Catie's Third Grade Class Blog: Catie's Weekly Update

Hello families,

If you haven't checked it out yet, please take a look at the blog this week. For the first few weeks, I'll send these newsletters out via e-mail, but soon I'll just post them to the blog. If you subscribe to the blog, you will get an e-mail update any time I post something new. We had a busy week, see pictures in the last post, and read below for details.

Math

This week we focused on strategies for addition and subtraction problems using numbers less than 20. We generated a list of strategies (facts) to help us become more efficient with our addition and subtraction- for example, "any number minus itself always equals zero." This was review for many of the students, but I want to make sure these concepts are clear before we move into more complicated ideas. We also began Workplaces this week. Workplaces are like last years, where the students self select math stations, involving activities and games to help review, practice, and reinforce what has been taught. I have also started giving a logic problem for "Logic Friday", our morning warm up, to increase kids attention to details (especially in directions) and exercise that important part of their math brain. They are also really fun. Our first Home Connection (optional math homework, usually practice of an activity or game we have learned/played in class) will go home with homework on Monday. This is optional, it is great practice, especially when absent, going on a trip, or if you are looking for a new family game/activity.

Writer's Workshop

This week in writing we focused on developing ideas. We made heart maps (of things that we love) and also maps of places that are special to them or where they have lots of memories. They will use these "Buried Story" maps to get great ideas for writing. Next week we'll continue developing ideas and choosing one idea to take through the writing process.

Reader's Workshop

This week we have focused on the comprehension strategy of prediction. I always tell the students that reading is thinking...it's not just sounding out words. Throughout the year, we will learn and reinforce strategies that get us thinking about our books. Making predictions based on what we know is one way to do this. "I think ________ will happen because_________." We practiced this skill with our new read aloud novel, Alvin Ho, by Lenore Look. The class is enjoying this story about a boy who has a lot of fears... including his ultimate fear: school.

Grains

This was a big week for grains. We tasted 8 different grains on Tuesday and wrote our observations about their taste, texture, and appearance. On Thursday the students threshed, winnowed, and ground our grains into flour. Today, we made blueberry muffins using a little of our homemade flour (the flous we made was pretty coarse, so we won't be using a lot of it!) Ask your students how much flour our class of 23 made, and how much work they put into it! In the coming weeks, we will be replanting our grain garden with some of the seeds they harvested.

Columbia Children's Arboretum

Next week if our first visit to our field study site, the Columbia Children's Arboretum. The arboretum is a hidden place in upper Northeast Portland. Its 28 acres are tucked away amid industrial lands and warehouses. Our first visit will involve getting to know the land, learning about shelter, finding a "sit spot", and playing some outdoor games. Right now, the weather forecast looks great- low 70's and dry. Please keep in mind that it might be cool when we first arrive, so help your student dress appropriately. We will be doing some hiking, so comfortable shoes are a must. If you volunteered to help with our field studies and have not yet contacted me to confirm, please do so ASAP. We are a little short on drivers at this point. Thanks!

Back to School Forms

Thank you for returning most of the back to school forms promptly. There are still a few missing medical and walking field trip forms. Please get this into me as soon as possible, your student knows where to put it, in the box labeled "Papers for Catie". I will e-mail the folks with missing forms this weekend. Also, please get the Field Study permission slips back to me no later than Tuesday, September 25th. I cannot take students who do not have medical forms/permission slips on our field study. Thank you.

Classroom Needs

Wow, thanks for the abundance of dry, storable, healthy snacks for our class these past couple of days, our snack bin is overflowing!

Here are some items we'll be needing soon. You may send them up with your child any time next week:

-Shoeboxes (with removable lids)

-Paper towel tubes

-Wine corks

-Rocks, sticks, moss, bark, and other forest detritus (these would be fun things to collect with your student)

Also, I would really like for my desk to become a standing desk, so if anyone is particularly handy with building or has access to scrap wood (I don't even know where to start!) I'd greatly appreciate any support-please send me an email!

Ask Your Student. . .

Here are some conversation started that you can try with your student to get them talking about what we're doing in room 200:

-Why is predicting an important reading skill?

-Tell me about Alvin Ho

-What is threshing and winnowing?

-How did musical rehearsal go?

-How are grains turned into food?

Important dates:

Sept. 22- Autumnal Equinox

Sept. 26-Field Study at Columbia Children's Arboretum

Oct 2-Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge Field Study

Thanks for sending such enthusiastic students to school each day,

Catie

If your child is absent due to an illness I am happy to provide an overview of the work they missed in class that day or for those days they are out sick. Inevitably there are times when trips need to happen during the school year and your student should be assured that although they are missing class time, I encourage them to embrace the learning opportunities outside the walls of our school. Parents often ask me for a packet to bring along to keep their child engaged in some learning and kept busy in a car or on a plane, but I don't assign "trip work" packets. Trips on their own have the potential to be rich learning experiences from airport or car, to destination and back. Instead I ask that students keep a journal, photo journal or scrapbook of their trip which could be shared with me upon their return to class. They are also welcome to share these with the class, but I don't require them to do so. Finding a secret spot and having a special little journal in hand in which to write and sketch what they see is infinitely more valuable to your child than me giving them a story prompt. If you do want your child to have some 3rd grade-level busy work during travel you could visit Learning Palace or a similar store to purchase 3rd grade skills workbooks. The following are some ideas for meaningful learning during trips:

Math:
Have your child use math, reading and writing skills as often as possible. Have them pay for things and count change or add up the coins received back, use maps, figure out elapsed time or the time an activity took to complete, compare prices of menu items, look for patterns in nature or architecture, estimate the time it will take to complete an activity, collect data of some kind and create a bar graph (cars vs. trucks on a five mile stretch of road or the kinds of people around you on the plane who order soda vs. juice for example), etc.

Writing:
Have them bring their writer's notebook or more fun, have them choose and buy a special little notebook just for the trip where they can sketch possible characters, special spots or images to use in future writing. Everyone and everything they see can be given new life as a character or setting in future writing. A little set of colored pencils or tiny watercolors to go along with it can make it more fun as well. Have your child write and mail a postcard or letter to our class (even if it arrives after they return). Our school's address is 3421 SE Salmon St., PDX 97214. Thank you notes for guest accommodations or for hotel operators is always fun, too.

Reading:
Trips can be made more fun if your child is taken to the library or to Powell's for a special trip book or two. Perhaps they could visit a local book store at your destination where they can choose a book to read or purchase for the time they are there or for the trip back. As time permits, be sure they read at least 30 minutes or more each day.

Science or Social Studies:
We study rocks and minerals in 3rd grade and it's always a joy for kids when we begin this unit in winter to bring in a special rock from a place they have visited during the year. We also learn about the first peoples who lived on this land long before white settlers came to what is now known as Portland. It can be interesting for kids to learn about other first peoples who lived in places you visit. Just learning a bit about the history of a new place with a city walking tour, nature hike, scenic route or collecting little souvenirs or scraps can be fun for your child as well.

Catie's Third Grade Class Blog

Friday, September 21, 2012

Catie's Weekly Update

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