We have been very busy this month. A few important notes for the next week:
-We will not take home a spelling list over the holiday break. The new list will come home on Monday, January 6th.
-The students will be asked to keep a reading calendar over the break and turn it in on Monday, January 6th.
-It is important that the students are practicing their math facts every night. As of today we have learned all of our facts 0-10.
-We will be having a class party on Friday, December 20th. The students are invited to wear their pajamas to school that day. Please keep in mind the students will go out to recess wearing their pajamas.
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
Monday, November 18, 2013
Amazing Week!
We had an amazing week last week! Were you surprised by the amount of work that came home? I was impressed by the amount we were able to accomplish. We have finished quite a few units and the students and I are excited to start some new, fresh topics. We used our USB memory sticks last week and began learning how to use Microsoft Word. The students can type their current events if they would like.
Reader's Workshop
We have finished our character trait unit and the students have finished their guided reading books. This week we will begin our non-fiction unit. Our focus during this unit is on non-fiction text features. We will look at various features (ex: title, caption, index) on non-fiction and use them to help enhance our understanding of complex non-fiction texts. We will continue to work in small groups, but we will be work on short pieces on non-fiction.
Writer's Workshop
Our personal narrative unit will be complete with some more revision and editing. The students have also tried their hand at writing a personal narrative using a repeating line.
Math
We will continue our work in multiplication this week. We will look at a factor of 10, continue to practice our factor of 5, understand how to multiply with factors of 10, and look at multiple step word problems. The students have done an amazing job looking for patterns in the multiples and learning the facts. Thank you for practicing at home!
Your child will be taking a district mandated assessment this week covering place value, comparing and ordering numbers, rounding, and adding and subtraction greater numbers. We have been continually practicing these concepts daily in class and will take this assessment on Wednesday.
Social Studies
We have been working on learning about the United States economy. We have focused on the various regions of the U.S., the products of these regions, products that we export and import, and understanding the difference between needs and wants. This week we will focus on producers, consumers and interdependence. We will learn about where our food comes from by researching different farms such as dairy, wheat, beef, poultry, and fish farms.
Word Work
We are taking a break from word work for a little while. We will be using this class time to work on paragraphing. We will be learning about the parts of a paragraph: topic sentence, body and closing sentence. We will begin writing in paragraph form and I think you will notice a difference in the students' Friday Letters. We will not have a Friday Letter next week, due to Thanksgiving break.
A few additional items:
- The students began working on Raz-Kids last week. Feel free to access this website at home.
-We will have our Unit 7 spelling quiz on Thursday, but we will not have a new list over Thanksgiving week. The list will come home on Monday, December 2nd.
-The students have a Thanksgiving Math packet due on Friday, November 22nd.
Reader's Workshop
We have finished our character trait unit and the students have finished their guided reading books. This week we will begin our non-fiction unit. Our focus during this unit is on non-fiction text features. We will look at various features (ex: title, caption, index) on non-fiction and use them to help enhance our understanding of complex non-fiction texts. We will continue to work in small groups, but we will be work on short pieces on non-fiction.
Writer's Workshop
Our personal narrative unit will be complete with some more revision and editing. The students have also tried their hand at writing a personal narrative using a repeating line.
Math
We will continue our work in multiplication this week. We will look at a factor of 10, continue to practice our factor of 5, understand how to multiply with factors of 10, and look at multiple step word problems. The students have done an amazing job looking for patterns in the multiples and learning the facts. Thank you for practicing at home!
Your child will be taking a district mandated assessment this week covering place value, comparing and ordering numbers, rounding, and adding and subtraction greater numbers. We have been continually practicing these concepts daily in class and will take this assessment on Wednesday.
Social Studies
We have been working on learning about the United States economy. We have focused on the various regions of the U.S., the products of these regions, products that we export and import, and understanding the difference between needs and wants. This week we will focus on producers, consumers and interdependence. We will learn about where our food comes from by researching different farms such as dairy, wheat, beef, poultry, and fish farms.
Word Work
We are taking a break from word work for a little while. We will be using this class time to work on paragraphing. We will be learning about the parts of a paragraph: topic sentence, body and closing sentence. We will begin writing in paragraph form and I think you will notice a difference in the students' Friday Letters. We will not have a Friday Letter next week, due to Thanksgiving break.
A few additional items:
- The students began working on Raz-Kids last week. Feel free to access this website at home.
-We will have our Unit 7 spelling quiz on Thursday, but we will not have a new list over Thanksgiving week. The list will come home on Monday, December 2nd.
-The students have a Thanksgiving Math packet due on Friday, November 22nd.
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Week of November 11th
We are working very hard in our classroom right now. As I discussed at Open House, third grade means more responsibility and greater independence. We have had many discussions in class lately about effort. I would appreciate any support you can give me when talking with your child at home. Thank you!
Reading
We will complete Charlotte's Web this week. Our focus is on how the characters have changed and influenced each other. We will also complete our book group books this week. Our work in these groups has centered around character traits.
Writing
We will complete our Personal Narrative unit this week. We are currently drafting our narratives and we will work on editing and revising later this week.
Math
We learned our 9's today. Ask your son/daughter to tell you some of the amazing patterns we discovered and our neat tricks to solving these problems. We will also learn the rules for multiplying by 0 and 1, and multiplying by 10. We will have our first timed test this Friday (multiplying by 2). Also, the students have a word problem packet due on November 22nd.
Social Studies
We have begun a unit about the United States. We began our work learning about landforms and finding the US on a variety of maps. We have also discussed the US's climate. This week we will be learning about our economy. An assignment will come home tomorrow where your child will need to separate products and/or services into a need or want category.
Word Work
We are working on learning all of the irregular past tense verbs. It has been fun talking about how our verbal skills progress as we grow up!
Reading
We will complete Charlotte's Web this week. Our focus is on how the characters have changed and influenced each other. We will also complete our book group books this week. Our work in these groups has centered around character traits.
Writing
We will complete our Personal Narrative unit this week. We are currently drafting our narratives and we will work on editing and revising later this week.
