Dear Families,
What We Learned This Week
We have finished all of our spelling units for the year. Therefore, there are no spelling words next week. We will be focusing on parts of speech instead, specifically nouns, pronouns, verbs and adjectives.
In Writing, we continued our moustache mysteries last week. They should be posted in the hallway soon. Here are a few more photos of our inspiration.
During math we continued to practice multi digit multiplication using the traditional algorithm. I also introduced long division. Long division is not explicitly in the third grade curriculum, but I find it is one of the most challenging concepts in fourth grade math and this should give your students a leg up next year, if only a comfort level. Long division also gives us an opportunity to explicitly connect multiplication and division.
We had a week full of Science: Science Exchange (see previous post), food webs and butterflies. Our life science unit started this week by assigning students a plant (producers), consumer (predators and prey), and decomposers and having them make a literal web based on their interactions. I've found this is an effective introduction to the interdependence of plants and animals in ecosystems. It's a little more effective on a cooler day than we had though.
We've been observing our chrysalises for the last two weeks. They finally hatched and we had a camping tent full of butterflies. Students entered in pairs and observed the butterflies up close with magnifying glasses and cameras. Here are a few snapshots.
Finally, in Science, students were grouped in teams to build simple mazes with a single exterior light source and were given bean seeds to grow through the mazes. We'll be checking them weekly to see how plants will grow towards light.
Important Dates and Reminders
May 21 - Wish Run
The Windermere Wish Run is Saturday, May 21! You can run the 5K or the one-mile Fun Run. We have a bonus for all participants! Premier at Sawmill Athletic Club is providing one-day pool passes for the day of the race--May 21! The pass entitles you to relax and enjoy their indoor and outdoor heated pools which are open until 11:00 p.m. that day. You can find a registration form for the Wish Run in the Hawk Herald or in the school office or register on-line at http://www.premierraces.com/. Registration and check-in on the day of the race begin at 8 a.m. The 5K run starts at 9 a.m. and the Fun Run begins at 10 a.m. Proceeds from the event go to Pets Without Parents. Learn more about what they do at http://www.petswithoutparents.net/. The first 100 5K participants to check in on race day get a Wish Run T-shirt!
May 24 - Art Field Trip to Columbus Museum of Art and downtown branch of Columbus Metropolitan Library. I have the following volunteers coming: Mrs. Reisman, Mrs. Archer, Mr. Carmichael, Mrs. Howe, Mrs. Porterfield, Mrs. Musser, and Mrs. Luce. Please let me know ASAP if you are unable to come. Thank you in advance for making this a wonderful day full of learning. Please have your students wear comfortable shoes. We will be walking a lot. Please send your student with a paper sack lunch that can be recycled or thrown in the trash.
May 30 - No school, Memorial Day
June 2 - Ukulele Orchestra Performance at 7pm
June 6 - Field Days (think hydration and sunscreen)
June 9 - Last day for students, classroom parties from 12:00 - 1:00
May 30 - No school, Memorial Day
June 2 - Ukulele Orchestra Performance at 7pm
June 6 - Field Days (think hydration and sunscreen)
June 9 - Last day for students, classroom parties from 12:00 - 1:00
