ELA HighlightsWe finished our first unit in ELA this week! This week's theme was "Trying New Things", what a great topic for a new school year! We read a few great stories to support our theme and worked on using context clues to discover the meaning of new words, and also how to use the character, setting, and theme to help us better understand a story. We also did some research into new ideas! The students each chose something they'd like to try and researched how to do it! They even created brochures sharing what they discovered. Our main story this week, "Charlie McButton Loses Power" was a narrative poem, so we also tried our hand at writing our own and came up with some great couplets. AND, we also recited our first poem of the year. It was called "O Sailor Come Ashore" and the students did amazing! I couldn't believe they had it memorized and ready to go in less than a week! I'm going to get it on video this week and will share when I do! (My camera was dead when they performed it!) Also, we've been playing Spelling City quite a bit lately and the kids are really seeming to like it. We are currently in the free trial period which is set to expire soon. I'll be paying to keep the pro-edition that we're using now, and if anyone wants to chip in, let me know. There's so many fees and fundraisers and pictures and book sales going on that I'm not going to require it, but I'm not going to turn down anyone wanting to help either! (It works out to be about $3.50 per student.) Our Week in MathWe finished up our chapter on place value and moved right along to our next topic: Number Patterns. This should only take a few days, from which point we'll be moving onto rounding for most of this week. The kids are doing a pretty good job with the fast-paced nature of Singapore Math, so I hope we can keep it up! Keep encouraging your child to play First in Math at home too! It is great practice! ReligionThis week, we learned more about our monthly saint, Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton! We were so excited to learn all about America's first saint (AND patroness of Catholic Schools)! ScienceIn science, we kicked off our study of living things. The students learned all about what all living things need in order to survive. This week, we'll be continuing that thought and digging deeper into how animals get shelter from their habitats and how they defend themselves. (And this week's work *MAY* involve worms!) Social StudiesWe started our first Social Studies Weekly and I think that we're going to really enjoy these new resources! We focused on the different types of maps and how they are used. We'll be continuing that through this week as we work to make some of our own maps! Upcoming Dates:
Language Arts
Math
ReligionMonth in Faith
Love & MercySince this is the Year of Mercy, we will be spending the first week of each month learning about mercy. This week,, we focused on covenants and how those are a sign of God's mercy. ScienceThis week in science, our focus was thinking like a scientist. The kids did a great job coming up with things that scientists might think about, and things they might do - like taking chances and making mistakes! The kids seemed to enjoy cycling through the stations so I hope that this system works well for them! Social StudiesWe didn't have a ton of time for social studies this week, but we were able to fit in a lesson about where in the world we are! We read Me on the Map and thought about where we fit in on the map! The students are currently working on a flipchart project that will zoom in on where they are on the map! We'll continue working on geography next week and will start the first of our Social Studies Weekly! This is my first year using them and I am really excited to share them with the students. I think they're going to really enjoy them!
Upcoming Dates:
Welcome back! It is hard to believe that the summer is already over! We had such a great first day and I'm so excited for all of the adventure that awaits us this year. We got through most of the boring first day rules, expectations, and such and had time playing a game of BreakoutEDU! I was so happy to see how well the students got along and what great thinkers they are!! I'm probably more wore out than the kids, but there are a few things I want to point out.
Thank you all for such a wonderful and fulfilling year! I was blessed with such a wonderful group of kids! I can honestly say that is the nicest group I have worked with in my 8 years of teaching. They all have such kind and wonderful hearts; they have truly been a blessing! May is always such a hectic month, and with the chaos, there are a few things that I just did not fit in. Below are some odds and ends to wrap up the year. Published Authors
PicturesI took a LOT of pictures throughout the school year! If you are interested, I can put them onto a CD for you and leave them in the office. If you would like one, let me know. (email me) First in MathMath sometimes gets forgotten in the summer, so to keep up, the students can continue using their First in Math accounts. I believe they are active until the end of July (I'm not positive on the exact date it expires) so that would be good practice. Focus on mastery of the multiplication and division facts (as well as adding and subtracting facts) since these are the most important skills entering fourth grade. Summer ReadingIn past years, St. Francis students have completed a reading project over vacation. We are trying something different this year, and are including the WHOLE school! Students received paper crayons to take home this summer. Each class was given a certain color. After your child completes 30 minutes of reading, they can fill out the crayon with their name and the book title(s) (extra books can be written on the back). In September when we return to school, please send in all of the completed crayons. We will use them to make a rainbow in our gym. The class with the highest minutes per student average will win a prize! In addition to the class prize, we are offering an incentive for individuals as well! Every student that reads 1,000 minutes or more will be rewarded with a movie showing at Cedar Street Cinemas in the fall! All minutes must be completed before the first day of school. During the summer, if you run out of crayons, you can stop by the school office and get more from Mrs. Weber. Another option is to print them from home (attached below). They can just shade in the color of their crayon if you print it on white paper. Mrs. McKinney will also be available on Wednesdays during her summer reading program if anyone is interested in borrowing books or spending extra time practicing their reading. She will be available for all St. Francis students from 9:00-11:30 on June 15th, 22nd, and 29th, July 13th, 20th, and 17th, and August 10th, 17th, and 24th. Contact Mrs. McKinney for more information. (This would be a great chance to get your reading time in and fill in your crayons!)