Math
We learned our 9's today. Ask your son/daughter to tell you some of the amazing patterns we discovered and our neat tricks to solving these problems. We will also learn the rules for multiplying by 0 and 1, and multiplying by 10. We will have our first timed test this Friday (multiplying by 2). Also, the students have a word problem packet due on November 22nd.
Social Studies
We have begun a unit about the United States. We began our work learning about landforms and finding the US on a variety of maps. We have also discussed the US's climate. This week we will be learning about our economy. An assignment will come home tomorrow where your child will need to separate products and/or services into a need or want category.
Word Work
We are working on learning all of the irregular past tense verbs. It has been fun talking about how our verbal skills progress as we grow up!
Sunday, October 27, 2013
Happy Halloween
As we close out the month of October I am pleased and impressed with the depth of our learning so far this school year. This week will round out our parent conferences. Thank you all for taking the time out of your schedule to come in and meet with me. As always, feel free to call or email me as the year progresses.
Reading
The students will be analyzing a chapter of Charlotte's Web independently and we will be discussing the changes we have seen in Wilbur. We will also be meeting in our small reading groups this week. Our focus will be on character traits and textual evidence.
Writing
The students will choose a small moment that they are interested in taking through the writing process. We will work on creating an interesting lead and staying in our storyteller voice.
Math
We have begun working on multiplication. Our focus this week will be on the rules for multiplication and the underlying concepts. We will be working on repeated addition, making arrays, the properties of multiplication and writing multiplication stories. Look for a review packet of these concepts to come home mid-week. This packet is meant for you to support your child's learning at home.
Social Studies
The students have been working on a landform dictionary in class. We are using the computers to define a variety of landform terms. This week we will complete this work and begin a closer look at the geography of the United States. Our focus will be on the major landforms of the US and how the landforms impact population.
Have a wonderful week and Happy Halloween!
Reading
The students will be analyzing a chapter of Charlotte's Web independently and we will be discussing the changes we have seen in Wilbur. We will also be meeting in our small reading groups this week. Our focus will be on character traits and textual evidence.
Writing
The students will choose a small moment that they are interested in taking through the writing process. We will work on creating an interesting lead and staying in our storyteller voice.
Math
We have begun working on multiplication. Our focus this week will be on the rules for multiplication and the underlying concepts. We will be working on repeated addition, making arrays, the properties of multiplication and writing multiplication stories. Look for a review packet of these concepts to come home mid-week. This packet is meant for you to support your child's learning at home.
Social Studies
The students have been working on a landform dictionary in class. We are using the computers to define a variety of landform terms. This week we will complete this work and begin a closer look at the geography of the United States. Our focus will be on the major landforms of the US and how the landforms impact population.
Have a wonderful week and Happy Halloween!
Sunday, October 20, 2013
Fire Department, Globes, and Pollination...Oh My!
It is amazing how much we were able to accomplish last week in school. The following photos are just the amazing things we did on Friday!
We enjoyed a visit from the Elsmere Fire Department.
We had lots of fun making globes.
We pollinated our Wisconsin Fast Plants using real bees!
This week will be just as busy!
Reading
We will continue our work with Charlotte's Web. The students are making some wonderful observations and most importantly they are providing textual evidence to support their thinking. We will also begin our guided reading book groups this week.
Writing
The students have been working on writing personal narratives using a storytelling voice. We will learn how to punctuate dialog this week. We will also try to edit our work as we write. I hope that you are enjoying our Friday Letters!
Math
We will finish our addition and subtraction unit this week. The students will take a chapter test on Thursday. On Friday we will begin working on MULTIPLICATION!!!!
Social Studies
We will paint our globes on Tuesday. Then we will work on creating a landform dictionary. We will be using the computers to research various landforms.
Science
We are on the final few lessons for our Pollination unit. We will learn about the parts of a flower and we will make our final observations. We will also harvest our seed pods.
Word Work
This week we will learn about three more rules for changing a singular noun to a plural noun.
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Week of October 14th
I hope you were able to enjoy time with your family this weekend. We spent the weekend in Rochester with my parents. Don't forget our first parent conference day is this Thursday. We will be dismissing the students at 11:45.
This week in...
Reading Workshop...
we will continue our character study. We are learning how we can formulate opinions about the characters we read, however, we must back our opinions with textual evidence. We have been reading from Charlotte's Web by E.B. White as a class. As we've been reading, we've been realizing how much depth each character has and we have been surprised to find that Wilbur really isn't as likeable as we originally thought.
Writing Workshop...
we will learn how to edit our writing as we're writing and how this is an important skill when we write in all disciplines. We will also choose a seed idea. This seed idea will be a small moment that we will work on and take it through the writing process.
Math...
we will look at subtracting greater numbers with regrouping and subtracting across zeroes. We will also learn a new problem solving strategy: drawing a picture. Even though we are finished with our fact quizzes, it is important to continue to practice facts. W
Science...
we will look at the parts of a flower and closely observe how our flowers on our plants change as it continues through its life cycle. This week we may even be able to learn about pollination and get the chance to pollinate our flowers!
Social Studies...
we hope to discuss continental drift and begin looking at the different landforms that cover our globe.
Dictionary Skills...
we have been learning how to navigate through a dictionary using guide words. We will begin looking words up to learn their part of speech.
I look forward to our upcoming conferences over the next three weeks. We have a lot to cover in our 20 minutes together! Thank you for your continued support.
Sunday, October 6, 2013
Fabulous Fall!
We are officially working at a third grade pace! We have been very busy and having a lot of fun. This week is packed full of learning and exciting adventures. We will have two special guest speakers and a Mystery Reader. Also, Monday is picture day!!
Science
Our pollination is in full swing. We have been making observations and learning about the life cycle of a plant. On Friday we learned about photosynthesis and the difference between seed leaves and true leaves. This week we will observe flowers and learn about why bees are so important.
Reading
We will begin our character study this week. During this unit we will explore character development and traits. We will learn how to use textual evidence to support our thinking. We will be reading Charlotte's Web together throughout this unit. This unit is full of new vocabulary!
Writing
We will continue our narrative unit by exploring small moments. Our focus this week will be on storytelling. We will analyze different written pieces and decide which are storytelling and which are reporting. Then we will attempt to write a small moment using storytelling.
