Category Archives: 3rd Grade Update

Learning at Home: Week of March 23

Hello Third Graders and Families,

I want to let you know that you are doing a great job! This is not easy for all of us, but it is important to take care of our families and help each other stay healthy, calm, and hopeful. Thank you for your support and our goal is to do the best we can!

I have listed the learning options for your third grader this week. Since schedules at home are different and access to technology is not always available, use these as options for your third grader’s learning and do what works best for your family.

1. Math Workbook page. 321 and 322.

2. Practice math facts— use MobyMax, flashcards, or Flash to Pass app.

3. Daily reading of 20 minutes or more. Choose a chapter book you have been working on or get on Epic. www.getepic.com/students or open the Epic! app. Enter our class code: kkr6480

Complete one of the half page reading responses.

The turning point in my story was_______ and A challenge my character overcame was________.

These half pages were included in your envelope that was sent home.

4. Take the History Quiz by clicking on the link below. The review page was sent home right before our break from school. Do your best! It’s just 5 questions.

HISTORY QUIZ

5. Login to Clever and complete the Study Island assignment. Click on the HOMEWORK page and find the assignment titled: Week of March 23 Context Clues in Literature.

6. Keep checking the links on the At Home Learning Resources page of our classroom blog. I have added a few more Mystery Science lessons!

7. Add to our CLASSROOM FLIPGRID!! I am so excited to use this!!

Here’s how:

Go to this link: https://flipgrid.com/24e60e44

****sign in with student username (the one you use to sign on the computer) followed by @hpsstudents.net NOT a parent email.

Be sure to read the question at the top and then find my video and watch it.

When you click on the green circle, you have 90 seconds to record your response. You will be able to keep checking our flipgrid to view your classmates videos! SO FUN! I can’t wait to see your videos!!

Some of you already had a chance to add to the school flipgrid that Mrs Reagan sent. If you did not, be sure to do that by reading this. Find my video to see Stella being so cute!!

8. You may always do a few pages in the Spring packet.

9. Play a game, do a word search, do a puzzle, go for a walk, do some baking, be creative, watch a movie, and rest a little, too!

I miss you all like crazy and I hope you are doing well.

Love,

Ms Van Arkel 🙂

‘Because of Winn-Dixie’ Party

We enjoyed our ‘Because of Winn-Dixie’ Party on Friday. The students planned and prepared our party so it would be just like the party in the book. They did a fabulous job!! We snacked and watched the movie and had a lot of fun. Thanks so much for the donations!!

Learning at Home: March 16

Hello Families,

I left school on Friday evening with a lot of different emotions as we enter into the next few weeks. I shared with the students that I will miss them and that together we are going to do our best learning from home. This is very different for me as I plan for how I will teach from home so I know it is also very different for your family as well.

I will plan to send an email or two each week. My goal is to send one at the beginning of each week and then a follow-up email(s) as necessary throughout the week. Each week, your child will need to open up the envelope that was sent home on Friday to find the assignments I will refer to.

I know schedules at home will look different, but I trust that you will talk with your third grader about creating a daily schedule and a specific time where they can complete their work with limited distractions. In class, we talked about how learning is still a priority when we are away.

Learning at Home- week of MARCH 16:

1. Study Island assignment to be completed by Tuesday evening. This was assigned last Wednesday.

2. Finish reading your book club book. When the book is completed, answer this question in your reading journal that was sent home:

– How is the main character in your second book different from the main character in your first book? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.

example: Stuart is different from Harry because______. In the story_____.

—think about the problems each character faced. Think about their reactions to the problems. Think about their behaviors throughout the story.

Make it your goal to fill up the half page in your journal.

3. Daily math fact practice- use Moby Max, flashcards, or try the Flash to Pass app.

4. Daily Reading for at least 20 minutes.

5. Spring Activity Packet- choose 3 pages to complete this week.

6. Plan some time to play card games, board games, do puzzles, write, draw, color, do some baking, build with Legos, etc. Use your imagination and be creative!

I know you are working on creating a new schedule for your family for the next few weeks while still supporting your child’s/children’s learning. I thank you for supporting your third grader’s learning to the best of your ability.

