Today was a great start to a new week! We have begun each new subject and already are familiar with the format for spelling words and rules.
This week in Spelling, we have words that follow the open syllable rule. They have a list of words in their homework folder, but need either this blog or their notebook to study the words. This week the dictation is to write the three open syllable rules. They should practice saying and writing these rules every night this week. The rules are as follows:
1. An open syllable ends with a vowel
2.The vowel has a long sound
3. An open syllable can be just one letter if that is a vowel
The spelling words are listed on this blog and I have entered the words into the Spelling City program. I will be sending a letter home tomorrow giving you instructions on how to access this
program.
You will find a poem entitled, Keep A Poem in Your Pocket, in the homework folder. Every month I will have the children learn a poem. This is practice with public speaking as well as exercising the brain with memorization. This poem is due on September 8. The children are to practice this poem every night even if I don't remind them on the agenda.
We gave begun our study of Florida. We began by going on a scavenger hunt in the Florida book, helping us to learn first how the book is organized and where to find certain information. We will begin reading this book this week and answering questions. Today we went on a map scavenger hunt. The questions are designed to help the students learn how to read and interpret information from a map instead of from text in a book. They have designed their own Florida folder and will keep their information organized by using this folder in school.
In Math we worked on completing a bar graph by using the children's first names. We displayed the class information by using tally marks and then using that information to create a bar graph. Tonight the children should be asking you if you are a Tall Rectangle, a Short Rectangle, or just a Square. Get them to explain the reason for this activity. Now I regret not taking pictures of the children making these discoveries themselves today in class. Also, get your child to show you how to play the math game, More Than You. This is a excellent and fun way to review addition facts. This week we will continue our math adventure by exploring equivalent names for a number, the language of chance events, and finding differences.
Today we began our practice of restating questions by using the Wordly Wise questions to the story, Monsters of the Deep. We completed the first 5 in class and tonight all they have to do is answer the first 5 questions on page 8. We discussed in class that they are allowed to go back in to the passage for the answer. I do not want them guessing or putting down information incorrectly. I asked them also read at least the first half of the story orally to you.
We will begin our new class novel, Muggie Maggie. Maggie is a third grader that doesn't think writing in cursive is useful and refuse to learn. The children should find humor in the plan between her teacher and her parents. Hopefully you and I will not have to put this plan to the test.
This week we will begin a word processing program called Dance Mat. The children will practice typing on the computer and will hopefully get through Stage 5 by the end of the week. At some point, I will send this home for the children to do at least 10 minutes every night for homework. Knowing how to word process truly makes many activities that we do much easier and less painful for the kids.
Reminder for the week: Please help me at home to emphasize the importance of listening closely to directions. We are discovering that if we don't listen, we may have a little trouble with the activity. I think that many of us assume that we understand everything because we have seen something similar in second grade. But in third grade it is a little harder and the directions are a little different as well as the expectations.
Also, please make sure that everyone is dressing according the Dress Code. If your child's pants have belt loops, then there needs to be a belt. It is expected that the shirts are tucked in at all times except at PE, lunch and recess. Thank you for your help!
Please note, if you subscribe to the blog via email alert, there will be some delay in receiving the information. So sometimes if it's something you need to know right after school, you may not find out about it till late that night or perhaps the next morning.
Thank you for sending me such sweet children!!!!!
Monday, August 29, 2011
Monday, August 22, 2011
Marvelous Monday!
What a great way to start the first full week of school! With every day, the children are becoming more familiar with the daily schedule. As always at the beginning of the year, it is taking us longer to get activities completed, but that will improve with time and familiarity.
Please put Thursday, August 25, on your calendar. It is Back-To-School Night. I look forward to seeing everyone. There is a great deal of information to share and I love it when everyone is present. Then everyone can benefit from questions as well.