Math
Our last fact quiz is this Friday! We will work on adding greater numbers and adding more three or more numbers. We will also work on problem solving by drawing a picture.
Social Studies
We will begin a fun project on Friday. Please have students wear clothes that are suitable to get a bit messy (washable, but messy).
Word Work
We are learning how to use the dictionary. This week we will review how to put words in alphabetical order and use guide words to help locate information in the dictionary.
I am looking forward to sitting down with you and sharing all of the wonderful work your child has been doing in third grade. Parent conferences begin next week! See you soon!
Science
Our pollination is in full swing. We have been making observations and learning about the life cycle of a plant. On Friday we learned about photosynthesis and the difference between seed leaves and true leaves. This week we will observe flowers and learn about why bees are so important.
Reading
We will begin our character study this week. During this unit we will explore character development and traits. We will learn how to use textual evidence to support our thinking. We will be reading Charlotte's Web together throughout this unit. This unit is full of new vocabulary!
Writing
We will continue our narrative unit by exploring small moments. Our focus this week will be on storytelling. We will analyze different written pieces and decide which are storytelling and which are reporting. Then we will attempt to write a small moment using storytelling.
Math
Our last fact quiz is this Friday! We will work on adding greater numbers and adding more three or more numbers. We will also work on problem solving by drawing a picture.
Social Studies
We will begin a fun project on Friday. Please have students wear clothes that are suitable to get a bit messy (washable, but messy).
Word Work
We are learning how to use the dictionary. This week we will review how to put words in alphabetical order and use guide words to help locate information in the dictionary.
I am looking forward to sitting down with you and sharing all of the wonderful work your child has been doing in third grade. Parent conferences begin next week! See you soon!
Sunday, September 29, 2013
Week of September 30th
Our class worked very hard last week! Monday your child will bring home his/her first math test. Overall the scores were excellent. Please look over the test with your son/daughter and make corrections together. I am asking that the test is signed, corrected and returned by Friday, October 4th.
Math
We have begun working on our next chapter in math. We will be rounding, estimating sums and estimating differences. Please continue to practice addition and subtraction facts at home as often as possible. We will have our third timed test on 14, 15 facts this Friday.
Reading
This week we will focus our work on becoming more fluent readers. We will also work on noticing when meaning breaks down in our reading and strategies that will help us recover. We will specifically be talking about using context clues and rereading this week. We will also lengthen our writing in response to our independent reading time.
Writing
Last week we began our personal narrative unit. The students and I explored ways we as writers can generate ideas. This week we will continue to add to our list of small moments and we will work on developing our ideas into stories. Our focus will be on creating a beginning, middle and end to our stories. You can help at home by having conversations with your child about moments in their lives that are special or memorable enough to make into an interesting narrative.
Science
We have planted our Wisconsin Fast Plants! I was at school this afternoon and they have already sprouted. This week we will discuss how to make a scientific observation. We will be graphing the growth of our plants, and thinning and transplanting our plants.
Word Work
We will introduce the first of many rules to change singular nouns to plural nouns. You can help at home by pointing our when/where you see this rule in real life. We will begin with changing a "y" at the end of a word to and "i" and adding "es".
We will also begin to learn how to use the dictionary. This is an essential skill for third graders. Once we have mastered the dictionary the students will define their spelling words each week. In the meantime I am asking you to help explain the meaning of unfamiliar words to your son/daughter. They will be required to use their word in a sentence and spell the word correctly on their quiz this Thursday.
Our seed sheet, reading calendar and Friday Letter should all be in school tomorrow. Our book order is due by Friday, October 4th. Please make all payments online using our classroom code. For every order you make online our classroom receives a free book. Thank you!
Math
We have begun working on our next chapter in math. We will be rounding, estimating sums and estimating differences. Please continue to practice addition and subtraction facts at home as often as possible. We will have our third timed test on 14, 15 facts this Friday.
Reading
This week we will focus our work on becoming more fluent readers. We will also work on noticing when meaning breaks down in our reading and strategies that will help us recover. We will specifically be talking about using context clues and rereading this week. We will also lengthen our writing in response to our independent reading time.
Writing
Last week we began our personal narrative unit. The students and I explored ways we as writers can generate ideas. This week we will continue to add to our list of small moments and we will work on developing our ideas into stories. Our focus will be on creating a beginning, middle and end to our stories. You can help at home by having conversations with your child about moments in their lives that are special or memorable enough to make into an interesting narrative.
Science
We have planted our Wisconsin Fast Plants! I was at school this afternoon and they have already sprouted. This week we will discuss how to make a scientific observation. We will be graphing the growth of our plants, and thinning and transplanting our plants.
Word Work
We will introduce the first of many rules to change singular nouns to plural nouns. You can help at home by pointing our when/where you see this rule in real life. We will begin with changing a "y" at the end of a word to and "i" and adding "es".
We will also begin to learn how to use the dictionary. This is an essential skill for third graders. Once we have mastered the dictionary the students will define their spelling words each week. In the meantime I am asking you to help explain the meaning of unfamiliar words to your son/daughter. They will be required to use their word in a sentence and spell the word correctly on their quiz this Thursday.
Our seed sheet, reading calendar and Friday Letter should all be in school tomorrow. Our book order is due by Friday, October 4th. Please make all payments online using our classroom code. For every order you make online our classroom receives a free book. Thank you!
Sunday, September 22, 2013
Week of September 23, 2013
Thank you very much for coming to Open House last week! It was wonderful to see so many parents in attendance. You will receive a reminder for your conference date at the beginning of October. If you signed up for Mystery Reader, you will receive that reminder a week before you are scheduled to come in to read.
Reading
We will be working on comprehension strategies this week. The students will be reading and using post-it notes to notice their thinking while reading. The students will also work on increasing their stamina.
Writing
We will begin our personal narrative unit this week. The students will brainstorm "small moments" from their lives that could make interesting narratives. We will be writing about important people in our lives and important places.
Math
We will begin our week looking at some word problems that can be solved using an organized list. By Wednesday we will be ready to take a chapter test on place value. Then, we will move on to rounding to the tens and hundreds place. Reminder: This Friday the students will take the 12 and 13 timed fact quiz.
