Science Test Friday

Students are coming home with a study guide in their science binders today. Please review the guide tonight and tomorrow with your child. We spent today filling it out in groups and went over as a class. We will review tomorrow in class as well. Friday is the unit test. Thank you and have a nice evening.

January 22, 2015 Newsletter

ELA:

Students are finishing up their mystery book club books. They have enjoyed having discussions about the mystery, detectives, suspects, clues, red herrings and finally solving the mystery. Some students are creating posters to advertise their mystery book.  We will continue learning about parts of poems and practice reading poetry with fluency and expression. We will create a class Voice Thread to record their readings.

As we wrap up these activities we will begin exploring biographies. Students will read be able to identify text structure within informational text such as sequence, comparison, cause and effect.

In writing students will be planning a mystery using the “ingredients” of good mysteries we’ve discussed in class.

Math:

The students begin our unit on fractions next week. This is a very important unit in third grade as 20-25% of the EOG questions are on fractions. We will be covering fractions as a whole partitioned into equal parts, fractions on a number line and equivalent fractions. Please look over the homework your child brings home, to stay abreast of the skills we are working on.

We will continue to give multiplication fact quizzes on Tuesday and Thursday. Please continue to drill these facts with your child.

Continue to use TenMarks math program at home. The students are strongly encouraged to use this program weekly to help retain mastery of skills taught earlier this year. This will also help review for the EOG’s in May. We continue adding assignments to cover previously taught material.     

Science:

Both classes are learning about changes in matter. Hopefully they are discussing our experiments in class with you at home. They have come up with some great questions and connections about how matter changes. Students are keeping a notebook in which they record their predictions, observations and conclusions for each experience. We will be wrapping up this unit in the next two weeks.

Social Studies:

Second half of the quarter we will be learning about the three regions of North Carolina and their landforms.

Important Dates:

Jan. 28 - Math Information Night 6:00

Feb. 4 - Interims go home

Feb. 12 - Science and Math Extravaganza 5:30

Feb. 13 - Early Release 1:15

Feb. 17- NY Pizza & Moonlight Swirl Spirit Night

Class Reward Friday Afternoon

To celebrate improvement for each student on our quarter 2 Math Case 21 scores, students are allowed to bring in a board game of their choice to play on Friday afternoon. Each student set a goal to strive for after our quarter 1 scores were reviewed. They worked hard and each student raised their score! Way to go 3rd graders!

Common Core Informational Math Night

Please see below from Mrs. Peluso-Flemming:

On Wednesday, January 28, 2015 from 6-7 PM we'll be hosting a Common Core Information Night here at Brassfield. We are pleased to announce that childcare will be provided by A.E. Finley YMCA, so you don't even have to get a babysitter. Make it a date night! (How much more romantic can you get than this? I mean, REALLY). 

We are asking that participants let us know that they are coming so that we can be sure to have seating available and enough space to make you all comfortable. We'll be able to gather this information via a quick and easy survey we'd like you to fill out so that we have a little background on your relationship with mathematics and with the Common Core curriculum. Please take a few moments to visit http://www.socrative.com/ and log in as a student to room e0f9bb19. Note that the 0 is a ZERO, not the letter "o."

If more than one member of your household plans to come, please have each individual complete the survey. Thanks! 

January 7, 2015 Newsletter

Reading:

Welcome 2015! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season with you families. It was really nice to have long break after a busy fall.

We will be exploring mysteries and learning vocabulary associated with mysteries such as; red herring, suspect, witness and sleuth. Students will be reading mysteries in book clubs the next few weeks and be meeting to discuss characters, answer questions and make inferences about their reading. They will be graded on their ability to participate actively in discussions and take notes about their reading and understanding of the text.

In writing we will be working on realistic fiction where students will be writing a mystery of their own. I was very impressed with their opinion writing last quarter and I look forward to reading some great mysteries.

Math:

In math the students will continue solving real world problems using area and perimeter. We will continue to give multiplication fact quizzes on Tuesday and Thursday. Please continue to drill these facts with your child. Later this quarter we will begin our unit on fractions.

We have sent home log in information for the math program TenMarks in the students homework folders, on 1/7/15. The students are strongly encouraged to use this program weekly to help retain mastery of skills taught earlier this year. This will also help review for the EOG’s in May. We continue adding assignments to cover previously taught material.     

Science:

Both classes will be be beginning a unit on Changes in Matter (solids, liquids, gases). Mrs. Masteller and Mrs. Emerson will be co-teaching this unit in Mrs. Emerson’s very large room. We are looking forward to the hands on experiments that this unit provides. It is important to note that there are many experiments and if students are dismissed early or absent they cannot be made up.

Social Studies:

Second half of the quarter we will be learning about the three regions of North Carolina and their landforms.

Important Dates:

Jan. 13 - 3-5 Spelling Bee 9:30

Jan. 14 - Spirit Night Chick-Fil-A @ Six Forks

Jan. 28 - Math Information Night 6:00

Feb. 4 - Interims go home

Feb. 12 - Science and Math Extravaganza 5:30

Feb. 13 - Early Release 1:15