There will be a letter coming home tomorrow, but I wanted to put out the "all call" for parent volunteers for the library. The library is offering training sessions on August 23 from 8:15-8:45 AND 2:00-2:30 as well as on August 24 from 8:15-8:45. Volunteers are needed to help children check books and and out as well as help locate appropriate books to read. We would need library volunteers for Tuesdays and Thursdays.Every other week we have a lesson in the library, but the children still return books on that day. Sometimes we have the time after our lesson to check out books. If not, we return on Thursday to take care of that. It makes it very difficult for the children to utilize the library without the volunteers. If you are interested in being a library volunteer, please contact Jennifer Pine at 727-421-9861 or at jpine@eventworx.net or Lisa Hahn at 727-480-5183 or nhahn3@verizon.net. Thank you to those who have already expressed an interest.
Tonight the children are coming home with their first spelling list of the year. These words are example of words that follow the Closed Syllable rule. They have the four rules that we will study in their spelling notebook along with the hand written list of the words for this week. Tonight for homework they are to put the words in ABC order on the sheet that is in their homework folder. You will notice that we began the exercise in class so that they would have an example to follow at home. I am going to show the children SpellingCity in class tomorrow Often I will ask them to complete a fun game off this website and print it out as homework.
We didn't get to all the "Me" bags today. We will finish sharing tomorrow. I love this activity in that I learn a little something about each child. It is also a great way for the kids to learn more about their classmates. We definitely have artists, pianists, swimmers, cat lovers, dog lovers, lego builders, baseball enthusiasts, fishermen and women, shell collectors,bike competitors, and children who just love hanging out with you! That's just half of the class! More to follow!
We began our first lesson in Wordly Wise. The words are : cylinder, examine, fatal, feature, grasp, jet, marine, scar, tentacle, vessel. We will take two weeks per lesson. They learn the definitions, how to use the words in sentences, and complete a reading comprehension activity that used the words in the story. We also play other "made up" games that will hopefully enable the children to have these words in conversations and in their writing. You may want to reinforce this vocabulary at home as well. At the end of the two weeks, there is a quiz. I will share the format at Back-To-School Night.
We began our Math Lesson today by reading the book, Once Upon A Dime, by Nancy Allen. The children got a real kick out of this book. Ask your child about how the farmer was able to get his tree to grow money. You will see the children's artwork related to the book hanging on Thursday night. Then we continued the lesson by talking about numbers and patterns. We completed a grid of numbers and had to complete some rather difficult patterns. The class seems to have a grasp of number sense, but it does require a great deal of practice with larger numbers.However, I was very pleased with what they already knew. That way I can build and challenge!
Tonight the children are to prepare a necklace of broccoli. We began reading our class novel, How To Be a Perfect Person In Three Days. You will want to ask your child about Milo and what he hopes to accomplish in just three days. This is a tradition on third grade. We will take a class photo of course wearing our broccoli.
Please don't forget to turn in your email form and handbook form to me ASAP. I need to get the class email list going and the every child needs to sign the handbook form indicating that they understand what is expected of everyone here at Shorecrest. Thank you very much for you help!
Please put Thursday, August 25, on your calendar. It is Back-To-School Night. I look forward to seeing everyone. There is a great deal of information to share and I love it when everyone is present. Then everyone can benefit from questions as well.
There will be a letter coming home tomorrow, but I wanted to put out the "all call" for parent volunteers for the library. The library is offering training sessions on August 23 from 8:15-8:45 AND 2:00-2:30 as well as on August 24 from 8:15-8:45. Volunteers are needed to help children check books and and out as well as help locate appropriate books to read. We would need library volunteers for Tuesdays and Thursdays.Every other week we have a lesson in the library, but the children still return books on that day. Sometimes we have the time after our lesson to check out books. If not, we return on Thursday to take care of that. It makes it very difficult for the children to utilize the library without the volunteers. If you are interested in being a library volunteer, please contact Jennifer Pine at 727-421-9861 or at jpine@eventworx.net or Lisa Hahn at 727-480-5183 or nhahn3@verizon.net. Thank you to those who have already expressed an interest.
