Spirit Week is Coming Up!

I hope everyone is having a fantastic winter break! Feel free to take a moment to read the following details relating to Spirit Week that begins on Monday, 1/8, the day we come back from break. Everyone is encouraged to participate (of course, participation is not required!). :)

• Monday (1/8):  Pajama Day - Start of the week on a comfy note!  Wear your PJs to school. 
• Tuesday (1/9):   Team Day - Represent your favorite team (professional, college, high school, etc.)
• Wednesday (1/10):  Character Day - Dress up as your favorite character (book, film, TV or other personality).
• Thursday (1/11):  Winter Wonderland Day - Wear something cozy or that represents winter.
• Friday (1/12):  Crazy-Haired School Spirit Day - Show your Skinner North Pride. Wear purple and gold today and do your hair in a crazy style.

Enjoy the rest of your break, and I will look forward to seeing everyone on Monday, 1/8!

Spelling Bee Champion

I am excited to announce that Yash is Room 210's Spelling Bee Champion for the 2017-2018 school year! Yash will represent our classroom in the school-wide Spelling Bee this January. Congratulations to Yash and all of the other participants!

Quarter Project Rubric

A double-sided rubric for Parts 2 and 3 of the Quarter Project was sent home with your child on Friday. Please review it with your child as they work to complete parts 2 and 3 in the days and weeks ahead.

A Look at the Week Ahead

Literacy:  Students will continue to study characters and how and why characters change throughout books.  Students will practice distinguishing between static and dynamic characters.  Also, we will begin exploring themes within Every Living Thing, and finding events that that support the theme.  During the writing block, we will use Every Living Thing to continue practicing writing with the constructed response format.

Math: We will wrap up Unit 3 in math this week. Students will review decimals and measurement conversions throughout the final lessons in the unit.  Students will bring home the study guide on Monday.   They will take the unit 3 assessment near the end of the week.   

Social Studies:  Next week, we'll explore the Illinois-Michigan canal and other events that led to the growth of Chicago.  Students will use Just Add Water to learn about these concepts.  During the social studies block, students will also explore the text structure in each of the chapters within the text.   Students will also continue to work on their ABC Books.  We started to create pages for the ABC Books last week; please ask your child to tell you about this ongoing project! 

Important Dates:
12/20 and 12/21 NWEA
1/9 Quarter Project Part 2 is due
1/25 40 BC check-in

This Week In Our Classroom

Literacy:  Students will continue to study characterization using the characters in Every Living Thing, by Cynthia Rylant.  They have been learning how to look for clues in the character's feelings, actions, sayings (dialogue), thoughts, and what others say about them to develop a deeper understanding of the character.  We use the acronym FASTO to help remember these clues. 

During writing, students are working on their informational books about Chicago.  We will take a break from prose constructed response writing this week. 

Math:  Students will be instructed on lessons 3.6-3.10.  The lessons focus on comparing fractions, ordering fractions on a number line, decimals, and conversions.  You can expect corresponding Home Links. 

Social Studies:  Earlier in the week, students worked on a mini-project that focused on content from the first three chapters of Just Add Water.  Towards the end of the week, students will study Fort Dearborn and its significance.  They will also learn about events that led to the Fort Dearborn Massacre and work on a fun project around the topic. 


Important Dates:
12/7 40BC Check In (10 Books)
12/7 Skinner North Art Fair
12/13  Third Grade Class Spelling Bee
1/9 Quarter Project Part 2 Check In
12/20-12/21 Winter NWEA Testing

This Week In Our Classroom: Week of 11/27

Literacy: We started our next unit about Character Study this week!  It is our major unit for the 2nd quarter in the reading block.  I read aloud Thank You, Mr. Falker, by Patricia Pollaco, earlier in the week.  This text serves as the mentor text throughout the unit.  Students will be practicing the skills that we learn using Every Living Thing, an anthology of short stories.  Tasks are differentiated throughout the text to meet the needs of all of the students.  Students will work in partners, small groups, and independently throughout this portion of the unit.  Most of the work will be completed in school; however, unfinished work may be sent home as homework.

During the writing block, we'll use our social studies text, Just Add Water, and other short texts to continue to practice writing constructed responses. 

Math:  We're reviewing fractions and equivalencies in math.  Lessons 3.3-3.5 were instructed earlier in the week and corresponding Home Links were assigned for homework.  Students should continue to work on IXL lessons and Front Row at home. 

