Looking ahead to the week of October 6

Students enjoyed exploring the Nature Trail and working on an animal-centered scavenger hunt with their fifth grade book buddies.

Hello, families!  I hope you all are having a wonderful week!  

"Being There Experience" payment plan:  In your child's communication folder, you will find a "Being There Experience" payment letter.  Please read over this letter carefully, then sign and return it, as soon as possible.  The first payment (or full payment) is due Thursday, October 9.

Take a walk on the wild side:  Students will be visiting Riverbanks Zoo this Friday!  Please make sure your child wears tennis shoes and comfortable clothing.  Also, if you chose the option to send your child with a lunch from home, please do so... the cafeteria made only enough bagged lunches for those, who signed up for a cafeteria lunch!  Thank you to Ms. Boykin and Ms. Eastman, who were chosen randomly, for chaperoning our trip!

Off to the Lexington County Museum:  As soon as possible, please sign and return the permission form that went home in your child's communication folder for the Lexington County Museum trip.  

Looking ahead:  As mathematicians, students will continue working on developing strategies to solve measurement problems.  They'll be studying Module 2 -Topic B, Lessons 7-10 and Topic C, Lesson 12).  Remember, you can check out the Engage New York links at the bottom of our class blog, for more information about your child's math curriculum (Family Newsletter for Module 2, Topic B and Family Newsletter for Module 2, Topic C). In reading and language arts, students will kick off the Daily 5 rotation they have been waiting for since the start of school!  They have been practicing all of the elements of the rotation for the past few weeks, so they are ready.  During this rotation, whole group lessons will focus on wrapping up the TWISTS model for CLOSE readings, learning more about regular and irregular plural nouns, and creating detailed paragraphs for their animal research, using the Step-Up outline.  As scientists, students will wrap up their study on plants with a test Friday, October 10.

*Please note:  Students can take home any textbook, any day of the week, so long as they return it the following school day.  It is your child's responsibility to remember to take it home and bring it back!

A reminder from our third grade team:  Parents, you are always welcome to eat breakfast or lunch with your child. If you would like to eat with your child, we encourage you to sit at the school assigned guest tables. In the morning, you may sit with your child at a separate round table away from the other breakfast eaters. We do this so students will follow procedures, have adequate time to eat their breakfast, and get to class in a timely manner. At lunch, we have guest tables on the far side of the cafeteria. You are asked to sit there, so there are enough seats for all of our third graders at lunch. You are welcome to sit among the third grade students on our specified "Friends and Family" lunch day this year.  Thanks so much for your cooperation!

I hope you all have a great rest of the week and a super weekend!

Looking ahead to the week of September 29

Students enjoyed a visit from Molecular Meagan, who is a representative of Hands-On Science!  

Hello, families!  I hope you all are having a wonderful week and enjoying the start of the fall season!

Looking ahead:  Students will continue to kick off their second module in math.  They'll learn all about telling time and weight!  As scientists, the children will test on their animal unit Tuesday, September 30.  Please remember, the study guide for their animal unit gives them an idea of the concepts they will need to understand and apply on the test.  After their assessment, the kids will learn about the plants' needs, lifecycles, seed dispersal, tropism, and the importance of color to plants.  The will also enjoy their first "Being There Experience" to Riverbanks Zoo!  As readers, students will continue breaking down nonfiction articles, using the TWISTS model.  In language arts, they'll learn about verbs and adverbs.  As writers, students will begin turning their animal research facts into complete sentences.  They'll also take the first grade high-frequency word spelling pre-test.

A reminder about Thursday, September 25:  This is a half-day for students (dismissal is at 11:30).  Lunch will be served.  If your child's transportation changes, please be sure to send a note!

A reminder about our Riverbanks Zoo trip:  Students will be going to the Zoo on Friday, October 3.  Please be sure your child wears comfy shoes and clothing.  Also, be sure to send a lunch with your child, if that is the option you chose on his/her permission form.  The Seaside Cafe will make only enough lunches for those who signed up for a bagged lunch.  If you have not signed and returned your child's permission form, please do so, as soon as possible!

