Weekly Wrap Up

Yes, it’s true, I told your kids today that gum is welcome in our room starting on Monday. You should have heard the cheers when I said that! So, as long as it’s okay with you, they can have it in class. The only rules I have are that they can’t share their gum with others (so your child is only doing what you want him/her to do), they have to keep it in their mouth, not chew like a cow, and they can’t lay down with it. If they leave the room for specials, lunch, or a wellness break, they have to throw it away.

Just as a reminder, here are all the ways (as of right now) that I regularly communicate and share information…

• The newsletter that goes home in print just about every Friday. If your child needs more than one copy and isn’t getting it, please be sure to let me know.
• This blog, where I post everything from the newsletter, and occasionally post more. You can choose to sign up to be notified by email when I post. Please know that if you ask a question in the comments section of the blog, I’ll respond through my district email.
• Twitter, where I post almost daily recaps of what we’re learning, pictures, and sometimes links to resources we use in class. You can choose to either sign up on Twitter to follow us at http://twitter.com/MrsCarnevale3rd, or just go to the feed and see what was posted. Like the blog, if you reply to a tweet with a question, I’ll respond through my district email.

As you know, part of our learning often includes participating in a variety of learning experiences using technology. That means that children might be sharing headphones throughout the day. If you do not want your child sharing headphones used by others, in either the classroom or the computer lab, you can send in a pair of headphones or earbuds in a baggie with their name on it. They can keep it either in the classroom or in their locker.

Stuffed animals, pillow pets, and small blankets are all welcome during reading time. If it makes your child cozy and able to focus on their reading, then I welcome it in our room! The items have to stay in their locker until reading time.

Here's what we're learning about next week:

• Reader’s Workshop: Unit skills review with summarizing, character traits, and predicting.
• Writer’s Workshop: Finish typing and illustrating personal narrative story. 
• Math: Topic 4 - Meanings of Multiplication

Please remember that my door is always open if you have any questions or concerns. I also check email frequently. Together we are partners in your child’s education!

Weekly Wrap Up

Next week we finish up our study of addition and subtraction as your child learns to do what is called, “three digit subtraction across zeros with regrouping.”  What this means is learning how to do subtraction problems like 400-214. This can be a very tricky skill for third graders. I’ll be teaching it through the use of base ten blocks on the computer and iPad, which allows the students to drag and drop the blocks, as well as break them apart, which helps them see the regrouping needed. 

Since this skill can be so tricky for students, I’m going to make a change for homework next week only. Instead of math fact practice, I’m going to give them a regrouping practice sheet on Monday, and ask for it to be worked on at home during the week, and returned by Friday. It shouldn’t take them more than a total of 30-40 minutes during the entire week. If you find that it’s taking more, please have them stop, and send it back to me with a note. 

If you have an iPad and would like the same app we use, it’s Number Pieces Basic (by Math Learning Center). If your child wants to use the website, it’s linked off our class Just for Kids webpage. Also, your child can always re-watch the video that goes with lesson 3-9, found on the enVision website.

Our class wish list includes the following:

• Small plastic cups - for when kids don’t have a water bottle
• Animal print duct tape - great for repairing broken binders and notebooks, and so many other things 
• Ziplock type baggies with slider -sandwich size for storing word work materials each week, and many other uses 

Here's what we're learning about next week:

• Reader’s Workshop: Unit skills review
• Writer’s Workshop: Putting together all the pieces that go into personal narrative writing, and working on individual goals
• Math: 3-digit subtraction with regrouping

Please remember that my door is always open if you have any questions or concerns. I also check email frequently. Together we are partners in your child’s education!

Weekly Wrap Up

It might have been a short week, but it’s been a busy week! We took some time to examine a few online resources, all of which can be accessed from home, and I want to share with you. Login information for each is written on their printed newsletter that came home on Friday. 

The first is enVision Math. This is the online resource for our math curriculum. After logging in, students and parents can view the instructional video from the day. To access it after logging in, click on the “Explore” button on the right side of the banner. From there click on topic, and then select the lesson. Students (and parents) can also access the book once logged in.

