May 8-11

Thank you so much for all of the Teacher Appreciation gifts and acknowledgments. You are all such amazing parents.

We are down to our last two weeks! I can never believe how quickly the school years fly by. I have enjoyed having your children as my students - they are an absolute joy to be around. 😊

On Thursday we had our Market Day - the first graders had a blast shopping at all the businesses. We had quite a bit of product left over, so we will have a second Market Day on Monday for the second graders.

Coming up this week:

MovieBell: Tuesday, May 16 12:15-1:30. Students will get to eat tacos and watch Sing. They'll get two tacos each - if you think your child may want more to eat, please pack them a lunch.
Poetry Slam: May 17 @3:00 in our classroom. Come watch as our students recite poems they have memorized.

Last week's schedule:
Monday, May 22 Junior Achievement 8-12
Wednesday, May 24 Secret Surprise: Mrs. Moon and I have something special planned. Your child will not need a lunch that day. 
Wednesday, May 24 Report cards will go home
Thursday, May 25 Field day! All students will be provided lunch and will go home at 2:00.
Whoo-hoo, two days without having to pack a lunch!!

May 1-4

Last week we took the SBAC ELA - thank you very much to everyone who brought in breakfast.
Your children worked so hard!

Outside of testing, here is what we did:
We finished our biographies.
Started filming commercials and prepping for our Market Day.

The 8th grade Lemonade Stands will be running during student lunch times.

Sign ups for Field Day will be coming out soon.

April 24-27

First off I'd like to give a big THANK YOU to all of the volunteers! Our school wouldn't be successful without you. I appreciate all of the help you have provided me this year - I really do value your time.

FIRST WEEK of testing:
Your children did great. They took their time and persevered. This next week we will do the SBAC reading test - part one and part two (Monday/Wednesday).
Please ensure your child brings his/her headphones if they have them. I have a few spare, just in case!

Thank you to everyone who signed up to bring in food for our kiddos on testing days - they are pretty pumped about it :o) There are just a few slots left that need to be filled, so if you haven't had the chance to take a peek, please take a minute to do so.

Besides testing...
*We've been working on our Market Day project. Their businesses are established and products are being made. They're doing very well with their budgets. They're grasping the concept of selling their product for more money than it took to make in order to gain a profit. Our Market Day is May 17 and they'll be selling to the first graders.

*During reading we are doing a traditional Daily 5, with no extra assignments from me. I have been pulling students to start on my end of year reading assessments.

*We've been working on writing biographies.

Next week...
-We will record the business commercials in projects. They've been writing scripts and practicing. Businesses will continue making products and preparing for Market Day.
-We will review grammar standards that need to be readdressed.
-We will finish up our biographies.

THANK YOU to the Rotary Club of Fallon - if you haven't seen them yet, please ask your child about their awesome new dictionaries.

ACT Monday and Wednesday

On Monday and Wednesday your child will be taking the ACT Aspire.  This test is timed, so there is no chance of it taking hours in one sitting. I will provide a power snack for your kiddos on these two days; however, we will not be having breakfast in class. 

Please ensure your child:

-has plenty of rest

-eats breakfast

-takes a water bottle and snacks to school

-I'll provide gum, but if they're particular, you are welcome to send them with some :o) 

-brings their headphones

-is on time to school

If your child is really nervous, maybe pack them a special snack to have during testing with a little note of encouragement. 

On another note, these tests for the next three weeks can be stressful. I have reiterated to my students (and even my own child who is getting nervous) that they will be just fine. We have been "preparing" for these tests all year as they are based on standards we've covered. They need to just breathe, take their time and do their best. We will all be proud of their efforts. It's hard to sit and test all day long, I truly feel for the kids - Mrs. Moon and I do our best to make the test days fun and low-stress with the breakfasts, longer recesses, and relaxing project filled afternoons. 

On Thursday, we will be taking a peek at the SBAC. Students will get to go on the practice site and learn how to navigate and use the tools. This sometimes eases nerves as they become familiar with the test prior to actually taking it. 

April 10-13

Happy Easter!

Reading: We have been reviewing literature standards covered in the first semester.  Students took their last spelling test on Thursday - they did very well, too!

Writing: Students started writing biographies on their choice of a scientist, inventor, or entrepreneur.

Grammar: We've been reviewing grammar standards.

