Tag Archives: update

Third Grade Update

Hello Families,
Here’s a learning update from third grade:

Writing:
We are working in research clubs and each club is studying an animal. They are in planning out their table of contents and subtopics. Each club member is in charge of writing a chapter or two and the research club will put their book together. Students are working on reading for research and working on organizing information and using different text structures.

Social Studies:
We are beginning to study the Geography of Michigan. We will learn how to use map skills and learn about the natural and human characteristics of Michigan.

Math:
We have started learning about area and perimeter and will move on to learn about characteristics of quadrilaterals.

Math Fact Fluency: We will do our fact fluency pages for only two more Fridays. It has really become evident that many third graders are not practicing multiplication facts and not completely retaining what they have learned. It is very crucial that our third graders are practicing their facts several times a week. This will be very important over the summer as well leading up to fourth grade.

Reading:
During our reading time, students are working on reading for research. They have been using different resources to gather information about their animal. They are learning to take notes so they will be able to write about their subtopic.

MSTEP testing is this week Thursday, May 6 and next Thursday, May 13. It will be important that your child is at school on time and that they have had a healthy breakfast and adequate sleep. If your child seems anxious or worried about this, it will be most helpful if you would remind them to just do their best to show what they know! They hear this from me a lot at school.   🙂

Book Order:
A Scholastic Book Order was sent home last week. This will be the last book order I send home for the year. This would be a great time to purchase books for Summer Reading!
If you plan to order, please place your order online by Friday, May 7. Thank you in advance for your purchases as it allows me to choose free books for our classroom library!

Our next early release day is May 21. Dismissal is at 12:15pm.

Our classroom is in need of some sandwich sized Ziploc bags. If you are able to donate, please send them in with your child. Thanks in advance!

 

Thank you for all your support!

Ms Van Arkel

 

 

3rd Grade Update

Hi Families,

Here is an update of our learning:

Writing:
This week we are taking time to practice constructive responses. That means we are reading an article or short story and responding in writing. We are learning to answer the question well by using complete sentences with details from the text that supports our answer. This is a skill we continue to practice throughout the year.

Math:
We have been practicing telling time and writing it as before and after the hour. We will move on to elapsed time and interpreting and creating graphs.

Reading:
Book clubs have been meeting for the last week! Each book club has been given a book that has a main character that faces a problem. Each student must complete their reading assignment, make observations about the character, and then the book club meets to discuss. Each group discuss the problem and how the character reacts. They make predictions as they read as well.

Growth Mindset:
The past several weeks we have been talking about kindness. Our class has been working on a kindness challenge and we even made self portraits that included kindness quotes. We have also discussed Black History Month and learned about many courageous men and women who have made a difference by showing kindness with their actions and words even when it was not an easy thing to do.

****************************************************

More Information:

• Homework: A weekly reading and math log went home today. This is your third grader’s homework and should be returned each Monday.

• Our next Early Release day is Friday, March 5. Dismissal is at 12:15pm.

• Parent- Teacher Conferences will take place (via Zoom) on Monday, March 8 and Wednesday March 10. I will be sending an email with sign up soon.

• Book Fair: Our class will preview the book fair on Tuesday, March 9 and students may purchase on Thursday, March 11.

On Friday, February 12, we enjoyed some Valentine themed learning. Check it out!

 

 

Third Grade Update

Hi Families,
Here’s what’s happening in 3rd grade:

Writing:
Last we we started working on literary essays. We are writing about a text that we read by forming big ideas and giving reasons that connect to the text. The students will be working more independently on writing another literary essay this week.

Math:
We have been learning about units of measurement and have been practicing using a ruler to measure to the nearest inch, half inch, and quarter inch. We have also been learning about liquid units of measurement as well as units to measure weight.

Reading:
We are using the book Because of Winn-Dixie to make observations about the main character of a text. We are noticing patterns in the character and using these observations to make predictions and form big ideas and theories. This week, the students will start to work in book clubs and discuss some new characters.

