The Buzz
What's Happening in Our Hive
This newsletter is intended to let families know what third graders are working on in class and how third grade classrooms are participating in school-wide events. Please make sure you are still checking your student's red folder every night for important communications from the PTO, school administration, or central office.
This Week in Third Grade
Mathematics- Third-grade students will continue the unit on geometry and measurement called Perimeter, Area, and Polygons. Students will practice measuring length using U.S. standard units (inches, feet, yards) as well as metric units (centimeters, meters). They will investigate the attributes (angles, vertices, sides) of triangles and quadrilaterals. They will synthesize these skills by calculating the perimeter and area of shapes.
Science- Classes in third grade have concluded, or will be concluding shortly, the unit on landforms and bodies of water. We will begin our unit Force and Motion in the coming week. We look forward to a visit from Brickz 4 Kids to help us investigate this content area.
Valentine's Dance
The Claxton Valentine's Day Dance will take place on February 15 from 3:00-4:00. Admission is $3.00 and snacks are sold at the dance. We have admissions tickets and food vouchers for students who need them. There is a place on the permission slip for families to check whether they would like a scholarship or not.
Our dances are a fantastic fundraiser for our overnight field trips in 4th and 5th grades & field trip scholarships for 3rd-grade trips. The dances provide a time for students to socialize, mingle, have some fun and most importantly...be kids! This dance, in particular, serves as a way to celebrate a fun holiday without losing valuable academic time for class celebrations.
Please do send permission slips in before the day of the dance. Please do not send any money in until the day of the dance, the PTO will collect all admissions and snack monies. We cannot allow students to call home for forgotten permission slips or money on the day of the dance. If your child is planning on attending, please be sure you are in the carpool lane to pick them up as soon as the dance is over. There is another event in the gym later in the evening and we will need time to get it cleaned up. If your student is willing to be a "deep-cleaner" after the dance and can stay a few minutes afterward, please let your child's teacher know.
Scholastic Bookfair
The book fair will be open in the Media Center the week of February 12th-16th from 8:30 to 3:00 every day, except on Thursday the 15th. The 15th it will be open until 5:00 during and following the Valentine's Day dance. We will also have an online fair this year meaning books may be purchased directly through the Scholastic website.
The PTO is in need of volunteers to help manage sales and to assist students at the Bookfair. If you are available, please consider signing up to help out. The volunteer sign-up may be found here.
Parent Workshops Start This Week!
Our next workshop will be held on Thursday, February 15 at 6 PM in the Claxton Gym. The topic of the workshop will be Asheville's Hidden Racial History. If you've ever wondered why Merrimon Avenue is called Merrimon Avenue, wondered who exactly Isaac Dickson was, or have ever heard someone say that slavery didn't exist in the mountains, then this workshop is for you! Come take a look at the hidden and not-so-hidden history of the place we call home. Childcare is available to Claxton families and will be provided by some of our awesome teachers. Light refreshments will also be provided.
The remaining workshops in the series are:
- Understanding and Addressing Microaggressions on Thursday, March 1
- Discussion Panel on Talking With Your Kids About Race on Thursday, March 8
The workshops are free of charge and open to the community so bring a friend! While registration is not required, it is encouraged for an accurate headcount. Please see the flyer below or check out the CLX Social Justice League website for more information.
Flu Information
From the school nurse, Amy Alday:
Many flu cases have been reported in our community. Unfortunately, the flu vaccine has only an estimated 10% efficacy this year. So, just a reminder that the best way to protect yourself and your classroom is to encourage good hand washing. Also, wiping down desks and heavily used areas on a daily basis will help kill germs.
Below are some helpful hand washing tips that you can practice at home, school, and work.
Helpful Hand Washing Tips:
- Get your hands wet first, then apply soap
- Wash hands for at least 20 seconds (sing ABCs, Happy Birthday, etc..)
- Wash all areas of hands (between fingers, backs of hands, wrists)
- Turn the water off with a paper towel
- Make sure to dry hands thoroughly (wet hands pick up 10x more germs)
We appreciate you helping to keep our classrooms healthy and safe!
Important Dates
Wednesday, January 31 - Report Cards Go Home
January 30th, 31st and Feb 1- OPEN HOUSE
Thursday, February 1- Parent Workshop #1 Understanding Privilege
Friday, February 2- Regular School Day; Lion King Field Trip
Tuesday, February 6- Parent U Raising a Money-Smart Child
Thursday, February 8-February 15- Claxton Book Fair
Thursday, February 15- Parent Workshop #2 Asheville's Hidden Racial History
Friday, February 16- Bricks for Kidz Force & Motion in-school field trip
Monday, February 19- Regular School Day
Wednesday, February 21- Chinese New Year Lion Dancers
Thursday, February 22- Progress reports issued
Tuesday, February 27- Mix It Up at Lunch Day
Thursday, March 1- SOCON field trip; Parent Workshop #3 Understanding and Addressing Microaggressions
Friday, March 2- Spring Classroom Pictures
The Third Grade Team
Betts Conti annemarie.conti@acsgmail.net
Taylor Fields taylor.fields@acsgmail.net
Holly Gregg holly.gregg@acsgmail.net
Kelly McCarthy kelly.mccarthy@acsgmail.net
Brittany Tyminski brittany.tyminski@acsgmail.net