Tonight the children are coming home with their first spelling list of the year. These words are example of words that follow the Closed Syllable rule. They have the four rules that we will study in their spelling notebook along with the hand written list of the words for this week. Tonight for homework they are to put the words in ABC order on the sheet that is in their homework folder. You will notice that we began the exercise in class so that they would have an example to follow at home. I am going to show the children SpellingCity in class tomorrow Often I will ask them to complete a fun game off this website and print it out as homework.
We didn't get to all the "Me" bags today. We will finish sharing tomorrow. I love this activity in that I learn a little something about each child. It is also a great way for the kids to learn more about their classmates. We definitely have artists, pianists, swimmers, cat lovers, dog lovers, lego builders, baseball enthusiasts, fishermen and women, shell collectors,bike competitors, and children who just love hanging out with you! That's just half of the class! More to follow!
We began our first lesson in Wordly Wise. The words are : cylinder, examine, fatal, feature, grasp, jet, marine, scar, tentacle, vessel. We will take two weeks per lesson. They learn the definitions, how to use the words in sentences, and complete a reading comprehension activity that used the words in the story. We also play other "made up" games that will hopefully enable the children to have these words in conversations and in their writing. You may want to reinforce this vocabulary at home as well. At the end of the two weeks, there is a quiz. I will share the format at Back-To-School Night.
We began our Math Lesson today by reading the book, Once Upon A Dime, by Nancy Allen. The children got a real kick out of this book. Ask your child about how the farmer was able to get his tree to grow money. You will see the children's artwork related to the book hanging on Thursday night. Then we continued the lesson by talking about numbers and patterns. We completed a grid of numbers and had to complete some rather difficult patterns. The class seems to have a grasp of number sense, but it does require a great deal of practice with larger numbers.However, I was very pleased with what they already knew. That way I can build and challenge!
Tonight the children are to prepare a necklace of broccoli. We began reading our class novel, How To Be a Perfect Person In Three Days. You will want to ask your child about Milo and what he hopes to accomplish in just three days. This is a tradition on third grade. We will take a class photo of course wearing our broccoli.
Please don't forget to turn in your email form and handbook form to me ASAP. I need to get the class email list going and the every child needs to sign the handbook form indicating that they understand what is expected of everyone here at Shorecrest. Thank you very much for you help!
Thursday, August 18, 2011
First Day in Third Grade!
This was a GREAT first day! As anticipated, we didn't get to every rule and procedure. But that will come in the next few days. I am sure you will want to learn about the first day. You may want to ask your child questions about the Mind Reading Game, the Day at the Beach picture and of course the stories that I read. We ended the day with a book entitled, You Are Special, by Max Lucado. Ask your child about the stars and dots and what the lesson of the story was and how it relates to their own life. Of course recess was the most fun as they all got to hug and play with their other classmates from other classrooms.
We did organize our desks with out materials and books today. Some of the supply boxes are too big for the desks so I asked them to take them home and use at home, but to try and get a small plastic rectangular one that fits in the desks or use a soft zipper pouch. The children were to write down anything that they needed to bring. So, please check the agenda!
Thank you to all of you that went to the blog last night and saw the swimming fish. The children were so eager to share their findings. Tonight for homework they are to show you the agenda as well as write a birth date of a relative. They should explain to you that it's for the Mind Reading Game that we played. They are trying to "stump" me. Mr. Murphy even visited our classroom today and he couldn't "stump" me either. I was able to guess his birth date. The children were fascinated that I was even "smarter" than Mr. Murphy. Smiles!
Please make sure that I have the Handbook Form and all your email addresses by tomorrow if at all possible. I would like to go ahead and complete and class list. Many thanks!
I did not go over this with the class but will do so tomorrow. However, we do have a snack time mid-morning. This is not to be more than one item and as I tell the children, it should be a juicy snack or a cracker/pretzel type snack. No candy, no sandwiches, etc. unless there is a special reason for your child to be eating these items. Snack time is meant to be quick and shouldn't require a great deal of preparation in the class. If the fruit or vegetables need to be sliced or cut, please do that at home prior to coming to school. I would like the children to have their snack in a separate ziploc bag so they don't spend a lot of time digging around in the backpack or locker. They are allowed to bring a water bottle that they can take with them out on the playground at recess and at PE.
