October 31, 2011

3rd Grade Notes

Be His Hands!

There will be no homework today, October 31. Enjoy the evening trick or treating and having fun with family and friendsJ.

In Religion we have been learning the words to the Apostles’ Creed. As we begin to memorize one line each day, we are discussing what it means and how this is a fundamental piece of our faith.                                           We have been praying a decade of the rosary every morning as a school throughout the month of October. Please continue to practice the Hail Mary and the Glory Be with your child at home so that they are able to recite both of them by themselves. I will be testing these two prayers next week.

The Science Fair is approaching. While it is not until January 18, this date will come faster than we imagine especially as we are entering the holiday season.              We are beginning to discuss this in class through learning the steps of the Scientific Method and creating our own small experiments. I will be sending home more detailed directions over the next two weeks. There will be due dates for each step of the project so that I can see each child working through it at organized pace. Right now please begin brainstorming ideas together.

Monday-Thursday

Reading- Independent Reading Log must be completed each night. (Weekend reading may also be added if you would like.) Due Friday.

Reading -Vocabulary pack of worksheets to be completed throughout the week and turned in Friday.

Monday

NO HOMEWORK!

Tuesday

Math- Simple Solutions Lesson 8

Wednesday

English- Simple Solutions Lesson 5

Thursday

Reading- Complete Vocabulary worksheets for Friday

               -Vocabulary Test Friday

Vocabulary Words:

1.     stroll

2.     proud

3.     certainly

4.     convince

5.     murmur

6.     jury

7.     afford

8.     contact

9.     figure

10.                        tide

11.                        crew

12.                        cling

13.                        league

14.                        pronounce

15.                        polish

 Vocabulary- This week we will be working on vocabulary words from the past 5 stories that we have read. Students will have a vocabulary pack to complete by Friday. These words will be in a vocabulary test on Friday which will have definition match up and multiple choice. It will also have a section for filling in the correct word into a sentence. These words will not be tested for spelling, only comprehension.

*There will be no spelling words this week or spelling contract due!

October 24, 2011

3rd Grade Notes

Be His Hands!

The 3^rd Grade will be planning and preparing for the school Mass on Friday. If your child comes home with a reading or petition, please have them practice reading aloud at home each night. Students who don’t have any opportunity to read or have a main role in the mass will have an opportunity later in the year.

The Book Fair is this week in the library. The students went for a preview today and have an idea of what they may want to buy. You can send money in with them and we will go back to the fair on Tuesday during our normal library time or they will be able to go down throughout the week if needed.

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In Social Studies we are looking at timelines which show the important events of someone or something’s history.  To further understand how they work, I would like each student to create a timeline of their own life based on the most important events thus far.

Students may do this on the computer or create one on poster or paper. Parents  can work with them to help determine the significant events from birth until now. Students should include the date (as accurately as you are able) and the name of the event. A brief description can also be included to describe the event if you choose. Pictures to go with the event should also be included. You may not have pictures on hand for everything so please include at least 3. Students can be as creative as possible in putting this together. Don’t forget to include personal things such as a broken bone, moving to a new house, birth of siblings, learning to ride your bike and any other firsts that you can remember. The timelines will be presented to the class and displayed around the classroom to share with everyone.

The Personal Timelines will be due next Monday, October 31. If there are any questions please feel free to contact me. Have fun sharing all of the wonderful stories as you remember the important events of  the pastJ.

Monday-Thursday

Reading- Independent Reading Log must be completed each night. (Weekend reading may also be added if you would like.) Due Friday.

Spelling- Choose 2 assignments from the Spelling Contract. Due Friday. (Challenge words are not required.) This week you may repeat an assignment that you have previously done. 2 different ones each week for the next 3 weeks.

*Spelling Test Friday.

Monday

Math- Simple Solutions Lesson 6

Tuesday

English- Simple Solutions Lesson 4

Wednesday

Reading-  read aloud Roberto Clemente to someone at home. Write down: Title, Author, Illustrator, Setting, Main Characters and a short summary of the story.

