happy summer!
enjoy the photos and enjoy the summer with your beautiful children =)
music awards
field trip to eagles lake park
states projects
end of year chapel and celebrations
May 20,2016
Well, here we are, just about at the end of our time together. The kids are hanging in there pretty well, still giving it all they can but their learning jug is fairly full to overflowing. Still, we push on and only use the whip and chair occasionally. (Actually, not at all!)
The next week features a field trip on Tuesday to Eagle Nest Park, a place they enjoyed in the Fall and are eager to revisit. You are welcome to stop by. We will try to grab the shelter by the playground at the far northwestern corner of the park. Our purpose is to celebrate an enjoyable and productive year and to revisit Niko's pal, Jeff. Your child will need bug spray maybe, definitely some sunscreen or a hat. They'll need a snack, a lunch, and water. We teachers will bring some snacks of sorts to share.
We still need drivers for drop off and pick up if you could spare a few minutes we'd greatly appreciate the help! Email Ms. Howell if you can help drive and/or would like to join us =)
Wednesday, after school, everyone will gather in Dimmitt Hall and share our state speeches and projects. Come and join us and acknowledge all the hard work the kids have invested during these last two weeks.
I hope you were able to access the photos from Barnes and Nobles. Your children made us proud in presenting their speeches. Many customers walking by stopped and smiled hearing such confident students offering their reflections about self-written, self-illustrated, and self-published books.
Thursday and Friday will be half-days. Please send your child with a bag they can use to bring home all their belongings. They will receive their yearbook on Friday.
Look for our SPS Lower School students on the Lightning Facebook site during the next few days. We are to be filmed while offering a Lightning cheer!
Finally, or maybe once more next week, know how much we, as your children's teachers have enjoyed these two classes of students. They are lovely, engaging, charming, kind, intelligent, creative, and loving toward one another and to us. You are a special group of families and are terrific at creating an atmosphere where every single child is valued and supported. We have felt that support as well and have appreciated your faith in the work we have done. It has been a particular and lasting pleasure.
The next week features a field trip on Tuesday to Eagle Nest Park, a place they enjoyed in the Fall and are eager to revisit. You are welcome to stop by. We will try to grab the shelter by the playground at the far northwestern corner of the park. Our purpose is to celebrate an enjoyable and productive year and to revisit Niko's pal, Jeff. Your child will need bug spray maybe, definitely some sunscreen or a hat. They'll need a snack, a lunch, and water. We teachers will bring some snacks of sorts to share.
We still need drivers for drop off and pick up if you could spare a few minutes we'd greatly appreciate the help! Email Ms. Howell if you can help drive and/or would like to join us =)
Wednesday, after school, everyone will gather in Dimmitt Hall and share our state speeches and projects. Come and join us and acknowledge all the hard work the kids have invested during these last two weeks.
I hope you were able to access the photos from Barnes and Nobles. Your children made us proud in presenting their speeches. Many customers walking by stopped and smiled hearing such confident students offering their reflections about self-written, self-illustrated, and self-published books.
Thursday and Friday will be half-days. Please send your child with a bag they can use to bring home all their belongings. They will receive their yearbook on Friday.
Look for our SPS Lower School students on the Lightning Facebook site during the next few days. We are to be filmed while offering a Lightning cheer!
Finally, or maybe once more next week, know how much we, as your children's teachers have enjoyed these two classes of students. They are lovely, engaging, charming, kind, intelligent, creative, and loving toward one another and to us. You are a special group of families and are terrific at creating an atmosphere where every single child is valued and supported. We have felt that support as well and have appreciated your faith in the work we have done. It has been a particular and lasting pleasure.
enjoying the middle school musical performance
nicholas sharing some awesome socks and bubbles with us =)
getting ready to cheer on the lightning
may 13, 2016
State Project Fun =)
We try to have design projects that our students can complete during their time in school. The students will be working every day here for the next 2 weeks to make their project their own.
The biggest part will be their presentation and visual aids. Students have been asked to complete a research packet, take notes on their state, organize their research into a speech, create a technology piece to accompany their presentation (Glogster, Haiku Deck etc), and make a project of their own. Their project can be a dance, food, poster, trifold, 3D model, clay model, diorama, or anything the students can dream up =)
They can use materials from the classroom, or bring things from home if they want, but all the work should be done here. If you and your child would gather any materials for the project that we do not have available in the classroom, that would be helpful.
If they are cooking, then that can be done at home. So far we've just invited the 3rd grade families, and there are 25 students, so you can make as much food or as little as you want, it doesn't have to be the main part of their project.
We know that the students will make magic with their projects as we have already seen the beginnings of some wonderful ideas. They have been given a rubric for the project so they know the expectations and are able to gauge how they will be scored.
We would love to have you join us for the presentation of their projects on May 25th at 3pm in Dimmitt Hall. The students will be trying to persuade you that their state is the best. Visitors will get to vote on their favorites =)
Field Trip
On May 24th 3rd grade will be having an end of year celebration at Eagle's Lake Park. Please remember to return the permission slip by May 20th. If you would like to drive and/or attend, please email us as soon as possible.
Students should pack a lunch and drinks in a backpack without wheels. They should wear comfortable clothing and plenty of sunscreen, also bug repellent is helpful. They can wear a hat and/or sunglasses if they like. They can bring toys so long as they can carry them in their backpacks.
Spelling lists (challenge words are the green list, the blue list is on level words) are on: www.spellingcity.com/nhowell
This week please study the lists 5.4 =) This will be our last spelling test of the year.
In math the students have been learning about fractions and equal parts. This is a difficult topic but the students have shown good interest and effort. We encourage them to continue using IXL and the games from the Student Reference Book to reinforce their skills.
3rd Graders this week got to have Art class together outside on the patio. They made clay creations with Mrs. B =)
They also worked superbly on their science projects for Ms. Kern, collaborating with one another to create solar ovens.
We brought them together to learn about "Google Forms" which is a tool that can be used to make surveys, polls and questionnaires. The students used it to write complimentary words about their peers in an exercise where we practiced using the descriptive vocabulary they've been developing this year.
We try to have design projects that our students can complete during their time in school. The students will be working every day here for the next 2 weeks to make their project their own.
The biggest part will be their presentation and visual aids. Students have been asked to complete a research packet, take notes on their state, organize their research into a speech, create a technology piece to accompany their presentation (Glogster, Haiku Deck etc), and make a project of their own. Their project can be a dance, food, poster, trifold, 3D model, clay model, diorama, or anything the students can dream up =)
They can use materials from the classroom, or bring things from home if they want, but all the work should be done here. If you and your child would gather any materials for the project that we do not have available in the classroom, that would be helpful.
If they are cooking, then that can be done at home. So far we've just invited the 3rd grade families, and there are 25 students, so you can make as much food or as little as you want, it doesn't have to be the main part of their project.
We know that the students will make magic with their projects as we have already seen the beginnings of some wonderful ideas. They have been given a rubric for the project so they know the expectations and are able to gauge how they will be scored.
We would love to have you join us for the presentation of their projects on May 25th at 3pm in Dimmitt Hall. The students will be trying to persuade you that their state is the best. Visitors will get to vote on their favorites =)
Field Trip
On May 24th 3rd grade will be having an end of year celebration at Eagle's Lake Park. Please remember to return the permission slip by May 20th. If you would like to drive and/or attend, please email us as soon as possible.
Students should pack a lunch and drinks in a backpack without wheels. They should wear comfortable clothing and plenty of sunscreen, also bug repellent is helpful. They can wear a hat and/or sunglasses if they like. They can bring toys so long as they can carry them in their backpacks.
Spelling lists (challenge words are the green list, the blue list is on level words) are on: www.spellingcity.com/nhowell
This week please study the lists 5.4 =) This will be our last spelling test of the year.
In math the students have been learning about fractions and equal parts. This is a difficult topic but the students have shown good interest and effort. We encourage them to continue using IXL and the games from the Student Reference Book to reinforce their skills.
3rd Graders this week got to have Art class together outside on the patio. They made clay creations with Mrs. B =)
They also worked superbly on their science projects for Ms. Kern, collaborating with one another to create solar ovens.
We brought them together to learn about "Google Forms" which is a tool that can be used to make surveys, polls and questionnaires. The students used it to write complimentary words about their peers in an exercise where we practiced using the descriptive vocabulary they've been developing this year.
may 6th, 2016
The stories are finished! Please join us at Barnes & Noble tomorrow between 1-3pm for the celebration of our authors.
3A must arrive by 1:15pm
3B must arrive by 2:20pm
You are welcome to come earlier and stay later to see the other grades share their books and to shop for books for summer reading.
Upcoming Events:
May 12th- Parade of Athletes at 2:15pm
May 17th- Athletic Banquet at 5:45pm
May 20th- 8th grade vs Faculty Basketball Game
May 25th- 3rd Grade Final Project Presentation!!!!
-This promises to be a fun event. Please join us in Dimmitt Hall at 3pm to see the students' final project. They are working hard to research a state and find as much information as possible about it. They will be presenting their information with visual aids and technological presentations, trying their best to convince everyone that their state is THE BEST! Everyone will get to vote on their favorites and we'll see who is the top state seller =)
Spelling lists (challenge words are the green list, the blue list is on level words) are on: www.spellingcity.com/nhowell
This week please study the lists 5.3 =)
See pictures below from our field trip and May Day =)
3A must arrive by 1:15pm
3B must arrive by 2:20pm
You are welcome to come earlier and stay later to see the other grades share their books and to shop for books for summer reading.
Upcoming Events:
May 12th- Parade of Athletes at 2:15pm
May 17th- Athletic Banquet at 5:45pm
May 20th- 8th grade vs Faculty Basketball Game
May 25th- 3rd Grade Final Project Presentation!!!!
-This promises to be a fun event. Please join us in Dimmitt Hall at 3pm to see the students' final project. They are working hard to research a state and find as much information as possible about it. They will be presenting their information with visual aids and technological presentations, trying their best to convince everyone that their state is THE BEST! Everyone will get to vote on their favorites and we'll see who is the top state seller =)
Spelling lists (challenge words are the green list, the blue list is on level words) are on: www.spellingcity.com/nhowell
This week please study the lists 5.3 =)
See pictures below from our field trip and May Day =)
april 29, 2016
Thanks to everyone turning in their permission slips and volunteering to be drivers. It looks like we will have just enough drivers for the trip, but if you would still like to come we are happy to have you! Please email us by Monday morning so that we can get a final count to the courthouse. Also, please touch base with the main office to make sure all your paperwork is up to date to be an approved driver. Thanks!!!
This week has been much like the last one, busy working on the stories, hoping to start assembling them all soon so that the students can start on their speeches for the Launch.
We will have a math assessment this coming week, so students can practice measuring perimeter and area of various shapes around the house (including rectilinear) or use IXL as a study helper. They have been doing a good job with this unit and we are confident that they will excel.
Spelling lists (challenge words are the green list, the blue list is on level words) are on: www.spellingcity.com/nhowell
This week please study the lists 5.2 =)
Upcoming events:
May 4th- 3rd Grade Field Trip to the Courthouse for Gold E. Locks vs. The Three Bears
May 4th is also Battle of the Books, so any students involved will go to the competition and unfortunately have to miss the courthouse trip.
May 6th- May Day Market and Performance
May 7th- Barnes and Noble Book Launch Party (3rd grade time is 1pm-3:30pm)
This promises to be an exciting opportunity for the students and we look forward to seeing everyone there!
Students are working hard to complete their books for the upcoming Book Launch. They are taking on huge responsibilities as authors, illustrators, and peer editors. The work they are doing is impressive and encouraging. We look forward to their finished stories being put together into the books and seeing them share their hard work with everyone.
This week has been much like the last one, busy working on the stories, hoping to start assembling them all soon so that the students can start on their speeches for the Launch.
We will have a math assessment this coming week, so students can practice measuring perimeter and area of various shapes around the house (including rectilinear) or use IXL as a study helper. They have been doing a good job with this unit and we are confident that they will excel.
Spelling lists (challenge words are the green list, the blue list is on level words) are on: www.spellingcity.com/nhowell
This week please study the lists 5.2 =)
Upcoming events:
May 4th- 3rd Grade Field Trip to the Courthouse for Gold E. Locks vs. The Three Bears
May 4th is also Battle of the Books, so any students involved will go to the competition and unfortunately have to miss the courthouse trip.
May 6th- May Day Market and Performance
May 7th- Barnes and Noble Book Launch Party (3rd grade time is 1pm-3:30pm)
This promises to be an exciting opportunity for the students and we look forward to seeing everyone there!
Students are working hard to complete their books for the upcoming Book Launch. They are taking on huge responsibilities as authors, illustrators, and peer editors. The work they are doing is impressive and encouraging. We look forward to their finished stories being put together into the books and seeing them share their hard work with everyone.
The Week of the Plays- april 15, 2016
It was great to see you all for the plays. Our students enjoyed working with Mr. Jack, preparing for the performances. If you watched Jack on stage, and watched our students interact with him, you get a sense of his positive influence. He makes every student feel an essential part of the production and always draws an unexpected performance from the student you least expect. We particularly liked seeing the kids in costume dancing to the Navajo song. No one expected dinosaurs, and historical figures to shuffle, bells ringing to drums and glockenspiels.
Your children are giving it their all in preparing their books for the Writer's Experience. We, their classroom teachers, are working them like galley rowers. Mrs. B is helping them with design elements. Mr. H is helping with pagination. They are offering each other support and criticism (the good kind), and each child is toiling away on their best efforts. We are tickled to see the books come together is such surprising ways.
We are studying geometry currently. We are learning the properties of polygons, the difference between area and perimeter. We are noting the measure of angles. This unit continues through next week.
Spelling is back in play. Lists will come home either the Friday of the prior week or on the Monday of the test. Homework for the kids is practicing using the Spelling City App. Tests will be on Friday.
We are continuing to read voraciously. Reading for a minimum of 20 minutes is still a homework expectation. We recommend keeping a specific reading time for the summer as well.
The boys are LOVING dance party Friday, and we enjoy their weekly performances =)
Your children are giving it their all in preparing their books for the Writer's Experience. We, their classroom teachers, are working them like galley rowers. Mrs. B is helping them with design elements. Mr. H is helping with pagination. They are offering each other support and criticism (the good kind), and each child is toiling away on their best efforts. We are tickled to see the books come together is such surprising ways.
We are studying geometry currently. We are learning the properties of polygons, the difference between area and perimeter. We are noting the measure of angles. This unit continues through next week.
Spelling is back in play. Lists will come home either the Friday of the prior week or on the Monday of the test. Homework for the kids is practicing using the Spelling City App. Tests will be on Friday.
We are continuing to read voraciously. Reading for a minimum of 20 minutes is still a homework expectation. We recommend keeping a specific reading time for the summer as well.
The boys are LOVING dance party Friday, and we enjoy their weekly performances =)
We were fortunate this week to have Ms. Kern draw our attention to some geese outside who were protecting their nest from a turtle and some crows. The battle was intense and very exciting to watch! We were had to leave for specials classes, but were lucky enough to see the turtle return again another time! What a wonderful learning opportunity we have just outside the windows of our school =)
This week we had a chance to bring the 3rd grade girls together for a class meeting and they enjoyed getting to share and work together to come up with new things to do at recess. I had a great time hearing the girls share their concerns and stories, and was happy to offer suggestions and see them follow through with positive results.
Students kept us well entertained with their play practices this week. We are so grateful for Mr. Jack and all he does! Special thanks to Christie and Melissa for sharing some great photos!!! If anyone else has photos or videos, please share them with us =)
lunch and launch
The Week before spring break---Spirit Week and such
Here's the scoop on Spirit Week. Beginning Monday, March 14th, the whole school will be involved with an exciting week of preparation for Field Day. As you know each family at Saint Pauls belongs to either the White or the Blue House. Field Day is the culmination of the friendly rivalry between the two sides.
In order to build excitement and engagement each day will feature a different dress-up theme, good for the creative students to shine.
Monday will be Pajama Day. No explanation on that one.
Tuesday will be Twinning Tuesday. The idea is to pick a pal or pals from your House and dress the same.
Wednesday will be Wacky Tacky Wednesday. The instructions are to "Dress in your weirdest, non-matching outfits."
Thursday is Character Day. Instructions are, "Pick your favorite character from a book or movie, and dress like them for the day."
Friday is Field Day. Wear the colors of your house and wear athletic shorts and t-shirts and be ready for shenanigans.
Points for creativity will be rewarded each day next week.
Some rules still rule:
Jeans and athletic shorts are acceptable as long as they are a part of the costume/theme.
Shorts must be school appropriate-fingertip length.
Leggings are okay as well as long as the top is long enough to cover.
Students must wear regular uniform shoes-closed toed, rubber-soled shoes.
Costumes cannot interfere with a child's ability to participate in class.
We will still have full academic days, other than Friday. We are busy and in the middle of many important projects and studies.
Class pictures have been moved to March 31st.
We are getting a new floating dock!
To celebrate this much needed improvement, we have planned a "Lunch and Launch" on Friday, April 1, giving us time for the dock to arrive and be inspected. We will invite everyone on campus to bring a beach towel that day so we can eat our lunches on the field, picnic-style, and take turns touring the dock. This is also the date of the next PTA luncheon, so we are hoping its members will join us by the water. THANK YOU PTA!!!
ERB Testing week will come quickly on the heels of Spring Break, so students must have maximum fun during the time away. Their brains, then, must be clear and steady for the Testing, the Monday after they return.
Please see www.spellingcity.com/nhowell for the spelling words. Students have the option to practice "On Level" or "Above Level" if they want a challenge. Most of the words are the same, just a few will be different.
In order to build excitement and engagement each day will feature a different dress-up theme, good for the creative students to shine.
Monday will be Pajama Day. No explanation on that one.
Tuesday will be Twinning Tuesday. The idea is to pick a pal or pals from your House and dress the same.
Wednesday will be Wacky Tacky Wednesday. The instructions are to "Dress in your weirdest, non-matching outfits."
Thursday is Character Day. Instructions are, "Pick your favorite character from a book or movie, and dress like them for the day."
Friday is Field Day. Wear the colors of your house and wear athletic shorts and t-shirts and be ready for shenanigans.
Points for creativity will be rewarded each day next week.
Some rules still rule:
Jeans and athletic shorts are acceptable as long as they are a part of the costume/theme.
Shorts must be school appropriate-fingertip length.
Leggings are okay as well as long as the top is long enough to cover.
Students must wear regular uniform shoes-closed toed, rubber-soled shoes.
Costumes cannot interfere with a child's ability to participate in class.
We will still have full academic days, other than Friday. We are busy and in the middle of many important projects and studies.
Class pictures have been moved to March 31st.
We are getting a new floating dock!
To celebrate this much needed improvement, we have planned a "Lunch and Launch" on Friday, April 1, giving us time for the dock to arrive and be inspected. We will invite everyone on campus to bring a beach towel that day so we can eat our lunches on the field, picnic-style, and take turns touring the dock. This is also the date of the next PTA luncheon, so we are hoping its members will join us by the water. THANK YOU PTA!!!
ERB Testing week will come quickly on the heels of Spring Break, so students must have maximum fun during the time away. Their brains, then, must be clear and steady for the Testing, the Monday after they return.
Please see www.spellingcity.com/nhowell for the spelling words. Students have the option to practice "On Level" or "Above Level" if they want a challenge. Most of the words are the same, just a few will be different.
march 4, 2016
This week we were fortunate to have a wonderful learning experience in Homosassa Springs. The students were well behaved and people took notice. They were eager to learn about the animals and share their knowledge and observations with one another. We had a wonderful trip and were grateful for the good weather and enjoyable experience.
For more photos of the field trip please see the "PHOTOS" tab above.
Spelling words for the week of March 7:
1.years
2.twins
3.trays
4.states
5.ashes
6.foxes
7.inches
8.flies
9.cities
10.ponies
11.bunches
12.alleys
13.lunches
14.cherries
15.daisies
16.heroes
17.libraries
18.spoon
19.clues
20.shook
Challenge Words:
1.chimneys
2.eyelashes
3.journeys
4.scratches
Spelling words for the week of March 7:
1.years
2.twins
3.trays
4.states
5.ashes
6.foxes
7.inches
8.flies
9.cities
10.ponies
11.bunches
12.alleys
13.lunches
14.cherries
15.daisies
16.heroes
17.libraries
18.spoon
19.clues
20.shook
Challenge Words:
1.chimneys
2.eyelashes
3.journeys
4.scratches
An interesting week on the way
The biggest news for the week upcoming is our field trip to Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park this Thursday. We will be gone all day so students will need a lunch and a few bottles of water, and be well lathered with sunscreen. We will travel by bus and Mrs. Kern, Ms. Howell, and Mr. Crisler will be the chaperones.
