August 7, 2009
Dear Parents/Guardians,
Third graders have had a very successful start to the school year. We have spent time in class going over expectations, procedures and getting to know one another. They have adjusted well to our routines such as literacy centers and team time. Students are also very excited to be Book Buddies this year. For the first time, they are the readers! Thank you to all the parents who have sent in extra supplies, goodie box treats and snacks. We are very appreciative. Please make sure all school forms are filled out, signed and returned to school by Monday. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, you must complete the registration in the media center from 8:45-9:05 Monday through Friday, as soon as possible. You must register every year even if you have volunteered in the past.
In reading, students have used different types of information to help them choose books. In addition, they have been taught strategies to help them determine whether a book is just right for independent reading. We have also discussed that part of being a good reader is being able to explain why you chose a particular book. In the next two weeks, students will preview and use story structure to comprehend narrative text. They will also interact with a text before and during reading to help them make predictions. When students make predictions, it helps them get ready to read and better understand what they are reading. As your child is reading at home, ask him or her to explain the reasons a particular book was selected to read. Also, have him or her make predictions before and during reading, and have them explain their predictions to you.
In math, we have focused on place value. Students have worked on reading, identifying and representing the place value of whole numbers through ten thousands. Next, we will build on place value concepts and develop methods for adding and subtracting multi-digit numbers.
Students have decorated their Brain Drain journals and we are so excited about writing. In class, we have gone over the expectations for Writer’s Workshop. We have also been working on expanding sentences. We had lots of fun writing super detailed sentences instead of boring short sentences. Students have also focused on language arts skill such as understanding adjectives, adverbs, nouns, verbs and identifying the subject/ predicate of a sentence. Next, we will discuss strategies for generating personal narrative entries such as thinking of a special person or place and brainstorming small moments.
Our first science unit of the year will be Human Body. In this unit, students will investigate the basic structural systems of their bodies, which include skeleton, joints, and muscles. We will also discuss the ways these systems work together to provide movement and coordination. Students are already very excited and have lots of interesting questions. On August 18th, we will be dissecting owl pellets from 2:40-3:30. Any parents who would like to volunteer to assist us with this activity are welcome to join us.
With the hot summer days upon us, we would like to remind parents to please be sure to send a water bottle to school with your child. In addition, many students have mentioned they are a little cold in the classroom. This is much better than being hot, but you may want to send a jacket, sweatshirt or sweater with your child daily. Also, please remember to send in a peanut-free snack with your child daily. Next week, your child will be bringing home his/her student work folder with graded/checked assignments. Please be sure to look through the activities with your child, sign the student report and return the folder to school.
Thank you so much for your support and please contact me if you have any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Jan Harrison
Sincerely,
Jan Harrison
(919) 460-3527
jharrison@wcpss.net