Room 120
What We Learned This Week
I introduced nouns with a fun game. We also distinguished between common and proper nouns.
The third grade team attended training for Fundations on Wednesday. This word study program replaces our previous program, Words Their Way. I will continue to use the Developmental Spelling Assessment to measure student growth as I believe it is a great tool. We will be supported this year by Kerry Jackson, Orton Gillingham teacher and district instructional leader. Our word study is very different from the old model of simply memorizing words. We will learn syllable types, mark them, and emphasize word construction using a multi-sensory approach.
Reading
We practiced identifying the 5W's (who, what, when, where, and why) in a reading passage and forming main ideas.
We began identifying the main idea in short passages, a priority standard in third grade.
I also introduced using Venn diagrams to compare and contrast subjects in a single text. We will use Venn diagrams later in the year to compare and contrast multiple texts.
We continued reading The Wild Robot by Peter Brown. This engaging book provides great opportunities to model reading with expression and comprehension skills.
Writing
We will have pen pals from Oman this year. I love letter writing for young authors. Letters are a great way to introduce the concept of paragraphs for writing and reading. After modeling a brief letter for the class, I asked them to write me a multiple paragraph letter that shares some things they want me to know about them. This is a very slow process as we learn to indent and follow convention, but it will pay off later. We will also learn about other countries and cultures.
Math
Most students have not mastered addition and subtraction facts, a second grade standard. Please practice these at home using whatever strategy you are comfortable with (fact strategies, flash cards, addition/subtraction tables, etc.). I will continue to use fact strategies. I have introduced the following strategies:
Zero More (e.g., 3 + 0)
One More (e.g., 9 +1)
Two More (e.g., 6 +2)
Students should recognize the numerals 0, 1, or 2 in a fact and remember to begin with the larger number and simply add on. These strategies are intended to "prime the pump" and activate the brain to recall fact sums from memory.
Many students are dependent on finger counting.
Fact mastery (defined as three seconds per single digit operations) is a priority in third grade and students are expected to master their addition and subtraction facts by the end of second grade. Fact mastery enables students to focus on operations and authentic problem comprehension, rather than getting bogged down with single operations. A student who is proficient with their facts is like a proficient reader who can attend to the larger message of a sentence, or passage, rather than spending their energy decoding individual words.
We practiced writing three digit numbers to the hundreds place in standard, written and expanded form as well as naming each place's value by its two names. For example, in the number 547, the hundreds place's value is both five hundred or five one hundreds. The tens place's value is forty or four tens and the ones place's value is seven or seven ones. This language is very important for students growth and development as mathematicians.
I also ask students to tell me how many many ones, tens, and hundreds are in a three digit number. This is different than asking the value in the ones, tens, and hundreds places. For example, in the number 547, there are five hundreds, fifty-four tens, and five hundred forty-seven ones. I use money to try to help students visualize this and we build them with base ten blocks to give them a concrete experience.
To further develop our understanding of numeracy, we also added and subtracted ones, tens and hundreds from three digit numbers.
Science
Students had an amazing opportunity to view our partial eclipse. The clouds parted just enough for us to see multiple stages of the eclipse. Thank you Windermere PTO and Mrs. Nolan for funding this memorable science experience!
Important Dates and Reminders
I will highlight changes and new dates in red.
30 New Parent Breakfast Orientation, 9 a.m. MP Room
30 Parent Information/Curriculum Night grades 1-5 (parents only please). Please meet in the art room (Room 128) from 7:00 - 7:45pm. Note the date change. If you are unable to attend, please click on this link to see Superintendent Paul Imhoff's message.
September 2017
September 2017
1 Windermere Way Day! Please send your student with their Windermere Hawk shirt, athletic shoes and clothing, sunscreen already applied, and a large water bottle. Students may also wear hats.
3 Golden Bear Bash
4 No School Staff/Students: Labor Day
13 PTO General Mtg at 7:00 pm in the lounge
13 Walking Wednesday
14 Field Trip 9am-11am Thompson Park Tree Trek. Please email if you can chaperone.
14 Field Trip 9am-11am Thompson Park Tree Trek. Please email if you can chaperone.
20 Walking Wednesday
21 Fall School Pictures
25 Book Fair Week
27 Early Release 1:00
27 Walking Wednesday
29 Fall Family Fun Night 5:30-7:30 p.m.
October 2017
October 2017
TBD Third Grade Reading AIR Testing
4 Walking Wednesday
11 Walking Wednesday
9-13 Collection Days for “Box Tops for Education”
16 No School for Students: Work Day/PT Conference Day
16 Parent Teacher Conferences 12:20 - 7pm
18 Walking Wednesday
19 Parent Teacher Conferences 3:20 - 7pm
20 Fall Picture Retake
20 Field Trip 9am-11am Thompson Park Tree Trek. Please email if you can chaperone.
20 Field Trip 9am-11am Thompson Park Tree Trek. Please email if you can chaperone.
25 Walking Wednesday
26 Early Dismissal at 11:05
27 Halloween Parties & School wide Parade starting at 1:30 pm
31 Beggar’s Night 5:30-8 p.m. in UA
November 2017
November 2017
1 Walking Wednesday
6 End of First Trimester
7 No School for Students: Faculty In-service Day
8 Walking Wednesday
15 Walking Wednesday
21 Progress Reports go Home
21 Scarlet and Gray School Spirit Day
22-24 Thanksgiving Holiday
December 2017
December 2017
21 Holiday Parties 2:00 pm
December 22-January 4 Winter Break
January 2018
January 2018
5 No School for Students: Teacher Workday/PD Day
8 School Resumes
15 No School for Staff or Students: Martin Luther King’s Birthday
18 PT Conferences grade 1-5 (students are dismissed at 11:05)
February 2018
February 2018
5 State of the Schools at UAHS 5-8 p.m.
5-9 Collection Days for “Box Tops for Education”
8 Third Grade Musical
11-14 Ohio Wildlife Center donation drive
14 Ohio Wildlife Center
8 Third Grade Musical
11-14 Ohio Wildlife Center donation drive
14 Ohio Wildlife Center
19 No School Staff or Students: Presidents’ Day
28 Early Release 1:00 (NO LIFT)
March 2018
March 2018
5 Spring Pictures
9 End of Second Trimester
9 Invention Convention 10-10:30am in the Multipurpose Room/Cafeteria
9 Invention Convention 10-10:30am in the Multipurpose Room/Cafeteria
12-16 Spring Break
19 No School for Students: Teacher Grading Day
27 Progress Reports go Home
30 Good Friday: No School for Students or Staff
April 2018
April 2018
4 Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon at Windermere 11-12 in lounge
May 2018
May 2018
April 30-May 4 Scholastic Book Fair
4 KidFest, 5-8 p.m.
8 NO School for students or certified staff - Ohio Primary Elections
21 Field Day
28 No School Staff: Memorial Day
30 Last Day for Students
30 End of third trimester
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