Please keep checking this page on the blog for updated resources.

Ms Van Arkel

Week of March 2

Hi Parents,

Parent/Teacher conferences will be held Monday, March 9 and Wednesday, March 11. Your conference time was sent home a few weeks ago. Please contact me if you need a reminder of your conference time. I look forward to sharing your child’s progress in third grade!

Homework: Study Island homework assignment should be completed by Tuesday evening. An email was sent last Wednesday giving directions about logging into Study Island. These assignments can be tricky and require focus and stamina. This is an assignment for you to support your child in. Help them read carefully and think through strategies for solving the problem. They should use scrap paper to show their thinking. It is important that this assignment is completed by Tuesday night. Thank you!

Reading: March is Reading Month!! It is very important that your third grader continue to build their reading skills by reading daily for at least 20 minutes. During this second half of the year, reading expectations are set a little higher and reading outside of school can help improve reading skills and boost confidence too!

Math Fact Practice: Help your child to continue building math fact skills by practicing math facts for 5 minutes each day. We will only be doing our Friday practice pages for a few more weeks. I have seen many students making great progress because they have been doing lots of practicing. Way to go!!

FRIDAY, MARCH 6 is an early release day. Dismissal is at 12:15pm.

Here is an update of our learning:
Writing: We finished up our literary essays and completed our post assessment of opinion writing. We will be spending some time on learning to write a constructed response and practice our test taking skills in preparation for MSTEP.

Math: We are beginning our next unit this week and we will be studying Geometry. We will study rays, angles, quadrilaterals, etc.

Reading: We are in the middle of book clubs and each club has been reading a book and studying the characters. They have been discussing what their character is learning and how they are moving across the story mountain of their book.

Social Studies: We have started to learn about Michigan History. We are studying the Three Fires, the Native American groups, that lived long ago in Michigan.

Update: February 24

Hi Parents,

Parent/Teacher conferences will be held Monday, March 9 and Wednesday, March 11. Your conference time was sent home last week. Please look for that in your child’s homework folder.

Reading: It is very important that your third grader continue to build their reading skills by reading daily for at least 20 minutes. During this second half of the year, reading expectations are set a little higher and reading outside of school can help improve reading skills and boost confidence too!

Math Fact Practice: Help your child to continue building math fact skills by practicing math facts for 5 minutes each day. I have seen many students making great progress because they have been doing lots of practicing. Way to go!!

KIDS HEART CHALLENGE:
The Kids Heart Challenge is in full swing! We hope you’re having a ball and feel as rewarded as we do helping fight heart disease and stroke. Keep up the great work, you’re making a HUGE difference!

Remember, more than 50% of kids are not getting the physical activity they need to be healthy. You’re helping to change that. We have a special incentive at our school. If we can get 50% of our students registered and taking the healthy challenges, we will receive an additional $500 to purchase new PE equipment. Help us reach our goal! Get your student registered for Kids Heart Challenge today!

http://www2.heart.org/goto/georgetownhudsonville

Week of February 10

Here is an update from 3rd grade:

Writing: We have started our literary essay unit. We are practicing making a thesis and using evidence from the text to support.

Math: We are working on Unit 4 and have been practicing rounding to the nearest ten and hundred. We have reviewed strategies for addition and are practicing addition word problems. Please help your child to continue to practice their multiplication facts.

Reading: We are studying characters in our fiction books. We are observing what the character says and does and then thinking deeper to form a theory about the character. Please continue to help your child build a routine of 20 minutes of reading each night!

Social Studies: We are almost done with the Economics unit. You should see a test review come home this week. I will keep you updated as to when our test will be.

Important Details:

Homework: Study Island homework assignment should be completed by Tuesday evening. An email was sent last Wednesday giving directions about logging into Study Island.

Valentines: If your child chooses to write Valentine cards to their classmates, they should bring them in by Friday. Please do not send in a box to collect Valentine cards. We will be decorating Valentine bags in class.

Coming Up:
Thursday, February 13– Jet’s Pizza Night… be sure to mention our classroom!
Friday, February 21– early release: dismissal at 12:15pm.