Next is MyOn. This is a free ebook site! On Thursday students took an interest inventory and placement test. Books were then recommended for them that are appropriate to their level and of interest to them. After reading a book students take a brief, 5 question, comprehension quiz. I am able to access and analyze their reading data. Login as your child and you can see their data, too. Video and print tutorials for MyOn can be found here: http://prodev.myon.com/at-home/get-started

Last is Typing Club. This is a keyboarding site, which steps students through learning to keyboard, including graphics which show the correct finger placement and usage. This program retains student progress if logged into with their District Google credentials. 

Here's what we're learning about next week:

• Reader’s Workshop: Understanding figurative langage
• Writer’s Workshop: Putting together all the pieces that go into personal narrative writing
• Math: 3-digit addition and subtraction with regrouping.

Please remember that my door is always open if you have any questions or concerns. I also check email frequently. Together we are partners in your child’s education!

Weekly Wrap Up

We’ve been working hard on learning to make higher level predictions in reading. This means that your child doesn’t just predict what might happen in the story or with a character, but they also use evidence from the story to support their prediction. We’re even learning to kick it up another notch to include information we know from our own lives to help understand the motivation of the characters. You can help at home by asking your child to tell you about what they read, and then ask them to make a predication about what might happen next, reminding them to use “because statements” to support their prediction.

October is Fire Prevention Month! Does your child know what to do in case of an emergency? Does he/she know your home evacuation plan and family meeting spot in case of a fire? Does he/she know how to use the emergency call option on a smart phone?

A draft version of the contact list will go home next week. Please check it over carefully, and let me know if you want any changes made (or if I made a mistake on your information).

Here's what we're learning about next week:

• Reader’s Workshop: Review of making predictions and doing the “big step” retell.
• Writer’s Workshop: Writing endings, and editing/revising
• Math: Unit 2 review and test. Start Unit 3 on 3-digit addition and subtraction with regrouping.

Please remember that my door is always open if you have any questions or concerns. I also check email frequently. Together we are partners in your child’s education! Enjoy the long weekend!

Weekly Wrap Up

A number of you have expressed concern to me over whether or not your child has more homework than reading and math facts practice. No, they don’t. Board of Education policy limits homework at the third grade level to 30 minutes a night. This has to include reading time. So, that’s why it’s only 20 minutes of reading and 10 minutes of math facts. In just a little over a month they’ll be working on learning multiplication facts, so it’s really important that right now your child learns their addition and subtraction facts. Just as quickly as they know that 1+1=2, they should know harder facts such as 17-9. It shouldn’t take more than 2-3 seconds per fact, otherwise they don’t actually know them. Reading should be any book they want, 20 minutes a night, 5 nights a week, and math facts should be 10 minutes, 5 nights a week.

Speaking of math, as you might have noticed from the papers coming home, we’ve been doing some review of 2-digit addition and subtraction with regrouping (what we used to call carrying and borrowing). If you’re wanting your child to do more schoolwork at home, writing up some problems that involve regrouping would be great practice! Soon we’ll be doing 3 and 4-digit addition and subtraction with regrouping, and “double regrouping” such as 323-176.

We’ve also been working making predictions in our reading and using information we’ve already read, as well as what we know about the character’s traits and personality, to help support those predictions. When you talk with your child about what he/she has read, you can ask them to predict what might happen next, and encourage them to support those predictions.

Here's what we're learning about next week:

• Reader’s Workshop: Decoding tricky words, using context clues, and figurative language
• Writer’s Workshop: Continuing to write small moment stories bit by bit, and including dialogue and characters’ thoughts and feelings
• Math: Estimating sums and differences

Please remember that my door is always open if you have any questions or concerns. I also check email frequently. Together we are partners in your child’s education!

Weekly Wrap Up

Next week your child will bring home their first weekly progress report. It is intended to keep you informed of your child’s academic and social/behavioral progress during the week. It’s probably very similar to what was used in second grade. Please sign it and have your child put it in their Jungle Book to turn in on Monday. Children who return it signed on Monday get two Tiger Tickets!