Students should bring pencils, a journal, and a book to read for the trip. Bring a backpack as well. We will tour the facility and observe manatees in a natural habitat. Our students will bring their manatee books they made in science.
Another newsworthy event extending into the next few weeks is the beginning of our Writer's Experience. Our students will create and publish a picture book to share at the Barnes and Nobles on Sunset Point and US 19. Students are in the creation stage currently. (Ask them what they are writing.) They will spend weeks in revision and editing, fine-tuning their books. Finally, they will illustrate their books. It is an exciting and impressive project and it will keep us busy for sure.
Our students are studying character, motivation, and setting while reading the historical fiction novel, Dear Levi. The novel is set in the time of the Oregon Trail and has a strong central character and several memorable secondary characters. The trail itself acts as an adversarial character, causing all matter of difficulties for our main character.
We will finish our current mathematics unit this upcoming week and take an assessment before starting a unit on geometry and measurement.
A big thank you to Dr. Pestana, who visited our classroom to offer an overview of the 5, 2, 1, 0 program. This program was developed by the American Academy of Pediatrics, Arizona Chapter. Kids are encouraged to eat 5 servings a day of fruits and vegetables, spend less than 2 hours a day in front of a screen, be active at least 1 hour a day, and to limit sweetened drinks to near 0 every day. She was a welcome visitor and the students were receptive to the information.
Spelling words for the week of February 29:
1.booth
2.chew
3.childhood
4.classroom
5.clues
6.could
7.due
8.gloom
9.goose
10.groups
11.include
12.July
13.look
14.notebook
15.renew
16.rude
17.shook
18.spoon
19.through
20.true
21.tube
These words are also available on www.spellingcity.com/nhowell along with activities where the students can practice spelling the words. Students can log in using their google account email and password ([email protected])
Students should bring pencils, a journal, and a book to read for the trip. Bring a backpack as well. We will tour the facility and observe manatees in a natural habitat. Our students will bring their manatee books they made in science.
Another newsworthy event extending into the next few weeks is the beginning of our Writer's Experience. Our students will create and publish a picture book to share at the Barnes and Nobles on Sunset Point and US 19. Students are in the creation stage currently. (Ask them what they are writing.) They will spend weeks in revision and editing, fine-tuning their books. Finally, they will illustrate their books. It is an exciting and impressive project and it will keep us busy for sure.
Our students are studying character, motivation, and setting while reading the historical fiction novel, Dear Levi. The novel is set in the time of the Oregon Trail and has a strong central character and several memorable secondary characters. The trail itself acts as an adversarial character, causing all matter of difficulties for our main character.
We will finish our current mathematics unit this upcoming week and take an assessment before starting a unit on geometry and measurement.
A big thank you to Dr. Pestana, who visited our classroom to offer an overview of the 5, 2, 1, 0 program. This program was developed by the American Academy of Pediatrics, Arizona Chapter. Kids are encouraged to eat 5 servings a day of fruits and vegetables, spend less than 2 hours a day in front of a screen, be active at least 1 hour a day, and to limit sweetened drinks to near 0 every day. She was a welcome visitor and the students were receptive to the information.
Spelling words for the week of February 29:
1.booth
2.chew
3.childhood
4.classroom
5.clues
6.could
7.due
8.gloom
9.goose
10.groups
11.include
12.July
13.look
14.notebook
15.renew
16.rude
17.shook
18.spoon
19.through
20.true
21.tube
These words are also available on www.spellingcity.com/nhowell along with activities where the students can practice spelling the words. Students can log in using their google account email and password ([email protected])
Ahhh, February moves to March
Spelling Words for the week of February 23:
voice, foil, joyful, joyous, joyously, proud, snowplow, coins, loyal, loyalty, couch, couches, louder, loudest, crowd, noise, noisy, noisiest, royally, bowed, bounce, prowling, choice
Students can practice the spelling words at www.spellingcity.com/nhowell
Upcoming Events:
February 26- Father Daughter Dance (Sock Hop Theme)
SCHOLASTIC ORDERS DUE by 3pm on the 26th
March
3- 3rd grade field trip to Homosassa Springs (more details to come)
4- 11:30 Dismissal
11- Report Cards Posted
16- Class Photos
18- Field Day & 11:30 Dismissal (no aftercare)
19-29 SPRING BREAK (No School)
voice, foil, joyful, joyous, joyously, proud, snowplow, coins, loyal, loyalty, couch, couches, louder, loudest, crowd, noise, noisy, noisiest, royally, bowed, bounce, prowling, choice
Students can practice the spelling words at www.spellingcity.com/nhowell
Upcoming Events:
February 26- Father Daughter Dance (Sock Hop Theme)
SCHOLASTIC ORDERS DUE by 3pm on the 26th
March
3- 3rd grade field trip to Homosassa Springs (more details to come)
4- 11:30 Dismissal
11- Report Cards Posted
16- Class Photos
18- Field Day & 11:30 Dismissal (no aftercare)
19-29 SPRING BREAK (No School)
Biographies
The Third-graders have finished an enormous undertaking. Their biography reports are finished and hanging in all their multi-page glory in our hallway, or soon will be.
Each student was to read a biography of a famous person and, while reading, take notes on the significant events, influences, and accomplishment of their person. They then had to write a report from their notes, revise their report and edit it for conventions such as spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and usage.
They next had to submit their report to their editor and revise and edit if required.
Finally they read their report to their peers and accepted criticism, both suggested changes and recognized successes. We Third-Grade Teachers were pretty proud of the results. The results represented a strong comprehension of the material, a synthesis of the information, and an organization and planning resulting in a final report. You should feel proud as well.
See photos of the students presenting their biographies on the "Photos" tab above (along with photos from the Big Book Event this week in the science room).
Each student was to read a biography of a famous person and, while reading, take notes on the significant events, influences, and accomplishment of their person. They then had to write a report from their notes, revise their report and edit it for conventions such as spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and usage.
They next had to submit their report to their editor and revise and edit if required.
Finally they read their report to their peers and accepted criticism, both suggested changes and recognized successes. We Third-Grade Teachers were pretty proud of the results. The results represented a strong comprehension of the material, a synthesis of the information, and an organization and planning resulting in a final report. You should feel proud as well.
See photos of the students presenting their biographies on the "Photos" tab above (along with photos from the Big Book Event this week in the science room).
Addition, Subtraction, Place Value, balancing Equations, recognizing how much we actually know
Among the most complicated and potentially confusing tasks for an elementary age math student is adding and subtracting with "regrouping", "renaming", "borrowing", "carrying". This unit had the students break numbers into their place value by writing them in expanded form, then adding the numerals within their value column, and then reconstruct the number from its pieces to recognize their answer. This sounds more complicated than it actually is and the students worked through this initial step with dexterity. We worked our way back to the traditional algorithm certain of how it works and less likely to confuse what number should be carried.
We used our new found capability to tackle equations utilizing combinations of addition and subtraction. 234+715=634+ ?, 715-640=815-?, 298+444= 953-?. This series of exercises provided opportunities for students to utilize many skills and concepts in solving these equations. We will continue to practice these skills since we are relative novices, but while we were working through these problems, the wheels were rolling inside those student heads.
We used our new found capability to tackle equations utilizing combinations of addition and subtraction. 234+715=634+ ?, 715-640=815-?, 298+444= 953-?. This series of exercises provided opportunities for students to utilize many skills and concepts in solving these equations. We will continue to practice these skills since we are relative novices, but while we were working through these problems, the wheels were rolling inside those student heads.
Spelling Words for the Week of February 16:
1. disconnect
2. discount
3. discover
4. dishonest
5. dismounted
6. distrust
7. February
8. miscount
9. misprint
10. misread
11. misspell
12. mistreat
13. mistrust
14. precut
15. preheat
16. prejudge
17. prepaid
18. preplan
19. presale
20. preview
1. disconnect
2. discount
3. discover
4. dishonest
5. dismounted
6. distrust
7. February
8. miscount
9. misprint
10. misread
11. misspell
12. mistreat
13. mistrust
14. precut
15. preheat
16. prejudge
17. prepaid
18. preplan
19. presale
20. preview
February 5, 2016
"If there is no struggle, there is no progress." Frederick Douglass
We enjoyed meeting with our families and sharing the progress our students are making.
Currently, our students are finishing their biographies unit. This week will require a great deal of focused effort in order for everyone to finish before Thursday.
In math we are exploring different strategies for subtraction.
Our Valentine's celebration is this Thursday. It's always a nice day. The kids love to receive cards from their friends, and, maybe even more, love to give cards to their classmates. If your child would like, they may bring in a bag or a box to make collecting easier.
3B will have the chapel prayer this Monday.
The School Spelling Bee is this Wednesday between 10 and 11.
Winter Break is this Friday and the following Monday.
The Popcorn and Big Book Night for Science is Thursday, February 18th.
The Pop Concert is 2pm on Friday, February 19th.
Please, have your student bring in an inspirational quote for this coming Monday.
We enjoyed meeting with our families and sharing the progress our students are making.
Currently, our students are finishing their biographies unit. This week will require a great deal of focused effort in order for everyone to finish before Thursday.
In math we are exploring different strategies for subtraction.
Our Valentine's celebration is this Thursday. It's always a nice day. The kids love to receive cards from their friends, and, maybe even more, love to give cards to their classmates. If your child would like, they may bring in a bag or a box to make collecting easier.
3B will have the chapel prayer this Monday.
The School Spelling Bee is this Wednesday between 10 and 11.
Winter Break is this Friday and the following Monday.
The Popcorn and Big Book Night for Science is Thursday, February 18th.
The Pop Concert is 2pm on Friday, February 19th.
Please, have your student bring in an inspirational quote for this coming Monday.
"Send the child on a journey..."
We have been inspired by this Japanese Proverb. As we prepare students for 4th grade, we know that we need to empower them to be confident in their abilities and use the strategies that they've learned. We've challenged students to try using all their strategies to solve a problem before they seek help. As students face difficult problems and navigate through them by trying different approaches, they can often feel frustrated. But when they find their way through the challenge and are successful, they shine bright with pride and confidence that is contagious to everyone around them. We have seen great growth in the students this year as readers, writers, and mathematicians. They are a remarkable group of children and we enjoy seeing them grow and learn.
"Always remember that you are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem and smarter than you think."
February
1- 100th day of school! 3A Chapel Prayer
2-Blue/White event at 2pm
4- Conferences from 4-6pm
5-No School, Conferences 8am-4pm
6- Fins Up Festival at 10am
8- 3B Chapel Prayer
10- School Spelling Bee
11-Valentine's Day Parties at 2:15pm
12-15 No School
19- Pop Concert at 2pm
26-Father/Daughter Dance 7pm
Here is the link for the parent / teacher conferences if you haven't signed up yet:
Parent Link
https://www.schoolinterviews.ca/code?z=JpUODf
Event Code: ECLS1
NO SPELLING TEST next week. We will be assessing students with a developmental word inventory to see their progress and what skills we need to focus on in the future.
We have been inspired by this Japanese Proverb. As we prepare students for 4th grade, we know that we need to empower them to be confident in their abilities and use the strategies that they've learned. We've challenged students to try using all their strategies to solve a problem before they seek help. As students face difficult problems and navigate through them by trying different approaches, they can often feel frustrated. But when they find their way through the challenge and are successful, they shine bright with pride and confidence that is contagious to everyone around them. We have seen great growth in the students this year as readers, writers, and mathematicians. They are a remarkable group of children and we enjoy seeing them grow and learn.
"Always remember that you are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem and smarter than you think."
February
1- 100th day of school! 3A Chapel Prayer
2-Blue/White event at 2pm
4- Conferences from 4-6pm
5-No School, Conferences 8am-4pm
6- Fins Up Festival at 10am
8- 3B Chapel Prayer
10- School Spelling Bee
11-Valentine's Day Parties at 2:15pm
12-15 No School
19- Pop Concert at 2pm
26-Father/Daughter Dance 7pm
Here is the link for the parent / teacher conferences if you haven't signed up yet:
Parent Link
https://www.schoolinterviews.ca/code?z=JpUODf
Event Code: ECLS1
NO SPELLING TEST next week. We will be assessing students with a developmental word inventory to see their progress and what skills we need to focus on in the future.
january 22, 2016
This week we wrapped up our math unit with an assessment that covered all the skills students have learned this year. Overall the students did well and learned from the assessment. We have started a new unit that deals mainly with addition and subtraction, while reinforcing the skills they have already studied.
Students have been working diligently to read and take notes on a "Who was_____?" biography. They are learning strategies for close reading nonfiction pieces and will soon be making their notes into a report to teach others about their famous person.
Nonfiction writing has proven to be a challenge for the students. We were lucky to have Dr. Castleman teach the students some helpful strategies this week to get their writing ideas organized. Next week students will take their ideas and write an "expert" piece about their topic of choice.
Spelling Words for the week of January 25:
careful
stared
shared
pair
stairs
wear
bear
where
there
dear
rear
gear
here
career
peer
beard
fairly
steer
nearly
clearly
Challenge Words:
weird
square
February
1- 100th day of school! 3A Chapel Prayer
2-Blue/White event at 2pm
4- Conferences from 4-6pm
5-No School, Conferences 8am-4pm
6- Fins Up Festival at 10am
8- 3B Chapel Prayer
10- School Spelling Bee
11-Valentine's Day Parties at 2:15pm
12-15 No School
19- Pop Concert at 2pm
26-Father/Daughter Dance 7pm
Students have been working diligently to read and take notes on a "Who was_____?" biography. They are learning strategies for close reading nonfiction pieces and will soon be making their notes into a report to teach others about their famous person.
Nonfiction writing has proven to be a challenge for the students. We were lucky to have Dr. Castleman teach the students some helpful strategies this week to get their writing ideas organized. Next week students will take their ideas and write an "expert" piece about their topic of choice.
Spelling Words for the week of January 25:
careful
stared
shared
pair
stairs
wear
bear
where
there
dear
rear
gear
here
career
peer
beard
fairly
steer
nearly
clearly
Challenge Words:
weird
square
February
1- 100th day of school! 3A Chapel Prayer
2-Blue/White event at 2pm
4- Conferences from 4-6pm
5-No School, Conferences 8am-4pm
6- Fins Up Festival at 10am
8- 3B Chapel Prayer
10- School Spelling Bee
11-Valentine's Day Parties at 2:15pm
12-15 No School
19- Pop Concert at 2pm
26-Father/Daughter Dance 7pm
Tony Abbott visited today and shared his writing process, how many books he's read, stories about how he struggled as a child with reading and the book his mother had him read that made him love reading. He answered many questions and helped the students imagine a setting for a story. His advice for how to write will hopefully spark some "magic" into their writing as we move into writing stories to make into books in the next few months.
January 15, 2016
Congratulations to our 3rd grade spelling bee winner Taylor Rauber!
Thea Muehlhaeuser will be the alternate for the school wide spelling bee.
We are very proud of everyone who participated and tried their best, and look forward to the School Bee on February 10th.
Upcoming events and Important Dates:
January
18- No School
22nd- Author Tony Abbott on campus. Pre-order books if you want to have them autographed by him.
February
1- 100th day of school! 3A Chapel Prayer
2-Blue/White event at 2pm
4- Conferences from 4-6pm
5-No School, Conferences 8am-4pm
6- Fins Up Festival at 10am
8- 3B Chapel Prayer
10- School Spelling Bee
11-Valentine's Day Parties at 2:15pm
12-15 No School
19- Pop Concert at 2pm
26-Father/Daughter Dance 7pm
Spelling Words for the week of January 19th:
sharp
yard
artist
carve
porch
storm
sport
story
chore
shore
sore
hoard
oars
pour
your
Challenge Words:
orchard
tortilla
order
ignore
soaring
uproar
Updated Class Roster:
Aaron Mallah
Ansley Tonkovic
Ava Schmid
Claudia Quick
Elliott Hernandez
Georgie Liristis
Lucas Geffrard
Luci Hartwick
Max Mayes
Reese Mischen
Taylor Johnson
Theresa (Thea) Muehlhaeuser
Ty Woodring
Alex Geffrard
Arianna Boreman
Ava Wagoner
Bryson Thomas
Delaney Kelly
Natalie Dann
Nicholas Wilbur
Niko Kaiafas
Oliver Spaulding
Ronak Pestana
Ryan do Pico
Sloan Rowan
Stella Ritter
Taylor Rauber
Please email us if you need anyone's contact information =)
Thea Muehlhaeuser will be the alternate for the school wide spelling bee.
We are very proud of everyone who participated and tried their best, and look forward to the School Bee on February 10th.
Upcoming events and Important Dates:
January
18- No School
22nd- Author Tony Abbott on campus. Pre-order books if you want to have them autographed by him.
February
1- 100th day of school! 3A Chapel Prayer
2-Blue/White event at 2pm
4- Conferences from 4-6pm
5-No School, Conferences 8am-4pm
6- Fins Up Festival at 10am
8- 3B Chapel Prayer
10- School Spelling Bee
11-Valentine's Day Parties at 2:15pm
12-15 No School
19- Pop Concert at 2pm
26-Father/Daughter Dance 7pm
Spelling Words for the week of January 19th:
sharp
yard
artist
carve
porch
storm
sport
story
chore
shore
sore
hoard
oars
pour
your
Challenge Words:
orchard
tortilla
order
ignore
soaring
uproar
Updated Class Roster:
Aaron Mallah
Ansley Tonkovic
Ava Schmid
Claudia Quick
Elliott Hernandez
Georgie Liristis
Lucas Geffrard
Luci Hartwick
Max Mayes
Reese Mischen
Taylor Johnson
Theresa (Thea) Muehlhaeuser
Ty Woodring
Alex Geffrard
Arianna Boreman
Ava Wagoner
Bryson Thomas
Delaney Kelly
Natalie Dann
Nicholas Wilbur
Niko Kaiafas
Oliver Spaulding
Ronak Pestana
Ryan do Pico
Sloan Rowan
Stella Ritter
Taylor Rauber
Please email us if you need anyone's contact information =)
January 8, 2016
Happy New Year.
Welcome back.
It's been a short week and we are finally falling back into our routines.
3A has a new student, really, an old friend for many of the students, Sloan Rowan. I was proud of our students as they welcomed Sloan back and helped him orient to our routines.
Congratulations to our Round 1 Spelling Bee winners, Taylor Rauber, Stella Ritter, Ansley Tonkovic, and Theresa Muhlhauser.
The next round, an actual "stand and deliver" bee will be next Friday. From that round we will choose a grade level representative and alternate.
Over the next month, we will work on reading and writing non-fiction. Initially, each student will choose a biography to read, notate, and report upon. Non-fiction reading and writing have their own discrete set of skills. Our students will receive intensive training on:
how to determine main idea and supporting detail,
how to use text features in supporting the recognition of important facts and concepts,
how to chunk text to navigate complexity,
how to monitor a text for significant information,
how to determine the importance of certain facts and ideas through shared conversations,
and how to distinguish a student's own opinion from that of the author.
These skills are significant in complexity, and must be honed in practice. It will require strong attention from each student.
Prior to conferences in early February, Ms Howell and I will assess each of our students for reading, spelling, and writing so that we will have fresh data for our conversations. This will be an important part of the year. Our students need to be focused, attentive, and ready to learn.
Spelling Words for the week of January 11:
whirl
third
girls
herds
firm
fern
stern
serve
hurt
nurse
turns
learn
pearl
word
world
stretch
thick
whales
perfect
Thursday
Challenge Words:
emerge
suffered
worth
Scholastic Order Forms are coming home with your students today. Please feel free to order from any of the catalogs online using the class code NP4J9. Orders are due by the 29th.
Orders this month will earn the students free Star Wars Book Marks and could earn them free books as well!
Welcome back.
It's been a short week and we are finally falling back into our routines.
3A has a new student, really, an old friend for many of the students, Sloan Rowan. I was proud of our students as they welcomed Sloan back and helped him orient to our routines.
Congratulations to our Round 1 Spelling Bee winners, Taylor Rauber, Stella Ritter, Ansley Tonkovic, and Theresa Muhlhauser.
