This week we concluded our science Structures of Life Module. Third grades loved exploring owl pellets and the human skeleton. Next week we will begin our Water and Climate Module.  

Water is a unique earth material, the only material on Earth that occurs naturally in all three states of matter: solid, liquid, and gas. Next to the air we breathe, water is probably the most important thing in our lives. Your child will learn these interesting things and more as we investigate water, its properties, and what it can do in the FOSS Water and Climate Module. One of the goals of this module is to help students focus their observation skills on water—to begin seeing water in a new light. Through their investigations into the properties of water (how it reacts to heating and cooling and the processes of evaporation and condensation), students will begin to appreciate how important this unique material is. We will also use tools and the Internet to monitor weather conditions in our local area and compare forecasts to actual measurements. We will be introduced to climate and how climate regions are determined around North America and the world. You can help your child focus on the properties of water and its uses in several ways. Use the Internet to find the source of your local water. Take a trip to the public library and check out books about water, water conservation, and recycling. Plan a visit to a garden shop and find out more about irrigation systems and water drainage in different kinds of soil. Visit a dam, reservoir, lake, or stream to observe the flow and interactions of water with the earth. Consider ways to conserve water in your home and community. Take a walk around the block after a rainstorm, looking for evidence of precipitation, condensation, evaporation, and flowing water. Follow weather conditions in the broadcasts and in newspapers and discuss them with your child. You can get more information on this module by going to www.FOSSweb.com. We’re looking forward to weeks of exciting investigations in the world of water and climate! 

Bridges Math Unit 3-
Multi- Digit Addition and Subtraction

Please click on the Parent Letter and FAQs  to learn more about the upcoming unit. 

New Accelerated Reader Reading Goals

This week begins the second trimester for AR Goals (Nov. 11th - March 8th)

Each student has been assigned an "AR Goal." The goals were calculated according to each student's performance on the computerized AR star test.  The Accelerated Reader program ("AR") is a computerized program that tests reading comprehension. Students select books on their reading level, read independently, and take an independent comprehension test on a school computer. Each book is worth a certain number of points based on its length and reading level. Students get a percentage of these points based on how many of the test questions they get right. The program tracks their progress over the course of the school year. You may track your student’s progress inHome Connect. Here is a link to the Parent's Guide to AR. Accelerated Reader