Happy Long Weekend!!

We had a wonderful week...here's how it went down....

Math

This week we focused on finding averages. We decided to find out what the average third grader was like in our classroom. We collected data, organized the data, and analyzed the data. We found the mode of our favorite school subjects and food, we also found the mode of hair color, eye color, and gender. When it came to height we worked with calculating the mean. We also calculated the mean number of letters in our names in order to name our average third grader. In order to do this...your third graders were dividing with two digit divisors!! We found calculators to be wonderful tools to practice these skills while keeping the frustration levels low!! The kids are so excited to learn to divide with one and two digit divisors later this year! We also found the median and range when using our numerical data...the kids were so happy punching all the data into their calculators!!

Today was the big reveal...you see, Ms. Maenner's class was also working on their average third grader...and until today all the results were secret.

This afternoon we introduced Ms. Maenner's class to VIOLET. She is our black haired, brown eyed, science loving, pizza eating, 53 inch girl! Take a look...she's the one on the far right!

Then we met...the Enigma twins...Ms. Maenner's class' black haired, brown eyed, pasta eating, science loving, 54 inch boy and girl!! They have exactly the same number of boys and girls in their class, so they made twins!

The kids seemed to really enjoy this project while learning all about finding averages!

Language Arts

This week we were involved in the Before Reading Strategies...preview, purpose, and plan. We read Mr. Peabody's Apples by Madonna and I modeled how to write a Reading Response. The kids will write Reading Responses often during the year while reading different literature selections. The kids worked cooperatively with a stack of books...they had to discern which were fiction and non-fiction by checking out the different features found in the books.

I also read The Important Book by Margaret Wise Brown this week, and then the kids wrote poems about themselves...based on the structure of the book. We took our rough drafts to the Computer Lab and used Power Point to publish our work. I have put each student's slide into a class power point and this will be scrolling Tuesday evening at Back to School Night...you can look forward to seeing it then!

Social Studies

This week we dove into some geography when dealing with our community...we started with the big picture...our world...we discussed continents, oceans, equator, Prime Meridian, hemispheres, the compass rose, cardinal directions, intermediate directions, legends...we are going to take a detour from the geography and head into how people can change the community and local and state government...just in time for the primary elections!!

SUNNY D and SCHOLASTIC BOOKS

First of all...the form I sent home Thursday afternoon about Sunny D was really the form the teacher is supposed to fill out after we collect the labels...so please disregard the 8 and 1/2 by 11 inch sheet of paper about Sunny D. Today I sent home a 1/2 sheet explaining what labels can be brought in for this contest. This is not required...its just an extra, easy way to gain more books for the classroom.

Ms. Lizik is planning to send each of you an email with the directions on how to order Scholastic books on-line. Again, this is not at all required...just an opportunity to buy books at a reasonable price! Look for this email soon!

IMPORTANT DATES

Tuesday, September 7th – Back to school Night 7-8pm
Thursday, September 9th – Schools Closed
Tuesday, September 14th - Schools Closed
Friday, September 24th - Schools Closed/Teacher Work Day

I hope you and your families have a wonderful three day weekend...if you ever have any questions or concerns, don't hesitate to contact me...

karen.wills@fcps.org