10/31/11 - 11/4/11

Important Reminders-

10/31- May Watts Fall Festival and Parade
November 9th and 10th- Parent Teacher Conferences
The Book Fair is coming Nov. 7th - 11th! Please click on the LMC Blog for details. Thanks for supporting May Watts!

Spelling

The skill for List 8 is /s/ and /j/ words.  If you need to refer to the lists, click on the spelling tab above.  The test will be on Friday, 11/4.

Reading

We will finish our Spooky Story Unit and for the next few weeks, complete  an author study on Chris Van Allsburg. Some of the books that we will  read during this unit are: Jumanji, Just a Dream, and The Stranger. We will also examine the author's website, along with other books that he has written throughout his life. The strategies that students will learn are: comparing two works by the same author and making inferences. We will complete our author study with a movie choice based on his books. Please visit the website at the bottom of this page to learn more about this popular author.


The Reading Incentive program is finishing its first month!  Remind your child to read nightly and continue to put their minutes into their log on Reading Stars!  All minutes for October must be entered by 10/31. 

Writing

For our next writing unit, we will teach students how to write an effective extended response. Writing Extended Response connects to a reading passage. This unit will be taught using the I do, We do, You do model. The students will practice completing an I Chart as a graphic organizer of their writing. The children will learn how to TTQA (turn the question around) and include an opinion or point of view. We will practice using transition words and identifying all of the pieces of evidence in a reading passage. The students will also learn how to interpret what the evidence means. The final step will be to teach the students how to write a conclusion stating what they now understand.

Grammar Skill

Homophones, homographs, and homonyms are the skills that we are working on.  What is the difference between them?  Well, that seems to be a topic of discussion.  We have researched many websites and have decided that we would like the students to know how to use the correct word and spelling in sentences.  We will teach them that: Homophones are words that sound the same, but have different spellings and meanings.  Homographs are words that are spelled the same, but mean and sound differently.  Homonyms are words that are spelled and sound the same, but have different meanings.  We will work on a variety of these words to help the students become more familiar with them all.

 Check out the Grammar links for games to help them understand.

Grade 3 Math

A study guide was given out and is due on Tuesday, 11/8. The Unit 3 Math Test is Wed.,  11/9.
Unit 3 has two secure skills that the students will need to master.  They should be able to measure line segments to the nearest ½ inch and the nearest centimeter.  Please help them practice measuring at home.  This is an important life skill!  
The students will also need to know how to add and subtract multidigit numbers, make ballpark estimates to the nearest tens place, add bills and coins, and show change using symbols for money (Q = quarters, D = Dimes, etc..)

We will discuss the U.S. customary and  metric systems.  We will practice converting units in each system.  For example, the students will learn that 1 foot = 12 inches, 1 yard = 3 feet, 1 yard = 36 inches, and 1 mile = 5,280 feet.  They will hopefully discover some personal references for length that will help them remember how long each unit is.  We will practice measuring by finding the perimeter of different shapes.  The perimeter is the measurement of the distance around a shape.

Accelerated Math

A study guide was given out and is due on Tuesday, 11/8. The Unit 3 Math Test is Wed., 11/9.
Unit 3 focuses on multiplication and division, number sentences and algebra. This is a longer unit and it will take us some time to get through it. Please help your child by practicing multiplication and division facts at home.

Social Studies

There will be a Maps and Globes Test on Friday, 11/4.  After completing a variety of engaging classroom activities including creating their own park maps, the students should be able to demonstrate the following essential skills:
Know the difference between maps and globes
Be able to locate places on a map
Create a map key/legend with several symbols and include the meaning of each symbol
Create a compass rose with cardinal and intermediate directions
Identify a map scale, measure distances on a map, and convert the measurement according to the map scale.
The students will continue to have opportunities to practice these skills during the week.

http://www.chrisvanallsburg.com/flash.html

10/24-10/28

Upcoming  Events…

Tuesday, 10/26/11–Young Rembrandts

Tuesday & Thursday - After School Enrichment (ASE)

Friday, 10/28/11 – Report cards will be sent home via backpack

Monday, 10/31/11 – Halloween Parade and classroom parties

Citizenship

We will continue to work on our problem solving skills.  All students can achieve success using the Talk it Out program and Respecting YOE.

