that consistently use articles (a, the), possessive pronouns (my, your, his, her etc.), plurals (add and "s") or correctly conjugate the verb... especially while writing short paragraphs, essays or answering comprehension questions for HW or quizzes. The Daily Verb provides the simple review and repetition the students desperately need. It only takes a few minutes to do the Daily Verb, but come June, all the kids will efforlessly be able to use these basic, yet critically important English fundamentals fluently. The point is, make sure they do it every evening. If you want to practice and improve your English, read all the Daily Verbs (after I correct them!) with your child once or twice a week. Confidence and excellence both come from practice and preparation.

Have a great week,

Mr. Kuhel

Listening and Reading Exams

Hi Guys,

40% of your child's grade for a major exam is based on listening and reading. The class average on this test was an astounding 98%. I will give it to your child on Tuesday to bring home together with the written exam.

The written exam, representing 60% of the final grade, is next Tuesday, October 4th. The skills that will be tested are Alphabetizing, differentiating between the subject and the verb, and identifying short and long vowels. There will also be comprehension questions from both stories. So re-read the stories The Twin Club  as well as Exploring Space  with your child. After each page you read, ask 2 or 3 simple comprehension questions.

My amazing co-teacher Susana has told me that a lot of you are interested in getting some Zack Files for your kid. All I can say is YES! Your kid will love these and read them with joy and pleasure. I have spoken with the English Director, Ms. Angel, and we will come up with a plan to include this fun lovable series of books in your child's 3rd Grade experience. Give me about 2 weeks please to come up with a solution that will be best for everyone.

Have a great weekend,

Mr. Kuhel

Field Trip: Bike Safety Along the River

Today we had our bike safety class in the Riverside Park along the Xin Dian River. The weather was perfect, the coaches were awesome and everyone had a great time.

This Friday, we will have a Unit Test on Exploring Space. I will send the books home with the kids on Thursday night. Please help your child prepare properly. Preparation creates confidence!

I hope everyone had a nice Harvest Moon Festival. Thank you all so much for the gifts. I really appreciate it.

Have a good week,

Mr. Kuhel

Your Child's Spelling Quizzes

Hi Guys,

I sent home Weeks 1 and 2 Spelling Quizzes to be signed today. Please sign them. I will have the students put them in their Portfolio Folders for future reference. They can use these quizzes to help prepare for the "Big Exams"

I was quite pleased with the overall results. 5 or 6 students got 100 %, and another 12 got over 90%

Week One Spelling Quiz Class Average: 84.
Week Two Spelling Quiz Class Average: 80

The Week 2 class average was a little lower, but the important thing is the class is getting used to new challenges. They are learning what my expectations are and what they need to do to succeed in the 3rd Grade.

If your child didn't do very well on these first two quizzes...do not worry or panic. At the end of the semester, I will "throw out" or delete the two lowest scores for the semester. If they got a low score, please encourage them and help them prepare for the quizzes every Thursday night. They should continue to improve throughout the semester. These first few quizzes are just learning experiences ... part of the process of improving their skills and abilities.

Tomorrow we have class! Whoo hoo!

Mr. Kuhel