Our 3rd Grade News!: November 2019

Thursday, November 21, 2019

November 18th-22nd

Reading: We have been working to find the sequence of events within a text as well understanding the features of historical fiction.

Word Study: Our test tomorrow will be on open and closed syllable patterns. We will continue to read, write, and sort VCV and VCCV words next week as well. As a reminder, students bring a sheet home each Monday explaining the week's pattern.

Math: The third graders are learning a great deal about multiplication and division. We continue to play games to gain recall of the facts. They are also learning various strategies for finding the solution to unknown facts. This week our focus was on extended facts. For example: 3x2=6 can help us to figure out 30x2 and 300x2.

Science: Our unit, Animals Through Time, is well underway! We are learning about how fossils help us to understand which animals once lived on the earth. We will also be learning whether or not we can outrun a dinosaur!

Social Studies: We will begin to learn about Economics through a video series called "Econ and Me". Our first lesson was on scarcity, and our second on opportunity cost. Please see itslearning for the link if you would like to view these videos at home.

Writing: Students are finalizing personal narratives and typing them in GoogleDocs. We will be finishing these up before break and starting our next until the beginning of December.

Next Week's Schedule:

Upcoming Events:

Nov. 26 Math Night! 5:30-6:30 (3rd Grade Classrooms)
Nov. 27 Half Day

Nov. 28 No School

Nov. 29 No School

The Nutcracker

The Nutcracker Information

The Nutcracker is quickly approaching. Please see Mrs. Richard's website for information regarding clothing for the performance as well as other useful information.

Winter Is Here!

Please be sure to send your child with a coat, snow pants, gloves, a hat, and boots. We have 3 recesses outdoors and we want our students to be comfortable and dry! In order to play in the fields, students must have boots and snow pants.

Math Video and Math Night

We have busy planning a fun evening to visit our 3rd-grade classrooms so your child can show you all that he or she gets to experience during a day of math in 3rd grade. It will be very informal and we hope you will consider coming! We would like to invite you to come in between 5:30-6:30 on Tuesday, December 3rd

Link for Video:

Multiplication and Division Video

Report Cards

Report cards were sent home yesterday. Please send back the signed yellow envelope as soon as possible. As always, please don't hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns.

Fact Practice

Please don't forget to contact us if you are able to volunteer to help with math fact practice. This could be 1/2 hour to an hour one day a week.

Also, math center is moving along now. Students should spend some time outside of class each week practicing. The goal is improvement each week--not passing. Emphasis on passing causes stress and anxiety in kids over math fact memorization. There are fun games on our itslearning pages to help practice. Quizlet (located at the bottom of our itslearning page) has games to play for each math center level. Games may include Match and Gravity.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

November 11th-15th

Reading: We have been working to find the sequence of events within a text.

Word Study: Our test tomorrow will be on inflectional endings. Students will be adding the ending -s, -ed, and -ing of words ending in "y". The next unit will focus on Syllable Juncture in VCV and VCCV patterns. This means we will be focusing on how syllable patterns can help us differentiate between long and short vowel sounds when we are reading and writing words.

Science: We are learning about how fossils help us to understand what animals once lived on the earth, and that Illinois (and Michigan) were once covered by an ocean as we have found fossils of fish and shells!

Social Studies: Chapter 2 tests will come home by Friday this week. We will begin to learn about Economics through a video series called "Econ and Me". Please see itslearning for the link if you would like to view these videos at home.

Writing: Students have started finalizing personal narratives and typing them in GoogleDocs. More revisions will take place once the typing is complete. Revision work is meant to strengthen a student's writing.

Next Week's Schedule:

Upcoming Events:

Nov. 15 Popcorn Friday

Nov. 15 Half Day

Nov. 20 Late Start

Nov. 21 Thanksgiving Lunch (We encourage students to participate in this delicious lunch! Please let us know if your child will be taking their own lunch).

Nov. 27 Half Day

Nov. 28 No School

Nov. 29 No School

Winter Is Here!

Please be sure to send your child with a coat, snow pants, gloves, a hat, and boots. We have 3 recesses outdoors and we want our students to be comfortable and dry! In order to play in the fields, students must have boots and snow pants.

Stuff-A-Truck

Please remember that we are collecting canned food for our annual food drive. Boxes are outside each classroom to collect non-perishable items. Our school goal is to DOUBLE last year's collection of 1500 items. The classroom that collects the most will win a personal pan pizza party from Pizza Hut and recognition on 97.5 Y Country.

Math Video and Math Night

As teachers, we are always striving to communicate better with our families. We understand that the way children are learning math is different than when you were young. Here is a link for a video created by students to explain how we are learning to multiply and divide. Included in the video will be several games that you can play at home to help your child to practice multiplication in a fun way. We hope the video helps you to feel more connected with what your child is learning in school. We are also busy planning a fun evening visit in our 3rd-grade classrooms so your child can show you all that he or she gets to experience during a day of math in 3rd grade. It will be very informal and we hope you will consider coming! We will let you know as soon as the date is finalized.

Link for Video:

Multiplication and Division Video

Report Cards

Tomorrow is a half day. Teachers will be working on finalizing report cards. Report cards will be sent home the week of the 18th.

Fact Practice

Please don't forget to contact us if you are able to volunteer to help with math fact practice. This could be 1/2 hour to an hour one day a week.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

November 4 - 8

Reading: Third graders have been practicing their fluency through reader's theater this week. Ongoing skill practice continues to be focused on finding the main idea and details of paragraphs as well as the traits of characters in stories.

Word Study: No word study this week because of the shorter days this week. Word study will resume next week and the skills being practiced will be sent home on Monday.

Math: The third graders are learning a great deal about multiplication and division. We continue to play games to gain recall of the facts. They are also learning various strategies for finding the solution to unknown facts. Ask your child about the add-a-group and subtract-a-group strategy which was learned this week!

Science: Our "Power of Flowers" unit is complete! Next week we will begin our "Animals Through Time" unit.

Social Studies: Just a reminder that unit 2 has been completed and the chapter test is Monday.

Next Week's Schedule:

Stuff-A-Truck

Math Video and Math Night

As teachers, we are always striving to communicate better with our families. We understand that the way children are learning math is different than when you were young. Because of that, we will be sharing another video with you next week so you have a clearer understanding of how your child is learning multiplication and division. Included in the video will be several games that you can play at home to help your child to practice multiplication in a fun way. We hope the video helps you to feel more connected with what your child is learning in school. We are also busy planning a fun evening visit in our 3rd-grade classrooms so your child can show you all that he or she gets to experience during a day of math in 3rd grade. It will be very informal and we hope you will consider coming! We will let you know as soon as the date is finalized.

Report Cards

Next Friday is a half-day of school. Teachers will be working on finalizing report cards. Report cards will be sent home the week of the 18th.