3A Newsletter
June 4, 2010
Dear Parents,
We have been working hard to wrap up a number of projects in 3A. Our Japanese folktales (kamishibai) are nearly complete. The kids have been working hard to retell these traditional Japanese tales in their own words. They began typing what they have written during computer time this week. We may need to send some of the untyped portions home for some typing homework next week, as our time with computers here at school is limited. The artwork the kids are creating to go along with their kamishibai is really coming along. It has been interesting to watch the kids learn to communicate and negotiate roles in their groups. That has been the most challenging part of this project, but a very necessary learning opportunity.
In social studies the kids continued working on their Japan reports. They learned about introductory paragraphs today and wrote one to accompany the paragraphs about geography, food, home life, and school life. They will finish their reports next week.
Japan Day is next Friday. In the afternoon from 12:45 – 2:50, we will experience some fun Japanese activities. We will need parent helpers to run each of 5 20-minute centers (12 kids in each center). The centers and number of helpers are: making sushi (3), Japanese calligraphy (3), origami (2), games (2), exploration of authentic Japanese artifacts (1 + Mrs. Eusebio), and exploring Kids Web Japan (1 + Mr. Hastings). If you would like to help, please email Mark Hastings at mhastings@asbschool.org and let him know which center you prefer to lead. We will provide all materials needed. Arigato!
Thanks and have a great weekend!
Chris Eusebio
Important Dates:
June 10th – Field trip to Bush Garden and Uwajimaya
June 11th – Japan Day! We would still love more parent volunteers for this day. If you can spend the afternoon with us, please email Mark as soon as possible!
June 15th – End of the year Banana Split Party 12:45-2:45
June 16th – Field Day! We need one more volunteer for this day from 9 – noon.
June 17th – Last day of school, kids out at noon
May 28, 2010
Dear Parents,
This week we finished our Talking About Touching program. We introduced and defined harassment as behavior that includes unwanted touch and rude comments or actions (especially comments about body parts or inappropriate touching). The children were taught that they should respond assertively to harassment and tell a trusted grown-up immediately. We also talked about not spreading negative reports about what someone has done to other kids, but rather to keep our reporting to adults who can help us. Sadly, we learned during our lesson about harassment that there has been some harassment going on in our own third grade. Recently, kids have been calling other kids “major loser” and have even developed a hand gesture to accompany the sting of the words. Apparently, there is also an acronym, C.O.O.L., that includes the word “loser” at the end and kids have been calling others “C.O.O.L”. This is not something that typically would come from a third-grade child and might have come from a television program, an older sibling, or unsupervised Internet use. This long weekend would be a good time for you to talk to your kids about what has been going on and to reinforce Christian values.
In literacy centers we have been learning about folktales and have been focusing specifically on Japanese folktales. The students have begun a long project to create kamishibai, or Japanese folktales. They are working in groups to retell famous Japanese folktales through the use of illustrated story cards. They will have words on the back of the cards to remind them of the story and will present their folktales to the primary classrooms the last week of school. Our spelling unit this week focused on contractions, possessive apostrophes and the letter y making the long e and long i sound (ex. try, easy, etc).
In writing, students continued their hard work revising their creative-writing stories. They are beginning to understand that revising is much more than editing. Revising requires the writer to be more engaged in his writing. The author might need to add to the plot, characters, or setting of the story to make the story clearer or more interesting. Editing, on the other hand, is simply fixing spelling and punctuation errors.
This week in math we began formally learning about fractions and created fraction strips (different colored paper cut into a variety of fractions that, when put together, make a whole). We spent our time learning to read and write fractions as part of a whole and as part of a set. In addition, we spent some time this week reviewing the graphing concepts of our previous unit. We took an assessment at the end of the week to re-check our understanding of graphs. The mnemonic device we developed seems to have really helped the kids to remember the necessary components of a variety of graph types. Next week we will continue learning about fractions, as well as reviewing the concept of measurement.
In science, students took a test of their learning on our Earth Materials unit. For the remainder of the year we will be working on extending our knowledge of the topic through extra research and small projects related to the rocks and minerals on earth.
