Week of 9/28/15 - 10/2/15

Thank you to the parents who sent in apple juice (Mark’s family,) bowls (Maddi’s and Ariella’s families,) and spoons (Lindsy’s family.)   It was all appreciated and we plan on having an awesome celebration for Johnny Appleseed’s birthday today!

I’m disappointed in the number of students who did not hand in their spelling homework today.  A letter went home 2 weeks ago with an activity sheet.  I expected 8 activities to be completed (all very simple) and stapled to the pink activity sheet.  Nine students did not have it completed; some did not even start.  Furthermore, it was written in the student planners every single day!   I’m baffled!!    Many students will be staying in today for recess, but that will not be enough time to finish everything.  Please help your child if they need some direction.  Student planners should be checked and signed daily.   Thanks so much!!

Coming up this week:

Spelling:   The pink “Words Their Way” spelling menu/spelling work is due on Friday, October 9.  Student work should be written on a sheet of notebook paper and everything stapled to the pink “menu.”  The students will also be tested on 15 of the words in their “sorts.”  Please refer to the pink letter I sent home for more details.  

Reading & Language Arts:  We are continuing our first unit of study, “Tales as Old as Time.”  This week, we’re comparing classic fairy tales to fractured fairy tales.  Students will be writing their own fractured fairy tale this week and writing their own version of Cinderella from another character’s point of view.  

Our Independent Reading Contracts are due on October 1. I will be grading them with your student starting on that day. They are worth 30 points.

Reading logs for September are also due on 10/1.

Social Studies: We’re on hiatus.

Science:   This week, we’ll continue chapter 9 on the water cycle.  We’ll have an open book/open note graded review (quiz) on Monday.

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class:  Our first math assessment covering the first unit of study (addition/subtraction) will take place on Wednesday, September 30.  A study guide/pretest is coming home today. I will not be collecting this, but it would be a great way for your child to study for the test. The test will be in exactly the same format as this pretest.  

On Thursday, we’ll start our next module on multiplication.

Important Dates:

9/29 - Magazine Drive turn-in days

10/12 - Columbus Day (no school)

10/30 - Halloween parade & party

Have a great weekend!

Week of 9/21/15 - 9/25/15

A note is coming home today regarding Johnny Appleseed’s birthday on September 25.  If you are willing to send in some apple juice boxes, bowls, or spoons for our applesauce, please email me.  We love celebrating in room 105!   

Coming up this week:

Spelling:   The pink “Words Their Way” spelling menu/spelling work is due on Friday, 9/25.  Student work should be written on a sheet of notebook paper and everything stapled to the pink “menu.”  The students will also be tested on 15 of the words in their “sorts.”  Please refer to the pink letter I sent home last week for more details.  

Reading & Language Arts:  We are continuing “Tales as Old as Time.”  This week, we’re comparing Mulan, The Mysterious Giant of Barletta, and Fin M’Coul.  Then, we’ll begin our close read of Rumpelstiltskin.

Social Studies:  The quiz on oceans and continents will be on Tuesday, 9/22.  Students should know the locations of the continents and oceans and be able to spell them correctly.  Don’t worry, there is a word bank on the quiz.

Science:   This week, we’ll start chapter 9 on the water cycle.  Students will read and take notes. Each lesson will be followed by an open book/open note graded review.  I’ll let you know in my weekly blog when those will take place.  I’m tentatively looking at Monday, 9/28, for the first one.  

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class:  We’ll continue with addition and subtraction this week.  Our specific focus will be double digit addition and subtraction with story problems.  Our first math assessment covering the first unit of study will take place on Wednesday, September 30.  

Important Dates:

9/22 & 9/24 - Magazine Drive turn-in days

9/24 - Early Dismissal (11:35)

9/25 - Johnny Appleseed’s birthday celebration (letter home coming soon!)

Have a great weekend!

Week of 9/14/15 - 9/18/15

Today is the 14th anniversary of 9/11.  I will be discussing it using a book called Fireboat.  It’s an inspiring, true story about the John J. Harvey fireboat, used to put out the fires in NYC on 9/11 since all the fire hydrants were broken!  

We are finishing up our MAP testing today (Math) and it was so nice having the children take the tests on their own chromebooks.  I am impressed that they are remembering to charge them up every night and return with them every morning. Great job 3rd grade!  

Coming up this week:

Spelling:   We are starting a brand new spelling series this year called Words Their Way.  Well, new to us, not new to our 3rd graders!!  We’ll be starting our “sorts” on Monday.  Watch out for a homework menu coming home Monday!

Reading & Language Arts:  We are continuing our first unit of study, “Tales as Old as Time.”  This will cover folk tales, fairy tales, myths, legends, tall tales, and fables.  We read Mulan for the first time and will be “digging deeper” this week.  We’ll then read The Mysterious Giant of Barletta.  Daily 5 stations have also begun.    

Social Studies:  We’ll continue our unit with continents and oceans.  The quiz on this information will be on Tuesday, 9/22.  Watch out for a study guide!!

Science:   Coming soon!!

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class:  We’ll continue with addition and subtraction this week.  There is a checkpoint quiz today.  On Thursday, there will be a work sample assessment.  

Important Dates:

9/14 - Magazine Drive kick-off

9/24 - Early Dismissal (11:00)

9/25 - Johnny Appleseed’s birthday celebration (letter home coming soon!)

Have a great weekend!

Week of 9/7/15 - 9/11/15

Happy Labor Day weekend everyone! Thank you to all the parents who came out for Curriculum Night.  If you were unable to attend or would like to revisit our third grade slide presentation, here is the link:  https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1l_n3sKS5JbBnEGyHQwQFxQbimiarA5KCvDKO9Ds0t8E/pub?start=false&loop=false&delayms=5000&slide=id.p

The students will be taking the Reading and Math MAP tests on Wednesday and Thursday.  Please make sure they have a healthy breakfast and get plenty of rest!

Have a wonderful Labor Day weekend with your families!

Coming up this week:

Spelling:   We are starting a brand new spelling series this year called Words Their Way.  We are not quite ready to start yet.   Soon…

Reading & Language Arts:  We are beginning our first unit of study, Tales as Old as Time.  This will cover folk tales, fairy tales, myths, legends, tall tales, and fables.  We’ll start with Mulan.  Daily 5 will also start this week.  

Social Studies:  We’ll continue our unit with hemispheres.  There will be a short quiz on Thursday.  A study guide goes home on Tuesday!!

Science:   We won’t be starting science for a couple of weeks.

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class:  We will continue to work with the Addition Table.  Then on to Subtraction.  A new workbook is coming home today called “Home Connections.”  If your child doesn’t have it, it only means they finished their homework in study hall :)   Also, there will be a "checkpoint" on Friday to see how well we've mastered the skills so far.

Important Dates:

9/7 - Labor Day (no school)

9/24 - Early Dismissal (11:00)

Have a great, long weekend!