Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

We hope all our families have a wonderful, safe break! Enjoy this time off with your friends and family! Most of all have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Please feel free to comment on this post and share with the class what you have been doing over break! We would love to hear from you!

Cursive Handwriting

We have worked very hard and have finished learning all the cursive letters of the alphabet. We will continue to practice these letters throughout the year. After the first of they year the students will be required to take their spelling test in cursive. They are always welcome to print the spelling word next to the cursive word.

Centerfield Ballhawk Spelling and Vocabulary Week of 1/9

Spelling~ boots, grouped, shook, school, looked, hood, choose, brook, zoomed, balloon, loose, soot, understood, cartoon, afternoon, season, umpire, diamond, average, pitcher

Vocabulary~ballhawk, vanish, fault, concentrate, outfielder, depend

You can practice these words and skills at http://www.harcourtschool.com/menus/trophies/grade_3.html
Just click on the skill to practice and choose this week's story. Have fun!

No More Reading Home Connections Newsletter

Lawndale's paper budget is slowly diminishing. In an effort to save paper, we will no longer be sending home the Harcourt Reading Home Connection. The weekly story, spelling and vocabulary will still be sent home in our weekly newsletter and will also be published on our blog. Please let us know if you would still like to receive a copy and we will send one home. Thanks!

Stories Julian Tells~ Spelling & Vocabulary

Sorry! I got a little ahead of myself. Here are the words for this week's story!

Focus Skill- Read Ahead
Focus Strategy- Deocoding Long Words

Spelling-brother's, brothers, uncle's, uncles, sister's, sisters, sisters', man's, men's, child's, girls, girl's, girls', mine, yours, tease, friendship, polite, wiggle, nuisance

Vocabulary- cartwheel, beyond, fastened, mustache, seriously, collection

You can practice these words and skills at http://www.harcourtschool.com/menus/trophies/grade_3.html
Just click on the skill to practice and choose this week's story. Have fun!

The Talent Show~Spelling and Vocabulary

Focus Skill- Create a Mental Image
Focus Strategy- Prefix and Suffix

Spelling-song, law, because, soft, dawn, crawl,  lost, taught, long, pause, frost, lawn, hawk, laundry, author, sausage, cafeteria, mustard, tablecloth, service

Vocabulary- gym, perform, prefer, recite, enjoying, billions, roam

You can practice these words and skills at http://www.harcourtschool.com/menus/trophies/grade_3.html
Just click on the skill to practice and choose this week's story. Have fun!

Little Grunt and Big Egg Spelling & Vocabulary

Focus Skill- Decode Long Words
Focus Strategy- Word Relationships

Spelling-soil, destory, volcano, employ, joyful, annoy, moist, choice, spoil, boiled, loyal, royal, joint, noise, rumble, pointy, voice, weather, hurricane, earthquake

Vocabulary- erupting, escape, omelet, lava, brunch, peaceful

 

You can practice these words and skills at http://www.harcourtschool.com/menus/trophies/grade_3.html
Just click on the skill to practice and choose this week's story. Have fun!

SCIENCE NEWS

Rockets
     We've had lots of fun learning about force, motion, inertia, gravity, mass, volume, spring scales, and work during our physical science unit.  There are several more experiemtns coming up and we are working closer towards launching our rockets--let's just hope the weather cooperates!  :)

Participation Points and the Scientific Method
     Please be advised that students EARN participation points during every science lesson.  Participation points are earned only in class when the student is on task, participating, and most importantly following science safety rules and procedures.  When the student is not doing the above mentioned, points are deducted, which affects their final grade.  Please review with your child to be safe, follow rules, and make good choices.
     Also, part of the students participation points is being able to use the scientific method.  The scientific method is a series of steps which gets your child thinking critically about science and the world around them.  The scientific method involves posing a question, forming a hypothesis, testing their hypothesis, making observations, and reporting their results.  Using this method enables students to think outside the box, use higher order thinking skills, and retain more information.
Mrs. Butcher

Thanksgiving Family Turkey Project

Your child should have brought home a Family Turkey Project. The students have until next Friday to complete this assignment. It is due November 18th. The students can complete this assignment with help from the whole family. It is meant to be fun!

