Bluestem Books

By Addy

This year we have something called Bluestem Books. Bluestem Books are special books that people like. If you read four you get to vote which one is the best. Miss G. said that we should try to read at least six ( but we don't have to). We get until March to read them. If you read ten you get to have lunch with the teacher and if you read twenty you get to have lunch with any teacher in third grade and a friend in any class. You can read any Bluestem B
ook you want. You have to sign your name on a paper so people know where the book is.

Newsletter--Week of 10/26

News from 3P

Week of: October 26, 2015

Reading and Language Arts: This week third grade will be breaking up into chocolate novel groups. Students will be reading Chocolate Fever, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and the Chocolate Touch. Within these novels we will be working on the following: character traits, comparing/contrasting characters, themes of chapters and novels and inferencing and citing evidence.  This unit will take place for 3 weeks. Please encourage your child to share what happened within their novels each day. **Students should be reading at least 25 minutes for homework every night!

Grammar: The focus this week will continue to be adjectives. Encourage your child to begin using adjectives, or sparkle words, in their conversations!

Writing: This week in writing, students will finish their final copy of the Halloween opinion paragraph. Our next prompt will be: Do you enjoy Thanksgiving? Why or why not? This will be the FIRST writing piece where students won’t fill in a graphic organizer. We will have the steps up in the room so that students will be able to see what the process is. We will also keep focusing linking words and conventions (grammar, capitalization, and punctuation).

Science: This week we will talk about the muscular system. We will focus on the difference of voluntary and involuntary. From there we will be filling out a study guide over muscular system and digestive system. The test will be Thursday. J

Math: This week we will focus on using different strategies to solve multi-digit subtraction equations. After learning a few strategies, students will be able to choose the one that works best for them.  

Dates to Remember:

Thurs. Oct. 29- Science Test: Digestive and Muscular Systems

Fri. Oct. 31- Halloween- Students will begin to get ready in their costumes around 1:20pm on Friday afternoon. Please send all costumes etc….to school in the morning (don’t send your child wearing their costume). Please remember to keep any scary/bloody costume pieces at home. The parade will begin at 2:00pm with our classroom party following. Thank you to all our parents and party planners! I know it will be a GREAT party! J

Newsletter--Week of Oct. 19

News from 3P

Week of: October 19, 2015

Reading and Language Arts: This week we will continue to focus on making inferences. We will also begin to ask questions as we read stories, to better understand what the author is telling us. Our stories this week will be Turtle Bay and Balto, the Dog Who Saved Nome. With Balto, we will be adding in another comparison with watching parts of the movie to see if our opinions of the characters have changed. **Students should be reading at least 25 minutes for homework every night!

Grammar: The focus this week will be adjectives. Remind your child to use lots of adjectives, or sparkle words, when they are talking and writing!

Writing: This week in writing, students will continue the writing workshop process. We will continue with opinion writing with the following prompt: Do you enjoy Halloween? Why or why not? Within this paper, we will focus on linking words, adjectives and conventions (grammar, capitalization, and punctuation).

Science: This week we will begin learning about the Digestive System. Please have your child explain where food enters their body and where it goes from there! J

Math: This week we will be working on adding and subtracting with larger numbers. Students will be introduced to different ways to do this. They are encouraged to use the way that suits their learning needs best.   

Halloween Note: Next week, we will be making a fun Halloween project called Scared Silly! We are looking for donations of Halloween stickers to help complete this project. If you would like to donate some, please send them in with your child! Thank you! J

Make a Difference Week

Monday, October 19th: Canned Foods & Caps Wear your favorite cap/hat and bring in any canned food item(s) for PRC!

Tuesday, October 20th: Pasta & Pajamas for PRC Put on your plush pajamas & bring in a box (or two) of pasta to support People’s Resource Center!

Wednesday, October 21st: Eating healthy is a Sport! Put on your favorite team jersey or wear your favorite team colors and donate some canned fruits or canned vegetables to support good nutrition at the PRC!

Thursday, October 22nd: Helping Others is COOL! Wear your coolest sunglasses and bring in any miscellaneous non-perishable food item(s)!

Friday, October 23rd: We STUFFED the truck with foods for the most important meal of the day! Bring in a stuffed animal to snuggle (stuffed animal must be able to easily fit into your backpack) and one non-perishable breakfast item such as a box of cereal, container of oatmeal or box of breakfast cereal bars.

Newsletter--Week of 10/13

News from 3P

Week of: October 13, 2014

Reading and Language Arts: This week we will continue to focus on point of view. We will be expanding and looking at both character point of view and comparing it to our own point of view. **Students should be reading at least 20 minutes for homework every night!

Grammar: The focus this week will continue to be nouns. We will wrap up working with common, proper, singular, and plural nouns.

Writing: This week in writing, students will continue the writing workshop process. We finished up our pick of the patch papers. Make sure to take a look at them at conference time! We will take a couple days to write our own fairy tales. J

Science: This week we will continue to talk about the skeletal system. Students will need to know placement of bones and names of bones.  Please make sure your child is studying for the test on Friday. Study guides are coming home today. J

Math: This week we will begin working on adding multi-digit numbers. We will learn several strategies for adding, and then students will be able to choose which strategy works best for them.

Dates to Remember:

Mon. Oct. 12- No School

Book Fair- All Week in the library J

Tues. Oct. 13- Visit Book Fair in Library

Tues. Oct. 13- Conferences 4-8pm

Wed. Oct. 14- Google Hangout for Global Read Aloud

Thurs. Oct. 16- Conference 4-8pm

Thurs./Fri. Oct. 15/16- Book Fair Purchase days (if you have not bought books already). **Send money if your child will purchase books during the school day.

Newsletter--Week of 10/5

News from 3P

Week of: October 5, 2015

Reading and Language Arts: This week we will continue to focus on point of view. We will be reading a story and discussing our OWN point of view versus the authors (characters) point of view. We are also beginning to work on Making Inferences during reading. **Students should be reading at least 20 minutes for homework every night!

Grammar: The focus this week will be singular and plural nouns.  

Writing: This week in writing, students will begin to learn how to be a student editor. We will be starting the writers’ workshop process. This week, students will finish writing an opinion paper on why they are the Pick of the Patch. Within this paper, we will be focusing on linking words, adjectives and conventions (grammar, capitalization, and punctuation).

Science: This week we will begin talking about the skeletal system. Students will need to know placement of bones and names of bones. Since it’s the Halloween season, make sure to quiz your child throughout the week on the bones they know with the skeleton décor that’s around the area. J

Math: This week we will be working on place value and rounding. Students will be using the idea of estimating in order to help with rounding.

Dates to Remember:

Wed. Oct. 7- Walk to School Day