We’ve done a lot better with following directions and remembering to raise our hands. They are collecting a lot of brain bucks and a lot of bonus bucks.
Walk-a-thon is next Friday. Please be sure to have them wear comfortable shoes and bring a water bottle. We will walk about 3 miles that day. That Friday will also be a half-day with an 11:30 dismissal. Map testing started this week. We are split, with us having one test this week and two tests next week. The exact dates are down below. The memory verse due September 28 is Psalm 119:9-10 → “How can young people keep their way pure? By guarding it according to your word. With my whole heart I seek you; do not let me stray from your commandments.” Reading: The essential question this week is, what are some ways to share culture in a community? We spent some time talking about the many ways that culture can be shared in a community. This again ties into our Hispanic Heritage Month unit, as we are learning about different cultures and will share them in a special way. Some skills that we are focusing on this week include sequencing, compound words, asking and answering questions to check understanding, autobiographies, subjects and, predicates. Math: We will begin our next unit (topic 9) that continues talking about addition and subtraction. In Topic 8, we learned strategies and methods to solve equations. In this new topic, we will use what we learned to add and subtract within 1,000. Once we finish this topic, we will move into our multiplication & division units. Social Studies: We had a wonderful time with our 4th-grade friends learning about multiple Spanish-speaking countries. We are looking forward to working with them some more over the next month. We are also cruising through chapter one in our social studies book. We have learned a lot so far about the Earth and how we as people interact with it. Once we're finished with this chapter, we will move into our first science chapter. Important Information
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These Wiz Kids are cruising! We are having a blast in 3rd grade. We are still working on following directions and remembering to raise our hands. These things will eventually work themselves out.
Walk-a-thon is quickly approaching. We are about two-three weeks out. It will be on Friday, October 1. That day will be a half-day, with dismissal being at 11:30. Please be sure to have them wear comfortable shoes and bring a reusable water bottle as we will walk just about 3 miles that day. Map testing will begin next week. I will send out the exact dates for those tests when I receive them. If you have any questions, please let me know. Picture day will be next Monday, September 20. Forms were sent home today, and they are needed back by Friday, September 17. The latest date would be the day of picture day. The memory verse due September 21 is Psalm 46:10 → “Be still and know that I am God. I am exalted among the nations. I am exalted in the earth.” Reading: The essential question this week is, what can traditions teach you about culture? We spent some time in class talking about the different traditions that we have in our families. We will continue to talk about more traditions in our families and how some may tie in with our culture. This will help with our Hispanic Heritage Month unit in social studies. Some literature skills that we will focus on this week include visualization and sequencing. Math: We are cruising through our first topic. We should begin the review process toward the end of the week. The first test will be Tuesday, September 21, if all goes to plan. With every math unit, we will complete a practice test, and I will provide them with a review sheet. We will also play a review game that they will be able to access via Google Classroom. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns. Social Studies: We are still navigating through chapter 1, but we will take some time to hop into our Hispanic Heritage Month unit. The 3rd and 4th-grade classes will be working together on mini country projects. We couldn't do it last year due to COVID, so Mrs. Brucato & I are so excited. During this unit, they will learn about Spanish-speaking countries and their different cultures (food, dance, music, beliefs), different holidays and tradition, and import figures. Important Information
We made it through week two! We struggled with following directions completely and not talking while others are talking. Today was a much better day, so I am hopeful that things will turn around.
