3rd Grade Newsletter
Third Grade Newsletter
Volume 7, Number 26 sadkins@pennoyerschool.org May 15, 2009
Hello Parents! We have had a terrific week together! The bridges turned out amazing, and I hope you were able to make it in this afternoon to view them. The kids should be proud of their hard work. I plan to leave the bridges in the MPR for a week or two so the whole school can admire them, and I will send home a letter when they are ready to be taken home. This week we have run out of tissues in our classroom! I have never actually run out before. If you happen to have an extra box at home that you wouldn’t mind sending in, we would sure appreciate it. Allergy season is here! We had a busy week, so here’s what’s been happening:
Reading ~ Our story this week was a nonfiction news article titled An American Hero Flies Again. It is the story of John Glenn, the only astronaut to fly into space twice, and 37 years between flights! I shared with the children my own memories of the Challenger that blew up in the 1980s with the teacher on board, as well as the one that exploded upon reentry about 6 years or so ago. Those were terrible tragedies that happened, and I wanted the students to be clear about the challenges that NASA faces when they send someone up into space. Please share any memories you might have of space missions with your child. One of our skills we focused on this week was on problems and solutions. I shared with the kids an article I found in the Sun Times about a teenage who racked up about $6,000 in charges from texting in one month. I thought this would be a good article for them to read and identify the problems and solutions that go along with such a situation. Plus hopefully it will make them aware of the price of texting if they aren’t already.
Language Arts ~ Our grammar lesson this week was on adverbs. We learned about adverbs that tell where, when, and how. The adverbs that tell how end in –ly, so those were easy for the kids to identify. Please make sure you look for the kids’ grammar test from last week. I wanted to identify who takes the time to read directions, as that can often impact the kids’ grades if they are not doing a test or assignment correctly. Please discuss with your child the importance of always reading directions. During our writing time this week, we worked on original fairy tales. I had a short clip from the movie Happily N’ever After that discussed the various parts of fairy tales, and the kids even took a quiz that was on there. Ask your child if they remember some of the questions! The kids will start writing out their own original fairy tale next week.
Math ~ We have finished up chapter 11 on division this week. We will review on Monday, but as we have our big circus day on Tuesday, the test won’t be until Wednesday. Straight from there we will go into chapter 22 on long division. The kids have done really well with this chapter, and I am looking forward to good test results next week. Congratulations to Dylon for passing his timed multiplication test this week! He worked extra hard to accomplish this goal, and we are all proud of him. The others are getting close!
Science ~ We spent time on Monday learning more about motion with Bill Nye the Science Guy. He is a fabulous scientist who has made science movies on a variety of topics. I stopped the movie every few minutes for the kids to turn and talk about what they learned. They particularly liked the concept of “butt boarding.” We spent yesterday and today displaying our bridges. Job well done!
Social Studies ~ This past week in social studies class we took a break from our social studies book and began to research the fifty states. We identified their locations, and we found facts about the states along with their abbreviations. Next week we will return to the books and begin working on Chapter 6, “Thinking Like a Geographer”.
Other Areas of Interest:
- On Monday we celebrated Jessica’s 9th birthday. It was her actual birthday, and we were delighted to celebrate with her. Happy birthday Jessica!
- On Tuesday we celebrated Sarah’s 9th birthday. Tuesday was also her actual birthday, and we enjoyed our celebration with her. Happy birthday Sarah!
- Yesterday we celebrated Fatima’s 9th birthday. It was her real birthday, and we were all excited to celebrate with her. Happy birthday Fatima!
- Whew, what a lot of birthdays we had in one week! I’m not one to talk though, as my own daughter’s birthday is tomorrow. (She will be 6. Happy birthday Paige!) Great time of year to be born, I suppose!
- Cirque AmongUs is this Tuesday. If you are volunteering, the information meeting is Monday night in the MPR at 6:30. I really haven’t received much information about this day, other than the kids will be learning circus tricks in the morning and putting on a show in the afternoon. It is an all day event. Please make sure your child is wearing comfortable shoes that day, not flip flops or sandals. Also, if your daughter chooses to wear a dress or skirt, please put shorts on underneath. It should be a really fun day.
That’s it for now! Spring fever has hit hard around here, and the kids have become awfully antsy. I still have lots left to teach them in third grade though, so please take time to remind your child about their behavior in school. The year’s not over yet! I wish you all a wonderful weekend, and remember to keep your child reading!
Mrs. Sarah Adkins
