by Week of January 20th
I hope everyone enjoyed the long weekend. This week (and next) is short and action-packed, so hopefully, all are rested up for all the activities coming up as we get ready for Catholic Schools Week and Open House.
A BIG thank you to the drivers/chaperones for our field trip to the Autry Museum of the American West last week. The students really enjoyed it and learned a lot, enhancing our Native American curriculum. I encourage any families who want a great experience learning about the West to go to the Autry Museum which is so close and very informative. They have also added more interactive activities, and the students only viewed a part of the museum. They also have a fantastic gift shop. They usually give us a free one day pass for families, so if you are interested in going as a family, let me know, and I will see if the passes are still available.
This week is short with Monday off to celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, and we have some schedule changes. We have the second set of STAR testing this week on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings between 10-11am, so hopefully all students will be present. Also, we have School Mass led by 1st grade on Friday so no 8:15 mass on Thursday morning. Students need to wear their SCHOOL UNIFORM on Friday. We have NO Library this week due to the Book Fair being set up and starting Sunday after masses. We have Gardening on Thursday afternoon this week.
This week we are learning about:
Religion
We are learning about the Sacrament of Matrimony in Ch. 15 and the test is on Friday. We are also reflecting on and preparing some things for Catholic Schools Week next week.
Language Arts
There is NO Spelling this week due to the short week and Mass on Friday. We are continuing to practice sentence structure, focusing on verbs, and the students are writing a myth to go along with a sandpainting they are creating this week. We are reading several myths this week and discussing the elements of this type of narrative. We are having an oral comprehension quiz and also starting cursive this week. We are just learning about correct practices and will start the strokes next week and then begin with lower case letters after that. The students seem excited, but need to wait until we learn the letters and more importantly, learn how to connect them properly. Lastly, the January book report, creating a cube on a mystery book, is due a week from Thursday and should not be left to the last moment. A reminder is going home this week.
Math
We are learning our 4 times facts and the test is on Thursday. The students should continue to practice their 2 times facts as this helps them with their 4 times.
Social Studies and Science
We are focused on our Native American studies this week as we create several projects including a sandpainting and myth inspired by the Navajo culture, a “buffalo hide” with picture writing inspired by the tribes of the Plains, and a watercolor/silhouette picture inspired by the speech given by Chief Seattle on Brother Eagle, Sister Sky. We are also preparing for our Native American model villages as the students meet in their “tribes”.
Thank you to all those who signed up to give of their time and talents to help us next week. It is an experience you won’t forget. Helpers should arrive by 10:00am on the day signed up for-Monday, Jan. 27th, or Tuesday, Jan. 28th. We will be working in the classroom and you should wear casual “work clothes” and/or bring an apron. Students may also want to bring something to throw over their uniform. It does get a little messy, but everything should wash out.
Tests this week
Thursday-Math-4 times fact test
Friday-Religion-Ch. 15 (Sacrament of Matrimony)
Please watch for other information about Catholic Schools Week which starts Sunday, January 26th with the Book Fair and ends on Friday, January 31st. Open House is Thursday, January 30th from 6-7:30pm. All the projects I mentioned above and more will be on display at Open House.
Lastly, if you have not already reviewed your student’s 1st trimester portfolio of work and returned the Parent Response form included, I would appreciate your response to what should be a fulfilling and informative experience for you and your student.
Thank you,
Sue Arnold
Week of January 13th
Another year, another week of third grade. This week we have 8:15am mass on Thursday morning with 6th grade before we leave for our field trip to the Museum of the American West. Students need to wear their school uniform and jackets/sweatshirts and bring a disposable lunch. Information for confirmed drivers is going home-thank you for volunteering. Please be sure you have signed and returned your student’s permission slip. On Friday, it is noon dismissal due to a faculty PD. Then, there is NO SCHOOL for all on Monday, January 20th, due to MLK,Jr. Day.
This week we are learning about:
Religion
We are learning about the Bread of Life in Ch. 14 and the test is on Friday.
Language Arts
In Spelling, we have 22 words with a focus on words that have a vowel plus r sound in them. The test is on Friday. In English, we continue with verbs and in Reading, we are learning about author’s purpose as a comprehension strategy..
Math
We are continuing with multiplication and the students have a test on their times 0, 1, and 2 facts on Tuesday. We are also starting to learn our times 4 facts (double, double-meaning we take the 2x fact and double the answer-i.e. 2 x 4 =8 and 8 + 8 =16 so 4 x 4 = 16). We are also looking at patterns and skip counting to help make the connection between addition and multiplication.