Thursday

Math- Simple Solutions Lesson 7

Spelling Words

1. slight
2. mild
3. sight
4. pie
5. mind
6. tie
7. pilot
8. might
9. lie
10. tight
11. blind
12. fight
13. die
14. midnight
15. find
16. night

Challenge:

silent

frightening

Reminders:

Dress Down Day-  Wednesday,      October 26. Pay $1 to dress in Halloween colors. No costumes on this day!

Fundraiser Prizes- Video game truck, classroom pig races and the money wheel for anyone who qualified.

Halloween Party- PTU sponsored party has been rescheduled for Saturday, October 29.

Looking Ahead:

October 17, 2011

3rd Grade Notes

Be His Hands!

 There is a library book missing that was checked out by someone in our class. It was checked out under someone else’s name so we are unsure who actually has it. If you have The Last Holiday Concert at home, please send it back in as soon as possible.

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We will be finishing up our chapter on Rocks and Minerals this week in Science class. Our lessons will be on fossils and then a review of all that we have taken notes on.

In English class, we will be focusing on quotation marks in sentences. This is a concept that is more difficult but will be an important part of our writing and is seen very often throughout our Simple Solutions English (SSE).

We have had the opportunity to use the SmartBoard everyday and the students love it! We have used it for writing on when answering questions, for watching videos related to different subjects, and for playing games that practice important skills in all subjects. We also use the SmartBoard and the Elmo (projector) for taking guided notes.  What a great tool technology has become in the classroom to make learning more fun and appealing.

Monday-Thursday

Reading- Independent Reading Log must be completed each night. (Weekend reading may also be added if you would like.) Due Friday.

Spelling- Choose 2 assignments from the Spelling Contract. Due Friday. (Challenge words are not required.)

*Spelling Test Friday.

Monday

Math- Simple Solutions Lesson 4

Tuesday

English- Simple Solutions Lesson 3

Wednesday

Reading-  read Pop’s Bridge aloud to someone at home. Have that person tell you why they liked or didn’t like the story. YOU write their answers down. At least 2-3 sentences.

Thursday

Math- Simple Solutions Lesson 5

Spelling Words

1. load
2. open
3. told
4. yellow
5. soak
6. shadow
7. foam
8. follow
9. glow
10. sold
11. window
12. coach
13. almost
14. throat
15. cold
16. most

Challenge:

tomorrow

sailboats

 jlouis@saintadalbert.org

cheinrichs@saintadalbert.org

October 10, 2011

3rd Grade Notes

Be His Hands!

This week we will be having our first Stewardship class. On Wednesday morning a speaker from Berea Lake Towers will be coming in to talk to the students about the elderly and how they can help.

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The Accelerated Reader program has started in our classroom. The students must choose at least 1 AR book each week at library. When they are ready to take a quiz they will sign up in our class and will be allowed to go to library to take one within the next day. Students are required to pass 2 quizzes each month. They may take more and have the opportunity to receive extra credit points if they go above and beyond the requirement. The AR quizzes will be factored into the overall Reading grade on the report card each quarter.

Each day after recess we take time to relax and get ready for the afternoon. Mr. Heinrichs has been reading a  chapter  or two from the book Sideways Stories from Wayside School. The students look forward to this each day and as the year goes on we will be choosing many different chapter books to read out loud and discuss. This has been a great opportunity for a less formal assessment on comprehension and listening skills. It has also gotten many students to want to take these books out from the library and read them on their ownJ

Monday-Thursday

Reading- Independent Reading Log must be completed each night. (Weekend reading may also be added if you would like.) Due Friday.

Spelling- Choose 2 assignments from the Spelling Contract. Due Friday. (Challenge words are not required.) This week you may repeat an assignment that you have previously done. 2 different ones each week for the next 3 weeks.

*Spelling Test Friday.

