Weekly Update 11/7/2014

Dear Parents,

As we come to the close of our first trimester of third grade, we can look back at how much we have learned in such a short time. Your kids have been working very hard and I am very proud of their efforts and growth so far this year. 

Literacy:

We have jumped in to our writing unit about adapting fairy tales. The kids and I have been reading many, many classic and adapted fairy tales to get familiar with their style. This week we looked at how and why writers of adapted fairy tales might have decided to make the changes they did. We have also put ourselves in the author's seat by choosing a fairy tale to adapt. The class has started making a plan and we will begin writing our first draft next week. It's very exciting. 

In spelling we are continuing our work on spelling patterns and our spelling lists.  We will have a new list next week.  Last week I sent home the last spelling test.  You can use that with the list I gave you at conferences to create your child's next list at home.

Math:

Unit 2 has been a lot of practice with all of the multiplication facts and how to use them in one and now two step word problems. The class is doing a great job using a step by step method to find the important information, think about what the problem is asking them to do and then writing and solving the equation. We even started using order of operations (ask your child about PEMDAS). I have been very impressed with their hard work.

Social Studies:

Last week we finished up our Life Cycles unit in Science and now we are moving on to the second unit of Social Studies- Regions of the United States. Your child will be studying 5 different regions in the United States, the states that make up each region, and the history, people and cultures of those regions. 

Important Dates:

Tuesday, November 11- NO SCHOOL VETERANS DAY

Friday, November 14- Trimester 1 report cards go home

Tuesday, November 18- Unit 2 Math Test

week of November 24-28- NO SCHOOL THANKSGIVING BREAK

Have a wonderful weekend with your families. See you next week.

September 19, 2014

Dear Parents,

Another busy week has passed and your kids worked very hard this week. I think we are all ready for a nice weekend.

Reminders:

No School on Monday, September 22. Elementary Professional Development Day/Assessment Day

Field Trip- Tuesday, September 30- Please be sure to return the permission slip and $5 fee if you haven’t already done so.

Literacy:

We continue to work on Personal Narratives. This week we finished our first draft and next week we will continue to revise, edit and publish our first narrative.

Spelling- We have reviewed short and long vowel rules and this week we learned the spelling patterns for long i. They are igh, i-e, ind, y, and i at the end of a syllable. We will also continue to work on the Must Write words for 3rd graders. Students are responsible for spelling these words correctly in their everyday writing.

Reading- All students have taken the Diagnostic test on the computer. I have also had a chance to read with several students for some additional information for me as I put students into reading groups. Next week, students will begin working with me in their reading groups as well as working independently in the classroom to complete lessons. This is a big jump for third graders as they learn to budget their time and meet deadlines- a skill they will need for the rest of their lives. So far, they are working very hard and diligently to learn this new skill.

Math:

We continue to learn our multiplication and division facts in math. We have now completed 2s, 5s, 9s, and 10s. You can help your child by quizzing them daily on those facts. We will also be doing weekly math dashes to help them check their own progress towards learning their facts. All third graders are expected to know all multiplications and divisions through 10s by the end of third grade in order to be prepared for 4th grade. Next week we will introduce 3s and 4s if you want to start practicing those to get ahead.

Social Studies:

In our unit on communities, this week we learned about public and private services and how taxes help to pay for public services in our communities. Next week, we will talk about local government and the different roles people play in that area of the community. This unit will be completed the following week.

Don't forget that tomorrow is Broomfield Days and the parade. The class with the highest attendance wins a prize. I hope that you all have fun. I will not be a the parade but I am hoping to make it later in the day so maybe I will see some of you there.

Have a wonderful 3 day weekend with your family. See you all on Tuesday.

Toni Gaddis

Third Grade News 9-12-14

Dear Parents,

We had a very productive week in class. The kids worked hard writing personal narratives, working on multiplication and division facts for 5s and 2s, and reading a lot.

Homework:

I was very impressed with how well the students did with remembering to do their homework and get it returned. For the few students who were unable to return homework for one reason or another, we discussed as a class how important it is to learn the responsibility of homework, both doing and returning it. We really talked a lot about how learning this now will help them in all their years to come in school- especially middle and high school.

Weather:

It is definitely fall in Colorado, and as they say, “If you don’t like the weather- wait a minute!” Please be sure to send your child to school with clothes appropriate for any weather. We will go out for recess as long as the temperature is above 20 degrees and it isn’t too wet or snowy. I have been encouraging the kids to watch the news in the morning before school for the weather report so they have an idea of how to dress as well. Layers are always best this time of year. Thanks for your help with this.

