Dear Parents,

It was so good to see all the precious faces of my students today after a week off for Spring Break.  Hopefully it was a restful and fun week for you all!
I hope you are all getting a chance to enjoy this beautiful weather we are having! It will be warming up this week so I will be having a discussion with the students about playing at a slower pace and drinking lots of water outside as their bodies adjust.

SBAC testing in third grade will begin the week of May 8th.  They will be testing in English and Language Arts first.  The following week they will begin testing in Math on May 16th.  Third grade is the first year students take this test so we will be doing a few practice runs on the chrome books ahead of time.

Here is a look at what we’ll be doing in class this week:

Math – We have begun chapter 10.  We are learning about telling time to the minute, A.M. and P.M. and time intervals this week.  This is often a tricky chapter for third graders.  Please practice with your child as much as possible with an analog clock at home.  They should also still be practicing multiplication facts.

Reading – We are finishing reading Because of Winn-Dixie on Tuesday.  There will be a final book test.  Students will also be completing a written summary of one of the chapters in the book.

Writing – This week, we are learning about using the four different sentence types (declarative, interrogative, exclamatory and imperative) to strengthen writing.  Students will also be practicing punctuating dialogue correctly.  We are preparing to begin a narrative writing assignment.

Grammar –  We are learning about some common suffixes and their meanings.

Science – We are beginning Mystery Science 6: Animal Groups and Survival

Social Studies – We are learning about Earth’s physical features.

PE – Tuesday and Thursday
Computer Lab – Friday
Library – Thursday

Dear Parents,

Even though we are closer to the end of the year, the year is not over.  Please continue to have your child review multiplication facts at home and read, read, read!!  Also, if they have done any writing on their homework, including science pages, reading responses or summaries, please look it over quickly and ask them to redo it if they are not using proper writing conventions.  Look for writing that lacks punctuation.  Also, look for writing that does not include capital letters where needed or places capital letters where they don’t belong. It is important that they practice proper writing conventions whenever they write whether it is at school or at home.

Important Dates:

April 8 – 12:  Book Fair will be open each day until 3:30.  Our class will visit the book fair on Wednesday.

April 15-19: Spring Break!

Here is a sneak peek at what we are doing in class this week:

Math – We will be finishing our second chapter on fractions this week.  This chapter has been about comparing fractions.  There will be a test on Thursday before we leave for the field trip.

Reading – We are close to finishing our class novel, Because of Winn-Dixie.  There will be a final test on Friday before we leave for Spring Break.

Science – This week, we are finishing our discussions about whether selection can happen without people.  There will be a test on Tuesday.  We will begin Mystery Science #6 on Wednesday about why dogs wag their tails.  There will be a test on Friday.

Writing – We are learning the ins and outs of using dialogue in our written work.

Social Studies – We are completing a weekly geography this week about four different types of routes in a particular small town.  Students will need to use the map key and compass rose to answer the questions.

Grammar/spelling – This week we are learning about contractions and plural nouns.

P.E. – Tuesday and Thursday
Visit Book Fair on Wednesday
Computer lab on Friday

Dear Parents,

You are all invited to attend Open House this Wednesday, April 3rd, from 6:00 to 7:00!  I hope to see you all in room E6!

Important Dates:

Book Fair – April 8th through April 12th; info about a new way to pay for books this year will be e-mailed to you
Family Bingo Night – Friday, April 12th at 5:30
Spring Break – April 15th through April 19th
SBAC Testing for Third Graders – May 8th, 10th, 14th, 16th, 22nd and 24th

Here is a look at what we will be doing in class this week:

Math – We are beginning our second chapter on fractions.  In this chapter, students will be learning how to compare fractions and tell which ones are greater and which are less than.

Reading – We are reading Because of Winn-Dixie and are learning new vocabulary, using the text as evidence in answering comprehension questions, and are identifying author’s point of view and character traits based on details in the text.

Writing – We are finishing a few writing assignments.  Students are also learning the rules of dialogue and applying it to their written work.

Science – We have just completed our science fair project together as a class on whether exercise helps our brains to remember better.  We will be delving into Mystery Science lesson 5 this week.

Social Studies – We are reading about and discussing Cesar Chavez.

P.E. – Tuesday and Thursday
Computer Lab – Friday
Library – Library will be closed for the next 3 weeks.

Dear Parents,

Here are a few important dates for you to mark on your calendar:

April 3rd – Open House 6:00 – 7:00.  Families are invited to attend.

April 15th – 19th – This is the week of Spring Break.

Read below to see what we are doing in our class this week:

Math – We are finishing chapter 8 about fractions.  There will be a test on Thursday.

Reading – We are reading a class novel, Because of Winn-Dixie.  Students are learning to find evidence in the text as well as new vocabulary and examples of dialogue.

