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