Snacks:

We have snack each day at 9:30. Please only send healthy snacks- no candy please. Also, another reminder that we cannot have nuts in the classroom. Thanks.

Broomfield Days Parade- Saturday, September 20 at 10 am. The class with the highest attendance marching in the parade will win a prize. Let me know if you have any questions.

Field Trip- Tuesday, September 30. If you haven’t sent in your permission slip and $5 fee, please do so as soon as you can. If you need assistance with the fee, please contact me.

Family Movie Night – Join the Kohl Student Council on Wednesday, September 17^th form 4:00- 6:00 p.m.  They will be watching The Muppets.  Snacks will be available to purchase.  Your child may bring pillows and blankets for sitting on the gym floor.  *All children must be accompanied by an adult at all times.  

Finally, please help your child study their 5s and 2s multiplication and division facts daily. Other classrooms have been using a tool in class called a Learning Wrap Up (http://learningwrapups.com/index.php/wrap-ups/math-wrap-ups/individual-sets.html) You can buy them for $8.99. It’s a fun way for kids to practice their facts by themselves and they are self checking!

Have a great weekend!   

Ms Toni Gaddis

September 5th, 2014

September 5, 2014  

Dear Parents,

Here are a few highlights of our week and reminders of things to come.

Reminders:

Reading Logs: Please be sure to sign your child’s reading log each week and read over it with your child, keeping the Writer’s Checklist at the top of the page in mind. Your child should be writing 2-3 well written sentences using correct capitalization, punctuation, and appropriate spelling on this assignment each night.  Remind them to circle words that they think are misspelled.  We will be adding a copy of the BVSD Third Grade Must Write Words to homework folders.  Students should do their best to spell these words correctly on their reading log.

Mrs. Gaddis’s email changed! Her address is toni.gaddis@bvsd.org

She will be spending the day with us on Wednesday, September 10^th to familiarize herself with our daily routines and expectations.

Website:  Please take some time to visit our classroom website.  There are updates about upcoming events and many helpful educational links. mrsgalt.blogspot.com

FIeld Trip:

Our first field trip will be at the end of this month. You will find a permission slip in the Friday folder. Please sign this and return it along with the $5 fee. If you have difficulty with the fee, please contact me as soon as possible. Thank you.

Classroom Highlights:

Literacy:

We are beginning our unit on personal narratives. For the next several weeks students will be writing personal narratives.  Students will write true stories about things, people, and important events in their lives. You can help your child by talking about what they might be interested in writing about and asking them to remember details of small moments from their lives so they can write powerful narratives in class. During this unit we will also be working on writing complete sentences and using correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling for the final published piece.

We completed our BVSD Must Write Word List assessment this week. Your child will be coming home with a word list in their Friday folder of spelling words to work on throughout the year at home. The checked words are the words they know at this time.  Students will study personal word lists each month in class to learn the words they have not mastered yet.  Our goals if for third graders to have learned to spell the words on this list by the end of the year.

Math:

This week we started our unit on Multiplication and Division. We are currently working on 5s and next week will study 2s. Some ideas to talk about regarding this unit- multiplication is equal groups and repeated addition. Math homework will begin coming home next week. There is a parent letter in the Friday folder from the math program with a brief explanation of the homework and ways you can help your child learn their multiplication tables.

Social Studies:

Our current unit in Social Studies is “What Makes Our Community Diverse?” We have been talking a lot about how we are the same and different in our classroom community, our community of Broomfield, and the world community. We will also continue to work on our RIDE values here at school and work on connecting those values to the way we act outside of school as well. 

Have a wonderful weekend. 

Sincerely,

Mrs. Aisha Galt

August 29th, 2014

August 29, 2014

QUICK REMINDERS:

1. NO SCHOOL ON MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 1ST- LABOR DAY

2. If you haven’t sent in your $8 classroom fee, please do so soon if you can. Thank you!

3. School Pictures are on Thursday, September 4th. Don’t forget to turn in your order form, if you would like pictures.

Dear Parents,

We completed our first full week of third grade! Your children worked hard and did a great job keeping up with the new expectations. Here is a recap of our week and a look at what is coming up in our classroom.

Literacy:

Next week, I will start assessing spelling skills by testing the first 25 words on the BVSD 3rd grade Must Write word list. The list contains 100 words third graders must master by the end of the year. Your child will create a personal spelling list to study at school from the words they misspell on the assessment. I put a link on my website with all 100 words so you can help your child practice these words at home.

