Another week has passed already! It was a busy week in Third Grade. 

We have started studying the life cycles of plants and animals! We have some plants and seeds in the classroom we are observing as they go through their life cycles. Everyone got to dissect and label all the parts of a lima bean seed, and document their scientific observations. Next, we will move on to insect and mammal life cycles - no dissecting there! 

On Monday, a new spelling packet for unit 3 will come home, at least 5 of the pages need to be done, and the packet returned by Friday. The only other homework will be a math page every night, doing just the circled problems.  

Also coming home is the October Scholastic Book Club flyer. If you wish to purchase some books, please have it back by October 26. You can order online anytime using our class code. (Q6QX2)

The fall fundraisers were sent home this week. This is a major fundraiser for our PTC, who always does such wonderful things for our school community. The packets should be sent back to school by October 3. 

Don't forget Picture Day!! 

It is this Tuesday, September 27!

Some pictures from an engineering activity, and from one of our
 'Minute to Win It' Monday challenges....

The first full 5 day week held a lot of firsts for us!  Our first spelling homework packet went home, and most were returned on Friday. If you still have yours at home, please finish it up and get it back to me as soon as you can. The Unit 2 spelling packets will go home tomorrow, and are due back on (or before) Friday the 23rd.  We had our spelling test on Unit 1 words Friday, and everyone should feel pretty proud of themselves, they were all awesome spellers!

Our first enVision math test was on Friday as well. We finished up Topic 1 and will start on Topic 2 this week. In this topic, we will be continuing with multiplication, learning about factors and multiples of 2, 5 and 9 and 10.

I have been getting a lot of the Book Club sheets back, and there are a lot of students who are well on their way to earning free books! The more you read, the better a Reader you will be! Our goal is at least 20 minutes a night. 100 minutes = one sticker on their chart, and after 5 stickers they get to choose a book prize!  If you have any gently read books at home that your family is done with, I am always accepting donations for my book prize bin.
Students, if you don't have a Book Club form handy or run out of room, just keep track of your reading on regular paper.  There are always extra forms on the front table that you can bring home anytime. Every minute counts!

We will begin our science unit on plant and animal life cycles this week  We will be working in the dirt and putting our scientist hats on to do some science experiments and work in our science journals.
We will be writing about our predictions and noting observations, and may even get our hands a little muddy!  

I was able to catch up with most parents at Open House, it was nice to meet everyone and start to put some names with faces!  We had a great turn out, and lots of families stayed for dinner as well.

At the Open House there was a Parent-Teacher Conference sign-up available. If you were unable to come and sign up for your conference time then, I have sent that letter home with your child. Please be on the look out for it coming home in backpacks. When you receive it, please choose some times and dates that work for your family and get it back to me as soon as possible so we can set something up. I am trying to meet with all my families before interim reports go home on October 18.

Don't forget the Scholastic Book orders are due this week.  If you plan to order any books this month, please get them in!  As always, if you order online you can order anytime. Our class code is Q6QX2.

Have a great week!

The last week in Third Grade was great!

  We have been working hard to develop a classroom community that is a kind, respectful and fun place to learn.  We have had many good discussions about what our classroom values should be, and are developing a set of classroom expectations for all of us to follow, in order to be good friends and classmates to each other.

     This first full week means we will start spelling! This week we start with short a and i vowel pattern words.
     Each Monday, students will go home with their individualized spelling lists and a spelling homework packet that will be due each Friday.  On Fridays, we will have a spelling test on those words.

     Open house is this Thursday, September 15, from 4:30-6.  There is a community dinner in the cafeteria from 4:30-7 as well, so families can come tour the classroom, then go get a bite to eat.  I am looking forward to seeing everyone there!

The first two days of school were a success!  It was great to see all the smiling faces and get to know each other a little bit. We have a great group of students!

This upcoming week students will start getting math homework each night that reinforces what we learned in class that day.  They are responsible to do their best work independently, and bring it back the next day. If they don't understand something, we will go over it in math next day. Spelling packets will go home at the start of each week and will be turned in by Friday.

 We will also start our Third Grade book club this week! Our class will have a reading club log that they bring home at the start of each week, with the goal of reading at least 20 minutes each night. The best way to become a better reader is to READ READ READ READ!! All reading minutes count, so anything they read, audiobooks, and books you read to them all add up. Students keep track of their reading times and bring the signed form back at the end of each week.  100 minutes read = 1 sticker, Once they get 5 stickers, they get to pick a book from my prize book bin to keep!

Please don't forget about our Open House - September 15 from 4:30-6.  There will be a spaghetti dinner in the school cafeteria from 4:30-7.  I hope to see all of you then!