The next round, an actual "stand and deliver" bee will be next Friday. From that round we will choose a grade level representative and alternate.
Over the next month, we will work on reading and writing non-fiction. Initially, each student will choose a biography to read, notate, and report upon. Non-fiction reading and writing have their own discrete set of skills. Our students will receive intensive training on:
how to determine main idea and supporting detail,
how to use text features in supporting the recognition of important facts and concepts,
how to chunk text to navigate complexity,
how to monitor a text for significant information,
how to determine the importance of certain facts and ideas through shared conversations,
and how to distinguish a student's own opinion from that of the author.
These skills are significant in complexity, and must be honed in practice. It will require strong attention from each student.
Prior to conferences in early February, Ms Howell and I will assess each of our students for reading, spelling, and writing so that we will have fresh data for our conversations. This will be an important part of the year. Our students need to be focused, attentive, and ready to learn.
Spelling Words for the week of January 11:
whirl
third
girls
herds
firm
fern
stern
serve
hurt
nurse
turns
learn
pearl
word
world
stretch
thick
whales
perfect
Thursday
Challenge Words:
emerge
suffered
worth
Scholastic Order Forms are coming home with your students today. Please feel free to order from any of the catalogs online using the class code NP4J9. Orders are due by the 29th.
Orders this month will earn the students free Star Wars Book Marks and could earn them free books as well!
December 11, 2015
Well here it comes, "Ho, Ho, Ho!" One busy week! We'll hold your hand through it, but we are spinning in circles a bit and might be a dizzy sort of guide. But, heh, trust us...
Monday, Dec. 14th. We start out reverent and sweet with 3B offering the prayer and scripture at the all-school Christmas Chapel.
All day, after that, the kids will decorate our rooms and our building for Wednesday. Students are encouraged to bring decorating items from home, (name on the back, please). Should be jolly good fun.
At 1:15pm on Monday, we will take part in an in-school rehearsal for Lessons and Carols.
December 15, do not come to the school. Instead bring your child to the west entrance of Ruth Eckerd Hall between 8:30 and 8:45, where the smiling face of Ms Howell will gather them in. My face, less smiling, will be there as well. (Students must be in school uniforms.)
Please reclaim your child at 11:30, same place, different time. Snack will be provided.
That night make sure your child is back at Ruth Eckerd Hall dressed in holiday finery by 6:45pm. They will be escorted to our waiting area in the backstage catacombs. Find a seat and enjoy Lessons and Carols. Ms Howell and I will be with your children in our assigned areas once the performance is over. Please come and get them from us there.
Wednesday, school will start at 9:00 am. It is Pajama Day. Students can bring pillows and blankets and stuffed animals for their comfort and recovery. We'll have special things for them to do and Santa will visit in the afternoon.
Thursday will be another different sort of day, filled with fun things. (It's a uniform day.) We will write letters to Santa to help make wishes come true. For each letter written, Macy's will donate $1 to the Make A Wish Foundation.
Friday is a half day. Pick-up is 11:30. No aftercare is available. We will enjoy our holiday parties. Kids can wear holiday-themed tops with their uniform bottoms.
Nichole and I want to wish you all the most merry holiday. We feel blessed each day working with these children. They are a terrific group, kind, eager, intelligent, and empathetic. It keeps me young, (Nichole is young, but it makes her feel younger!) Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Merry Kwanzaa, and Happy New Year. Peace, Love, and Happiness!
Monday, Dec. 14th. We start out reverent and sweet with 3B offering the prayer and scripture at the all-school Christmas Chapel.
All day, after that, the kids will decorate our rooms and our building for Wednesday. Students are encouraged to bring decorating items from home, (name on the back, please). Should be jolly good fun.
At 1:15pm on Monday, we will take part in an in-school rehearsal for Lessons and Carols.
December 15, do not come to the school. Instead bring your child to the west entrance of Ruth Eckerd Hall between 8:30 and 8:45, where the smiling face of Ms Howell will gather them in. My face, less smiling, will be there as well. (Students must be in school uniforms.)
Please reclaim your child at 11:30, same place, different time. Snack will be provided.
That night make sure your child is back at Ruth Eckerd Hall dressed in holiday finery by 6:45pm. They will be escorted to our waiting area in the backstage catacombs. Find a seat and enjoy Lessons and Carols. Ms Howell and I will be with your children in our assigned areas once the performance is over. Please come and get them from us there.
Wednesday, school will start at 9:00 am. It is Pajama Day. Students can bring pillows and blankets and stuffed animals for their comfort and recovery. We'll have special things for them to do and Santa will visit in the afternoon.
Thursday will be another different sort of day, filled with fun things. (It's a uniform day.) We will write letters to Santa to help make wishes come true. For each letter written, Macy's will donate $1 to the Make A Wish Foundation.
Friday is a half day. Pick-up is 11:30. No aftercare is available. We will enjoy our holiday parties. Kids can wear holiday-themed tops with their uniform bottoms.
Nichole and I want to wish you all the most merry holiday. We feel blessed each day working with these children. They are a terrific group, kind, eager, intelligent, and empathetic. It keeps me young, (Nichole is young, but it makes her feel younger!) Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Merry Kwanzaa, and Happy New Year. Peace, Love, and Happiness!
Hello Everyone!
This week, as part of Computer Science Education Week, all K-8 grades finished the "Hour of Code" initiative and received certificates!
Amazingly, EC and LS used the same programming tools as MS and did extremely well!The Hour of Code is a global grassroots initiative to introduce students to computer programming. Launched by code.org in 2013 with a vision that “every student in every school should have the opportunity to learn computer science”.
In line with our commitment to technology education, Saint Paul's School conducted the Hour of Code classes for the K-8th graders. Using resources from code.org, K-8th grade students programmed animations and games with block programming software. Students were awarded certificates for participation.
Paul Haberstroh
Director of Innovation and Exploration at Makerspace
This week, as part of Computer Science Education Week, all K-8 grades finished the "Hour of Code" initiative and received certificates!
Amazingly, EC and LS used the same programming tools as MS and did extremely well!The Hour of Code is a global grassroots initiative to introduce students to computer programming. Launched by code.org in 2013 with a vision that “every student in every school should have the opportunity to learn computer science”.
In line with our commitment to technology education, Saint Paul's School conducted the Hour of Code classes for the K-8th graders. Using resources from code.org, K-8th grade students programmed animations and games with block programming software. Students were awarded certificates for participation.
Paul Haberstroh
Director of Innovation and Exploration at Makerspace
december 4th, 2015
This week has been full of exciting learning opportunities for the students. We enjoyed having "More Health" come to teach us about sun safety and were reminded of several good habits we should have to take care of our skin.
Throughout the week we spent time in Social Studies and Math preparing for our time at Heritage Village. The students are working on their note taking skills and using the reading strategies they've learned to help them make sense of nonfiction texts. They spent time measuring and learning the building blocks for drawing objects to scale on graph paper. Each student has approached these tasks with determination, and their efforts have helped them rise to the challenge. We will continue to practice these skills as the year progresses, and apply them as we begin our projects.
Today's field trip was a wonderful time for everyone. The students received many compliments on their behavior and were good ambassadors for Saint Paul's. They were encouraged to take notes and make sketches of the things that interested them and got to participate in some exciting hands on learning activities. The students were given the challenge of measuring the McMullen-Coachman Log Cabin and worked together very well for the task.
We will upload the photos this weekend so that you can see all the good times the students have had. If you have any photos from the field trip today, please email them to us and we will add them to the website as well.
Thank you so much to all of the parent volunteers who helped drive and chaperone today, and to Dara for helping with all the details! We appreciate all that you do, and enjoy getting to know you as well.
Upcoming Dates:
7th- 3A Chapel Prayer; Hanukkah Chapel
10th- 4th Grade Egg Drop at 1pm
- Winter Recitals at 6pm
14th- 3B Chapel Prayer; Christmas Chapel
-Decorating Day (students are welcome to bring any decorations they would like to use, these will be returned before the holiday break, we will spend the day making decorations and decorating the Lower School)
-Lessons and Carols Rehearsal
15th- Lessons and Carols: Rehearsal 9AM(arrival 8:30-9) at Ruth Eckerd Hall
Performance at 7PM (arrival 6-6:30PM)
16th- Winter Wonderland (PJ day for students)
18th- Holiday Parties, Students can dress in holiday attire (no uniforms)
19th-January 4th HOLIDAY BREAK
January 8th- Class Spelling Bee*
15th- 3rd Grade Spelling Bee*
February 10th- School Spelling Bee*
*More details will be coming in an email soon.
In preparation for the Spelling Bee, our spelling list this week will be 20 words from the Scripps National Spelling Bee list.
Spelling Words for the week of December 7-11:
gusto
marlin
o'clock
upshot
barter
hefty
glimmer
jackpot
warning
sonar
garlic
forum
plaza
silent
domino
naysayer
around
glance
curries
layover
See the photos tab for pictures from our field trip to Heritage Village =)
Throughout the week we spent time in Social Studies and Math preparing for our time at Heritage Village. The students are working on their note taking skills and using the reading strategies they've learned to help them make sense of nonfiction texts. They spent time measuring and learning the building blocks for drawing objects to scale on graph paper. Each student has approached these tasks with determination, and their efforts have helped them rise to the challenge. We will continue to practice these skills as the year progresses, and apply them as we begin our projects.
Today's field trip was a wonderful time for everyone. The students received many compliments on their behavior and were good ambassadors for Saint Paul's. They were encouraged to take notes and make sketches of the things that interested them and got to participate in some exciting hands on learning activities. The students were given the challenge of measuring the McMullen-Coachman Log Cabin and worked together very well for the task.
We will upload the photos this weekend so that you can see all the good times the students have had. If you have any photos from the field trip today, please email them to us and we will add them to the website as well.
Thank you so much to all of the parent volunteers who helped drive and chaperone today, and to Dara for helping with all the details! We appreciate all that you do, and enjoy getting to know you as well.
Upcoming Dates:
7th- 3A Chapel Prayer; Hanukkah Chapel
10th- 4th Grade Egg Drop at 1pm
- Winter Recitals at 6pm
14th- 3B Chapel Prayer; Christmas Chapel
-Decorating Day (students are welcome to bring any decorations they would like to use, these will be returned before the holiday break, we will spend the day making decorations and decorating the Lower School)
-Lessons and Carols Rehearsal
15th- Lessons and Carols: Rehearsal 9AM(arrival 8:30-9) at Ruth Eckerd Hall
Performance at 7PM (arrival 6-6:30PM)
16th- Winter Wonderland (PJ day for students)
18th- Holiday Parties, Students can dress in holiday attire (no uniforms)
19th-January 4th HOLIDAY BREAK
January 8th- Class Spelling Bee*
15th- 3rd Grade Spelling Bee*
February 10th- School Spelling Bee*
*More details will be coming in an email soon.
In preparation for the Spelling Bee, our spelling list this week will be 20 words from the Scripps National Spelling Bee list.
Spelling Words for the week of December 7-11:
gusto
marlin
o'clock
upshot
barter
hefty
glimmer
jackpot
warning
sonar
garlic
forum
plaza
silent
domino
naysayer
around
glance
curries
layover
See the photos tab for pictures from our field trip to Heritage Village =)
Monday, November 16, 2015
Our trip to Eagle's Lake Park was a favorite of all the students. We hiked, played on the playground, had a picnic, saw wildlife, and climbed a live oak tree. Simple activities, fully enjoyed, made for a busy and satisfactory day. As a part of the day, we managed to take a spelling test, write a journal entry, and sketch a few things we saw.
The students are thinking of approaching Mrs. Campbell about moving a live oak onto campus to replace our current playground equipment.
We are expecting some excellent personal narratives from our experiences.
This week features a few special events. We had a whole school chapel this morning, which is always a positive event. We are continuing through Wednesday morning collecting canned goods.
The Book Fair is here beginning tomorrow and lasting through Thursday. (Remember, you have eager readers now, so visit the Book Fair and stack a few great titles for the winter!) Friday is Golden Guest Day. Information has posted on the Knightly News regarding this event. Please do not send backpacks with the children Friday, as they will not need them, and make sure they eat a hearty breakfast, as we will not have a snack time that day with all the festivities.
The students are completing their study of multiplication facts this week. We will assess them each day this week for satisfactory progress.
Please see some photos below as well as check both blogs and our Photos Tab above for some wonderful pictures of the students on our field trip (and in the classroom this past week).
The students are thinking of approaching Mrs. Campbell about moving a live oak onto campus to replace our current playground equipment.
We are expecting some excellent personal narratives from our experiences.
This week features a few special events. We had a whole school chapel this morning, which is always a positive event. We are continuing through Wednesday morning collecting canned goods.
The Book Fair is here beginning tomorrow and lasting through Thursday. (Remember, you have eager readers now, so visit the Book Fair and stack a few great titles for the winter!) Friday is Golden Guest Day. Information has posted on the Knightly News regarding this event. Please do not send backpacks with the children Friday, as they will not need them, and make sure they eat a hearty breakfast, as we will not have a snack time that day with all the festivities.
The students are completing their study of multiplication facts this week. We will assess them each day this week for satisfactory progress.
Please see some photos below as well as check both blogs and our Photos Tab above for some wonderful pictures of the students on our field trip (and in the classroom this past week).
friday november 6, 2015
Important November Dates/Reminders:
9th- 3B Chapel
-Blue/White Sorting Ceremony (students are to wear their color, new students should wear blue and white)
-Revised Schedule for Lower School Begins (see below)
13th- Report Cards Posted
- 3rd Grade Field Trip (more details next week)
16th- All School Chapel
17th-19th Book Fair
18th- Last Day for Food Drive Donations
-Last Day for Donations for the Packages for Soldiers
20th- Golden Guest Day (Families encouraged to attend)
- Early Dismissal at 11:30am
23rd-27th NO SCHOOL Thanksgiving Break =)
Spelling List 11/9/2015
Short e /e/ and /ea/
Breakfast
Event
Deafen
Intend
Dreadful
Neglect
Feather
Pretend
Healthy
Respect
Heavy
Revenge
Instead
Suggest
Meadow
Measure
Steadfast
Sweatshirt
Treadmill
Treasure
Weapon
Descend
Distress
9th- 3B Chapel
-Blue/White Sorting Ceremony (students are to wear their color, new students should wear blue and white)
-Revised Schedule for Lower School Begins (see below)
13th- Report Cards Posted
- 3rd Grade Field Trip (more details next week)
16th- All School Chapel
17th-19th Book Fair
18th- Last Day for Food Drive Donations
-Last Day for Donations for the Packages for Soldiers
20th- Golden Guest Day (Families encouraged to attend)
- Early Dismissal at 11:30am
23rd-27th NO SCHOOL Thanksgiving Break =)
Spelling List 11/9/2015
Short e /e/ and /ea/
Breakfast
Event
Deafen
Intend
Dreadful
Neglect
Feather
Pretend
Healthy
Respect
Heavy
Revenge
Instead
Suggest
Meadow
Measure
Steadfast
Sweatshirt
Treadmill
Treasure
Weapon
Descend
Distress
3A Reading the Prayer at Chapel
Spanish Fiesta
Friday october 30, 2015
Spelling words for the week of November 2:
quack
scram
shrank
splash
squad
straight
thrash
quail
scrape
splice
squall
strain
thread
quaint
scrawl
shrewd
splotch
squash
strength
threat
quartz
screech
splurge
squeeze
strict
threw
through
The students have had a wild and wonderful week full of special events. In the midst of all the wonderful events, we finished reading Stone Fox (and shed a few tears as we came to the shocking end of the story). The students became enthralled with the characters and enjoyed writing what might have happened after the story ended, since it came to an abrupt halt, leaving the reader pondering what might have happened to the characters.
As we expanded upon our math curriculum this week, the students have been challenged with a number of whacky word problems (courtesy of the whimsical Mr. Crisler) and some equally challenging Halloween puzzles that stretched their brains to think outside the box (in order to complete the boxes).
In Writer's Workshop the students have been expanding their lists of memories to draw from when they write personal narratives, as well as taking time to write Haunting Halloween stories. We are challenging them to be more descriptive of the setting and the dialogue between the characters, not just list all the actions that happened.
On Monday we will welcome a new student, Theresa, to 3B. I know the students are looking forward to it.
3A will be reading the bible verse and saying the prayer on Monday as well. Hope to see you there!
Next week we will also be embarking on a journey where we take 7 days to learn the multiplication facts. We hope that this will help the students be more confident when working with the number stories in math. Please keep an eye out for the facts we will send home to study each night. Students are encouraged to make flash cards and practice with family members and friends.
Stay tuned- we will post our blog updates and Halloween pictures early next week!
quack
scram
shrank
splash
squad
straight
thrash
quail
scrape
splice
squall
strain
thread
quaint
scrawl
shrewd
splotch
squash
strength
threat
quartz
screech
splurge
squeeze
strict
threw
through
The students have had a wild and wonderful week full of special events. In the midst of all the wonderful events, we finished reading Stone Fox (and shed a few tears as we came to the shocking end of the story). The students became enthralled with the characters and enjoyed writing what might have happened after the story ended, since it came to an abrupt halt, leaving the reader pondering what might have happened to the characters.
As we expanded upon our math curriculum this week, the students have been challenged with a number of whacky word problems (courtesy of the whimsical Mr. Crisler) and some equally challenging Halloween puzzles that stretched their brains to think outside the box (in order to complete the boxes).
In Writer's Workshop the students have been expanding their lists of memories to draw from when they write personal narratives, as well as taking time to write Haunting Halloween stories. We are challenging them to be more descriptive of the setting and the dialogue between the characters, not just list all the actions that happened.
On Monday we will welcome a new student, Theresa, to 3B. I know the students are looking forward to it.
3A will be reading the bible verse and saying the prayer on Monday as well. Hope to see you there!
Next week we will also be embarking on a journey where we take 7 days to learn the multiplication facts. We hope that this will help the students be more confident when working with the number stories in math. Please keep an eye out for the facts we will send home to study each night. Students are encouraged to make flash cards and practice with family members and friends.
Stay tuned- we will post our blog updates and Halloween pictures early next week!
Friday, October 25, 2015
The students are enjoying sharing the novel Stone Fox as a model novel for developing comprehension skills in reading. The author uses a spare style of narrative akin to being punched in the nose repeatedly with a short jab loaded with a new bit of relative and effective information. The total effect is to exhaust the defenseless reader with an emotional story that tumbles relentlessly to a conclusion that leaves the reader stunned and then ultimately uplifted. It is a model text because the flow of the narrative is in a step by step flow in which each new piece of information leads to an unescapeable ending. The themes are commitment and sacrifice. The novel has each student captivated.
As they read and reflect on Stone Fox, they recognize the flow of their independently read novel and see the impact of events in that novel's construction. Their eyes are becoming keen to the detail and the emotional changes. They are maturing quickly as alert readers.
In Writer's Workshop our emphasis has been on incorporating vivid descriptive language in our story teller; to use the voice of a story teller rather than a reporter. Students are beginning to play with unique beginnings and endings that lend style to their writing.
They are attentive to each other's writing as well, and as they hear improvement in one student's entries, they begin to experiment with improvements in their own.
We are setting routines in solving math story problems. Students read a problem carefully, assess what they know, and then set about solving for the unknown. They determine the operation that should be used to solve the story and then decide on which of several number sentences will help them solve most easily.
This week we have been concentrating on addition and subtraction stories. We will expand to multiplication and division in weeks to come. Note the photos below.
As they read and reflect on Stone Fox, they recognize the flow of their independently read novel and see the impact of events in that novel's construction. Their eyes are becoming keen to the detail and the emotional changes. They are maturing quickly as alert readers.
In Writer's Workshop our emphasis has been on incorporating vivid descriptive language in our story teller; to use the voice of a story teller rather than a reporter. Students are beginning to play with unique beginnings and endings that lend style to their writing.
They are attentive to each other's writing as well, and as they hear improvement in one student's entries, they begin to experiment with improvements in their own.
We are setting routines in solving math story problems. Students read a problem carefully, assess what they know, and then set about solving for the unknown. They determine the operation that should be used to solve the story and then decide on which of several number sentences will help them solve most easily.
This week we have been concentrating on addition and subtraction stories. We will expand to multiplication and division in weeks to come. Note the photos below.
The students enjoyed challenging themselves to add another element to their fantasy stories today.
Also, they learned a solitaire game where they had to make matches of 13 with the playing cards.
