Dear Families,
This week we had our first school-wide Fire Drill. Our class practiced what to do during the first week of school so students knew exactly what to expect. We earned 15 Core Counts for have calm and safe bodies while we walked in line outside.
We also started our 3rd Grade spelling program, Words Their Way, this week. A letter explaining the program went home on Tuesday. It is an excellent opportunity for students to experience other classroom teachers and to work with their peers in other rooms. Please let me know if you have any questions about Word Study time looks like for your learner.
Math
In math this week students have been tackling two digit addition and subtraction. We have been studying place value and discussing how this can help us conquer these tricky problems. Some graded math work has started coming home, hopefully you'll have a chance to look through it with your student so that you have a more accurate picture of the strategies they are using.
We also got to use measuring tapes and rules to measure a variety of objects around the room. We discussed the difference between inches, centimeters, and millimeters. Students were given approximate measurements and then worked with partners to find objects to match those lengths somewhere in the classroom.
We are almost finished with our September Number Corner calendar. Students have done an excellent job identifying and discussing the patterns.
Some important vocab this month..
Equation: An equation says that two (or more) expressions are equal. It has to have an equal sign to be an equation! Like this: 7+2 = 10-1
Product: the answer to a multiplication problem
Array: Items (such as objects, numbers, etc.) arranged in rows and columns
Reading
This week we talked about that to make reading the BEST it can be, we will...
Writing
Students have started to brainstorm ideas for their true stories. We created lists of important people and then "small moments" or memories we have with those people. That way, when we go to write our stories we have many options to choose from and can use all our writing time productively!
We also talked about our 3rd Grade writing notebooks decided that we will..
Science
We continued our Force and Motion study this week. We have learned that...
We carried our study into the Library and worked with Mrs. Gilmartin to create flying acrobats! The students made their own acrobat out of paper, attached them to a straw, and then tested them on 3 different types on string; fishing line, string, and yarn. Students had wonderings like.."which string will my acrobat go most quickly down? why?" "If I add more weight to my acrobat, will it go slower or faster?"
We will continue our studies next week!
Have a wonderful weekend,
Deirdre Phalon
This week we had our first school-wide Fire Drill. Our class practiced what to do during the first week of school so students knew exactly what to expect. We earned 15 Core Counts for have calm and safe bodies while we walked in line outside.
We also started our 3rd Grade spelling program, Words Their Way, this week. A letter explaining the program went home on Tuesday. It is an excellent opportunity for students to experience other classroom teachers and to work with their peers in other rooms. Please let me know if you have any questions about Word Study time looks like for your learner.
Math
In math this week students have been tackling two digit addition and subtraction. We have been studying place value and discussing how this can help us conquer these tricky problems. Some graded math work has started coming home, hopefully you'll have a chance to look through it with your student so that you have a more accurate picture of the strategies they are using.
We also got to use measuring tapes and rules to measure a variety of objects around the room. We discussed the difference between inches, centimeters, and millimeters. Students were given approximate measurements and then worked with partners to find objects to match those lengths somewhere in the classroom.
We are almost finished with our September Number Corner calendar. Students have done an excellent job identifying and discussing the patterns.
Some important vocab this month..
Equation: An equation says that two (or more) expressions are equal. It has to have an equal sign to be an equation! Like this: 7+2 = 10-1
Product: the answer to a multiplication problem
Array: Items (such as objects, numbers, etc.) arranged in rows and columns
Reading
This week we talked about that to make reading the BEST it can be, we will...
- Find a good reading spot
- Read books like they're gold --> treat books like they're precious
- Talk about books --> recommend good books or series to a friend! The more we talk about books, the better we understand them.
- Choose books we LOVE!
- Check that books are JUST right--> we are able to read smoothly, with expression and punctuation. We also understand what is happening in the story.
Writing
Students have started to brainstorm ideas for their true stories. We created lists of important people and then "small moments" or memories we have with those people. That way, when we go to write our stories we have many options to choose from and can use all our writing time productively!
We also talked about our 3rd Grade writing notebooks decided that we will..
- Fill our notebooks with true stories that tell what the writer did first, next, and after
- Put the date on each page
- Have our people talk in our stories! Use dialogue!
- Write about a page each day
- Use lots of punctuation
Science
We continued our Force and Motion study this week. We have learned that...
- Motion is a change in position, or the place where an object is located. When an object is moving it is in motion.
- Direction is the path a moving object takes. For an object to change direction, a force must act on it.
- Speed is the measure of how fast an object is moving.
We carried our study into the Library and worked with Mrs. Gilmartin to create flying acrobats! The students made their own acrobat out of paper, attached them to a straw, and then tested them on 3 different types on string; fishing line, string, and yarn. Students had wonderings like.."which string will my acrobat go most quickly down? why?" "If I add more weight to my acrobat, will it go slower or faster?"
We will continue our studies next week!
Have a wonderful weekend,
Deirdre Phalon