Monday, December 15, 2014

Week of Dec. 15th

Wow!  What a busy week!  Here is what is happening:

Monday:  Study guide for Midwest test is sent home

Tuesday:  Officer Friendly Presentation

Wednesday:  Midwest Test- states and capitals too!!!
                      Snow Pal Cards Due!!

Thursday:  Math Test: Practice reading and writing your numbers.

Friday:  Winter Wonderland with PTA

Have a wonderful break!!!

Monday, December 8, 2014

What a busy month December is.  Here is what is happening...


  • Book orders due Thursday December 11th
  • Secret Snowpals cards due December 17th (A note will be sent home regarding Snowpals)
  • Social Studies test over Midwest AND the states and capitals will be December17th
  • Math test over place value December 18th
This week we will be reading One Riddle One Answer.  We will focus on story plot.  We will also work on cause and effect and continue our talk with making inferences.  Don't forget to be reading at home every night.  Encourage your child to try a new genre that they may not have looked at before.  

We are reading My Name is Maria Isabel in WEX.  We are responding to literature and looking at the ways that the author communicates how the characters are feeling and their attributes.  We will continue to read and discuss this book throughout December and January.  We also wrote a 'how to' paragraph on how to build a snowman.  

In math we have focused on place value to the millions.  We will start our discussion of decimals this week.  I encourage everyone after completing the home links to read all of the numbers aloud that were used.  Part of their test will be to read numbers aloud and write numbers that they hear correctly for both whole numbers and decimals.  



Monday, October 20, 2014

Week of October 20th and 27th

We are flying through October!  It has been a very busy month and the students are hard at work!  Here's what's happening in the next two weeks...



  • Math Unit 2 study lunch is Wednesday, October 22nd
  • Math test Chapter 2 retake is October 23rd during lunch recess
  • Halloween party and parade is Friday October 31st starting at 1:15
  • Please return conference preference times as soon as possible.

Reading:  We have been talking about summarizing the main idea of fiction and non fiction texts.  We will also look at fantasy and reality by reading the story, Wolf!  Students are also locating and utilizing nonfiction text features during reading and science classes.  

Science:  We have been busy dissecting and planting seeds!  We have learned all about the parts of a plant and the process of photosynthesis.  We also have 2 new members of the class that will help us learn about habitats.  Two hermit crabs arrived last week and will be with us throughout this unit.  Students will be observing the crabs in their habitats and working together to take care of them.  We will also be naming our new friends.... We will let you know the results!

Math:  We are working on our measurement unit.   Last week students learned how to measure to the quarter inch and also with centimeters and millimeters.  This week we are working on perimeter, area, and circumference.  The test will be the week of the 27th.  Please watch the assignment notebook for the exact date.  Don't forget to be practicing those math facts!

Writing:  We are working on focus and showing.  We will be using these skills to write a personal narrative.  

Have a great week!  

Monday, October 6, 2014

Week of October 6th

Welcome to a new week!

Here is what is happening...


  • Extra Credit Projects are due Tuesday, Oct. 7th
  • Social Studies Retake...
    • Students can retake the social studies test on Tuesday, October 14th during lunch recess  I will be holding a study lunch this Wednesday to revisit and review the concepts taught in class.  Everyone is welcome! 
  • Math test over chapter 2 is this Wednesday
  • No school Friday and Monday! 

Spelling Review Week..
This is a spelling review week.  This week we go over previous words and will take a multiple choice test at the end of the week in which students will identify misspelled words.  Students do not have spelling homework to complete except for reviewing the review list which was sent home on Monday.  Our test will be on Thursday.  

Reading Review Week...
We will be reviewing concepts we discussed this past 5 weeks including:  story elements, problem/solution, decoding unknown words, finding text evidence to support our answers, and looking at elements of nonfiction.  

Science...
We are starting our habitats unit in science.  We will be looking at plants first and conducting many experiments to learn about what they need in order to grow.  

Please remember that if a student is home lunch or going home a different way, please send a note to school regarding the change.  Thanks!  

Have a great week and long weekend!

Monday, September 29, 2014

Spelling Homework This Week


Hi!  One of the spelling homework assignments is to create a Wordle (word picture) using the website wordle.net.create.  We went over the directions in class today.  Please read below what we discussed...
  • Students can choose to do the assignment using the Wordle site OR they can create a wordle on their own using colored pencils or markers.  They do not have to use the internet for this assignment.
  • Do a test to make sure the wordle is working... type in a couple of quick words and see if it creates a picture first.  This is a great website, but can sometimes be a little testy.
  • Students can use other wordle type websites if parents would like them to.  One we looked at in class is Tagzedo.com.  
  • TROUBLESHOOTING!!!...If for any reason the wordle does not print (computer error, lack of ink, etc.) PLEASE do not spend time trying to trouble shoot or getting ink.  Please just write a note that your child completed the assignment and turn that in on Friday.  If there is a printing issue, you can also take a screen shot and email the homework to me.  (kberg@sd25.org).  The intention of the lesson is to practice spelling words, not troubleshooting 101.  
If you have any other questions, please let me know.  I will be happy to help in any way I can!  

