Family Reading Traditions

Reading Response Question for the Week of December 13- 17

This time of year is full of traditions for many families. Some of these traditions may even include reading! Some families might read a favorite story; some families may pull out favorite recipes to make; some families may spend many hours looking at instruction manuals for all of the new toys! There are tons of activities which involve reading! What kind of reading traditions does your family have? Ask your family for help and then let us in on your family reading traditions!

Would You Like to Join Us?

If you are interested in joining us for our upcoming field trip to Hunt Club to see the Winter Wonderland, please let us know as soon as possible. The cost is $9.00 per person which includes admittance and lunch (pizza). We are asking that parents meet us at Hunt Club to be ready for our tour which begins at 10:00 AM. We will eat lunch afterwards at the farm. At the conclusion of our trip, we will return to school on the bus. Or if you prefer, you may sign your child out and begin your winter holiday break a few hours earlier.

Timeline Projects went home today! Look for a baggie with index cards and a gold instruction sheet. The project is due January 5th. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to email Miss Schaech @ anne.schaech@vbschools.com.

Have fun and be creative!

You Try It!

Reading Response Question for the Week of December 6-December 10
We have been talking about how authors often leave clues for us in stories that let us know how the character is feeling or what type of person he/she is. When you write, it’s important to leave clues for your readers as well. Rather than just saying that a character is sad, show your reader by the things your character says, does, or thinks. When your clues are good, it’s easy for us to guess how your character is feeling.
Try it! Think of a character who is feeling a certain way (you may use the paper I gave you that is in your binder for some ideas). Then write a few sentences that “show” us. We’ll see if we can guess! Read my sample to see an example of how to do this!

Can You Tell What I'm Feeling?

Reading Response Question for November 29-December 3

Very often, the words a character says in a story can give us clues about how a character feels. Find a place in a fictional book that you are reading in which the main character speaks and gives you a clue about how the character is feeling. Be sure to tell us what the character says and what you think the character is feeling.

Economics Test- December 1st, 2010

Ecomonics Test Study Guide
Test Date:December 1st (Wednesday)


The test will be made up of the following parts:

• Application- Students will have to apply their knowledge to solve 2 economic problems. (Look for the "Decision Tree" to come home in 11/23's Tuesday Folder. This will be the model used on the test.)
• Multiple Choice/ Short Answer- There are approximately 20 questions on this part. Students will be asked to answer questions which will test their knowledge of the content. Much of the flashcard vocabulary will fall into this section.
• Narrative Items: There are 2 of these items. On these items, students are presented with economic scenarios and situations. They are to use their knowledge to respond in a written explanation.
  
  Other than the flashcards, what can you do to help prepare your child for the test?
• Your child should have their Social Studies textbook at home. Unit 3 focuses on economics. Read the chapters with your child for reinforcement of classroom lessons.
• Ask your child what they studied in Miss Schaech's class that day. Did they add any new words to the word wall? Did they watch a new Econ and Me segment on the big screen? Did they add anything to their binder that they want to share?
• Go over all economics papers that come home in the next 2 Tuesday folders.
• Look at the picture of the word wall (updated as we learn--this picture was taken on Monday 11/22). Can your child define or give examples of all the words?

Some great study links for economics:

http://www.iq.poquoson.org/3socst/economics/3economics03tlm1.htm

http://www.iq.poquoson.org/3socst/economics/3economics03tlm2.htm

http://www.iq.poquoson.org/3socst/economics/3economics03tlm3.htm

http://www.iq.poquoson.org/2socst/economics/2economics09tlm.htm

Have fun and happy Thanksgiving!

I'm Changed!

Reading Response for the Week of November 15-19
Very often, when we read, the characters in our books undergo changes. Sometimes the very thing they wanted in the beginning of the story becomes less important as the character learns a lesson and changes within the story.

What are you reading? How is the character in your book different by the ending of the book? What made your character change?

Water Cycle Test- November 10, 2010

The water cycle test is planned for next Wednesday! Here is a picture of the word wall. Can you explain the water cycle (using the words on the word wall) to someone? If you can, you are ready! Could you draw and label the parts of the water cycle? If you can, you are ready!

A study guide is going home tomorrow in your Tuesday folder. Please take a few moments each night to review it with your family. The Water Cycle book we have been reading is going to be sent home on Friday. Reread a little bit each night.

If you have any questions, please ask or email Miss Schaech.

Solve It!

Reading Response Question for the Week of November 1-5

The way a character speaks or acts in a story usually gives a lot of information about what kind of person he/she is. We can infer (make a decision based on text evidence) traits or feelings about a character by reading the text and thinking about what we know already. When we put those two things together, we have new information that the author has not told us directly. It’s like using the clues to solve a mystery about the character.

Using a fictional book you are reading at home, what things does your character say or do that give you clues to his/her character? Be sure to tell us the clue from the story as well as what you think the clue tells you as the reader.

It's Up to You! You're the Author!

Reading Response Question for the Week of October 25-29

We have been talking in class about non-fiction books, and we have read several together. If you were an author, what kind of non-fiction book would you write? Be sure to tell us what you would include in your book and why you would choose that topic.

Are You Up For A Visualizing Challenge?

Reading Response: Week of October 18, 2010

Many of you last week were able to give some vivid descriptive sentences from what you were reading at home which helped you to visualize. Let’s continue our discussion again this week, but with this challenge…. If you used a fictional book last week, try using a nonfictional text this week. Likewise, if you visualized from a nonfictional text last week, try your hand now at using a fictional text. Have fun! Be sure to include your book’s title, what you visualized, and the text’s descriptive phrases in your blog.