Please decorate your turkey however you like. Try to use materials other than just crayons. Paint, leaves, feathers, beads, glitter, ribbon, noodles, pipe cleaners are just a few ideas. Be creative. In the past I have received Cleveland Browns turkeys, Ohio State Turkeys, even Ballerina turkeys. Below is an example of a turkey that was painted and has a googly eye.

The students will receive extra credit participation and homework points for completing this assigment.

The turkeys will be displayed and the most creative turkey will win a prize!

Have fun!

Daily 5 In Action!

Daily 5 is in full swing in the classroom.

Check out the pictures of the students working on the Daily 5 choices.

AJ completing his Self Read Choice.

Jasmine working on her Self Read while Olivia works on her Writing.

They are both working well in their own Bubble Space!

Claudia completing her Read to Self Choice.

Shawn Completing some Vocabulary during his Word Work Choice.

Rosie: A Visiting Dog's Story Spelling & Vocabulary

Rosie: A Visiting Dog's Story Spelling & Vocabulary

Focus Skill- Author's Purpose

Focus Strategy- Text Structure and Format

Spelling-crowded, proud, however, crown, count, around, proud, loud, shouted, south, house, howl, growl, bounce, fountain, sound, special, trust, companion, behave, trained

 Vocabulary- delicate, marine, creature, collapsed, curious, survived

You can practice these words and skills at http://www.harcourtschool.com/menus/trophies/grade_3.html
Just click on the skill to practice and choose this week's story. Have fun!

Please Remember to Vote Yes on Issue 14 Tuesday!!

1. With more top-rated, award-winning schools and programs that prepare students well for college and jobs, Akron Public Schools is moving in the right direction.  Check out videos and more information on the Issue 14 official website:
   
   http://forakronschools.com/content/videos.html
2. Akron Public Schools faces a dire financial situation; $7 million, 83 teachers and many programs have been cut. Revenue from state and
   local sources will decline by another $18 million.       
3. With salary scale freezes and benefit cuts, teachers, staff and administrators are doing their part.        
4. Without Issue 14 -- which costs $7 per month for the average homeowner -- APS faces an $11 million deficit that could easily end key programs, eliminate teachers, and stop APS progress in graduating students who are ready for college and the work force. 
   

APS is moving in the right direction. Continued improvements are vital to the success of our community's neighborhoods, work force and economy.   

Wild Shots They're My Life Spelling & Vocabulary

Focus Skill- Author's Purpose

Focus Strategy- Text Structure and Format

Spelling-finger, pencil, huge, stage, police, giraffe, peculiar, scaly, force, creature, excite, space, unusual, range, strange, office, fence, price, badge, engine
Vocabulary- delicate, marine, creature, collapsed, curious, survived

You can practice these words and skills at http://www.harcourtschool.com/menus/trophies/grade_3.html
Just click on the skill to practice and choose this week's story. Have fun!

Fluency Passage

Please watch for a fluency passage coming home in your child's Star Binder.

The students are to practice this passage nightly. We are tracking the number of words they can read per minute. Our goals is to get each child to significantly increase the number of WPM. Practicing this passage will not only increase WPM but improve your child's fluency and comprehension.

When practicing the passage, please remind your child to not read as fast as they can, but to read smoothly, with expression.

Not every child has received one yet. They are receiving them during their 100 Book Challenge conferencing time. Several different passages will be sent home throughout the year.

100 Book Challenge Update

This week's goal for 100 Book Challenge lines read is 136. I check goals on Monday mornings. The students have all week and all weekend to reach this goal. You will be receiving information in your child's agenda if they are behing goal.

