Looking ahead to the week of January 6 (PE)

A final word...

This is the final official "West Wire," before Mrs. Hunter kicks off the new year with the kids!  I can’t believe it!  This year has flown by so fast… I guess that’s what happens when you’re having fun.  Check out this video of all of our favorite moments from this year so far:  Third grade memories with Mrs. West

I wanted to take a moment and thank you all again for your support, patience, encouragement, and generosity you have given me throughout this semester school year.  I could not have done it without you.  

I’m going to miss each and every one of my little Beacons, but I will be back in the classroom often to check in on them and assist.  I hope that I have provided them an educational, fun, and memorable third grade year, thus far.  

If you need anything at all, please don’t hesitate to contact me.  I hope that you and your child will stop by and say, “Hello!”  Be sure to keep in touch, no matter what!  Be sure to read and practice those math facts!  Love and best wishes to you all!

"Can't we go back to page one and do it all over again?"
~Winnie the Pooh

Hello, families!  I can't believe winter break is almost here.  What a fun and amazing first part of the year it has been!    

LIFESKILL of the week:  The LIFESKILL of the week is creativity!  Discuss examples of creativity with your child and celebrate moments of using this LIFESKILL while at school, home and out and about in the community. 

Winter Celebration:  Thank you so much for all of your donations, in helping to make our winter celebration possible!  We couldn't do it without you!  A special shout out to Mrs. Smoak and Mrs. Morris for organizing everything!  

Read-In:  Students are welcome to bring a blanket and a fun book from home to read during our "Read-In" Thursday, December 19!  

Half day:  Students have a half day Thursday, December 19.  If your child's transportation changes, please be sure to send a note!  Also, lunch will be served.

Welcome Mrs. Hunter:  Please take a moment to learn more about Mrs. Hunter.  She will be taking over in January.  She is very excited about getting to know the kids!

Communication folders:  Communication folder will NOT go home Thursday, December 19.  They will be issued again the first week we return in January.  Please be on the lookout for our next "Being There" Experience permission form for Historic Camden!  

PTO songs:  Please check out these links, so students can begin practicing their songs for our PTO presentation in February!  We will start practicing them in class soon!

Carolina in My Mind

Carolina in the Morning

My Home's Across the Blue Ridge Mountains

Looking ahead to next week:  As scientists, students will learn about rapid land changes, land/water features, how natural events impact Earth's surface, and renewable/nonrenewable resources.  As mathematicians, students will wrap up their study of the relationship between multiplication and division with a unit test.  They will kick off a new unit with Topic 9, discussing the basics of fractions, then move into Topic 10. Please check out the family letter below. Keep practicing those facts!  Students will have their 10s fact quiz January 14.  As readers, students will look at informational text structures.  In writing, they will kick off their informational writing unit, as well as, study the use of commas and quotation marks.  Students will also take their next spelling pre-test ("Doubling rule").     

Have a safe and wonderful winter break with your sweet kids!  Please know I'll always be here if you need anything at all.  I can't thank you again for your support!  I love y'all!
-Mrs. West 

Looking ahead to the week of December 16 (Library)

Students enjoyed sharing their final opinion writing pieces with their cause groups!

We sure did learn a lot about fossils from Fossil Frank!  Students even did a little fossil hunting of their own.

Hello, families!  

LIFESKILL of the week:  The LIFESKILL of the week is curiosity!  Discuss examples of curiosity with your child and celebrate moments of using this LIFESKILL while at school, home and out and about in the community. 

Check out our Winter Celebration letter from our homeroom mom, Katie Smoak:  Please be sure to send in donations!  

Read-In:  Students are welcome to bring a blanket and a fun book from home to read during our "Read-In" Thursday, December 19!  

Half day:  Students have a half day Thursday, December 19.  If your child's transportation changes, please be sure to send a note!  Also, lunch will be served.

Communication folders:  Communication folder will NOT go home Thursday, December 19.  They will be issued again the first week we return in January.  Please be on the lookout for our next "Being There" Experience permission form for Historic Camden!  

PTO songs:  Please check out these links, so students can begin practicing their songs for our PTO presentation in February!  We will start practicing them in class soon!

Carolina in My Mind

Carolina in the Morning

My Home's Across the Blue Ridge Mountains

Looking ahead to next week:  As scientists, students will learn more about weathering, erosion, and deposition through several hands-on simulations.  As mathematicians, students will continue to learn more about the relationship between multiplication and division, as well as, how to solve two-step problems. Please check out the family letter below. Keep practicing those facts!  They will not have a multiplication quiz next week.  As readers and writers, students will finish their final copies of their Treasures books, which will be sent off to be professionally published.  Students will take their "Drop the E or Not" spelling post-test Tuesday.     