We spent time last week talking about the fruits of the spirit and how they can show up in our classroom. They asked a lot of good questions, which allowed for us to have some great discussions. We talked about different ways that words can hurt people and why we should think about what we say. We talked about how laughing at people can be hurtful. Technology: We are practicing using our computers this week. By Friday, a sheet will come home with their usernames and passwords for the different programs we use. They will be able to use some of them after school to a certain point. They will also have an opportunity to complete homework assignments online as well. Reading: We started our first reading unit this week. We are discussing how stories can teach us different things. We took some time to talk about the different things that we've already learned. This was a very interesting and entertaining conversation. We are reading fantasies and discussing the lessons learned in them. ELA: Their spelling words and pre-test can be found in their Tuesday folders. In grammar, we are learning about sentences, fragments, and run-on sentences. This is just a review week for them so that they can learn the routine for grammar. We will also spend some time making vocabulary squares for the vocabulary words this week, which can be found on the back of their spelling words. Social Studies: We are cruising through chapter 1. This week we will start lesson 2 and, we will spend some time working on our national park projects. We started by narrowing our choices down from 3 to 1 and, then we used some links to find information about them. We will work on the bulk of this in class. They were excited to begin this project, so I know they will be amazing! Important dates:
And the year has begun! I am looking forward to a marvelous year with a wizardly brilliant class!
This first week has been very eventful. We covered a lot of things such as routines and expectations. We also played some games and even found time to start some of our lessons. I hope you had the time to hear about all of those fun things! I know they enjoy snack time and R & R time. Every Tuesday, the class newsletter will go up on the Weebly page. I will try to get a shortened paper copy home with them in their Tuesday folders as well. The newsletter will be simple. I will summarize the week, give subject-specific updates, and finish with any reminders. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Reading: This will look a little different from previous years, but it will be remotely the same. The spelling and reading test will be every Friday. Expect to see a pre-spelling test in their Tuesday folders, which will help them figure out which words they need to practice throughout the week. We are spending this week talking about the books we read over the summer. We will dive into our reading curriculum next week. Next week we will talk about different fantasy stories and discuss how they each teach us a lesson. Our spelling words for that week will be review words that focus on the short a/i vowel sounds. We will also spend some time talking about sentences and fragments. We will take our time and go through grammar, phonics, writing, comprehension strategies such as character traits, and comprehension skills such as visualization. Math: I am trying something new this year to help build math stamina and confidence. So, we will not start with unit 1, which focuses on multiplication and division. We are starting with unit 8, which focuses on using strategies and properties to add and subtract. We will learn about the different properties of addition such as commutative. We will also take some time to practice using a numbers chart to find patterns. We will practice rounding and using compatible numbers. Unit 8 allows them to use what they learned in second grade and further their thinking to have math confidence throughout the rest of the year. There will typically be math homework every night, however, depending on the lesson and how well the class is doing, they may not receive any. Social Studies: This is one of my favorite subjects to teach, as we get to learn a lot of cool things. With this curriculum, each unit has a “project” that they have to complete that helps them understand the overall topic of the unit. This tends to be the most loved part because it allows them to be creative and showcase their talents. Some topics that we will cover are: economics, our environment, landmarks and symbols, celebrations/holidays, and communities. We will take breaks from the curriculum and hop into our Hispanic Heritage Month, Black History Month, Women’s History Month, and Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month units. We started chapter one, "Our Environment.” We are learning about different regions in the US, and their similarities and differences. We also will learn about national parks, climate change, renewable resources, nonrenewable resources, and natural resources. Throughout this chapter, they will get a chance to research a national park, and present their findings to their classmates. Science: Like social studies, our science curriculum has a project that we will work on as we move through the unit. We will have some experiments, labs, and hopefully field trips! Some topics that we will cover are: motion and forces, electricity and magnetism, weather, climate, life cycles and traits, fossil evidence, and adaptations. This year we are splitting our time with science and social studies. So, we will start chapter 1 (Motion and Forces) in science in 6 weeks. Religion: We always start the school year talking about the verse for the year. We have been spending a lot of time talking about the nine fruits of the spirit. We also took some time to think about how we already exhibit certain fruits, and if there are some we need to work on a little harder. Our memory verse for the week is our theme verse, Galatians 5:22-23. (By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things). It will be due next Tuesday, September 7. Next week, we will begin our first unit, which focuses on different aspects of the Bible. We will learn about the history of the Bible (original languages, the number of years it took to write it, the number of people God called on during the writing process), the different parts it has (concordance, testaments), and what it means to us as Christians. This unit sets the foundation for our future units, which include: The Creation story, Letters from Paul, Abraham, Moses, The Fall to Babel, Joseph, and Issac and Jacob. Important Dates:
We are down to our last three days together! I can’t believe the end of the school year is here. We started cleaning out our cubbies and desk last week. Tomorrow they will bring home the last of the things they have in class. The rest of the week is slipper/slides week. Most of them left their slippers/slides inside their desk. For my friends, that brought them home, please remind them to bring them back.
