Multiplication Mania!

Our students have been working so hard to master our multiplication facts! We have worked to use many different models to show what we know about multiplication, including array models, set models, number lines, and repeated addition. We recently did several projects to allow students some more creative methods of showing what they know!

Thank you so much to all the parents who were able to come and visit our classroom during our recent parent/teacher conference day! Our conversations are so important to the continued success of the students! I appreciate your time. We have so many exciting things to look forward to in the upcoming months! We will be moving forward with our multiplication unit in math, which is always such a favorite of third graders! They love to learn their facts by heart and come home and teach you all the fun games we play in class! Be prepared for lots of evening game time! The third grade will also be presenting at our November school meeting about being Thankful. I am looking forward to hearing what our students have to say about such an important topic. I'll make sure to post pictures!

Love to Learn!

What a great kick-off to our school year! We have spent the first few weeks getting to know each other, building a fantastic community, becoming "bucket fillers" for our classroom and building, and learning new things in the process! Ask your child about our "bucket fillers" and how they can work on "filling your bucket" at home, too! :) We have already enjoyed a community building field day, but perhaps our favorite activity from these first few weeks was our first I-STEM project of building our very own bird beak! The students had to construct a working bird beak to pick up food items using only their beaks. This was a significant challenge and great fun! They learned all about animal adaptations and how bird beaks are specialized for each bird to be able to live in its surroundings. Check out some of the pictures of this project!

New Beginnings!

I am so excited for the new school year to begin! This time of year is filled with both some sadness as we have to say good-bye to summer, but also anticipation as we get to look forward to another school year filled with new ideas, challenges, friendships, and learning! I am hopeful you are looking forward to this journey we will get to take together. As we spend time getting to know one another over the new few weeks, please don't hesitate to contact me at any time with questions, concerns, or any comments you may have about your child's first few days/weeks of school. This is an important time and we are in this together! I am thrilled to be a small part of your child's life! Thank you for this opportunity!

Summer time!

Wow! Can you believe the school year has come to a close? What a fabulous school year of learning! But don't let a little thing called "summer" stand in your way of continuing that journey of education! Take your children to the library for some great books... Go to the children's museum... Explore the farmer's market... Enjoy a day at the Dream Come True Playground together... Just because the school year has ended doesn't mean the educational journey needs to take a break! Keep reading, exploring, discussing and questioning! Summer is the best time for learning! Enjoy some the pictures of our activities from the last days of school, including the Dream Come True playground field trip and the walking field trip to the fire station!

Ready for Spring!

I think spring is finally upon us! Warmer weather is coming and now after our spring break we can finally enjoy some time outside! Yeah! These last nine weeks of school will not only bring warm weather and time outside, but also time to continue learning new things, such as measurement in math, matter and simple machines in science, and research reports in writing. We will also spend time preparing for our upcoming SOL testing, and this preparation will take place within our regular curriculum and school day. We will make sure this first testing experience for our third graders is a positive one where they get an opportunity to "show what they know" in May! Happy Spring!

Measurement is A-Mazing!

Our students are getting some hands-on experience working with capacity! Ms. Dilley, our student teacher from JMU, gave the students some different size containers and tubs of rice. The students estimated how much rice each container would hold. The students completed the sentence frames for their estimations: "less than a liter," "about a liter," or "more than a liter." They were amazed at how the shape of each container could effect the capacity! Math is so much fun!

New Year, New Goals!

I can't believe it is January already! With the start of the new calendar year, it is always interesting to have the students take time to reflect on their own learning goals for the remainder of the school year. As we take the time to do some mid-year benchmark testing in both reading and math, the students will be looking at their own scores and setting goals for themselves in those areas, as well as areas of their own choice. Students are writing about these goals and have great ideas for meeting their goals and are identifying strategies for each goal. Ask your child what some of their goals might be. You just may be surprised!