Upcoming Events:
November 23rd-27th, Monday-Friday- NO SCHOOL, Happy Thanksgiving!
November 30th, Monday- Library Visit
Homework due on Thursday, December 3rd
1. Reading: Read for at least 20 minutes every night- track at home
2. Math: Complete at least 30 minutes of math practice per week-(more is recommended)
Suggested IXL skills for 3rd grade math practice:
- Review second grade skills H.1 - H.5
- Measurement worksheets sent home on Friday 11/20
- Review third grade skills for Measurement: U.3, U.4 & U.13
3. Writing: Reading Response Letter (about 1 paragraph) Students write a letter about their independent reading each week- see instructions below:
- Writing Homework- Notebooks Due on Thursday Mornings
- Writing Homework Home Support: Ask your child to read the letter they have written out loud. Take a look at the letter and provide them with feedback about what they have done well and how they might make it better. Give reminders about proofreading and working on neat handwriting. (A handwriting homework page will be assigned to those who need extra practice.)
- Directions for completing the Reading Response Letter can be found inside the front cover of the writing notebook. Sentence starting ideas can be found on the last page of the notebook.
Our Week in Review:
Math:
Students continued the work of understanding relative sizes of measurement units within both the customary system and the metric system. We reviewed weight, mass and volume. Students rotated through stations and got hands on practice using pan balances to determine mass (grams, kilograms, ounces and pounds). They explored liquid volume with milliliters and liters. We continued to solve story problems using multiplication or division connected with our measurement exploration.
Check out these "Math Practices" posters. They illustrate our goals for how students will practice and grow as mathematicians this year.
Reading:
This week, Readers Workshop continued with novel study. Students practice identifying new vocabulary (juicy words!) and summarizing what they read (as a group with our class Read Aloud) before diving into their own chapter book novel and notebook with the same practice.
Writing:
During Writer's Workshop this week students completed their final narrative story. Our goals included: establishing a situation and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organizing an event sequence, and providing a conclusion that follows from the narrated experiences or events. After drafting the story, students turned their attention to revision and editing. We talked about using transition words and figurative language. After publishing their tales, students learned how to create a story map to help them practice telling the story out loud. Storytellers showcase rounded out our writer's workshop on Friday.
Out & About
This week, we toured Hagg Lake dam to kick-off our unit on geology, earthquakes and engineering. We met a Scoggins Dam operator to hear about why Hagg Lake exists, how the dam was built, and why some people are worried about an earthquake. Students also looked for signs of erosion on the lakeside. They built models of villages using different materials to see if they could withstand the force of erosion by water.
As a reminder- for our winter Out & About adventures, all students should be prepared with sturdy waterproof shoes, warm socks, warm layers and rain jackets.
NW Coast StoryPath Project
This week, students created art that incorporated the Northwest Coast style and conventions (symmetry, shape, color), and then read actual stories from the early Northwest Coast oral tradition. We prepared for our first critical incident: dealing with a trader. Students had the opportunity to develop critical thinking skills by defining the issues or problems that might arise from dealing with the trader. Students engaged in a lively discussion afterwards.
Oregon Battle of the Books
This year, Laura (Plovers Teacher), and Gretchen (Level 3 Teacher) are working with teams of 3rd-5th graders who want to participate in Oregon Battle of the Books. Teams will meet Wednesdays after school (starting November 18th) to study and discuss the required reading. There will be a school competition in February and the winning team will represent FGCS at the regional competition in March. Interested students can get more information and permission slips from Laura ([email protected]). We are also looking for parents who want to read and discuss some of the books with students at our weekly meetings, so please contact Laura if you're interested!
Community Resources
Check out these amazing and free Fall programs offered at Tillamook Forestry Center:
http://tillamookforestcenter.org/events_05.html
Class Read Aloud
We are enjoying the award winning novel, Flora & Ulysses.