I did review the rules of dress code. Tomorrow is our first Spirit Day. Just make sure it is all appropriate spirit wear items listed in the handbook.
Today was a lovely first day! Thank you for sending me all the bright smiling faces! We are off to a great start for sure!
We did organize our desks with out materials and books today. Some of the supply boxes are too big for the desks so I asked them to take them home and use at home, but to try and get a small plastic rectangular one that fits in the desks or use a soft zipper pouch. The children were to write down anything that they needed to bring. So, please check the agenda!
Thank you to all of you that went to the blog last night and saw the swimming fish. The children were so eager to share their findings. Tonight for homework they are to show you the agenda as well as write a birth date of a relative. They should explain to you that it's for the Mind Reading Game that we played. They are trying to "stump" me. Mr. Murphy even visited our classroom today and he couldn't "stump" me either. I was able to guess his birth date. The children were fascinated that I was even "smarter" than Mr. Murphy. Smiles!
Please make sure that I have the Handbook Form and all your email addresses by tomorrow if at all possible. I would like to go ahead and complete and class list. Many thanks!
I did not go over this with the class but will do so tomorrow. However, we do have a snack time mid-morning. This is not to be more than one item and as I tell the children, it should be a juicy snack or a cracker/pretzel type snack. No candy, no sandwiches, etc. unless there is a special reason for your child to be eating these items. Snack time is meant to be quick and shouldn't require a great deal of preparation in the class. If the fruit or vegetables need to be sliced or cut, please do that at home prior to coming to school. I would like the children to have their snack in a separate ziploc bag so they don't spend a lot of time digging around in the backpack or locker. They are allowed to bring a water bottle that they can take with them out on the playground at recess and at PE.
I did review the rules of dress code. Tomorrow is our first Spirit Day. Just make sure it is all appropriate spirit wear items listed in the handbook.
Today was a lovely first day! Thank you for sending me all the bright smiling faces! We are off to a great start for sure!
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Orientation Day Cheers!
It was wonderful to see so many smiling happy faces today! It was great to meet everyone. I am excited about the year and I know that we will learn lots and have fun! Please make sure you mark your calendar for Back-To-School night on August 25. We will meet as a school in the Janet Root Theater at 7:00am and then we will journey to the classroom where I will review our schedule, curriculum, and expectations for the year.
Tomorrow we will spend out time together organizing our books, notebooks, and supplies. There may be a couple of extra items that I need the children to bring to school, but I will let them practice using their new Agenda to share this information with you. Please make sure that your child knows where to go at dismissal. However, the first couple of days all the teachers are out helping the children get to the proper place to be picked up if needed.
Every Friday is Spirit Day this year. Go Chargers!!! As stated in the Handbook, the children are allowed to wear any shirt that has a Shorecrest logo, specifically Shorecrest Spirit Wear, camp, intramural or uniform shirts. These should be worn with uniform, Spirit Wear or denim bottoms.
I would like the children to view the blog tonight and be prepared to tell me tomorrow the colors of the fish that are swimming somewhere on my blog.
Again, it was so nice to meet everyone. I look forward to a happy and rewarding year with your child!
Tomorrow we will spend out time together organizing our books, notebooks, and supplies. There may be a couple of extra items that I need the children to bring to school, but I will let them practice using their new Agenda to share this information with you. Please make sure that your child knows where to go at dismissal. However, the first couple of days all the teachers are out helping the children get to the proper place to be picked up if needed.
Every Friday is Spirit Day this year. Go Chargers!!! As stated in the Handbook, the children are allowed to wear any shirt that has a Shorecrest logo, specifically Shorecrest Spirit Wear, camp, intramural or uniform shirts. These should be worn with uniform, Spirit Wear or denim bottoms.
I would like the children to view the blog tonight and be prepared to tell me tomorrow the colors of the fish that are swimming somewhere on my blog.
Again, it was so nice to meet everyone. I look forward to a happy and rewarding year with your child!
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