Happy Friday

Hello, lovely third grade parents!  I am writing to you while your awesome kids are practicing their keyboarding skills in the computer lab!  They are such a great group of kids and I missed them quite a bit this week while I was sick.  I left school on Tuesday at around 12:30 and was in bed for the next two and 1/2 days with a virus...this am I was fever free for 24 hours, so I happily returned, but I admit...I'm not up to par yet.  Hopefully the weekend will help me recover...who am I kidding...5 baseball and softball games in two days...oh well...'tis the season!

I sent detailed plans each day for my subs, so rest assured, a lot was accomplished while I was gone.  One of the things I'm most excited about is the narrative writing pieces your kids are doing!  This week the kids were introduced to "writing groups"...where they sit in threes and listen to each other read their narratives.  Then they were instructed to find TWO things they liked about the story and TWO questions they had...the questions help the author identify the places where more details are necessary...Mrs. Schuch said the kids did a REALLY great job with this.  Today the kids were editing and revising their narratives focusing on the six traits of writing.  Next week they will have one more opportunity to read to their "writing groups" before completing their final draft.  I'm excited to see their completed products.

In Math, we have been focusing on measurement, lines, angles, and triangles over the past two weeks.  The kids will have a quiz sometime next week on all of the information we have been covering...its not really something they need to study for...it will only cover things that have been taught and practiced in class...but this heads up allows you to work with your child a bit before then if you'd like!  Don't forget that there is a link to the right that connects you to our text book where you can find tons of resources!!

One of our Literature Circles has finished their novel!  I continue to be SOOOO impressed with your kids.  One of the ways you can keep track of the job your child is doing in Literature Circles is by checking out their written products as they bring them home...unfortunately, as I type, I think I have seven different sets of papers to grade...this is definitely the place I am being hit the hardest with our "work to contract"...but I will prevail!  Just be patient, please!

In case you missed it...I posted two different movies this past week...our field trip and our outdoor science lesson from two weeks ago...check them out!

ALSO...checklists have taken a back seat and I know many of you are curious how your child is doing...I am going to try REALLY hard to get them out today (however, I need the 11:15 planning time to get math ready today and prepare for Monday)...but I think a few of my friends are definitely "slipping" due to NO checklists, so I really need to get them out.

I hope you have a great weekend with your family...and I look forward to seeing your lovelies on Monday.

DON'T FORGET...keep collecting science fair data...the kids need to show some sort of data collection to me on May 1st!!

ESSL Field Trip

We had such a GREAT time at the ESSL!!  Click on the words "ESSL Field Trip" below to see our trip!

ESSL Field Trip

Erosion and Weathering

A couple weeks ago we had an awesome lesson outside led by Mr. Schartner...here is the movie of all the pictures I took!  Click on the words "Erosion and Weathering" below.

Erosion and Weathering

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!

Dear Parents...

Hello to my favorite parents!

I hope this note finds you well and you are ready to spend 10 days with your awesome kids!!

I'm sure you've heard by now that our teachers' union, FCTA, has initiated a work to contract action with its members beginning today. I want to assure you that your child's instruction will not be impacted by this decision. Your kids will continue to have challenging, thought provoking lessons and assignments...the same quality instruction they have had all along. However, there will be a few things impacted and I just wanted to give you a heads up. I use my weekend time to blog. I spend quite a bit of time with pictures, Animoto, and text. I'm not sure I'll be able to do as thorough a job as I like during this time ahead. Also, I respond to and answer many emails in off hours. This is something I like to do, but will only be able to do during my work day in the upcoming weeks. And last, I really do try to get your kids' work back to them graded as quickly as I can...and that quick turnaround will definitely be affected. My 45 minute planning time will HAVE to be spent planning lessons...in order to make sure instruction is not impacted. There are many days that I leave school between 6 or 7pm...that is NOT a complaint...I happen to LOVE what I do and I like having time to plan, organize, and make sure I'm 100% ready for my week...I will not be doing that, so something will have to give.

I hope you understand that the work to contract is not my idea of the best solution...it is my hope that the work to contract action will be resolved as the BOE and FCTA enter into negotiations. Your support is always appreciated, and I just hope I have yours as I join my colleagues and stand up for something that I am incredibly passionate about...teaching your kids!

I hope you have a fantastic Spring Break and I look forward to seeing your kids on April 10th!!! Can you believe we'll be apart that long?!?!?

Sincerely,
Karen Wills

Happy Weekend!

Hello to my favorite parents...I hope you're being able to stay dry this weekend! Your kids get an extra day this weekend....Monday! They will be at home while I'm at school working on third quarter report cards...WHERE HAS TIME GONE!?!? We still have SOOOO much to do!!

