November 7, 2021

It was so nice to meet with most of you last week. I am so lucky to have such supportive families!

We have just 11 1/2 school days until Thanksgiving Break. Then when we return from break, we have just 15 school days until Winter Break. We have SO much to do before 2022.

Please remember that November 19th is a half day of school for the kids.

November 10th is PAJAMA DAY!!!!

This week is our canned goods collection week. The houses are competing to see which house collects the most cans. I’ll be cleaning out my pantry today to find some donations.

Please remember to sign your child’s agenda each night. The kids and I have discussed how this is their responsibility. Your child should share the agenda with you each night. I think everyone is on the same page now with Lexia and Dreambox. If the kids do not do it in school, they do need to work on it at home. Everyone should be trying to make their goal each week.

Word Study: The kids received a new list of words last Monday. The test will be on November 18th. THIS IS A THURSDAY.

Reading: This week, we will continue to read the book, CRENSHAW. The focus will continue to be on comparing and contrasting characters, identifying character traits, and identifying the conflict and resolution. These are skills that we are also working on in small groups.

Writing: We will continue to practice using commas correctly and using adjectives in our writing. This week, we will practice using synonyms and antonyms.

Math: This is a big week in math. We will spend a lot of time focusing on subtracting across zeros. Example: 5,001 – 3,989

We have a saying that we use in class to help us remember when we need to borrow. IF THERE’S MORE ON THE FLOOR, GO NEXT DOOR.

Subtracting with zeros is a tricky skill for third graders. Please check over the math homework this week to make sure your child is subtracting correctly. Usually, I assign word study homework on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but this week you will see ALL MATH. It’s important.

Social Studies: We will add notes on Africa to the social studies notebooks on Monday. This will cover the last of the 5 continents that the kids need to know. Everyone needs to know the location of the land and water features for North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. The kids will glue a study guide into the notebooks on Tuesday. The final test on this unit will be on Tuesday, November 16th. I will start sending home the social studies notebooks each day beginning on Monday. Please make sure the notebooks COME BACK to school each morning. We will need them for all of the activities that the kids will work on this week.

This covers the highlights for the week. Looking forward to another great week at the Lake!

 

 

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November 1, 2021

I hope that everyone had a super fun weekend! We get to look forward to a 3 day week for the kids this week. I am most excited about having 2 less days to pack lunch for my son and myself.  HA!

****Don’t forget that starting Monday, the kids can bring in extra candy for the Treats for Troops candy collection. ******

Each student will receive a FREE house t-shirt. Look for a link to be sent out from me on Monday that will ask for your child’s shirt size. We are asking that this information be filled out no later than Friday.

I will be working on report cards this week and should have all grades finalized by conference day. I am looking forward to seeing many of you soon to talk about your amazing student. I have the best class ever!

PAJAMA DAY is November 10th!

Here are some of the highlights for Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

Word Study: Each word study group will receive a new list of words on Monday. Due to the odd week, the kids will not have the word study test until November 18th. THIS IS A THURSDAY. I don’t want to give the test on November 19th since it is a half day. I would worry that I wouldn’t have time to administer the word study test to each of the 4 groups.

Writing: The kids are becoming very good writers! We just finished writing a descriptive paragraph about a monster that the kids created. In November, the kids will write paragraphs on several fall topics.

We have been working on when to use a, an, and the when writing. We have also practiced correctly spelling words that end with the suffixes -ed and -ing. This week, the kids will practice using commas in lists correctly. Example: My dad and I like to rake leaves, watch football, and read books together.

Reading: The kids are working hard in their small reading groups with me. We are currently reading fiction books and identifying the characters, character traits, and setting. This week, we will add identifying the conflict and resolution of a story.

During our whole group lessons, we are reading the book Crenshaw. This is such a great book to practice identifying story elements. Also, during whole group lessons we will start regularly incorporating Scholastic News Magazines. These are awesome for continuing to practice nonfiction skills.

Math: Last week, we practiced adding 2, 3, and 4 digit numbers. I cannot emphasize enough how important it is that the kids know the basic addition and subtraction facts. As I stated in one of my emails last week, flashcards are a great tool to use.

This week, we will focus on subtraction. The most challenging skill when subtracting is when the top number has zeros. This is something that you can practice at home. Example: 5,001 – 653= ?  This is not an easy skill for third graders, so they will need to practice, practice, practice!

We will also solve word problems. It is tricky for kids to figure out when they need to add or when they need to subtract. What really gets challenging is when a word problem requires that both addition and subtraction be used. We will work on problem solving a lot!