On Friday, a raffle drawing will be held for lunch with Mr. Raczak.  The students will have a chance to win if they put their blue tickets into the grade level bins.  Will your child enter for a chance to win lunch with Mr. Raczak?

Spelling

The skill for List 7 is sh, ch, and tch words.  If you need to refer to the lists, click on the spelling tab above.  The test will be on Friday, 10/28.

Reading

We are going to be doing a Spooky Story unit in reading and writing.  We will begin the unit by discussing the difference between fantasy and realistic events.  The students will use various skills and strategies, like predicting, inferring, fact vs. opinion, and comparing and contracting, while reading this week.  We will be reading the following stories:  A Beasty Story by Bill Martin Jr., and Steven Kellogg, The Monster and the Tailor by Paul Galdone, Piggie Pie! by Margie Palatini, and A Dark, Dark Tale.  We hope the students enjoy this spooky week!

The Reading Incentive program is finishing its first month!  Remind your child to read nightly and continue to put their minutes into their log on Reading Stars!  All minutes for October must be entered by 10/31.

Writing

We will finish our unit on Informative Paragraph writing.  The students should know what a good paragraph looks like and that it contains a main idea, details, and an ending sentence. The will also work on the Spooky Story unit.

During our Spooky Story unit, the students will have the opportunity to write their own spooky story.  Scary story starters will help the students begin writing their stories.  At the end of the unit, we will use flashlights to set up a spooky atmosphere to share our stories.  Please watch the assignment notebook to know when your child will need to bring a flashlight for this activity.

Grammar Skill

Homophones, homographs, and homonyms are the skills that we are working on.  What is the difference between them?  Well, that seems to be a topic of discussion.  We have researched many websites and have decided that we would like the students to know how to use the correct word and spelling in sentences.  We will teach them that: Homophones are words that sound the same, but have different spellings and meanings.  Homographs are words that are spelled the same, but mean and sound differently.  Homonyms are words that are spelled and sound the same, but have different meanings.  We will work on a variety of these words to help the students become more familiar with them all.

 Check out the Grammar links for games to help them understand.

Grade 3 Math

Unit 3 has two secure skills that the students will need to master.  They should be able to measure line segments to the nearest ½ inch and the nearest centimeter.  Please help them practice measuring at home.  This is an important life skill!  

We will discuss the U.S. customary and  metric systems.  We will practice converting units in each system.  For example, the students will learn that 1 foot = 12 inches, 1 yard = 3 feet, 1 yard = 36 inches, and 1 mile = 5,280 feet.  They will hopefully discover some personal references for length that will help them remember how long each unit is.  We will practice measuring by finding the perimeter of different shapes.  The perimeter is the measurement of the distance around a shape.

Accelerated Math

We have started Unit 3 which focuses on multiplication and division, number sentences and algebra. This is a longer unit and it will take us some time to get through it. Please help your child by practicing multiplication and division facts at home.

Social Studies

This week, the students will continue to review the continents and oceans.  The students will have a quiz on the locations of the continents and oceans.  Please help your child review.  Ask them to sing the Continent Song for you as review.

In addition to review, the students will learn about what tools are used to help read maps and globes.  The map key or legend, symbols, and compass rose are important terms to know when using a map.  The students will have lots of opportunities to become familiar with these terms.

Week of October 17th, 2011

Reminders -

Wednesday, 10/19:  Conference notices go home.  Please send them back ASAP to confirm the correct date and time for your November conference. 

Friday, 10/21:  End of 1st grading period

Friday, 10/28:  Report cards go home

·   

Reading -

We will continue our reading and research on BATS!  Last week we started by reading Stellaluna by Janell Cannon.  Then we moved onto Zipping, Zapping, Zooming Bats by Ann Earle.  We compared and contrasted fantasy and nonfiction using these two books.  We also learned many facts about bats that we didn't know.  This week we will be doing some activities with both books and finishing off our study with BAT RESEARCH!  Students will create a bat a poster including the bat facts they learned.  We will also be discussing the difference between facts and opinions during this time. 

Please continue to have your child read nightly and log his/her minutes onto Reading Stars (tab on the top)

Grammar-
Our focus this week will be on homophones.  Homophones are words that sound the same, but are spelled differently and have different meanings.  An example of a pair of homophones would be see and sea.  Check out the following sites for some homophone practice.