Social Studies:  This week, we began our second social studies unit: How Chicago Came to Be.  This unit is driven by our shared text, Just Add Water.  We use the text very frequently throughout the unit.  You may want to rent or purchase a copy to keep at home if you think it would be helpful.  It is available on Amazon (click the link above) for a very inexpensive price!  On Wednesday, students were introduced to a unit-long project that involves using the text.  

Important Dates:
12/5 Quarter Project Part 1 due
12/7 40 BC check-in (10 entries total)

A Sneak Peek into Our Week

Literacy:  Tomorrow, students will take the Main Idea, Details, and Summarizing unit assessment. Also, tomorrow, students will be starting their first round of literature circles this year!  They will read a National Geographic non-fiction book of their choice.  The book will be split into sections and each day students will be expected to read the next section in the book.  Then, they will meet with their small group to talk about the reading and practice discussion skills.  Students will use skills they've learned in the main idea and summarizing unit.  In writing, we will continue to practice essay writing and this week, we will begin using a text to support our thinking.  

Math:  Students will take the Unit 2 assessment on Thursday. The Unit 2 study guide was distributed today and we will review it in class tomorrow (Tuesday). Unit 2 SMJ pages and the Home Link packet are due tomorrow (Tuesday). On Friday, students will take the Unit 3 pre-test and we will begin the new unit next Monday.  Unit 3 focuses on fractions and decimals.  Students will learn to compare and order decimals in this unit.

Science:  We will will wrap up our unit on electricity and magnetism this week.  We will briefly explore electromagnetism and then, students will take a final assessment.  Notebooks and text books may be used on the final assessment.  Instructions and expectations for the Quarter 2 Project went home last week.  Please be on the look out and ask your child to see them if you haven’t seen them already!

Conferences: Parent-Teacher Conferences are this Wednesday, 11/15. Students do not have school this day.  Everyone who turned in a time preference sheet should have received it back by now with an assigned time. If you did not submit a form, I will send an email confirmation with your assigned meeting time this evening.

REMINDER:  There is a new TGW!  www.snthirdgrade.com

Important Reminders: 
Tuesday, 11/14: Main Idea, Details & Summarizing Unit assessment

Wednesday, 11/15:  No School for Students/Parent-Teacher Conferences
Thursday, 11/16:  40 BC (8 entries due)

Thursday, 11/16: Unit 2 Math assessment

Friday, 11/17:  International Festival
Wednesday, 11/22 – Friday, 11/24:  Fall/Thanksgiving Break

Conference Scheduling Forms

Conference scheduling forms were sent home with your child last Thursday.  Return forms as soon as possible. Please indicate your top three preferences, and I will do my best to accommodate your preferences.

Holiday Catalogs

In December, students will work on a 2-week cumulative decimal project in which they will apply key concepts learned about decimals.  

We will need lots of CATALOGS for this project!  Since the holiday season is near, if there are extra catalogs you have at home, and don't want, please have your child bring them in to use for this project.  Please check the appropriateness of the catalog before you send it in.  

A Sneak Peek into This Week

Literacy:  We will wrap up our summarizing lessons this week and take the final unit assessment for our Main Ideas and Summarizing unit.  Following the assessment, students will participate in literature circle discussions using the skills we've been learning throughout the unit. Towards the end of the week, students will choose the book they will read.  During the writing block, students will type the paragraphs they worked on last week, and they will learn to use transition words and build stronger introduction and conclusion sentences.  We will also begin writing essays about short texts later in the week and early next week.

Math:  The final lessons in Unit 2 will be taught this week.  The lessons focus on geometry skills including triangles, quadrangles, and patterns.  You can expect the corresponding Home Links as homework.  The Unit 2 assessment will take place early next week.  Study guides will be sent home Friday of this week. 

Science:  "The Force of Magnetism" is the title of the second investigation in our Energy Unit.  Students will explore magnetism, learn about the magnetic fields, and investigate the force of a magnet.  Some reading may be assigned as homework - please check your child's planner. Information on the Quarter Project will be sent home later in the week. This project is science related - specifically, circuits and energy transfer.

Important Reminders: 
Wednesday, 11/15 Parent-Teacher Conferences; no school for students
Thursday, 11/16 40 BC Check-In (8 entries total)
Wednesday, 11/22 - Friday, 11/24 Thanksgiving Break; no school

School Pictures & Retakes

School pictures and proofs (if you didn't already order pictures) will be sent home tomorrow. Please see the note below regarding picture retakes and ordering pictures online. 