Multiplication Fact Fluency:
Since we had a snow day last Friday, we will do our practice page this Friday. Please remind your third grader to continue practicing their facts so they are feeling confident. As a reminder, it is so important that multiplication facts are practiced regularly. This will help your third grader be prepared for our upcoming math concepts as well as fourth grade concepts.

**********************************

Classroom Transformation:
We had a great time on Tuesday as our class transformed into a Construction Zone and the students completed 10 challenges that helped them practice measuring to the nearest inch, half inch, and quarter inch. Thank you to The Lifetime Learner for this awesome resource and thank you for the donations from parents!
Here are just a few pictures:

 

 

Third Grade Update

Hi Families,
Here’s what’s happening in third grade:

Writing:
Today, we started a new writing unit. We will be learning about literary essays and the class will be working on reading a text, studying the characters, and writing a literary essay.

Math:
We are finishing up Unit 4 with the test tomorrow (Tuesday). We will move on to Unit 3 and study measurement, weight, volume, mass, elapsed time, and graphing.

Reading:
We started our Character Studies unit today. We will use the book Because of Winn-Dixie to study the main character and we will move on to book clubs where the students will talk and discuss the characters in their text.

Homework:
A new math/reading log went home today. Please remind your third grader to fill this out throughout the week to keep track of their reading and math practice. It is very important that our third graders are remaining consistent with this especially as we move into the next reading and math units. Thank you!

Growth Mindset:
In the last few weeks we have learned about empathy, using strategies for worrying, and today we started talking about how our mindset impacts our mood.

Valentine’s Day:
We will do some Valentine related activities on Friday, February. 12. If your child chooses to bring in Valentine’s to pass out, they should be brought to school before Wednesday, February 10. I will send a class list home. We will decorate Valentine gift bags at school.

Reminder:
Friday, February 5 is an early release. Dismissal is at 12:15
Monday, February 8- NO SCHOOL- WINTER BREAK

 

 

Third Grade Update

Hi Families,
It has been so good to have our class back after the holiday break!

Here’s what’s happening in third grade:
Writing:
The class is finishing up their informational writing. They have chosen a topic they know a lot about and have organized their information into chapters. They are working on revising, editing, and publishing their work.

Math:
We have started a new unit recently and we are reviewing addition and subtractions methods and learning how to do proof drawings. We are practicing word problems, too.

Reading:
We are wrapping up our nonfiction reading unit. We have learned strategies to use while we read for information and we have learned how to teach someone else about the topic we read about. We have noticed text features within nonfiction writing.

HOMEWORK:
A new math and reading log went home yesterday. It should be returned on Monday, January 18. I encourage your child to get logged onto MobyMax (on Clever) to practice their math fact fluency. It has been quite awhile since some of our third graders have been practicing and this will be very helpful.

STEAM:
Next Monday, January 18 our class will be recording videos as part of their project in Steam. Your child may bring any props or clothes they need for dressing up.

3rd Grade Update

Hi Families,

Here’s what’s happening in our third grade class:
Writing: We continue working on persuasive writing. The third graders are learning about word choice and writing to their audience. They have had some great ideas for their speeches!

Math: This week we will learn the 6s and 7s multiplication facts. You will see the math test come home today. Our third graders worked hard on this test. Continued practice with multiplication facts will be very helpful as we move forward. Sometime this week, you will see an envelope of multiplication facts coming home. These are facts that have been in our folders the longest and that should be moved to memory. Please keep these in a safe place at home for continued practice. Thank you!

Reading: Today we launched our Mystery reading unit. Each student was given a mystery book they will be reading. As they read, they will be asking questions to find out the mystery and gather clues to solve it. We will be using many reading strategies to do this.

A few more reminders…

Homework: Third grade homework consists of a reading and math fact log due each Monday. Please look for this to come home and support your child in taking responsibility with this. Thank you!

Math practice page: Students complete a math practice page each Friday. This helps build fluency and accountability with learning multiplication facts. Students work at their own pace and keep track of what fact they are working on each Friday. This has been a great way for students to practice using a growth mindset as well!

