FIELD TRIP TO MOREHEAD PLANETARIUM

January 21, 2015        

Dear Parents:

The third grade team is excited and looking forward to our upcoming field trip on Tuesday, February 24, 2015 to the Morehead Planetarium and Science Center in Chapel Hill, NC.  Students will participate in a hands-on learning experience called Solar Systematics in which they become NASA engineers as they design, build, and test interplanetary landers that are necessary to test rocky environments such as Mars.  Students will also view a show in the planetarium entitled Solar System Odyssey.  The purpose of this field trip is to reinforce the concepts that students learned in our “Objects in the Sky” unit in science. 

The cost of the trip to cover the workshop, show, and busses is $13.00 per student.  Donations to help the students who cannot financially afford to pay for the trip are greatly appreciated.  Please fill out both sides of the attached permission slip and send in your payment to your homeroom teacher by Tuesday, February 17, 2015.  Please make checks payable to Douglas Elementary School.  You may also pay online through OSP (Online School Payment).  You can access OSP directly online at the Douglas Elementary School website.

If you are interested in chaperoning, we would love to have you accompany us!  We are allowed to have two chaperones per class.  Please submit your name to your homeroom teacher by Friday, February 13, 2015, and your teacher will do a drawing on this date to announce the chaperones.  In order to be a chaperone, you must have a background clearance.  The cost of the trip for chaperones is $6.50 per person.  Wake County Schools’ policy does not allow parents to ride Wake County school busses; therefore, parents are required to drive separately and meet us at the planetarium.  Please consider participating in this wonderful volunteer experience!

Thank you for your support!

The Third Grade Team

ITINERARY

9:30 a.m. –    Busses depart Douglas Elementary School to travel to Chapel Hill, NC

10:30 a.m. -   Planetarium Show /Solar Systematics Workshop     

11:30 a.m. -   Planetarium Show/Solar Systematics Workshop

(Half of our students will be viewing the show while the other half participates in the hands-on workshop.  During the second hour, students will switch activities.)

12:15 – 12:30 p.m. – Depart Chapel Hill to travel to Douglas Elementary School

1:30 p.m. – Return to Douglas Elementary School

(Students will eat a snack on the bus during our ride back and eat lunch at school upon our return.)

IMPORTANT DATES

February 13 -  Sun and Moon Music/Dance 

                      Informance - 11:30 a.m.

February 13 - Early Release Day

February 24 - Third Grade Field Trip to the 

                     Planetarium in Chapel Hill, NC

                     (Information coming home soon)

February 26 - Arts Night

Fun Ways to Practice Multiplication Facts

Mrs. Eleczko, our math coach, shared the following link with me.
I thought your children might enjoy some of the games on the link to help them practice their multiplication facts in a fun and interactive way.  


http://multiplication.com/interactive_games.htm

HAPPY NEW YEAR AND WELCOME BACK!

January 5, 2015

Happy New Year!  I hope that you had a restful and relaxing holiday break.  I am looking forward to the new year and continuing to teach your wonderful children!  Listed below is some information about our classroom, as well as upcoming dates that may be helpful to you.

Reading - We will continue learning strategies to help us comprehend nonfiction text.  This week our focus will be on determining the main idea and supporting details in a reading passage.  Please continue to have your child read 25 minutes nightly and check for understanding by making predictions, rereading, questioning, etc.  Students should be reading fiction, nonfiction, and poetry at home. Thank you in advance for continuing to sign the reading log, verifying that your child has read.

Math - We will be learning how to read and interpret the data on graphs this week in math.  I think the students will enjoy the hands-on activities such as penny tossing and measuring objects to gather data for their graphs.  Your child should be memorizing their multiplication facts and studying at home.  Please sign the multiplication log nightly, acknowledging that your child studied a set of their facts for that night.  The multiplication log should be coming home along with the reading log each night.  Your child will take a one minute multiplication fact test when they feel they have mastered a set - for example, the two's times tables, the three's times tables, etc.  We will chart our progress with a sticker chart posted in the classroom.  At the end of the year, I am planning to have a Multiplication Ice Cream Sundae Party to celebrate our mastery of the multiplication facts.  

Writing - The first few days of this week students will be completing the final drafts of their opinion essays.  We will then begin exploring informational writing as students research an animal of their choice.  This is always an exciting unit because students enjoy learning new and interesting facts during their research.

Tests in Conduct/Work Habits Folder - As a reminder, I will continue to send important papers and tests that need to be signed in the conduct and work habits folder found in the Monday folder.  Please review these assessments/papers with your child and discuss areas in which your child had difficulty.  If you would like to keep the papers longer for review, just jot me a note or send an email so that I do not penalize your child for bringing the papers in late. Please sign and return the papers when you have finished reviewing them with your child.

Scholastic Book Orders - January book orders from Scholastic are included in this week's Monday folder.  If you are interested in ordering, book orders are due Wednesday, Jan. 14. The classroom code for online orders is J64DG.

Thank You! - Thank you to Mrs. Webb, Mrs. Sydnor, Mrs. Motamen, and Mrs. Milliken for providing the "Gift of Time" on Tuesday, Dec. 16th.  Thank you to Mrs. Errato and Mrs. Payams for arranging our Winter Celebration on Thursday, Dec. 18.  Your kindness and generosity was very much appreciated.  The children enjoyed the delicious snacks, craft time, and fun-filled afternoons before they left on winter break.

Important Dates

Monday, Jan. 12 - Score 21 Benchmark Testing - Reading

Tuesday, Jan. 13 - Score 21 Benchmark Testing - Math

Monday, Jan. 19 - School Holiday - No School

Tuesday, Jan. 20 - Teacher Workday - No School for Students