3rd Grade Newsletter
Third Grade Newsletter
Volume 7, Number 6 October 17, 2008
Hello Parents! We have had an interesting week together. We had the opportunity to experience the Dome Theater on Tuesday afternoon, and we watched a show called Passport to the Universe. It was something new for us, and the kids really seemed to like it. Some of the effects were really cool. This group of children tends to get really chatty when they are excited, so I experienced some frustration with all the talking that was going on throughout the show. It was almost pitch black inside the dome, so it was difficult to see who was talking and stop them. I spent quite a bit of time this week talking about making the right choice and doing the right thing, even if you would rather be chatting with your friend. Not only do you miss out, but you are disturbing others around you. I would appreciate any reinforcement you can give me on this topic at home. Be sure to ask your child all about the dome if you have not already heard. We had a busy week, so here’s what’s been happening:
Reading ~ Our story for this week was a play called The Strongest One. I hope your child read it aloud to you Tuesday night! We spent some time discussing a script and which words are to be spoken aloud, and which ones were not. Our leveled books were also plays, so I took time Wednesday afternoon for each group to meet and then perform their play. They weren’t bad for a first try! I really tried to emphasize using your voice differently and using your body to show what is being said. I hope to have another opportunity like this later in the year so the kids can try acting again. Some of them have real talent! Ask your child what their play was called and what part they played.
Language Arts ~ Our grammar lesson this week was on common and proper nouns. Proper nouns are spelled with a capital letter. This is a good hint for the kids to look for. They did very well with this in class, and I expect successful test scores from this morning. We spent our writing time on expository writing. I showed them examples of five paragraph papers and we discussed at length exactly how they are formatted. I also showed them our graphic organizer, the four square that we will be using to organize our thoughts before we write our papers. I showed them the rubric I use to grade their papers as well so that my expectations are clear to them. Today we started writing a five paragraph paper together on the importance of trees.
Math ~ The kids took their chapter 4 test yesterday on addition. They have done so well with this chapter in class, I really expected the test to be fairly easy for them. They ended up having a lot of questions for me once they got started, which was a little alarming. I stayed up late last night to get those tests graded for today, so please look for them in your child’s Friday papers and go over the test with them. We got started right away today on our next chapter on subtraction.
Science ~ The Dome Theater was our science class early in the week, and yesterday we focused on the types of storms that take place across our planet. We learned about storm chasers, and the kids each decided what kind of storm chaser they would like to be. We had quite a discussion about it and the kids were very enthusiastic to share stories and experiences they have had with the various types of storms. We made a list of nine storms – ask your child if they can name all nine! We will get back to our regular science schedule next week.
Social Studies ~ This week in social studies we were introduced to Chapter 2, Where on Earth Is Your Community? We read and used information on a map to identify locations. We compared and contrasted a map and a globe by creating a Venn diagram and listing our responses. We also learned to describe a location by hemisphere. We have learned to locate the equator, Northern Hemisphere, Southern Hemisphere, Eastern Hemisphere, and Western Hemisphere. We also are able to identify the North and South Poles. We found out that the Himalaya Mountains are the highest mountains in the world and that the plains in Africa can stretch for miles. We have read pages 36 – 41 and have taken notes. Feel free to reread the lesson with your child and review all notes.
Other Areas of Interest:
Today is Edward’s 9th birthday! We were delighted to celebrate with him on his actual birthday. Happy birthday Edward!
Next Friday, October 24 is a school improvement day. That means early dismissal for the children and meetings in the afternoon for me. The kids will be dismissed at 11:30 next Friday, so please make arrangements for them to be home early. Buses will take them home at 11:30 if they normally ride the bus.
Please remind your child to write down the books they are reading on their Book-It form. They may include their book club book for this month as well. Please check up on your child that they are reading every night.
That’s it for now! This is such a fun time of year for various fall fest type activities, and I hope you and your family are able to take advantage of it. Red Ribbon Week begins with a walk this Sunday. We will be doing all kinds of activities and having special days next week: Monday: Your future is bright without drugs – wear sunglasses! Tuesday: Scare away drugs – wear your hair crazy! Wednesday: Be your self, be drug free – wear mismatched clothes! Thursday: Drugs turn your life inside out – wear clothes inside out! Friday: Follow your dreams, be drug free – wear pajamas! That should be fun for all of us next week. I wish you all a wonderful weekend and remember to keep your child reading!
Mrs. Sarah Adkins
