Third Grade News - February
We have been busy during this short month. Students are finishing up the District Mid-term Benchmarks in both Language Arts & Math, and getting ready for the Language Arts portion of MCAS in March. We have been reviewing skills and using Study Island to help with independent practice. I have asked students to complete
one activity a day and answer 20 questions unless they only offer a lower number. The group enjoys using the games in the tool to help them prepare. I reminded the
group that if they get either a "W" or "N" to review the lesson and then redo the activity. Study Island will slow students down if it interprets that students are guessing - some in the group are finding that out. It is important to take the time to read the directions at the top and also finish all questions - Study Island will score the results lower if the activity is not finished. We have been reviewing L.A. skills such as main idea, important details in sequence and cause/effect. The book report that is due before vacation is a review to practice these skills that are being covered in class. The group read Lon Po Po (a Chinese version of Little Red Riding Hood) and have been researching wolves using class resources and the Internet. They are comparing/contrasting fictional and nonfictional aspects of wolves. They will be bringing their research notes home to put a poster on what they learned together - a rubric and rough draft of the poster layout will be passed out as well. We will be watching the movie "Wolves at Our Backdoor" from the Discovery Channel as a culminating event on this topic. In math, I am thrilled with how the group is taking to multiplication - they are using strategies that being introduced in class and appear to enjoy this topic. We are moving toward division during the latter part of February - if they are practicing their facts, they will find the topic easier. February fact tests will be on 4x & 5x facts. In science, we are covering energy topics and will be moving toward simple machines. We will be finishing up our discussions on the pilgrims and moving toward the puritans in early March. The 3 third grade classes are working collaboratively on a mural depicting pilgrim and native people life in Plymouth.
Enjoy February Vacation!
**I am leaving the information below for reference. **
Your child will have homework assignments Monday through Thursday, and sometimes over
the weekend. In addition, he/she will have daily reading at home. Every week your child
will be taking home a homework calendar. Each day the students will write their
daily homework assignments on the calendar. Homework will also be listed on the class website
for those times when there may be a question on what homework is, or if the
calendar has been misplaced. **If you would like to access the homework listing online, please signup as a student/parent for the "free" services
on Yourhomework.com. Please click on this link to find the signup Yourhomework.com.
I do not subscribe to the additional services that they offer.**
When homework has been completed, please
sign the calendar and remind your child to return it to school the following day.
Homework will be checked at the start of school as part of the early morning routine. As a suggestion,
after your child has completed homework, it may help to have them place it back in their backpack
as part of the homework routine. Please assist your child in setting up good study skills by providing a quiet
place to complete homework.
Our Friday routine consists of reflecting on what was covered during the week. Students will write a summary
(1-2 sentences in the beginning)on the weekly summary sheet. This page is intended to assist
with communication at home of curriculum covered during school. Please review the sheet with your child,
and provide a signature with any comments at the bottom. Thanks in advance!
Feel free to check back on this page (URL listed at the bottom of the page), I try to provide
updates on a regular basis. Once we start projects, I will upload pictures of posters etc. for
home enjoyment. There are Internet links on other pages that support what we will be covering
in class, feel free to practice with them at home. I will continue to add additional links geared toward
third grade as I find them. A new tool for me to use in the classroom is a Wiki. It is located on the Third Grade News
page. We will be using this tool to practice developing ideas and writing them as a group. The Winthrop3HE Wiki page also has an
additional link called the Challenge Club. All students are invited to join as it is intended to provide additional
challenge activities to extend learning. The page can be accessed by clicking on this link: Challenge Club
There are 2 links at the bottom of the page for printing at home if they are needed to record answers. I hope the activities
are enjoyed by all who try them out.
Enjoy the Month!
Mrs. Herook