Monday

Math- Simple Solutions Lesson 2

Tuesday

English- Simple Solutions Lesson 2

Wednesday

Reading- read Destiny’s Gift  out loud to someone at home. Think of 2 comprehension questions you could ask somebody about this story. Write/type them out. (multiple choice, true/false, fill in the blank…)

Thursday

Math- Simple Solutions Lesson 3

Spelling Words

1. lay
2. trail
3. trail
4. sweet
5. today
6. dream
7. seem
8. tea
9. treat
10. afraid
11. leave
12. bait
13. screen
14. speed
15. paint
16. please

Challenge:

Yesterday

explain

Happy Birthday

Johannes Afful- October 13

Reminders:

Early Release- Tuesday, October 11, 1:30pm

jlouis@saintadalbert.org

cheinrichs@saintadalbert.org

October 3, 2011

3rd Grade Notes

Be His Hands!

*Library is on Tuesdays. Please help your child remember to pack their library books on Monday night.                                                                   The students have taken their Accelerated Reader placement tests. They will begin choosing one AR book each week so that they can start taking AR tests to test comprehension at the end of each story.   Each student should be taking at least two AR tests each month, which averages out to around four each quarter.    

Thank you to all of the families that have donated paper towels and stickers for our classroom. It is very much appreciated! J  We can still use more of each throughout the year as well as any old magazines you may have. Thanks!                                          

In Math we are working on place value, standard form and expanded form.

In English we are focusing on correct sentence form. Making sure it is a complete sentence, with a subject and predicate; and also having correct capitalization and punctuation.

In Science our lessons have been on rocks and minerals.

In Social Studies we have been learning about maps. Different types of maps, map keys, the hemispheres, equator, prime meridian, latitude and longitude.

Monday-Thursday

Reading- Independent Reading Log must be completed each night. (Weekend reading may also be added if you would like.) Due Friday.

Spelling- Choose 2 assignments from the Spelling Contract. Due Friday. (Challenge words are not required.) Don’t forget to choose 2 different assignments!!!

*Spelling Test Friday.

Monday

Math- Simple Solutions Lesson 1

Tuesday

English- Simple Solutions Lesson 1

Wednesday

Reading- read The Trial of Cardigan Jones out loud to someone at home (Journey’s reading book).   Write a short summary describing why you like or don’t like the story. (at least 3-4 sentences)

Spelling Words

1. spoke
2. mile
3. save
4. excuse
5. cone
6. invite
7. cube
8. price
9. erase
10. ripe
11. broke
12. flame
13. life
14. rule 
15. these
16. those

Challenge:

surprise

decide

 Reminders:

St. Francis Feast- Tuesday, October 4. Bring in a picture of your pet or pets for a special class prayer service.

Progress Reports- Thursday. October 6

Picture Day- Friday, October 7

Uniforms-  Shorts are no longer allowed to be worn until May. Uniform pants and uniform jumpers should be worn each day.

jlouis@saintadalbert.org

cheinrichs@saintadalbert.org

3rd Grade Notes

Be His Hands!

*Just  a Reminder:  Our Spanish teacher, Mrs. Quimber, has asked all students to bring in a binder for class each week. 3^rd grade has Spanish class on Tuesday afternoons. 

Great Lakes Theater Festival is here this week! The 3^rd grade will participate in daily classes each afternoon. The actors will be guiding the students through fun, learning activities that revolve around the stories A Snowy Day, Anansi and the Spider, Where the Wild Things Are, The Sneetches and The Giving Tree. The main themes throughout these stories are fables, myths, inclusion, feelings/emotions and conflict-resolution.    For those of you new to the school this year, this is an excellent program which is brought in each year for grades K-8. The students love it!!!

We have been creating an Our Father booklet in Religion class. Each day we discuss the meaning of a line from the prayer and then make a page to illustrate that line through picture.  This has been a great way to break down the prayer into meaningful words that we can understand better. It has also helped the students practice and learn the prayer much easier.

jlouis@saintadalbert.org

cheinrichs@saintadalbert.org

Monday-Thursday

Reading- Independent Reading Log must be completed each night. (Weekend reading may also be added if you would like.) Due Friday.

