December 16, 2016

Dear Families,

Brrr!  This was definitely our chilliest week this year.  We are glad to see students coming prepared for the cold. Students will go out to recess everyday unless the temperature drops below zero.  

Reading  This week we focused on summarizing.  Students often like to retell the whole story so we’ve worked on just telling the important parts.  We use a graphic organizer called, “Somebody, Wanted, But, So, Then.”  Students use this to explain what the character wanted, what the problem was, and how it was resolved.  

Writing

The students are working on writing complete paragraphs with a topic sentence, supporting details and a conclusion.  These skills are the building blocks for our writing to inform unit.  In this unit, students will be writing informational pieces about a variety science and social science units.  

Math

In math, we are continuing to work with rounding to the nearest ten and hundred.  We’re also learning efficient strategies for adding larger numbers.  Number Corner this month is all about fractions, so students have also been working to identify different fractions as well as equivalent fractions with different denominators.  

Social Science  We’ve begun our discussion of why European explorers explored North America.   Students will gather information about who the explorers were, why they were exploring, and noting what they found.  This week we introduced the Vikings.

On January 19th, PIE will be hosting a learning event called “Proficiency Based Learning - Part 2.”  More details should be listed in an upcoming edition of the Viking, which can be found online at http://hcsvt.org/Page/4487.

Have a great weekend, and stay warm!

December 9, 2016

December 9, 2016

Dear Families,

We had an enjoyable week, albeit chilly!  Here are some of the things we worked on this week:

Reading

We have continued to work on comprehension strategies during reading.  This week, we practiced visualizing, which is creating a picture in your mind based on the author’s words.  We drew pictures and found text to support our thinking.

Writing

Students have been enjoying having time to work on a writing piece of their choice.  While students were free writing teachers had the opportunity to conference with each student on goals for our next unit:  Writing to Inform.  

Math

We kicked off our new unit, which began with rounding.  Students have begun to practice rounding numbers to the nearest ten.  As the unit progresses, students will also learn about rounding to the nearest hundred.  We’ll also begin developing strategies for adding multi-digit numbers in an efficient way.

Also, students had the opportunity to problem solve while learning to code with the Hour of Code.  Students needed to demonstrate spatial recognizing while maneuvering an object with a series of commands.  They can practice at home via the HCS website.

Social Science

This week, we focused on Native Americans who lived in the Plains region.  We discussed the importance of the buffalo in all areas of their lives.  This week, we will be comparing and contrasting the Eastern Woodlands region with the Plains region.

Enjoy the weekend and keep warm!

December 2, 2016

Dear Families,
We hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving.  We look forward to getting back into a routine for a few weeks before the winter break.  Take a peek at what we have been doing.

Math
In math we have finished Unit 2.  Students learned a variety of strategies and models to help them build a conceptual understanding of multiplication.  We will now move into Unit 3 and focus on adding and subtraction strategies for computing with larger numbers.  Use the link below for more information on Unit 3:
http://www.mathlearningcenter.org/sites/default/files/documents/family/PAR-BR3-U3.pdf


Reading
Students have been participating in book groups/clubs.  Each group is reading a book at their instructional level and meeting weekly to discuss the story.  While reading students are using a variety of strategies to help them understand the text.  Some of the comprehension strategies are asking questions,  making connections, inferring, visualizing, determining importance, and monitoring for meaning.

Writing
Students have published their narratives and will be sharing them with their peers, buddies, and of course their families.  We hope you enjoy reading these stories.  Next we'll move onto informational writing.  We'll begin with paragraph writing and then move into writing reports.

Word Study
Word study will resume this week.  Students should have brought a new word list home with them in their folder on Friday.

Social Science
We will be wrapping up our study of Native Americans and how the environment of the region impacted the way of life of the tribes living in that region.  We will begin our mini unit on European Explorers.  Our lessons will focus on helping students discover why Europeans explored North America.

November 4, 2016

Dear Families,

It was a great week in third grade.  Our Halloween parties were a lot of fun!  Seeing everyone dressed up was great.  Thank you to everyone who was able to donate food, drinks, etc.  Your generosity is very much appreciated.

Math:  

In math, we used unifix cubes to show 10 groups of different multiples.  They looked for patterns while investigating “groups of.”  Students used these models to write mathematical equations.  In addition, students used arrays to actively discover the relationship between repetitive addition, groups of, and multiplication.  At home, students can still practice their basic addition and subtraction facts.    

Spelling:

Remember to look for your child’s new list on Friday!  Students should practice their words during the week for their spelling tests on the following Friday.  They can use any of the activities listed on the sheet we provided or they may use spellingcity.com at home.

                           

Reading:  

Students are finishing their fluency unit by reading scripts from short plays.  They are having so much fun learning how to use different voices and lots of expression as they read aloud.  We will be starting with reading comprehension skills in the upcoming weeks.