This Tuesday your child will be bringing home the argument/opinion piece that she/he wrote. Please review the rubric, the grade, and the comments...then sign the pink sheet and return the entire packet, please. This piece goes into their portfolio. I'm very excited for you to see these pieces. So many of the kids have made great strides in their writing this year!

We will now work on our last "formal" piece of the year...a narrative. I am looking forward to once again, seeing the creativity of your kids come alive on paper.

We have entered the world of DECIMALS in math...this past week we explored the relationship between fractions and decimals and even dabbled a little in percentages! We will continue with decimals this week and we will take the Quarter 3 post test at the end of the week. I am adding a link on the website side of the blog that has great resources in math...if your child is having difficulty on a particular subject or if they just want to hone their skills, the publisher of our textbook has a fantastic website. I showed it to the kids on Friday, so they may be on the lookout for it...it's titled "Houghton Mifflin Math."

Boy, did we have fun experimenting with the mystery powders!! During this science unit of "Chemical Tests" we used all the processes of science to cover many curriculum indicators...all the while having a ton of fun. The "big reveal" was this past week...and by the time we had concluded with our tests, the kids had all but one of the powders figured out!! After reading an article to gather some more information, the kids found that alum was the powder they weren't familiar with...so it was the last mystery to solve! We are "rolling" right into our next science unit (pun intended)..."Rocks, Soil and Fossils." We spent Thursday and Friday building compost piles for our red worms that arrive sometime this coming week...we talked about the items that can be put in a compost pile, the items that shouldn't be put in the pile, and the benefits of composting. We also learned the term "vermicomposting" which means using worms as decomposers in your compost pile. This is another fun unit that the kids will enjoy!

And our Literature Circles are going SOOOO well...as I told the kids yesterday, right now about 85% of the class is completely engaged in the Literature Circle discussions...those kids are gaining SO much meaning from their discussions. Unfortunately, I can only model and encourage great literature circle participation...it is up to each child to take advantage of the rich discourse that is being shared each time they meet. I wish you could hear some of these conversations...it is like being in a room full of high school students...I have to remind myself they are eight and nine years old!! This coming week, the kids will be completing Reading Responses, as well as answering questions to check their comprehension of what they are reading. I rotate between the literature circles and can tell that most kids fully comprehend what they are reading...and I work with those who seem to be having some difficulty. Ask your child about the book he/she is reading...they have read 6-7 chapters at this point and should be able to give you a good idea about what the book is about!

I hope you all have a great weekend...below is some information about the Maryland Summer Centers offered by the Maryland State Department of Education...there is a link with more info if you're interested. Tell your kids I'll see them Tuesday...enjoy tomorrow!

MARYLAND SUMMER CENTERS

for Gifted and Talented Students

Continuing a tradition of excellence for forty-five years, the Maryland Summer Centers engage gifted and talented students entering Grades 4-12 in unique summer programs. Centers located across the State offer one- to three- week residential and nonresidential programs with a focus on the arts, sciences, technology, engineering, and world languages.

Please consult the Maryland State Department of Education website www.marylandpublicschools.org/summercenters for more detailed descriptions of the Centers and application forms.

The deadline for applications is April 15. Directors will accept applications after April 15 until the Center enrollment is filled.

Hip Hip Hooray...we're done with MSA!!

Make sure to see this post AND the previous post that were both put on the blog today!

This post will be short and "sweet"...pun intended...

Well...pat your kid on the back...he/she worked really hard this week and you should be very proud!

Now...pat yourself on the back...our class had NO absences or tardiness during the whole week of testing...WAHOO!!

Four mornings this week we spent testing...in the afternoons and on Wednesday we kept very busy...here is how our week went down...

Language Arts...we are in the publishing stages for our Opinion/Argument pieces. They will be published this coming week...this past week we peer conferenced, revised, and edited!

We had two different Literature Circles this week...and I'm pleased to say, most of the kids are really taking part in their literature circles and gaining quite a bit of knowledge. It takes a lot of modeling and discussing in order for the kids to truly see the benefits of the groups...but I meet with all of them, and I have been very impressed!

In Word Study we will continue to focus on Greek and Latin roots.

Math...we are headed into decimals...tying up fractions...although the two are quite intertwined...

Science...we have completed the iodine test, the vinegar test, water filtration test, and the water soluability test...we have the cabbage juice and heat tests left and will be finished mid-week...and then we "roll" right into the Rocks, Soil and Fossils unit!

And now...a few words about PI...I mean PIE...

WOW...ask and you SHALL receive...I can't get over how many pies we had...what a feast! The kids loved eating their favorites and trying some they'd never had before! Thank you to all of the bakers...your homemade treats were YUMMY! Thank you to everyone who purchased a pie...they were DELICIOUS!

We read two chapters from our novels and ate pie on Friday afternoon...it was a great way to unwind from a week of testing! Take a look at ALL of the pies!!