Dear Parents,
I really enjoyed the Reading Conference that I attended last Sunday - Tuesday at the Raleigh Convention Center. Although I missed my class, I was grateful for the opportunity to be surrounded by fellow educators, as well as authors, to continue my education in reading. I have already been implementing some of the strategies/interventions I learned with my own students.
As we prepare for the shorter week ahead, I wanted to highlight some of our class activities in each subject area.
READING - Students will be describing the relationship between the sequential steps in a process, using language that pertains to sequencing (first, next, finally, etc.). I will be asking students to sequence the steps involved in making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich while I actually make the sandwich according to their directions. This is always a fun lesson, especially if students do not carefully place the steps in order and use specific language when giving directions. We will also be looking at spelling patterns in the following words during our Word Work this week: question, threw, through, vacation, wear, we're, with. Students are being encouraged to use the Word Wall where these words are posted in order to improve their spelling skills.
WRITING - This past week we began another unit of informational writing with the focus on biographies. Students began researching the family life of their biographical character. Our writing will be done in a booklet format focusing on the following areas of the person's life: family, early life, school years, later life, and accomplishments.
SOCIAL STUDIES - Students will be finishing up Social Studies with Mr. Otto by the middle of this week. Upon our return from Spring Break, students will start the final unit in Science, which will be focusing upon plant growth and soils.
MATH - I am very proud of how students are working hard to conceptually understand fractions. They are doing a great job using precise vocabulary when explaining their thinking. This week we will continue to explore equivalent fractions by drawing various visual models such as fraction bars, number lines, and circle models. I have some fun games to teach my students to help them understand fractions.
On Monday, our class will be joining Ms. Flowers' class to hear Mr. Burns read aloud while we enjoy a sweet treat. Our two classes were the winners of the Achieve 3000 challenge among the third grade teachers. Ms. Flowers and I would like to reward our students for their hard work in using reading strategies. Also on Monday, we will also watch the Douglas Variety Show dress rehearsal during an afternoon assembly.
IMPORTANT DATES
Wednesday, March 23 - Variety Show - 6:00 p.m.
Friday, March 25 - Sunday, April 3 - SPRING BREAK!
Tuesday, April 5 - Math Night - 5:30 - 7:00 p.m.
Thank you for all of your support. I hope that you enjoy Spring Break and have some fun times with family.
Sincerely,
Ms. Underwood
Sunday, March 20, 2016
Sunday, March 6, 2016
WEEK OF MARCH 6, 2016 NEWS
Dear Parents,
I hope you were able to rest and enjoy the weekend. Spring Break is almost here! In the meantime, here are some updates for our coming week:
Reading - This week in reading, students will continue identifying the ways in which texts are structured (chronological order, cause/effect, compare/contrast, etc.). Students will also be practicing distinguishing their own point of view from that of the narrator, characters, or author. Our third grade team has chosen some engaging texts on Michael Jordan and Mia Hamm to use for our lessons to engage our students. These texts come from the Achieve 3000 program and will be on your child's reading level.
Writing - Students wrote some very creative and interesting stories during our Writer in Residence program. We are going to further develop those stories during our realistic fiction unit as students add more descriptive details to "show" rather than "tell" their stories.
Social Studies - Mr. Otto is teaching students about why the European settlers came to America and the effect of their arrival upon the people already living in America.
Math - Students are working hard in math to understand the concepts of fractions. Last week, we focused upon the definition of a fraction (an equal part of a whole), as well as the difference between the numerator and the denominator. Students used graham crackers to understand that the size of the whole is important, and they also created mystery fractions to understand the difference between the numerator and the denominator. We will continue our study of fractions this week by partitioning number lines into equal parts.
IMPORTANT DATES
Monday, March 7 - Variety Show Auditions - 4:30 p.m.
Friday, March 11 - Field Trip to Wake Forest High School to see a play
Friday, March 11 - Mad Scientist Program - 2:15 p.m.
Friday, March 11 - March Madness Spirit Day - Dress to represent your team
Sincerely,
Ms. Underwood
I hope you were able to rest and enjoy the weekend. Spring Break is almost here! In the meantime, here are some updates for our coming week:
Reading - This week in reading, students will continue identifying the ways in which texts are structured (chronological order, cause/effect, compare/contrast, etc.). Students will also be practicing distinguishing their own point of view from that of the narrator, characters, or author. Our third grade team has chosen some engaging texts on Michael Jordan and Mia Hamm to use for our lessons to engage our students. These texts come from the Achieve 3000 program and will be on your child's reading level.
Writing - Students wrote some very creative and interesting stories during our Writer in Residence program. We are going to further develop those stories during our realistic fiction unit as students add more descriptive details to "show" rather than "tell" their stories.
Social Studies - Mr. Otto is teaching students about why the European settlers came to America and the effect of their arrival upon the people already living in America.
Math - Students are working hard in math to understand the concepts of fractions. Last week, we focused upon the definition of a fraction (an equal part of a whole), as well as the difference between the numerator and the denominator. Students used graham crackers to understand that the size of the whole is important, and they also created mystery fractions to understand the difference between the numerator and the denominator. We will continue our study of fractions this week by partitioning number lines into equal parts.
IMPORTANT DATES
Monday, March 7 - Variety Show Auditions - 4:30 p.m.
Friday, March 11 - Field Trip to Wake Forest High School to see a play
Friday, March 11 - Mad Scientist Program - 2:15 p.m.
Friday, March 11 - March Madness Spirit Day - Dress to represent your team
Sincerely,
Ms. Underwood
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