Weekly reading logs and math fact logs start today, and will go from Friday to Friday.  This is your child’s homework. Each week your child is asked to read at home for 20mn., at least five nights a week, and record it in their reading log. They can read anything they want, that you approve of. They can also count time reading with you, to a sibling, or doing reading for any outside group or club such as scouts or church school. They’re also asked to work on their math facts for 10mn. a night at least five nights a week, and record it. Right now we’re sticking with just addition and subtraction facts. Later we’ll add in all multiplication and division facts. While there is a spot on the logs for parent signature, I don’t require it unless your child is not completing their weekly logs. You’re still more than welcome to monitor and sign them if you’d like.

I want to clarify that the student thoughts on how you can help them with math facts were their thoughts, not mine. :)  Please don’t feel like you need to go spend money on apps or give them extra computer time if that’s what your child wrote. Do what works best for your child and your family!

Do you have any extra plastic forks and spoons hanging around your house? Do you have a growing collection of plastic silverware from take-out dinner nights? We could use them in the classroom! Kids often have a snack that needs a fork or a spoon, and if I don’t have any in the classroom they have to go down to the cafeteria to get one. Any extras you have and could send in would be greatly appreciated!

Remember to follow our class on Twitter and get up to the minute pictures and news! We are @MrsCarnevale3rd. Also, follow our district at @PlvComSchools. On Twitter you can also follow the district hashtag, #plainvilleschools as well as #plainvillerocks and #toffolontigers

Here's what we're learning about next week:

• Reader’s Workshop: Comprehension checks and retell
• Writer’s Workshop: Using leads and stretching a story out bit by bit.
• Math: Place Value to 999,999 - including word, standard and expanded forms

Please remember that my door is always open if you have any questions or concerns. I also check email frequently. Together we are partners in your child’s education!

Weekly Wrap Up

What a super job your children have done settling into third grade! As I'm sure (hope!) you've heard, we've spent time practicing routines and procedures so that once we’re into our regular learning schedule next week things run smoothly. We’re also trying out alternative types of seating like yoga balls and hokki stools (for those who want to try them) to see what best helps us focus. We’ve tried out and rated different reading spots in the classroom, book shopped for reading books, learned how to use a hardcover math book and to put the answers in a spiral notebook. We also took math, reading and writing pre-tests, as well as timed addition and subtraction tests. The math fact test scores will go home next week after I get them corrected. On Thursday we even learned how to log into our Google accounts, and find and bookmark our class website and the Just for Kids page on it. I also introduced them to a fun keyboarding program that will help them begin to become familiar with keyboarding. We’ll be putting some time into keyboarding this year. Once all of our various computer programs and logins are set up, I’ll put together an access sheet for you with all of your child’s login information, so they can access from home if you want, and so you can always see what they’re doing.

Although I had originally planned to start reading logs and math fact logs next week, I want to hold off one more week, and give the children in-class practice time filling out their reading logs, so they’re able to independently fill it out at home. I also want to be able to send home their addition and subtraction math fact score reports so you can know how they did and what they need to practice at home. I’m still asking them to continue reading for at least 20 minutes a night, but they don’t have to log it. If they’ve got flash cards or games/apps at home, they might want to start practicing facts with those, too.

Remember to follow our class on Twitter and get up to the minute pictures and news! We are @MrsCarnevale3rd. Also, follow our district at @PlvComSchools. On Twitter you can also follow the district hashtag, #plainvilleschools as well as #plainvillerocks and #toffolontigers

Please send in a water bottle for your child to keep in class. They get pretty hot and thirsty with two wellness breaks and recess! Water bottles that close in a way that help prevent spills are greatly appreciated!

Parents of girls with longer hair…. you might want to toss a few hair ties in your daughter’s backpack. With recess and wellness breaks, they can get pretty hot, and might want to put their hair up before or after being outside.

Here's what we're learning about next week:

• Reader’s Workshop: Building reading stamina
• Writer’s Workshop: Finding ideas for true stories
• Math: Place Value to 999,999 - including word, standard and expanded forms

Please remember that my door is always open if you have any questions or concerns. I also check email frequently. Together we are partners in your child’s education!