Tomorrow, Wednesday, June 2, will not be a remote day. We will all be inside the classroom. We will finish working on some small activities that we started last week. We will also have a small field day where we play different games outside. So, please make sure to send them with a water bottle. On Thursday, June 3, we will close out third grade with more games, a movie, a class party, and chapel. On the last day of school, they will bring home their 4th-grade summer reading assignment, promotional certificate, map scores, and report card. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns. We are almost done! I do believe this is the last newsletter of the year. I will send something small and simple out next week.
Just a few reminders:
Their last memory verse for the year is a special one. I’ve worked all year with them on kindness, helping others, believing in themselves, and believing that God can handle every problem that we lay at his feet. This verse is one that I hope they not only remember but carry with them for the rest of their life. The verse comes from 1 Peter 5: 7 → Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you. They will recite this verse on June 1. As I explained last week, we are wrapping up our units in math, science, and social studies. We closed out social studies today and will close out math and science on Thursday and Friday. Our science test will be on Friday unless my friends show signs that we need to push it to Tuesday. For reading this week and next week, we are finishing our read-aloud of Fudge-a-mania by Judy Blume. After reading a couple of chapters, we discuss what happened and, we play a jeopardy game or play Kahoot. We’ll continue to do that as we close out the end of the year. I also have a couple of friends who cashed in dojo points to teach lessons, which will happen Thursday and Friday. I’ll be sure to record snippets and post them onto Class Dojo. On Thursday, we will begin to clean out our cubbies and lockers. So, please send them with a big bag or multiple bags to bring things home. We are closing in on the finish line! This year has been a crazy wild ride, and it has gone by so fast. Around this time in a regular school year, we’ll be preparing for our field trip to Brookfield Zoo. So, this year feels very different as we begin to wrap things up.
The memory verse for the week comes from Genesis 17:7. It is due May 25. → (I will establish my covenant between me and you, and your offspring after you throughout their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you.) Reminder from Mrs. Van Santen & Mrs. Maggio
We are also wrapping up our math, social studies, and science units.
We will begin the process of cleaning out our lockers and desk this week and next week. The goal is for them not to worry about doing it during our last three days together. So, on Thursday or Friday of this week, please send a bag or bags with them. Homework for the week:
Important Dates:
Third grade is running low on Clorox wipes and hand sanitizer. So, if you would like to donate some to the class, that would be awesome.
Reading: We are learning about poetry this week again, this time in our reading materials. We are revisiting free verse poetry and comparing it to narrative poetry. They really enjoy poetry, so we are having fun reading and writing poems in third grade. As we learn more about poetry, we will also learn about repetition and rhyme. We will revisit alliteration and metaphors. For grammar, we are learning about irregular verbs and when/how to use them. Science & Social Studies: We are moving through chapter 5 in science as we continue to learn about inherited traits. We will also learn about how the environment affects them as well. We will finish chapter 4 in social studies this week and move into the review stages of things. We are also wrapping up our community helper's projects. We will aim to have our social studies test at the end of next week or early in the week of the 24th. Math: We are still learning about fractions, and we are having fun. Last week we were able to use skittles to practice finding equivalent fractions. Please encourage them to find fractions in different things at home, such as helping with dinner or organizing toys. Homework for the week:
Important Dates:
Third grade is running low on Clorox wipes and hand sanitizer. So, if you would like to donate some to the class, that would be awesome.