Science
As we begin our Plant Growth unit we will be looking at a lima bean seeds. We will discuss how scientists make observations. On Monday you will see a short science homework assignment come home.
Social Studies
Our map study unit continues this week. We will explore the equator, prime meridian and hemispheres.
Students should have their completed reading calendar and the Friday Letter notebook with them in school tomorrow. Finally, our Current Event schedule for October will come home on Tuesday.
Reading
We will be working on comprehension strategies this week. The students will be reading and using post-it notes to notice their thinking while reading. The students will also work on increasing their stamina.
Writing
We will begin our personal narrative unit this week. The students will brainstorm "small moments" from their lives that could make interesting narratives. We will be writing about important people in our lives and important places.
Math
We will begin our week looking at some word problems that can be solved using an organized list. By Wednesday we will be ready to take a chapter test on place value. Then, we will move on to rounding to the tens and hundreds place. Reminder: This Friday the students will take the 12 and 13 timed fact quiz.
Science
As we begin our Plant Growth unit we will be looking at a lima bean seeds. We will discuss how scientists make observations. On Monday you will see a short science homework assignment come home.
Social Studies
Our map study unit continues this week. We will explore the equator, prime meridian and hemispheres.
Students should have their completed reading calendar and the Friday Letter notebook with them in school tomorrow. Finally, our Current Event schedule for October will come home on Tuesday.
Sunday, September 15, 2013
A Successful First Week of School
Hopefully your child has come home this week excited about life in third grade. We have an absolutely wonderful class of hardworking, respectful, lovable students. It has been a pleasure getting to know each and every student this first full week of school. We have already begun diving into our third grade learning.
Reading
In reading we have discussed how to choose a just-right book and what a reader looks like in the classroom. This week we will work on noticing our thinking while reading and writing about parts in our books that stand out as important to us. The students will also begin to track their reading skills using a self-assessment. With this, the students will begin to set goals for themselves in reading.
Math
Math is in full swing! We have learned three different ways to write numbers. This week we will explore numbers into the thousands, use number lines, order numbers and compare numbers. You will also see math homework begin this week and a letter regarding timed fact quizzes.
Writing
In writing we will finish our work on our summer memory and continue to set-up our writer's notebook. **The notebook cover that came home last week is due tomorrow.**
Social Studies
Our first social studies unit is a world geography unit. We will begin looking at various types of maps and use them to learn how to read a map using a grid. We will also explore intermediate directions and map keys.
Word Work/Vocabulary
We will begin our word work study this year with nouns. Our focus will be on identifying proper and common nouns.
Our vocabulary word study will also begin this week. Each day (Mon.-Thur.) the students will learn a new vocabulary word. We will define the word together, identify synonyms and antonyms, put the word into a sentence and illustrate the word. By the end of the week the students will use these words in a letter that will come home for you to read...more details about this at Open House!
Thank you all for your support these first few days of school. As always don't hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns. My contact information can be found on the sidebar of this page. I hope that you are able to attend Open House on this Thursday from 7-8pm.
Reading
In reading we have discussed how to choose a just-right book and what a reader looks like in the classroom. This week we will work on noticing our thinking while reading and writing about parts in our books that stand out as important to us. The students will also begin to track their reading skills using a self-assessment. With this, the students will begin to set goals for themselves in reading.
Math
Math is in full swing! We have learned three different ways to write numbers. This week we will explore numbers into the thousands, use number lines, order numbers and compare numbers. You will also see math homework begin this week and a letter regarding timed fact quizzes.
Writing
In writing we will finish our work on our summer memory and continue to set-up our writer's notebook. **The notebook cover that came home last week is due tomorrow.**
Social Studies
Our first social studies unit is a world geography unit. We will begin looking at various types of maps and use them to learn how to read a map using a grid. We will also explore intermediate directions and map keys.
Word Work/Vocabulary
We will begin our word work study this year with nouns. Our focus will be on identifying proper and common nouns.
Our vocabulary word study will also begin this week. Each day (Mon.-Thur.) the students will learn a new vocabulary word. We will define the word together, identify synonyms and antonyms, put the word into a sentence and illustrate the word. By the end of the week the students will use these words in a letter that will come home for you to read...more details about this at Open House!
Thank you all for your support these first few days of school. As always don't hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns. My contact information can be found on the sidebar of this page. I hope that you are able to attend Open House on this Thursday from 7-8pm.
Thursday, August 29, 2013
Welcome Back
I hope you have had a wonderful summer. It has been a great summer for my family. I had an opportunity to spend time with my two sons, Cole (4 years old) and Grant (2 years old). We had some fantastic adventures. We went on our first camping trip!
I have been working hard in our classroom and I am very excited about the start of the school year. If you haven't already seen the supply list you can find it on the Elsmere webpage. Also, if you scroll down (below the supply list) you will find a short questionnaire. Please feel free to email your response or send it in with your son/daughter.
We will be sharing our summer fun as a get to know you activity. Please send in a photo of your son/daughter doing something he/she enjoyed this summer. We will share them, write about them and hang them up in the hallway.
I hope that you are able to come in and meet me next week on Wednesday from 3-4 pm!!!
I have been working hard in our classroom and I am very excited about the start of the school year. If you haven't already seen the supply list you can find it on the Elsmere webpage. Also, if you scroll down (below the supply list) you will find a short questionnaire. Please feel free to email your response or send it in with your son/daughter.
We will be sharing our summer fun as a get to know you activity. Please send in a photo of your son/daughter doing something he/she enjoyed this summer. We will share them, write about them and hang them up in the hallway.
I hope that you are able to come in and meet me next week on Wednesday from 3-4 pm!!!
Monday, June 10, 2013
The Last Full Week of School...WHAT?!?!?!?!
It is very difficult to believe that this is the last full week of school. We have been so busy the last few weeks. Hopefully you have had a sense of our packed schedule from our Friday Letters! This week we will be finishing our fabulous Power Point presentations. The students have learned how to create a presentation, format slides, insert backgrounds, format font, download and save photographs, insert photos, and of course input their research in interesting ways. This week we will have fun with transitions, animations and special effects. I think you will be very impressed with what your third grader has put together. I hope that you can join us next Monday, June 17th from 4:30-5:30 to celebrate our hard work. This is an open house, feel free to come and go at your convenience. We all know what a busy time of the year this is.