Go for Grammar Goal: Homophones

Whiteboard Homophones

Homophone Quiz

Spelling-
Week of 10/17= Unit 6 kn, wr, gn, ph

Writing-
During the month of October, the students will be learning how to write well-developed paragraphs.  The learning targets for the month are..

1.What do good paragraphs look like?

2.What are main ideas and details?

3.What is elaboration?

4.What is an ending sentence?

5.What does it mean to indent?

6.How do you use a graphic organizer to brainstorm ideas?

We started our unit with immersion.  This means that the students have been shown multiple examples of good paragraphs.  We began by looking for things paragraphs have in common. Students will learn that a paragraph is a group of sentences that have to do with a particular topic.  Good paragraphs have a main idea that is supported by details and elaboration.  We will continue to learn how to write paragraphs for the next two weeks.


Math -
Third Grade-
The study guide for Unit 2 was sent home Thursday Oct. 13 and will be reviewed on Tuesday, Oct. 18.  The Unit 2 math test will Wed. Oct. 19th . We will then begin Unit 3 which focuses on measurement, perimeter and area.
Accelerated Math -

We have started Unit 3 which focuses on multiplication and division, number sentences and algebra.  This is a longer unit and it will take us some time to get through it.  Please help your child by practicing multiplication and division facts at home.

Social Studies-
We have started our Social Studies unit on maps and globes.  Students will be expected to know...

Why do we use maps?
How are maps and globes different?
What are the tools that are used to help read maps and globes ? (map key, etc.)
How do we figure out the distance from one place to another ? (map scale)
What are the cardinal and intermediate directions?

Have a great week!  Make sure to check the individual teacher blogs to see updates for each specific class!

 Upcoming School Events - Mark Your Calendars!

ELL Parent Night - Monday, October 3rd 7:00PM

All ELL parents are invited to an ELL information night hosted by our ELL teacher Emily Lundeen.  This is your opportunity to hear an overview of the program and ask questions. 

Family Self-Defense Night- Wednesday, Oct. 5th 6:30-8:30 PM

The safety of our children is of great importance to all of us.  We do our best to keep them safe at home and school, but situations may arise that we cannot control.  These incidents can happen anywhere, at anytime, and with anyone.  It is not just an issue in the big cities or always a “stranger danger" attack.  Parents are often unsure of what to say to their young children and how much information they should provide to them.  Mrs. Andrews will provide an age appropriate, hands on self-defense workshop in which you may participate with your family. We will be practicing physical defenses, so please have your child wear comfortable clothing and safe gym shoes.  Older siblings and all family members are encouraged to participate.  Permission slips have been sent home, but additional permission slips are available in the office and from Mrs. Andrews. The number of participants will be limited due to safety and space issues, so be sure to return the slip promptly. 
Go to Mrs. Andrew's blog for more information.

Picture Day- Thursday, October 6th

Have your student bring their best "smile"

Reflections Entries Due Friday October 7th 

For students choosing to participate in the PTA Reflections program this year entitled "Diversity means..."  the submissions are due 10/7.  The PTA is hoping for 100 entries.


NO SCHOOL MONDAY 10/10
NOON DISMISSAL ON
WEDNESDAY 10/12

Family Reading Night - Thursday, October 11th  6:15- 7:45PM

Focusing on the 2nd - 5th Grade Reader

"Reading is for Meaning"

The purpose of this evening is to be introduced to the different stages of reading and to understand that reading goes beyond word recognition.  The primary focus will be on Newly Fluent and Truly Fluent readers through exploring text complexity in the various genres of literature.  Matching readers to text that supports interactive and engaged reading is an important part of building student comprehension.  Plan to come and attend 3 different breakout sessions throughout the evening.  Registration is required and a form was sent home on Friday 9/30. 

Go to Mrs. Denicolo's blog for more information. 

Together, We Can Make a Difference!  

FYI - Updated Snack Policy - Due to the number of spills Mr. Boyle has had to clean up throughout the school, we are going to have to make an adjustment to our snack policy.  Students may drink water only in the classroom and need to limit their snacks to finger food only.  Unfortunately, spilling fruit cups, squirting yogurt and leaky juice boxes make for a sticky mess  on our carpeted classroom floors. Please send a healthy snack that cannot spill in anyway.  Good options are vegetables, crackers, pretzels, cheese and whole fruit. The third grade teachers will be adhering to this rule. If your child does bring a "messy" snack they will not be allowed to eat it until lunch. 