Who's reading our blog:  Has your child told you about the properties of rocks and minerals (how we describe them)?  Send me his/her favorite property in the subject line of an email!  

Have a wonderful weekend with your sweet kids!

Looking ahead to the week of December 9 (Art)

Students enjoyed learning about the different types of rocks through Starburst simulations!

Can your child sing our "Changing Rocks" song (to the tune of "Are You Sleeping?")

Igneous rocks, igneous rocks

Form when lava cools and hardens

When lava cools quickly, basalt and pumice are made

Changing rocks, changing rocks

Sedimentary, sedimentary

Rocks formed in layers, limestone and shale

Broken pieces of matter are squeezed and pressed together

Changing rocks, changing rocks

Metamorphic, metamorphic

Rocks that were another kind before

Changed by heat and pressure

Limestone becomes marble

Changing rocks, changing rocks

Third graders enjoyed getting together during our grade-level community to have a little fun with "Would you rather" Thanksgiving-themed questions!

  

We said a fond farewell to our student teacher, Ms. Stidham!  Happy graduation!  We are so proud of you!

Hello, families!  I hope you all enjoyed your Thanksgiving break!

LIFESKILL of the week:  The LIFESKILL of the week is caring!  Discuss examples of caring with your child and celebrate moments of using this LIFESKILL while at school, home and out and about in the community.

IMPACT AID FORMS:  You will find the attached form coming home in your child's communication folder this Thursday.  Please complete it and sign the bottom of the form.  It's really important that we receive the signed forms back, as soon as possible!  There are incentives for classes that turn in all of their forms, which is super exciting for the kids... but that means everyone in the class has to return their form!

Thank you for returning the completed form no later than Monday, December 9! 

Please check out commonly asked questions below:

• Each student has to have a form.  If you have four children, we need four signed forms.
• Signatures are the most important part. (Section D)  
• Everyone fills out student information (section A) and signs (Section D).
• If parents are active military   They fill out SECTION B.  Retired military parents are not included in section B.
• If the parents are civilians that work on a federal property, They fill out SECTION C.
• Post Offices and Schools (Not on Base) are not considered to be federal property.  These parents fill out Section A and D only.
• Parents who have questions / concerns about the Impact AID program may contact:

Office of Impact Aid Programs
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Ave., SW

Washington, DC 20202-6244
Phone: 202-260-3858
Fax: 866-799-1273
Web address: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/oese/impactaid/index.html
E-Mail address: ImpactAid@ed.gov
Director: Marilyn Hall, Marilyn.Hall@ed.gov  

Important Treasures publishing forms:  Your child will have the opportunity to write his/her own story, which will be professionally published in the new year!  Your child will receive one free published copy, but additional copies may be purchased by you.  You do not need to purchase an additional book (unless you’d like to do so), but this simply gives your child permission to have his/her book published.  Please complete the form that went home in your child's communication folder before break ASAP.  It was due December 6.  A child’s book cannot be published without a signed form.  

Check out our Winter Celebration letter from our homeroom mom, Katie Smoak:  

Read-In:  Students are welcome to bring a blanket and a fun book from home to read during our "Read-In" Thursday, December 19!  

Half day:  Students have a half day Thursday, December 19.  If your child's transportation changes, please be sure to send a note!  Also, lunch will be served.  

Car rider signs:  Students will receive a car rider sign to place in your family's vehicle, when picking your child up from school.  Please be on the lookout for these in your child's communication folder!

PTO songs:  Please check out these links, so students can begin practicing their songs for our PTO presentation in February!  We will start practicing them in class soon!

Carolina in My Mind

Carolina in the Morning

My Home's Across the Blue Ridge Mountains

Diamond Del:  A permission brochure will be going home with your child Thursday, December 5.  Please sign and return the form, as soon as possible!  It's due no later than Wednesday, December 18.  Your child may bring money to purchase items mentioned in the brochure from Diamond Del Wednesday, January 15, if you'd like.  The "Being Here Experience" payment covered Diamond Del's visit.

Homework Help:  Please check out the attached flyer for some guidance on how your child will spend his/her time working on homework each day.  This flyer will also be going home in your child's communication folder this week!

Looking ahead to next week:  As scientists, students will discover how we use minerals in our everyday lives and wrap up the first part of our Earth Materials unit with an assessment.  As mathematicians, students will learn more about the relationship between multiplication and division, as well as, how to solve two-step problems. Please check out the family letter below. Keep practicing those facts!  They'll have an 9s multiplication quiz. In reading, students will continue working on their Reading Counts goals.  As writers, they will continue writing a story they plan to have professionally published in the new year.     

