Homework

Students in Room 221 received a math packet today! They are expected to complete at least 4 (single sided) pages and return them by the Friday. Children can pass their packets in any day next week, but no later than Friday.  Please help them to meet this expectation. 

Remember, the front sides are the grade level expectation. The back sides are harder.

In addition to written homework, Room 221 learners are also expected to:

*Read each night for at least 20 minutes

*Use Xtra Math to review basic math facts online**(3-4 times each week)

Children will receive their logs back on Monday. They should complete their logs and submit them by next Friday, October 4. 

Thank you for your support!

Reflection Letters

Hopefully your child will come running through the door today excited to share their newly written reflection letter with you. If not, it can be found in a spiral notebook in their backpack. Each Friday students will brainstorm a list of the activities and lessons we learned throughout the week. Students will use these ideas to write a letter home about one or two of their favorite lessons. In third grade, this takes a LOT of practice! We work on our letter writing skills for the entire school year.

Each week there will be FCAs (Focus Correction Area) based on what has been taught and what the kids are practicing. These FCAs make it clear to the students what my expectations are. This week's FCAs for the letter were:

Topic sentence - This sentence should be towards the beginning of their letter. It should tell the reader what the paragraph is about.

2+ specific details - Third grade writers should include 3 specific details telling about their topic. The details and the topic sentence should be about the same thing.

Capitalization and punctuation - Third grade writers should begin every sentence with a capital and end every sentence with punctuation. (You can see where they highlighted their capitals and punctuation. :o)

As we learn and grow you will see lots of progress and improvement in our letters. Eventually you will see the FCAs change as we work on more sophisticated skills and techniques.

Please read and respond to these letters if possible. Students look forward to hearing from you and it is a great way to model writing a friendly letter, which is a component of the 3rd grade curriculum.

Happy writing! :o)Melanie

Recorder Reminder

Yesterday I sent home a second notice from Needham Public School's Music Department regarding your child's opportunity to play the recorder. Each child needs a recorder to participate in Music class each week. If your child has not yet returned their form, please do so as soon as possible. 

Thanks for your help!

Class Rules

Yesterday we created our classroom rules. We discussed ways our community should act so that everyone can reach their hopes and dreams. First, we brainstormed many different rules - we had 15 or 20. We realized however, that we wouldn't be able to remember them all! So we found connections and similarities in our list, and narrowed it down to 3 rules that we can all remember. The rules are:

Respect everyone and everything.

Be safe.

Try your best.

Today, the children worked in groups to list what it looks like to follow each rule. Next week, children will work in pairs to show what it looks like using role play. We will practice following these rules together so that everyone can achieve their third grade hopes and dreams.

SNAP!

Mrs. McKenna, our new Math Specialist, shared a new math game with Room 221 yesterday! We think they really enjoyed it, because their cheers could be heard across the pod. :o)

The game is called SNAP! Here's what you need:

Snap playing board for each player (see picture)
A deck of playing cards with numbers 1-9 for each player

(If you are playing with a regular deck of cards, just remove the 10s, Jacks, Queens and Kings.)

Here's how you play:

Each player shuffles up his/her playing cards.

Take the first 5 cards without looking at them.

Place the 5 cards on your SNAP pile.

Put the remaining cards away in a separate pile.

Decide if you are playing for the highest number or the lowest number.

Count 1,2,3 SNAP!

At "SNAP!" each player looks at their top card.

The player should use their knowledge of place value to decide where the card should go. They only have one chance for that card. Once a card has been placed, it can't be moved. It can go in the ones place, the tens place, hundreds place or thousands place.

If the player does not think the card will help them make the (highest or lowest) number, they can place 1 card in the discard pile. (This is a final decision. The card can not be traded later.)

Continue this process so that all 5 cards are used. When the round is over, each player should have a card in the ones, tens, hundreds and thousands place, and the discard pile.

The player with the highest/lowest number wins!

Great Math Resource

Our wonderful math coach, Mrs. McKenna, just emailed the link to this site! It looks like a wonderful resource for parents created by Broadmeadow math teachers. Check it out!

Instrument Demonstration

Check your child's backpack this afternoon for information about string lessons in the Needham Public Schools. Mr. Mark Smith came and played for the children this afternoon. They were practically spellbound. When he asked how many might be interested in playing a string instrument, nearly ALL children raised their hand. Please consider signing your child up. Musical intelligence is an important intelligence to be fostered.

Ask your child which string instrument plays lower - violin, viola, cello or bass.

Word Clouds from Wordle

Mrs. Martell helped us create word clouds to put in our Writer's Notebooks. Room 221 third graders chose words that tell about their personalities and their interests. These help us get to know one another, and help inspire us in our writing.  Click here to check out the digital versions.

Picture Day

Today was picture day! I loved seeing all the beautiful smiles from Room 221. Can't wait to see the results. :o)

If you have any questions about photos, payment, orders please contact Lifetouch: 

508-946-0777 

or e-mail at:  mvcustomer@lifetouch.com

Recorders

This afternoon your child should have handed you a notice from Needham Public School's Music Department regarding your child's opportunity to play the recorder. Each child needs a recorder to participate in Music class each week.

Ms. Tryon asks children to remember:


***IF you're ordering a recorder, please bring in the form and money.


***IF you're bringing one in from home, please bring it in-- labeled and in a case (or something like a big ziploc bag, or a big sock). Bring them in anytime.  I'll keep them in the music room.


***You DO NOT have to buy two recorders. 


Playing recorder is a huge milestone in elementary school. I'm confident your child will learn a lot from this rewarding experience!

Curriculum Night is Tonight!

Tonight is Eliot School's Grades 3-5 Curriculum Night. Join us at 7:00 in the Performance Center where our principal and PTC president will speak to us. At 7:30, you will be invited to Room 221. I can't wait to share with you our exciting plans for third grade! 

First Six Weeks of School

We will be spending a lot of time during the first six weeks of school spelling out expectations, articulating rules and establishing predictable structures.

1. The children are participating in guided discoveries. In a guided discovery children discuss, explore and practice the use of classroom materials so that they can take care of the materials and each other. They role play what we can do when something goes wrong, or when another child wants to share.

2.Soon, the children will choose a hope and dream for third grade. Each child will share their dream with the rest of the community. We will use these hopes and dreams as the basis for classroom rules. The discussion will begin with the question - “What rules do we need to have in our classroom so that everyone is able to fulfill their hopes and dreams this year?”

3. We are practicing, practicing, practicing all of the expectations. We practice lining up quietly, using quiet voices while working and even hanging up our backpacks in the cubbies. (**So far so good! The children have been fantastic and respectful. I am constantly amazed by them.)

4. Most importantly, we are getting to know one another. We are all special and unique and we have begun sharing small pieces of ourselves with one another.

***We put a strong focus on all of these activities so that we can continue to have an
orderly, cooperative and stimulating learning environment where children feel ownership and safety.