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Week of September 22nd and 29th

Third grade is very busy this week and next!  Here is what is happening!

Upcoming Dates:

October 2nd  School Picture Day
October 8th  Walk to School Day
October 10 and 13th, no school

Math:  We have started unit 2 in math.  We will focus on addition and subtraction strategies throughout the unit.  We may jump around and do lessons out of order this unit, so if the home links do not come in sequential order, that is the reason.  Some of the home links that are sent home may also have a challenge component on the back.  Students are welcome to try it out, but it is not mandatory.  The goal is to provide extra practice and opportunities for enrichment.  Please make sure your child is practicing math facts multiple times a week.  There are several games at
 everydaymath.com if they would like to practice online.

Reading:  We are looking at finding the main idea and details in our reading lessons this week and next.  We are also going to be comparing different genres of literature that focus on the same topic.  We will use graphic organizers, make text-to-text connections,  and a write about the things that we notice.

Writing:  We have been focusing on writing about a moment this week and will continue next week as well.  We also looked at things from a different point of view.  Students wrote about what an object might look like if they were one inch tall!

Map Skills:  We are finishing up our map unit.  Our test will be October 1st.  A study guide will go home on Monday, September 29th.  An extra credit project based on the map project will be posted on the enrichment page of the blog.

Please make sure that your child is recording the minutes they read each night.  On Monday, September 29th, 400 minutes will be due.

Have a great week!

Thursday, September 11, 2014

What's happening this week and next!

I hope everyone is having a great week.  We have lots going on this week and next....

Reading:  We are looking at character traits in a story.  We are using graphic organizers to organize our thoughts and also looking for evidence that supports the character traits we find.  Next week we will look at elements of non fiction.

Math:  We are continuing to work on reviewing concepts from last year.  This week we looked at finding differences and working with money.  Look for test dates in the assignment notebook next week.  We will pass out a study guide 2 days before the test.  More information to follow next week.

Writing:  We have started our WEX lessons and are working on showing details.  In grammar we are working with different types of sentences.

Social Studies:  We are continuing to work with maps.  We are discussing hemispheres, using grids, scale, and types of maps and the information they give us.

MAP testing:  Next week we will have our MAP testing sessions.  We are scheduled for Tuesday for math and Friday for Reading.


Tuesday, September 2, 2014

September 2nd

I hope everyone had a great 3-day weekend!

What's Happening This Week...


  • Curriculum Night is this Wednesday, September 3rd



  • First spelling test of the year this Friday

Spelling:  Students brought home their own spelling list for the week.  They also brought home 2 practice sheets to complete using their word list.  These sheets can be completed and turned in on Friday.  

Reading Log:  Each student has a reading log in their take home folder.  Students are required to read 100 minutes a week, for a total of 400 minutes for the month.  We discussed how to log the minutes and also to make a plan to complete all the minutes that fits with their schedule.  Minutes will be checked every Monday morning.  

We are reading First Day Jitters this week.  We will use this story to help learn our reading routines and look at story elements.  

Math has focused on reviewing the number grid, telling time, using math tools and collecting data.  
We have started taking our math fact tests.  I encourage students to practice their math facts several times a week to improve their fact fluency.  

We will be looking at using juicy words in our writing this week.  We will also review sentence structure and types of sentences.  

Have a great week!  



Friday, August 29, 2014

Welcome to the 2014-15 School Year!

Welcome back!  I hope everyone had a super summer and is ready to get back into the school routine!  I am so excited to be working with your child this year.  I know it is going to be a great year!

Our schedule…
Our specials schedule is as follows…
Monday LMC
Tuesday Art
No specials on Wednesday
Thursday PE/Music
Friday  PE/Music

Please make sure your child wears tennis shoes on the days we go to gym.

Students are welcome to bring a peanut-free snack to school.  We will have an opportunity for snack every morning.

Going home routine:  If you have a change in the going home routine, please send a note stating the change.  If there is a change during the school day, please call the office and let them know.  I may not get to check my messages or email during the day.  To make sure the message is received, please contact the office.

Home lunch:  If your child is planning to go home for lunch, please send a note to school.  You will also need to sign your child out before taking them home for lunch.

Assignment Notebooks:  Students will be bringing home assignment notebooks each evening.  Please look over the daily assignments and sign at the bottom of the page that your child showed you his book.  This is also a great place to write a note to me, as I check them every morning.

Curriculum Night-  Curriculum night is  Wednesday, September 3rd.  We hope to see you there!