Writing – We are finishing with a paragraph about character traits for Charlotte from Charlotte’s Web.

Science – Students are completing a science fair project as a class.

Grammar – We are discussing how to identify, use and punctuate dialogue.

Spelling – This week, we will be studying words with variant vowels oo, ou, u, u_e, ui and ew.  For example, oo can make two different sounds as in the words book and the word spoon.

P.E. – Tuesday and Thursday
Library – Thursday
Computer Lab – Friday

Dear Parents,

Third grade classes have been working hard to prepare our fun Camp Castello performance!  Please come and attend our show on March 28th at 9:00 in the multi-purpose room!  Students will be performing on the morning of the 26th for the students at school.  Please have your child come that day dressed as they would for a summer camp – jeans or shorts, t-shirts, sweatshirts, and/or flannel shirts. Please have them wear tennis shoes or hiking boots instead of pretty sparkly shoes, flats, or fashion style boots.

Please return field trip permission slips and money by Friday this week!

Here is a look at what we are doing in class this week:

Math – We are learning about fractions in chapter 8.  There will be a mid chapter quiz on Thursday.  Students are enjoying them so far.  Concepts will progressively become more challenging through the end of chapter 8 and all of chapter 9.
Students should still be practicing multiplication facts at home.

Writing –  We are finishing a paragraph incorporating character traits about Charlotte from our Charlotte’s Web novel.  On another note, students are learning the rules of dialogue and will be practicing using it in their written work.

Reading – We are reading Because of Winn-Dixie together as a class.  We are discussing characters and how to describe them as well as the various settings in the story.

Science – We are completing a science fair project together as a class.  Students are learning how to apply the scientific method of asking a question and creating a hypothesis as well as gathering data and writing a conclusion.

Library – Thursday
P.E. – Tuesday and Thursday
Computer Lab – Friday

Dear Parents,

By this Friday, March will be halfway over already!  Whew!   Time is flying by.  We are learning wonderful things in our classroom about writing with complete sentences and vivid descriptions; using different transition words and adjectives; using figurative language such as alliteration, personification, and onomatopoeia; defining new vocabulary; and understanding fractions.  We are busy but the learning is good!  I hope your kids are able to come home and share about what they are learning in class.

Mark your calendars!!

Our third grade performance is March 26th (for students at school) and March 28th for parents.

Open House is April 3rd.

Our third grade field trip to see a live performance of Charlotte’s Web is April 11th. Money and permission slips are due back by March 22nd.

Spring break is April 15th through April 19th.

Please see below for a look at what we’ll be doing in class this week:

Math – We are starting to learn about fractions this week.  Students will be learning about parts of a whole, numerators and denominators, and unit fractions this week.
Please continue to practice multiplication facts at home.

Reading – We are beginning to read Because of Winn-Dixie as a class.  Students will be identifying story elements of setting, problem and solution as well as character traits and new vocabulary.  Summarizing will be reviewed and practiced again and students will be asked critical thinking questions along with questions requiring them to look to the text for evidence.

Writing – We are finishing a paragraph summary from Charlotte’s Web and a paragraph analyzing character traits for Charlotte.

Spelling – The focus this week is on spelling patterns that include the diphthongs oi and ou.

Grammar – Students will be learning to combine sentences with verbs.

P.E. – Tuesdays and Thursdays
Library – Thursdays
Computer Lab – Fridays

Dear Parents,

It will be February by the end of this week!  Can you believe it?  Hopefully it will begin to warm up a little bit but until then, be sure to write your child’s name on their jackets and sweatshirts.  There are several important dates to remember in February so be sure to take a look below and mark your calendars.

Mark your calendars!

Friday, February 1st – Deadline for Box Tops collection

Monday, February 11th – No school for Presidents’ Day
Monday, February 18th – No school for Presidents’ Day

Thursday, February 14th – We will have a “Friendship Day” celebration in our class with the exchanging of cards and cookies for all.

Friday, February 22nd – Minimum day

Mrs. Le’s Academic Note: Please remember to talk with your child about what they are reading after they are finished with their 20 minutes each night.  Ask them to identify main idea of a chapter and the details that support it when they read this week in particular.  Pull out the reading questions I gave you at parent/teacher conferences and ask at least one of those types of questions as well.

Please read below to see information about what we are doing in class this week:

Math – We are finished with chapter 6, our first chapter on division, and will be taking the test on Tuesday.  Chapter 7 will be about division facts and strategies.

Reading –  We are enjoying our class novel, Charlotte’s Web.  We are working on using text evidence to support our answers.  We’ll also be working on author’s point of view and analying character traits.

Writing –  We are finishing answering a prompt about MLK and using two sources to draw our evidence.

Science –  We are beginning our unit on animals and their habitats.  There will be a short test following lesson 1 later in the week.

Spelling – This week we are focusing on r-controlled vowels for words like “wear” and “gear”.

