Weekly Update: October 8th-12th

Lemme

Leopards



Hi Parents,

We had another busy week in 3rd grade. We prepared for the Iowa Assessments by doing some practice questions while completing a bubble sheet. The students had a lot of great questions so we took time to discuss them. They were excited to find out they are having a snack each day and getting to chew gum while they take the test. We did talk about the rules that go along with this privilege:) On Friday, we had the Iowa City firefighters come and perform a skit on fire safety. It had a nice message that covered the following:

• having two ways out in case of a fire
• remembering to stop, drop, and roll
• having a meeting spot for your family
• checking your smoke detector

Curriculum updates:

 

 

Literacy:
This past week students read the traditional tale, The Harvest Birds. Students practiced the comprehensions skills of being able to draw conclusions using details (or clues) to figure out ideas that the author doesn't state.  Students also worked on the comprehension strategy of inferring.

 

Grammar and Writing: Students spent time placing commas in a series of nouns or verbs.

• Example: Jack enjoys hiking, fishing, and camping.  
• Example: He picked up sticks, rocks, and colorful leaves.

Together, we also worked on writing summary paragraphs in our own words, making sure to include the main events from the text.

 

Spelling: Students spelling words were sorted into three categories based on the unexpected consonants; kn, wr, and tch .  Students receive a copy of their spelling words at school each Monday. They should be bringing this list home to study. Students take a spelling test each Friday. They will bring home their scored tests on the following Monday. There are six challenge words at the bottom of each list, these are optional for students although I encourage all students to try them. Students will not have a spelling list this week due to Iowa Assessments.

Reading logs:
Students should have a reading log in their Leopard book. We would like students to read 50 minutes a week or 100 minutes for the rest of this month. We will gradually increase the minutes throughout the year. If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to email or call.

Everyday Mathematics:

Please sign and return the Unit 2 Progress Check. I keep these in a student file in order to help guide and differentiate my instruction. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact me. Students began Unit 3: Linear Measures and Area on Wednesday, October 6th. Unit 3 has four main areas of focus:

• To explore the need for standard units of measure
• To measure lengths using customary and metric units
• To develop the concept of area
• To investigate the relationship between diameter and circumference

Science:

This past week students created a variety of circuits including parallel and series circuits. This coming week student will get to create switches to turn their light on and off, very exciting!!! I know the students will love it!

Other reminders:

Conference Confirmation Form: Your child should have a sheet in their Leopard Book that confirms your conference time. Please return these as soon as possible. If something has come up, I am more than happy to figure out another date/time that works for you. I look forward to discussing your child's progress.

Iowa Assessments:

The following are good habits, whether it’s during testing week or any other normal school day.

1. Get plenty of rest.
2. Eat healthy, including a well-balanced breakfast. 
3. Stay hydrated.  Drinking plenty of water helps flush toxins out of the system.
4. Arrive at school on time.  Preparing for school the night before can help get the day started well.
5. Maintain a positive attitude.  Focus on what went well.  If students believe they’ll do well, they’re more likely to succeed.