Now, here's what's happening in third grade's neck of the woods.

Citizenship 

We have been discussing the  4 steps of Conflict Resolution.  We have already learned that ...

1. Talking through a problem is better than ignoring it or fighting. 

2. When you are angry or upset, it's better to stop and cool off before confronting someone.

3.  It's best to talk it out using "I" messages  

The last lesson in this model is listening during a conflict situation.  Students will learn that it's important to really listen to the other person's point -of -view and feelings.  They will learn techniques to become better listeners.  We will review all 4 steps the following week.

Reading -

Week of 10/3-10/7

As we move into a new month we will be focusing on the genre of "Fantasy".  Fantasy is something that could never happen it real life (ex. talking animals, dragons and make believe).  The first story in this genre is Little Grunt and the Big Egg by Tomie DePaola.  The story is about how life changes in the Grunt tribe when a baby dinosaur hatches from the huge egg that Little Grunt drags home for brunch.

Vocabulary -  omelet, brunch, peaceful, escape, erupting, lava

The reading strategy this week is Self-Questioning. When good readers come across a part of a story they find confusing, they ask themselves a question to try to clear up the confusion.  Self-questioning about word relationships can help the reader gain a deeper understanding of how and why an author uses certain words in a story.  There will be a comprehension quiz on this story Thursday, October 6th.


Weeks of 10/10 and 10/17 
For these two weeks the students will be working on BATS!  What a great time to look more closely at the only flying mammals.  We will begin our study comparing and contrasting fantasy (fiction) and reality (non-fiction).  First, we start by reading the beloved classic Stellaluna by Janell Cannon.  The we move on the Zipping, Zapping, Zooming Bats by Ann Earle,  This an informative non-fiction piece about bats.   We will be doing some activities with both books and finishing off our study with BAT RESEARCH!  Students will create a bat a poster including the bat facts they learned.  We will also be discussing the difference between facts and opinions during this time.  What your opinion of bats?

Our School - Wide Reading Incentive has begun.  Check the tab on top labeled "Reading Stars"  for more details.  Start reading!

Grammar-
We are finishing up  learning about the 4 types of sentences and moving into learning about synonyms and antonyms.  Synonyms are words the have similar meaning

Antonyms are words that have opposite meanings.Below are some fun sites  to help the students practice.

Synonym Sam's Lab

Synonyms EZ Match
Same Difference - Antonyms and Synonyms
Antonyms Millionaire
Opposites Train Game
Antonym Match

Spelling-
Week of 10/3-10/7 List #5, Test Friday 10/7
Week of 10/10-10/14 - NO TEST


Writing-
During the month of October, the students will be learning how to write well-developed paragraphs.  The learning targets for the month are..

1.What do good paragraphs look like?

2.What are main ideas and details?

3.What is elaboration?

4.What is an ending sentence?

5.What does it mean to indent?

6.How do you use a graphic organizer to brainstorm ideas?

We will start our unit with immersion.  This means the students will be shown multiple examples of good paragraphs.  In this close study the students will be looking for things paragraphs have in common. Students will learn that a paragraph is a group of sentences that have to do with a particular topic.  Good paragraphs have a main idea that is supported by details and elaboration. 


Math -
Third Grade-
We will continue with Unit 2 working on number stories and multi-digit addition and subtraction problems.  The study guide for Unit 2 will go home Thursday Oct. 13 and be reviewed on Tuesday, Oct. 18.  The Unit 2 math test will Wed. Oct. 19th .
Accelerated Math -

The Unit 2 study guide will be coming home on Monday, October 3rd and will be due on Thursday, October 6th.  The test will be Friday, October 7th.  We will begin Unit 3 after Columbus Day.  Unit 3 focuses on multiplication and division.


Science -
This week we will finish up our unit on the human Body.  A study guide will go home on Monday. This guide is to help the students review the material presented in class.  Students should continue to practice the scientific names of the bones.  The Bones and Muscles test will be Friday, October 7th. 


Social Studies-
We will begin our new Social Studies unit on maps and globes.  Students will be expected to know...


Why do we use maps?
How are maps and globes different?
What are the tools that are used to help read maps and globes ? (map key, etc.)
How do we figure out the distance from one place to another ? (map scale)
What are the cardinal and intermediate directions?

That's about it for the next two weeks.  Make sure to check individual 
classroom blogs for specific classroom information.