Quick Reminders 11/24

Dear Parents and Families,

We have a quick but exciting week ahead of us! Here are a few quick notes to help plan for the week:

*3-509 was asked to wear orange shirts and denim bottoms for Wednesday's performances!

*The shows will take place at 10:30 am and 1:30 pm. Parents are welcome to either of these shows!

*The kids will have swim first period on Wednesday!

*Next Monday, December 1st we are going to Circle in the Square to see a performance. Please return these trip slips before Wednesday so we can determine who can come before the break.

Homework- I am going to start posting a weekly breakdown of what parents should expect each night of the week for homework on blog so we can all help the kids stay organized. 

For this week:

-No word work this week

Monday- Regular fiction reading (30 minutes in a just right book) and nightly jotting. Return permission slip. Remember to wear orange and denim on Wednesday.

Tuesday: Regular fiction reading (30 minutes in a just right book) and nightly jotting. Return permission slip. Remember to wear orange and denim on Wednesday. Math HW to support array chair setup activity in class.

Wednesday: Over break, each night regular fiction reading (30 minutes in a just right book) and nightly jotting. Some practice work with multiplication and division will be sent home.

See you Wednesday!

Aimee

Homework Assignment for Parents to Prepare for Family Friday

Hi Everyone!

We are looking forward to seeing you tomorrow! We are reviewing and sharing our information writing, and would love for you to bring in a piece of your own. Please see the attached link for directions. We will have materials in class as well to help with this work.

Ms. Bouchard

Weekly Updates 11/17-11/21

News/Events

• It was so lovely to see you during parent teacher conferences last week! Once you are done reviewing portfolios please return them, preferably by this upcoming Friday. Thank you.
• This Friday is Family Friday! Our focus is going to be on writing, and all of the hard work our students have put into their informational books. 
• Next Monday (11/24) our class is walking to the Hudson Guild to perform some of the third grade play songs to our local senior citizens. Keep your eyes out for a permission slip!
• We are visiting Circle in the Square on December 1st, the Monday after Thanksgiving. Keep an eye out for this trip slip as well.
• The third grade Thanksgiving play is finally upon us! Performances will take place at 10:30 and 1:30 the Wednesday before Thanksgiving break.

Curriculum

• Reading: This week we are launching our next reading unit- Nonfiction Reading! This week we will take a look at our own nonfiction reading identities, and the different types of nonfiction texts we are drawn to.

• Writing: This week we are publishing our Information Books! Students have been working hard to edit and revise their pieces, and will select the necessary tools to create a clear book layout. We will focus on final touches such as adding illustrations and diagrams to lift the level of their descriptions.

• Math: This week during math groups are starting to examine the relationship between multiplication and division, as well as important division vocabulary.

• Social Studies: Students will learn how to rotate through different centers during the Social Studies period, and will continue to take notes about information learned.

Have a great week, and see you Friday!

Ms. Bouchard

Weekly Updates 11/3-11/7

News/Events

• Parent Teacher Conferences are upon us! Conferences are taking place throughout the week next week, and Monday I sent out an email to all parents about sign ups. We are using the Sign Up Genius system to schedule conferences. Please visit the link below to schedule your 15 minute slot!

http://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0f4babab2aa6fa7-parent1

• Next week there is no school on Tuesday due to the observance of Veteran's day.
• Next Thursday is a half day. Dismissal will be at 11:50 sharp.

Curriculum

Reading: This week we are wrapping up our character in a series book club unit. Thanks so much to all that families that joined us for part of our daily book club meeting last Family Friday! Your participation and ideas meant a lot to our students! This week we are examining ways to synthesize our jots, and take away themes and lessons learned.

Writing: This week we are studying the introductions and conclusions of mentor authors to help craft conclusions for our own informational writing. Later in the week we are revisiting various text features to bring our nonfiction books to life.

Math: This week both math groups are learning how to use arrays as a means to identify the number of groups vs. the number in each group as well as designing different open array models to represent a product. We are engaging in several  real world investigations studying the way farmers prepare to plant crops within fields using arrays.