Who's reading our blog:  Can you solve this riddle with your child:  What kind of breakfast cereal do snowmen eat?  If you think you've got the answer, email it to me in the subject line! 

Have a wonderful weekend with your sweet kids!

Looking ahead to the week of December 2 (Music)

Students enjoyed working on reading with expression through Readers' Theater stories!

Hello, families!  

LIFESKILL of the week:  The LIFESKILL of the week is caring!  Discuss examples of caring with your child and celebrate moments of using this LIFESKILL while at school, home and out and about in the community.

Thank you:  I just wanted to thank you all again for your sweet cards and gifts last week, during American Education Week.  I felt so special!  It was so heart-warming!  Y'all are the best!

Diamond Del permission brochure:  Students will be bringing home a permission brochure in their December 5 communication folder, which you will need to sign and return by December 12, in order for your child to have permission to partake in our Diamond Del "Being Here" Experience January 15!

Spelling post-asssessment date change:  Students will be bringing home their next spelling pre-assessment in their December 5 communication folder.  It will state that they post-assessment date is December 11, but we are giving students a little extra time and having them complete the post-assessment December 17.  Thank you for your flexibility!

Ms. Stidham's last day of student teaching:  Ms. Stidham's last day of student teaching is Tuesday, December 3!  Time has flown by!  If your child would like to secretly make a "Happy Graduation" card for her, that would be great!  I'll collect them and we will give them to Ms. Stidham on her final day of student teaching.  Remember to keep it a secret! 

Important Treasures publishing forms:  Your child will have the opportunity to write his/her own story, which will be professionally published in the new year!  Your child will receive one free published copy, but additional copies may be purchased by you.  You do not need to purchase an additional book (unless you’d like to do so), but this simply gives your child permission to have his/her book published.  Please complete the form that went home in your child's communication folder before break by Friday, December 6.  A child’s book cannot be published without a signed form.  

Looking ahead to next week:  As scientists, students will look closely at minerals and their properties through various investigations and enjoy a visit from Fossil Frank.  As mathematicians, students will continue to study division. Please check out the family letter below. Keep practicing those facts!  They'll have an 8s multiplication quiz the week they return from Thanksgiving break. In reading, students will work on identifying the main idea of nonfiction text and details, which support the main idea.  As writers, they will continue working on their opinion writing unit and begin thinking about a story they would like to write for their to-be published Treasures book.  They will also study comparative and superlative adjectives/adverbs.   

 

Who's reading our blog:  Can you solve these three hink pink puzzles?  Work together with your child to solve them!  If you think you've figured it out, send me an email with your guesses! 

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving break with your sweet kiddos!  I can't wait to see them back in the classroom, as we welcome December!

Looking ahead to the week of November 25 (Whole Grade Level SAIL)

Students enjoyed learning about different types of soil through several hands-on investigations!

Students have continued working in differentiated small groups during math and ELA.  Check out Ms. Stidham leading a math small group!  Be sure to ask your child what he/she works on during small group time each week.

We enjoyed a visit from author Jonathan Miller!

Hello, families!  

LIFESKILL of the week:  The LIFESKILL of the week is pride!  Discuss examples of pride with your child and celebrate moments of using this LIFESKILL while at school, home and out and about in the community.

Permission forms for publishing books:  Your child will have the opportunity to write his/her own story, which will be professionally published in the new year!  Your child will receive one free published copy, but additional copies may be purchased by you.  You do not need to purchase an additional book (unless you’d like to do so), but this simply gives your child permission to have his/her book published.  Please complete the form going home in your child's communication folder this week and return it by Friday, December 6.  A child’s book cannot be published without a signed form.  

Calling all rainboots:  After visiting Camp Discovery during a recent "Being There Experience," we saw a need for rainboots!  The children that visit Camp Discovery are immersed in different ecosystems... even a creek!  We would love to collect any rainboots that have outgrown your family, so they can be used by learners that visit in the future!  Please send them in throughout the month of November, and we will make sure they get to Camp Discovery!  

Looking ahead to next week:  As scientists, students will continue to study different types of rocks and their properties.  As mathematicians, students will continue to study division, as well as, figuring out which operation to use to solve word problems. Please check out the family letter below. Keep practicing those facts!  They'll have an 8s multiplication quiz the week they return from Thanksgiving break. In reading, students will work on identifying the main idea of nonfiction text and details, which support the main idea.  As writers, they will continue working on their opinion writing unit.  They'll take their next spelling pre-assessment, too.   

 

Who's reading our blog:  Share this Starfish story with your child.  Ask him/her, "What does this story mean to you?"  You don't need to send an email... I'll ask the kids in class, "Who has heard the Starfish story?" and we will discuss it during morning meeting next week! 

Have a wonderful weekend!