We are also learning a lot about Japan and Japanese culture. The students are enjoying the video postcards that we have shown depicting authentic Japanese life. In science, we will be completing our Electricity unit. The students have learned about parallel and series circuits. We will discuss and experiment with a model heater and resistance this week. Also, we are doing a short Bill Peet author study right now. It is a fun way to end the year in reading!
Enjoy your week!
Monday, May 13, 2013
Happy Mother's Day
We were all very excited about our Mother's Day projects! I hope that you enjoyed reading them. The students put a lot of effort into their articles!
This week we will continue our book partner work. Each student has been assigned a book and a partner. They do their reading and a portion of a written assignment independently and then meet with their partner to discuss their reading and complete the written task. We will also continue to practice division. We will explore remainders and may even take a look at some simple long division. We will begin division timed tests on Friday, May 17th. We will begin with 2's and 3's. In social studies, we are learning about different cultures. We have looked at Nigeria and Vietnam. This week we will learn about Finland.
We will begin our research on our assigned countries this Friday. I am asking each student to bring in at least one resource to use, by Friday, May17. We will research our countries and then the students will create a power point presentation on his/her country. We will be inviting you in to view these in June. There will be more information about a date and time for this event coming home soon!
We are enjoying our science unit about electricity. We will continue this work for the next few weeks.
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Week of April 21, 2013
This week we will be taking the NY State Math test on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Just like the ELA this test is 70 minutes each day. Eating a healthy breakfast and getting a good night sleep can really help students.
We will be finishing our biography project this week in anticipation of our Wax Museum on Friday at 2:30 pm. We will be creating timelines, finalizing and memorizing our speeches. We could really use some help at home this week memorizing our speeches! We have done a tremendous amount of work for this project and we can't wait to share it with all of you.
A few more notes:
- This week is our review list for spelling, so there is no spelling entry.
-The students' Informational Text is due next Tuesday morning. Thank you for your help with this
assignment!
-A new current event schedule for May will come home this week.
-Our Wax Museum will take place this Friday at 2:30 pm.
We will be finishing our biography project this week in anticipation of our Wax Museum on Friday at 2:30 pm. We will be creating timelines, finalizing and memorizing our speeches. We could really use some help at home this week memorizing our speeches! We have done a tremendous amount of work for this project and we can't wait to share it with all of you.
A few more notes:
- This week is our review list for spelling, so there is no spelling entry.
-The students' Informational Text is due next Tuesday morning. Thank you for your help with this
assignment!
-A new current event schedule for May will come home this week.
-Our Wax Museum will take place this Friday at 2:30 pm.
Sunday, April 14, 2013
State Testing Week
This week we will begin the NY State tests. On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday the students will be taking the NY State ELA. Each day we will begin this test as early as possible. If your child arrives after testing has begun, he/she will not be allowed in the classroom. We will not be eating snack at our regular time on these days, so it is important that your son/daughter eats a good breakfast. We will be sitting for over 70 minutes each day, which can be exhausting for children. A good night sleep really helps! We have had many class discussions about these tests and I have tried to emphasize that I only want the students to try their best!
Life in our classroom does go on even though we are testing! We will be working on our personal narratives. Each student has completed their rough drafts and I have spent time this weekend reading some WONDERFUL work! We will revise, edit and begin our final copies. We will also begin to draft our speeches for our Wax Museum (2:30 pm on Friday, April 26th) and create timelines. The students are very excited about this project. This week we will discuss costumes. These are not meant to be purchased or made. Simple items around the house can be used to transform your son/daughter into their historical figure.
In math, we have some work to do with graphing before we take the NY State Math test (next week). We will also continue to work on our geometry vocabulary and practice fractions.
A few reminders:
Life in our classroom does go on even though we are testing! We will be working on our personal narratives. Each student has completed their rough drafts and I have spent time this weekend reading some WONDERFUL work! We will revise, edit and begin our final copies. We will also begin to draft our speeches for our Wax Museum (2:30 pm on Friday, April 26th) and create timelines. The students are very excited about this project. This week we will discuss costumes. These are not meant to be purchased or made. Simple items around the house can be used to transform your son/daughter into their historical figure.
In math, we have some work to do with graphing before we take the NY State Math test (next week). We will also continue to work on our geometry vocabulary and practice fractions.
A few reminders:
-During the month of April I am asking that you and your child edit their informational writing piece together and type this assignment at home. This is due on Tuesday, April 30th (16 days away)!
-There will be no current events in April.
-Please continue to practice math facts at home each night. If you feel your child has become fluent in the multiplication facts, try a few division facts.
-Please continue to practice math facts at home each night. If you feel your child has become fluent in the multiplication facts, try a few division facts.
Friday, April 5, 2013
Welcome Back!
This week we will be working on drafting our personal narratives. This is the large writing project that goes with our biography unit. So far the students have read their biographies (some students have read their book multiple times), used post-its to make note of important dates and events, organized their notes, and outlined their narratives. I hope you are able to attend our Wax Museum at 2:30 on Friday, April 26th!
We will wrap up our fraction study this week and begin working on units of measurement. We will also continue to work on geometry terms. The students made flash cards and have been quizzing each other and playing games with these terms. We learned six different names for triangles last Friday. Three names relate to the length of the sides and three names relate to the angles. See if your child can name all six!
This week we will also work on organizing our ideas when writing an essay. With the NY State ELA just around the corner your son/daughter will need to know how to write an on demand essay within a certain time constraint. We will work on some basic ways to organize our thinking to make the testing experience as low stress as possible.
We will also complete our cursive study! We will need some practice before we can begin to write entirely in cursive, but we are very close!
Also, if you haven't already please go onto your son/daughter's glog and leave a comment. Your child must complete their assigned comments by Monday morning. The instructions for this assignment went home on March 25th (blue paper).
A few more items:
-During the month of April I am asking that you and your child edit their informational writing piece together and type this assignment at home. Instructions for this assignment will come home at the end of this week.
-There will be no current events in April.
-Please continue to practice math facts at home each night. If you feel your child has become fluent in the multiplication facts, try a few division facts.
