Thank you to all who attended Back to School Night.

It was great to see you again and discuss an overview of the year.

Please feel free to call or email if you would like to discuss more. 

Please see the top tab "Upcoming Projects"

for information on the Landform project that is due Oct. 25th. 

We will host an Author's Party on October 25th.

Here are a few suggestions for studying the weekly spelling words: 

-Write the words in cursive.

-Rainbow roll-n-write the words.

-Write each word 3-5 times each. 

-Write the words in a sentence. 

-Draw a picture with each word. 

A strong foundation in phonics helps with decoding more difficult words. 

In Math, we're continuing with the second half of our module on multiplication and division.

We will continue using the terms Labeled Tape Diagram, Array, Number Bond and Equation.

This helps students develop a deeper understanding of multiplication and division. 

Reading:

 "Just Right" Reading

We have been focusing on how to choose "just right" books and why it is so important to choose

books that we are able to read. Research shows when children are reading independently,

they should be reading books they can read and understand. Reading books that are too

challenging can lead to frustration, inability to understand the story, thus causing reading to no

longer be enjoyable. We want children to love reading, which means it is important they are

reading books they are interested in and on their just right level! 

Research also shows that children are motivated to read when they can choose their own books.

The strategy we will use in class to choose just right books is called IPICK.

You can use the poster to help your child in picking good fit books at home.

This year we will be focusing on applying reading strategies to a variety of literary genre. Our class will learn how to read fiction stories and nonfiction articles carefully. We will learn the basic skills that we will use in our reading throughout the year.  Ask your child what genre we focused on this week. (Hint: It has characters, setting, or events that can not exist in real life, animals have human-like characteristics, and these stories teach a lesson.)

During our reading time we will focus on:

• Ways to talk about their reading with partners and the class.
• Strategies to help pronounce long words.
• Strategies to figure out the meanings of hard words.
• How to find important details in fiction stories and nonfiction articles.

• How to analyze what we read and write about it.

Here are a couple of activities you can do to help your child.

• Read together a fiction story. Discuss what happens in the story and who the characters are.
• Read together a nonfiction book or article. Ask your child what the story is about. Discuss what kinds of photos and images they see. What can they learn from these images?

Writing: Writer's Workshop is well underway and students have been having a lot of fun learning about what writers do to "gather" ideas for writing true stories. Students have gathered ideas by recalling "first times" in their lives, writing about moments they experienced strong emotions such as sadness, happiness, embarrassment, and fear. They also generated ideas based on things they love. This week they will choose two of their ideas to take to a quick write, share those quick writes with partners, and then select one of those ideas to begin drafting their stories. We love the ownership this process gives them in their writing. One student told us that, "I feel like Writer's Workshop is like our own secret club!" It's so wonderful to hear that kids call out, "Yay!" when we announce it's time for writing. They have been so open and willing to share their ideas for writing as well (and boy did we hear about some VERY embarrassing moments). It's really a happy time in our classrooms.

Accelerated Reader 

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. You can look up a particular book in AR Book Finder. 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 in Home Connect. Here is a link to the Parent's Guide to AR. Accelerated Reader Hopefully, this will answer your questions.

Welcome to 3rd Grade! 

We are excited for a new school year. 

We look forward to meeting each child and seeing their special talents on the 

First Day of School ~ Wednesday, August 14th 7:52-2:10.

Back to School Night is Thursday, August 29th, 6:00-7:30, more information will follow later.  I highly encourage parents to attend this event. I will be discussing curriculum, volunteer opportunities, homework, field trips, and other information.


Thank you, 
Third Grade Team

Optional School Supply List -not required

• 1 dozen sharpened Dixon Ticonderoga #2

• reusable water bottle-labeled
• Colored sharpies
• Glue stick
• chisel tip EXPO brand Dry Erase Markers (low odor)
• black sharpies
• Post-It Notes- (assorted sizes)

Donations

Class supplies are always much needed and greatly appreciated.

• Kleenex
• Baby wipes 
• Wipes for cleaning desks
• Hand sanitizer (pump bottles)
• Paper towels
• Reams of printer paper
• Popcorn
• Pizza Party (talk to Mrs. Nosky)
• Amazon gift cards 
• Avery labels 5160
• Ziploc bags (assorted sizes)
• Mod Podge 

“How can I help?”

• Donations to our class fund; art projects, science experiments, math activities, etc…
• Room Parent

• Volunteering in the classroom (Sign up at Back to School Night-  August 29th)
• Sharing a skill: art, yoga, PE, science, sewing, woodwork, any creative activity!
• Chaperoning on field trips

Seahawks Soar to Success !