Also, they learned a solitaire game where they had to make matches of 13 with the playing cards.
Spelling Words for the week of October 26, 2015
Upcoming Important Events:
Friday October 30th- Students wear their costumes to school and bring a change of clothes if they want. Halloween parties will be in the afternoon.
November 6- Early Dismissal for students/End of Trimester
- amaze
- awake
- baseball
- basement
- behave
- behavior
- bracelet
- cascade
- cascading
- create
- creation
- creating
- debate
- debating
- embrace
- embracing
- engage
- engaging
- engrave
- engraving
- escape
- escaping
- exchange
- exchanging
- grapefruit
- pavement
- persuade
- persuading
- skateboard
- statement
Upcoming Important Events:
Friday October 30th- Students wear their costumes to school and bring a change of clothes if they want. Halloween parties will be in the afternoon.
November 6- Early Dismissal for students/End of Trimester
october 16, 2015
Another successful Fantasy Friday left the students in a happy state of mind. We wrote dialogues between two Halloween iconic characters. The results were fun after Ava Schmid came up with the first functioning conversation. Ms Howell and I read them in parts and soon a bunch of dialogues came pouring forth. Our hour and a half flew by.
Late in the day we offered board games and an opportunity to make some Halloween decorations.
We are working on techniques for solving word problems in math.
Students are beginning to demonstrate a good orderly approach, asking the right questions and choosing the correct operations.
Reader's Workshop is flourishing. New books are flying off the shelves, freshly stocked thanks to our parents buying loads of books from Scholastic. When our class order is large, the company offers credits for free books for the classroom. New books always spark a fresh interest.
We are writing fantasy stories on Fridays, thus the name, and the other four days are dedicated to personal narratives. Take some time to talk with your child about memories of special events.
Spelling for next week: ee spelling of long e sound
agree (agreement)
asleep
baleen
between
breezy
canteen
cheetah
degree
esteem
exceed
freedom
freeway
gleeful
greenish
greeting
indeed
kneecap
proceed
redeem
seedling
steeply
steeple
succeed
sweeten
tureen
tweezers
This past Monday we had "More Health" visit to speak to the students about nutrition and eating healthy to keep their bodies healthy. The presentation was interactive and very informative. See the pictures on 3A's page of all the fun =)
Late in the day we offered board games and an opportunity to make some Halloween decorations.
We are working on techniques for solving word problems in math.
Students are beginning to demonstrate a good orderly approach, asking the right questions and choosing the correct operations.
Reader's Workshop is flourishing. New books are flying off the shelves, freshly stocked thanks to our parents buying loads of books from Scholastic. When our class order is large, the company offers credits for free books for the classroom. New books always spark a fresh interest.
We are writing fantasy stories on Fridays, thus the name, and the other four days are dedicated to personal narratives. Take some time to talk with your child about memories of special events.
Spelling for next week: ee spelling of long e sound
agree (agreement)
asleep
baleen
between
breezy
canteen
cheetah
degree
esteem
exceed
freedom
freeway
gleeful
greenish
greeting
indeed
kneecap
proceed
redeem
seedling
steeply
steeple
succeed
sweeten
tureen
tweezers
This past Monday we had "More Health" visit to speak to the students about nutrition and eating healthy to keep their bodies healthy. The presentation was interactive and very informative. See the pictures on 3A's page of all the fun =)
We are excited to announce that we have a few new technology pieces we will be using with the students. The first is Zing- a website where students can read ebooks by genre, topic, reading level etc. Students can go to zingreading.com and enter the class code (3B is 2AB79)(3A is D62B). From there, they just need to click on their name (no password necessary). They can read these at home and log them in their reading logs.
The other one is an app called Skoolbo (it's IOS and Android friendly, and can be used at skoolbo.com on computers). Students Log in using their class code:
ST PAULS SCHOOLSchool Code: FL3218FH3A Class Code: 67ZEP34
3B Class Code: 68RSF46
If your child has headphones, please have them keep a set in their backpack for when we have ipad games with sound.
From Ms. Kern:
The St. Pete Science festival is on October 17th. It is amazing and so worth going.
http://www.stpetescifest.org
This is one of my favs. If the students choose to go and bring back something they find most interesting I will give them extra credit. It is not mandatory though!
Have a great day,
Beth
We celebrated our first Writer Workshop publication this week. Please come by and see the finished pieces. During the celebration students read their pieces to the class. The students hearing the piece filled out a form in which they told what they liked about the piece, a question they had, and finally a piece of constructive wisdom.
The students have made rapid progress and the results are encouraging.
Today, we combined the two classes and took part in the first Fantasy Friday. Each Friday, we will have a unique schedule that will accommodate a time for fiction writing, a chance for projects, and finally a time for educational games and crafts. The students were excited by the change and were terrific as a larger group.
This week's spelling list is based on the oa spelling of the long o sound.
boast
cloak
coast
coax
croak
float
foam
goal
groan
load
loaf
loan
moan
oak
oat
oath
poach
roach
roast
soak
soap
throat
toad
toast
whoa.
Students were very well prepared for this week's spelling assessments. I saw many perfect papers.
Currently in math, we are using addition and subtraction facts and recognizing and utilizing them in larger addition and subtraction problems. Example: If I know 6+7=13, I can utilize that fact to add 56+17, since the fact appears in the one's column.
We will re-explore place value within this frame as well.
The other one is an app called Skoolbo (it's IOS and Android friendly, and can be used at skoolbo.com on computers). Students Log in using their class code:
ST PAULS SCHOOLSchool Code: FL3218FH3A Class Code: 67ZEP34
3B Class Code: 68RSF46
If your child has headphones, please have them keep a set in their backpack for when we have ipad games with sound.
From Ms. Kern:
The St. Pete Science festival is on October 17th. It is amazing and so worth going.
http://www.stpetescifest.org
This is one of my favs. If the students choose to go and bring back something they find most interesting I will give them extra credit. It is not mandatory though!
Have a great day,
Beth
We celebrated our first Writer Workshop publication this week. Please come by and see the finished pieces. During the celebration students read their pieces to the class. The students hearing the piece filled out a form in which they told what they liked about the piece, a question they had, and finally a piece of constructive wisdom.
The students have made rapid progress and the results are encouraging.
Today, we combined the two classes and took part in the first Fantasy Friday. Each Friday, we will have a unique schedule that will accommodate a time for fiction writing, a chance for projects, and finally a time for educational games and crafts. The students were excited by the change and were terrific as a larger group.
This week's spelling list is based on the oa spelling of the long o sound.
boast
cloak
coast
coax
croak
float
foam
goal
groan
load
loaf
loan
moan
oak
oat
oath
poach
roach
roast
soak
soap
throat
toad
toast
whoa.
Students were very well prepared for this week's spelling assessments. I saw many perfect papers.
Currently in math, we are using addition and subtraction facts and recognizing and utilizing them in larger addition and subtraction problems. Example: If I know 6+7=13, I can utilize that fact to add 56+17, since the fact appears in the one's column.
We will re-explore place value within this frame as well.
Fun times with 3rd grade during snack and recess =)
September 25, 2015
Hopefully, you have seen the email and have set a time to meet with your child's teacher. Appointments are available after school on Thursday and during the day on Friday of this next week.
Ms. Howell and I will be ready to share our goals for your son or daughter and to hear goals you may have established as well.
We will have results from the assessments we have given your child. Utilizing those results we can set a course for a steady improvement throughout this year.
We will also have a checklist related to your child's social/emotional development as observed in the classroom, and a checklist of observable work habits we hope to instill as goals for each student.
It should be a productive conversation, designed to form a unity of purpose for the significant adults in your child's life. We look forward to seeing you next week
This week we will not send home a list of spelling words. The students will be given an assessment entitled the Developmental Word Knowledge Inventory instead. The inventory requires no study.
Ms. Kern has asked the students to check out the Super Lunar Eclipse Sunday night around 9pm and bring pictures for extra credit. This is a rare opportunity and we're all hoping for clear skies and a great show!
Please check the science website weekly (on our Enrichments tab above) for important information. Ms. Kern is asking for donations of cardboard tubes and empty spools for an upcoming science project.
Ms. Howell and I will be ready to share our goals for your son or daughter and to hear goals you may have established as well.
We will have results from the assessments we have given your child. Utilizing those results we can set a course for a steady improvement throughout this year.
We will also have a checklist related to your child's social/emotional development as observed in the classroom, and a checklist of observable work habits we hope to instill as goals for each student.
It should be a productive conversation, designed to form a unity of purpose for the significant adults in your child's life. We look forward to seeing you next week
This week we will not send home a list of spelling words. The students will be given an assessment entitled the Developmental Word Knowledge Inventory instead. The inventory requires no study.
Ms. Kern has asked the students to check out the Super Lunar Eclipse Sunday night around 9pm and bring pictures for extra credit. This is a rare opportunity and we're all hoping for clear skies and a great show!
Please check the science website weekly (on our Enrichments tab above) for important information. Ms. Kern is asking for donations of cardboard tubes and empty spools for an upcoming science project.
September 18, 2015
Math Madness!
Students this week have had fun collaborating with their peers from both classes trying to work through a series of activities and challenges during our math workshop. They have explored equal groups, multiplication and division, length of day, mass and weight, and started to look at equal groups in fractional parts. As we wrap up the week they are reviewing these concepts in preparation for the end of this unit next week and our unit assessment.
We ask that students bring in something for our "mass museum" on Monday, where we will use the pan balances to compare masses of objects. Objects should be no larger than the palm of your hand, as they will not be able to fit on our balances. Students can bring in canned or boxed food, toys, trinkets or anything else they can think of. Please do not send valuable or breakable things as they will be used by many students throughout the activity. We will send them home with the students when we have finished our exploration of the mass museum.
As we wrap up this unit, we understand that many topics have been covered in the last few weeks. Students have been actively engaged in the activities and we will continue to work with them so that they are prepared for the assessment next week. While we encourage students to practice IXL (time, multiplication and division are all good topics to practice), we do not expect students to "study" for the upcoming assessment. We want to encourage each student to attend in class and speak to any of the topics we have presented that they find confusing. As a parent, please encourage your child to speak up or to see us about any troubling concept.
Please see the photo slideshow below for pictures of the 3rd grade math workshops this week:
Students this week have had fun collaborating with their peers from both classes trying to work through a series of activities and challenges during our math workshop. They have explored equal groups, multiplication and division, length of day, mass and weight, and started to look at equal groups in fractional parts. As we wrap up the week they are reviewing these concepts in preparation for the end of this unit next week and our unit assessment.
We ask that students bring in something for our "mass museum" on Monday, where we will use the pan balances to compare masses of objects. Objects should be no larger than the palm of your hand, as they will not be able to fit on our balances. Students can bring in canned or boxed food, toys, trinkets or anything else they can think of. Please do not send valuable or breakable things as they will be used by many students throughout the activity. We will send them home with the students when we have finished our exploration of the mass museum.
As we wrap up this unit, we understand that many topics have been covered in the last few weeks. Students have been actively engaged in the activities and we will continue to work with them so that they are prepared for the assessment next week. While we encourage students to practice IXL (time, multiplication and division are all good topics to practice), we do not expect students to "study" for the upcoming assessment. We want to encourage each student to attend in class and speak to any of the topics we have presented that they find confusing. As a parent, please encourage your child to speak up or to see us about any troubling concept.
Please see the photo slideshow below for pictures of the 3rd grade math workshops this week:
Spelling words for the week of September 21:
plain
painted
grain
explain
tray
fake
same
state
ladies
they
obey
radio
eight
sleigh
weigh
afraid
Reminders:
September 21-3B Chapel
September 25- Greenery Day (students can wear red, yellow, green, orange)
October 1- Parent Teacher Conferences 4-6pm*
October 2- Parent Teacher Conferences 8am-4pm*
*Keep an eye out for the email to sign up
This week Dr. Castleman came to 3rd grade to teach students how to "be the boss" of their time during reader's and writer's workshop. She taught them how readers and writers make good decisions every day, and they take ownership of their work. Readers answer the questions "What do I want to read today?" and "What book is just right for me?" while writers answer the questions "What do I want to write about today?" and "What story idea do I have that I want to take through all the steps to make it into a published piece?".
In order to bridge the gap from 2nd to 4th grade, 3rd graders are encouraged to become more independent each day. During our lessons we teach them strategies to make good decisions and to choose good books and to select topics and revise their stories, but it is THEIR choice to make during "student time". We feel that this empowers the students to make choices based on their interests and encourages them to build their stamina while reading and writing. As the year progresses, the students' "published" pieces will begin to look more refined as they learn more strategies and skills and are able to apply their understanding of the revising and editing process to their works.
plain
painted
grain
explain
tray
fake
same
state
ladies
they
obey
radio
eight
sleigh
weigh
afraid
Reminders:
September 21-3B Chapel
September 25- Greenery Day (students can wear red, yellow, green, orange)
October 1- Parent Teacher Conferences 4-6pm*
October 2- Parent Teacher Conferences 8am-4pm*
*Keep an eye out for the email to sign up
This week Dr. Castleman came to 3rd grade to teach students how to "be the boss" of their time during reader's and writer's workshop. She taught them how readers and writers make good decisions every day, and they take ownership of their work. Readers answer the questions "What do I want to read today?" and "What book is just right for me?" while writers answer the questions "What do I want to write about today?" and "What story idea do I have that I want to take through all the steps to make it into a published piece?".
In order to bridge the gap from 2nd to 4th grade, 3rd graders are encouraged to become more independent each day. During our lessons we teach them strategies to make good decisions and to choose good books and to select topics and revise their stories, but it is THEIR choice to make during "student time". We feel that this empowers the students to make choices based on their interests and encourages them to build their stamina while reading and writing. As the year progresses, the students' "published" pieces will begin to look more refined as they learn more strategies and skills and are able to apply their understanding of the revising and editing process to their works.
September 11, 2015
SPELLING CHALLENGE??
As the students bring home their spelling tests tonight we have reminded them that this spelling list was to give them practice with words they use frequently so that they feel more comfortable using these words. We do not expect mastery of all these words at this point in the school year, though we are proud of those who know them. Next week's words are on grade level and should be much easier for the students.
Spelling Words:
plane
shapes
skate
grade
whale
sneeze
fine
wise
crime
striped
smiled
globe
smoke
envelope
come
Reminders:
3A Chapel on Monday September 14th
3B Chapel on Monday September 21st
Picture Orders due by Tuesday September 15th if you haven't already ordered =)
Cheerleading starts Tuesday September 15th! Please see the forms sent home today if your child wants to participate =)
As the students bring home their spelling tests tonight we have reminded them that this spelling list was to give them practice with words they use frequently so that they feel more comfortable using these words. We do not expect mastery of all these words at this point in the school year, though we are proud of those who know them. Next week's words are on grade level and should be much easier for the students.
Spelling Words:
plane
shapes
skate
grade
whale
sneeze
fine
wise
crime
striped
smiled
globe
smoke
envelope
come
Reminders:
3A Chapel on Monday September 14th
3B Chapel on Monday September 21st
Picture Orders due by Tuesday September 15th if you haven't already ordered =)
Cheerleading starts Tuesday September 15th! Please see the forms sent home today if your child wants to participate =)
Fact Triangle: the coolest things ever!
We ask our students to practice with fact triangles each night. Ready, immediate recall of multiplication and division facts are the goal of this study. The expectation for third graders is a strong familiarity with the facts, with the reciprocal operation, and with the relationship between the two operations. We use arrays with the students to give them a concrete understanding of what the equal parts relationship and predictability of these problems are, and that they complement each other.
Each triangle has three numbers; a product and two factors. From the three numerals, the student should recognize the relationship among the numbers. In the example above, the three numbers are 45, 5, and 9. Students should, when practicing, recall, and say aloud, 5x9=45, 9x5=45, 45 divided by 5=9, and 45 divided by 9=5. That's the family of facts associated with those three numbers.
By using chips, blocks, pennies, or other similar objects, students can build an array, (a visual of representation of the number built with a certain number of equal rows), and see what the number sentences mean.
xxx xxxxx
xxx xxxxx
xxx xxxxx
xxx
xxx
5x3=15, 3x5=15
Using arrays, we have worked with the students to understand how 16 divided by 5 = 3 with 1 remaining.
For more fun math games to play with your students see the "Games" page above.
Each triangle has three numbers; a product and two factors. From the three numerals, the student should recognize the relationship among the numbers. In the example above, the three numbers are 45, 5, and 9. Students should, when practicing, recall, and say aloud, 5x9=45, 9x5=45, 45 divided by 5=9, and 45 divided by 9=5. That's the family of facts associated with those three numbers.
By using chips, blocks, pennies, or other similar objects, students can build an array, (a visual of representation of the number built with a certain number of equal rows), and see what the number sentences mean.
xxx xxxxx
xxx xxxxx
xxx xxxxx
xxx
xxx
5x3=15, 3x5=15
Using arrays, we have worked with the students to understand how 16 divided by 5 = 3 with 1 remaining.
For more fun math games to play with your students see the "Games" page above.
September 04, 2015
Here's to Fall hurrying along...these humid days are wearing us Third Graders thin. "Too hot!" they cry "Too steamy!" they moan. "Must we still have recess?" they complain. "Go out and play, children!" comes our retort. Still, we call for cooler weather or a little breeze, please.
Here are the spelling words for this week:
pledge
chapel
class meeting
mathematics
reader's workshop
writer's workshop
technology
art
science
physical education
Spanish
social studies
drama
ensemble
library
music
recess
lunch
intramurals
Discovery Room
Reflection Journal
The Porch
pencils
pens
sticky notes
dilapidated
Mr. Crisler
Ms. Howell
Ms. Howell and I enjoyed meeting those of you who visited the classroom last night. We outlined the most important aspects of life in Grade Three and Dr. Castleman spoke to the nature of the workshops.
I will reiterate the most important parts of our conversation.
The students will have reading homework every night. They are to record the length of time they read and the number of pages they read in their Reading Log.
The students are to write in their Reflection Journal each evening, focusing on one main event and adding as much detail as they can. They are to fill a page and skip lines. (Of course they may write more.)
This Weebly is where you will find important information about upcoming events.
Please contact us via email if you have questions.
A goal for a third grader is to become responsible for his/her learning and, therefore, record homework accurately and know how to complete assignments.
Recreational reading will have the greatest impact of literacy development of all activities.
We are happy to have such a wonderful and hardworking group of students. We look forward to helping them learn and grow as they transition from second graders to independent fourth graders.
Important upcoming dates:
September 7- NO SCHOOL
September 10- Yearbook Pictures (please order online or return form to the classroom teacher by this date)
September 14 3A Chapel Prayer
September 21- 3B Chapel Prayer
September 25- Greenery Day (Wear Yellow, Red, Orange, Green)
September 30- Scholastic Orders Due
October 1st (4-6pm)& 2nd (8am-4pm) Parent Teacher Conferences
This week in Spanish the students recorded videos to give another "mystery school" clues about our school. Please check the enrichments tab for the website to see the videos =)
Students had a blast working together to create a cup fortress in the discovery room. Please see the photos tab for many more pictures of their adventures with cup creations.
Here are the spelling words for this week:
pledge
chapel
class meeting
mathematics
reader's workshop
writer's workshop
technology
art
science
physical education
Spanish
social studies
drama
ensemble
library
music
recess
lunch
intramurals
Discovery Room
Reflection Journal
The Porch
pencils
pens
sticky notes
dilapidated
Mr. Crisler
Ms. Howell
Ms. Howell and I enjoyed meeting those of you who visited the classroom last night. We outlined the most important aspects of life in Grade Three and Dr. Castleman spoke to the nature of the workshops.
I will reiterate the most important parts of our conversation.
The students will have reading homework every night. They are to record the length of time they read and the number of pages they read in their Reading Log.
The students are to write in their Reflection Journal each evening, focusing on one main event and adding as much detail as they can. They are to fill a page and skip lines. (Of course they may write more.)
This Weebly is where you will find important information about upcoming events.
Please contact us via email if you have questions.
A goal for a third grader is to become responsible for his/her learning and, therefore, record homework accurately and know how to complete assignments.
Recreational reading will have the greatest impact of literacy development of all activities.
We are happy to have such a wonderful and hardworking group of students. We look forward to helping them learn and grow as they transition from second graders to independent fourth graders.
