FYI:

Third graders will not be bringing home spelling lists for spelling homework until we are done with MEA testing! We will be working on spelling skills in class. 

I wanted to take a minute to tell you how awesome your kids were today during testing! They took their time and pushed through a long test! 

Congratulations to some pretty awesome Third Graders!!!!!

Third Grade

3/18/17

It has been awhile since I have updated our news! Things are busy in third grade.

First, I wanted to let you know that we will be taking the MEA Reading test on Tuesday and Wednesday. We will start our tests first thing in the morning! I have been talking to the kids about the test and working to prepare them so they will be confident. I know they will be a bit nervous, but reassuring them they just need to do their best will be helpful.

 We will have healthy snacks for them...Thank you PTO. Please make sure your child is rested and ready! They have come a long way and I know they will do a great job!

Since my last update we finished a science scope on Natural Hazards. They finished the unit trying to make a wall to stop water from flooding a city. Here is what they created:

We had one group that was almost successful...they had one small leak. It was so great to watch them work together. Listening to them talk to each other and share their thoughts about a solution was interesting. When we were done they came up with ways that they thought might have worked better. This was an awesome problem solving activity.

We celebrated Dr. Seuss and Read Across America with a birthday cake and lots of reading! These are a few shots of our amazing third grader readers.

I am very proud of how far they have come in reading. They have built up their stamina and reading is one of the best parts of our day!

In writing, we have been working on finding facts, writing hooks, conclusions, and great middles! Third graders are writing an informational piece about Christopher Columbus. We are learning about Explorers in social studies so this has been a great way to tie in writing.

Third graders are trying to learn multiplication facts! We now have a Stars and Stairs Chart and they are trying to get to the top. There may be something special when they get to the top!

We have had fun learning lots of games to help with facts. They have played Salute, Beat the Calculator, Mad Minutes, and Around the World(their favorite). They have also learned new strategies to help them figure out problems that are harder for them. Again, any practice at home would be great!

We ended last week with a trip to the Old Town Y. It was wonderful. The kids had a blast. It was fun to see them laughing and trying new things!

I hope you all had a great weekend. I will be attending a math conference on Monday in Portland and am hoping to learn some things they will love!

Holly