NEWSLETTERS
Use these newsletters to find information about our classroom happenings, important dates, and curriculum information.
The Third
Grade Tribune
May 30th, 2008
Mrs. Barcello
Issue 1, Volume 13
With the school year coming to a close there is lots of information to share. Please read carefully to find out what is happening here at Newcastle during the last few weeks.
Upcoming Dates
«
June 4th
– Volunteer Luncheon
«
June 4th
– Last day to order dinner for the Folk Festival
«
June 5th
– Alki Beach Field Trip
«
June 6th
– Folk Festival – 5:00-8:30 (Please see the bottom of the page for more info)
«
June 9th
– All library materials due
«
JUNE 13TH
– ABC BOOK DUE
«
June 19th
– Last Day of School (9:15-11:45) – No lunch this day
Reading
Our adventure with Pagoo, the hermit crab, is almost over. When we finish reading Pagoo, we will begin reading James and the Giant Peach. During this unit we will be focusing on group book discussions as well as new and exciting vocabulary words. In addition to these fiction titles, students are also reading non-fiction text in order to research new animals for their tide pool books. Our focus is to use more than one source to find interesting information about the specific animal.
Writing
We are DONE with homework packets for the year. Instead, students will be bringing home their ABC Book to work on in addition to nightly math Home Links.
Your child is responsible for bringing their book to school and home each day. This is very important as we will work on the books at school and if it is left at home students will not have the opportunity to write or draw any final copies in class that day.
At home, students should be working on their book nightly; the books are DUE Friday, June 13th. For each animal, students are researching, collecting and organizing facts, writing a rough draft paragraph, editing, revising, and writing a final copy in their book. In addition to the writing, students are required to draw an accurate picture of the animal. This is an amazing project which allows students to work independently, be self-driven, and creative with their topic of research. I am looking forward to seeing the complete masterpieces!
To find websites about tide pools, visit our class website:
http://www.newcastle.issaquah.wednet.edu/teachers/olschewskya/
ABC BOOK GUIDELINES:
· Each letter of the alphabet must be used in the book. The first sentence for each letter should begin, “C is for ___________.” This sentence should be followed by at least 2-3 sentences describing the term. Each page must be written in cursive.
Example text:
C is for clam. Clams are a species of bivalve mollusks, which means that they have two shells. Clams burrow into sand or mud by using their hatchet-shaped muscular foot. They use their siphon to breathe and eat plankton when the tide is in.
· Each page should have a picture that matches the term or idea being described. The artwork must be student drawn and colored. Please do NOT include any photocopies or computer-generated pictures.
Math
Our current focus is measurement. We began by reviewing meters, yards, centimeters, etc. We have now jumped into measuring weight and volume. These concepts are difficult for students because of the conversions, for example, how many pints are in a quart? Encourage your child to use their Student Reference Book to find this information.
Our next and final unit (Unit 11) will be focusing on probability and a project we have been working on all year. Throughout the year we have been collecting data about the daily sunrise and sunset; we will be graphing and manipulating this data in our final math unit.
Science
Our field trip to Alki Beach is coming up! We will be observing tide pool creatures in their natural habitat. Here are a few things to remember about our field trip:
« Everyone MUST wear long pants, sneakers, and bring a sweatshirt and raincoat, JUST IN CASE. The beach can be quite slippery and dangerous.
« We will be eating our lunch at the beach. Students need to pack a sack lunch with lots of water. If you would like me to pre-order a sack lunch from the lunch room please let me know ahead of time.
Thank you for reading The Third Grade Tribune!
Newcastle Folk Festival Information
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