Important upcoming dates:
September 7- NO SCHOOL
September 10- Yearbook Pictures (please order online or return form to the classroom teacher by this date)
September 14 3A Chapel Prayer
September 21- 3B Chapel Prayer
September 25- Greenery Day (Wear Yellow, Red, Orange, Green)
September 30- Scholastic Orders Due
October 1st (4-6pm)& 2nd (8am-4pm) Parent Teacher Conferences
This week in Spanish the students recorded videos to give another "mystery school" clues about our school. Please check the enrichments tab for the website to see the videos =)
Students had a blast working together to create a cup fortress in the discovery room. Please see the photos tab for many more pictures of their adventures with cup creations.
3A and 3B came together this week to learn about collecting data and how to examine the data once it had been put into tally charts and bar graphs. See the slideshow of pictures below:
(They also learned Stella Ella Ola during our fire drill!)
(They also learned Stella Ella Ola during our fire drill!)
August 28, 2015
Throughout the week students have been working hard to develop their reading and writing strategies as well as their stamina for reading for longer periods of time and with greater concentration. As we wrap up the week the students have brainstormed many ideas for writing. They now have a bank of ideas to choose from when they write drafts of stories, and know how to brainstorm first, then make an entry to write down a memory about their idea. Next week we will work on choosing an entry and developing a draft of their story.
In math the students have been busy telling time and using open number lines to understand elapsed time. They are catching on quickly and are excited about the math concepts as well as the various activities we have started doing. We encourage them to keep practicing their skills on IXL at home, as well as playing games that they bring home to reinforce their understanding.
As we wrap up the second week of school we are encouraging students to become more consistent with their homework tasks, making sure they are writing each night in their Reflection Journal (remembering to date each entry and write every other line, as well as trying to focus on one event instead of summarizing their day), reading each evening and completing their reading log with how many pages read and the amount of time spent, and studying math facts (through IXL) and spelling words nightly. Students are getting back into the routines of school, and we are here to guide them along the way so that each week they are practicing skills and becoming more responsible and independent learners.
Spelling Words for August 31-September 4:
mess
head
check
ready
crops
stop
block
rock
shut
bathtub
jumps
slump
funnel
gush
trust
ready
does
taught
thrilled
arrived
returned
instruction
Reminder:
LS/EC Parents Night is Thursday September 3 from 6-7:30pm.
Throughout the week students have been working hard to develop their reading and writing strategies as well as their stamina for reading for longer periods of time and with greater concentration. As we wrap up the week the students have brainstormed many ideas for writing. They now have a bank of ideas to choose from when they write drafts of stories, and know how to brainstorm first, then make an entry to write down a memory about their idea. Next week we will work on choosing an entry and developing a draft of their story.
In math the students have been busy telling time and using open number lines to understand elapsed time. They are catching on quickly and are excited about the math concepts as well as the various activities we have started doing. We encourage them to keep practicing their skills on IXL at home, as well as playing games that they bring home to reinforce their understanding.
As we wrap up the second week of school we are encouraging students to become more consistent with their homework tasks, making sure they are writing each night in their Reflection Journal (remembering to date each entry and write every other line, as well as trying to focus on one event instead of summarizing their day), reading each evening and completing their reading log with how many pages read and the amount of time spent, and studying math facts (through IXL) and spelling words nightly. Students are getting back into the routines of school, and we are here to guide them along the way so that each week they are practicing skills and becoming more responsible and independent learners.
Spelling Words for August 31-September 4:
mess
head
check
ready
crops
stop
block
rock
shut
bathtub
jumps
slump
funnel
gush
trust
ready
does
taught
thrilled
arrived
returned
instruction
Reminder:
LS/EC Parents Night is Thursday September 3 from 6-7:30pm.
August 21, 2015
This week, the Third Graders spent time setting their new routines for the classroom. They have learned a routine for everything from how to come into the classroom at the beginning of the day, to how we come and go to our enrichment classes.
These routines are important to each student's success as a learner. We will have active, busy classrooms, and the learning routines are key to making the best use of our time and energy.
Our students will need to be responsible for their materials, for their time, and for their focus and concentration. We must move quickly and purposefully through our transitions and know our responsibility every step of the way. Habits of mind, habits of place, habits of response, and habits of collaboration all must be established so our students can be successful and independent learners who contribute to the classroom community. Along with these routines comes increased independence and real choice. They are beginning to see the advantage of the organizational framework and are predictive and responsive.
We are using a workshop approach for our major disciplines. Character Education, Writer's Workshop, Reader's Workshop and Mathematics' Workshop all benefit from each student knowing exactly what they should do and how to go about it. The goal is to create students who can manage their portion of each process, becoming intelligent and purposeful learners who know how they learn best and who are active in enhancing their learning experiences.
The classes have responded well and have been fun and enthusiastic students.
Next week we will continue building our skills, developing stamina as readers and writers, choosing books wisely, and becoming more independent learners who use strategies to problem solve in all areas. Students will also prepare for their first spelling assessment, which will be given on Friday. The following words will be assessed:
clap
camp
hand
stamp
snack
rack
grabs
glad
bill
miss
click
pink
sick
grin
lift
cat
bit
man
anthill
cramp
Next week students will bring home Scholastic Book Order forms. Please feel free to look at the website www.scholastic.com/readingclub and place your orders online using the class code NP4J9 (this is also on the book orders coming home with your child). We love when students add to their home libraries, and we are really excited about the ability to order online and add to our classroom libraries as well!
If you have any questions, please feel free to email Mr. Crisler or Ms. Howell =)
This week, the Third Graders spent time setting their new routines for the classroom. They have learned a routine for everything from how to come into the classroom at the beginning of the day, to how we come and go to our enrichment classes.
These routines are important to each student's success as a learner. We will have active, busy classrooms, and the learning routines are key to making the best use of our time and energy.
Our students will need to be responsible for their materials, for their time, and for their focus and concentration. We must move quickly and purposefully through our transitions and know our responsibility every step of the way. Habits of mind, habits of place, habits of response, and habits of collaboration all must be established so our students can be successful and independent learners who contribute to the classroom community. Along with these routines comes increased independence and real choice. They are beginning to see the advantage of the organizational framework and are predictive and responsive.
We are using a workshop approach for our major disciplines. Character Education, Writer's Workshop, Reader's Workshop and Mathematics' Workshop all benefit from each student knowing exactly what they should do and how to go about it. The goal is to create students who can manage their portion of each process, becoming intelligent and purposeful learners who know how they learn best and who are active in enhancing their learning experiences.
The classes have responded well and have been fun and enthusiastic students.
Next week we will continue building our skills, developing stamina as readers and writers, choosing books wisely, and becoming more independent learners who use strategies to problem solve in all areas. Students will also prepare for their first spelling assessment, which will be given on Friday. The following words will be assessed:
clap
camp
hand
stamp
snack
rack
grabs
glad
bill
miss
click
pink
sick
grin
lift
cat
bit
man
anthill
cramp
Next week students will bring home Scholastic Book Order forms. Please feel free to look at the website www.scholastic.com/readingclub and place your orders online using the class code NP4J9 (this is also on the book orders coming home with your child). We love when students add to their home libraries, and we are really excited about the ability to order online and add to our classroom libraries as well!
If you have any questions, please feel free to email Mr. Crisler or Ms. Howell =)
This week in PE the students practiced Yoga Poses to warm up and cool down their muscles. They worked in teams to score goals playing handball, and enjoyed being "ghosts" in "Pacman: Roadblock".
Feel free to look through photos of last year's classes
The final countdown...
May
18th Colonial Costumes Due to School
22nd Colonial Village 10-11:45AM Families encouraged to attend
25th NO SCHOOL
27th Eagle's Lake Park Picnic and End of Year Reward for 3rd Grade
28th Half Day
29th Half Day, Closing Chapel, Ice Cream Social, Yearbook Signing, 8th Grade Graduation
**Please keep an eye out for things being sent home in your child's folders. I know our Homeroom moms are planning something and are hopeful that students will be able to bring the information home and get it returned to school and to them. We are so grateful for all you do, and are looking forward to whatever they have up their sleeve! The 3rd grade Auction piece was so beautiful, and we have loved all the events this year. Thank you all for your dedication to making this a wonderful year.
Special thanks also to the Doyle and Reyes families for their help in acquiring the boxes necessary for our colonial village. It would not have been possible without you, and we are looking forward to the final presentation of the village.
We will not have any more written assessments this year, and we will be working on the colonial project as well as trying to evaluate the students through observation to note areas of strength and address any weaknesses as much as possible.
We are proud of their growth this year, and want to spend the next few weeks ensuring they are prepared for whatever challenges they encounter.
We know that 4th grade is going to be a new challenge, and are diligently working with them to teach them strategies and give them tools they can use to problem solve and think critically.
We cannot teach them everything, but we can teach them how to work through problems, and hopefully give them the skills they need to be confident when working through difficult situations, whether it is an academic skill they are not familiar with, or a difficult social situation, we hope that they will be able to work through it.
Our hope for the students is that they will continue to practice their math facts and keep reading throughout the summer. Use the websites and games tab of our class weebly to find fun ways to practice skills. If you have any questions or concerns, we are just an email away.
May
18th Colonial Costumes Due to School
22nd Colonial Village 10-11:45AM Families encouraged to attend
25th NO SCHOOL
27th Eagle's Lake Park Picnic and End of Year Reward for 3rd Grade
28th Half Day
29th Half Day, Closing Chapel, Ice Cream Social, Yearbook Signing, 8th Grade Graduation
**Please keep an eye out for things being sent home in your child's folders. I know our Homeroom moms are planning something and are hopeful that students will be able to bring the information home and get it returned to school and to them. We are so grateful for all you do, and are looking forward to whatever they have up their sleeve! The 3rd grade Auction piece was so beautiful, and we have loved all the events this year. Thank you all for your dedication to making this a wonderful year.
Special thanks also to the Doyle and Reyes families for their help in acquiring the boxes necessary for our colonial village. It would not have been possible without you, and we are looking forward to the final presentation of the village.
We will not have any more written assessments this year, and we will be working on the colonial project as well as trying to evaluate the students through observation to note areas of strength and address any weaknesses as much as possible.
We are proud of their growth this year, and want to spend the next few weeks ensuring they are prepared for whatever challenges they encounter.
We know that 4th grade is going to be a new challenge, and are diligently working with them to teach them strategies and give them tools they can use to problem solve and think critically.
We cannot teach them everything, but we can teach them how to work through problems, and hopefully give them the skills they need to be confident when working through difficult situations, whether it is an academic skill they are not familiar with, or a difficult social situation, we hope that they will be able to work through it.
Our hope for the students is that they will continue to practice their math facts and keep reading throughout the summer. Use the websites and games tab of our class weebly to find fun ways to practice skills. If you have any questions or concerns, we are just an email away.
Please see the reminders below our photo slideshows about upcoming events:
3rd grade had fun playing decimal math games to review their skills before the test. They worked very nicely together and helped each other with the math and rules of the game. They sounded like true mathematicians.
Students will spend the next few weeks preparing for our final project. They are to research costumes from the 18th century colonial times and find clothes to wear that fit with that time period. We do not want the students to buy or rent costumes, rather we want them to be as creative as possible. Please have your student bring their costumes with them by May 14th so we can work on the videos for the presentation on May 22nd.
In addition to our colonial village, we are working hard to make a colonial garden. Ms. Kern has planted seeds with the students and they are growing nicely. We will transplant the seedlings next Friday May 8th into the ground near the Lower School Patio. If you have any gardening tools (rakes, hoes, shovels, gloves) that your student could bring to school (carefully) before Friday, we would greatly appreciate it! Please put a piece of masking tape with your name on the tools so that we can return them to you Friday after we plant the garden. We hope that this will be an exciting learning experience for the students!
Reminders/Events:
May 7th- Field Trip and Blue & White Tag Day/Assembly
May 6th Book Battle & ALL BOOKS DUE BACK TO THE LIBRARY
May 8th 3rd Grade planting outdoor garden & Music Awards Assembly
May 11th 3B Chapel Prayer
May 14th- Colonial Costumes due to be brought to school
May 15th- Parent Teacher Conferences- see email from Lynn Rohling for scheduling info
May 22nd- 3rd Grade Colonial Village
Vocabulary Words for assessment on Thursday May 14th:
achievement
apologized
attention
audience
confidence
embarrassed
realized
talents
Spelling Words for assessment on Thursday May 14th:
ashes
foxes
inches
ponies
bunches
alleys
cherries
daisies
heroes
libraries
chimneys
eyelashes
journeys
scratches
For more pictures from our book celebration see the photos tab above. Thanks for coming and making this event so wonderful!!!
Spelling Words for assessment on May 1st:
spoon goose booth gloom rude tube due clues true chew July look shook notebook could Review: coins joyful round Challenge: classroom include through groups renew childhood May 15th- Parent Teacher Conferences. Please keep an eye out for the email about this and use the sign up website to select a time to meet with your child's teacher. Hope to see you then =) |
Vocabulary for May 1st:
aroma expect flavorful graceful interrupted luscious variety Reading Comprehension Assessment on Thursday or Friday as the schedule allows. Families please join us for the Book Celebration Thursday April 30th from 7:45AM-9AM =) ** Families are also encouraged to come Friday May 1st for the May Day performance from 10AM-11AM. The May Day Market will be open in the media center from 8AM-4PM =) **If anyone would like to help assemble books, please email Mr. Crisler or Ms. Howell. Thanks! We are looking for large appliance sized boxes to use as storefronts and cardboard carpet tubes to use as logs for our colonial village. If anyone would like to donate some, or knows where we could get a bunch, please let us know! We are looking forward to the culminating project, and are hoping to show it off on May 22nd. |
Please excuse our delay in posting updates, we have been experiencing technical difficulties. Be sure to look at all of the recently uploaded posts from the end of March until now, as well as the new information under the websites and games tabs above. Videos of the students are on the St. Paul's account, please check them out if you haven't already. Pictures of activities or events with both third grade classes involved are posted under the photos tab above.
Post Tax Day, Pre-ERB NOtes
Well, quite a bit has happened since last we wrote.
The headline news is: ERB CTPIV Tests begin on Monday and run through Wednesday.
How do you help deliver your student to school with the best chance to perform optimally?
1. Your child is rested. In bed early. Awake with enough time to get ready in an unhurried manner.
2. Your child eats breakfast and has protein as part of the meal. Protein is brain food.
3. Have a drama-less week. Calm and certain conversation relaxes the mind.
4. Read with your child. No quizzes. Just relaxed, engaging, sharing.
5. Arrive at school on-time. (By on-time, we mean early.)
This will be your student's first time taking this test on-line. They are prepared for the experience. They've been coached on how to take the test on-line, so the technicality of it all will not be a problem.
We will not give homework, so some after school play time could be relaxing.
The students have been working remarkably well on their books and they look amazing!
It will not be long before they are finished. A day at the end of this month is set aside to share all this beautiful, creative, and masterful work with you. We are eager.
We are studying decimals in math, reviewing place value to the hundred-millions place and then adding the idea of decimal parts to the 0.001.
Our students have finished Dear Austin, the second piece of historical fiction we studied.
They were impressed with the characters in the book, the bravery of the daredevils and the depth of their friendship. It left them speechless when they realized that the book would not have a traditional happy ending. They read beautifully and became emotionally vested in the characters and their predicaments.
The headline news is: ERB CTPIV Tests begin on Monday and run through Wednesday.
How do you help deliver your student to school with the best chance to perform optimally?
1. Your child is rested. In bed early. Awake with enough time to get ready in an unhurried manner.
2. Your child eats breakfast and has protein as part of the meal. Protein is brain food.
3. Have a drama-less week. Calm and certain conversation relaxes the mind.
4. Read with your child. No quizzes. Just relaxed, engaging, sharing.
5. Arrive at school on-time. (By on-time, we mean early.)
This will be your student's first time taking this test on-line. They are prepared for the experience. They've been coached on how to take the test on-line, so the technicality of it all will not be a problem.
We will not give homework, so some after school play time could be relaxing.
The students have been working remarkably well on their books and they look amazing!
It will not be long before they are finished. A day at the end of this month is set aside to share all this beautiful, creative, and masterful work with you. We are eager.
We are studying decimals in math, reviewing place value to the hundred-millions place and then adding the idea of decimal parts to the 0.001.
Our students have finished Dear Austin, the second piece of historical fiction we studied.
They were impressed with the characters in the book, the bravery of the daredevils and the depth of their friendship. It left them speechless when they realized that the book would not have a traditional happy ending. They read beautifully and became emotionally vested in the characters and their predicaments.
April 17-24
Reminders:
April 17th Relay for Life April 20-22 Lower School ERB's April 22- No Intramurals April 24th Wonders Assessment |
May 1st May Day Market
May 2nd Music in the Parks May 6th Book Battle May 8th Music Awards Assembly May 11th 3B Chapel Prayer |
The students were entranced watching Ms. Margo sew the book pages together for our story books. They were excited to see we are getting close to a finished book! If any family members would like to help with the book assembly, we would greatly appreciate a few extra adult hands on deck in the next 2 weeks. Please email Mr. Crisler or Ms. Howell days and times you are available to help if you want to be a part of our book making process! Thank you!
march 30- april 3
Pajama Day Celebration Pictures are under the PHOTOS tab =)
THIS JUST IN!!!!!!!
See the WEBSITES tab for the link to our school Vimeo account, including Videos of the Dance Party on Pajama Day, our 3rd grade plays and MORE!!!!
Reminders:
March 28- Guardian Angels Grades 1-4 Track Meet: Good Luck to the participants!
March 30- All school chapel at 8AM; 3rd grade saying the prayer
March 30-Science Museum Presentation 3PM* start time; All families welcome to attend!
(If you cannot make it Monday at 3pm, the museum will be on display until April 8th and can be viewed any time the school is open.)
*If your child has Orffestra that day, they can come as soon as they are done.
March 31- Saint Paul Singers rehearsal- Note this is a Tuesday, and there will NOT be a rehearsal on Wednesday April 1st, as the whole school will rehearse from 2-3pm that day.
April 2- Grandparents Day! We invite all Grandparents to spend the day here at St. Paul's enjoying our events of the day.
~7:30-8am, 10:30-11:30am Photo Booth available
~8:45am Welcome Assembly and Entertainment
~10-11:30am Classroom visits
11:30AM DISMISSAL- NO AFTERCARE
(students are allowed to leave with their grandparents or guardians any time between 10-11:30, but please complete the form you received via email if someone different is taking your student home that day, and notify the teacher before leaving)
April 3-6 NO SCHOOL- Happy Easter!
April 7- Back to school =)
-We will have our Math Unit 3 Assessment on Measurement April 8, 9, or 10.
THIS JUST IN!!!!!!!
See the WEBSITES tab for the link to our school Vimeo account, including Videos of the Dance Party on Pajama Day, our 3rd grade plays and MORE!!!!
Reminders:
March 28- Guardian Angels Grades 1-4 Track Meet: Good Luck to the participants!
March 30- All school chapel at 8AM; 3rd grade saying the prayer
March 30-Science Museum Presentation 3PM* start time; All families welcome to attend!
(If you cannot make it Monday at 3pm, the museum will be on display until April 8th and can be viewed any time the school is open.)
*If your child has Orffestra that day, they can come as soon as they are done.
March 31- Saint Paul Singers rehearsal- Note this is a Tuesday, and there will NOT be a rehearsal on Wednesday April 1st, as the whole school will rehearse from 2-3pm that day.
April 2- Grandparents Day! We invite all Grandparents to spend the day here at St. Paul's enjoying our events of the day.
~7:30-8am, 10:30-11:30am Photo Booth available
~8:45am Welcome Assembly and Entertainment
~10-11:30am Classroom visits
11:30AM DISMISSAL- NO AFTERCARE
(students are allowed to leave with their grandparents or guardians any time between 10-11:30, but please complete the form you received via email if someone different is taking your student home that day, and notify the teacher before leaving)
April 3-6 NO SCHOOL- Happy Easter!
April 7- Back to school =)
-We will have our Math Unit 3 Assessment on Measurement April 8, 9, or 10.
Other upcoming events:
April 11th Auction April 17th Relay for Life April 20-22 ERB testing May 1st May Day Market May 2nd Music in the Parks May 6th Book Battle May 8th Music Awards Assembly |
(Tentative) 3rd and 4th Grade Intramural Dates:
April 1 April 15 April 29 May 6 May 13- last day for this school year |
welcome back!
