Mr. Wasil’s 3rd Grade Class

Reading/Language Arts

            This week, we will continue our theme “Something Special!” by reading The Olympic Games:  Where Heroes Are Made by Nicholas Camacho on pages 132-147.  This expository nonfiction story teaches us how the Olympic Games have grown and changed since the first contests were held in ancient
Greece.  However, one aspect of the games remains the same – their ability to inspire amazing performances from the world’s best athletes. 

            As we read the story, students will be:  learning new vocabulary, practicing syllabication, making inferences, and using antonyms.  Writing our book reports this week will be our writing focus. Students will need to state the author, genre, purpose, and audience in their report.  They will then present their book report to the class and answer any questions the class may have.

            Many parents ask about how they can help their child become a better writer. The answer is simple, the more they write, the better they become.  Set aside 20 minutes one night to discuss the day’s events, but instead of oral language, communicate through written language only.  Children quickly see the importance of writing skills when they can only communicate this way!  The spelling test and end of selection test will be on Friday this week due to the day off on Tuesday.

Math

            We begin our new unit on measurement this week. Students will explore the need for standard units of measure and create our own special unit of length based on our shoe size!  Wednesday the class will choose the appropriate measuring tool to complete a task.  Thursday finds us reviewing U.S. Customary and Metric Units of length. Our end of the week consists of measuring polygons and finding perimeters.

Science/Social Studies

            In science, our unit on rocks and minerals begins on Monday! The class will form a model rock in class to use in future observations. Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday the students will explore, observe, and describe 12 different rocks.  We will also finish up our government and Brecksville books in class.

Miscellaneous

Tuesday-No school due to Waiver Day.

Friday-Sally Foster sale ends. Please send in all materials by Friday.

Next Monday, October 6th is the Ohio Reading Achievement Test. Please make sure your child gets plenty of rest Sunday night and eats a good breakfast Monday morning. Snacks will be provided by our PSO on Monday morning.

Homework- Week of September 29th-October 3rd

Monday- Sept. 29th- Math- math boxes 3.1  &  Spelling- pages 22-24 due by Thursday

Tuesday- Sept. 30th- No School For Students- Waiver Day

Wednesday- Oct. 1st- Math- skills page 24, Reading-Take home reading book and read pages 132-147 for Friday’s comprehension test.  Spelling pages 22-24 due tomorrow. 

Thursday- Oct. 2nd-  Reading- end of selection test tomorrow. Spelling- study for test tomorrow. Math- 3.3 homelink

Friday- Oct. 3rd- get plenty of rest for Ohio Reading Ach. Test on Monday!!!

Reading/Language Arts

            Our story this week is titled Allie’s Basketball Dream by Barbara E. Barber on pages 102-121. This is a story about a girl whose father gives her a basketball for a present.  She would love to play but she is afraid of the boys at the playground.  When she tries to practice they make fun of her.  See what happens to Allie when her friend helps her learn the game.  This is a good story about practicing something you really want to do and finally learning how to do it well.  Allie is very happy at the end of the story and her father is very proud of her.

            As always, students will bring home their reading books.  This will be on Tuesdays. I would like for them to re-read the story or follow along with the story on audio from my blog.  Every Thursday there is an end of selection test based on the story of the week.  Students are allowed to use their book on this as well.

            The main focus this week will be on:  vocabulary, using the dictionary, narrative elements, and writing a sentence with subjects and predicates.  Ask your child to share with you the Mr. Morton Song!

            The spelling words this week focus on words with long i and o.

Math

            Students will continue to work with subtraction of 3-digit numbers.  On Tuesday, we will explore regrouping with zeros.  Wednesday has us solving number stories having three or more addends.  On Thursday we will review for our math test on Friday.  This review will come home on Thursday.  Friday will be our test on chapter 2.

Township book which is also a great keepsake about the history of Brecksville/Broadview Heights.  Our test on chapter 1 will be on Thursday.

Miscellaneous-  Waiver day Next Tuesday, September 30th. No school for students.

Homework- Week of September 22-26th

Monday- Sept. 22nd- Math- 4.8 Use What You Know, Spelling- pages 19-21 due by Thursday and Social Studies- test on Thursday- start studying.

Tuesday- Sept. 23rd- Math- 4.9 Use What You Know. Reading-Take home reading book and read pages 102-121 for Thursday’s comprehension test.

Wednesday- Sept. 24th- Math- Skills Link page 22, Spelling pages 19-21 due tomorrow. Reading- end of selection test tomorrow. Social Studies- study for test tomorrow.

Thursday- Sept. 25th-  Spelling- study for test tomorrow. Math- look over review guide completed in class today for tomorrow’s test.

Reading/Language Arts

            This week, we will continue our theme “Something Special!” by reading Nate the Great San Francisco Detective (pages 70-95 ) by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat and Mitchell Sharmat.  This mystery introduces us to detective Nate the Great who searches San Francisco for a lost joke book.  He discovers that the wrong place can be the best place to look for a lost item. As we read the story, students will be learning new vocabulary and will continue to practice decoding long words.

Writing complete descriptive sentences will continue to be the subject of our grammar lessons this week along with questions and commands.  Our spelling pattern will be:  words with the long “a” or “e” in them.