The students have built enough stamina in class to read 30 minutes a night. This is equivalent to two lines. Please do not sign more than two lines per night. If your child has/her nose stuck in a book they love and don't want to put the book down-that's GREAT!! Just write a small note why they earned the extra lines. We would love to make an exception for students who want to read more! Just please let us know.

Just signing as a "requirement" will become evident when students aren't improving comprehension, fluency and moving up color levels in 100 Book Challenge. We monitor closely the number of lines truly spent reading. The more time they spend authentically reading  a just right level book; the better read they will become!

Most importantly we want to foster a life long love of reading! Thanks!

Turtle Bay~ Spelling and Vocabulary Words

Focus Skill- Reread to Clarify

Focus Strategy- Author's Purpose

Spelling-laugh, enough, rough, knocked, dolphin, coral, wrench, whale, wring, wreck, wrinkle, tortoise, written, sea horse, wrap, writer, known, wrong, knot, sphere
Vocabulary- eager, litter, patiently, trained, wise, message

You can practice these words and skills at http://www.harcourtschool.com/menus/trophies/grade_3.html
Just click on the skill to practice and choose this week's story. Have fun!

Issue 14~ Please Vote YES!!!

Please Vote Yes on Election Day for the Akron Public Schools operating levy!!

This operating levy is a responsible request by the Akron Public Schools asking the community to support our children's education. Even with the passage of this levy the district will need to make an additional 9.2 million additional cuts for each of the next 3 years.

The passage of this levy will cost approximately $7 per month for the average home and will be used only to pay for necessities that will keep the district getting good results.


Election Day is Tuesday, November 8, 2011. You can pick up voter registration and absentee ballot information in the school office. Absentee ballot is an easy way for busy families to find time to vote.

The non passage of this levy, will directly affect your child's education, teacher and community. Please support Issue 14!

For more information please visit http://www.forakronschools.com/

Health Project~ "Don't Stress Out Poster"

After each Health Unit we complete, the students will be assigned a small project. We recently completed a unity on Self Esteem and Getting Along with Others. The project for this unit is a "Don't Stress Out" Poster. The poster is due next Tuesday, October 26th. The students will bring home the guidelines for the project as well as the paper the poster is to be completed on. The students will find information to help them complete this project in their Health texts. We will also share many ideas and examples in class. Below is one example of a poster that meets all the guidelines for the assignment.

MATH NEWS

Things to Remember
*Keep practicing your math facts every night! You're doing a great job and we can see vast improvements everyday!
*There is ONE STORY PROBLEM to complete every night for homework.  Students must show their work and EXPLAIN in detailed, complete sentences, how they got their answer.  We go over it in class BEFORE they take the problem home, then share student answers and explanations the next day as a whole group.  Proving there is more than one way to solve a problem!
*We have a "Spiral Math Quiz" at the end of every week.  Spiral Math constantly reviews concepts for the state math test.  It builds upon what they learned the previous week, while reviewing the basics.  Study sheets come home the night before the test (which is usually a Thursday).
*Akron Public Schools has purchased a new math curriculum series for grades K-12.  This new series is aggressive in teaching math concepts to our students.  It also features mini videos to watch before each lesson to give students a good visual of what to expect.  You will be receiving info on how to log on and access this new curriculum on the Internet.
Thank you for working hard!  Mrs. Butcher

Well Done Room 204!

The students did a great job on the OAA this past Tuesday. They were all focused and tried their best. The district should receive the test results near the end of November. Each parent will receive a print out with your child's information. The students will get a second chance to take the test in the Spring. You will be amazed at the amount of growth they will show!

Thanks to all the parents who were able to make it to Interim Pick-Up. We know how busy schedules can be. We appreciate you taking time out to meet with us and discuss your child's progress. Feel free to contact us any time you have questions. 