Fall Celebration: On Friday, we will do some themed activities throughout the day ending with a snack. Thank you for the donations!
While not required, your child may dress up in an appropriate costume. No blood, guts, weapons. Please make sure this is a costume your child can wear all day and can take on/off by themselves. We are trying to limit the amount of students congregating in the restrooms to change into costumes. Thanks for your help with this.

Parent/Teacher Conferences: Conferences will be held Monday, Nov. 16 and Wed. Nov. 18. These will be held virtually and I will be sending a link for signing up in the coming week.

Birthdays: Just a reminder that if your child chooses (this is not required) to bring in something for the class to celebrate their birthday, we ask that it be a non-food item. Items such as erasers, pencils, bookmarks, etc. work well.

Cold Weather Gear: It’s that time of year when the weather changes quickly. Please send your child in appropriate clothing to go out for recess. As you send hats, gloves, etc. please make sure these are labeled with your child’s name.

Thank you!

Ms Van Arkel  🙂

3rd Grade Update

Third Grade Families,
Here is a quick update of our learning:

Writing: This week we kickoff our persuasive writing unit. Our third graders will learn how to form an opinion statement (thesis) and write reasons with detail to form a persuasive speech.

Math: We begin unit 2 this week and will learn the 6, 7, and 8 facts for multiplication. We will be working on applying all the multiplication facts to word problems and other multiplication and division math problems. You should see a multiplication practice page coming home today with a ‘Not Yet’ or a ‘Got It’ page attached to it. This will let your child know what specific facts to practice to prepare for the practice page on Friday.

Reading: We are nearly done with our first writing unit. We have been learning all about how readers understand a story by retelling the story, using a comprehension check , and using strategies for tricky words. We will move on to our mystery reading unit next week.

Homework:
Third grade homework consists of a reading and math fact log. This should be turned in every Monday. Your child should come home with a new one today. I accidentally copied the wrong one to send home so the turn in date should say Monday, Oct. 26 (not the 19th), but since we don’t have school that day, it should be turned in on Tuesday, Oct. 27. Thank you!

Early Release and No School: 
This Friday, Oct. 23 is an early release. Dismissal is at 12:15. We do not have school on Monday, Oct. 26. 

Fall Celebration:
We will have our Fall classroom celebration on Friday, Oct. 30. I plan to do multiple activities throughout the day as it relates to our content. I have several Fall related word work and math games as well as books for the students to enjoy. While we will not be able to have parent volunteers, I will be sending out a link for parents to donate items for our snack that day. Please let me know if your child has an allergy. Thanks!

If your child chooses to wear a costume to school, please help your child choose a simple costume that can be worn the whole day.  The intent behind this is to limit children gathering in the restrooms to change, and limit the number of children needing assistance from teachers and staff to get into their costumes.  We invite you to send your children in a costume that includes no weapons or gore, and easily allows your child to participate in regular school routines and procedures.  Can they take it off themselves to use the bathroom?  Can they fit in their seat at their desk? Can they go down the slide or sit in the swings?  Can they wear a mask under their “mask”?  Please save bulky, or extravagant costumes for home use, and dress in a fun and simple costume for the school day.  Fall or pumpkin t-shirts are a great alternative as well. Thank you for your understanding with this!

Ms Van Arkel 🙂

3rd Grade Update

Hi Families
Here is an update of our learning in third grade:

Writing: This week we are finishing up our narrative writing. We will finish the week learning how to write a written response to a text. Next week, we begin learning about persuasive writing.

Math: We continue to practice multiplication and division facts with word problems and using lots of different strategies. We plan to review  on Wednesday or Thursday and take our test on Friday. 

Reading: We have been learning all about making predictions and using details when we make a prediction.  We will also be practicing giving a retell of the books we read.

A few more things to know………

FOR YOUR INFORMATION
As you see school work coming home there may be  a number grade (3,2,1) on some of them.
Use this as a guide:
3- proficient
2- progressing
1- beginning

HOMEWORK:
Third grade homework consists of reading 20 minutes, five nights a week and multiplication fact practice for 5 minutes, five nights a week. We have been talking a lot about goal setting to help us get better at reading and math facts. Lots of our third graders have made action steps to practice facts and read at home as a way to reach their goal. The reading and math fact log should be returned to school every Monday. 