Next week, we will also begin a unit on narrative writing.

On Wednesday, Ms. Sbrocca will begin the new reading testing called iReady. This will be done in the computer lab with every child. She expects to use 2 class periods to complete the testing. After the testing is complete I will have an assessment report, which shows me how your child is reading, their strengths, and areas to work on.

Math:

This week, I completed a math screeners for every child. This information gives me a snapshot of where your child is in math.

On Tuesday, we will start our first math unit on Multiplication and Division. Students will begin nightly math homework the week of September 8th. Each student will be assigned a Homework and Remembering book. Math homework will always be due the following day. If your child has trouble with the homework, please write a note on the page and let me know what they need help with so that I can work with them in the classroom. Students who do not return the assignment completed the next day will work during recess to complete the assignment.

Social Studies:

We will begin our first unit in Social Studies on Tuesday, as well. This first unit will be about Diverse Communities and Local Government.

Homework Policy:

Your children did a great job with their first homework assignment, the mystery state. All students returned it completed and were able to have Friday Fun this week. As the homework load increases, I wanted to share with you my policy about homework completion.

Third grade students should be spending no more than 45 minutes total each night on homework. Here is how that might break down: 25 minutes reading log, 20 minutes math and/or mystery state. As a general rule, if your child has worked diligently for this amount of time and is not done and you feel they are beginning to get tired or frustrated, please write a note to me on the homework stating this. It should not become a power struggle or a nightmare experience. Please keep the lines of communication open with me if you are experiencing any issues with homework. I am here to help.

Reading Logs:

This week we completed the Reading log in class so that your child would understand the requirements. Here they are in a nutshell:

· Each third grader is expected to read a Just Right book for 25 minutes per night (total of 100 minutes per week)

· After reading, they are to write 2-3 complete sentences about what they are reading as well as marking their reading time.

· Reading logs will come home on Mondays with the Mystery State and are due on Friday morning.

· Short weeks (like next week)-reading times with be adjusted and students will note that on their logs.

· Each child has an example reading log in their Friday folder this week.

Thank you for hanging in there with me for this rather long update. As the year goes on, I will try to make these shorter.

I hope you all have a fantastic long weekend. Stay safe and I will see you on Tuesday.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Aisha Galt

August 22nd, 2014

August 22, 2014

            

Dear Parents,

We had a great first two days together in third grade!! This is a wonderful group of kids who seem ready and eager to learn.  It was fun to learn about each other through the sharing of the All About Me bags.  Building community is an important part of these first few weeks of school.  This sharing assignment allows us to realize some of our similarities and differences. 

I will be writing newsletters to update you on what’s happening in our classroom, give reminders about upcoming events, and to share any news we might have.  I plan to email the newsletters as well as post them on my website so you will be able to access them at any time during the year if needed.  www.mrsgalt.blogspot.com

Reminders:

If you have not filled out the paperwork in the blue Friday folder and returned it, please do so as soon as possible. Thank you to those who have already sent them back.

Snacks:

Students will have snack everyday in the morning. I do not provide snack so please be sure to send a healthy snack with your child.

Volunteers:

Thank you to the volunteers who signed up at Open House. Your help is greatly appreciated.  Please make sure you have been cleared by BVSD to volunteer before joining us in the classroom.   If you signed up for Book Box reading time, you can start coming the week of September 8^th.   Book box time runs from 12:00-12:30.  We still need a room parent.  This job can be shared!  Please email me if you are willing to take this job.  Thank you!

Homework:

Next week, students will be responsible for completing a mystery state assignment for homework.  This assignment will be given on Monday and is due on Friday.  We will complete a weekly reading log in class next week, so that students have a good model for what is expected on the reading log.  During the week of September 2^nd, students will be assigned a reading log and mystery state for homework.  We will add math homework the week of September 8^th.  Math assignments are given Monday-Thursday and are due the next day. 

Important Dates for Your Calendar:

Monday, September 1- NO SCHOOL- Labor Day

Thursday, September 4- Picture Day

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns. The best way to contact me is by email (aisha.galt-theis@bvsd.org).

Have a wonderful weekend.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Aisha Galt

Welcome to Third Grade

Dear Parents,

Please join us during the Open House on Wednesday, August 20th from 4:00-6:00.  You will have a chance to meet your new teacher and drop off your school supplies before our first day of school on Thursday, August 21st.