Social Studies: I absolutely love teaching the geography unit. Ask your child to share the continent chant with you. We have learned about the important land and water forms in North and South America. This week, we will focus on Europe, Asia, and Africa.

During this unit, the kids will make their own Atlas and have many opportunities for practicing research skills.

Look below at all that the kids need to know! Yes, there will be a big study guide glued into the notebooks so that the kids can prepare for the test. If all goes as planned, we will have the test one day during the week of November 15th.

AFRICA: Major rivers, mountain ranges, and other geographic features

  • Nile River – The Nile River is the longest river in the world and flows northward.
  • Atlas Mountains – The Atlas Mountains separate the coastlines of the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean from the Sahara Desert. 
  • Sahara Desert – The Sahara Desert is the largest hot desert in the world.

ASIA: Major rivers, mountain ranges, and other geographic features 

  • Huang He – The Huang He (hwäng’-hê ‘) or Yellow River flows through much of China. The Huang He is located in the north-central region of China and flows
  • eastward. 
  • Himalaya Mountains – The Himalaya Mountains are home to some of the highest peaks on Earth.  
  • Gobi Desert – The Gobi Desert is Asia’s largest desert. 

EUROPE: Major rivers, mountain ranges, and other geographic features of Europe: 

  • Mediterranean Sea – The Mediterranean Sea is an intercontinental sea situated between Europe to the north, Africa to the south, and Asia to the east. 
  • Alps Mountains – The Alps are the largest mountain system in Europe. 
  • Italian Peninsula – The Italian Peninsula is a boot-shaped peninsula in southern Europe extending into the Mediterranean Sea. 

NORTH AMERICA: Major rivers, mountain ranges, and other geographic features of North America

  • Mississippi River: One of the longest rivers in North America
  • Rio Grande: Marks part of the boundary between Mexico and the United States
  • Rocky Mountains: Located in western North America and extend from Canada to New Mexico
  • Appalachian Mountains: Located in eastern North America and extend from Canada to Alabama
  • Great Lakes: A series of interconnected freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America

SOUTH AMERICA: Major rivers, mountain ranges, and other geographic features of South America

  • Amazon River: The second longest river in the world
  • Andes Mountains: The longest continental mountain range in the world
  • Amazon rainforest: The largest tropical rainforest in the world; includes many types of plants and animals

This covers our 3 days this week! Looking forward to seeing the kids on Monday and hearing all about their Halloween adventures!

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October 18, 2021

It was nice to see many of you at Pumpkin Palooza on Friday night! It’s hard to believe that it is almost the end of the first nine weeks of school. Parent conferences will be held on November 4th. Look for a Sign Up Genius to come out on Thursday. You will have the choice of a virtual or an in person conference.

Please review your child’s homework each night for accuracy and neatness. All homework should be completed with a pencil.

It’s digital citizenship week.

Monday: Hat Day

Tuesday: 90’s Day

Wednesday: Superhero Day

Thursday: Dress how you think people will dress 100 years from now.

FRIDAY: PICTURE DAY! 

Math: We will finish the unit on place value, rounding, and comparing numbers this week. There will be a final test on Friday. The next math unit will be on finding the sum and differences of numbers through 9,999.

Word Study: The students have a new list of word study words. The test will be on October 29th.

Reading: The kids are continuing to work on identifying the author’s purpose and on using text features. Please encourage your child to read at home each night.

Small reading groups have been in progress for a couple of weeks. All groups are currently working on  reading a nonfiction book.

Science: We will complete the unit on ecosystems this week. The final test will be on Friday. The kids need to be familiar with examples of plants and animals that live in each of the terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems that we have studied. They also need to give examples of food chains and be able to label the producers, consumers, and decomposers. A study guide will be glued in the notebooks on Tuesday.

Social Studies: Our next unit is on geography. The kids will review the location of the 7 continents and 5 oceans. They will also be expected to label land and water features on each continent. More specific information on this will be included in next week’s update.

This covers the highlights for the week!

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October 11, 2021

I hope that everyone is enjoying their Monday away from school! It will be nice to have a four day week. Looking forward to seeing some of you at Pumpkin Palooza on Friday. I plan to be there for the first session.

Here’s what is happening this week.

Word Study: The test is Friday! Please practice sorting the words each night. I’ll choose 15 words for the kids to spell on Friday. They will also have 3 dictation sentences. Don’t forget to add the correct punctation and start each sentence with a capital letter.