"Being There Experiences" payment letter:  Students will receive a letter in their communication folder next week (Thursday, October 2), regarding a payment plan for your child's field trips this year.  Please be sure to sign and return it, as soon as possible.

Thank you again for all of your support and enthusiasm!  It means so much to us!

Looking ahead to the week of September 22

Students have been practicing "Read to Someone" procedures.  This activity builds fluency and it's always fun to read with a buddy!

Hello, families!  I hope you all enjoyed your weekend and your week is going well!

Health Update:  Please sign and return the blue health update form that went home in your child's communication folder last week (if you have not done so already)!

Interims:  Interims will no longer go home in paper form.  Look for a letter going home about interims in your child's communication folder.  Interims will now be viewed online, through Parent Portal. Please make plans to sit down with your child, review his/her progress and set goals for the rest of the quarter.  The transition into third grade can be a tough one!  Please encourage your child to do his/her personal best every day!

TenMarks:  Your child will receive a letter, regarding the TenMarks math program, in his/her communication folder Thursday.  You can use this information to help your child log on to the site, as a part of the TenMarks square for their Tic-Tac-Toe grid.  It's up and running now!  We encourage the children to do this assignment on their own for homework!

PTO Meeting:  I hope you all will join us for our first PTO meeting at 7:00 on Monday.  There will be a lot of important information discussed by our board that night!  Fifth grade and kindergarten will also have presentations to share.

Fall Fundraiser:  The fall fundraiser ends soon!  Thank you for helping raise money for our school!

Spelling post-assessment reminder:  If students missed any kindergarten high-frequency words on their spelling pre-assessment at the beginning of September, they will have a post-test on the missed words Wednesday, September 24.

Half-day:  Next Thursday, September 25, is a half day for students.  Lunch will be served.  If your child's transportation changes, please be sure to send a note!  Students will be dismissed at 11:30.

Off to the Zoo:  Our "Being There Experience" to Riverbanks Zoo is Friday, October 3.  Permission forms will go home Thursday.  Please sign and return them, as soon as possible!  Also, if you sign up to be a chaperone, note that chaperones will be chosen randomly and notified.  Take a moment to review chaperone procedures, before signing up, in your child's Open House booklet that went home a few weeks ago!  Please be sure to send a lunch with your child, if that is the option you chose on his/her permission form.  If you chose the Seaside Cafe lunch, then a bagged lunch will be provided.

Looking ahead:  Students will continue learning about multiplication and division algorithms.  As scientists, students wrap up their animal unit, focusing on habitat changes and food chains.  In writing, students will begin working on their animal research projects.  They will also begin a study on the parts of speech.  As readers, the children will begin studying the TWISTS model, when doing a CLOSE reading.

A message from our third grade team:  Parents, you are always welcome to eat breakfast or lunch with your child. If you would like to eat with your child, we encourage you to sit at the school assigned guest tables. In the morning, you may sit with your child at a separate round table away from the other breakfast eaters. We do this so students will follow procedures, have adequate time to eat their breakfast, and get to class in a timely manner. At lunch, we have guest tables on the far side of the cafeteria. You are asked to sit there, so there are enough seats for all of our third graders at lunch. You are welcome to sit among the third grade students on our specified "Friends and Family" lunch day this year.  Thanks so much for your cooperation!

Thank you again for your support and enthusiasm!  Have a wonderful rest of your week and a great weekend!

Looking ahead to the week of September 15

Mrs. Gross and Ms. DeGracia taught us all about Chromebooks this week!  We learned not to share our personal information with anyone online, how to care for our Chromebooks and the "ins and outs" of using one!

Hello, families!  I hope you all are enjoying the cooler temperatures this week!

Our class blog:  Please make sure you view the desktop version of our class blog each week.  I know many of us check the blog out on our phones.  If you scroll down, please choose the other version, so you may see the important dates section.

Active Gamecock Logs:  I hope students are using their LIFESKILL of effort to fill out their Active Gamecock log each day!  It is due Monday, September 15.  I will turn them into Mr. Schirmer.  He will hand out the free Gamecock tickets to those students who turned in forms.  We have been talking in class about the importance of being physically active... it helps us stay healthy!