Projects: We started a new Market Day project. We learned about budgets, producers, consumers and scarcity (supply/demand). Students created businesses with the people of their choice. They decided what they'd lie to create and sell at their store, how much it would cost to make each item, and how much of each supply they'd need. They received a budget of $100 and went to the MoonRiver Supplies store to start purchasing product supplies. They will be selling their products to the 1st graders.

Misc:

Testing dates are as follows:

Third Grade: 4/24,4/26, 5/1, 5/3, 5/8, 5/9

We will not do the big breakfasts/treats on the first two dates as they are timed and don't take as long. Please ensure your child is here and well rested/fed on these days. I will send out a SignUp Genius next week sometime to get the food squared away for 5/1, 5/3, 5/8 and 5/9.

Book Fair!

Buy one get one free Scholastic Book Fair next week. The book fair will run April 17-20, Monday-Thursday and will be open in the morning from 7:45-8:00 am, during lunch time 11:30-2:15 pm, and after school 3:45-4:15 pm.  Students will be allowed to shop at these times but they will not be excused from class to do so - they must go before or after school or during their lunch recess time. There will not be a family night so be sure to stop by during the listed hours.

April 3-6

Reading:
This week we watched Scholastic videos and determined the main idea/supporting details of these videos.
We had a LG test on Thursday. Students received new spelling words on Monday and will assess on 4/13.

Writing:
Students wrote opinion and informational papers on roller coaster safety.

Grammar:
We reviewed grammar standards and will continue doing so into this next week.

Projects:
Students finished up their adaptation projects. Thank you for coming to their presentations.

We will start a new project (our last project of the year!) on Monday.

Misc:
Testing is in two weeks. I will send out a SignUp Genius soon for breakfasts/snacks on those days.

PROJECT PRESENTATIONS

TODAY AT 2:30 IN THE CAFETERIA!

March 27 - 30

Reading:
We learned about poetry (line, rhyme and stanza).
Students received new Latin/Greek - test April 6.
They will get new spelling words April 3.
We are back on Edmodo. Please remember to check this to see how your child is doing on weekly assignments.

Writing:
We finished up our three types of writing based on one article and did some poetry. Their poems are hanging in the hall.

Projects:
Many students are done with their project. They have been helping other students finish up.
We plan on presenting April 6 @ 2:30 in the cafeteria.

Misc:
Thank you for coming to conferences. If you were unable to attend, please ensure you come sometime after school this next week with your child.

We will be revisiting a lot of standards this quarter to review and possibly bump up to mastery on our report cards.

Spring Break / Upcoming

I hope you all had a wonderful and relaxing spring break - It flew by as time off tends to do. 😁  Can you believe we are in the 4th quarter already? You (& me, too😢) almost have a 4th grader!! That makes me a little sad, actually.

Here's what is coming up:

Reading -
*Your child will receive new Latin/Greek roots on Monday.
*We will go back to using Edmodo and reading books in our reading groups, rather than Scholastic articles; however, they will remain non-fiction.  I am mixing the reading groups up a bit, so your child may be in a new group.
*We will continue focusing on reading graphs, timelines and charts to build this skill.
*Monday starts the beginning of our poetry unit.

Writing - We have been practicing writing in different styles based on one article (informational, narrative and opinion). Your child has written two so far and will write the third the week we come back.

Grammar - We learned about capitals in titles. This is often a bit tricky because author's don't necessarily follow the rules - they have creative freedom.  This next week we will be using our grammar time to practice for our student-led conferences on Friday.

Projects - We are continuing our adaptation project. Your child's animal is looking so cute! I love this project and how creative everyone gets. You will get a sneak peek at conferences.

CONFERENCES: Conferences will be held Friday, March 30 from 9:00-1:30. You may come in at any time during this block with your child. They will be running the conference. I will be there for any questions you may have, that your child can't answer. Please keep in mind that other students and their parents may be in the room at the same time.

Testing :o(
Our big tests start at the end of April. We try to make this as "fun" as possible by providing lots of yummy food and breakfast each day. As it gets a little closer, I'll send out a SignUp Genius for snacks, breakfasts, etc. Doing this actually relieves a lot of the stress about the test, ensures each kiddo has brain fuel, and gives us something to look forward to each day.

March 6-9

Reading:
We read short passages on whether or not dogs should work. Students highlighted evidence that supported the author's opinion. This next week they will determine their own point of view from that of the author.

Students took a Latin/Greek test. They were not handed their spelling. They will receive it 3/13 and receive extra time in class to study. These words are all high frequency words they've had on their past spelling lists.

