Looking ahead to the week of October 2 (Week A)

Students enjoy reviewing vocabulary through an online game called "Quizlet."  The teams are quite competitive, but it is another great opportunity to showcase the LIFESKILL of cooperation!

Hello, families!

Cici's Pizza Night:  Mrs. West will be at our school's "Cici's Pizza Night," from 5:00 to 5:45!  Hope to see you there!

Half day:  Friday, September 29, is a half day for students.  Lunch will be served.  Please be sure to send a note if your child's transportation changes.

Looking ahead to next week:  As scientists, students will wrap up their animal unit and begin a plant unit.  They will study plant adaptations. As mathematicians, the children will revisit subtraction algorithms.  Be sure to check out our Topic 3 family letter below.  In reading, students continue breaking down CLOSE reading articles, using the TWISTS (title, words, illustrations, sentences, thinking, and summarizing) model.  As writers, they will learn about concrete and abstract nouns, as well as, narrative elements.  

Thank you again for all of your support and enthusiasm!  Have a wonderful weekend!

Looking ahead to the week of September 25 (Week B)

We would like to say, "Thank you" to all of the families, who donated a book to our classroom library from the book fair!  It was a successful book fair!

Hello, families!  

Half day:  Friday, September 29, is a half day for students.  Lunch will be served.  Please be sure to send a note if your child's transportation changes.

Important change to our schedule:  Our lunch time has changed!  If you ever plan on joining your child for lunch, please meet us in the Seaside Cafe at 11:37.  We will eat lunch from 11:37 till 12:02. 

United Way campaign:  Our school has kicked off its United Way campaign!  Students are welcome to donate spare change/bills to buckets in the Media Center.  This money will go toward a "Pie in the Face" competition between some familiar BRES faces!  The donations for "Pie in the Face" will be collected through September 26.  Students are also welcome to donate $1 to our classroom envelope by Tuesday, in order to wear school-appropriate pajamas September 27.  Shoes will be required.  Thank you for your donations!   

Looking ahead to next week:  As scientists, students will continue learning about animal adaptations and how animals survive in their habitats.  They will receive their study guide Monday, September 25.  It will be due the following Monday.  They will also enjoy a visit from the Riverbanks on the Road. As mathematicians, the children will revisit adding three-digit numbers.  Their study guide will be issued Friday, September 29, and will be due the following Friday.  Be sure to check out our Topic 3 family letter below.  In reading, students will enjoy a CLOSE reading article.  They will break down the article using the TWISTS model.  As writers, they will learn about plural nouns and practice writing a story using the Step-Up Outline.  Students will take the district-wide writing assessment next week, too.  Students will also be taking the kindergarten high frequency word spelling post-test Tuesday (only the words missed on the pre-test). 

Thank you again for all of your support and enthusiasm!  Have a great weekend!

Looking ahead to the week of September 18 (Week A)

Students enjoy working on "Read to Someone" during our Daily 5 language arts block.  They build fluency skills and practice reading with expression.  They also learn how to talk about text.

Hello, families!  I hope you all remained safe and sound during the storm this past weekend.    

Communication folders:  Please be sure to initial the communication log in your child's communication folder- just once each week, after reviewing the graded work with your child!  You may keep his/her work.  Please return folders no later than the following Monday.

Field trip payments:  The first (or full) payment was due Thursday, September 7.  You may pay your child's balance through Parent Portal, if you have not done so already.

Online textbooks:  Students will be able to access their science and social studies textbooks online, using the web sites and usernames/passwords located on their password sheets inside their agenda books.  We received word from our district social studies coordinator that the social studies textbook access is up and running, as of Wednesday morning, so your child should be able to log in and view his/her textbook.  Please let me know if you have any trouble with either login!

Fact files:  As students prepare for their first unit of study test in social studies, please be sure your child returns his/her fact file by Friday, as it will be counted for a grade.  Students have been encouraged to use these fact files to study for their upcoming assessment.

Looking ahead to next week:  As scientists, students will kick off their "Home, Sweet Home" animal unit.  They will learn about different types of ecosystems.  As mathematicians, the children will wrap up Topic 2.  Their study guide is due Wednesday, September 20.  In addition to completing Topic 2, students will take their MAP math test and begin Topic 3.  They will dive into addition algorithms!  Be sure to check out our Topic 3 family letter below.  In reading, students will be continue building their reading stamina and discussing how to choose a "just right" book.  They will also practice reading in partnerships, word work, and listening to reading (all elements of our Daily 5 routine in ELA).  The children will continue to review elements of a story (setting and plot).  As writers, they will continue studying basic writing skills and learning parts of speech.  

A letter from our homeroom representatives:  Be sure to check out the letter from our homeroom representatives (Mrs. Fakas, Mrs. Rhett, and Mrs. Messinger), regarding ways you may be able to contribute to our classroom this year!  You will find it in your child's communication folder Thursday. 

 

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.

Thank you again for all of your support and enthusiasm!

Looking ahead to the week of September 11 (Week B)

Mrs. King taught us all about Chromebooks!  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!  

Social Studies study guide:  Just a reminder that your child's social studies study guide is due Wednesday, September 13.  The children will take the unit test in two parts - they will have a vocabulary test September 14 (on the vocabulary words in their fact file) and they will have a unit test September 15.  In order to be successful on this unit assessment, students will need to review the study guide, chapter one 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, fall line, and bordering states and ocean. 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!  The fact file will be turned in the day of the unit test for a grade.

Communication Folders:  Students will be receiving their first set of graded papers in their communication folders.  Please sign the communication log and leave it in your child's communication folder.  You may keep his/her graded work after reviewing it with your child.

Field Trip payments:  Students will be enjoying their first "Being HERE Experience" before we know it!  Please sign and return the form that went home in last week's communication folder.  You may make the payment(s) online through Parent Portal.

MAP Testing:  Students will have their MAP tests these next two weeks.  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!

Looking ahead to next week:  Students wrap up their first social studies unit with assessments.  Their study guide (which went home Wednesday, September 6) is due Wednesday, September 13 (the day we will go over it in class).  As mathematicians, the children will continue learning about addition and subtraction.  Be sure to check out our Topic 2 family letter below (We will not be doing lessons 2-3 and 2-4).  In reading, students will be continue building their reading stamina and discussing how to choose a "just right" book.  They will also practice reading in partnerships.  The children will also review elements of a story (main characters and setting).  As writers, students will continue studying basic writing skills and learning parts of speech.  Students will complete a DOL review of common grammatical errors, as well as, study editing marks.   

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.

Open House:  I hope you'll be able to join me at Open House, Thursday, September 7 (6:00 - 6:45).  I will be highlighting some important points from my Open House booklet.  If are unable to make it, no worries!  You'll receive a paper copy in your child's communication folder Thursday, September 14.  Please note that our Breakers program will offer child care for schoool-aged children on D-hall, while we have Open House.

Thank you again for all of your support and enthusiasm!  I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!