See you soon,

Aimee Bouchard

Parent Homework for Friday's Book Club!

Hi Parents!

Friday is Family Friday, and this week we are asking you to prepare for a book club conversation about the short story, "The Pet," by Cynthia Rylant. Today students brought home a copy of this passage for you to read. Please read the story, and consider preparing for the book club by:

1. Jotting thoughts, questions, and wonderings. 
2. Underlining sentences, words, or phrases that evoked a powerful reaction and left you with a lasting impression.
3. Noting parts that you strongly agreed/disagreed with.
4. Considering the purpose of this text. What was the author's intent?
5. Highlight themes and lessons learned.

We look forward to having some powerful discussions together in class on Friday!

Take care,

Ms. Bouchard

Weekly Updates 10/27-10/31

News/Events

• Tomorrow we are visiting the Scholastic book fair from 2:00-2:30!
• This week we are officially starting play rehearsals for the Third Grade Play!
• Circle in the Square will continue to visit our classrooms on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
• This Friday is Family Friday! We are inviting parents to come in and participate in book club conversations. I will be sending home a text for parents to review in preparation for their club's conversation. We will ask you to read Cynthia Rylant's short story "The Pet."
• Next week there is no school for students on Election Day (Tuesday).
• Later this week I will be sending out a parent teacher sign-up link for conferences. They will take place the week of November 10-14th.

Curriculum

Reading: This week during reading our book clubs are continuing to lift the levels of their conversations by examining themes, lessons learned, and how our characters show grit and perseverance to tackle problems.

Writing: This week we are studying how to use transitional phrases to piece together the different parts of our Informational Writing chapters. Later in the week we will study how different text structures best convey information.

Math: Today we officially launched Unit 2: Multiplication and Division. For the first time Mrs. Rosevear and I decided to create math groups to meet the needs of different mathematicians based on what we observed in their preassessment data. These groups will be flexible, and although the same topics will be taught the activities students participate in will focus on the individual needs of each student. This week we are revisiting multiplication strategies, studying arrays and the commutative property, and starting multiplication centers.

Social Studies: We are continuing to learn about the United States by visiting different centers. This week we are learning how to use the map and video centers to learn new information.

Have a great week, and see you soon!

Aimee

Weekly Updates 10/20-10/24

News/Events

• Today was our first day of Circle in the Square! Actors worked with students to create characters and character profiles for a potential script. The kids are so creative, and had a blast. We will continue to meet with Circle in the Square on Tuesdays and Thursdays through the holidays.
• Tomorrow is the last scheduled fall farm stand date for 3-509! Students interested in participating should report to school around 8 am to maximize their experience. They will run the stand until 8:50 am.
• Next Tuesday (10/28) 3-509 is attending the Scholastic Book Fair from 2:00-2:30.
• Family Friday is October 31st!

Curriculum

Reading: This week students are diving into the second or third books in their club series. As they do this, they examine characters/events/setting changing, and are starting to take simple ideas and grow them into more complex thoughts. Later in the week we will revisit some different discussion structures within our book clubs, such as taking on roles and finding ways to include all members in thoughtful conversation.

Writing: This week we officially launched our second writing unit of the year- Information Writing. Students developed a list of topics they consider themselves to be experts on, and selected the topic they are most passionate about to create an informational book. This week we are exploring layouts for a table of contents, experimenting with different structures for sharing information (pros and cons, cause and effect, problem and solution), and writing long within sub-sections.

Math: This Thursday we are taking the end of unit one assessment on Addition and Subtraction up to 10,000. Over the next two days students are revisiting goals and making individualized review "action plans" to help pace their preparation and study. For example, if a student is still working on rounding to the nearest ten and hundred, he/she might make a plan to spend time playing the game "Round that Number." Students will also have the opportunity to lead and attend other student led seminars covering topics from the unit. Our next unit, Multiplication and Division will launch next week.

Social Studies: This week students will explore the artifact and map centers highlighting The United States. They will learn how to read a task card and work in groups to find new information.

Have a great week,

Aimee Bouchard