Social Studies

            Students will continue to identify different landmarks and places in Brecksville this week. Our focus will be the use of the grid system with the x and y axis. Not only will they do this with various maps but our Smart Board also has an interactive lesson on this!  The class will also recognize communities exist in different countries all over the world.  On Wednesday, it is Constitution day and we will learn about this. I will read the Charlie Brown book on the Constitution and project a Brain Pop lesson with this topic. Thursday has us identifying different ways to learn about your community. We end the week with learning about the major functions of local government.

Math

       The class will be able to review basic addition and subtraction facts involving larger numbers. On Tuesday, the concept of  “What’s My Rule?” will be introduced along with finding patterns.  Parts and Total Diagrams will be used on Wednesday to solve number stories. Another diagram used with problem solving will be comparison diagrams which will be used on Thursday. Friday has us rounding and regrouping large numbers. **We are back in the Everyday Mathematics book now.  Look for the blue skills book to come home for homework most nights. Please make sure it comes back the next day. Also, we will have a Math 4 Today sheet coming home each week. When that comes home, your child is to review it and they will have a quiz on it the following day.

Miscellaneous- Vision and hearing screening on Wednesday from 12:50-1:30

Our schedule for the remaining of the school year 2010. This starts on Tuesday, January 26th!!!

Reading/Language Arts/Spelling- We will be reading a story called Pepita Talks Twice on pages 44-63. The skills we will be concentrating on are reading guided comprehension, vocabulary, spelling words with the short I, O, and U sounds, narrative elements of a story, using a dictionary, learning about statements and questions, decoding long words and learning how to write a diary entry. Students will bring home their reading books on Tuesday night and read the story at home for Thursday’s reading and vocabulary test over the story Pepita Talks Twice.

Math- We will wrap up chapter 1 this week over addition, subtraction and fact families. We will have our first math test on Thursday the 11th. Please help your child at home study his/her math facts.

Social Studies- We are starting a new unit on communities. We will be concentrating on Brecksville and Broadview Heights along with city government and how it works. We will define neighborhood, community, city and state. Also, our Fire Escape Plans are due by this Friday the 12th. These were sent home last Friday with the students.

Miscellaneous: Wednesday- Picture day . Please dress appropriately and fill out the form that came home last week.

Tuesday- 2:00 Assembly on encouraging others to do their best.

Thursday-Scholastic Book Orders due by if ordering.

Friday- Elementary Night at High-school for Football and Sally Foster fundraiser begins.

Homework:  Monday – 9/08- Spelling page 14. Math – 1.5 worksheet.

                    Tuesday – 9/09- Math- 1.6, Social Studies page 1 and Take home reading books and read

                                              pages 44-63

                    Wednesday- 9/10- Picture Day today.  Math- look over pretest completed in class. Social

                                                  St.- page 2. Reading- study for vocabulary test tomorrow.

                    Thursday- 9/11- Spelling- study for test. Math page 32 and Scholastic Book orders due today if ordering. Study for spelling test        

Reading/Language Arts
This year in third grade, students will spend five weeks reading stories that follow a certain theme.  Our first them of the year will be “Something Special!” In this theme, students read about people and characters that discover that their own ideas, interests, and abilities are special. Discovering their special qualities helps them earn the appreciation of others and gain a better understanding of themselves.
We will begin them one by reading Officer Buckle and Gloria by Peggy Rathman.  This fantasy story takes us along with Officer Buckle as he travels to different schools giving safety speeches to the children.  His speeches are a big hit until he finds out that everyone is watching the police dog, Gloria, not him.
As we read the story, students will be learning:  new vocabulary, how to decode long words, how to use text to confirm meanings, analogies, synonyms, and multiple meaning words.
Nouns, verbs, adjectives, punctuation, and capitalization will be the subject of our grammar lessons this week. Along with sentence writing, the students will create a paragraph on popcorn making!

Math
In math this week the students will be able to identify and write related addition and subtraction facts.  They will also solve number sentences for missing addends.  Later on in the week we will learn about the three different properties of addition. The week will end with adding 2-digit numbers with and without regrouping.
 

Science
Scientific inquiry will be our focus this week! The class will use tools to measure different liquids and identify science inquiry tools.   Tuesday and Wednesday will find us exploring with bubbles!  Look for pictures of this lab on my blog under the gallery section. Thursday we will develop a basic understanding of experimental design. They will also observe and record correctly, interpret data, and draw conclusions using mystery capsules. On Friday we will review all safety procedures such as bike, bus, playground, safety at home, and fire. Look for a fire escape plan to come home for the family to fill out and practice.
 

Extras
Tuesday-Assembly at 10:00.
Thursday-Meet The Teacher at 6:30 PM in room N-30

Homework:

Tuesday September 2 – Math page 1.1 practice and Spelling page 12

Wednesday September 3- Math page 1.2 and Reading- study for vocabulary words

Thursday September 4- Math- page 1.3 and Study for 1st spelling test of the year. Library Books due  tomorrow

Friday September 5- Scholastic Book orders due by next Thursday if ordering. Art shirts needed starting next week.