Writing:
Students wrote informational papers about bullies. They took evidence from two texts and wrote their own paper using these resources.

Projects:
Students continued their adaptation project.

Misc:
Spring break begins 3/20
Yearbook orders are due soon!

Support Oasis Students

Many of the Oasis students are dancing this Saturday, March 11. Come support them and the swing dance teams, it's for a good cause! 

February 27- March 2

Reading:
This week we continued identifying text structure. I have been assessing, so students have been working together or independently to read and complete assignments. They took a spelling assessment on Thursday and will receive new words Monday.

Writing:
Students took two articles with similar topics and wrote their own informational paper using these articles as resources.

Grammar:
We learned the proper placement of commas in addresses. To do this, we wrote pen pal letters to Mrs. Moon's class. The students had to address the envelope correctly in order for it to mailed.

Projects:
Students finished typing their animal information and began working on their habitats. Many students are close to finishing these habitats and will begin working on their animals. I'm excited to see how they turn out.

Misc:
*New pictures
*Two weeks until spring break!
*Parent conferences are on March 31. These will be student-led.
I can't believe the 3rd quarter is just about over. Your children are so amazing - I'm not ready for them to move on to 4th grade :o(

Feb. 20-23

Reading:
We finished up learning about the different text structures. Next week we will start practicing identifying them.
Students had a LG test on Thursday. They'll receive new roots on Monday (27th) and will have a spelling test 3/2.

Writing:
We finished our deep sea creature papers on Monday and started a new assignment on Tuesday. Students are learning how to write an informational paper using two article sources.

Grammar:
We finished up our lessons on shades of meaning.

Projects:
Students finished identifying the adaptations their animals will have. We will begin sketching, labeling and creating supply lists early next week. Then, they will start building their habitats. Please send your child with a medium-large shoe box for his/her habitat. 

Misc:
We had fun looking at FFA's animals on Tuesday. I'll post pictures later.
Yearbook orders are due soon!

Habitat Boxes

Students will start building their habitats in the next two weeks. Please send your child with a large sized shoe box, as this is what their habitat will be created in.

Feb. 13-16

Reading:
We continued learning about text structures.
Students received new LG on Monday and had a spelling test on Thursday. They'll test on LG 2/23.

Writing:
The students finished up their creepy deep sea creature papers on Thursday. They turned out very nicely. They'll be hanging in the hall.

Grammar:
We learned about shades of meaning this week.

Projects:
We continued to learn about animal adaptations. On Wednesday the students got to find out which habitat they'll be creating an animal for.

Misc:
Our Valentine's Day was a success. I love celebrating Valentine's with students.
President's Day is Monday - no school! Enjoy your long weekend.
On Tuesday we are going to the FFA displays at school - It'll be lots of fun. :o)

February 6-9

Reading:
Students received new spelling words and will test 2/16.
We are learning about text structure. We have covered compare/contrast and description.
There was a Latin/Greek test on Thursday. Students will receive new roots on Monday (2/13).

Writing:
Students finished their research on their deep sea creature. They are writing their rough drafts and moving through the writing process.

Grammar:
We learned about subject/verb agreement this week. This is a fairly easy concept as we often can tell if something doesn't agree just by how it sounds.

Projects:
We've started our new project on animal adaptations. We are learning about the adaptations animals have in the four major habitats (desert, rain forest, ocean and polar).

Valentine's Day:
Reminder - Monday is the last day to buy candy grams.
If your child would like to bring in Valentines, please have him/her bring them in for everyone in the class. Remember, do not fill out the 'to' section - it takes too much time to deliver them otherwise.
Also, your child may bring in a mailbox to collect their Valentines. Otherwise, I will provide a paper lunch bag.

Candy Grams

Note from student council:

Sales start Monday and go through next Monday (Feb. 13). Cost is .75 apiece or $10 if they buy for a whole class. Kiddos will deliver on Tuesday.

Sales will be during 3-5 lunch and 6-8 lunch in the cafeteria. We aren't selling in the office or in individual classrooms.

Jan. 30-Feb. 2

Reading:
This week the students learned about author's purpose. We also began focusing more on restating questions using evidence-based terms.
This week's debate: What is better, fiction or non-fiction? Fiction won, but not by a lot.
They received new Latin/Greek roots and will test 2/9.

Writing:
We started our creepy deep sea creature research. Ask your child about the creature they chose.

