Check off Week One!

We had an assembly on Thursday morning and our principal was able to welcome us back to school. We sang our "Ellis Falcon" school song and pledged allegiance to the flag. The third graders were able to attend the assembly with the upper grades to cut back on crowding in the lower grades. It was the quietest assembly we have ever been to. The students used their best manners and remembered the assembly rules we discussed at the beginning of the week.

This week Mrs. Graham will be at school on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday and come in on Friday to do music. Mrs. Shore will come in on Thursday and Friday. We are looking forward to a great week.

This week in review:

The third grade will start the IRI (Idaho Reading Indicator) on Monday Morning. Our school officiators have worked out a very fabulous system and little instructional time is lost.

Literature:
This week we will focus on the story Cliff Hanger by Jean Craighead George. It is about a boy trying to rescue his dog who is stranded way up on a high mountain ledge. We will be concentrating on the targeted skill Cause and Effect.

This week Reading Folders come home on Monday. We will be explaining the expectations of the reading folders and track individual commitment each day. We would like your child to read a book within their level for a minimum of 20 minutes each day. The parent(s) or guardian(s) will be asked to sign the reading folders each night and send it back with your student each day. This reading assignment will be included in their reading grade. Try for 100%--it is an impressive goal.

Spelling (short vowel sounds)
mix
milk
smell
last
head
friend
class
left
thick
send
thin
stick
test
dish
empty
glance

Math:
Students will focus on place values up to the ten thousands. Students will use drawings and code cards to create numbers and identify ones, tens, hundreds, thousands. Remember, if you don't have one of these groups in the problem--USE A PLACE HOLDER!

Science:
Our class is learning about the moon, the earth's atmosphere, how the moon influences the earth's tidal patterns, and the importance of the sun. We will be doing a few experiments in class this week. Come prepared to learn and participate.

Surf's Up Third Graders!

Welcome back to school third graders! How exciting for you to start your year off as a third grade Beach Buddy. We are anticipating getting reacquainted with you and are hoping to have a fabulous year. We hope you are ready for a great year of learning.

During our first week back, we will focus on our classroom expectations for behavior, classroom procedures, school rules, rewards, and consequences. We want all of our students to take responsibility for their learning and have great attitudes. A good attitude helps improve the atmosphere of the classroom as well your outlook on learning. Keep smiling and stay positive.

Literature:

The students will be listening to a back-to-school story called "The Rule". This story is a great introduction to following rules and introducing the reading strategies we will focus on throughout the year.

Math:

Our district is implementing a new math series this year. It is called Math Expressions.We as teachers will be adjusting to the new program. There is a lot of large group, partnering, and small group activities to help cement the concepts. The students will be working on individual white boards and you will see homework coming home approximately twice a week. The teachers in the District that piloted the program last year had a lot of success. Each student has an individual workbook for daily assignments. We are excited to start this new program.

Science:

For the next 5 weeks, we will be learning about the moon and its relationship to earth. We will cover eclipses, meteors, seasons, tides, and the characteristics of the moon.

Important Dates to Remember:

Tuesday, August 25, 2009 BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT AT ELLIS ELEMENTARY (6:00 PM),

Monday, August 31, 2009 Beginning of the Fall IRI testing window. We will be sending the scores home.

If you are interested in volunteering in the classroom, feel free to come and visit with us. We love volunteers and look forward to meeting the parent(s) of our wonderful students.