-Please continue to practice math facts at home each night. If you feel your child has become fluent in the multiplication facts, try a few division facts.
Sunday, March 24, 2013
Save the Date...
On Friday, April 26th, at 2:30 pm, our third grade will have a Wax Museum. This will be the culminating event for our biography unit. All are welcome, we hope that you can attend!
A few other items...
-There will be no Friday letter this week, and no spelling over the April break.
-Over April break I am asking the students to comment on three glogs (I will assign specific students). I am also asking that you view and comment on your son/daughter's glog. Detailed instructions for this will come home tomorrow.
-During the month of April I am asking that you and your child edit their informational writing piece together and type this assignment at home. Instructions for this assignment will come home at the end of this week.
-There will be no current events in April.
-Please continue to practice math facts at home each night. If you feel your child has become fluent in the multiplication facts, try a few division facts.
A few other items...
-There will be no Friday letter this week, and no spelling over the April break.
-Over April break I am asking the students to comment on three glogs (I will assign specific students). I am also asking that you view and comment on your son/daughter's glog. Detailed instructions for this will come home tomorrow.
-During the month of April I am asking that you and your child edit their informational writing piece together and type this assignment at home. Instructions for this assignment will come home at the end of this week.
-There will be no current events in April.
-Please continue to practice math facts at home each night. If you feel your child has become fluent in the multiplication facts, try a few division facts.
Saturday, March 9, 2013
Week of March 11, 2013
I hope that everyone enjoyed the snow day on Friday. I am looking forward to the warmer temperatures in the forecast for the upcoming week!
Reading
We have begun reading our biographies. I hope that your son/daughter has shared the person they are studying with you. We will be studying the structure of a biography, as well as the subject. We had an interesting discussion about why it is important to read biographies. The students made some interesting observations!
Writing
We have completed our informational writing unit. Right now we are working on writing in response a text and using textual evidence in our writing. We are reading a variety of short texts and answering questions about the text. This week our goal will be to expand our writing. Eventually we will be writing essays.
Math
We started fractions last week. We learned that a whole can be broken into equal pieces and a fractions is used to represent the pieces. We made fraction strips and used these to find equivalent fractions. We also made some interesting observations about a fraction that represents a whole and a half. This week we will be working with fractions on a number line. This is a major part of the common core standards for math in third grade.
Science
The students completed their Solar System research last week and we have begun to work on our glogs. We will work on these in school this week. I will also send home directions and a username and password for your son/daughter to work on this at home (if they would like). I will add a link to the sidebar that will help you get to the correct page.
Reading
We have begun reading our biographies. I hope that your son/daughter has shared the person they are studying with you. We will be studying the structure of a biography, as well as the subject. We had an interesting discussion about why it is important to read biographies. The students made some interesting observations!
Writing
We have completed our informational writing unit. Right now we are working on writing in response a text and using textual evidence in our writing. We are reading a variety of short texts and answering questions about the text. This week our goal will be to expand our writing. Eventually we will be writing essays.
Math
We started fractions last week. We learned that a whole can be broken into equal pieces and a fractions is used to represent the pieces. We made fraction strips and used these to find equivalent fractions. We also made some interesting observations about a fraction that represents a whole and a half. This week we will be working with fractions on a number line. This is a major part of the common core standards for math in third grade.
Science
The students completed their Solar System research last week and we have begun to work on our glogs. We will work on these in school this week. I will also send home directions and a username and password for your son/daughter to work on this at home (if they would like). I will add a link to the sidebar that will help you get to the correct page.
Sunday, March 3, 2013
Week of March 4th
We had a wonderful week last week. Everyone came back to school rested and ready to get back into the routine.
A letter was sent home on Friday about Spring conferences. Please read this and return it with your input as soon as possible. If you indicate that you would like a phone call, I will make these after the report card is uploaded to BC @ Home. If you would like to chat sooner, please indicate that on the form. Thanks so much!
We have begun a new unit in reading. The students are learning about biographies and will eventually be reading a longer biography about a famous person. This person will be the subject of a much longer project and presentation. More information about this project, and a date and time for you to join us for a presentation, will come home during the next few weeks.
In writing, we are almost finished with our informational writing pieces. The students have worked very hard to create short chapter books about a topic of interest. We save all of our written pieces in our school binders. If you would like to take a look at these please feel free to have your son/daughter bring the binder home for a night! This week we will also work on using textual evidence in our writing.
The students have been researching the planets for two weeks now and we are very nearly finished. The next step is for each students to choose a planet they are interesting in using to complete our research project. The students will be creating an online poster of their planet, called a glog. There will be a small home component of this project, please be on the lookout for instructions coming home next week.
We have begun learning about fractions. We have learned about the numerator and denominator, as well as, unit fractions. This week we will begin to apply these basic concepts to much more complex fraction work. The students will be using fractions to define parts of a set and locating fractions on a number line. Please continue to practice facts at home!
The students and I had a lot of fun last week talking about word roots. We learned a few basic roots and their meanings, but this is an excellent area for home discussions. Our word work is in the back of the spelling notebook if you are ever curious about what we are working on!
***Monday is Read Across America Day at Elsmere. Wear something with words to school on Monday.
A letter was sent home on Friday about Spring conferences. Please read this and return it with your input as soon as possible. If you indicate that you would like a phone call, I will make these after the report card is uploaded to BC @ Home. If you would like to chat sooner, please indicate that on the form. Thanks so much!
We have begun a new unit in reading. The students are learning about biographies and will eventually be reading a longer biography about a famous person. This person will be the subject of a much longer project and presentation. More information about this project, and a date and time for you to join us for a presentation, will come home during the next few weeks.
In writing, we are almost finished with our informational writing pieces. The students have worked very hard to create short chapter books about a topic of interest. We save all of our written pieces in our school binders. If you would like to take a look at these please feel free to have your son/daughter bring the binder home for a night! This week we will also work on using textual evidence in our writing.
The students have been researching the planets for two weeks now and we are very nearly finished. The next step is for each students to choose a planet they are interesting in using to complete our research project. The students will be creating an online poster of their planet, called a glog. There will be a small home component of this project, please be on the lookout for instructions coming home next week.