We hope that you had a wonderful break with your family. As we welcome the students back, we have a lot of exciting things happening in the next few weeks. Please make sure to check the reminder dates below and let us know if you have any questions.
Dear Levi Vocabulary for Assessment:
timber- wood malady- sickness scheming- planning something bad/evil carcass- dead animal body, remains desolate- barren, empty heartsick- heartbroken, very sad mend- to fix or repair bitter- terrible savage- barbaric, acting like an animal grief- sorrow, sadness, trouble concoction-mixture stronghold-fort, military base brittle- easily broken reluctant- not wanting to do something scarlet- a deep red color spunk- courage dwell- to live in or to think about a lot transaction- exchange of goods scoundrel- dishonest person |
We will be having an open response assessment on Friday, March 27th that will cover the material from Dear Levi. We will also have a vocabulary and spelling assessment that day. The vocabulary is from the story and we have been discussing it as we read, the spelling words are below:
Spelling Words for Assessment March 27:
hugged correct funny happy puppy common collect bottles different lesson error evidence conclusion opinion certain likely |
Happy spring break! See you march 24th =)
ONe Week before Spring Break!!!!
Report Cards:
As you review your child's report card today please keep in mind that we are presenting more challenging tasks as the school year progresses. Each student has approached these new challenges in their own way, learning and growing as we move through the curriculum. While we are proud of those who master a new skill, we do not expect all students to master every new skill. We are impressed with their ability to think critically through their work, and proud that they continue working towards mastery. In general we believe that they are doing well with the new skills, and happy to see them rise to the challenge. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact Mr. Crisler or Ms. Howell to schedule a conference. We are happy to help! |
Reminders:
March 8th- Daylight Savings begins March 11th- 3rd grade drama play 6pm -students should arrive at 5:30pm -see email for costume information March 13th- Field Day, 12pm dismissal, NO AFTERCARE March 16-23 NO SCHOOL April 2nd- Grandparents Day, Early Dismissal April 3-6 NO SCHOOL April 10th- Writer's Guild! |
The Third Graders are continuing to read Dear Levi. They remain immersed in the story because the book is so historically accurate and the times and circumstances are unfamiliar to them yet deeply involving. The main character, Austin, is a compelling character. He is an orphan. His mother died when his younger brother, Levi, was born and his father died while establishing a claim in Oregon. Austin is a boy of his time, yet sensitive, so his story telling is emotionally real and the pictures of his fellow travelers are rich and entertaining. Our students have learned to care about Austin and the other members of the group traveling to Oregon, so when misfortune strikes, our students care about the results.
Our goals for this unit of study are: understand the trials of the travels from Missouri to Oregon, come to appreciate the depth of character reflected by Austin, to recognize and understand specific vocabulary relevant to the story, to analyse the development of the characters and their relationship, to read and summarize sections of the book, and finally, to understand the landscape the pioneers traveled on their journey.
Our third graders continue to work very hard on their stories for Writers' Guild. We have offered several mini-lessons on how to improve word choice, organize a complete story, and to write dialog. Each lesson results in rewrites and rewrites that are stronger as the students make better decisions about their stories.
We are also working with the students to improve their ideas about what a proper illustration might look like. They have gone from simple sketches to some remarkably complicated and complete illustrations.
We ask that our students review multiplication and division tables nightly. They are learning to calculate area and perimeter, measure with rulers to the nearest quarter inch, and also to utilize metric linear measure.
A big shout out to our classmate, David DeCoursy, who will be competing with students from all over the area, and of all ages, in the Regional Spelling Bee at Admiral Farragut Academy this Saturday. We wish him well! He certainly has studied very rigorously.
Remember that this Friday is Field Day!
Our goals for this unit of study are: understand the trials of the travels from Missouri to Oregon, come to appreciate the depth of character reflected by Austin, to recognize and understand specific vocabulary relevant to the story, to analyse the development of the characters and their relationship, to read and summarize sections of the book, and finally, to understand the landscape the pioneers traveled on their journey.
Our third graders continue to work very hard on their stories for Writers' Guild. We have offered several mini-lessons on how to improve word choice, organize a complete story, and to write dialog. Each lesson results in rewrites and rewrites that are stronger as the students make better decisions about their stories.
We are also working with the students to improve their ideas about what a proper illustration might look like. They have gone from simple sketches to some remarkably complicated and complete illustrations.
We ask that our students review multiplication and division tables nightly. They are learning to calculate area and perimeter, measure with rulers to the nearest quarter inch, and also to utilize metric linear measure.
A big shout out to our classmate, David DeCoursy, who will be competing with students from all over the area, and of all ages, in the Regional Spelling Bee at Admiral Farragut Academy this Saturday. We wish him well! He certainly has studied very rigorously.
Remember that this Friday is Field Day!
Busily Writing and Illustrating!
The students did a wonderful job writing descriptive paragraphs:
And now we March into march
Reminders:
-Scholastic Orders due the last day of each month. Order online with the information under our "websites" tab above for a large selection of Scholastic books for all ages.
-Drama play will be March 11th at 6pm. Costumes should be creative and not expensive. Use what you have to make the character you are playing.
-Founders day is March 5th from 6-8pm
-Class photos are March 5th, order forms are coming home with your children today
-Field Day is March 13th, 12pm dismissal and NO aftercare that day.
-Writer's Guild is April 10th and we are dedicating most of our time on writing stories and hand making our own books from now until then.
-If your child will be missing any time between now and April 10th please try to let us know in advance so we can plan accordingly. Thank you!
-Scholastic Orders due the last day of each month. Order online with the information under our "websites" tab above for a large selection of Scholastic books for all ages.
-Drama play will be March 11th at 6pm. Costumes should be creative and not expensive. Use what you have to make the character you are playing.
-Founders day is March 5th from 6-8pm
-Class photos are March 5th, order forms are coming home with your children today
-Field Day is March 13th, 12pm dismissal and NO aftercare that day.
-Writer's Guild is April 10th and we are dedicating most of our time on writing stories and hand making our own books from now until then.
-If your child will be missing any time between now and April 10th please try to let us know in advance so we can plan accordingly. Thank you!
This past Wednesday we enjoyed our field trip to Heritage Village. The day was cloudy and pleasant and the students found many things to explore and discover.
Many thanks to the parents who drove and chaperoned. They helped make the trip fun and kept the students safe and involved.
We arrived at a little after 10am and left reluctantly around 2:30pm. We investigated many of the period structures, ate a pleasant lunch under shady trees, and then spent our afternoon at the McMullen/Coachman cabin. We measured and mapped the cabin and were stunned to find out 13 people had lived all together in its tiny rooms.
We ended our day overwhelming a very kind saleslady in the tiny gift shop.
Our students enjoyed the park. We saw about half of what there was to see and the park is expanding and adding new buildings. You might enjoy going one Saturday and seeing the rest of the park. Check the park's website and look for upcoming events.
Many thanks to the parents who drove and chaperoned. They helped make the trip fun and kept the students safe and involved.
We arrived at a little after 10am and left reluctantly around 2:30pm. We investigated many of the period structures, ate a pleasant lunch under shady trees, and then spent our afternoon at the McMullen/Coachman cabin. We measured and mapped the cabin and were stunned to find out 13 people had lived all together in its tiny rooms.
We ended our day overwhelming a very kind saleslady in the tiny gift shop.
Our students enjoyed the park. We saw about half of what there was to see and the park is expanding and adding new buildings. You might enjoy going one Saturday and seeing the rest of the park. Check the park's website and look for upcoming events.
Our students won praises from our guide . She was impressed with our students' curiosity, their manners, their involvement, and their determination. Our students learned a lot and were terrific representatives of our school.
FIELD TRIP POSTPONED TO FEBRUARY 25TH!!!
Where? Heritage Village
Time? 9:30am-2:30pm
Need to bring: Lunch, Snack, money for souvenirs (if desired)
Dress Appropriately for the weather
If you have a small book bag that can be worn on your back (no bags with wheels) please bring it. Students do NOT need their regular book bags that day.
FIELD TRIP PERMISSION SLIPS DUE MONDAY
Where? Heritage Village
Time? 9:30am-2:30pm
Need to bring: Lunch, Snack, money for souvenirs (if desired)
Dress Appropriately for the weather
If you have a small book bag that can be worn on your back (no bags with wheels) please bring it. Students do NOT need their regular book bags that day.
FIELD TRIP PERMISSION SLIPS DUE MONDAY
The week upcoming: February 23-27
We have, as the headline screams, our rescheduled field trip on Wednesday, the 25th. We are leaving here promptly at 9:30 and coming back at 2:30. Note the information above.
The third graders are at a crucial time for multiplication and division facts memorization. A nightly assignment over the next few weeks is to work with the factor triangles, multiplication facts, and division facts.
We are hard at work developing our Writer's Guild stories. Students are learning to tell a coherent, well-crafted story in picture book form. They will be challenged to create complete illustrations and tie them effectively to the story they tell. It is a daunting, yet enjoyable project that utilizes higher level thinking skills as the young author chooses how to best accomplish this task. Ms. Howell and I will dedicate many hours this next week for the students to work on this project.
The third graders will finish the novel Dear Levi this week. We are working on developing an empathetic relationship with Austin and his band of wagon travelers as they move 2000 miles across the country, making, at the most 20 miles per day and suffering the worst sort of challenges. This is an emotional story and a realistic depiction of the journey. We are asking our students to reflect on aspects of the story in writing and discussion.
Remember, this Friday is a half day. After car WILL be available.
The third graders are at a crucial time for multiplication and division facts memorization. A nightly assignment over the next few weeks is to work with the factor triangles, multiplication facts, and division facts.
We are hard at work developing our Writer's Guild stories. Students are learning to tell a coherent, well-crafted story in picture book form. They will be challenged to create complete illustrations and tie them effectively to the story they tell. It is a daunting, yet enjoyable project that utilizes higher level thinking skills as the young author chooses how to best accomplish this task. Ms. Howell and I will dedicate many hours this next week for the students to work on this project.
The third graders will finish the novel Dear Levi this week. We are working on developing an empathetic relationship with Austin and his band of wagon travelers as they move 2000 miles across the country, making, at the most 20 miles per day and suffering the worst sort of challenges. This is an emotional story and a realistic depiction of the journey. We are asking our students to reflect on aspects of the story in writing and discussion.
Remember, this Friday is a half day. After car WILL be available.
Pop concert today! For more pictures see the "photos" tab above.
Scholastic Orders due by Friday February 27th
To order online, see information on the "Websites" tab February 17th-20th in 3rd Grade:
Math -Division practice -Measuring and calculating distances -Building shapes and measuring perimeters |
Reminders:
No School Monday, February 16 Friday February 20 Pop Concert at 2pm in Gym Language Arts and Social Studies
-Dear Levi novel study -Researching what life was like on the Oregon Trail -Writing summaries and reflections about Dear Levi -Editing and Revising our stories for the Writer's Guild (only 30 school days left!) -Working on illustration strategies for our story books -Quiz FRIDAY on Dear Levi Vocabulary |
Grades K-5 looking on as Jim Sawgrass demonstrates how to use Native American and Colonial Weapons... for more pictures see the "Photos" tab above.
Congratulations to david decoursy who won the school spelling bee!
Next Week in 3rd Grade:
Math -Division Practice -Graphing Temperature and Scores -Measurement with standard units |
Language Arts/Social Studies -"Dear Levi" novel study -Writer's Guild story book writing |
Field Trip Alert!
When: Wednesday February 18 Where: Heritage Village Valentine's Day Information:
-Party on February 13th -Students should bring enough Valentines for both 3rd grade classes (26 students total) Visitor on Tuesday February 10:
Jim Sawgrass, member of the Muskogee Creek Indian Tribe, will be here on Tuesday, February 10 to perform. His performance will include primitive skills and culture of the Southeastern Native American tribes and will include traditional Native American songs, dances, crafts and weaponry. The show will begin at 1:15 PM and end at approximately 2:30 PM. All PreK-3 through 5th grade students are invited to attend. This will take place outside of the Early Childhood building on the grass. |
Dear Levi Vocabulary:
yoking stock graze claim lodging critters prairie preventive whimper pester tomahawks moccasins Sioux hardtack squaw malady leghorns carcass sabers timber swaggered spunk rawhide grove riled ruckus powwow constitution sorrel scoundrel Drama Play for grades 3-5 will be on Wednesday March 11th at 6pm.
|
The first Few Days of February
We have been very busy. We have had our first Everyday Mathematics Assessment, looking at skills we explored in Unit 4. The results are encouraging. The students were able to demonstrate a high level of understanding of the concepts presented over the last few weeks. Ms Howell and I are still looking over the results, using the scores to set priorities for the upcoming week. We plan to spend this next week going over division in detail. The students should practice their fact triangles every night.
Our unit on how nature can inspire invention caught the students' interest. They read several interesting and entertaining selections in the Wonders Books. Our reading unit this next week will be about westward expansion. We will read an expository piece on the Oregon Trail and then spend at least two weeks on a novel, Dear Levi, an historical fiction book about the same journey. Because we are switching to a tradebook, we will not have spelling or vocabulary works the next two weeks. Dear Levi is an engaging book and very realistic. It will hold the students' interest.
Next week, on Tuesday, we will celebrate the 100th Day of School. We have a cool project planned.
Monday, though, we have big excitement. We will have a blue/white tag day and sort all new students and all Kindergarteners to a Color in a secret ceremony in the gym. Mrs. Kemmish's letter outlined expectations for student dress and hinted at the shenanigans we have planned to make the afternoon memorable.
Thursday, we will enjoy Farmer Jason. Farmer Jason is Jason Ringenberger, the former frontman for the Nashville punk band, Jason and the Scorchers. He has also had a significant solo career during which he has written songs with Steve Earl and Todd Snider. He is well respected in his former career and a lot of fun as a children's performer. Look up Farmer Jason on Youtube for a preview. My personal favorite is "Dyson the Bison". (I was a Scorchers fan from way, way back.)
Friday, beginning at 8:30, is the whole school spelling bee. David DeCoursy will defend 3rd Grade's honor against the winners of the grade level spelling bees. I know David has been practicing.
Today, the students faced a very difficult challenge. We asked them to map the Lower School Building...the inside! We discussed what scale might work best. We outlined a strategy. It still presented a great many difficulties for students to overcome. Attempting the challenge in pairs, the students found themselves having to start again, not once, but several times, as the plan they thought would work, did not work as they had anticipated. We are still working on the task, but several teams were able to show a credible beginning map. We'll work on it again next week.
Our unit on how nature can inspire invention caught the students' interest. They read several interesting and entertaining selections in the Wonders Books. Our reading unit this next week will be about westward expansion. We will read an expository piece on the Oregon Trail and then spend at least two weeks on a novel, Dear Levi, an historical fiction book about the same journey. Because we are switching to a tradebook, we will not have spelling or vocabulary works the next two weeks. Dear Levi is an engaging book and very realistic. It will hold the students' interest.
Next week, on Tuesday, we will celebrate the 100th Day of School. We have a cool project planned.
Monday, though, we have big excitement. We will have a blue/white tag day and sort all new students and all Kindergarteners to a Color in a secret ceremony in the gym. Mrs. Kemmish's letter outlined expectations for student dress and hinted at the shenanigans we have planned to make the afternoon memorable.
Thursday, we will enjoy Farmer Jason. Farmer Jason is Jason Ringenberger, the former frontman for the Nashville punk band, Jason and the Scorchers. He has also had a significant solo career during which he has written songs with Steve Earl and Todd Snider. He is well respected in his former career and a lot of fun as a children's performer. Look up Farmer Jason on Youtube for a preview. My personal favorite is "Dyson the Bison". (I was a Scorchers fan from way, way back.)
Friday, beginning at 8:30, is the whole school spelling bee. David DeCoursy will defend 3rd Grade's honor against the winners of the grade level spelling bees. I know David has been practicing.
Today, the students faced a very difficult challenge. We asked them to map the Lower School Building...the inside! We discussed what scale might work best. We outlined a strategy. It still presented a great many difficulties for students to overcome. Attempting the challenge in pairs, the students found themselves having to start again, not once, but several times, as the plan they thought would work, did not work as they had anticipated. We are still working on the task, but several teams were able to show a credible beginning map. We'll work on it again next week.
Spelling words for the last week of January and into the bleak midwinter: misprint, misread, mistreat, miscount, misspell, precut, preheat, preplan, preview, presale, dishonest, dismounted, discover, disconnect, distrust
Vocab: effective, example, identical, material, model, observed, similar
Essential Question (and it's a good one) "What ideas can we get from nature?"
Skills: Main idea and key detail (a very important skill set)
We have had a great time with our Everyday Mathematics units this week. We have studied map scale, graphing, area, and perimeter. These are extensions of the students' multiplication concepts. The beauty of the Everyday Mathematics activities is how these ideas are developed in practical, tangible ways. We discuss, we argue, we fail, we rethink, we triumph, we are mathematically engaged! The activities are varied, challenging, and couched in logic and the need for understanding at a more complex level beyond just calculation and plugging in numbers using rote algorithms. Needless to say, we teachers are loving the challenge.
We spent the morning today mapping the pre-k 4's playground. We created a usable scale, oriented our map to the cardinal directions, paced distances and placed the objects accordingly, and, for the poets among us (and all the children are poets in this grade), we wrote some alliterative lines about the joy of a pre-k playground!
Read this blog weekly for information coming for two field trips to enliven the bleak midwinter (sorry, I have been listening to a lot of English folk tunes, Sandy Denny, Fairport Convention, Richard Thompson and such.)
Scholastic orders due by Friday January 30th! See the information to order online now conveniently located on this website under the "websites" tab, or send your order in to school by Friday. =)
Vocab: effective, example, identical, material, model, observed, similar
Essential Question (and it's a good one) "What ideas can we get from nature?"
Skills: Main idea and key detail (a very important skill set)
We have had a great time with our Everyday Mathematics units this week. We have studied map scale, graphing, area, and perimeter. These are extensions of the students' multiplication concepts. The beauty of the Everyday Mathematics activities is how these ideas are developed in practical, tangible ways. We discuss, we argue, we fail, we rethink, we triumph, we are mathematically engaged! The activities are varied, challenging, and couched in logic and the need for understanding at a more complex level beyond just calculation and plugging in numbers using rote algorithms. Needless to say, we teachers are loving the challenge.
We spent the morning today mapping the pre-k 4's playground. We created a usable scale, oriented our map to the cardinal directions, paced distances and placed the objects accordingly, and, for the poets among us (and all the children are poets in this grade), we wrote some alliterative lines about the joy of a pre-k playground!
Read this blog weekly for information coming for two field trips to enliven the bleak midwinter (sorry, I have been listening to a lot of English folk tunes, Sandy Denny, Fairport Convention, Richard Thompson and such.)
Scholastic orders due by Friday January 30th! See the information to order online now conveniently located on this website under the "websites" tab, or send your order in to school by Friday. =)
Spelling for the week of January 19-23, 2015:
chick, teacher, cheese, truth, fish, much, lunch, stretch, pathway, whales, pitch, hatch, thick, them, what, crunch, reach, shadow, chuckled, search, seashells, sandwich, weather
Vocabulary: bounce, imagine, inventor, observer
Poetry Words: alliteration, limerick, free verse, rhyme
As you can see, we will be studying poetry next week. The students will have the chance to read a variety of poetry and hopefully be inspired to write their own poems. As we move forward and build their writing skills, we are focusing on "kindness", the theme we have chosen to for our story books. We are encouraging the students to think about the theme in a variety of ways so that they can develop their own story line about characters who demonstrate kindness.
chick, teacher, cheese, truth, fish, much, lunch, stretch, pathway, whales, pitch, hatch, thick, them, what, crunch, reach, shadow, chuckled, search, seashells, sandwich, weather
Vocabulary: bounce, imagine, inventor, observer
Poetry Words: alliteration, limerick, free verse, rhyme
As you can see, we will be studying poetry next week. The students will have the chance to read a variety of poetry and hopefully be inspired to write their own poems. As we move forward and build their writing skills, we are focusing on "kindness", the theme we have chosen to for our story books. We are encouraging the students to think about the theme in a variety of ways so that they can develop their own story line about characters who demonstrate kindness.
Using a Compass to make a Compass Rose
Our intrepid third graders learned today that using a compass is a good bit trickier than they suspected. It's tricky lining up the north facing arrow. It's tricky determining the orientation of the other cardinal directions. Throw in the mid-directions like NE, SE, SW, and NW and the whole thing is initially overwhelming. Still they were up for the task and the task was to construct an enormous compass rose on our soccer field.
