The Bond Brief
September 19, 2014
Happy Friday!
- Do you have beaches?
- Do you have palm trees?
- Does your state touch an ocean?
- Are you in the west?
- Does your state border a Great Lake?
- Do you have mountains?
- Do you have tall buildings near you?
- Is it really how where you live?
- Are there shells at your beaches?
- Is it cold there?
Today Is Talk Like a Pirate Day!
We will talk more about this on Monday in class and practice, but I thought I would give you a heads up. We will begin formally the following Monday!
The Week In Review
Writing: I really wanted to be able to have at least 1 personal narrative published by today, but the Chromebooks took much more time than anticipated to get aclimated with, and we are going to focus on that next week. Each Michigan Kid of the Week will get to have a book written to them with special letters from each classmate. We used the Chromebooks to create our first letters, and I will be printing them off for the star.
Word Study: We kicked off word study this week. We are going to have 2 practice weeks, and they we will officially begin on Sort 3. Today the kids took practice tests using the Sort 1 words. Each week the kids will glue in the words to their assignment notebook for practice. On Thursdays, the kids will bring home their words glued onto a sorting mat.
Science: Slope races were the theme of Monday's science. The children were able to see how slope impacts the speed of water. Water always flows downhill and seeks the lowest levels. We read from our science book today and discussed flooding, drainage ditches, drains in basements, and rivers. In addition, we created our own thermometers using glass bottles, rubber bottle stoppers, straws, and green water. Next week the kids will learn how water behaves with different temperatures.
Math: This week we focused on addition and subtraction story problems with a focus on identifying the key words or phrases that help let us know whether we should add or subtract. In addition, we also focused on drawing the hands on clocks. This was a beginning skill for the majority of the class and something that would be beneficial to work on at home. In third grade students should be able to draw the hour hand correctly...showing that it moves forward as the hour moves on. I put an interactive clock on our Edmodo page to have the kids practice.
Speaking of practice, we are trying to master our addition facts! A majority of the class has improved since the first week of school, but we are still a ways away from mastery. We had 5 students who earned secure ratings (26 or more correct in 90 seconds.) Congrats Sara, Vince, Zach, Caeden, and Ethan!
Edmodo: We took a couple Edmodo Snapshots this week. Some students did not get a chance to complete both of them. The Snapshots are quick assessments that are aligned with the Common Core that help me check in with certain concepts. I believe you can see the results of their Snapshots when you sign into their account.
Chromebooks: We were able to practice our math facts using Math Magician, write Lavena a letter using Google Docs, take our Edmodo Snapshots, read books digitally, practice our word study words and take a practice test, and problem solve using these wonderful digital tools! They are going to be a wonderful addition to Team Third Grade!
Looking Ahead:
The Global Cardboard Challenge is Oct. 11. We will be celebrating this on Thursday and Friday, Oct. 9-10. If you have access to cardboard, it would be great if you could bring in cardboard on the 9th. If you have cardboard at home, you can start putting it aside. I have already started collecting cereal boxes, toilet paper tubes, and more at my home. Do not bring the cardboard in until Thursday, October 9.
The Fall Fest was moved to Friday, October 10. The forms went home yesterday for the Fun Run and the Fun Fest. We had an assembly to highlight this wonderful way to raise money for the PTA. Because of the PTA support each class at Glengary has new electric pencil sharpeners that are awesome! I also have several things in my classroom because of the PTA support. My easel, a class set of headphones, a projector and document camera, and books that go along with some of our reading and writing lessons! I hope that all of you are able to participate in some way!