We have begun learning about fractions. We have learned about the numerator and denominator, as well as, unit fractions. This week we will begin to apply these basic concepts to much more complex fraction work. The students will be using fractions to define parts of a set and locating fractions on a number line. Please continue to practice facts at home!
The students and I had a lot of fun last week talking about word roots. We learned a few basic roots and their meanings, but this is an excellent area for home discussions. Our word work is in the back of the spelling notebook if you are ever curious about what we are working on!
***Monday is Read Across America Day at Elsmere. Wear something with words to school on Monday.
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Happy Valentine's Day
This week we have a visiting author, a buddy project, a Valentine's Day celebration, the Gently Used Book Sale and a Mystery Reader plus all of our regular academics! Good thing next week is February Break! I think we will all need a rest.
We have finished our mystery unit in reading. The students did some wonderful work during whole class instruction and in book groups. This week we will begin looking at biographies together as a whole class. Book groups will work on reading short texts and identifying the main idea.
We will continue to work on division in math this week. The students will continue to practice relating multiplication to division and lots of problem solving. Keep practicing those facts at home! I have seen some excellent progress this last week and I can tell you are working hard. Thank you!
Our research of the Solar System has just begun. We will be working hard on this throughout the week. Each student has a series of questions for each planet that they are researching. We are using both printed and online sources for our research.
In writing, the students are working on drafting their informational piece. The students have organized their ideas into chapters and then used subtitles within the chapters. They sure are experts on non-fiction!
This past week we focused our word work on base words, prefixes, and suffixes. We will continue to work on this, and expand our work to include root words and their meanings. This would be a wonderful conversation to have at home. The students were very interested in the origins of root words! If their spelling notebook is at home right now you may want to take a peek in the word work section to see what we did together last week!
Some important information and upcoming dates:
Monday, February 11th: visting author- Steve "The Dirtmeister" Tomecek
Thursday, February 14th: Valentine's Day- We will celebrate in class!
Friday, February 15th: Gently Used Book Sale- We will go at 9:50 am
Saturday, February 16th: Applebee's Pancake Breakfast 8-10 am
Have a wonderful week!
We have finished our mystery unit in reading. The students did some wonderful work during whole class instruction and in book groups. This week we will begin looking at biographies together as a whole class. Book groups will work on reading short texts and identifying the main idea.
We will continue to work on division in math this week. The students will continue to practice relating multiplication to division and lots of problem solving. Keep practicing those facts at home! I have seen some excellent progress this last week and I can tell you are working hard. Thank you!
Our research of the Solar System has just begun. We will be working hard on this throughout the week. Each student has a series of questions for each planet that they are researching. We are using both printed and online sources for our research.
In writing, the students are working on drafting their informational piece. The students have organized their ideas into chapters and then used subtitles within the chapters. They sure are experts on non-fiction!
This past week we focused our word work on base words, prefixes, and suffixes. We will continue to work on this, and expand our work to include root words and their meanings. This would be a wonderful conversation to have at home. The students were very interested in the origins of root words! If their spelling notebook is at home right now you may want to take a peek in the word work section to see what we did together last week!
Some important information and upcoming dates:
Monday, February 11th: visting author- Steve "The Dirtmeister" Tomecek
Thursday, February 14th: Valentine's Day- We will celebrate in class!
Friday, February 15th: Gently Used Book Sale- We will go at 9:50 am
Saturday, February 16th: Applebee's Pancake Breakfast 8-10 am
Have a wonderful week!
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Hello February!
Wow, we were busy last week and this week looks like it will be just as busy! We will continue to talk about mysteries in our guided reading book groups. As a whole class, we will be talking about the main idea of a text. We will be using a variety of short texts. Our key question is: What is the author trying to teach me about this topic?
We will continue to work on division in math. We are using our multiplication facts to help us find the answer to division problems. Last week we looked at fact families with 2, 3, 4, and 5. This week we will work on 6, 7, 8, and 9. We will also learn how to divide with 0 and 1, which can be challenging for third graders. This week we will continue to practice reading a clock and work on solving word problems that deal with elapsed time.
Our study of the solar system will really kick into gear this week. We will learn about the sun and its layers. We will also begin one of our major research projects. The students will be using a variety of resources to research each planet.
The students have each chosen a topic that they are an expert on for our informational writing unit. We will begin to outline our chapters this week and organize our thoughts to draft the first chapter. A big thank you to Mrs. Berry, our librarian, for taking small groups of students to do additional research on their topics!
This week we will have a guest come in to speak about the Science Fair. I am encouraging all of my students to participate. This Friday is our Gently Used Book Sale!
We will continue to work on division in math. We are using our multiplication facts to help us find the answer to division problems. Last week we looked at fact families with 2, 3, 4, and 5. This week we will work on 6, 7, 8, and 9. We will also learn how to divide with 0 and 1, which can be challenging for third graders. This week we will continue to practice reading a clock and work on solving word problems that deal with elapsed time.
Our study of the solar system will really kick into gear this week. We will learn about the sun and its layers. We will also begin one of our major research projects. The students will be using a variety of resources to research each planet.
The students have each chosen a topic that they are an expert on for our informational writing unit. We will begin to outline our chapters this week and organize our thoughts to draft the first chapter. A big thank you to Mrs. Berry, our librarian, for taking small groups of students to do additional research on their topics!
This week we will have a guest come in to speak about the Science Fair. I am encouraging all of my students to participate. This Friday is our Gently Used Book Sale!
Monday, January 28, 2013
Last week in January
This week we will continue our work with mysteries. The students have done some excellent work identifying suspects, writing about clues and attempting to solve the mysteries before the detectives. We have been reading a Nancy Drew mystery together as a class. It has provided a more complex example of a mystery. We have also begun to work on answering some more detailed comprehension questions. This has given me an opportunity to teach the class some tricks for taking a test.
We are working on division in math. This week we will be working on different types of word problems that can be solved using both division and multiplication. We will spend time talking about relating multiplication to division. It is very important that you are practicing math facts as often as possible.
We have completed our realistic fiction unit in writing and we have just started an informational writing unit. The students will be writing about a topic they are experts on. The students will need to make a final decision on their topic by Wednesday. We will begin our work by looking at mentor texts and exploring different organization techniques.