Summer FunI also have an extra assignment for the students (and families) as well! Here it is: HAVE FUN! Summer in the UP is an amazing time, so be sure to get outside, get some sun, and spend time with the ones you love! If you need help finding things to do, check out the community calendar at discoverymanistique.com and come to the drive-in for a free movie on July 15th (Mr. Erickson and I have been keeping ourselves busy with some community projects this summer!) Thank You!Thank you all for all of your support this school year, for your support of me, our school, and for most importantly, our students! A child's first and most important teachers are his or her parents and I hope that I have been able to give you the support you need in helping them to learn and grow.
Dear Parents, I know it is early for this, but if you are like me, you like to know things well in advance, so here is the supply list for the incoming third graders. While not necessarily having the best prices, I did put together a "School List" on Amazon. Basically, it has all of the items on the supply list conveniently located on Amazon. In theory, you could click on each item and skip the hassle of going back-to-school shopping. Economical? No, but definitely convenient! In addition to the regular supply list, I also have a "wish list". This includes items that I use each year and normally buy out of pocket or classroom items that are getting worn out (i.e. beanbag chairs). This gets very pricey, so I was hoping we could work together and split it! If you could choose one (or more) of the items from the wishlist it would be very much appreciated! If you can't, I totally understand! There are also some recyclable items that we will be collecting as well. Have a safe and blessed summer, and I will see you all soon! Thanks! Mrs. Erickson 3rd Grade Supply List
Mrs. Erickson's WishlistBelow are items that I typically purchase out of pocket each year (or hope to add to our class through generous donors!) Don't feel obligated to buy any of these, but if you do, I will be very grateful! I am also collecting household recyclables to add to our Maker Space, so if you have anything that you think the kids would like tinkering with, bring it in! All of the items listed below are available on Amazon on our class wishlist (http://bit.ly/3rdgradewishes)! Feel free to share this link with friends and family as well!
Thank you for all of your help making our businesses a success! We will be counting all of the money tomorrow and distributing the reimbursements for expenses. If there are leftover items, we will invite the 6th graders to shop tomorrow since they are gone on a field trip today.
In past years, St. Francis students have completed a reading project over vacation. We are trying something different this year, and are including the WHOLE school! Students will receive paper crayons to take home this summer. Each class will be given a certain color. After your child completes 30 minutes of reading, they can fill out the crayon with their name and the book title(s) (extra books can be written on the back). In September when we return to school, please send in all of the completed crayons. We will use them to make a rainbow in our gym. The class with the highest minutes per student average will win a prize! In addition to the class prize, we are offering an incentive for individuals as well! Every student that reads 1,000 minutes or more will be rewarded with a movie showing at Cedar Street Cinemas in the fall! All minutes must be completed before the first day of school. During the summer, if you run out of crayons, you can stop by the school office and get more from Mrs. Weber. Another option is to print them from home. The attachment below can be printed, then they can just shade in the color of their crayon if you print it on white paper. Our students (rising 4th graders) will use bright green! (Incoming third graders have darker green, I think) Mrs. McKinney will also be available on Wednesdays during her summer reading program if anyone is interested in borrowing books or spending extra time practicing their reading. She will be available for all St. Francis students from 9:00-11:30 on June 15th, 22nd, and 29th, July 13th, 20th, and 17th, and August 10th, 17th, and 24th. Contact Mrs. McKinney for more information. (This would be a great chance to get your reading time in and fill in your crayons!)
Our students are in the process of becoming business owners! The students are working in groups of two or three to learn about Michigan’s natural resources and will be showcasing our state during our business day. All products, foods, and services must relate to Michigan’s resources, symbols, geography, or history in some way! This week, they will be hard at work creating a business plan and product line. They have some great ideas already! They will also be conducting a survey with students in the school to see which items would interest their fellow students, and what they might be willing to pay for each item. Once their product line is finalized, the students will divide the products between the members of their group and be responsible for providing the products from home. If they are not able to complete a certain project (which is OKAY), it is your child’s responsibility to consult with his or her business partners to switch items and/or come up with a new product as soon as possible. They should be bringing home their product list next Monday (May 9th). You can be a great help in this program by not allowing your child to take anything for their business from home without keeping a record of it. The students may use up to $10 to purchase the supplies for the product they will make or the service they will provide, but if these funds come from the parent, the parent should be reimbursed from the profits after the business day. You may also charge a consulting fee for your advice and services if you would like! (Please note: If your child decides to make a food product, the product must be pre-wrapped or pre-bagged at home. For health reasons, no food product will be made or assembled during the business day at school.) When the business day is over, we will take our earnings & subtract our expenses then take our profits and donate them to a worthy cause (the group with the highest profit will decide!) The business day is tentatively scheduled for May 24th from 1:00-2:30, if there are changes to the date/time, I will let you know.
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AuthorHi! I'm Mrs. Erickson and I am the 3rd grade teacher at St. Francis de Sales. To learn more about me, click here. Archive
February 2017
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