Writing: We spent a lot of time last week reviewing the 4 types of sentences (statement, question, command, and exclamations). The students also wrote the rough draft for their scarecrow poem. Wait until you read your child’s poem! The kids did a wonderful job adding adjectives to their writing. This week, the kids will type their final copy.

A writing topic that the kids will focus on this week is using the articles a, an, and the correctly.

Reading: We are still working on reading nonfiction and using text features such as the table of contents, diagrams, and headings. This will continue to be our focus this week. Students will also read various passages and identify the author’s purpose.

Math: As you know, the kids are working to learn how to read and write 6 digit numbers correctly. They have also practiced comparing numbers using the symbols <, >, and =. This week, we will add rounding to our lessons. The kids need to be able to round to the nearest 10, 100, and 1000’s place. For example, when rounding to the nearest 10, the number 1,234 will round to 1,230.

Science: Last week, the kids learned about the plants and animals that live in the terrestrial ecosystems. This week, the kids will learn about the aquatic ecosystems and about food chains.

Purple folders with graded papers will come home on Tuesday. Please remember to keep the graded papers and sign and return the work habits sheet.

Looking forward to another great week!

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October 3, 2021

A couple of reminders:

Burger Works Spirit Night is Tuesday, October 5th from 4PM-9PM.

October 11th is a student holiday.

Homework: There will not be a homework pack this week. Instead, the kids will receive a math practice sheet on Monday and Wednesday. There will be a word study assignment to be completed in the word study notebook on Tuesday and Thursday.

Reading: This week, we will continue to use text features such as diagrams, headings, glossaries, captions, and photographs. Students will also be introduced to author’s purpose (persuade, inform, entertain).

Word Study: The kids will receive their new word study words on Monday. The test will be on October 15th. As always, I will give each student 2 copies of the words. One is to keep at home to cut and practice sorting and the other copy is to keep at school.

Math: Last week, we practiced with place value throught the ten thousands place. The kids are learning different ways to show a number (picture form, standard form, word form, and expanded form). We will work on place value through the hundredt thousands place this week, and we will hopefully begin rounding to the nearest 10, 100, and 1,000.

Science: We will continue the unit on ecosystems this week. The kids will learn about the plants and animals that live in the terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Graded Work: Due to the assembly on Friday afternoon, I ran out of time to pass out the purple graded work folders. They will come home on Monday. I think that it might be a good idea to continue to send home the papers each Monday instead of Friday. That way, you don’t need to keep up with it over the weekend.

Looking forward to a great week!

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September 26, 2021

It’s the last week of September! We have accomplished so much already in the first 12 days of school. I am so proud of all of the kids!

Here’s what is happening this week.

BIG NEWS: Please remember that your child will take the Growth Assessments in reading and math on Tuesday and Thursday of this week. This will help me to see where there may be gaps from second grade while the students were virtual. It is so important that your child comes to school with their computer charged. We do not have any extra computers in the classroom so it is crucial that each student remembers to bring the computer to school.

****Please look for the new homework sheets to come home on Monday. There will also be a reading log included. The kids should be practicing spelling and sorting their word study words each night.

Math: Last Friday, we took the test on graphing. This is a skill that you will continue to see your child work on. Once we start a new concept, the kids will not be able to forget what they have already learned, because we will review skills regularly. This week, the kids will review place value through the hundreds place. We will gradually add in place value through the hundred thousands place. The students will need to know how to read and write 6 digit numbers. They need to be able to write numbers in words. They also need to be able to read number words and write them in standard form.

Example: Three hundred twenty-six thousand, thirty-one  is 326, 031.   This is a very challenging skill for third graders especially when they are required to figure out where a zero needs to be placed. Any practice that you can do at home on place value will be so helpful!

Writing: The kids have learned about subjects and predicates. At this time, we are working very hard on completing most assignments using complete sentences. At the end of this week, the students will write a poem about a scarecrow.

Word Study: The test will be this FRIDAY! Please remember that the kids need to know how to spell the words and how to sort the words under the correct header.

Reading: Our main focus this week will be on nonfiction text features. Examples include headings, captions, bold print, glossaries, maps, diagrams, and the table of contents. During our language block the kids are also using Lexia and practicing their word study words.

Social Studies: The students should be ready to take the final test on Wednesday on citizenship and government. I will send the social studies notebook home on Monday and Tuesday so that you can review with your child.

Science: At the end of the week, the kids will begin to learn about aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. This is always a super fun unit!

As you can see, we will be very busy this week!