The students were very excited to learn that we will begin a Solar System unit in science. We brainstormed a list of facts we know about the Solar System today. By the end of the week we will begin an in-school research project.
This week, I will send home our latest math test to be corrected and signed. Please return this to school by Friday. Current events this moth is optional. Many students have already signed up to present! Finally, a letter about our Valentine's Day celebration will be sent home this week, with the names of all the students in the class.
We are working on division in math. This week we will be working on different types of word problems that can be solved using both division and multiplication. We will spend time talking about relating multiplication to division. It is very important that you are practicing math facts as often as possible.
We have completed our realistic fiction unit in writing and we have just started an informational writing unit. The students will be writing about a topic they are experts on. The students will need to make a final decision on their topic by Wednesday. We will begin our work by looking at mentor texts and exploring different organization techniques.
The students were very excited to learn that we will begin a Solar System unit in science. We brainstormed a list of facts we know about the Solar System today. By the end of the week we will begin an in-school research project.
This week, I will send home our latest math test to be corrected and signed. Please return this to school by Friday. Current events this moth is optional. Many students have already signed up to present! Finally, a letter about our Valentine's Day celebration will be sent home this week, with the names of all the students in the class.
Monday, January 21, 2013
4 day week
We will be very busy this week. In reading, we are working on a mystery unit. We have read a mystery together and each student is reading a mystery in his/her book group. Our work centers around the structure of a mystery, as well as key vocabulary like detective, theory, motivation and clues. This week we will try to imagine ourselves as the detective and discuss the role of a sidekick.
In writing, we will complete our realistic fiction unit and begin an informational writing unit. During this unit students will be writing to inform the reader on a topic of their choice. It would be very helpful if you and your child could discuss possible topics at home. The topic should be something your child is an expert on and can write about with minimal research.
In math, we will begin to explore division. Please continue to practice multiplication facts at home. We will also be looking at the clock and reviewing how to tell time to the half hour, quarter hour, and the minute. You will see a mix of these math concepts for homework this week.
In word work, we will be exploring prefixes, suffixes and root words. Also, this week is the unit review for spelling, so we do not have spelling homework. In Social Studies we are finishing a travel brochure about modern day Egypt.
In writing, we will complete our realistic fiction unit and begin an informational writing unit. During this unit students will be writing to inform the reader on a topic of their choice. It would be very helpful if you and your child could discuss possible topics at home. The topic should be something your child is an expert on and can write about with minimal research.
In math, we will begin to explore division. Please continue to practice multiplication facts at home. We will also be looking at the clock and reviewing how to tell time to the half hour, quarter hour, and the minute. You will see a mix of these math concepts for homework this week.
In word work, we will be exploring prefixes, suffixes and root words. Also, this week is the unit review for spelling, so we do not have spelling homework. In Social Studies we are finishing a travel brochure about modern day Egypt.
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Star Lab
We have been learning about many different constellations in the winter night sky, and tomorrow we will find them for ourselves in Star Lab. It is a unique experience and we are so fortunate to have the opportunity to use this piece of equipment. We will find and discuss the location of many constellations using the cardinal directions, as well as horizon, middle and zenith. At the end of the week, we will learn about the Big Dipper and Little Dipper to prepare to enter Star Lab again next Monday.
The students will complete the rough draft of their realistic fiction story. We will begin a new unit in reading. We will be exploring the genre of mystery. In general mysteries all share the same text structure. We will work on identifying this structure and use it to gain a greater understanding of this genre. We may also solve a few crimes along the way!
In math, we will continue to work on multiplication. We have already learned 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 9. It would be very helpful if you could spend a few minutes each night practicing these facts. This week we will learn 6, 7, and 8. These tend to be the most challenging facts for students to remember. I will send home a guide to the strategies we have used in class to help you study at home. Look for that to come home this week.
Please remember to RSVP for our Star Lab event by Tuesday. We will send home your 30-minute time slot this week. This is the first time we have held a Star Lab event for parents and I am excited to share this with you.
The students will complete the rough draft of their realistic fiction story. We will begin a new unit in reading. We will be exploring the genre of mystery. In general mysteries all share the same text structure. We will work on identifying this structure and use it to gain a greater understanding of this genre. We may also solve a few crimes along the way!
In math, we will continue to work on multiplication. We have already learned 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 9. It would be very helpful if you could spend a few minutes each night practicing these facts. This week we will learn 6, 7, and 8. These tend to be the most challenging facts for students to remember. I will send home a guide to the strategies we have used in class to help you study at home. Look for that to come home this week.
Please remember to RSVP for our Star Lab event by Tuesday. We will send home your 30-minute time slot this week. This is the first time we have held a Star Lab event for parents and I am excited to share this with you.
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year! I hope you were able to enjoy some time with your family. It was right back to business as usual today. For the next two days we will spend much of our time finishing some of the units we have been working on for the last few weeks.
Today your child will be coming home with an invitation to a third grade event being held at Elsmere on the night of Wednesday, January 16th. Please help us plan for this event by RSVPing by Tuesday, January 8th. We will then send home a 30 minuted block of time for you to come to school for an activity and a tour of Star Lab.
We will be beginning multiplication timed tests in a few weeks. So far we have learned 0, 1, 2, 5, 9, and 10. I suggest practicing the 2, 5, and 9 facts at home as often as possible. We will be learning the rest of the facts over the next two weeks. Then I will send home a guide to help you and your children use the same strategies at home as we have used in class.
The students will be going into Star Lab for the first time on Monday! Enjoy the rest of your week!
Today your child will be coming home with an invitation to a third grade event being held at Elsmere on the night of Wednesday, January 16th. Please help us plan for this event by RSVPing by Tuesday, January 8th. We will then send home a 30 minuted block of time for you to come to school for an activity and a tour of Star Lab.
We will be beginning multiplication timed tests in a few weeks. So far we have learned 0, 1, 2, 5, 9, and 10. I suggest practicing the 2, 5, and 9 facts at home as often as possible. We will be learning the rest of the facts over the next two weeks. Then I will send home a guide to help you and your children use the same strategies at home as we have used in class.
The students will be going into Star Lab for the first time on Monday! Enjoy the rest of your week!
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