Weekly Update for Room 210

Literacy:  Students have been practicing inferring the main idea of a short passage, and then a longer text.  We have also practiced using text features to support finding the main idea.  You can help your child at home by encouraging them to read non-fiction texts and asking them to find the main idea of different paragraphs within the text.  They should tell you the main idea and support it with details.  The main idea is ALWAYS A COMPLETE SENTENCE.  For example, the main idea of this paragraph is: Students have practiced finding the main idea in school this week and you can help at home as well.  (Notice I did NOT say: How students will practice finding the main idea.) 

During the writing block, we have been working on elaboration techniques. Next week, they will use what they've learned to practice writing 3 paragraph essays.  Students will learn to elaborate using a variety of strategies.  They will also practice using a variety of sentence structures within the paragraphs. 

Math: We are covering Lessons 2.3-2.6 in our Everyday Math curriculum this week. Today, students took the Math Boxes Assignment covering lessons 2.1-2.5. You can expect Home Links for homework most nights, and students may also continue to practice IXL or Front Row.

Science:  Exploring parallel and series circuits has been the focus of our lessons.  Students engaged in hands-on inquiry, as well as readings on the topic.  Students are welcome to explore the FOSS Science website at the bottom of the Energy page on the TGW!  User Name and Password: Noecker210

Reminders: 
10/27  Walk-a-Thon
10/30 QP #3 Due
10/31 Field Trip

Walk-a-Thon

Tomorrow (Friday, October 27th) students will participate in the Skinner North Walk-a-Thon.  Third grade will run/walk between 10:25-10:55am.  Feel free to come and cheer for your child!  Also, Mr. Schroeder asked me to tell you that veggies and lettuce are ready for harvest in the garden, and you are welcome to pick them while you are here!

Parent-Teacher Coffee Tomorrow, 10/17

I hope to see you tomorrow at the 3rd Grade Parent Coffee. It will be held in the Parent Room from 8:30- 9:30am.  See you there!

Looking at the Week Ahead: Week of 10/16

Literacy:  Students will work in differentiated stations and small groups to practice finding the main idea and supporting details in paragraphs.  We will also begin inferring the main idea when it is not explicitly stated in the text.  Towards the end of the week, students will use text features to infer the main idea of a short text.  During the writing block, we will also begin writing Prose Constructed Responses (writing about reading). 

Math:  Students took the Unit 1 math assessment today. Tomorrow, they will take the Unit 2 pre-test and we will begin Unit 2 on Wednesday.  You can expect Home Links for 2.1 and 2.2 as homework this week.  Unit 2 focuses on multiplication strategies and converting between units. 

Science:  We will finish our first Social Studies unit early in the week and begin our first science unit.  In our first science unit, students will study energy.  During the beginning of the unit, students will learn the components of a complete circuit.  They will also explore how to create a compete circuit with their science groups. 

Important Reminders:  
10/17 Parent-Teacher Coffee
10/26  40 BC Check-in (5 books + book talk)
10/27  Walk-a-Thon
10/30  Quarter Project #3 due
10/31  Field Trip
11/3 No School for students

Homework Assigned on Monday, 10/16

Math

• Front Row Math 15 minutes

Reading

• Read and work on 40 BC

Important Info

• Permission slip and money due by 10/25

Field Trip on October 31st

On October 31st, both third grade classes will take a field trip to the 34th Annual Chicago International Children's Film Festival. Click on the link below for additional details about the film we plan to see that day. 

https://festival.facets.org/schedule2017/halloween-monsters-in-the-moat

If you are interested in chaperoning the trip, please send me an email by October 21st. 

Homework Assigned on Friday, 10/13

Math

• Unit 1 Assessment is on Monday, 10/16
• Unit 1 study guide is due on Monday, 10/16
• Quarter Project part 2 is due on Monday, 10/16

Reading

• Read 30 minutes and work on 40 BC

Important Reminders

• Field trip permission slip and money is due on 10/25

Homework Assigned on Thursday, 10/12

Math

• Study guide is now due on Monday (the day of the test)
• Quarter Project check in #2 is due 10/16

Reading

• Read 30 minutes and work on 40 BC

Important Information

• Permission slip and money are due on 10/25
• Signed progress report due tomorrow!

Homework Assigned on Wednesday, 10/11

Math:

• SMJ pp. 2-34 are due tomorrow, 10/12
• Unit 1 Home Link packet due tomorrow, 10/12
• Study Guide due Friday, 10/13

Reading:

• Read 30 minutes
• 40 BC due tomorrow, 10/12

Important Info:

• Permission slip and money for field trip due 10/25

Homework Assigned on Tuesday, 10/10

Math: 
Home Link 1.13 
Work on study guide (due 10/13)

Reading: 
Read 30 minutes and work on 40 BC
40 BC Check-in #1 is due 10/12

Important Information:
Field Trip permission slip and money due 10/25
Our class needs volunteers to get quilt squares and website help
Quarter project part 2 is due 10/16

Progress Reports

Progress reports were sent home last Friday. Please sign and return your child's progress report by this Friday, October 13th. Thank you!

