News from the Week of 11/8-11/12

Charlotte's Web is getting more and more intriguing.  We learned that Charlotte's plan to save Wilbur's life involved spinning messages in her web.  Ask your child if the/she can remember the first message (Some Pig) and the second message (Terrific).  See if he/she can recall what "Explosion" (the rotten egg broke) saved Charlotte's life.

This week we started cursive writing!  It was introduced last year, and now that the children work more efficiently, we are able to add it in to our morning routine.

In our study of nouns, we have been entertained by the educational School House Rock videos.  The catchy tunes help to cement what the children have been taught through more formal instruction. The children also enjoyed listening to "Mr. Morton" on CD.  See if they can remember the lyrics, "Mr. Morton is the subject of the sentence.  What the predicate says he does."

In math we have started a unit on measurement.  The children had fun measuring with their feet and with their math journals (standard unit of measurement).   To insure growth in speed and accuracy with math facts, Mad Minutes need to be completed daily at home.

We spent more time studying minerals and rocks in science.  Ask your child if they know the difference between the two.  We will have a science test next Wednesday before Thanksgiving (extended from what I told the kids today in class).  If your child is going to be gone, they should plan on taking it this Friday.  There will be a study packet going home on Wednesday.  It will be in the Friday Folder.

 The 3rd grade team is still striving to make things easier for everyone.  So,  this is the final installment of the organization plan.  The red Take Home Folder will be for ALL (General Studies, Judaic, and Hebrew)  homework going home and needing to be returned to school.  The Friday Folder will be for everything else.  The Assignment Notebook will contain all three classes' assignment sheets (starting next week). The list of spelling words will be written underneath the General Studies Assignment Sheet.  All correspondence needs to be done in this book.  We do our best to make sure the folders get in your child's backpacks to go home.  Please make sure to do your best to make sure they get back in the backpacks to come back to school.