Happy Friday!
Here's what we've been up to this week.
Math- In math we've continued to work on our multiplication concepts. Students have done a really great job beginning to understand and explain this new concepts. We've also worked with different rules and properties for multiplication and division. Students should know the following basics right now:
1. Any number multiplied by 1 will have the other number as the answer. 1 x 7 = 7, 1 X 250 = 250
2. Any number multiplied by 0 will always have 0 as an answer.
3. Any number 0 divided by anything will always be 0. 0/6 = 0, 0/250 = 0
4. It is impossible to divide any number by 0. 6/0= impossible, 40/0 = impossible
5. Associative Property: When you group factors in different ways, the product stays the same. The parentheses tell you which numbers to multiply first. (3X2) X 5 = 30. First you do 3 x 2 and that = 6. Then take 6 X 5 to get 30.
Our latest math quiz will be sent home on Monday. Please look it over with your student, sign and return. Also our first unit math test will be later next week. The goal is to take it on Thursday or Friday, depending on our review.
We have started practicing skip counting songs in the classroom to get our multiplies memorized. We will practice each day at school. Soon you will either get your own CD or link to access the songs at home. Please make sure when this happens that students practice each night. These skip counting songs are a great beginning resource for students to learn their multiplication facts. Before you know it we will be starting flashcards, and students will need to know their facts fluently (within 2-3 seconds) to pass each level. The songs have really helped students in the past.
Reading- This week in reading groups we worked on inferences, story elements and context clues. We watched a video clip form the movie Frozen to help us make some inferences about what the characters wanted to tell Olaf about summer. We also watched and worked with other short clips to help us with this topic. We've continued to practice naming story elements (characters, setting, plot) with the books that we read. We also did a great context clues activity with a character named Henry P. Baloney. Ask your student about Henry and his crazy day!!
AR- Students should be working on their AR books each night at home. This reading time is homework everyday. Students are assigned 20 minutes of reading at home and get an additional 30+ minutes during the school day. Please be checking in with your student and making sure that they are in fact reading that AR book at home. We're working on picking out good fit chapter books, and also bringing the same book back and forth between school and home. If you have any questions please let me know. We're quickly approaching the downhill part of 1st quarter. Let's get those goals met!
Spelling- Spelling contracts from September turned out great. I loved reading the creative stories and sentences that everyone did. I also liked seeing all of the unique pictures, and fun rainbow words! I hope this is helping to study those spelling words at home and making it a little bit more fun. The October spelling contract is due on Friday, October 31. Please be working on them a little bit each night so they are ready to turn in.
This week we accessed a new website to practice spelling words. It's called SpellingCity.Com. If you search for teachers, and type in Heidi Gerressen's name (we share the spelling site) you can access activities, games, quizzes and more for each unit that we're working on in spelling. This can be used at home and at school. We're starting unit 3 now. Please stick to that unit on the website for practice. You also may go back previous units to review words that have already been tested.
Writing- In writing, we're still working on launching our workshop for class writing time. This week we've read and worked with several books and illustrations. We've done a 'word splash' to come up with different nouns, verbs and adjectives and practiced using sound and color words in our writing. Students are doing a phenomenal job and are such great writers!
Technology- We are officially 1:1 with chromebooks in our classroom. Each student was given their own chrome book computer last week. Thank you for taking the time to go over rules and sign technology agreements with students. We have a lot more coming so please be patient as we embark on this new technology journey. Next up is setting up and learning how to use school email. We will stress to students that is is being used as a tool for learning and communicating back and forth with teachers and other students. We will not use email to simply send a hey or hi to someone. Until students are taught all aspects of email they will not be giving their emails and passwords, but they will come soon. When we get up and running we will first use email to practice sending and receiving. Students will be assigned to send an email about something to another student and also to me. We will practice writing emails and responding to questions. When we are done with that, they will have full access to use their email how they see fit. I will send home their email username and password to you so you have a copy. I suggest sitting down with your student and practice sending an email or two. I would be happy to reply to any that are sent to me, or maybe you can reply to them. We're working on writing complete sentences, sending email with a purpose, and having a subject. We also are practicing a greeting and a closing. I know this is a lot, and we're all new to 3rd graders having this technology so please don't hesitate to contact me with any questions. I'm excited to see where this can take us. After email we will learn how to create, share and edit google documents. This will be used to share work with one another, and also assignments. The possibilities are endless. We will also be compiling a list of classroom internet safety rules and guidelines that will be assigned to go over at home. This will give you a better idea as to what we've been talking about!
Upcoming Important Dates:
Next Friday, October 17 we will be taking the students to Badger High School in the afternoon for their annual Agriculture Day. This is an awesome experience for our third graders, and we are so excited to go. There is no need for chaperones or permission slips, as we are just going to another school in our district. Be on the lookout for pictures!
