September 23, 2016

Dear Parents,

Today in Friday folders you will find a permission slip for our first field trip. We will be going to see "Cinderella" at the Boulder Dinner Theater, as part of our unit on writing adapted fairy tales. Please return the permission slip and fee of $10 ($7 for the show and $3 to help with the bus cost) as soon as possible. This is a short trip so we will not need any parent volunteers for this one. Sorry. 

Our first math test will be next week, probably on Wednesday. Please make sure your child practices their multiplication/division facts for 0,1,2,3,4,5,9, and 10s. The test will cover word problems using these facts, as well as straight computation, multiplying using arrays, breaking up arrays into two smaller rectangles and solving for the larger rectangle, and using multiplication to find answers to division problems.

Finally, Jogathon collection envelopes are coming home today in Friday folders. The Jogathon is next Friday, September 30 from 9:45-10:20. This is one of our biggest fundraisers so please help your child call friends and family for donations/pledges. Also, if anyone has names of businesses to turn in, we will send letters written by our students to those businesses to get donations. So far, only two families has returned their address labels for this. 

Have a great weekend. 

Aisha Galt

September 16, 2016

Dear Parents,

It's been a great week again in third grade!

We would like to thank JK Hill, our special guest author and father of Joel in Mr. Greenwald's room, for reading to us from his book, "Freddy's Firecracker Fiasco." The kids loved the book! If you are interested in ordering a copy for home, you can go to jkhill.webs.com.

Literacy

This week during literacy we continued working on Personal Narratives. Most students have written a few small moment personal narratives.  Next week, students will revise, edit, and publish one of their narratives. Our next writing unit is Adapted Fairytales. In this unit, students will read and hear many fairy tales, both the classic and adapted versions. Then they will be writing their own adapted fairy tales. This is a fun unit and the kids get very creative with their writing. As a way to celebrate our writing, we will be going on a field trip to Boulder's Dinner Theater on October 14th  to see their version of "Cinderella." More information will come on this as we get closer.

Math

This week we continued to work on multiplication and division. Your child has now been introduced to the multiplications/divisions for 2, 3, 4, 5, 9, 10. Please continue to encourage your child to spend 5 minutes a day practicing these facts. Our expectation is that our third graders will be fluent with all the facts through 10s by the end of this year. The more practice, the easier it gets.

Social Studies

We have been working on a unit about our community. This week we talked about who works in a community and the difference between public and private services. The kids even had a chance to think and write about what job they might be interested in when they grow up. Next week, we will be exploring who works at City Hall and talking a little about how the government works in a local setting.

Homework

Please be sure to check your child’s weekly homework each night. I have noticed that the Dictado sentences are not being carefully written with correct spelling, punctuation, and capitalization. This shows in their Dictado quizzes on Friday’s. Please also remember to sign the reading log. Thank you for your help with this.

All of the 3rd-graders completed the pre-assessment work for the writing assessment, which will take place on Monday, September 19th. This is the assessment day that you all signed up for. Your child will need to come to school for that one hour (8:30-9:30 or 9:45-10:45) to complete the writing portion of the assessment.  Please drop off and pick up your child in front of the school. Thank you!

The assigned assessments times are below.

Session 1-8:30-9:30: Savannah, Zach, Caleb, Annie, Taylor H., Kaylar, Rileigh, Eric, Dorian, Carter, Lyzelle, Joaquin, Beth, Zac, Andres

Session 2-9:45-10:45:  Lizzie, Lily, Allen, Ceclia, Taylor D., Keira, Hailey, Elijah, Marcel, Miles, Jack, Kaylee

Important Dates:

Monday, September 19- Assessment Day

Monday, September 19- iPie day- Yum!!

Sincerely,

Aisha Galt

September 2, 2016

Dear Parents,

It has been a good week in third grade!  Students are learning our classroom structures quickly and seem motivated to do their best work. 

Thank you to those of you who have had a chance to pay our $8 third grade fee.  This money is used for project supplies and supplemental reading materials.  If you have not had a chance to turn this money in, please send it to school with your child as soon as possible.  You can also drop it off at the front office.  Thank you! 

We are excited to have a Chromebook cart for the third grade this year!  30 new Chromebooks will greatly improve our access to technology and ability to have all students use computers as learning tool on a regular basis.  Students are encouraged to bring a pair of earbuds or earphones to school.  They will keep them in their desk for the school year.

Important Calendar Dates:

1. Monday, September 5th- NO SCHOOL- Labor Day

2. Individual Picture Day-Thursday, September 8^rd Please turn in your order form, if you would like pictures.

3. Monday, September 19^th Assessment Day- Please see details below

Homework:

Official homework started this week. Here is the information again about when homework is due and how to know what the homework is each day. 

On Monday your child will bring home a reading log/Dictado practice and a Mystery State. This is weekly homework and is due on Friday. Your child should create a plan at home to complete this part of homework during the week.

On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday we will have math homework. This usually comes home in their purple math homework book. Each assigned page will have the day's date at the top and the assigned problems to complete. Some children have also decided to put a sticky note on the page to help them find the assignment easily at home. 

If your child misses some homework, they will bring home a pink slip as a reminder to you and them to complete and return the homework the next day. Please sign the pink slip and make sure they return with their completed assignments the next school day. 

Assessments:

I completed the math screeners with each child this week. We are also done with the iReady reading assessment. I will be sharing results of both assessments during parent/teacher conferences in October.

ASSESSMENT DAY- Monday, September 19th

Third grade will be using the assessment day on September 19th to complete the beginning of the year writing assessment. Please be sure to have your child here the Friday before (Sept. 16) and that Monday for the assessment. This is critical time for us to be able to see your child's writing development so far and to plan instruction for the year. We will be offering two time periods for your child to come on September 19th. You will drop your child off and pick them up at the front of the school.  Please plan for them to be here for the full hour. Thank you!

Please choose one and let me know which session your child will attend. You can respond to me via email or a note.  Thank you!  

Session 1- 8:30-9:30

Session 2- 9:45-10:45

Have a fun and safe three day weekend. See you on Tuesday!

Sincerely,

Mrs. Aisha Galt