Support BRES:  Fundraiser packets went home on Monday.  I hope your family will participate and help us reach our school goal!  The fundraiser ends September 24.

MAP Testing:  Students will have their second MAP test next week next week (math).  This will give me a baseline of what the students know.  They will be tested again in the spring, which will assess their growth this school year.  Please encourage your child to not stress out one bit!  It is just an opportunity to show all that they know!

Interims:  Interims will be issued next Thursday, September 18.  Please make plans to sit down with your child, review his/her progress and set goals for the rest of the quarter.  The transition into third grade can be a tough one!  Please encourage your child to do his/her personal best every day!

Looking ahead:  Students will complete a mid-module test in math.  They will continue studying arrays and tape diagrams, as well as, the distributive property.  As scientists, they will learn about lifecycles and animal adaptations.  Students will receive their next unit study guide Friday, September 19.  In reading, students will learn about the setting and plot of a story.  They will also practice Daily 5 procedures.  As writers, they will continue learning note-taking skills.

Conference letters:  Conferences letters will go home in your child's communication folder this Thursday.  Please sign and return them, as soon as possible!

Have a wonderful rest of your week!  Thank you again for all of your support!

Looking ahead to the week of September 8

Hello, families!  I hope you all enjoyed your three-day weekend!  

Social Studies study guide:  Just a reminder that your child's social studies study guide is due next Monday, September 8.  The children will take the unit test is two parts - they will have a vocabulary test September 9 (on the vocabulary words in their fact file, which will start going home Thursday) and they will have a unit test September 11.  In order to be successful on this unit assessment, students will need to review the study guide, chapter 2 in their book, as well as all items in their fact file.   They will need to know how to label a South Carolina map with the regions, river systems (see MAP 3), fall line, and bordering states and ocean (see MAP 1). They will not need to memorize the major cities' exact locations, but should be comfortable with where they are in our state. Please know as the year goes on, that the students will be asked to be responsible for knowing what to study, but since it is their first BIG third grade test, I wanted to give you a bit of guidance.  Also, please note:  Students must return their textbook and fact file each day.  Please make sure your child does not leave these resources at home!

Looking ahead:  In math, students will continue to study multiplication and division strategies.  They will receive their first math study guide Monday, September 8.  It is due Monday, September 15.  Attached to this study guide, you will find problem sets the kids completed in class.  This will help children study, since there is no textbook for our Engage New York math program.  As historians, students will be assessed on their first social studies unit.  They will also kick off an animal unit toward the end of the week!  As writers, students will continue practicing note-taking skills, in preparation for an animal research project.  In reading, they will discuss elements of a story (characters, setting and plot), as well as, practicing Daily 5 reading routines.

Communication Folders:  Students will be receiving their first set of graded papers in their communication folders.  Please sign and return the stapled, graded work.  You may keep the top portion of your child's spelling pre-assessment, so you are aware of the words he/she needs to practice for the post-assessment, which is at the end of the month.  Also, if you were unable to attend Open House Tuesday, you will find our Open House booklet in your child's folder... please take a moment to read through it!

A few notes from our administration, regarding our new math program (Engage New York/Eureka Math):

•Eureka Math is a comprehensive math curriculum focused on a deep understanding of concept development and fluency.

•Our priority at Bookman Elementary is to provide high quality instruction. Therefore, various resources will be utilized for teaching and learning.

•Eureka Math is one primary resource that we will use this year to teach Mathematics.

•One resource that you will see throughout the year is a newsletter called, Math News.  This resource was created by a Louisiana school district for the use of this math program. 

•Math News correlates with Eureka Math and is valuable in explaining unfamiliar vocabulary and strategies unique to Eureka Math.   Some teachers may also use a newsletter called Eureka Math Tips for Parents.  This is another valuable resource that can be found at http://commoncore.org/parents

*You can find links to these web sites, throughout the year, toward the bottom of our blog, under the links' section.  If you have any questions regarding our new math program, please contact Mrs. O'Connor.  Also, please understand that we may use other math resources throughout the school year.

Thank you again for all of your enthusiasm and encouragement!  I have truly enjoyed getting to know your child... it is going to be a great year!