Writing:

Students will be sharing their narratives with their classmates as they complete their final copy. We are also learning how to write summaries for books we have read in class. Soon, we will learn how to take notes from nonfiction books as we prepare for our next unit on information writing (reports).

Social Science:

The students are beginning to investigate how the environment impacted the lives of the Eastern Woodland Native Americans.  We’ve been discussing how the Native Americans utilized trees in a wide variety of ways.

Have a Wonderful Weekend!

October 28, 2016

Dear Families,

It was great to see many of you at parent conferences!  If you would like a conference and did not schedule one, please contact your child’s homeroom teacher.

Math:  

This week, we continued to investigate the relationship between repetitive addition and multiplication.  Students calculated the cost for arrays of stamps.  Also, they used a clown fish named Chloe to find the length, height, and widths of other items.  We will continue to build proportional reasoning during unit two.  Please remember that students should still practice their math facts!

                           

Reading:  

As a culmination of our unit on reading fluency, students will be engaging in Reader’s Theater.  This is an opportunity to practice the skills they have learned in class by reading scripts from plays.  It’s a lot of fun!

Writing:

Students are continuing to work with their narrative pieces.  They are building upon their drafts to make them stronger.  The next piece of writing will be informational.  They will learn to write a report by integrating it into our science unit on the Rain Forest.     

Social Science:

Students have begun to investigate how the regional environment affected the culture of the Native Americans who lived there.  Next week, we will be looking more in depth at the Eastern Woodland region.

Halloween:  

As you know, Halloween is held on a Monday this year.  We will be celebrating in our classrooms from 1:00 - 1:45.  Students will be able to wear costumes at the party only.  They will have to change again at the end of the day.  We ask that students do not wear makeup or anything scary or violent (such as blood, swords, guns, etc.)   

Have a Wonderful Weekend!

Curriculum Night Presentation

Here is a is link to our Curriculum Night presentation.  Thank you to all who attended! Curriculum Night Google Presentation

October 14, 2016

Dear Families,

The weather is getting colder, so we would like to remind students to wear warm clothing to school.  Many children are getting cold at recess time because they do not have a jacket to wear.  We love taking them outside, so we appreciate it very much if they have clothing that is best for the weather.  Thank you for your support!

Math:  We just finished our first math unit, Addition & Subtraction Patterns.  Next week, we will start unit 2, Introduction to Multiplication.  Students should continue practicing their addition and subtraction facts at home.  

Spelling:  Students have spelling tests once a week.  Students should practice their words at home as well.  They can do the optional spelling activities and/or use Spelling City at home.  We use Spelling City at school, and students really enjoy it!                                         

Writing:  We have been continuing with our personal narratives.  The students are currently in the drafting process.  We’ve been discussing the key components that their narratives should have, as well as using our “storyteller voice” to make the piece more interesting for our audience.  

Reading:  This week we have focused on reading fluency which includes phrasing, rate, expression, accuracy and paying attention to punctuation marks.  Later on, they will participating in Reader’s Theater where they will be able to practice what they know about reading fluently.  We’ve also been writing journal entries about the Red Clover books that we’ve read.

Parent Conferences: Parent conferences start next week.  Please contact me if you would like a conference and have not already scheduled one.

Curriculum Night: The third grade Curriculum night will be on Wednesday, October 19th at 5:30.  We hope to see you there!

Picture Retakes:  Picture Retakes will be on Wednesday, October 19th in the morning.  

Have a Wonderful Weekend!

October 7, 2016

Dear Families,

It was a great week in third grade.  We are learning and growing every day!

Math

Students worked on double digit subtraction strategies.  Students are learning to use number lines to break up bigger numbers into smaller chunks.  We encourage students to use “friendly numbers” when solving problems.  In Number Corner, students are looking for shape and color patterns this month.  

Writing

The students have started composing their personal narratives using their Chromebooks, which is very exciting for all of us!  The technology allows for easy editing as well as peer conferencing and teacher comments.  The students are enjoying learning how to use Google Docs.

Reading

We are going be reading Red Clover books in the upcoming weeks.  Red Clover is a Vermont-based program where books are selected by librarians and voted upon by students across the state.  

We have been working on how to retell a story from a book of choice.  Next week we will be practicing fluency in order to prepare for our upcoming Reader’s Theater unit.

Science

We are wrapping up our weather unit.  Students are now able to predict weather based on cloud types.  In addition, students are able to decide what clothes to wear in different climates.  Students will continue to gather temperature and precipitation data for their international locations for the rest of the school year.   Our next unit will be Forces and Motion.  Most classes will start this unit later this year.

Social Science

Ms. Wright’s class made a mural of the Eastern Woodland Indians. It is hanging in the hallway and looks great!  Next week we will start learning about the Plains Indians.

Curriculum Night The third grade Curriculum night will be on Wednesday, October 19th at 5:30.  We hope to see you there!

Picture Retakes:  Picture Retakes will be on Wednesday, October 19th in the morning.  

Have a Wonderful Weekend!