Week of January 27, 2020

News from our third grade class:

Homework Reminder:
I did not send home a new math fact and reading log this week. I will be talking with the class about how they will be moving to more independence with this. This is an opportunity for them to show responsibility with their reading and math fact practice without using an at -home log. Please continue the consistent reading and math fact practice at home- even making up your own chart to keep track! This is often the time of year where our third graders show growth and it’s the at-home practice that helps to maintain all their hard work. Thank you!

Homework Starting Wednesday: On Wednesday, your child will have a new homework assignment that they will need to complete on the computer. They will need to get on Clever to access this. They may complete the assignment any time between Wednesday, the 29th and Tuesday, the 4th.

Valentine’s Day- REMINDER:
An email was sent last week regarding Valentine’s Day. Our class will be doing some activities throughout the day on Friday, Feb. 14. We will not need parent volunteers or donations. We will make Valentine bags in class. If your child chooses to pass out Valentine cards, please use the class list that was sent home last week.

Snack Donations: Our class could use a few snack donations to use on the days when a student forgets. Pretzels or graham crackers work well. If you are able to donate, please send it in with your child. We appreciate it!!

LOOKING AHEAD

Friday, January 31- early release. Dismissal at 12:15pm

WINTER BREAK. NO SCHOOL Monday February, 3 and Tuesday, February 4. School resumes on Wednesday, February 5.

Week of January 20, 2020

Here’s what’s happening in our third grade classroom:

Writing: We continue drafting our informational writing. This past week we did some research to include in our writing. We will work on revising and final drafts in the coming weeks.

Math: We have been reviewing measurement, graphing, and elapsed time. Our math test is tomorrow. A review page went home on Friday.

Reading: We have been reading informational texts and last week we started reading narrative nonfiction. We are excited to read biographies and learn more information about a person in history.

Social Studies: We have been studying the economics of Michigan. We are starting to learn about Manufacturing and Agriculture.

Homework Reminder:
Reading and Math Fact Log due every Monday. Please help your child remember to sign on the days they read and practice facts. This is a great way to build responsibility in your third grader.

New Homework Starting Wednesday: On Wednesday, your child will have a new homework assignment that they will need to complete on the computer. They will need to get on Clever to access this. You will receive an email explaining this in more detail. Today in class I showed the students how to get on and what they should click to complete their assignment. They may complete the assignment any time between Wednesday, the 22nd and Tuesday, the 28th.

Looking Ahead

January 31: Early Release. 12:15pm dismissal

Feb. 3-4: Winter Break

The M-STEP State testing for grades 3-5 will take place this spring. I wanted you to have information on the dates in advance so that you can schedule appointments around these testing dates.

The dates for our M-STEP tests are as follows:

Grade 3: May 5, 6, 7 (9am-12 pm)

We had so much fun making slime on Friday. Thank you for donating supplies!

Week of January 6, 2020

Welcome Back! I hope your break was just what you, your third grader, and your family needed to get rested and renewed to begin 2020!

Here is an update from third grade:

Writing: We continue working on informational writing. We are learning to use different text structures and will be using one to organize and write about a topic.

Math: We continue working on measurement, elapsed time, and word problems. We will be learning about graphs in upcoming lessons.

Reading: Today we set goals as writers and made a plan to reach our goals. We have been working on reading a nonfiction text and identifying the main idea and details so we can teach about the topic.

Social Studies: Today we began learning about the Economics of Michigan. We will learn about natural, capital, and human resources.

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•Please help your child remember to pack one healthy snack for our morning snack time.

• Today we talked about ways to stop the spread of germs and sickness. It’s that time of year! We talked about covering our cough, washing hands with soap and water, and not sharing straws, drinking glasses, and utensils. Please help your child remember these healthy habits as well. Thank you!

• In our class, we talk a lot about being mindful. We talk about being a mindful learner and reflecting on our growth and setting new goals for ourselves. We have talked about being mindful of others by showing respect and also being mindful of our own emotions and knowing when we need to use some calm down strategies. We watched this video today to remind us of strategies to use when we need to calm down. These are great strategies for your third grader to use at home, too!