Students were divided into pairs with two groups of three, all the logistics sorted out by Emily in a surprise mental math assignment that she powered through successfully. The supplies distributed after Ryan calculated the cones everyone needed in order to give the primary directions twice as many cones as the mid-directions. Everyone grabbed their tools, their compasses, their partners and headed to the field.
We placed a cone at the center of the field. Each group was given a direction to draw with the cones. False starts were the order of the day, as the students discovered that compasses require a degree of finesse, they had not expected. Another surprise was that the soccer field is not oriented perfectly north and south, but is rather 20 degrees of north.
In the end we had our masterpiece. Much was learned. Some tears and a few frustrated restarts, but an enormous compass rose was constructed this morning on the SPS soccer field and it was awesome!
Students were divided into pairs with two groups of three, all the logistics sorted out by Emily in a surprise mental math assignment that she powered through successfully. The supplies distributed after Ryan calculated the cones everyone needed in order to give the primary directions twice as many cones as the mid-directions. Everyone grabbed their tools, their compasses, their partners and headed to the field.
We placed a cone at the center of the field. Each group was given a direction to draw with the cones. False starts were the order of the day, as the students discovered that compasses require a degree of finesse, they had not expected. Another surprise was that the soccer field is not oriented perfectly north and south, but is rather 20 degrees of north.
In the end we had our masterpiece. Much was learned. Some tears and a few frustrated restarts, but an enormous compass rose was constructed this morning on the SPS soccer field and it was awesome!
Welcome back! We hope that you had a wonderful holiday break spending time with your family. We are happy to be back to school and ready for a new and exciting year! In addition to all of the wonderful tasks we have been working on so far this school year, the new year brings the start of new projects. We will be completing our spelling bee competition, writing our own books about kindness, building a colonial village, and expanding our understanding of mathematical concepts and processes.
This week in Language Arts we started a wonderful unit on Outer Space. The Essential Question has been : "What do we know about Earth and its neighbors?" and the students have shared some amazing facts about the solar system and have also come up with fascinating questions about the universe. We have become so enthralled with the topic we have decided to continue exploring space and researching the students' questions through next week. There will not be a spelling test next week, but we will have a reading comprehension assessment next Friday.
Today we hosted the second round of the spelling bee in 3rd grade and we are happy to announce the winner is: DAVID DECOURSY! The competition was fierce. Each of the five third grade finalist came prepared and poised. It was a nail-biter to the end.
We are happy to announce our purchase of Everyday Mathematics to supplement our current math series. Everyday Mathematics is process oriented and intentional in making connections that heighten our students' understanding of mathematics. Our students are enjoying the variety of challenges they have faced using the new materials. As its name implies, Everyday Mathematics is practical as well as conceptual. The students are asked to use multiple strategies in discovering the answers to problems. They are constantly being asked why they chose a certain strategy and how they know their answer makes sense. We will continue to utilize these materials to enrich and expand our math curriculum.
We have compasses on the way! Next week we will enjoy using our compasses to map parts of our campus. Students will become practiced in using scale and orientation in order to create accurate maps. We are using our mapping study to enhance our unit on Daniel Boone, a first rate woodsman and frontiersman.
Later this winter we will explore Eagle's Lake Park and try our mapping skills in that more challenging setting. We are also planning a field trip to Heritage Village to study the layout and construction of the McMullen dogtrot cabin displayed there. A visit to the Agricultural Extension of UF will help us plan our garden.
We want to continue to stress the importance of regular recreational reading throughout your child's academic career. Research suggests recreational reading is the strongest indicator of developing literacy and vocabulary strength.
This week in Language Arts we started a wonderful unit on Outer Space. The Essential Question has been : "What do we know about Earth and its neighbors?" and the students have shared some amazing facts about the solar system and have also come up with fascinating questions about the universe. We have become so enthralled with the topic we have decided to continue exploring space and researching the students' questions through next week. There will not be a spelling test next week, but we will have a reading comprehension assessment next Friday.
Today we hosted the second round of the spelling bee in 3rd grade and we are happy to announce the winner is: DAVID DECOURSY! The competition was fierce. Each of the five third grade finalist came prepared and poised. It was a nail-biter to the end.
We are happy to announce our purchase of Everyday Mathematics to supplement our current math series. Everyday Mathematics is process oriented and intentional in making connections that heighten our students' understanding of mathematics. Our students are enjoying the variety of challenges they have faced using the new materials. As its name implies, Everyday Mathematics is practical as well as conceptual. The students are asked to use multiple strategies in discovering the answers to problems. They are constantly being asked why they chose a certain strategy and how they know their answer makes sense. We will continue to utilize these materials to enrich and expand our math curriculum.
We have compasses on the way! Next week we will enjoy using our compasses to map parts of our campus. Students will become practiced in using scale and orientation in order to create accurate maps. We are using our mapping study to enhance our unit on Daniel Boone, a first rate woodsman and frontiersman.
Later this winter we will explore Eagle's Lake Park and try our mapping skills in that more challenging setting. We are also planning a field trip to Heritage Village to study the layout and construction of the McMullen dogtrot cabin displayed there. A visit to the Agricultural Extension of UF will help us plan our garden.
We want to continue to stress the importance of regular recreational reading throughout your child's academic career. Research suggests recreational reading is the strongest indicator of developing literacy and vocabulary strength.
Congratulations, David, on a job well done!
Thanks to everyone who made our 3rd grade Holiday Party a success! The kids had a great time!
What a glorious morning! All the storks are ready and listening.
We have a busy week ahead of us. No spelling words or vocabulary to study. Still much to do.
We have finished our Colonial Tradesman Unit. During the first of the new year we will begin our Big Project, so look for information once we are back.
Dates to keep in mind:
Monday, December 15th: All School Chapel (3A will have the prayer)
Wednesday, December 17th: 2:15-3:00 Holiday Parties
Thursday, December 18th: Morning practice at Ruth Eckerd Hall for Lessons and Carols (Check Knightly News for specifics)
Lessons and Carols that evening. All 3rd graders come to the West doors of REH and look for your teacher. We will be in the top of the west side of REH.
Friday, December 19th: Holidays have begun.
Lessons and Carols December 18th:
Meet at Ruth Eckerd Hall at 8:30am- students do not need to wear their uniforms
Pick up students by 12pm
Meet at Ruth Eckerd Hall at 6:30pm- students should wear Holiday Dress clothes
Ruth Eckerd Hall address:
1111 North McMullen Booth Road, Clearwater, FL 33759
If you are looking for a great learning activity for your students who enjoy using the ipads and playing games, there is a website called code.org/learn where students can learn step by step how to write use codes to make programs, including their own games that they can share with family and friends! It is an amazing tool, and even easy enough for people with no technology skills.
We have finished our Colonial Tradesman Unit. During the first of the new year we will begin our Big Project, so look for information once we are back.
Dates to keep in mind:
Monday, December 15th: All School Chapel (3A will have the prayer)
Wednesday, December 17th: 2:15-3:00 Holiday Parties
Thursday, December 18th: Morning practice at Ruth Eckerd Hall for Lessons and Carols (Check Knightly News for specifics)
Lessons and Carols that evening. All 3rd graders come to the West doors of REH and look for your teacher. We will be in the top of the west side of REH.
Friday, December 19th: Holidays have begun.
Lessons and Carols December 18th:
Meet at Ruth Eckerd Hall at 8:30am- students do not need to wear their uniforms
Pick up students by 12pm
Meet at Ruth Eckerd Hall at 6:30pm- students should wear Holiday Dress clothes
Ruth Eckerd Hall address:
1111 North McMullen Booth Road, Clearwater, FL 33759
If you are looking for a great learning activity for your students who enjoy using the ipads and playing games, there is a website called code.org/learn where students can learn step by step how to write use codes to make programs, including their own games that they can share with family and friends! It is an amazing tool, and even easy enough for people with no technology skills.
Congratulations to all of our classroom Spelling Bee Winners and Alternates!
3-A Winners (3-way tie)
David DeCoursy
McKenna McCord
Gavin Roberton
Alternates (2-way tie)
Reanna Hossain
Riley Whitcomb
3-B Winners
Nico Lore
Sonia Bulycheva
Alternates (3-way tie)
Logan Chang
Rachel Safriel
Ava Grady-Smith
Our winners and alternates have received the three grade level spelling word lists and will take the holiday break to get ready for our next Spelling Bee round.
Our classroom winners will compete against one another in Round 2 on Friday, January 9th. Any classroom winner who cannot compete in Round 2 will be replaced by the classroom alternate. We should know by Friday, January 9th who the eight grade level finalists are from Round 2.
Those eight grade level finalists will then move on to our All-School Spelling Bee on February 6, 2015. The single winner from our Saint Paul's Spelling Bee will receive a prize of a one-year subscription to "Britannica Online for Kids," and that winner will then represent our school at the Tampa Bay Regional Spelling Bee at Admiral Farragut Academy on March 7, 2015.
Good Luck to all of our Spellers!
December 8-12:
Spelling:
sharp, yard, artist, carve, porch, storm, sport, story, chore, shore, sore, hoard, oars, pour, your
Challenge words:orchard, tortilla, order, ignore, soaring, uproar
Vocabulary:
amazement, bravery, disappear, donated, leader, nervous, refused, temporary
Reminder: Our class is officially set up with an online account for Scholastic. You can order online, or turn in orders to Mr. Crisler and Ms. Howell.
The website is: https://clubs2.scholastic.com/
The class code is NP4J9
If you want to place an order for December orders are due by December 12th to ensure they arrive before the holidays!
Also, the "Shake It Off" contest entries must be turned in by December 8th if you want us to submit your entry. You are welcome to mail in your child's entry from home.
Students were excited to see the launch of Orion this week. Lower School gathered together in hopes that we would be able to see it, however the launch was scrubbed due to windy weather.
Spelling:
sharp, yard, artist, carve, porch, storm, sport, story, chore, shore, sore, hoard, oars, pour, your
Challenge words:orchard, tortilla, order, ignore, soaring, uproar
Vocabulary:
amazement, bravery, disappear, donated, leader, nervous, refused, temporary
Reminder: Our class is officially set up with an online account for Scholastic. You can order online, or turn in orders to Mr. Crisler and Ms. Howell.
The website is: https://clubs2.scholastic.com/
The class code is NP4J9
If you want to place an order for December orders are due by December 12th to ensure they arrive before the holidays!
Also, the "Shake It Off" contest entries must be turned in by December 8th if you want us to submit your entry. You are welcome to mail in your child's entry from home.
Students were excited to see the launch of Orion this week. Lower School gathered together in hopes that we would be able to see it, however the launch was scrubbed due to windy weather.
We are hard at work, we Third Graders, at mastering our multiplication facts. We are following a clever path that allows us to learn all 100 facts in seven days. So far, we have studies our doubles, our twos, our fives, and our threes. While we are learning the facts, we are also investigating ways we can utilize what we already know, combine it with our newly learned facts and are surprising ourselves with how much we can already do. An example: (777x7, We know the fact is 7x7=49. The first column is ones, so we write that fact 7X7=49. We know the next seven is in the 10's column and so we can use place value and our fact to realise that 70X7= 490. We place the 490 beneath the 49 as partial products. Finally, we recognize the third 7 is in the hundred's column so we multiply 7X700=4900, another partial product to add to the other 3 for a total product of 5,439. Cool.
The other idea we are realizing is that each fact is composed of a product and two factors. We learn 5X4=20, and we realize that 4X5=20 as well, and finally we come to know that 20 divided by 4=5, and that 20 divided by 5=4.
How economical to learn our facts this way. We've made triangle fact cards that emphasize the relationship between multiplication and division facts. Ask me to show you. It's all in the folder I'm bringing home each night.
It is time we read more challenging books. We are disciplining ourselves to read at least 20 minutes each night.
We have been working on learning the jobs of Colonial tradesmen, (tradespeople?). We have studied what the various trades are, what sort of shop they may have, and what tools they might use. Our 2nd class plays will be about our Colonial trades.
Finally, we are working hard on recognizing the plot of stories. What problem is presented? Who works to solve the problem and in what manner? Lastly, what is the outcome once the problem is resolved? We are recognizing the unique effect of character on plot.
It will be a busy time the next two weeks.
The other idea we are realizing is that each fact is composed of a product and two factors. We learn 5X4=20, and we realize that 4X5=20 as well, and finally we come to know that 20 divided by 4=5, and that 20 divided by 5=4.
How economical to learn our facts this way. We've made triangle fact cards that emphasize the relationship between multiplication and division facts. Ask me to show you. It's all in the folder I'm bringing home each night.
It is time we read more challenging books. We are disciplining ourselves to read at least 20 minutes each night.
We have been working on learning the jobs of Colonial tradesmen, (tradespeople?). We have studied what the various trades are, what sort of shop they may have, and what tools they might use. Our 2nd class plays will be about our Colonial trades.
Finally, we are working hard on recognizing the plot of stories. What problem is presented? Who works to solve the problem and in what manner? Lastly, what is the outcome once the problem is resolved? We are recognizing the unique effect of character on plot.
It will be a busy time the next two weeks.
Thanksgiving Holidays- NOvember 22nd- November 30th
With all sincerity, we two third grade turkeys wish you and your family the finest and most enjoyable Thanksgiving Holiday.
Each day, our lives are enriched by the joy, the energy, the kindness, and the curiosity of these third grade students. They keep us committed. They make us smile; laugh, actually, and they challenge us to keep their experiences vital, rigorous, and creative.
Peace to you and yours from the two of us and our families.
December 1-5 Spelling and Vocabulary:
chick, teacher, cheese, truth, fish, much, lunch, stretch, pathway, whales, pitch, hatch, thick, them, what, sandwich, weather, crunch, reach, shadow, chuckled, search, seashells, what***
bounce, inventor, observer, alliteration, free verse, limerick, rhyme
***There will be no test on the spelling words listed as we will be having the 1st round of our School Wide Spelling Bee (See word list below)
Each day, our lives are enriched by the joy, the energy, the kindness, and the curiosity of these third grade students. They keep us committed. They make us smile; laugh, actually, and they challenge us to keep their experiences vital, rigorous, and creative.
Peace to you and yours from the two of us and our families.
December 1-5 Spelling and Vocabulary:
chick, teacher, cheese, truth, fish, much, lunch, stretch, pathway, whales, pitch, hatch, thick, them, what, sandwich, weather, crunch, reach, shadow, chuckled, search, seashells, what***
bounce, inventor, observer, alliteration, free verse, limerick, rhyme
***There will be no test on the spelling words listed as we will be having the 1st round of our School Wide Spelling Bee (See word list below)
See the photos below of our Dance Party Friday and Troubadour Escapades:
The Week of November 18
Please, if you have yet to do so, sign up for a parent/teacher conference for this Monday. Report Cards are posted this evening.
This week in reading we are continuing with the same vocabulary and spelling words. The assessment for these two components will be Friday.
Our reading assessment will be on Thursday this upcoming week.
We are continuing with multiplication concepts. We encourage the students to use an app to practice their times tables.
Our social studies' projects are continuing.
Thanksgiving is looming. Remember our all-school Thanksgiving Chapel on Wednesday and make time to come to the Barnes and Nobles Book Fair here on campus this next week.
Ms. Howell and Mr. Crisler wish you and your family the best Thanksgiving. We are thankful for the effort and commitment of our students and their families.
This week we had the privilege of witnessing some amazing events. We saw Japanese artists who made a dragon and a symbol of love, using the energy in the room. We also participated in "Poetry Alive!" and saw how poems can come to life if you put motions and emotions with the words.
We also had a lot of fun collaborating for Math Lab with 3A and 3B coming together to understand multiplication as it relates to area.
Our reading assessment will be on Thursday this upcoming week.
We are continuing with multiplication concepts. We encourage the students to use an app to practice their times tables.
Our social studies' projects are continuing.
Thanksgiving is looming. Remember our all-school Thanksgiving Chapel on Wednesday and make time to come to the Barnes and Nobles Book Fair here on campus this next week.
Ms. Howell and Mr. Crisler wish you and your family the best Thanksgiving. We are thankful for the effort and commitment of our students and their families.
This week we had the privilege of witnessing some amazing events. We saw Japanese artists who made a dragon and a symbol of love, using the energy in the room. We also participated in "Poetry Alive!" and saw how poems can come to life if you put motions and emotions with the words.
We also had a lot of fun collaborating for Math Lab with 3A and 3B coming together to understand multiplication as it relates to area.
Our essential question for this week is "How can people help animals survive?". The vocabulary words are: caretakers, population, recognized, relatives, resources, survive, and threatened.
Our students will be assessed on Friday by how well they use these words in good, well-constructed sentences.
The spelling words will be: scrubs, scratch, scrape, screams, scribble, spread, sprinkle, spray, splinter,streamer, strength, strong, squeak, throw, threaten, and throne. The students will be assessed using a dictation.
Our comprehension skill will be recognizing an author's point of view. The students will write persuasive paragraphs in which they will practice putting forth their own point of view regarding something about which they feel passionately.
We are entering a time in which our students need to develop a passion for recreational reading. Research is convincing that regular recreational reading is the best method for improving literacy skills, vocabulary development, and comprehension. We are encouraging the third graders to choose engaging books from the library and read each night. We want to instill recreational reading as a pleasant habit with our students.
Saint Paul's School will participate in the Scripps Spelling Bee this year. This is a national competitive spelling bee. We are sending home the Official Scripps Grade Level word lists on Monday. A regular part of our homework is for students to review the list over the next 2-3 weeks, for a classroom spelling assessment during the week of Dec. 1. Classroom winners are chosen and given 3 new lists, the grade level list plus 2 additional lists to study over 4-5 weeks. The week of Jan. 6 will be a Grade Level Spelling Bee, the winner advancing to an all-school spelling bee on Feb. 6, 2015. Watch for the first list on Monday.
In Reading/Language Arts, we are requiring a greater, more measured finish to any of the written work the students are assigned. We are requiring better sentences, with text evidence, and proper attention to spelling, neatness, handwriting, and punctuation. We expect to see rapid improvement.
In math we have wrapped up our subtraction unit. Although we have seen progress in the students' abilities to subtract, we are still encouraging them to slow down, read the directions or problem and think it through so that they are able to correctly answer the questions. Next week we will dive into multiplication. Some students have their facts memorized, and others will be learning them for the first time. It is important for students to review their facts so that they can recall them quickly. We will strive to understand multiplication as a concept, and will be teaching the students to understand when it is necessary so they can use it throughout their lives.
In Social Studies we have seen the students become very excited about the Colonial times. They have been working hard to research trades and are collaborating to help each other learn. Through their collaborative spirit our projects have been extended and developed into something even more elaborate. It is so wonderful to see the students coming up with ideas to make the project their own.
The students have received information about the Scholastic contest and can work on their entries at home or at school. Please see the information below:
Our students will be assessed on Friday by how well they use these words in good, well-constructed sentences.
The spelling words will be: scrubs, scratch, scrape, screams, scribble, spread, sprinkle, spray, splinter,streamer, strength, strong, squeak, throw, threaten, and throne. The students will be assessed using a dictation.
Our comprehension skill will be recognizing an author's point of view. The students will write persuasive paragraphs in which they will practice putting forth their own point of view regarding something about which they feel passionately.
We are entering a time in which our students need to develop a passion for recreational reading. Research is convincing that regular recreational reading is the best method for improving literacy skills, vocabulary development, and comprehension. We are encouraging the third graders to choose engaging books from the library and read each night. We want to instill recreational reading as a pleasant habit with our students.
Saint Paul's School will participate in the Scripps Spelling Bee this year. This is a national competitive spelling bee. We are sending home the Official Scripps Grade Level word lists on Monday. A regular part of our homework is for students to review the list over the next 2-3 weeks, for a classroom spelling assessment during the week of Dec. 1. Classroom winners are chosen and given 3 new lists, the grade level list plus 2 additional lists to study over 4-5 weeks. The week of Jan. 6 will be a Grade Level Spelling Bee, the winner advancing to an all-school spelling bee on Feb. 6, 2015. Watch for the first list on Monday.
In Reading/Language Arts, we are requiring a greater, more measured finish to any of the written work the students are assigned. We are requiring better sentences, with text evidence, and proper attention to spelling, neatness, handwriting, and punctuation. We expect to see rapid improvement.
