Week of November 16

 This week was chilly at times, but fun nonetheless. We continued our introduction to multiplication, playing Loops and Groups, and building more array models. Students have been completing various models in their calendar journals each morning and be sure to check out Seesaw, as they completed a digital version of this on Friday. In writing, students have continued to build their understanding of writing a strong paragraph, organizing their thoughts, and adding lots of detail to make their writing come to life. We have also been reinforcing the importance of proper use of capitals, punctuation, and spelling rules. While in the woods this week, we were running low on firewood. We went in search of wood throughout the forest and we were able to collect plenty. Students are recognizing the important types of wood needed to make a proper fire, and many are recreating their own make-believe fires. It's wonderful to see them apply their knowledge. 

At the end of the week, we voted on a class celebration because we have earned over 5,000 otter points. They were very excited about this accomplishment. On Tuesday, following COVID safety guidelines, students will be able to roast and build their own s'mores over our outdoor classroom campfire! Students are also allowed to bring in a toy to play with. As always, these toys must be school-appropriate, without batteries, and be able to fit within the student's backpack. The students are responsible for their belongings and will not be allowed to share. We have already discussed the responsibility this will require of them, hopefully, nothing gets lost. 

Here are some questions to spark conversation:

-What changes did you notice in the brook this week?

-What is your favorite part about being outside?

-What is a climate? Tell me about the different ones we have on our planet.

-Ask your child to play Loops & Groups with you. All you need is a pair of dice and paper. *cups and noodles for counting are a bonus!

-What did you write about in your journal this week?

-What candy did you add to the gingerbread house?

Week of November 9

 This week we accomplished many things. We continued to learn within our reading groups. Students are learning about character motivation, plot, making predictions, and learning from the text. One reading group has been working on their book research. They will be presenting their findings to the class soon. During math, we closed out Unit 1, focusing on addition and subtraction strategies, and have moved into Unit 2: Introduction to Multiplication. We are using the array model to discuss multiplication. Many students have done well with the introduction, as they get to build their models to show their thinking. We ended the week with a fun picture day at school. Everyone looks so wonderful in their outfits! I cannot wait to see the final results. We hope to get those pictures out to families by Thanksgiving break. On Friday, we spent much of the day inside and focused our attention on science. Students are learning about weather patterns, the different kinds of clouds, and what climates are located around the world. One last thing, please be sure your child is practicing their spelling words each night and reading for at least 20 minutes. These are both very important habits for third-graders to get into and with practice, both will become much easier. You can always check-in with me if you need support in either of these areas. 

Here are some questions to spark conversation:

-What is the difference between a stratus cloud and a cumulus cloud?

-How are clouds formed?

-Can you draw me a 3 by 4 array? What is the area and how do you know?

-What is a paragraph? What is an introduction?

-What changes have you noticed in the woods this week?

-What poem are you working on this month?

Making music on the blacktop with Miss Dale in Music class this week

We were able to raise our tarp last weekend! We certainly have enjoyed the increased about of headspace. 

We have been focusing on a new poem this month. Be sure to ask your kiddo about it

Adding illustrations to match the words of the poem, allowing the words to come to life

A few students have been hard at work, building a new fort this week. 

Building arrays to represent our multiplication problems

Recording climate around the world