Dear Parents and Families,
Spring is here and we have been very busy working hard here in 3rd grade! I enjoyed meeting with each of you at parent-teacher conferences! I hope you are very proud of your children, because I am!
In this newsletter I highlight some important activities/events and discuss some important upcoming activities and events:
What Have We Been Up To?
Math
In math, your children are just beginning their second and last unit covering multiplication and division. They will learn multi-digit multiplication and division and fact extensions. The Everyday Math curriculum teaches multiple strategies for multiplication that may be unfamiliar to parents. Please embrace the challenge and the change and help your students to try out multiple strategies that may help them to understand the concept better! Remember to always check out the Homework Help Videos on my website for unique strategies such as partial products and lattice!
Reading
Your children have been working in new book clubs for the past month now. Fluency focused groups have been working on readers' theater, while comprehension focused groups are working on using evidence from the text to support their understanding as well as writing their thinking and understanding of texts. Your students should continue to remember to read an average of AT LEAST 20 minutes per day.
Writing
In writing, your students are finishing up publishing their realistic fiction stories. The realistic fiction story final drafts are due Friday, March 27th. We will have a small writers' celebration on that day. More information about that will be sent home at a later time. Our next unit will be informational writing where the students will publish an informational book about their animal from the Big Zoo Lesson. The students will be selecting their animals one week from tomorrow!
Social Studies
The students are just finishing up their Historical Narratives about life in early Michigan. These Historical Narratives are due Friday. Our next social studies will be about the Government of Michigan. We were very excited to have Sam Singh, State Representative and former East Lansing Mayor read a book to us for March is Reading month! The kids asked some great questions!
Science
The students have been having lots of fun in science studying force and motion. Special thanks to Mrs. Lathom for the ramps! The students have been experimenting with friction and gravity by sending matchbox cars and balls down ramps!
Important Reminders
-Please send your child into school with a snack. Many children are eating their snacks during lunch and do not have a snack in the afternoon. My classroom snack supply is running low!
-Please make sure you are correcting and signing your child's homework each night!
-As the weather gets warmer, this is the age where some children need support with using deodorant. We did discuss the use of deodorant during our health instruction. Please remind your child to wash their hands, shower or bathe at least twice a week, and to use deodorant if necessary.
Upcoming Events
-Monday, March 23rd 9AM Jump Rope Assembly
-Monday, March 23rd-Friday March 27th- Glencairn Book Fair
-Tuesday, March 24th Acrobat Assembly
-Friday, March 27th Movie Night 6-8 PM
-Thursday, April 2nd Unit 7 Math Assessment
-April 3rd-12th Spring Break
-April 20th-24th Big Zoo Lesson
Thursday, May 21st Celebration of Cultures @ McDonald Middle School 7 PM
Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns!
Sincerely,
Ms. Bean :)
Spring is here and we have been very busy working hard here in 3rd grade! I enjoyed meeting with each of you at parent-teacher conferences! I hope you are very proud of your children, because I am!
In this newsletter I highlight some important activities/events and discuss some important upcoming activities and events:
What Have We Been Up To?
Math
In math, your children are just beginning their second and last unit covering multiplication and division. They will learn multi-digit multiplication and division and fact extensions. The Everyday Math curriculum teaches multiple strategies for multiplication that may be unfamiliar to parents. Please embrace the challenge and the change and help your students to try out multiple strategies that may help them to understand the concept better! Remember to always check out the Homework Help Videos on my website for unique strategies such as partial products and lattice!
Reading
Your children have been working in new book clubs for the past month now. Fluency focused groups have been working on readers' theater, while comprehension focused groups are working on using evidence from the text to support their understanding as well as writing their thinking and understanding of texts. Your students should continue to remember to read an average of AT LEAST 20 minutes per day.
Writing
In writing, your students are finishing up publishing their realistic fiction stories. The realistic fiction story final drafts are due Friday, March 27th. We will have a small writers' celebration on that day. More information about that will be sent home at a later time. Our next unit will be informational writing where the students will publish an informational book about their animal from the Big Zoo Lesson. The students will be selecting their animals one week from tomorrow!
Social Studies
The students are just finishing up their Historical Narratives about life in early Michigan. These Historical Narratives are due Friday. Our next social studies will be about the Government of Michigan. We were very excited to have Sam Singh, State Representative and former East Lansing Mayor read a book to us for March is Reading month! The kids asked some great questions!
Science
The students have been having lots of fun in science studying force and motion. Special thanks to Mrs. Lathom for the ramps! The students have been experimenting with friction and gravity by sending matchbox cars and balls down ramps!
Important Reminders
-Please send your child into school with a snack. Many children are eating their snacks during lunch and do not have a snack in the afternoon. My classroom snack supply is running low!
-Please make sure you are correcting and signing your child's homework each night!
-As the weather gets warmer, this is the age where some children need support with using deodorant. We did discuss the use of deodorant during our health instruction. Please remind your child to wash their hands, shower or bathe at least twice a week, and to use deodorant if necessary.
Upcoming Events
-Monday, March 23rd 9AM Jump Rope Assembly
-Monday, March 23rd-Friday March 27th- Glencairn Book Fair
-Tuesday, March 24th Acrobat Assembly
-Friday, March 27th Movie Night 6-8 PM
-Thursday, April 2nd Unit 7 Math Assessment
-April 3rd-12th Spring Break
-April 20th-24th Big Zoo Lesson
Thursday, May 21st Celebration of Cultures @ McDonald Middle School 7 PM
Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns!
Sincerely,
Ms. Bean :)