We studied the similarities and differences of school life in Japan and wrote a paragraph today summarizing our learning of this topic. We will add to our growing Japan report when we have finished editing these school-life paragraphs. We will send out a volunteer list and explanation of Japan Day next week for those interested in coming in for this fun day.
Important Dates:
May 31st – No school, Memorial Day observed
June 2nd – Pen pal picnic to St. Joe’s
June 10th – Field trip to Bush Garden Restaurant and Uwajimaya
June 11th – Japan Day
June 14th – End of the year Banana Split Party
June 16th – Field Day! Volunteers: Klee, Simmons, Link (1/2 day), Stapleton. We need more parent volunteers to take groups of students to each activity. If you would like to volunteer, please let me know as soon as possible.
June 17th – Last day of school, kids out at noon
May 21, 2010
Dear 3A Families,
In religion we focused on the Catholic Social Teaching The Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers. Students created mini flip posters with examples of “work” they can do with dignity. Students brainstormed ideas such as using their free time to pick up litter around the neighborhood instead of watching TV or playing video games. We also talked about the fact that each job is important and meaningful, regardless of what the job is.
This week in our Talking about Touching program, we reviewed concepts learned in our Steps to Respect program: solving a problem by talking it out, and dealing with bullying by asking for help. Both lessons incorporated the idea that sometimes we need help from others to solve problems, and each lesson identified who we might go to for help. The lessons also addressed appropriate times to ask for help. We are nearing the end of our Talking about Touching program and have only one more lesson next week. I hope your children have found the lessons valuable.
In literacy centers we finished reading Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes. The kids have been working hard to finish several writing activities related to the story. Students focused on how Sadako and her family brought hope to one another and to their country despite her illness and death. At the end of the novel, we discussed how Sadako’s spirit continues to live on and bring hope to the world through the Folded Crane Club started in her honor. The crane is a symbol of hope and life in Japanese culture. We are considering the possibility of folding one thousand cranes for our Sparrow Club child, Emilio. I will be in Hiroshima this summer and it would be great to hand-deliver the cranes to the Children’s Memorial Park there.
Writing this week continued our focus on revision. In addition to revising the paragraphs they’ve written about Japan, students are continuing the process of revising one of their creative-writing stories. They’ve been asked to add or delete sentences, phrases or words in order to make their story clearer. We are working on pushing the kids to add cause and effect sentences to their Japan paragraphs as it is a perfect way to explain many of the details about Japanese culture. Both of these projects should be manageable in these beginning stages of revision.
In math this week we finished up our measurement and graphing units and took our end-of-the-chapter test. Many students missed points for failing to label the graphs or for not completing a word problem completely. This is a reminder to students to be sure they take their time and read and complete all directions carefully. Next week we will begin our final math topic for third grade: fractions.
In science, students used all their geologist tricks and knowledge to determine which minerals made up their granite rock. Throughout this unit, students have become familiar with the following minerals: feldspar, hornblende, mica, calcite, and quartz. Ask your child which minerals are in granite, and to tell you how they know!
We learned about Japan’s home life this week in social studies. Students continued making cause and effect statements and connected the home life of the country to its geography. They learned of the Japanese respect for their resources and how they take care of everything they have (shoes off in the house, re-using water in the bath, etc.). They were especially fascinated by Japanese bathrooms, both traditional and modern. We hope to see some good cause and effect sentences in their home life paragraphs this week. Next week it’s off to school in Japan!
Important Dates:
May 28th – May book report (free choice) due. Kids out at noon, faculty luncheon
May 31st – No school, Memorial Day observed
June 2nd – Pen pal picnic to St. Joe’s (permission slip already came home)
June 10th – Field trip to Bush Garden and Uwajimaya (permission slip already given)
June 11th – Japan Day (details to come)
June 14th – End of the year Banana Split Party (details to come)
June 16th – Field Day! We need more parent volunteers to take groups of students to each activity. If you would like to volunteer, please let Mark know as soon as possible.
June 17th – Last day of school, kids out at noon
May 14, 2010
Dear Parents,
We began our Talking About Touching lessons this week by reviewing the different types of touches (safe, unsafe, and unwanted) and what to do if someone touches us in an unsafe or unwanted way (tell them to stop in an assertive way, get away, and report it to a trusted adult). We then learned that it is never too late to let someone know that an unwanted touch occurred and that telling about it might just prevent it from happening to someone else. The kids know who they can go to for help and that if that person fails to help them or to take them seriously, they should keep asking until they find someone who will help.