In math we have wrapped up our subtraction unit. Although we have seen progress in the students' abilities to subtract, we are still encouraging them to slow down, read the directions or problem and think it through so that they are able to correctly answer the questions. Next week we will dive into multiplication. Some students have their facts memorized, and others will be learning them for the first time. It is important for students to review their facts so that they can recall them quickly. We will strive to understand multiplication as a concept, and will be teaching the students to understand when it is necessary so they can use it throughout their lives.
In Social Studies we have seen the students become very excited about the Colonial times. They have been working hard to research trades and are collaborating to help each other learn. Through their collaborative spirit our projects have been extended and developed into something even more elaborate. It is so wonderful to see the students coming up with ideas to make the project their own.
The students have received information about the Scholastic contest and can work on their entries at home or at school. Please see the information below:
Next week (November 3-7) promises to be another fun filled week. As we settle back into our weekly routine after the holiday fun, we will be busy learning and creating as much as possible. The students will resume their routine with Wonders, practicing their spelling and vocabulary throughout the week, and having assessments on Friday. This week's vocabulary assessment will be slightly different for the students because they will be required to write sentences using the vocabulary words correctly. The students have found it easy to memorize definitions, but the true demonstration of understanding comes when they are able to use the word in daily life.
Spelling Words:
heel, creek, street, freeze, weekly, free, sixteen, seal, speaks, clean, peanut, repeat, weakest, field, chief
Vocabulary Words:
arrived
immigrated
inspected
moment
opportunity
photographs
valuable
whispered
The Essential Question this week is "Why do people immigrate to new places?" and I think it will produce some great discussions, especially after our recent visitor from Moscow! We will read "Sail to America" and "The Castle on Hester Street" to explore this concept and read our vocabulary words in context.
In math this week we will be wrapping up our Subtraction Unit and having a Chapter Assessment mid-week. We have been working diligently with the students to practice problem solving skills. We have been encouraging them to slow down and really evaluate the word problems and check their work when they are finished so that they can improve their accuracy. We want the students to learn the importance of quality over quantity of work produced in all subject areas, and believe that self correction and self evaluation are important parts of achieving this goal.
Our Social Studies Unit has become a very exciting part of each week. The students have produced some amazing projects so far and have been doing some great research about the colonial times.
Spelling Words:
heel, creek, street, freeze, weekly, free, sixteen, seal, speaks, clean, peanut, repeat, weakest, field, chief
Vocabulary Words:
arrived
immigrated
inspected
moment
opportunity
photographs
valuable
whispered
The Essential Question this week is "Why do people immigrate to new places?" and I think it will produce some great discussions, especially after our recent visitor from Moscow! We will read "Sail to America" and "The Castle on Hester Street" to explore this concept and read our vocabulary words in context.
In math this week we will be wrapping up our Subtraction Unit and having a Chapter Assessment mid-week. We have been working diligently with the students to practice problem solving skills. We have been encouraging them to slow down and really evaluate the word problems and check their work when they are finished so that they can improve their accuracy. We want the students to learn the importance of quality over quantity of work produced in all subject areas, and believe that self correction and self evaluation are important parts of achieving this goal.
Our Social Studies Unit has become a very exciting part of each week. The students have produced some amazing projects so far and have been doing some great research about the colonial times.
Good News! Our class is officially set up with an online account for Scholastic. You can order online, or turn in orders to Mr. Crisler and Ms. Howell.
The website is: https://clubs2.scholastic.com/
The class code is NP4J9
The website is: https://clubs2.scholastic.com/
The class code is NP4J9
On Wednesday, the students got to attend the Greenery Assembly and watch people face off in the Bungee Run. Third graders Nico Lore and Tyler Allison were chosen to race against each other and we had a great time watching them "battle the forcefield" (their description of how it felt!). We also had a blast watching Ms. Kemmish and Mr. Clyne race and fall down.
Loads and Loads of Halloween
The Third Graders became the Traveling Troubadours for Halloween. We practiced reciting Shel Silverstein's poem "Superstitious" and went from classroom to classroom performing it as a recitation. Our favorite audience was Mrs. Kemmish and Mrs. Keller in the confines of the Head of School Office. The kids did a great job.
Resting between performances
Cooperation: What a terrific concept
This week we will continue to explore the advantages of cooperation and collaboration.
We will have a reading assessment on Wednesday focusing on our stories about cooperation and folktales.
We have built Iroquois long houses and studied the Six Nation Confederacy's contribution to our nation's history.
Our concentration in math is subtraction with regrouping. We are learning several alternative methods in order to expand our understanding of why regrouping works.
We will not have either a vocabulary or spelling assessment this week.
We will have a reading assessment on Wednesday focusing on our stories about cooperation and folktales.
We have built Iroquois long houses and studied the Six Nation Confederacy's contribution to our nation's history.
Our concentration in math is subtraction with regrouping. We are learning several alternative methods in order to expand our understanding of why regrouping works.
We will not have either a vocabulary or spelling assessment this week.
Big News!!!
This Friday will be our Halloween celebration. Kids throughout the lower school will be in costume all day. The Third Graders will be wandering the halls delivering our poem, so it's time to work diligently to memorize those lines. Our party will be in the afternoon. Please sign up via Sign Up Genius to be a part of the party.
The next two weeks the Third Grade will be Immersed in the theme of Cooperation and Collaboration
Our theme the next two weeks will be cooperation and collaboration. We want to take extra time and stretch our unit from the normal one week to two. We feel this will be a very rich unit.
Our essential question in reading is: "Why is working together a good way to solve a problem?"
Our unit skills will be recognizing theme and making predictions. We anticipate our students may have some initial difficulty distinguishing between main idea and theme, but we will work to help them recognize the characteristics of each idea.
Our literary genre concentration will be folktales. We will read as many as we can. They are often colorful and amusing and make an entertaining read, so join in at home if you have favorites of your own.
The vocabulary words for this week are: attempt, awkward, created, furiously, interfere, involved, and timid.
The spelling skill is a concentration on long i and long u. A secondary concentration will be adding suffixes to words ending in y. The list of words are: sky, bright, music, mild, fry, grind, drew, tightly, tied, pies, child, few, firefly, cube, mighty, human, tight, cute, Utah, rude, right, mule, fume, menu.
In Social Studies, we will research the Iroquois and the Six Nations Confederacy of upstate New York. This study will reveal, among other facts, is that the legislature of the United States Government was modeled after the Six Nations Confederacy.
Whew, a busy two weeks coming towards us.
In years past, the fourth grade students formed a group called the Traveling Troubadours. The purpose of the group was to memorize and recite poems during the year, moving from classroom to classroom. Ms Howell and I have resurrected the Traveling Troubadours for the Grade Three students. We have handed out a Shel Silverstein poem called "Superstitious" suitable for the upcoming holiday and the third graders are busy memorizing the poem to take traveling on the day of the Halloween parties. Help your student memorize the poem, if you would. It will be fun.
In Math this coming week we will continue working on subtraction. The students will utilize their basic knowledge of subtraction facts to build their skills as we begin to work with larger numbers and challenge ourselves to look at numbers in a variety of ways. The students will learn to regroup while subtracting 3 and 4 digit numbers. They will practice using various algorithms to help them organize the larger numbers. They will also calculate monetary difference, practice giving change, estimating how much money is needed to buy items and establishing how much money would be left if they bought certain items. It is important that students learn to align their numbers correctly and organize their work so that when they are working with larger numbers they will be able to utilize their basic skills effectively.
Our essential question in reading is: "Why is working together a good way to solve a problem?"
Our unit skills will be recognizing theme and making predictions. We anticipate our students may have some initial difficulty distinguishing between main idea and theme, but we will work to help them recognize the characteristics of each idea.
Our literary genre concentration will be folktales. We will read as many as we can. They are often colorful and amusing and make an entertaining read, so join in at home if you have favorites of your own.
The vocabulary words for this week are: attempt, awkward, created, furiously, interfere, involved, and timid.
The spelling skill is a concentration on long i and long u. A secondary concentration will be adding suffixes to words ending in y. The list of words are: sky, bright, music, mild, fry, grind, drew, tightly, tied, pies, child, few, firefly, cube, mighty, human, tight, cute, Utah, rude, right, mule, fume, menu.
In Social Studies, we will research the Iroquois and the Six Nations Confederacy of upstate New York. This study will reveal, among other facts, is that the legislature of the United States Government was modeled after the Six Nations Confederacy.
Whew, a busy two weeks coming towards us.
In years past, the fourth grade students formed a group called the Traveling Troubadours. The purpose of the group was to memorize and recite poems during the year, moving from classroom to classroom. Ms Howell and I have resurrected the Traveling Troubadours for the Grade Three students. We have handed out a Shel Silverstein poem called "Superstitious" suitable for the upcoming holiday and the third graders are busy memorizing the poem to take traveling on the day of the Halloween parties. Help your student memorize the poem, if you would. It will be fun.
In Math this coming week we will continue working on subtraction. The students will utilize their basic knowledge of subtraction facts to build their skills as we begin to work with larger numbers and challenge ourselves to look at numbers in a variety of ways. The students will learn to regroup while subtracting 3 and 4 digit numbers. They will practice using various algorithms to help them organize the larger numbers. They will also calculate monetary difference, practice giving change, estimating how much money is needed to buy items and establishing how much money would be left if they bought certain items. It is important that students learn to align their numbers correctly and organize their work so that when they are working with larger numbers they will be able to utilize their basic skills effectively.
Please return the Scholastic book orders no later than October 20th. We are hoping to get more orders so that the students can build their home libraries and we can build our classroom libraries :)
October 13-17:
During math this week we will focus on subtraction strategies and algorithms. The students will learn to distinguish when to take away, find part of a whole set, compare and find how many are needed. They will also begin decomposing problems to break the problem into smaller parts, using partial differences to break down the problem and expanded notation to expand the number before subtracting. These strategies and algorithms will help the students explore new ways to problem solve and check their work so that they can self assess. This will help them throughout the unit as we work with larger numbers, estimation, and rounding.
This week in language arts we will work on homophones for spelling and vocabulary. The students will learn how to spell the words, as well as how to use them properly in a sentence. The assessment on Friday will require them to use the correct spelling and to use the proper word in the sentence.
our
hour
your
you're
whole
hole
would
wood
its
it's
by
buy
wear
where
were
we're
whether
weather
there
their
they're
through
threw
won
one
hear
here
During math this week we will focus on subtraction strategies and algorithms. The students will learn to distinguish when to take away, find part of a whole set, compare and find how many are needed. They will also begin decomposing problems to break the problem into smaller parts, using partial differences to break down the problem and expanded notation to expand the number before subtracting. These strategies and algorithms will help the students explore new ways to problem solve and check their work so that they can self assess. This will help them throughout the unit as we work with larger numbers, estimation, and rounding.
This week in language arts we will work on homophones for spelling and vocabulary. The students will learn how to spell the words, as well as how to use them properly in a sentence. The assessment on Friday will require them to use the correct spelling and to use the proper word in the sentence.
our
hour
your
you're
whole
hole
would
wood
its
it's
by
buy
wear
where
were
we're
whether
weather
there
their
they're
through
threw
won
one
hear
here
Third grade united together for some fun on the playground :)
When Mr. Crisler joins in the game, you never know what will happen! The latest rivalry has shifted from girls vs boys to 3A vs 3B!
This week 3A and 3B joined together to problem solve! The students worked together to use a variety of strategies to solve various word problems. They had to draw pictures, use multiple steps and read carefully to find the answers.
10/6-10/10 Spelling Words
coast float toad coal soak gold sold scold slope broke note bone slow show foe bowl program Vocabulary: carved clues grand landmark massive monument national traces This week in Language Arts we will continue to learn about text features (headings, maps, pictures, sidebars, captions etc.), and continue discussing how these features help us better understand the story. We will use text evidence to help us identify the main idea and key details in a story. Our essential question "How do landmarks help us understand our country's history?" will be explored through multiple readings. We will read "A Natural Beauty" about the Grand Canyon and "A Mountain of History" about Mt. Rushmore. The students will also have the opportunity to read about "The National Mall."
In Math we will wrap up our unit on addition with a few lessons on problem solving. We will have our math test this week to conclude the unit. We will start our unit on subtraction, exploring new algorithms and reviewing rounding and estimating. In Social Studies the students will continue working on their maps of colonial towns. They are trying to create a realistic town based on the resources that we know were available and what was necessary to survive. We will also compare and contrast the colonial towns to the housing and villages that the Native Americans had constructed. |
Please be aware that students are not to bring toys to school. Students in 3B are only permitted to bring items to share when they have exchanged tickets to do so. Otherwise students should leave their toys, cards, and ipads at home. We thank you for your understanding.
Please have your child bring headphones to school with them. They can stay in their book bags, but we will need them to use with the ipads for certain projects. Thank you!!!
We are working with our students so they will learn to use text evidence when analysing a reading selection. The students are expected to read text more closely in order to accurately comprehend and gain knowledge from it. Asking and responding to text-dependent questions focuses students on details and information in the text. Close reading requires that students reread to locate evidence in the text to support any inferences or predictions they make while reading and to evaluate arguments.
A student might defend their argument by saying, "On page 243, the author writes... When I read that paragraph I know that the character is feeling uneasy." The use of specific text allows the child a certainty about their understanding, rather than just "a feeling" about what is meant. Students need many opportunities to practice the thinking required to locate relevant and accurate text evidence to support their answers in both discussions and in writing. Students need to be able to show that they can find the details of what is explicitly stated and can make logical inferences beyond what is explicitly stated in the text. The assessments we give to our students help us measure the effectiveness of this comprehension skill. |
Students will be receiving scholastic book order forms next week. Please look them over and see if there are any books you would like for your home library. I know the students are always searching for a new good book to read!
On Friday, October 3, 2014 the 3rd graders got to participate in a presentation about Health. The topic was healthy eating and exercise.
Thanks to the Doyles and to our Development Department for our Pancake Breakfast
Friday was filled with tons of fun! We got to eat pancakes and we even had a special visit from the fairy after a super fun skit about Greenery and Citrus!
We continue to work on estimation, problem solving by rounding, drawing, tallying, and thinking step by step. We are challenging the students to carefully consider the steps they take in calculating sums. The students have had experience with several addition algorithms, and have tried them in finding missing addends. Several students have discovered unexpected techniques for finding the missing addends and have shared them with other students. All going smoothly, the students will be assessed on this chapter on Wednesday, October 8th.
Look for opportunities for your student to estimate sums, whether you are in the grocery store, or in a restaurant. See if your student is able to round the price and offer a reasonable approximation of the sum of two or three items.
Look for opportunities for your student to estimate sums, whether you are in the grocery store, or in a restaurant. See if your student is able to round the price and offer a reasonable approximation of the sum of two or three items.
Spelling and Vocabulary Words for the week of September 29th.Vocabulary:
design encouraged examine investigation quality simple solution substitutes Spelling Words: plain braid fail grain snail paint sway tray gray stay state fake same weigh they explain radio eight sleigh afraid Skill: spellings for long a Essential Question: How can problem solving lead to new ideas? Comprehension strategy: Cause and Effect Metaphor Ask and Answer Questions |
Greenery Packets came home today. Check out this important fundraiser for Saint Paul's School.
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An Overview of the Third Grade Curriculum
Third graders must become comfortable with place value and number theory. They should understand our decimal system of numbers and recognize the interrelationships of each digit in numbers up to one million. This knowledge will give them a firm foundation for understanding the manipulations we use to successfully calculate in the four basic operations. Familiarity and facility with multiplication and division are third grade goals. Students must make multiplication facts their friends, understand the reciprocal relationship with division and the relationship of multiplication and division with addition and subtraction. Our students will explore fractions and decimals as well. They must understand these operations and when and how to use them in problem solving. We ask that our students are able to speak with assurance and in certain mathematical language about how they come to solutions when presented with a challenging problem. We ask our students to use tools, drawings, and calculations to display their understanding.
Third graders will be asked to keep journals for reflection, for responding to reading, for social studies, for science, for math, and for word study. We expect our students to be able to write with certainty, using an increasing expressive vocabulary, and to expound on their ideas with understanding and a developing order of presentation. Students will learn to develop paragraphs, using complete sentence and a structured and connected response. They will share and develop their ideas, listening to their peers, and developing clarity by revising their writing. Facility with written communication is a key goal.
Our students will develop reading skills by utilizing close reading of complex text. They will develop a stronger vocabulary by utilizing context clues to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words. Students will develop the skill of proving understanding of a reading selection by utilizing text evidence and proving an author's intent. They will develop the ability to determine the genre of a piece and use techniques appropriate to the specific genre to foster understanding. Our students will learn thinking and learning routines on which they will be able to depend when striving to understand an unfamiliar book. These thinking and learning routines are useful in developing higher order thinking skills, discernment, author's point of view, contrasting and comparing statements, determining main idea and supportive detail, determining fact from opinion, and in understanding metaphor and simile.
Third graders will utilize proper punctuation, capitalization, spelling, usage, and grammar. They will write, revise, and edit and through exposure to mini-lessons, and editing exercises develop specific skills related to editing. Our students will write often and share their reading with regularity in the hope of giving their writing purpose, and with purpose, commitment and excitement.
Our third graders will study the geography, history, and development of the United States. They will examine the founding of the initial 13 colonies, the first barrier to westward expansion,and the wilderness between the Appalachians and the Mississippi River Valley. Next we will study the Mississippi as both a barrier and a means of movement for the next stage of expansion. We will study another barrier, the Great Plains. Finally we will study the Rocky Mountains and the western deserts as barriers to the Pacific. We will use social studies as a platform for project based learning. All our projects will be researched and developed in our classrooms.
Third graders will be asked to keep journals for reflection, for responding to reading, for social studies, for science, for math, and for word study. We expect our students to be able to write with certainty, using an increasing expressive vocabulary, and to expound on their ideas with understanding and a developing order of presentation. Students will learn to develop paragraphs, using complete sentence and a structured and connected response. They will share and develop their ideas, listening to their peers, and developing clarity by revising their writing. Facility with written communication is a key goal.
Our students will develop reading skills by utilizing close reading of complex text. They will develop a stronger vocabulary by utilizing context clues to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words. Students will develop the skill of proving understanding of a reading selection by utilizing text evidence and proving an author's intent. They will develop the ability to determine the genre of a piece and use techniques appropriate to the specific genre to foster understanding. Our students will learn thinking and learning routines on which they will be able to depend when striving to understand an unfamiliar book. These thinking and learning routines are useful in developing higher order thinking skills, discernment, author's point of view, contrasting and comparing statements, determining main idea and supportive detail, determining fact from opinion, and in understanding metaphor and simile.
Third graders will utilize proper punctuation, capitalization, spelling, usage, and grammar. They will write, revise, and edit and through exposure to mini-lessons, and editing exercises develop specific skills related to editing. Our students will write often and share their reading with regularity in the hope of giving their writing purpose, and with purpose, commitment and excitement.
Our third graders will study the geography, history, and development of the United States. They will examine the founding of the initial 13 colonies, the first barrier to westward expansion,and the wilderness between the Appalachians and the Mississippi River Valley. Next we will study the Mississippi as both a barrier and a means of movement for the next stage of expansion. We will study another barrier, the Great Plains. Finally we will study the Rocky Mountains and the western deserts as barriers to the Pacific. We will use social studies as a platform for project based learning. All our projects will be researched and developed in our classrooms.
The 3B Kids are "one in a minion".
We are studying our summer reading, Stringbean's Trip to the Shining Sea, using essential questions and thinking routines. As a small project the students are creating postcards about their own summers. You should see these shortly.
Reflections Journal (RJ)
The why and How-to.
Each evening third graders must write in their Reflections Journal. The purpose of the RJ is to have the students reflect upon their day, write about the best and most memorable part and share it with you, as parent. The journal will offer you talking points about your child's life at school and give you an idea of what excites him/her. Our goal is for the students to concentrate on one particularly memorable event and to convey their excitement and engagement in a journal entry. Initially, we see the students recount every single thing they did from arrival to dismissal. We will work to shift the emphasis to capturing the moment the students were most inspired. A parents job is to be encouraging and engaged in what your child shares, to ask questions, and to provide support. Enjoy this daily opportunity.
First the student recalls the day, focusing on the most exciting parts.
Secondly, the student settles on the most exciting part of the day.
When the inspiration strikes, the student writes!
Finally, the students share their writing with their parents and their parents enjoy the story of the day.