Olympic Games-Spelling & Vocabulary

Focus Skill- Adjust reading rate

Focus Strategy- Non-Fiction Elements

Spelling-least, fast, just, burst, strip, stick, strike, artist, almost, student, strong, start, blast, step, street, events, competition, stroke, teammate, distance

Vocabulary- ceremonies, earned, ancient, stadium, compete, medals, host, record

You can pracitce these words and skills at http://www.harcourtschool.com/menus/trophies/grade_3.html
Just click on the skill to practice and choose this week's story. Have fun!

Social Studies News

During the school year, we will alternate our studies between Science and Social Studies.  We just finished our science unit on matter and it's physical properties.  Now we will begin our FIRST exploration into Social Studies.   For the upcoming week, we will be learning about globes, the seven continents, the oceans, the Equator, and the Northern/Southern hemispheres.  Please use the globe/map/study guide that will be coming home to practice these concepts.

Seven Continents - Africa, Asia, Antartica, Australia, Europe, North America, South America
Oceans - Artic, India, Pacific, Atlantic

This basic knowledge will help us throughout our year as we explore maps, directions, goods/services, and communites!  :)
Mrs. Butcher

Ohio Achievement Assessment

Tuesday, October 4th all 3rd grade students across Ohio will be taking the Ohio Achievement Assessment in Reading. The students will take this test for a second time in April of 2012.

Please make sure your child is present at school on October 4th and on time. Testing will start promptly at 8:45. As always, breakfast is provided at school that day.

We will be completing a practice test together in class. A practice test will also be sent home for you to complete with your child. The practice packet will be due on Friday. We have also been practicing test taking strategies in class as well.

As always thank you so much for your support and help at home. Together we will provide the knowledge and skills to pass the OAA!

Allie's Basketball Dream- Spelling & Vocabulary

Allie's Basketball Dream

Focus Skill- Narrative Elements
Focus Strategy- Word Relationships

Spelling-tight, while, show, stone, bright, whole, window, time, follow, close, flight, tide, grow, broke, below, basketball, coach, forward, dribble, guard

Vocabulary- aimed, captain, familiar, monitor, pretended, professional

You can pracitce these words and skills at http://www.harcourtschool.com/menus/trophies/grade_3.html
Just click on the skill to practice and choose this week's story. Have fun!

Nate The Great- The San Francisco Detective

Spelling- these, easy, scream, seat, reach, theme, solve, search, leave, investigate, mystery, pail, grade, gain, raise, name, saved, late, found, meet

Vocabulary- positive, assistant, detective, returned, specific, case, definitely

Science News!

We are learning about the three states of matter and what may cause it to change.  As well as, it's physical properties such as rough/smooth, shiny/dull, hard/soft, etc.

Vocab:
physical properites, matter, solids, liquids, gases, evaporation

Test:  (2 parts)
Thurs. Sept. 22 and Fri. Sept. 23 (study guide will come home on Wed.)

Ask your child about the experiments we've been doing and viewing!
Mrs. Butcher

Spelling and Vocabulary Words 9/12- Pepita Talks Twice

Spelling
surprised, emotion, thing, lunch ,pick, fish, slip, expression, gift, frown, dish, jump, socks, inch, pond,
thump, rocks ,truck, from, smirk

Vocabulary
mumbled, grumble, stubborn, exploded, streak, darted, languages
**Students must be able to use these words correctly in a sentence

Open House

Thanks so much to all of the parents who came to meet us at Open House! We know how busy you are. We really appreciate it! We still look forward to meeting those of you we didn't see there :-)

First Week of School

It feels good to have the first week of school under our belt! The students did a great job! Please make sure to return all the forms to school ASAP. We need the Media Release forms returned so we can get some pictures of the students working on our blog.

The STAR binders should be complete next week. They will contain our class mission statement, schedule, and student list. We hope you have a great Labor Day weekend and look forward to seeing you Tuesday!

Reading & Language Arts Survey

One goal of this school year is to foster a love of reading in each student! The students will complete this survey in class.  This data will help guide our plans for the school year. We hope each child will leave here with a life long love of reading.

Reading & Language Arts Survey