Looking at the Week Ahead: Week of 10/9

Literacy:  Students will take the final assessment for the self-monitoring portion of our first literacy unit. Then, we will move into the main idea and summarizing portion of the unit.  During this part of the unit, students will learn to write summaries and determine the main idea of a text.  During writing, we'll begin our Prose Constructed Response (PCR) unit. 

Math:  Study guides for the Unit 1 math test will be sent home on Tuesday.  They are due on Thursday.  We will take the final unit assessment on Friday. 

Social Studies: This week, students will participate in a mini-inquiry project focusing on a Native American tribe that once lived in the Chicagoland area.  They will research their tribe and create a quilt square representing their tribe later in the week.  Students will work in teams of 4 during this project. 

Interactive Read-Aloud:  I will continue to read aloud The Birchbark House, by Louise Erdrich. 

Important Reminders: 

• Tuesday, October 10 - Picture Day
• Thursday, October 12 - First 40BC Check-In
• Monday, October 16 - Quarter Project Park 2 due
• Friday, October 27 - Skinner North Walk-a-thon

Picture Day is Next Tuesday, 10/10

Just a quick reminder that picture day is next Tuesday, October 10th.  Picture day forms were sent home a few weeks ago. You may order online or send money to school with your child.  Please see the form for more details.

Looking at the Week Ahead: Week of 10/2

Literacy:  This week we'll wrap up the Self-Monitoring portion of our first unit.  Students will continue to practice using context clues.  They will also practice inferencing strategies.  Last Friday, we took the REACH BOY PT (Beginning of Year Performance Task) - this is a brief written assessment to monitor students' literacy progress from the beginning of the year to the end of the year. During writing, students will be introduced to Kid Blog.  We'll begin our second writing unit later in the week, which will focus on academic writing. 

Math:  Students will be instructed on lessons 1.8-1.12 this week.  You can expect corresponding Home Links for homework.  Students will review subtracting strategies as well as geometry and measurement skills. 

Social Studies:  A new Key Concept mini-project was introduced last Thursday. This mini-project corresponds to the Nat Geo Native American theme set we have been studying the last couple of weeks.  Students had the opportunity to work on the project in class last Thursday and Friday, and they will have time to finish their mini-projects in class today.  Thursday, students will be assessed on the Native American theme set texts.  During the assessment, students will be allowed to use the book. 

Other Important Reminders: 
Progress Reports Distributed - 10/6
Picture Day - 10/10
40 Book Challenge Check-In - 10/12
Quarter Project Part 2 due - 10/16
Skinner North Walk-a-Thon - 10/27

Looking at the Week Ahead: Week of 9/25

Below you will find a brief overview of what to expect this week in our classroom:

Literacy:  Students will continue to review strategies for monitoring comprehension.  They will use annotations to make notes while reading and determine the meaning of unknown words using context clues.  During the literacy block, students will edit, revise, and publish essays they've written with a partner.  Commenting on blog posts will also be introduced.

Math:  I will instruct lessons 1.5-1.8 using the Everyday Math Curriculum.  You can expect the corresponding Home Links for homework.  Students will review strategies for number stories, solving multi-digit addition problems, and problem solving strategies. 

Social Studies:  We will continue to study the Native American Theme set will be used to teach non-fiction comprehension skills.  Students will read about their Native American tribe and complete a mini-project in class.  Small groups will be utilized to teach students to read charts and graphs. 

Interactive Read Aloud:  Our first interactive read aloud will begin this week, starting with The Birchbark House.  Students will listen as I read aloud. Throughout the read aloud, students will identify unfamiliar words, respond to deep thinking questions, and engage in discussions about the text with their peers. 

Book Fair:  Our class visited the Book Fair today.  The book fair is open all week before and after school, and there are many great books available for students to use for the 40BC!

Reminders: 
Monday, Oct. 2nd - Quarter Project Part #1 due
Tuesday, Oct. 10th - Picture Day
Thursday, Oct. 12th - 40BC Check-in

Tweetheart Schedule

I hope everyone is having a great weekend! In class last week, I drew sticks to determine the order in which each student will be our Tweetheart of the Week. Please check out the schedule posted below. More information about Tweetheart of the Week can be found on the TGW (Third Grade Website). Students can expect to receive their poster 2-3 weeks in advance so they have enough time to color and decorate the poster as they wish.