Friday, May 9th

Friday, May 9th

Dear Parents,

Wow! I have been blown away by your generosity and kindness this week.  First, with Teacher Appreciation Gifts and then with a surprise baby shower.  The Third Grade Baby Advice book is priceless! I will treasure it for years to come.  The sweet onesies and little diapers reminded of the little baby that will be joining our family in the fall.  It is such an amazing and transformative time. I am truly grateful for your support!  

It is hard to believe that we only have 14 days of school remaining. Over the past few weeks, students have written and published many poems.  We would like to invite you to our poetry reading on Wednesday, May 14th at 9:00 am.  Each student will share two poems aloud.  

We had our third meeting with our 7th grade writing buddies this week.  Students have been very engaged and excited about this project.  On May 21st  at 10:00 am, we will meet our 7th grade writing buddies at Miramonte Park for our Author Celebration.  They will be bringing their books home at the end of that week.

Curriculum Update

• Students will continue to practice spelling, cursive, and writing skills.

• We completed our new math program last week.  We will spend the next few weeks reviewing math concepts that we have studied throughout the year.  Students are now receiving math homework focused on review: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.  May 19th will be our last week for homework. Please continue to support your child with regular math fact practice.  

• We are almost done with our unit on Earth’s Materials. Students learned that rocks are made of minerals and how to use different tools to test for a variety of properties. They also learned about the rock cycle. Next week, we will start a unit about historical fact vs. fiction.

Important Dates to Remember

May 19-May 21 Kohl Spring Book Fair in the Library 7:45-3:30

Tuesday, May 20th 3rd Grade Field Daze 12:30-2:15

• Please have your child remember sunscreen, a water bottle, athletic shoes, and proper clothing for the weather.

Friday, May 22nd Talent Show 1:15-2:30

Monday, May 26th Memorial Day-No School

Friday, May 30th  Last Day of School

• Report cards come home.

Have a wonderful weekend! Happy Mother's Day!

Sincerely,

Mrs. Aisha Galt

Tuesday, March 18th

Tuesday, March 18^th

Dear Parents,

We completed our geometry unit last week and are excited to embark on a final geometry assignment that will be completed at home.  This project provides your child with a creative way to share what they have learned about geometry over the last few months.  Your child is coming home with the geometry project assignment today.  We have gone over the directions in class, and I showed students an example of a completed project.  Students should be familiar with the 26 grade level terms.  I am attaching a glossary of terms as a reference. Projects are due on Monday, April 14^th and will be displayed during the Kohl Learning Fair on Thursday, April 17^th.  Please let me know if you have any questions.

The third grade music program is scheduled for this Thursday, March 20^th from 6:30 to 7:00.  Please have your child ready on the stage by 6:15.  If you have any questions please contact Mr. Owens at antwon.owens@bvsd.org.

Kohl Elementary has been randomly selected to field test the new PARCC test that will take the place of TCAP beginning next year. When we return from spring break, our third graders will take these tests on April 1^st through the 3^rd from 8:30 to 10:00. The tests will cover Reading, Writing, and Math and will give us an opportunity to experience the new test format. 

Here is an excerpt from the PARCC website that explains the purpose of field testing:

In spring 2014, the PARCC Field Test will be administered to over one million students across PARCC states. The PARCC Field Test represents a critical milestone in PARCC’s work toward building assessments for the 2014-15 school year and will give students and local educators the opportunity to experience the administration of PARCC assessments. The Field Test will be conducted in a random selection of schools across PARCC states. The sample of students in the selected schools will represent the demographics of each state and PARCC as a whole. 

On another note, after spring break, our third graders will begin a writing project with BHMS seventh graders in Mrs. Eaman’s language arts classes.  Each seventh grade student will be partnered with a third grader.  The seventh graders will write, illustrate, and publish a book especially for their third grade partner.  Central to the project is the importance of the writing process:  prewriting, writing, revising, editing, publishing, and celebrating.  Our students have thoroughly enjoyed this project in the past, and we are excited to be part of it again.  Participation is an essential element of this project, so please do your best to ensure that your child is at school for our meetings on April 7^th, April 17^th, and April 24^th from 9:00 to 9:30.  There will be a culminating celebration day on May 14^th at 10:00.  This will be a walking field trip to the Miramonte Park.  No parent volunteers are needed.  Permission slips will be sent out at a later date.

Thank you for your continued support. 

I hope that you have a wonderful spring break.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Aisha Galt