Happy Friday

Hello! We've had a great week back! Here is the quick run down...I took A LOT of pix this week, but will probably not get them loaded...eventually I will...sorry!

Language Arts...some of our Literature Circles are like adult book clubs...they are SO fun to listen to...I am very impressed with the comprehension level of many of the kids. It has matured a lot. We will continue with these novels next week. I have also given some comprehension questions to check comprehension and we've done some reading responses. The time to check all of this work is where I'm finding the "work to contract" so difficult. I spend every extra minute in the school day preparing the lessons and the papers are piling up quickly. I will see what next week holds and see if I can be an even better manager of my time.

We are beginning a narrative writing piece...this week the genre of writing was introduced and we will be delving into that more heavily next week.

Math...one of the kids asked if we were done with decimals...on the same day our warm up problem was, "Mrs. Wills is 62.3 inches tall." What is wrong with this statement? This was one of my most favorite warm up problems this year! To hear them discussing all the reasons why this might not be possible, and then to finally realize that inches CANNOT be divided evenly into TENTHS...it was a great lesson. We worked with inches and centimeters this week...so yes, we are still working with decimals since something that measures 324 millimeters is the same as 32.4 centimeters! We worked with measuring to the nearest 1/4 inch...as a matter of fact...your kids are on the computers right now using an Active Inspire flipchart and measuring with an online ruler...they are working cooperatively and loving it! This measurement unit continues next week with measuring weight and capacity!

Science...I feel like Science was the focus this week...we had great lessons sorting and classifying rocks and minerals...discovering the difference between the two, learning about MOH's Hardness Scale for minerals and how luster, color, streak, and , and then moving on to the subject of erosion...we did a fantastic experiment that helps us know how physical weathering affects earth surfaces...this is where I took most of my pictures...Mr. Schartner led this lesson outside for all third graders...it was awesome! This afternoon we are being treated to a special program brought to us by the PTA...all about SCIENCE!!

Speaking of Science...each third grade magnet student is required to do a Science Fair project. Your child is coming home today with a large packet that walks them through the process. Mrs. Maenner and I will be working with the kids on each part explaining what is expected. What is YOUR job? Talk with your child about what topics interest him/her. Google some science fair experiment topics and see if one grabs your child's attention. My students MUST do an EXPERIMENT BASED project. Please take time to read through the info with your child. On Monday we will be discussing lots of different topic choices, and on Tuesday, your child's school application should be turned in. If you have any questions, feel free to email me and I will return your email during the school day.

Thanks for all of the kind emails you sent showing your support of our effort. I know there is a lot of controversy out there when it comes to this decision. Just know that your child's day is not being impacted AT ALL.

Have a wonderful weekend!