Newsletters

Newsletters are a great way for you to keep up with all of the exciting things that are taking place in 3rd grade!
Use the bi-monthly newsletters to locate upcoming important dates, our classroom adventures and details about class projects!

Tales from the Thrilling 3rd Grade!
Mrs. Keegan and Mrs. Smith
October 26, 2009

FIELD TRIP:
We have our first field trip Friday, October 30^th! We will be visiting the Issaquah Hatchery in downtown Issaquah to observe salmon and their habitat. We are all eagerly awaiting our visit with our salmon friends! Please have your child prepared for our October 30^th field trip. We will be leaving promptly at 12:20pm and returning to school shortly before 3:00pm.
Your child will need to bring a sack lunch.
We will be eating our lunches in the classroom BEFORE we leave for our exciting field trip.
Please make sure your child is wearing appropriate clothing as well. They should wear tennis shoes and bring a light rain jacket in case we get drizzle on.

BOOK REPORT PROJECT:
Our 3^rd graders should almost be DONE reading their mystery book! Once they’ve finished their book they are to create a Puzzle Mystery Piece project. Your child received clear directions and grading rubrics outlining the 9 pieces they should be including, as well as what form of writing is required on each piece. Students should hand write and hand draw all of their work on the puzzle pieces provided. No computer typing or computer generated pictures are allowed on this project. We want to see what the kiddos can do!
This project will be due Wednesday, November 18^th.

CONFERENCES:
We are looking forward to seeing you at your child’s conference. Conferences will take place on Tuesday, November 3^rd and Wednesday, November 4^th. Remember… NO SCHOOL these days! This will be a great opportunity for you to see what amazing things your child is doing in 3^rd grade! Please bring any celebrations, thoughts, or questions you would like to discuss. A conference reminder was sent home in the event you forgot to write down your scheduled time at Curriculum Night.

EVERYDAY MATH ONLINE:
Our online resources for Everyday Math are now up and running! You can access this sit on our district website as well as on my classroom website. It has been so exciting to see our 3^rd graders getting so excited to improve their math skills. Wow! Please support your child at home and provide opportunities for them to practice their math at home as well. Remember, you can also find the Student Reference Book online as well. This is an excellent resource for answering questions and vocabulary needed for our Home Links. Thank you for supporting your child and their math skills at home. Have fun!
www.everydaymathonline.com

Mathematics: Do you know the two kinds of units of measure? Well, our 3^rd graders are becoming pros at describing the difference between U.S. Customary Units of Length (inches, feet, pounds, etc.) and the Metric System (centimeters, meters, kilograms, etc.). They spent a great deal of time measuring things around the classroom to better understand the different types of measuring tools and even had practice converting from one measurement to the other. We are so impressed with their measuring skills and ability to master what is being learned in class. Wow!

We have also been spending time exploring perimeter and area. Our addition and multiplication skills have been very useful as we have discovered both the area and perimeter of polygons. Later in this unit we will also spend time discussing diameter and circumference. Students will have an opportunity to take their thinking above and beyond with this class project. Be sure to expand your child’s thinking by asking them to find the area of things in your own home! Good luck!

Practice Math Skills At Home… Thank you for continuing to complete the green home links every night. Practicing math at home will ensure your child truly understands concepts learned in class! Thank you for supporting your child’s math skills at home!

Provide sample problems, like the one below that will test their money skills:
My number is 24,375. What does the _____ number represent?

Your child’s work should look like this:

24,375

4 = ________ 2 = ________ 3 = ________

7 = ________ 5 = ________

Math Unit Assessment Cover Sheets:
Thank you to those who have returned the assessment cover sheets already sent home. These cover sheets are meant to keep you aware of your student’s progress and achievements in class. After reviewing, please sign the cover sheet and return with all assessments still attached. I will keep and use these assessments during our conferences and to prepare for report cards. You will have an opportunity to take these home with your child’s first report card. Thank you for your understanding and participating in your child’s education! Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns. Thank you again!

Reading: Next week we are starting Ramona Quimby, Age 8 by Beverley Cleary. This playful story describes a 3^rd grader and her many adventures! We will spend time focusing on detailed sentences and prediction throughout the story. The class will spend a great deal of time discussing the story in small “book clubs”. Here, they will have an opportunity to share their own feelings of Ramona Quimby and hopefully provide personal stories that are similar to those of Ramona!

Writing: As we mentioned earlier, our next writing project will be a persuasive letter to Mrs. Smith about a turkey your child is trying to save from becoming Thanksgiving dinner. We just started the turkey letters and they are fantastic! Be sure to spend some time reading your child’s turkey letter the next time you’re at school. It has been so exciting to watch them grow as writer and have a purpose for their writing! Our official “Pardoning” Election will take place the Wednesday before we leave for Thanksgiving break, November 25^th. Hopefully all turkeys will be pardoned and saved from that dreadful Thanksgiving dinner table. J Please remember that completed turkeys are due Monday, November 2^nd. The goal is to design a collage-type occupationally dressed turkey. Help and/or suggestions from family members is encouraged, as this is a really fun and creative project.

SCIENCE: On Friday, November 13^th students will complete their salmon studies with a FINAL EXAM. They will be bringing a study guide home on Friday the 6^th to help them prepare for the exam and should be ready for the test Friday afternoon. Isn’t it amazing how much they know about salmon already? I’m sure you’re all ready for us to move on to our next unit of study, so that you too, can learn something new! J

Our next science topic is eye and light. The goal of this unit is for students to learn about the properties of the eye and how light affects our vision. They will be doing many great experiments that practice what we are learning in class, including a cow eyeball dissection on Friday, December 18^th. Kate Poaster will also be taking us on a learning journey that will give students an opportunity to practice key skills and concepts that have been learned over the duration of the unit.

VOLUNTEER SCHEDULE:
The volunteer calendar has been created and is now accessible on our classroom website at: http://www.newcastle.issaquah.wednet.edu/Teachers/smith/About%20your%20teacher.htm.
Thank you for taking the time to make our classroom a better place! It has been so much fun having you be a part of our learning and exploring in 3^rd grade!