Our language centers included reviewing spelling patterns that can be added to the following letter pairs: le, al, el, er, or, ar, ou, and ow. Students also spent time in centers this week reading non-fiction passages related to our learning in social studies and science. We continued reading Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes. Students focused on answering comprehension questions with complete answers. They discovered that this often means using some of the words from the question in their answers. They were also reminded that using capitals and punctuation is “so easy, even a caveman can do it,” and I will hold them to it. (They are, after all, almost in fourth grade!) Students continued their poetry-writing this week with more haiku. They also experimented with another form of Japanese poetry called tanka. Tanka is similar to haiku in that it is an unrhymed form of poetry that follows a specific syllable pattern for each of its five lines: 5,7,5,7,7. Folding paper cranes was an adventure for our class today. Watch for these to come home today and have your student try teaching you how to fold these.
We began a math unit on constructing and analyzing data in graphs. We are working with pictographs, bar graphs, tally charts, and line plots. The kids took their mid-chapter check yesterday to see how they are doing so far. I noticed that most of the errors on the mid-chapter check are due to not labeling or not displaying all the necessary information in their graphs. We will work to reinforce this important part of graph-making this week.
In our social studies lessons this week we learned about how the geography of Japan influences the kind of food the people eat there. The kids continued to practice note-taking skills while learning about Japan’s food. We are really emphasizing the use of more culturally sensitive words when expressing an opinion about Japanese food: “Sushi is not to my taste” rather than “Sushi is disgusting.” The kids wrote a paragraph about food today that they will add to their written report about Japan. They began learning how to use a topic sentence that leads/connects from one paragraph to the next: A nice topic sentence was, “The geography of Japan affects the food they eat.” (Remember that their first paragraph was about geography.) We are really trying to broaden our skills away from sentences like, “Japan’s food is very interesting.”
Science lessons this week had the students examine the results of the evaporation dishes they prepared last week. After the vinegar (acid) evaporated, students were able to see the calcite crystals left in the marble and limestone dishes. This information proved that calcite is indeed an ingredient in the limestone and marble that was in the rocks. Students later used their knowledge about rocks and minerals to identify the one rock out of a selection of six different earth materials. Students had to provide evidence to prove how they knew the rock was not a mineral.
Important Dates:
May 18th – Thanks-a-Latte
May 19th – All-school Mass at 1:30; full dress uniforms, please!
May 28th – May book report (free choice) due. Kids out at noon – faculty luncheon
May 31st – No school, Memorial Day observed
June 2nd – Pen pal picnic to St. Joe’s (details to come)
June 10th – Field trip to Bush Garden and Uwajimaya (tentative date – waiting for confirmation)
June 11th – Japan Day (details to come)
June 14th – End of the year Banana Split Party (details to come)
June 16th – Field Day! We need parent volunteers to take groups of students to each activity. If you would like to volunteer, please let Mark know as soon as possible.
June 17th – Last day of school, kids out at noon
Have a great weekend!
Chris and Mark
May 7, 2010
Dear Parents,
We managed to squeeze in quite a bit of learning this week, despite the half day on Monday and the promise of a fun swim party and sleepover tonight. Please drop your children off at the FAFC at 7:45 tonight. They should already be wearing their swimsuit, and should also have dry clothes to change into, a towel, and sleepover gear (sleeping bag, pillow, sleeping pad if desired, toothbrush). Pick up at 8:00 Saturday morning. For more details, please refer to the email that was sent earlier.
Our religion lessons have focused on Catholic social teachings the last few weeks. We began with Care for God’s Creation, then moved on to Life and Dignity of the Human Person, and learned this week about Rights and Responsibilities of the Human Person. We will continue to explore the social teachings of our faith through the end of the year.
This week our Talking About Touching lessons taught us about the three types of touches (safe, unsafe and unwanted) and physical abuse (any physical act that leaves a mark). The kids learned that this type of abuse needs to be reported to a trusted adult immediately. Students discussed how to identify a trusted adult and practiced effective ways to say no to unwanted or unsafe touches. We also learned about the Touching Rule – no one should touch your private parts except to keep you clean and/or healthy, and this would most likely be a parent or health care professional. Students discussed and practiced the safety steps in case someone breaks the Touching Rule: 1) Say no; 2) get away; 3) tell an adult. Please look for more information about this in your child’s Friday Folder.
