Weekly Update

Hello Third Grade Families,

Our time together is winding down. I can't believe we only have 3 1/2 weeks left of school! With that being said, we do still have instruction going on. Please remind your 3rd grader that rules still apply even when summer is almost here =)

Homework Update: The third grade teachers decided that because the students have worked so hard this year and put in such great effort during testing the last 2 weeks that there will be NO HOMEWORK for the rest of the year! Students are still expected to read for at least 20 minutes each night. We are also still working on memorizing multiplication facts, so adding 5-10 minutes of practice each night would be very beneficial. There are fact practice games here. If you would like additional math or reading homework for your child, let me know. 

Here's a look at our learning this week:

In reading, we will work on the skill of comparing and contrasting. We will use fairy tales to help us with this skill. We will compare and contrast the original version of a fairy tale with an updated version. Some of these new versions are hilarious! Be sure to ask your child about these books that we will enjoy together. If you have time, visit the library and check out some different versions of fairy tales for fun!

In science, we are beginning a unit on heat. We will be learning about different sources of heat (the sun, electricity, and friction) and learning about how heat moves. We will be using thermometers and learning about Fahrenheit and Celsius temperatures.

In grammar, we will continue our work with sentence types. We are learning the difference between simple, compound, and complex sentences. We will also complete a short writing to be displayed for our Gator Gala on May 9th. Be sure to come back that night to see all the wonderful things we have planned for you!

In math, we will be reviewing several skills from the year to be sure we are ready to tackle 4th grade next year! 

If you have any questions about anything, please let me know!

Have a great week!

Weekly Update

Hoppy Easter!

I'm so proud of how focused our class stayed during ELA Milestone testing last week. We just have two more days of Math testing this Wednesday and Thursday, and then we're done! Just like last week, please make sure your child goes to bed on time, eats a good breakfast, and arrives on time on testing days. There will be no homework this week again! We will review all 3rd grade math concepts on Monday and Tuesday. On Wednesday and Thursday, we will spend some time with our media specialist in the Learning Commons as we explore some lessons on figurative language. We will also have a lesson with our school counselor this week. There will be a test on the 13 Colonies on Monday, but students will be allowed to use their notes. Finally, on Friday, we will celebrate the end of testing and the end of our novel study by watching the movie, Peter Pan!

As always, let me know if you have any questions or concerns!

Weekly Update

Hello Everyone,

• The Milestones ELA testing will take place on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday of this week. We will begin each day at 8:00am sharp! Please make sure that your child gets a good night of sleep the night before, eats a good breakfast each morning, and is at school on time. If they arrive late, they will not be permitted into the testing room until we are finished with that day's section and will take the test on a make-up day.
• Testing will take up the majority of our morning. Once we are finished, we will be attending specials from 10:30 - 11:15 and lunch at our normal time each day.  The afternoons of the days that we are testing will be used for math review. 

• Don't forget that THIS FRIDAY is our 3rd grade Colonial Day. We will be working through a series of stations throughout the day to learn more about what life was like during colonial times. A letter was sent home last week about this event and detailed information about how your child can dress if they want to dress as a colonial man or woman for that day's events. 
• There will be no homework or spelling for the next two weeks. 
• Registration folders for next year were sent home with your child on Thursday. Please make sure to return these folders by this Thursday, April 18th. 
• If you child indicated that they would like to be entered into our random drawing for participation in the wax museum at Gator Gala, please be sure to return that signed permission slip by TOMORROW, Monday, April 15th.
• Math Milestones testing will take place next week. We will test on Wednesday, April 24th and Thursday, April 25th.  
• Please join us for garden clean-up day on Saturday, April 20th start at 8:00am. We have many garden areas around Addison that need to be weeded and cleaned out. We would love your help even if it is for a short time! 

Thank you for everything you do to help your child be successful. I know that testing can be stressful at times, but I know that they will all try their best. They have worked very hard all year to be able to show what they know on this test! Please keep in mind that this assessment is only one data point about your child. There are many amazing things that make them who they are!

If you have any questions or concerns about anything, please don't hesitate to reach out. I am here to support you and your child in anyway that I can. 

Have a great week! 

Weekly Update

Happy Spring, Everyone!

I hope you were able to enjoy some extra time with your children this week during Spring Break. I'm excited to see everyone back at school tomorrow. I can't believe we have less than 2 months left in the school year! Please make a note of these dates on your calendar:

Friday, April 12 - Mother/Son Dance at Piedmont Church

Tuesday, April 16 - ELA Milestone Test 3rd Grade

Wednesday, April 17 - ELA Milestone Test 3rd Grade

Thursday, April 18 - ELA Milestone Test 3rd Grade

Friday, April 19 - 3rd Grade Colonial Day! Students can dress up as colonists. More info coming home this week!

Wednesday, April 24 - Math Milestone Test 3rd Grade

Thursday, April 25 - Math Milestone Test 3rd Grade

*4th & 5th grade students are taking the Milestone test on different days than 3rd grade. This is a change from previous years.

A word about Georgia Milestones: I am excited for our students to get to "show off" how much they have learned so far in 3rd grade! We have worked hard to learn the curriculum. Tests can be scary for kids, but I will do my best to keep everyone calm and make it as normal a day as possible. On testing days, we will spend a short portion of our mornings completing a section of the Georgia Milestone, then we're back to normal and will even have some extra recess! We will review some this week for the ELA (reading & writing) portion of the test. At home, you can help by making sure your child has enough sleep each night, eats a good breakfast at home or school, and gets to school on time. Please remember this is just one measure of your child's ability. The people who will grade these tests don't know that your child is an amazing artist or talented athlete, or future scientist, or even a budding comedian! This group of students has impressed me all year with their knowledge, persistence, and hard work! I know it will show when we begin testing next week. As always, please let me know if you have any questions about how testing works. Here is the study guide from the Georgia Department of Education if you're curious about question types: Milestone Study Guide 

Homework: This week, we will have reading, math and spelling homework. Spelling words will be written in your child's agenda on Monday to be studied throughout the week in preparation for Friday's quiz. Math and reading activities will be sent home on Monday to be turned in on Friday. The reading homework looks a little different this week. Please be sure your child is referring to the passages when answering questions. We have been encouraging students to underline words from the text to help them find the correct answers. 

There will be NO HOMEWORK the weeks of April 15th and 22nd due to Milestone testing!

Here is a look at our learning this week:

In reading, we will continue our adventure with Peter Pan. We have been working on using context clues and finding text evidence to answer comprehension questions as we read the text. 

In writing, we will review what informational and opinion writing pieces look like. During one section of the Georgia Milestone, students will read two short passages and then write (type) either an informational or opinion essay based on what was read. We will practice that this week in preparation for next week's ELA Milestone.

In social studies, we are continuing our study of the Thirteen Colonies. This week, we will focus on the Southern Colonies.

In math, we will learn about measuring volume and capacity. Your child should become familiar with the terms gram, kilogram, liter, and milliliter. Check your food and drink labels at home for these terms. Throughout the week, we will work on solving word problems that involve these types of measurements. Encourage your child to create their own word problem based on items you have at home such as, "If one bag of chips weighs 195 grams, how much would 2 bags of chips weigh?"

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns about anything. Have a great week!