Social Studies and Science
In S.S., we continue to learn about the Navajo, Yurok, Cherokee, and Haudenosaunee (Native Americans). Our field trip to the Museum of the American West is to reinforce and expand our knowledge on these people and their customs/traditions. We are also creating some Native American model villages at the end of the month that will be on display for Open House. The students are assigned various tribes to create their model, and we need approximately 6-8 helpers on the mornings of January 27th and 28th. I will send out an e-mail, but you can contact me if you are interested. It is a lot of fun (and a little crazy!) and amazing to see them all work together to create something quite spectacular. At least, I am always amazed and this is a VERY creative class! In Science, we are continuing with our studies of the Earth, Moon, and Sun and learning about gravity.
Tests this week
Tuesday-Math- 0, 1, and 2 x fact test
Friday-Religion-Ch. 14 (The Bread of Life)
Friday-Spelling-words with vowel + r sounds
Next week, we are doing our 2nd trimester STAR testing. Enjoy your long weekend.
Sue Arnold
Week of January 6th
Happy 2020 to all! I hope everyone had a wonderful and festive vacation. I enjoyed spending a lot of time with family and just relaxing with some favorite hobbies, and babysitting grandkids, of course! Thank you to all for your generous gift and all the other personal gifts from you and your children. They certainly made my holidays even more special. I look forward to a fun month of learning with your children and making more memories in 2020.
This week is a full schedule of classes, and we have some changes to our schedule due to some changes made with our co-curricular classes. Our Art/Tech class on Monday afternoons is now on Friday mornings. This requires some other changes in our core curriculum schedule. Please try not to make any appointments for your children on Mondays and Wednesdays as these days are full of core academics and no pull-outs for co-curricular classes. I’m sure the students will adapt quickly to the new schedule.
This week we have 8:15am mass with 6th grade on Thursday. Next week, we have our field trip to the Museum of the American West on Thursday, January 16th, to enrich our study of Native Americans and the West. Look for permission slips going home this week and confirmation of drivers/chaperones.
This week we are learning about:
Religion
We are learning about The Word of God in Ch. 13, and the test is on Friday. We are also celebrating Epiphany on Monday, and the Christmas season ends on Sunday, January 12th, as we celebrate the Baptism of the Lord. We have new Virtues of the Month-Responsibility and Self-discipline-and will focus on applying them to daily life and our faith.
Language Arts
This week we have 22 words in Spelling which are contractions. The test is on Friday. In English, we continue with verbs and practicing subject/verb agreement. In Reading, our story is a legend about Native Americans, and we are using the comprehension strategy of comparing/contrasting character actions and traits. We are reviewing facts versus opinions and will apply this knowledge in a Science activity. We are also learning about the figurative speech of idioms. The students are doing an activity to show the literal and real meaning of selected phrases. Our new Author of the Month is Chris VanAllsburg, and a new reading log is going home for January. Please be sure to sign and return your student’s December reading log if you haven’t done so already. Lastly, the January book report is being explained and the genre is mystery. The students are creating a cube focusing on story elements, especially problem (what is the mystery?) and solution (how does it get solved?). It is due on Thursday, January 30th, to be displayed at Open House.
Math
We are starting multiplication this week. First, we are exploring the relationship between addition and multiplication. Then, we are learning about arrays which visually shows repeated addition and the commutative property of multiplication. We are also starting with multiplying by the factors 0, 1, and 2, and the students are having their first multiplication fact test next week on multiplying by these factors up to 9.
Science and Social Studies
In Social Studies, we are reviewing for a test on Ch. 2 (Land and Resources) on Wednesday. This material was covered before vacation and is being reviewed in class on Monday and Tuesday and as part of their homework those days. We are also starting Ch. 3 on Native Americans-focusing on the Navajo, Yurok, and Cherokee this week in preparation for our field trip to the museum next week and other activities this month. In Science, we are starting Ch. B1 on Comparing Sun/Moon/Earth. We are using a website (DKFindOut) to learn more about Life in Space and finding facts and expressing opinions about it.
Tests this week
Wednesday-Social Studies, Ch. 2 (Land and Resources)
Friday-Spelling-22 words (contractions)
Friday-Religion-Ch. 13 (The Word of God)
Please check back later in the week for the complete update of Monthly Information on the 3rd grade school website. Also, continue to post pictures (of 3rd grade activities) on Shutterfly for viewing by other 3rd grade parents and possible use for the yearbook. Lastly, I hope you have had time to review your student’s 1st trimester portfolio. I appreciate receiving your comments on the Parent Response Form included in their portfolio. This process also helps the students in achieving their 2nd trimester goals.
I wish everyone a very prosperous 2020!
Sue Arnold