Congratulations!

CONGRATULATIONS to our class for raising the most money in third grade for the Just Jump Challenge!  In order to celebrate, the PTA will be providing us a freezer pop party!  We will be having our party this Friday, October 2.  I will be sending home the ingredient information today.  Please let me know if your child should not eat these treats or if there are any allergy concerns.  Thank you for your support!

This Week...

September 21- September 25, 2015

Reading:  Making connections as we read was a main topic this week!  Students learned that good readers make connections to gain a deeper understanding of the text.  Students read poetry and nonfiction articles to practice recording their thinking.  Writing down their thoughts in the margins of the text or on sticky notes helped the students feel prepared for purposeful reading discussions with their classmates.  Students also spent time reflecting about themselves as readers.  During individual conferences, students shared their strengths about reading and what they can do to grow as readers.  We developed specific reading goals and discussed how we can achieve them.  Reading Logs are due Monday, September 28.  (100 minutes)

Math:  Exact change and estimation were discussed using money.  Students also reviewed other major concepts from unit 1 and took the unit 1 math test.  As we began unit 2, students discovered different kinds of fact families.  Students practiced using fact triangles to help them learn their basic facts.  A letter about Xtra Math went home on Thursday.  This is a great resource for students to practice their math facts.  I appreciate your help in signing your child up to use Xtra Math at home.  Please let me know if you have any questions…thank you!

Social Studies:  Students learned how to read various community maps.  They focused on points of interest and street names to understand the layout of downtown San Francisco.  By looking at a map of downtown Washington D.C., students learned how to use the metro system!  They also worked on identifying various lines and transfer stops.  Our map skills unit test will be next Friday, October 2.  A review guide will be going home next week.

Writing:  In WEX, students continued to work on the skill of focus.  They learned that focusing in writing means to make careful observations, include tiny details, and stick to one topic.   Students also gave specific feedback to each other about their writing.  The first posted excerpts of the year are up on our blog!  In grammar, we worked on identifying the subject in a sentence.

Spelling:  We took our week 3 spelling test.

Miscellaneous:  Flat Stanleys were sent out today!  Please tell your friends and family to be on the lookout for a giant envelope.  Thank you to everyone who participated in the Just Jump fundraising event to help support our PTA.   I hope you have a terrific weekend…enjoy the beautiful weather!

Just a Reminder...

It's not too late to sign up for the "Just Jump" fundraiser!  Please consider participating in this wonderful event sponsored by our PTA!

This Week...

September 14- September 18, 2015

Reading:  Reading notebooks and book discussions were main topics this week.  Students learned that good readers share their thinking and ideas with others.  We discussed important rules for sharing and how to be a good listener.  We also started written responses in our reading notebooks!  Students learned that the reading notebook is a special place to record thinking about our reading.  We practiced responding with predictions, questions, and connections. Reading Logs are due Monday, September 21.  (100 minutes)

Math:  Students practiced using calculators to solve “change-to” problems where a number is given and needs to be changed to a new number.  They were responsible for figuring out how to get to the new number using a variety of operations.  As a class, we learned the importance of knowing our basic facts during the game “Beat the Calculator”.  Money concepts were also reviewed at the end of the week.  Students wrote different amounts in dollar-cents notation.  Our unit 1 math test will be on Wednesday, September 23.  A review guide will be going home on Monday.

Social Studies:  Students learned how to use map scales to find accurate distances from one place to another.  By using a ruler to measure the distance in inches, students were able convert that measurement to determine the actual distance in miles.  We also discussed the country project, which students will create at home.  A list of guidelines and directions were sent home today, as well as a piece of white construction paper.  These country projects will be due on Friday, September 25.  I am looking forward to seeing the students’ creative ideas!

Writing:  In WEX, students practiced giving specific feedback to classmates by using various response starters.  They also started working on their first skill: focus.  We practiced focusing on a single moment in time by using careful observation and tiny details.  In grammar, we differentiated between exclamations and commands.

Spelling:  We took our week 2 spelling test.

Miscellaneous:  We had another great week!  On Wednesday, we had the wonderful opportunity of attending the Music for Youth concert.  By watching peers play the violin and cello, students were able to see if this experience was something they would like to do in the future.  We also worked on our Flat Stanley letters!  We hope to send these out by the end of next week.  Just a reminder, book orders are due on September 25.  I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and please let me know if you have any questions!

This Week...

September 8- September 11, 2015

Reading:  We had the opportunity to read a variety of poems, including the book Swirl by Swirl by Joyce Sidman.  We discussed how poetry is beautiful, but can sometimes contain challenging vocabulary.  We focused on strategies that good readers use when they approach difficult words.  Substituting synonyms, using prior knowledge, studying the illustrations for clues, and using context clues are just a few of the strategies students practiced this week.  Reading Logs are due Monday, September 14.  (100 minutes)

Math:  At the beginning of the week, we brainstormed ways to determine if we had longer last names or longer first names in our class.  Students recorded their data in a tally chart and displayed their findings in a bar graph.  Then, we analyzed the data by finding the maximum, minimum, range, mode, and median.  Name collection boxes were another main focus this week.  Students learned how to write equivalent names for certain numbers by using money, tallies, and arrays.  They also enjoyed finding different number combinations while playing “Name that Number”.

Social Studies:  Students learned that the equator and prime meridian divide our world into four different hemispheres.  At the end of the week, they learned how to use a physical map to determine various landforms across the country.

Writing:  We started our writing program: The Writer’s Express (WEX)!  Students enjoyed learning about the writer’s mindset, the rules for writing, and how to “show” readers with their words.   We also discussed how to share our work and provide positive feedback to classmates.   In grammar, students differentiated between statements and questions.  They used correct capitalization and ending punctuation to make sure the words formed a complete sentence.

Spelling:  We took our week 1 spelling test.

Miscellaneous:  This week, we were so excited to have two new members join our classroom: Mr. Massive & Herman (our hermit crabs)!  After talking about our prior knowledge and questions about the topic, students had the opportunity to use the iPads to research information about hermit crabs.  They will be an integral part of our upcoming science unit on habitats.  Next week, our class will be taking the MAP tests in the areas of reading and math.  An informational letter went home this week specifying dates and times.  Today, students had the opportunity to show an act of kindness in remembrance of 9/11.  It was very nice to see students showing great character!  I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and please let me know if you have any questions!

MAP Testing

Our class will be taking the MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) tests on:

Tuesday, September 15 (1:00 PM) Reading

Thursday, September 17 (9:15 AM) Math

Students will take one test in the area of reading and one test in the area of math.  Please make sure your child gets adequate rest the night before and eats a healthy breakfast.  There is no reason for your child to worry about the test.  We encourage them to just try his/her best! 

Please let me know if you have any questions…thank you for your support!

Please click on the link below to access the Curriculum Night Presentation!

Curriculum Night Presentation