Our Spring map tests are this week. We took one today, and we have will take the other two on Thursday and Friday. Reading: We are taking another break from our reading curriculum since we're taking our map test this week. We're learning about color poetry this week and how it focuses on using the five senses and imagery. They were really excited to learn more about poetry and are writing some beautiful color poems. Science: We are wrapping up lesson one, which taught us that animals and plants have similar life cycles. Lesson 2 will teach us about inherited traits and why animals and plants look the way they do. We will use what we are learning to examine why WE have certain traits. An example being why someone may have brown eyes or why someone may have blonde hair. Social Studies: We are wrapping up chapter 4, which is on the government. We are currently learning about U.S symbols and what they represent. We are also wrapping up the research part of our quest connection project about community helpers. Homework for the week:
Third grade is running low on Clorox wipes and hand sanitizer. So, if you would like to donate some to the class, that would be awesome.
Our Spring map tests are next week. We will take our language usage test on May 4. Our reading test will be on May 6 and, the math test will be on May 7. The memory work for the week comes from 1 Peter 2:10. It is due May 4. → (Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; Once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.) Reading: We are spending some time this week reviewing cause & effect as we read about the Wright Brothers. Our grammar unit is a hefty one, as we are learning about complex sentences and how they involve independent and dependent clauses. I have simplified the terms for them to things that they already know, which will make things easier. Our spelling words gave most of my friends a hard time, as they are homophones. So, we will spend extra time this week going over homophones. Math: We are wrapping up topic 12, but we are not leaving the world of fractions. We will take a practice test on Friday. Next week we will play a jeopardy game to review before taking the test on Tuesday, May 4. Science: We are starting chapter 5, which focuses on life cycles. We will focus on the life cycle of plants and animals. We will continue to practice using Venn diagrams as we will compare and contrast the different life cycles. We will also learn about traits and how those traits are inherited from parents. We will also conduct small experiments on seeds and plants. Important Dates:
Third grade is running low on Clorox wipes and hand sanitizer. So, if you would like to donate some to the class, that would be awesome.
Our Spring map test will happen during the week of May 3. I will give a reminder next week with the dates. The memory work for the week comes from 1 Peter 2:9. It is due April 27 → (But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful life.) Reading: We are back in our reading curriculum focusing on some new things. We spent some time learning about Venn Diagrams and talking about when and how they’re used. We completed one for fun on Among Us and Roblox. We also spent some time learning about Greek and Latin root words and how we can use the meaning of those roots to help us define an unknown word. Social Studies: We are moving through chapter 4, learning about our government and how it works. As we begin to move away from the federal government and start talking about the local government, we will start our in-class project. They have already picked a government worker or community leader that they plan to learn more about. They will then put together a presentation for the class. They are so excited to start this and, some of them already have some ideas of what they would like to do. Important Dates:
The warm days are coming, so please continue to send water bottles. Water bottles should be the kind that can be refilled at the water fountain here at school. Due to the warmer weather, we will also begin going outside for lunch. Please start having them pack their towels to leave in their lockers. We will have lunch outside Thursday and Friday of this week.
Math: We started topic 12 on Friday, and we’re cruising along. This week we are learning about unit fractions and identifying fractions representing a shaded area of a shape. Some of them confuse the two, so we will continue to review those and practice identifying them. We will rotate between doing book work, worksheets, hands-on activities, and using Dreambox and IXL. So far, they are enjoying learning about fractions and find it easy. Reading: We are taking a break from our reading curriculum to celebrate National Poetry Month. This week we are learning about the history behind National History Month and how it began. We are also learning about figurative and how it’s important in poetry. Throughout the week, we will read and create different kinds of poems. On Friday, we will create dream poems inspired by Langston Hughes’s dream poems. We will also spend the bulk of the week working on our personal narratives that are due Friday. Science: We are moving into the review stages for science. We started the practice test inside the book, and we will continue to go over those answers. On Friday, they will take a practice test that we will go over. They will be able to use that practice test to study for the test. The science test will be on Tuesday, April 20. Important Dates:
The warm days are coming, so please continue to send water bottles. Water bottles should be the kind that can be refilled at the water fountain here at school. Due to the warmer weather, we will also begin going outside for lunch. Please start having them pack their towels to leave in their lockers.