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September 19, 2021

We will finally have a full week of school this week. The kids will be very busy.

Here is what we will be doing.

Homework: Until the agendas arrive at school, I will send home a homework pack on Mondays. Each sheet in the pack will be labeled with the day that it should be completed during the week. This should stay in the dolphin folder all week, so that I can check it each day for completion.

Math: The kids have spent a great amount of time practicing reading bar graphs. They should be able to tell you that a graph needs TAILS (title, axis, intervals, labels, and spacing). This week, we will focus mainly on pictographs. The kids should be ready for a final assessment this Friday.

Word Study: I mentioned in last week’s post that there would possibly be a word study test this Friday, but we are not ready. I met with one word study group last Friday, and I will meet with the other three tomorrow to go over the words and how to sort them correctly. Each week, the kids will receive 2 copies of their word study list. One will go in the Dolphin Folder to keep at home for practice. The other will stay at school. The first word study test will be on Friday, October 1.

Reading: We have spent some time working on learning the differences between fiction and nonfiction. I have had the chance to meet with almost all of the students individually to listen to each child read a story and then orally answer comprehension questions. This week, I should be able to finish all of the initial assessments which will enable us to officially begin reading groups the last week of September. This week, the kids will work on going back in a passage to find important information in both fiction and nonfiction stories.

Social Studies: The kids have been working on learning some very important vocabulary words related to good citizenship. They should be able to give examples of ways to be a good citizen in the classroom and in the community. This week, we will focus on the differences between rules and laws and the three branches of government (legislative, judicial, and executive).

Graded papers: I will start collecting work this week that will be graded and put in the gradebook. I will send the papers home this Friday in a folder that will also contain a behavior sheet for the first nine weeks. The sheet will match the same work habits and conduct that can be found on the report card. I will explain more about this during our virtual Back to School Night this Thursday.

This covers the highlights for the week. As always, please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about anything.

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September 12, 2021

We had a busy and productive first week of school! I loved listening to all of the students as they shared their Me Bags on Friday. The kids were able to see that they have many things in common with some of their classmates. I was also able to collect important information on each student during the week. The kids completed a spelling inventory so that I can accurately place each student in a word study group. Each child read a list of words to me which will enable me to know where to start with their F and P reading assessment this week. We also completed the first writing sample of the year. The kids completed a 4 square about their summer break, and then they wrote their final copy.

We did fit in some time for fun. The kids participated in a toothpaste activity to help remind them to only use kind words with classmates. They learned how to play a math game called Sink or Swim, and they completed a classroom scavenger hunt, and a friendship hunt.

Here’s what is happening this week.

Word Study: I hope to give the kids their first list of words to study this week. If all goes as planned, the first word study test will be on Friday, September 24th. Usually, the kids will keep their word study list for 2 weeks. They will have a word study test every other Friday.

Reading: I will be completing a reading assessment with each student individually this week. This will help determine the best reading placement for your child. We will also review the differences between fiction and nonfiction. During our reading block, the kids will practice picking just right books to read independently. We have our first trip to the library on Tuesday.

Math: Last week, we started the unit on graphing. The kids should have a good idea of what makes a good survey question. This week, the kids will practice using various bar graphs and pictographs. The questions that third graders need to be able to answer using graphs can be tricky, so we will spend lots of time practicing his week. Often, third graders are given questions where they are required to pick more than one right answer.

Social Studies: We will focus on good citizenship this week. Last week, we glued a study guide on this unit into the social studies notebooks. There are a lot of vocabulary words to know such as self-reliance and self-discipline.

Please remember that this Thursday, September 16th, is a student holiday.

Graded papers: We are not in a rush to start grading a lot of work just yet. Graded papers will come home in a blue folder each Thursday beginning on September 23rd. The folder will also include a work habits and conduct chart so that you can be aware of how your child is doing in class. You will keep the graded papers and sign and return the work habits chart and the folder each Friday.

Homework: Hopefully, the student agendas will come in soon. We will use these to write homework assignments each day. Until the agendas arrive, I will send you daily emails to let you know what the homework will be. This week, you can expect your child to bring home a reading log each night. On Tuesday and Thursday, they will bring home a math sheet to complete.

Classwork and tests: The kids will be putting a lot of important information in their notebooks this year. They will always be able to look in their notebooks for help if necessary to complete classwork. Before a test, I will send home the notebooks several days in advance so that your child can review the information and study guide at home before completing all tests without their notebooks.

I have really enjoyed getting to know each child this past week. If you have any questions please ask. I am looking forward to a great week!

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