Name                 Week of

Olivia	9/25/17
Matthew	10/2/17
Vivian	10/9/17
Adriana	10/16/17
Max	10/23/17
Neena	10/30/17
Alina	11/6/17
Cynthia	11/13/17
Sid	11/27/17
Aidan	12/4/17
Abby	12/11/17
Yash	12/18/17
Sarai	1/8/18
Elena	1/15/18
Carter	1/22/18
Alton	1/29/18
Kai	2/5/18
Liam	2/12/18
Ella	2/19/18
Ibrahim	2/26/18
Joey	3/5/18
Juan	3/12/18
Kiran	3/19/18
Brennan	4/2/18
Shaan	4/9/18
Addison	4/16/18
Gregory	4/23/18
Ari	4/30/18
Allison	5/7/18
Charlie	5/14/18

40 Book Challenge

The 40 Book Challenge assignment was explained yesterday and students can officially begin reading and recording book summaries in the notebook they made in class.  The guidelines, instructions, and due dates are glued into the notebook.  Students also received a copy of the instructions and due dates to keep at home, and you can find the information on the TGW as well.  If you have a question about the 40BC, please check with your child first - they should know all of the answers. :-) 

The notebook can be kept at home, but should be returned to school on each due date to hand in for grading.  It will be returned 1-3 school days later. 

More information about the One-Minute book talk will come closer to the due date. 

Student Planners

Student Planners were handed out today. They will be used every day for the rest of the school year to write down homework and important announcements.  IXL checklists were taped into the planners as well.   Please INITIAL your child's planner each night to be certain that homework was completed and make sure the planner is returned to school each day.

Math Homework and Materials

Home Links:  Students are responsible for completing the entire Home Link that corresponds with the daily class lesson- usually this will equal one page each day.  Students should NOT work ahead.  The packet of Home Links should be returned to school each day.  Each Home Link is worth 5 points.  Points will be deducted for late and incomplete work.  Math work should be completed in pencil and completed neatly.  The assigned Home Links will be written in the Student Planner and on the TGW.

IXL Checklist:  Students should complete ALL of the assigned lessons for the unit on IXL.  The checklist needs to be completed by the end of the unit and can be completed at the child's own pace.  This means they can work on the lessons in any order and at any time prior to the end of the unit.  IXL checklists are not graded and they do not need to be turned in, but it is expected each of the lessons are completed. 

Student Math Journal (SMJ):  Students have 15-25 minutes each day to complete the assigned pages in class as well as additional time at the end of the day. If they are not completed in class, they will be completed for homework. 

EXTREMELY IMPORTANT:  ALL MATERIALS NEED TO BE RETURNED EACH DAY.  We use the Math Journals every day.  Your child will fall behind if they forget their SMJ, please make sure it is returned to school.

Looking at the Week Ahead

Each week, I post a brief overview of what to expect the following week in our classroom.  Below is what you can expect this week:

Literacy:  Our first unit, Self- Monitoring, is a quick review of reading strategies and routines.  We'll plow through this over the next couple of weeks. Students will receive their 40 Book Challenge assignment this week.  As homework each night, they will be expected to read 30 minutes.  This can be independently or with you. During writing, students will publish "Definition Poems" onto their Student Blogs.  If you get a chance, ask your child if they can name the 14 Building Blocks to Success that we've been studying over these past two weeks.   All of the building blocks came from our first read aloud, Inch and Miles: The Journey to Success.  They will also continue to work on a writing assignment they began last week with a buddy in our classroom.

Math:  We began our first math unit today.  Place Value and Multi-Digit Addition and Subtraction reviews concepts taught in second grade and introduces students to third grades routines and expectations.  Students are grouped based on NWEA, Math Pre-Assessments, and daily exit slips.  Home Links were sent home today for homework.  Home Links are always available on the Third Grade Website (TGW) if your child loses or misplaces his/her packet.

Social Studies: We'll begin our first Social Studies Unit: Before Chicago.  Students will read a leveled text about a Native American tribe.  Then, they well participate in small group discussions/activities around the text.  You can read more about the unit on the TGW.

**Student Planners went home today!  Please be on the look out and SIGN YOUR CHILD'S PLANNER each night.  Planners and green Homework Folders will go home everyday and need to be returned everyday. 

If you were unable to make Parent Back to School night last week, please take a look at the Third Grade Handbook when you have a chance.  I sent a paper copy home with your child and it is also available on the Third Grade Website.

Important Reminders:  
Friday, 9/22: Book Fair begins. We will visit the library on Thursday afternoons this year.
Monday, 10/2: First Quarter Project due