Grammar:
We continued reviewing plural/possessive/plural-possessive nouns. On Thursday, they assessed. We will revisit this concept in the 4th quarter.

Projects:
We finished up our Earth Systems project. The 3rd graders presented to the 5th graders on Thursday. Mrs. Mori and her students were very impressed!

Misc:
Valentine's Day - please check your email.
Your child may bring in Valentine's; however, please do not fill in the "to" portion of the cards as the delivery takes too much time. Your child may bring in a Valentine collection box on February 14.

Jan. 23-26

Reading:
We continued learning about main idea and supporting details.
Students are strengthening their abilities to use evidence based terms in their responses.
Students received new spelling words and will test 2/2.

Writing:
We are almost done with our weather informational papers. Many students are just putting on their finishing touches. These will be hanging in the hall for all to read.

Grammar:
We are still learning about possessive nouns. These are a bit tricky so we will spend a bit more time on them. Determining if a noun is plural, possessive or plural-possessive is the hardest part.

Projects:
We are finishing up our earth systems project. Students completed their posters so we will start practicing our presentation for the second graders.

JAN. 17-19

Reading:
This week we continued finding the main idea of an article. We also read our Scholastic News article and answered questions.

The students participated in another debate this week: Should girls and boys be taught separately? If they haven't already discussed this with you, please have your child share with you their answer. Our goal with the debates is two-fold: strengthen their accountable talk (disagreeing/agreeing respectfully) and supporting their opinions with evidence.

Students had a spelling test on Thursday. They will receive new words on Monday, January 23.
They received new Latin/Greek and will take a test on 1/26.

Writing:
Students continued moving through the writing process for their first informational paper. They are turning out nicely and have done a good job using evidence-based terms to cite their sources.

Projects:
We continued our Earth Systems project. Your children are becoming very knowledgeable on the earth systems and how they interact to form weather. It's quite impressive! This week they continued working on their system poster and we did a demonstration on how clouds make precipitation.


Misc:
Next year's school calendar was approved, please check your email.
A yearbook order email was sent out.

**check out the picture tab!! :o)

Math

Hello 3rd grade families,

As I'm sure you have noticed, we have been working on time this last week! We reviewed reading an analog clock and your students are now expected to read time to the nearest minute. It might be a good idea for some extra practice to just ask them what time it is (hopefully you have an analog clock in your home, they are all going to digital now!). We also began working on elapsed time. We started this by tying in our knowledge of fractions. We used a whole fraction circle for an hour, a half for 30 minutes, and a quarter for 15. Fractions fit so perfectly for this concept! We then started with our start time and worked out how many hours, half hours, or quarter hours we needed to get to the end time. Eventually we started to be able to do this without the visual representation of the fraction pieces. We will be continuing elapsed time this week. 

Jan. 9-12

Reading: We began reading Scholastic News and answering questions on paper.  The students will not have an assignment on Edmodo again this next week.  

The students are working on answering their questions completely by using evidence based terms and restating the question.  

We also worked on finding the main idea and supporting details of an article.  This is something that will transfer into writing a summary. 

Students received their new spelling words.  They will have a test on Thursday, January 19th.

Writing:  The students have started informational writing. They each picked a type of extreme weather to research and write about.  

Grammar:  We reviewed contractions.  The students practiced putting the apostrophe in the correct spot as well as writing the two words that make up a contraction. 

Projects:  We are learning about the different Earth systems and how they relate to weather. 

Misc:
Your child may bring in headphones if they would like to listen to the videos on Scholastic News. 

Welcome back!

Winter break is coming to an end - I am sure you've enjoyed the extra time with your amazing children. I know I've loved being home with my kiddos. But, we are about to get back into the swing of things, which is fun too!

Here's what is coming:

Reading:
We are starting non-fiction. To start, your child will not be completing Edmodo assignments. We will be completing other assignments using our Scholastic News weekly readers.

Spelling/LG:
Your child will receive new spelling on Monday. They'll take notes on new LG the following Monday.

Writing:
We are starting informational writing. Our first topic is extreme weather.

Grammar:
We'll be learning about those pesky apostrophes.

Projects:
We will learn about Earth's systems and their connection with weather.

Misc:
*We are in the third quarter! Check your email for the reminder about socks, pizza and other miscellaneous items - sent by Oasis Information.
*Check out the picture tab for some adorable Christmas / Secret Santa pictures!