September 30, 2016

Hello Families,

It’s hard to believe it’s already the last day of September.  We’ve enjoyed getting to know students academically and socially.  We have good information to help us plan our instruction and create learning groups to maximize learning.  We would like you to be part of this process.  There are two ways you can do this in the month of October.

First, we hope you’ll attend our curriculum night.  On Wednesday, October 19 at 5:30pm we will be presenting information on our third grade curriculum.  

Second,  we will be holding conferences in October that we hope you’ll attend.  It gives us an opportunity to discuss individual goals and ask and answer questions.  Please look for a Sign-up Genius coming soon.    

Finally, we hope your child is sharing all the amazing learning that has been happening.  If not, be sure to ask them about the following:

• Opinion writing prompt
• 2-digit addition strategies
• Climates around the world
• Weather Wednesday
• Indian in the Cupboard
• Choice Time

Have  a great weekend!

The Third Grade Teachers

Third Grade News, Edition 3

Dear Families,

It was a wonderful week in third grade.  Students were very busy!  We are settling into our routines and making great progress.  

Literacy: We have completed the reading assessments for all students on our team!  We look forward to using this data to help us personalize your child’s reading instruction.  Next week, we will begin drafting our personal narratives.  Just a reminder that reading graphs are due every Friday.  Thank you for your support!

Math: This week, we continued to practice our addition and subtraction strategies.  We played some great games that reinforced these strategies.  Students can continue working on their basic computation skills at home.  Students have access to Fastt Math and DreamBox through our school website.  The username is your child’s first and last name capitalized (ex. KerriWallis) and the password is math.

Science - We started our “Weather Wednesday” this week.  Students collected temperature data for Hinesburg and an international location.  They will collect data throughout the school year.  At the end of the year, we will take a look at this data and analyze it.  We also learned how to identify different types of clouds, so that we can predict weather.  Students should be looking for these different cloud types in the sky!

Social Science:  Ms. Wright’s class is learning about the Eastern Woodland Indians’ homes called longhouses.  Many families lived in one longhouse together.  Ask your child what else they know about this subject!

Fundraiser

If your child is participating in the Genevieve’s Fundraiser, it is due back to school by October 5th.

PIE Morning Mingle: It was very nice to see parents at the PIE breakfast on Thursday.

Thank you for attending if you were able to do so!  We know how difficult it can be to go to events first thing in the morning!

Drill: We had our first evacuation drill on Thursday.  Our students did an excellent job!  They must remain quiet walking all the way to the church which is not an easy task!  

Have a great weekend!

The Third Grade Teachers

Third Grade News, Edition 1

Dear Parents, Family, and Friends,
    It is hard to believe that we have already completed our second week of third grade.  Students are learning our routines and settling in third grade.  Sharing our “All About Me Bags” gave students and teachers an opportunity to learn about each other!

   In Math, we are reviewing strategies for solving addition problems.  Ask your child to tell you what the Add One, Doubles, Doubles Plus One, and other strategies are.  Students can practice their facts using Fastt Math at home.  To get on Fastt Math, go to the HCS website.  Select online programs and Fastt Math.  Students should know how to access the program, since it’s the same process we use at school.  The username is your child’s first and last name without a space (example: johnsmith).  The password for all students is math.

   In literacy, we have discussed the 3rd grade expectations for reading and writing classes.  We are focusing on writing true stories about subjects that are very meaningful to us. Students have been learning to how to write complete sentences using capital letters and punctuation marks.  They are also learning about subjects and predicates.  

   In science, students will be studying Weather and Climate.  Students will begin gathering temperature data for Hinesburg and another international location.  They will continue to collect this data throughout the school year.  In addition, students will have opportunities to discuss science ideas in scientist meetings and their science notebooks.  This week, we talked about clouds.

   On Fridays, we will be having a team “Choice Time.”  During this time, students will have opportunities to use our makerspace, play cooperative games, create art projects, exercise and make new friends.  We are hoping that this time will promote third grade team unity!

   Please make sure to check your child’s bag for her/his home school folder.  We will send home important information in these folders.  Please return them to school the next day.

Wallis/Wright

   In Social Studies, Ms. Wright’s  students are studying  Native Americans.  We brainstormed a list of things we already know about this subject and have colored maps of where different tribes have been located in North America.  We are reading aloud from the book “Indian in the Cupboard.”  Today we made small books about several tribes!

   In Science, Mrs. Wallis’ students will be studying Weather and Climate.  Students will begin gathering temperature data for Hinesburg and another international location.  They will continue to collect this data throughout the school year.  In addition, students will have opportunities to discuss science ideas in scientist meetings and their science notebooks.  This week, we talked about clouds.

Sincerely,

The Third Grade Team

Welcome Back!

Welcome back students, parents, and friends!  Summer has passed quickly and we are looking forward to an exciting year in third grade.  It was nice to see many of you for open house and the ice cream social.  School starts on Wednesday, August 31 at 8:00 am.  See you soon!