Saturday, October 11 - 5K Run/Walk 9:00 AM
Thursday, October 16 - District Cross Country Meet 4:00 PM Badger
Friday, October 17 - PTO Fall Family Scare Fair 6:00-8:00 PM
Friday, October 24 - No school for students
Tuesday, October 28 - Parent Math Info Night, 5:30-7:00 PM
Math- In math we've continued to work on our multiplication concepts. Students have done a really great job beginning to understand and explain this new concepts. We've also worked with different rules and properties for multiplication and division. Students should know the following basics right now:
1. Any number multiplied by 1 will have the other number as the answer. 1 x 7 = 7, 1 X 250 = 250
2. Any number multiplied by 0 will always have 0 as an answer.
3. Any number 0 divided by anything will always be 0. 0/6 = 0, 0/250 = 0
4. It is impossible to divide any number by 0. 6/0= impossible, 40/0 = impossible
5. Associative Property: When you group factors in different ways, the product stays the same. The parentheses tell you which numbers to multiply first. (3X2) X 5 = 30. First you do 3 x 2 and that = 6. Then take 6 X 5 to get 30.
Our latest math quiz will be sent home on Monday. Please look it over with your student, sign and return. Also our first unit math test will be later next week. The goal is to take it on Thursday or Friday, depending on our review.
We have started practicing skip counting songs in the classroom to get our multiplies memorized. We will practice each day at school. Soon you will either get your own CD or link to access the songs at home. Please make sure when this happens that students practice each night. These skip counting songs are a great beginning resource for students to learn their multiplication facts. Before you know it we will be starting flashcards, and students will need to know their facts fluently (within 2-3 seconds) to pass each level. The songs have really helped students in the past.
Reading- This week in reading groups we worked on inferences, story elements and context clues. We watched a video clip form the movie Frozen to help us make some inferences about what the characters wanted to tell Olaf about summer. We also watched and worked with other short clips to help us with this topic. We've continued to practice naming story elements (characters, setting, plot) with the books that we read. We also did a great context clues activity with a character named Henry P. Baloney. Ask your student about Henry and his crazy day!!
AR- Students should be working on their AR books each night at home. This reading time is homework everyday. Students are assigned 20 minutes of reading at home and get an additional 30+ minutes during the school day. Please be checking in with your student and making sure that they are in fact reading that AR book at home. We're working on picking out good fit chapter books, and also bringing the same book back and forth between school and home. If you have any questions please let me know. We're quickly approaching the downhill part of 1st quarter. Let's get those goals met!
Spelling- Spelling contracts from September turned out great. I loved reading the creative stories and sentences that everyone did. I also liked seeing all of the unique pictures, and fun rainbow words! I hope this is helping to study those spelling words at home and making it a little bit more fun. The October spelling contract is due on Friday, October 31. Please be working on them a little bit each night so they are ready to turn in.
This week we accessed a new website to practice spelling words. It's called SpellingCity.Com. If you search for teachers, and type in Heidi Gerressen's name (we share the spelling site) you can access activities, games, quizzes and more for each unit that we're working on in spelling. This can be used at home and at school. We're starting unit 3 now. Please stick to that unit on the website for practice. You also may go back previous units to review words that have already been tested.
Writing- In writing, we're still working on launching our workshop for class writing time. This week we've read and worked with several books and illustrations. We've done a 'word splash' to come up with different nouns, verbs and adjectives and practiced using sound and color words in our writing. Students are doing a phenomenal job and are such great writers!
Technology- We are officially 1:1 with chromebooks in our classroom. Each student was given their own chrome book computer last week. Thank you for taking the time to go over rules and sign technology agreements with students. We have a lot more coming so please be patient as we embark on this new technology journey. Next up is setting up and learning how to use school email. We will stress to students that is is being used as a tool for learning and communicating back and forth with teachers and other students. We will not use email to simply send a hey or hi to someone. Until students are taught all aspects of email they will not be giving their emails and passwords, but they will come soon. When we get up and running we will first use email to practice sending and receiving. Students will be assigned to send an email about something to another student and also to me. We will practice writing emails and responding to questions. When we are done with that, they will have full access to use their email how they see fit. I will send home their email username and password to you so you have a copy. I suggest sitting down with your student and practice sending an email or two. I would be happy to reply to any that are sent to me, or maybe you can reply to them. We're working on writing complete sentences, sending email with a purpose, and having a subject. We also are practicing a greeting and a closing. I know this is a lot, and we're all new to 3rd graders having this technology so please don't hesitate to contact me with any questions. I'm excited to see where this can take us. After email we will learn how to create, share and edit google documents. This will be used to share work with one another, and also assignments. The possibilities are endless. We will also be compiling a list of classroom internet safety rules and guidelines that will be assigned to go over at home. This will give you a better idea as to what we've been talking about!
Upcoming Important Dates:
Next Friday, October 17 we will be taking the students to Badger High School in the afternoon for their annual Agriculture Day. This is an awesome experience for our third graders, and we are so excited to go. There is no need for chaperones or permission slips, as we are just going to another school in our district. Be on the lookout for pictures!
Saturday, October 11 - 5K Run/Walk 9:00 AM
Thursday, October 16 - District Cross Country Meet 4:00 PM Badger
Friday, October 17 - PTO Fall Family Scare Fair 6:00-8:00 PM
Friday, October 24 - No school for students
Tuesday, October 28 - Parent Math Info Night, 5:30-7:00 PM
RSS Feed