Week of December 3

  

 Students enjoyed mining for rocks and minerals in Diamond Del's Gem Mine!  It was a great way to kick off our "Don't take it for granite" unit!

Hello, families!  I hope you all had a safe and happy Thanksgiving break!

Our final "Being There Experience" payment is due on Friday, December 7.  If you chose the second payment option, it is $25.  Please write your phone number on your check and make it out to BRES.

Looking ahead:  Students will be reading fiction and nonfiction stories, which go along with our FOSS investigations in science.  They will focus on various skills throughout the week, including main idea and detail, comparing and contrasting.  As writers, we'll kick off a review of parts of speech!  Our studies will center on nouns, pronouns, adjectives and verbs.  As mathematicians, students will continue studying place value into the millions.  Students will practice reading, writing and ordering numbers.  As geologists, the children will do investigations, which require them to test the hardness of rocks and minerals and see if a rock contains calcite through a special acid vinegar test.

A reminder about LAPATHON:  LAPATHON envelopes are due WEDNESDAY, November 28!  Money raised will go toward  the shade cover for the playground, new school marquee and a donation to the American Heart Association!  The students have the following incentives, based on how much they raise: 

 $150+ - popcorn and movie
 $200+ - popcorn, pizza, and movie
 $300+ - popcorn, pizza, movie, $50 teacher gift card (for classroom supplies)

We will celebrate by walking on November 30, 10:30 - 11:00.  Families are welcome to join us while we walk our laps!  Third grade is going for the win in walking the most laps for the third year in a row!

Special thanks:  Thank you, Mrs. Dotson, for watching our class on Teacher Appreciation Day, while I enjoyed a special PTO luncheon!  It meant so much to me!  I also appreciate off of the notes and emails I received from not only students, but you - the parents - as well!  It is an honor to team up with you in making this a successful year for your child!  Thank you to Mrs. Davis, too, for joining us on November 16.  We learned so much about the Gullah culture and enjoyed checking out your neat artifacts!  (Be sure to check out pictures below!)

Interims are going home this Thursday.  It would be a great time for you to sit down with your child and discuss ways to reach goals you set at the beginning of the nine weeks.  Many students are still not turning in completed homework or reading logs.  It is highly recommended that students work on using their LIFESKILL of responsibility the remainder of the school year.  Please continue to check Parent Portal on a weekly basis for updated grades, so you may monitor your child's progress, along with reviewing missed items on work in communication folders.

The PTO's Holiday Shoppe will be open only to children next week.  Please look for more information going home in your child's communication folder on Thursday.  I will update the "Important Events" section this week as soon as I know what day we'll be going there.

Please sign and return stapled, graded papers, along with signed interims and report card covers.

Thank you again for your never-ending support!  I appreciate all that you do for our kids!

 

Mrs. Davis, Brennan's mom, joined us on Friday, November 16, to share a lot of cool information about the Gullah culture!  She read aloud Gullah tales, showed us artifacts from her travels in Africa and even taught us Gullah words and dances.  Thanks, Mrs. Davis, for spending time with us and teaching us all you know about the Gullah traditions!

Weeks of November 19 and 26

 We have enjoyed learning all about the history behind Veterans Day.  Our school's chorus presented a musical appreciation for Veterans Monday morning and Ms. Sease read aloud The White Table in honor of those who have served our country.  We appreciate all of our veterans!

Hello, families!  I hope you all have enjoyed this week and took a moment to celebrate and honor veterans.  We appreciate everything veterans have done for us!

Please note this blog will not be updated again until the week of November 26.

Looking ahead:  Students will be focusing on informational text features in reading these next two weeks, by studying their Social Studies Weeklies.  They'll also focus on identifying the main idea and supporting details. As scientists, students will continue learning about the make up of rocks and minerals, through various simulations and FOSS activities.  Students will be work on "Thankful" pieces in writing before our fall break and then be challenged to complete a six-trait assessment the following week, to set a base-line for their writing skills.  They'll be assessed again in the spring to show their growth.  As mathematicians, students will wrap up their unit four study of multiplication and move on to studying place value.  Please remember that we'll continue working on multiplication quizzes each week!  Students must keep studying those facts!

LAPATHON envelopes are going home today!  Money raised will go toward  the shade cover for the playground, new school marquee and a donation to the American Heart Association!  The students have the following incentives, based on how much they raise: 
 $150+ - popcorn and movie
 $200+ - popcorn, pizza, and movie
 $300+ - popcorn, pizza, movie, $50 teacher gift card (for classroom supplies)

We will celebrate by walking on November 30.  Families are welcome to join us while we make our laps!

Students will receive a brand new homework packet and reading log on Friday, November 16.  Both of these items will not be due until Friday, November 30.  Students are not required to do homework over the fall break.  Also, please note that students will receive their study guide for the unit four math test on Friday, November 16, but we will not go over it until Tuesday, November 27, before our test on Wednesday, November 28.  I wanted to make all of these documents available to you, in case you'd like to have your child look over them in the next week or so.

If you are interested in speaking at our school's career day on November 28, please contact Mrs. Spangler! We would love to have you!

I want to take a moment to thank you all again for the support you've given both me and the students this first nine weeks!  You have been amazing!  I know third grade can be a rough transition year, but together, we will make it a successful one for the kids.  My hope is to see each one of them do their personal best each and every day!

Please sign and return all stapled, graded papers and be sure to send in your child's report card cover!

I hope you all have a safe and happy fall break!  I look forward to seeing the kids back on Monday, November 26!

Week of November 12

Students learned all about Native American legends last week.  They focused on one legend throughout the week and created a presentation to go along with the legend.

Hi, families!  I hope you've enjoyed your week and have stayed warm! 

Looking ahead:  We've got a lot planned next week!  Students will be diving into the Gullah culture by studying Gullah literature.  They'll review story elements and how to sequence events of a story.  As writers, students will be finishing their letters to Veterans.  In math, they'll focus on multiplication and division strategies.  Students will also have a 3s fact quiz on Tuesday.  As historians, students will wrap up their Colonial unit projects and have an open-book test on Wednesday.  They'll enjoy time with Diamond Del that same day, which will kick off our Rocks and Minerals unit in science.

Be sure to check over your child's reading log each night.  Each log should be filled out at least four times a week on the "home" side.  Many students are neglecting to fill it out and get it signed.

Please be sure to sign and return your child's report card cover and permission brochure for Diamond Del!  Also, please sign and return any stapled papers in your child's communication folder!

Thank you, as always, for your never-ending support!  Have a great weekend!