Here are a few highlights from this week:
Religion | Reading & Writing |
This week in religion, we started learning about Jesus' early life, including his birth in Bethlehem and his childhood. The students worked on a map of Israel and had to identify some of the important places from Jesus' life. | We did a lot of reading and writing this week! The students worked on making connections in the books they chose to read this week, and also finding meaning for the authors and themselves. It has been tricky for some of them, but they're starting to get the hang of it. We also started looking at stories from the viewpoint of an author and tried to find things that we could include in our own writing. One thing we found is that authors use words to connect with our five senses. We've been able to find sound, taste, and smell words pretty easily! Next week, we're moving on to sight and touch. We also brought a lot of reading and writing into our stations. The students read an article about what organisms' needs, directions to navigate a castle, and about Jesus' childhood. They also worked on their writing by researching an animal and its habitat! |
International Dot Day
Science
In science, we kicked off our study of living things. Our focus this week was on three things that all living things need: food, water, and shelter. The students did an AWESOME job! They learned a lot about the basics of what plants and animals need and did a great job on their Maker Space project to demonstrate what they know! Next week, we're going to dive deeper into this by learning about HOW plants and animals get these things from their habitats using parts of the bodies and special behaviors. |
Social Studies | Spelling |
Our focus this week in social studies was general map skills. We worked on our directions, using a map key, and using latitude and longitude. The kids said one of their favorite activities this week was an activity they did using directions to figure out the rooms in a palace! We do have little work to do in a few areas, so we'll be spending a little more time on this next week. We use maps a lot in third grade (and in life!), so it's important to know how to use them! | Overall, I think spelling went pretty well this week. The students did pretty well on their tests, although a few still need practice on their phone numbers and addresses. It also seems that quite a few of the students are unfamiliar with cursive. Starting this week, I'll be giving the kids some time to practice cursive during their spelling time. Normally it doesn't take long for the students to pick up on it, but if your child is struggling, feel free to write the words on their homework and let them copy or trace your writing until they get more comfortable. |
Math
We're starting right away this year with multiplication! It is the most important thing the students will learn this year in math, so I really want to make sure we get it down and have lots of time to practice. We started this week by looking at how multiplication is equal groups and is the same thing as repeated addition! Later in the week, we took that idea and applied it to rows and columns (arrays). The students made some posters using stickers to make arrays, and we also looked at some arrays on Friday when we made cookies! It sounds like some of you had fun with the math logs this week! First in Math is a good tool to use, but you are not limited to that. Anything that gets the kids doing math is all I'm looking for! Let me know if you need any suggestions. Looking for arrays and equal groups might be fun since that is what we're working on now! There are also some online options on our PearlTrees page. If you are interested in the math program I'm using, it is called Engage New York. It is an online curriculum that I'm trying for the first time this year. So far, I'm pretty happy with it! Between that and Simple Solutions, I think we have a really strong math base this year, and it's a lot more up to date than our old books. Since it is online, there aren't textbooks. The students will have notes in their math notebooks that they can use for studying/reference if needed, as well as having the help pages in the back of their SiSo book. |
Grades
Students are encouraged to correct any assignment on which they score less than 70%. I normally mark it with a note or a stamp that says to correct it. If you see these, please encourage your child to edit them (with a red pen/pencil so I can see the change - do not erase the original work). I will rescore them and give a few extra points for their corrections. If you have any questions, let me know.
Looking Ahead
- PTO Meeting is this Thursday at 6:00 pm (it was rescheduled from last week)
- The Seney field trip is set for October 2. We are all set for chaperons. Students can choose to bring their own lunch or order from the kitchen. I'll send home a note about this after I talk to Mrs. Michalik.
- The September book order was submitted and should arrive in no more than 2 weeks. In the meantime, you can place orders for October at scholastic.com using the code L49RZ. For more information on book orders, visit this page.
Housekeeping & Reminders
- Spelling and SiSo are due each Friday.
- Math and Reading logs are due each Monday
- Lunch cards can be purchased in the office (free/reduced lunch applications are also available)
- It is starting to get chillier, so remember to send your child with a sweater or jacket for recess. It gets hot in our room, so layering is the best bet during the fall and winter months.
- Our class photos are up to date in our showcase! Check them out here!