3rd Grade
Newsletter for January 4, 2018
From the teacher's pen
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Here we go. Typically, the first part of every school year is a review of concepts and skills learned the previous year. Additionally, during the first trimester in 3rd grade I lay down the groundwork and routines that we build upon the rest of the year. Hence, the weekly writing prompts that get students practicing writing skills and ideas daily, the math timings to build schema to learn multiplication and division problem solving later, the meditation logs to encourage personal reflection, and the reading groups, science groups, and math partners to learn how to participate in a learning community. Now the 3rd graders are ready to take ownership of their own learning. This means as a teacher, I can step back and become more of a facilitator in the classroom because the students know how to work independently and as a team to solve problems and answer questions. This independence should also begin to show at home as they complete homework accurately, efficiently, and independently, asking for help only after trying to do their homework first by themselves.
Curriculum Update
- Social Studies - we are creating maps of the landforms, regions, and Native American cultural groups of the continental U.S.A.
- Science - we are exploring force and motion with magnets, marbles, tracking the sun and stories of scientists and their contributions.
- Math - we are continuing subtraction up to 4-digits with and without regrouping. From there we will move into problem solving using bar models. I am also making a huge push to get students fluent with all the multiplication facts 2-12.
- Religion - we are still working through our 2nd Steps Program to learn how to connect well with others, while also learning about sacramentals and features/furniture we would see in the church.
- Writing - we will be conducting a couple of short online research projects and writing up our findings.
Reminders
- Report card envelopes & comment cards - please return these two items only. Sign the envelope please.
- Thursday Envelopes - please send your envelope in. We do not have enough envelopes in the school to get this week's papers home.
- A.R. goal for this trimester is 10 points minimum. Students need to alternate their reading from fiction to non-fiction and back.
- 2nd Trimester prayers - the new list and text will be in your child's homework folder (by next week).
- Passport - look for this month's map in your child's homework folder this week.
Catholic Schools Week
What: A week long celebration of who we are.
When: Sunday, January 28 through Friday, February 2.
How: Fun ways to dress up each day (uniform on Sunday and Friday) and lots of extra-curricular activities.
Who: Events for families and friends to enjoy also.
Upcoming Events:
- First Friday Mass - Friday, January 5, @ 9 am.
- Friday Mass - Friday, January 12, @ 9 am.
- Martin Luther King, Jr. Day - No School - Monday, January 15.
- Catholic Schools Week - Sunday, January 28 through Friday, February 2.
St. Michael Parish School
Email: sneedham@stmikesolympia.org
Website: stmikesolympia.org
Location: 1204 11th Ave. SE, Olympia, WA. 98501
Phone: (360)-754-5131