Spelling- Choose 2 assignments from the Spelling Contract. Due Friday. (Challenge words are not required.) Don’t forget to choose 2 different assignments!!!

*Spelling Test Friday.

Monday

Language- book page 1-2

Tuesday

Phonics- pages 17-18

Wednesday

Math- Write Numbers for Word Names worksheet

Spelling Words

1. hands
2. every
3. add
4. best
5. else
6. check
7. grand
8. stand
9. energy
10. matter
11. plant
12. slip
13. thump
14. inch
15. summer
16. kitten

     Challenge:

calculate

principal

3rd Grade Notes

Be His Hands!

It was so nice seeing all of you at Open House on Thursday.  I was glad to have had the chance to talk to so many of you. For those of you that I missed, I hope to get to talk with you soon.

We will be having all Specials this week. The students are excited to go to Computer and Library and to also meet our new Spanish teacher.

Thank you to Mrs. Saksa and all of the parents that gave a donation so that we could have a celebration for Mr. Heinrichs’ birthday! He loved his Ohio State sweatshirt and mug and the gift card to Dick’s Sporting Goods. We all had fun celebrating with Ohio State colored cupcakesJ

Happy Birthday:

Ethan McCaffrey- September 19

Math- If there are students that still struggle with addition and subtraction facts, please make sure that you are practicing flashcards each night with them. All students need to have these facts memorized so that they are prepared and ready for multiplication and division.

A great skill to practice at home is counting by multiples. 2’s, 3’s, 4’s, 5’s, 6’s… Practicing this skill daily will help each student learn their multiplication facts much more quickly.

Writing- Please remind your children that when they are doing any kind of writing at home, to remember correct sentence structure. Capital letters where needed and correct punctuation at the end of each sentence.  I look for sentence structure in all writing that is turned in and this becomes an important part of the English grade.

NO SCHOOL!- Friday, September 23. Teacher Inservice Day.

jlouis@saintadalbert.org

cheinrichs@saintadalbert.org

Be His Hands!

It was a very busy first week of school. We learned and practiced our new routines, which will take a little longer to get used to without reminders.

Binders will come home daily. They will have a folder for each subject, a homework/communication folder and the daily planner.   Work that is in the subject folders should not be taken out and kept at home. This is something we are working on in class or may even be needed to complete homework, but should always come back to school. The homework folder will be used for homework worksheets, papers that can be kept at home and any other communications. This is where you should put notes for us also.

Art, Music and Spanish will all begin this week. Since Gym is the 3^rd period of the day, the students are required to wear their school uniform to school; they will have an opportunity to change into their gym clothes before class and will change back out of their gym clothes after class. If you have an extra pair of tennis shoes at home, it is fine for the students to leave their gym shoes at school to ensure they are not forgotten on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Gym clothes will come home each time so that they can be washed.    Library and Computer class will not be starting for another week or so until the rooms are finally complete.    

Open House- Thursday, September 15. 7:00 pm in the Keller Center.

                                          

In Religion we will be spending time learning many of the basic prayers. We will be praying them in class throughout various times of the day. Each quarter there will be at least one chosen prayer that the students will focus on and be expected to recite independently.

Please make sure that you are also practicing these prayers at home. Praying them as a family is the best way to learn them and have the importance of the prayer reinforced. This quarter we are focusing on the Our Father, Hail Mary and the Grace Before Meals. Copies of these prayers will be given out at Open House.

Monday-Thursday  Independent Reading Log must be completed each night. (Weekend reading may also be added if you would like.)

Monday-Thursday Phonics packet pp. 7-12. (these may be divided up each night however you choose but all pages are due on Friday.)

Due Friday Create a word problem that another student in the class can solve. Write or type the story problem out. Include an illustration that could go with it. Be creative! Make the story problem based on something that interests youJ

Happy Birthday:

Brenden- September 9

Xavior-September 14

Alex- September 14

Mr. Heinrichs- September 16