Grammar – We are continuing to practice identifying adjectives vs. adverbs in sentences.  There will be a test this week.

P.E. – We have PE on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Library – We have library on Thursdays.
Computer Lab – We have computers on Fridays.

Dear Parents,

I hope that you are your child(ren) were able to enjoy some time together over the week off and that your Thanksgiving Day, especially, was filled with family, relaxation, good food, and fun.

Students will have the opportunity to go to our annual Holiday Shoppe next week on December 4th.  More information will be sent home along with an envelope to send money for your child to use when shopping if you want them to participate.  This gives students an chance to buy small gifts for family and friends.

Please mark your calendars for our next break:

December 21st is a minimum day and is the last day before Winter Break.  There will be no school from December 24th through January 4th.  School will resume on January 8th.

December 21st – Cookies and Cocoa in class (more information to follow)

Here is a look at what we are doing in our class this week:

Math –  We are working through our final chapter (chapter 5) on multiplication.  This does not mean, however, that we will not be utilizing our multiplication facts the rest of the year.  Please practice multiplication facts at home as students are expected to know them with automaticity in third grade through their 10’s facts. There will be another math test this week on Friday.

Reading – We will read another legend this week together and then in partners.  There will be a quiz on this legend.

Social Studies – We are continuing to learn about Native American tribes Miwok and Maidu.  Students will compare and contrast these tribes this week.  We will watch one or two informative videos on Native Americans and will observe and identify authentic Native American artifacts.

Writing – Students are listening to a variety of poems about Fall or Thanksgiving and are practicing writing several different poem types of their own.  They are also working on completing their Fall paragraphs.

Science – Students are learning about bees, pollination and the sticky stigma and pollen dusters of flowers.

Spelling – Our spelling pattern this week focuses on the long e sound.  Spelling patterns are ie, ea, and ee.

P.E. – We will have P.E. on  Tuesday and Thursday.

Library – Library is on Thursday.

Computers – Computer lab is on Friday.

Dear Parents,

APEX fun run will be this Thursday.  Students will wear their white APEX shirts for the run.  The shirts will be given to them that morning.

Please sign up for the Bloomz app if you haven’t already!  This is one of the primary ways I will be communicating information.  Most of you have done so.  Thank you!

Mark Your Calendars!

Friday, August 31st – Deadline for turning in pledges collected for the Fun Run

Friday, August 31st – Book orders due – please order online with the class code I stapled on the front of the order forms if at all possible instead of turning in money to me.

Monday, September 4th – No school that day for Labor Day

The colors for color days this week are:
Monday – purple
Tuesday – black
Wednesday – brown
Thursday – white
Friday – wear your favorite color

Here is a look at what we are focusing on in class this week:

Math – Every day we are working diligently to train for what is expected during our math stations.  I will be meeting with every student in a small group every day.  We are currently working on place value and rounding.  We will begin lessons in the math book by the end of the week.

Reading – We are reviewing story elements: setting, characters, problem and solution.  We have practiced visualizing while we read and are talking about the descriptive/colorful words authors use to help paint a picture in our minds.  We have read two stories together in our Wonders books.  There will be a vocabulary and comprehension test on Wednesday.
I just finished a read aloud of a Judy Moody book – they loved it!  I will be reading several Patricia Polacco books this week and we will be learning about making connections and discussing similarities between the books by the same author.

Writing – We are practicing the correct way to write our address.  We are also practicing writing friendly letters.  We have identified all five parts: heading (address), greeting, body, closing and signature.  We will be writing a letter together as a class on Tuesday and I will guide them in writing a different letter on Wednesday.  On Thursday, they will be asked to write one on their own.

Social  Studies – We are completing an assignment in class showing our location in the world beginning with our planet and working our way down to continent, country, state, and city.

PE – Tuesdays and Thursdays
Computer Lab – on Friday
Library will begin next week on Thursday.

Dear Parents,

I can’t believe we are in our last week of school!  Friday, May 25th is the last day of school.  It is a minimum day.  Dismissal is at 12:30.

Here is our schedule for the last week of school:

Monday – Chocolate Day – We will learn about how chocolate is made, taste different types of chocolate, and complete an M & M math activity incorporating counting, addition, and fractions.

Tuesday –  Game Day/Movie Day – Students bring games from home (no electronic games).  In the latter part of the day, they will watch the movie The BFG.  We have just finished reading the chapter book together in class.

Wednesday – Read-a-thon/Cleaning Day.  Students can bring 2-3 chapter books and a pillow and/or blanket if they want to.  Students will be listening to a UPS presentation in the morning!

Thursday – Memory Books, Field Day Fun, Art and Music will be enjoyed.

Friday – Autograph party and last day of school.  Students can bring yearbooks if they purchased one.  All students will have a memory book.

Happy summer!!!!