Month: September 2022

Dear Families,

Happy Fall!  This week seemed to fly by!  The students were busy testing and we completed the Reading and Math portion of our MAP testing.  Next week we will tackle the language and science one.  They are doing a wonderful job!

Please make sure your child is working his/her way through their book report book.  I always give them at least 15 minutes of DEAR every day, so if they would like to bring their books back and forth, this is an option.  You will find the paper form of the book report in their Friday Folders today.  They will need to bring their books when they present their reports next week.  They will be graded on the oral presentation to the class.

Friday Folders -This week you will start seeing Missing Assignment Reports stapled to your child’s goals for the week.  I try and give these to the students earlier in the week, before they go home to parents. We are learning time management!  Please let me know if you have questions that come up over these.

Working on Social Studies Maps of Campus

Literacy: We have learned Author’s Purpose through PIE (persuade, inform, and entertain) and the students are focusing on P (Persuasive).  They have each chosen a topic to try and persuade their reader (Mr. Anderson).  To do so, we have learned the four square writing method and began the writing process for their first paragraph.  Another thing we explored this week is PQPA (part question, part answer).  I will expect this in all written responses this year. It takes some practice, but they will get it!

Math: This week we dove deeper into the rounding concept with compatible numbers and estimation.  These are difficult concepts but we are taking things slow and getting lots of practice.  We continue with math fact practice, specifically with Xtra Math.  The kids were excited about the new game I introduced called, Boddle.  I can assign standards and it reinforces the concepts we are learning in class, in a game format.  You should be able to find the information to play at home, in your child’s folder, if you would like.

Social Studies: Students are working with a partner to create a map of campus, which includes their compass rose.  Next week we will begin continents and oceans, which are fun to teach!

Science: Students are learning about fossils and this week we did a sort, reading comprehension, and wrapped it up with Mystery Doug with a fossil dig.  So fun!

Religion: We continue to work our way through the Mass.  We are on Liturgy of the Eucharist now.  Please check Friday Folders for Mass parts for our upcoming Mass on October 7th.  PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE! 😉

Art: Grumpy Monkey  

Students drew a monkey with an expressive facial face expressing their feelings. 

They learned how the direction of the lines can show movement, position, or feelings. 

Music:

• Singing Solfege patterns using sol, mi and la with accompanying hand symbols
• Moving to music by dancing a Slavic folk dance called Sasha, and bean bag tossing song Plainsies Clapsies
• Practicing beat vs. rhythm with the song Rocky Mountain

PE:

We missed a day this week due to map testing but on Thursday students completed their first part of their fitnessgram testing. They ran the pacer as a test of their aerobic capacity and tested their flexibility. Students learned about how keeping their bodies active can keep them healthy.

*Book Reports Due September 28th

*Picture Day, Next Tuesday, September 27th **Free Dress

*Animal Blessing -October 4th

*Our Mass -October 7th

*Whatcom Farm Tour Field Trip -October 26th

Our Thursday morning work is always TOTB!  For our first one, third graders had to make this cloud looking shape into anything that was NOT a cloud!  Imaginations run wild with this activity and it’s one of our favorite things!  Enjoy!

Thank you again, for taking the time to attend Curriculum Night.  I can’t tell you how nice it was to present in person, and not to a computer on Zoom!  This week the students have been getting used to their routines and easing into the workload and expectations of third grade.  Please remember to look at your child’s agenda every evening and ensure their binder goes back and forth every day.

I’m going to try this week and in the future to post the newsletters here on the classroom webpage.  I’ll send a link every week to remind you to check them but this way we can look back and they are all in one place!*

-Please make sure your child has a pair of working headphones at school.  I had several extras but we seem to still be short a few pairs.

-MAP testing begins next week.  We will be testing Tuesday and Thursday so please refrain from making appointments those mornings.  (There will be no homework prior to the testing to ensure rest and for a break.)

-First field trip -Whatcom Farm Circle scheduled for the afternoon of October 25th.  We will need drivers so mark your calendars.  Permission slips to come home early October.

-Please check Seesaw for photos of the week and tips for homework.

THIRD GRADE LEARNING:

Literacy -Cursive letters d and g, open syllables, writing a variety of responses to independent reading, and publishing All About Me poems.  (There are 15 days of “routines and expectations” that we move through before getting into the first unit in our reading program.)

Math -Review addition facts, place value, rounding to the nearest ten and hundred.

Social Studies –Compass rose, cardinal and intermediate directions.

Science -STEM -If I Built a School, Fossil introduction.

Religion -Mass -Introductory rights, Liturgy of the Word, and mass responses.

Art (Mrs. Santos) – Feelings Shape Drawing.  Inspired by the book Exactly You! The Shape of Your Feelings, the third-grade students turn their own feelings into two-dimensional geometric and organic shapes in no time.

 

I hope to see you at the Harvest Festival/Spaghetti Dinner this Saturday!