Week in Review January 29, 2018

Dear Room 23 Families,

It was great meeting with you all for a parent-teacher conference!  I am so happy with the progress all of your children are making this year, and I hope you are too!  Thank you for being such a great supporter of your child's education and keeping lines of communication open between us.  As your child's first teacher, you are crucial to their success in school! Thank you for all you do! 

Congratulations!!!  Our class had some super spellers brave enough to enter the third grade spelling bee.  They all did GREAT!!  Way to go Ashlyn, Sasha, Ellery, Leslie and Ingrid! 

Way to go, girls!

Curriculum Update:

Math:  We finished Unit 4 and are testing Tuesday.  Watch for the Unit 5 Family Letter and Homelinks to arrive this week.  The unit begins with fractions.  Remember the packet is for your information only.  The homelinks are NOT required homework, but extra practice should your child want/need it.  
Reading:  We have concluded studying the different structures of non fiction text and will shift our focus to fiction. We will be learning strategies to think more deeply about events in a story as they lead the reader to the resolution and themes of stories.  
Writing:  We finished the persuasive writing unit and will be spending time writing support for a claim from a text.  This includes writing paragraphs with a main idea, details, and conclusions.  
Science: Our unit on Water and Climate begins this week as we learn about what happens when water moves downhill and how it effects the ever changing Earth. 
Social Studies:  We concluded our unit on MI economy.  The benchmark assessment for the unit is an in class project that we will complete this week. 





Reminder:  Our student council is still collecting canned goods and would appreciate any donations you are able to contribute.  





We had a beautiful day for some fresh air around our track and to strike pose on the rock. :-)

Have a great week!

   

Weeks in Review January 15, 2018

Dear Families,

What a beautiful, cold, snowy start to 2018!  I hope you are all staying safe and are trying to find a way to embrace our MI January weather!

Today is MLK Day, and as I write this update, I am thankful for how far our society has come in terms of kindness, acceptance, and appreciation for diversity.  While learning about the life of MLK Jr, students could NOT believe the inequalities that were part of life not so long ago!  :-)  They were intrigued by the unjust ways of life during the civil rights movement and seem to recognize and appreciate their lives as they know them!  :-)

**Please remember to visit your skyward account and sign up for a time to meet for conferences.  If I have already met with you, there is no need to sign up again.  :-)  This Thursday is an early release day for students, with conferences beginning at 12-8pm.

Curriculum Update:

Reading: We are working towards finishing our unit of strategies to read non fiction text.  The students also took the iReady reading assessment and score well!  Please keep reading at home with your child.  This extra practice supports what we do in class and helps build a lifetime enjoyment of reading!

Writing: The kids wrote a New Year's resolution on what they plan to do to make the world better for others.  :-)  We are adding specific details to the persuasive essays started before the holiday break.  The writing is written with a lead, body paragraphs, and closing.  It is 5 paragraphs and shows a lot of hard work on your child's part.  :-)  In addition to the essays, the kids have been working on cursive.  I have now been asking them to write their first and last name in cursive on all papers.  Hopefully this will allow them to grow up and know how to sign for their drivers license one day!  :-)

Social Studies: They kids have learned about natural, human and capital resources needed for a business.  They learned about incentives offered by businesses to consumers and about the importance of location when building a business.

Math: We covered polygons, quadrilaterals, comparing masses, and measuring around an object.  Homelinks and a Family Letter were sent home for OPTIONAL extra practice.  They are copied on yellow paper.  :-) Also, remember your child has an account to ConnectED.  This is our math program on line and is a great resource.

What is the distance around Bella's head???

Measuring around heads!

Measuring around heads!

Yoga to relax and energize the brain!

Have a wonderful week! I'm looking forward to our conference this Thursday!