Math Fact Cards: You will see your child’s blue fact folder filling up. As your third grader works on their math fact log, please help them choose one set of count bys (one color) flash cards to work on each night.  We have learned the 5s, 2s, 10s, 9s, 3s, 4s, so far. It is starting to become apparent which kids are regularly practicing their math facts and which kids are not. Please help your child gain confidence with their math work by practicing these at home.

Math Practice Page:
Each Friday, the third graders complete a math fact practice page. Last week they did the 5s fact page. When your child completes all the problems correctly, they will move on to the next practice page. This Friday, your third grader will either try the 5s page again or will try the 2s page for the first time. Please look for this practice page to come home so you will know what facts to practice with your child.

The next early release Friday is October 23. Dismissal is at 12:15.

3rd Grade Update

Hello Families,
A few things to keep you informed:

Homework: Please remind your child to return their math fact and reading log each Monday. A new one will be coming home tomorrow. I was not at school today as was not able to get one sent home.

Turkey Trot Information
Please read the information about the Turkey Trot on our P.E. teachers page.

Update from Mr. Waldie:
Please make sure you have checked the school blog for an update from Mr. Waldie.

Have a great week!
Ms Van Arkel

3rd Grade Update

Here’s an update of our learning in third grade:
Writing: The third graders have started drafting their personal narratives. They have carefully looked at mentor texts to notice what other authors do to make their writing powerful. They will work to try a lot of these strategies as they finish drafting this week. We will move on to revising and editing.

Math: So far we have learned the 5s, 2s, 10s, 9s, and 3s multiplication facts!! We have been learning lots of strategies for solving multiplication and division problems and word problems. The best way to support your child with multiplication right now is to help them practice their math facts. It is so crucial that they know their facts as we move in to new math concepts. Thanks!

Reading: We are learning the importance of building a reading life! We are learning how to choose good-fit books, how to read as if our books are like GOLD, and we are learning to keep track of progress with a reading log.

Growth Mindset: We continue to talk about how our mindset can make a difference in our learning and in our daily lives. This week, we talked all about facing challenges and I was able to challenge the class with the Coin Flip Challenge! We definitely needed to use a growth mindset with this! We also started talking abut choices and how each choice we make impacts our day and it can also impact ourselves and those around us. We read the book What Should Danny Do? and it reminded our class that each of us has the power to choose!

*Other important things to know*

Homework: Reading/Math Fact log: A Reading/Math Fact log was sent home with your third grader today (Monday 9/28) This will serve as third grade homework and is meant to support your child in gaining accountability and responsibility as a learner. Last week, your third grader started using a reading log in class and now they will be responsible for keeping track of their reading at home. This reading log will be turned in every Monday. Thank you for your support with this!

Walk a thon!!:
Thank you for supporting our school! Final donation date is Wed, Sept. 30. There’s still time to donate!

  •       Register your Child using School Identifier 5f3d669d605c9, please visit www.getmovinfundhub.com 
  •       Event Date: Thursday, September 24, 2020
  •       Final Donation due date: September 30, 2020
  •         Donations can be online through your child’s webpage.  Otherwise, donations in the form of cash & checks (in-school donations), should be turned in to the school.

  •         Please make checks payable to: Georgetown Elementary PTC

•           Visit this page for more details!!

Picture Day is this Thursday, October 1
Forms were sent home last week, but we do have some extra in the office if needed! If your child is not at school on Thursday, picture retake day will be Tuesday, Nov 3. If you would like to order your pictures online, you would go to geskusphoto.com/fallorders and you will need this webcode. 264BFISDGVNHA

The next Early Release is Friday, Oct. 23. Dismissal is at 12;15pm. If your child is a car rider, please be at school between 12:10 and 12:15 for pick up.  Food Service will be offering a sack lunch on early release days. Children can order a lunch with their teacher in the morning and will have them to take to their destination.

Thanks!
Ms Van Arkel 🙂