The memory work for the week comes from Genesis 8:22. It is due April 13 → “As long as the Earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.“ Math: We will take our topic 10 math test this Thursday. Our next focus point is fractions. We will spend about a month on them as we complete topics 12 and 13. We will begin learning about the basics, such as numerators and denominators. We will also learn about whole numbers and how to represent them in their fraction form. Reading: We will continue our work from last week on the narrator’s point of view. We will spend some time reviewing how to identify who the narrator is and how they are feeling. We will continue to practice explaining the narrator’s point of view and providing evidence from the text to support it. We are introducing a new genre this week, realistic fiction. We will spend some time learning to look for text features and clues to help us identify realistic fiction in the stories that we read. Science: We started chapter 4 before spring break, so we spent last week reviewing lessons 1 and 2. We spent a lot of time talking about climate change, greenhouse gases, and the greenhouse effect. I was proud to see them taking the things that we learned and apply them to their lives. They asked great questions and had awesome ideas for how we can slow down/prevent climate change. This week we will work on lesson 3 before we move into reviewing for the chapter test. The test is shaping out to be April 16 or April 20. Important Dates:
Welcome back! I hope you all enjoyed your spring break vacation. I know it was a much-needed time away from school with the new hope that the vaccination brings. We are running low on wipes again, so if you can send some more of them in, that would be awesome.
The memory work for the week comes from Matthew 28:6. It is due April 6 → “ He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.” Math: Two weeks ago, we started topic 10, which focused on multiplying multiple of 10. On Monday, we took some time to review the four lessons to refresh our minds on what we have learned. Throughout the rest of the week, we will begin preparing for the test. The test will be next week. We may try taking a test on a remote Wednesday. I will send out an email reminder of when the test will be. Reading: We are starting a new unit that covers things that we have learned throughout the year. The new focus that we have this week is the narrator’s point of view. We will spend time talking about narrators and how it can be the author, character from the story, or someone who isn’t part of the story. We are also learning about making smart and healthy choices. We will spend some time reflecting on the things we do and eat. Social Studies: We are starting chapter 4, which focuses on the current structure of our government. We will learn about three branches of government and how those branches operate. We will also learn about the different levels of government, local, state, and federal. We will spend extra time learning about the local government and how government workers help make things work. The last thing we will cover are symbols that represent our country. We will do a quest project which involves them picking a local government worker and researching what that person does. They will put together a brochure or put together a presentation about their person. Important Dates:
Spring break is next week. I hope you all get a chance to do something fun! There are still some travel restrictions, so please let me know if you will be traveling to an “orange” state. I want to make sure I know how many friends will be remote the week we return. If you are traveling, please send a bag with them on Friday to bring home their textbooks and computer.
Math: We started a new unit this week. It’s a short unit, and they were all pleased with how easy it is. In this new unit, we are learning how to multiply with multiples of 10. So, we are solving equations such as 50x6. We took some time to review strategies that we’ve learned, such as using a number line. We also took some time to review the five properties of multiplication: identity, zero, commutative, distributive, and associative. When we come back from spring break, we will finish up the unit and review for the test. Over spring break, please have them continue to practice their math facts. Challenge them to begin thinking about fractions. Reading: The last few units have contained several things that we've learned already, such as expository text and sequencing events. Expository text is still our genre focus, and we enjoy talking about real-world things. As we learn about those awesome things, we are also reviewing how to put events in order. It was refreshing to see them remember some important pieces from our sequencing unit that was back in September! Science: We are moving through chapter 4. We started a lesson on climate change this week, and I expressed how this was one of the most important lessons of this chapter. I put forth a challenge for them to become mini scientists/teachers and teach others about the things we are learning. They are the future, and the world is theirs. They will need to know how to identify a problem and generate ideas to solve those problems. I know for a fact that these guys will protect Earth and its resources. Important Dates:
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