Picture This!

Reading Response Question For The Week Of October 11-15:

Visualizing is “picture-making” in your mind! It can make the words on a page become ferocious fire-breathing beasts on one page or a gentle breeze blowing across a field on another. When the author uses words that are descriptive, we can use our imaginations to create a mental movie that makes us feel like we are actually part of the action!

Think about the book you are reading at home. What words or phrases did you find especially easy to visualize? Which part of the book made the mental pictures come into your mind?

Connecting with Characters

Reading Response Question for the week of October 4-8

What character, in any book you've ever read, reminded you the most of yourself? What about that character is like you?

That Reminds Me Of......

Reading Response Question for the Week of September 27

When you are reading, it's important to think about ways in which the characters, problem, or setting might remind you of something else. It might be something else you have read or something you have experienced in your own life. It might even remind you of something happening across the globe! We call these "connections" and they can help us to better understand what we read or help us to remember it!

What are you reading? Does it remind you of anything else? Don't forget to include the title in your posting so we can check it out if it seems like a good book!

Science Test Review Pictures

Metamorphosis

Today, a MAGNIFICENT event happened in the third grade hallway. We were witnesses to the magical process of METAMORPHOSIS. Mrs. Flinn brought in some catepillars feeding on milkweed during the first week of school. Over the course of the last 2 weeks- we have watched the catepillars eat (Boy! They can sure chow down!), we have watched them spin their cocoons, and today we watched the first BEAUTIFUL Monarch butterfly emerge. Mrs. Flinn released it into the wild. Some of us were able to observe the first flight. It was grand!

For my scientists out there, I have two questions.
1. When the butterfly took its first flight, was that an instinct or a learned behavior?
2. If I was to measure the LENGTH of the cocoon, what do you ESTIMATE it would measure?

I'd love to for you to post a reply with the answers!!!

What Should We Know About You?

I am getting excited because the further we get into the school year, the more I get to know about you! Take some time, please, and tell the world a little about yourself. What are three things you'd like us to know?

What a Wonderful First Day!

What a fantastic first day of school!
The day really seemed to fly by! Everyone seemed happy to be back in school and we couldn't be happier.
We met as a third grade team after PE today in the Kagan room. We discussed rules, homework, switching classes, and "all that good stuff". Notice our picture above. This is the list that the students developed to guide our year. We are dedicated to showing respect, being good listeners, and always being the best citizens we can be!

We also learned how to use our planners! Please check them to see what nightly homework is. We are asking students to keep their Social Studies and Math Reference books at home in a safe place. Students, also, were assigned a small Math project that is due on Friday called "Numbers About Me". Mrs. Hardin is excited to see what students come up with!

We hope everyone had a great first day. Thanks to our parents ahead of time for working on all the paperwork tonight that came home in the Ziploc bag. There is a checklist attached that tells which paperwork must come back to school.

We look forward to seeing all your beautiful faces tomorrow!

Welcome Back!

Welcome Back, Third Grade Families!!!

These hallways have been very quiet without the sounds of your voices! We have missed you so very much and we were thrilled to meet some of you last night at Open House. We know that many of you could not make it, so we invite you to view our Open House Power Point. Travel to the Creeds Website (www.creedses.vbschools.com), Click on the Parents link, Click on Helpful Links, and then click on Open House Presentation. Thanks to all the families that were able to come out. We enjoyed meeting all of you!

Thank you again to the families who brought school supplies to the classroom on Open House night. For those of you who were unable to do so, no problem! Please make sure to send in the following supplies on Tuesday:
Bookbag/Backpack-no wheels
1
#2 Pencils-SHARPENED
2 Wide ruled -composition notebook
1 Plastic folder w/prongs/pockets
2 Fiskars scissors
4 Large glue sticks
8 Dry erase markers-low odor dark colors
1 Large pink eraser
1 Crayons (24 count)
2 Tissue boxes
1 hand sanitizer
2 One inch binders
1 set 5 Tab dividers
1 Zippered pencil pouch
1 Box Ziploc Bags
2 pkgs. Wide ruled notebook paper

We have been hard at work planning exciting activities for the children. We know the children will love the three way switch. We will meet as a grade team (all of us together) the first day of school to talk about our expectations, school rules, and play a REALLY FUN GAME!!! We have a lot to learn this year, but our focus is to have fun and enjoy the process of learning!

Students will be writing their homework in their planner starting on the first day. They will not have Word Study homework until Week 2. They will have Math homework the first week. Mrs. Hardin will also be assigning a small, fun Math project due on September 10th called "Numbers About Me".

The grading scale is NEW this year. It is as follows:
93-100 A
90-92 A-
87-89 B+
83-86 B
80-82 B-
77-79 C+
73-76 C
70-72 C-
67-69 D+
64-66 D
Below 64 E

It is important to note that an A- on a report card does not qualify for Principal's List and a C- does not qualify for Honor Roll.

We hope everyone has a safe and wonderful Labor Day weekend. We look forward to a FABULOUS year with the children.

If there are ANY questions or concerns that are still out there, please do not hesitate to email us!

anne.schaech@vbschools.com
joyce.hardin@vbschools.com
nancye.flinn@vbschool.com

Respectfully,
The Third Grade Teachers