Famous American Biographies:  Students should begin thinking about who they would like to research. We will start working on our famous American biography writing and presentations at the middle or end of April. Our focus is Famous Americans who have made a contribution to science, civil rights or a humanitarian effort. Students will study a famous artist in fourth grade so please save those ideas for next year. Examples of Famous Americans would be:

George Washington
John F. Kennedy
Abraham Lincoln
Alexander Graham Bell
Susan B. Anthony
Elizabeth Cady Stanton
Harriet Tubman
Sojourner Truth

Math - Module 4 -  Understanding Area

 Students began in earlier grades to build arrays, showing multiplication and division as a series of rows and columns. In 3rd grade, they begin the transition to understanding these types of problems in the context of an area model. As students move through the grades, the area model will be a powerful tool that can take them all the way into algebra and beyond. One of the goals in A Story of Units is to first give students concrete experiences with mathematical concepts, and then build slowly toward more abstract representations of those concepts. The area model is a tool that helps students to make that important leap.  

Module 5- Fractions on a number line. Fraction Equivalence, Ordering, and Operations.

How you can help at home: Continue to practice and review multiplication and division math facts – this greatly supports work with fractions!  Look for opportunities in daily life to discuss fractional parts and divide objects into equal parts. In this module, students explore fraction equivalence and extend this understanding to mixed numbers. They compare and represent fractions and mixed numbers using a variety of models. Toward the end of the module, they use what they know to be true about whole number operations to apply to fractions and mixed number operations. 

Writing:
We will begin our unit on fairy tales next week. We will first be reading the classic versions of Cinderella, Little Red Writing Hood, and Three Billy Goats Gruff. We will then be examining several adapted versions of these stories and spend time discussing why the authors have chosen to adapt the story, and students will work to identify the purposeful changes and consequential actions the authors have made. We will also be examining the plot structure of the fairy tales. Students will then choose to adapt Little Red Riding Hood or Three Billy Goats Gruff using their own imagination and creativity.


Grammar: We will be focusing on the proper use of quotation marks this week, as our fairy tales have a lot of rich dialog within them. We will also be working on building simple sentences into rich, descriptive ones that create an image in the minds of readers.

Just Right Reading
Kids need to read books that they can both decode (read the words) and comprehend (understand the meaning). Teachers call this a “just right” book, or a book that is at the child’s instructional level. A just right book at a child’s instructional level is a book that stretches the child just a bit, not so much as to make him frustrated but enough to continue his growth as a reader. This child would make an error on about one word out of twenty. How can you tell if a book your child wants to read is at her instructional level? You can help your child do the "Five Finger Test" to figure out if the book is just right. 

The Five Finger Test

1. When your child finds a book he wants to read, have him flip to a page in the middle of the book. (One with the same amount of text as the other pages.)
2. Ask your child to read the page — out loud so you can help.
3. From a closed fist, hold up a finger each time your child misses a word. She can do this on her own eventually.
4. No fingers means that the book is an independent level — it’s easy for her to read and perfectly fine for part of her reading diet. One to five fingers means the book is at an instructional level — BINGO! — just right for her to grow as a reader. Six or more fingers means the book is at a challenge or frustration level and not recommended because the child won’t be able to comprehend the text.

Science News

Water is a unique earth material, the only material on Earth that occurs naturally in all three states of matter: solid, liquid, and gas. 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. I will be sending home assignments called Home/School Connections. Please try to complete them with your child that evening and send them back to school the next day. 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!

 

I’m excited to share that our class is using Zearn Math.  Zearn Math is a top-rated math curriculum that personalizes learning for each student. With Zearn Math, your child will learn and practice math concepts in two ways – Small Group Instruction with the teacher and Independent Digital Lessons. By learning in these two rotations everyday, every student in our classroom will deeply learn the big ideas of math for our grade. 
• While working through Independent Digital Lessons, your child will learn and practice new concepts at his/her own pace. Independent Digital Lessons include fun warm-ups to build math foundations, interactive videos to learn new concepts, paper and pencil work to transfer learning, and lots of supportive, precise, and personalized feedback. 
• During Small Group Instruction with me, each student discusses their reasoning aloud, works with concrete objects to demonstrate their thinking, and receives feedback on their understanding. Teaching in a smaller group allows me to do an even a better job meeting the specific needs of your child. I encourage you to explore Zearn Math with your child to learn more. 
Here are some questions to ask your child to support their learning with Zearn Math!
 • What did you discuss with your teacher and friends in math small group time?
 • What concrete materials did you get to learn with in Small Group today?
 • What are your favorite parts of a Digital Lesson?  
 • When you get a challenging problem, how do you work through it? 
 • How many Digital Lesson badges have you earned? Welcome to the new  year!