Language centers consisted of spelling lessons reviewing prefixes and suffixes, and possessive apostrophes. We wrapped up our poetry unit by learning about several types of figurative language (metaphor, simile, onomatopoeia, alliteration, and personification), and also practiced writing the Japanese poetry form of haiku. We began a short novel that takes place in Japan, Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes by Eleanor Coeur. This novel allows the kids the opportunity to compare life in Japan with life here, and also offers many chances to reflect on and write about some important topics such as war, friendship, secrets, sickness, and hope. The writing we did this week centered around creating a Mother’s Day gift. Hopefully, your child will offer this gift to you on Sunday.
In math centers this week we learned the customary units of capacity (cups, pints, quarts, and gallons). We also learned that mass is the amount of material in an object and is measured using grams and kilograms. We worked with a number of story problems dealing with measurement and will continue next week exploring metric units of capacity.
In social studies we began learning to take notes during a class discussion. This is a skill the kids will need throughout their school years. We began during our geography lesson about Japan and took notes on large index cards. The kids learned that notes need only be words or short phrases – just enough information to remind us of the important points of the lesson. I will continue to do lots of modeling of note taking for the kids as we work through other topics in our study of Japan. We will use our notes in our Friday paragraphs which we will assemble to create a longer written report about Japan.
In science this week, students continued on their “Calcite Quest” to see if any of the four rocks we are studying (basalt, limestone, sandstone, and marble) contain calcite. After observing each rock’s reaction to vinegar, our little geologists poured just the liquid (vinegar) from each vial into an evaporation dish. After the liquid evaporates, we will be able to see if calcite truly is in any of the rocks…if it has left something behind!
Thank you so much for the many wonderful notes, cards, gifts, and well-wishes you and your children sent in this week. I feel lucky to have such a great group of parents and students!
Dates to remember:
May 7th – Swim party and sleepover in gym: be at FAFC at 7:45PM, pick up Sat. at 8:00AM
May 10th – Book orders due – last order of the year
May 11th – Ida Culver
May 13th – 16th – ASB musical “Oklahoma” at Seattle Prep
May 28th – Kids out at noon, faculty luncheon
May 28th – May book report due
May 31st – No school, Memorial Day observed
June 2nd – Pen pal picnic to St. Joe’s (details to come)
June 10th – Field trip to Bush Garden and Uwajimaya (tentative date – waiting for confirmation)
June 11th – Japan Day (details to come)
June 14th – End of the year Banana Split Party (details to come)
June 17th – Last day of school, kids out at noon
Have a great weekend!
Chris and Mark
April 23, 2010
Dear Parents,
We had a wonderful field trip to the Seattle Underground and to the Pike Place Market today. The kids enjoyed the underground, but the highlight of the trip was the Pike Place Market where they had a picnic lunch, participated in a fun scavenger hunt, and shopped ‘til they dropped. This was the perfect day to spend at the market and a fun way to end our study of Seattle’s history.
The kids seem to be comfortable this week with their I.T.B.S. testing. I have heard many kids say that the testing has been relaxing and even fun. Thank you for the wonderful job you are doing at home to relieve any anxiety about the tests. The students have now finished the language portion of the testing and will work through the math portion next week. I am hopeful that the testing will continue as it has. Please continue sending in a healthy snack with your child each day and have him or her get plenty of rest each night.
The focus of our religion lessons this week was God’s creation and eternal life. We explored the Catholic view of some tricky concepts such as heaven, hell, and purgatory. Don’t be surprised if your child comes home with more questions. We used a scripture passage from Revelation 21:1-4 to illustrate pages for a class book: “I saw a new heaven and a new earth. The old creation had passed away. I saw a holy city coming out of the sky. It was like a new Jerusalem. I heard God’s voice saying that there would be no more tears or sadness, no more suffering or death.” This passage allowed us to talk again about the mercy of God and how forgiving and redemptive He is.
We began our Talking About Touching program this week. Most of you are already familiar with this program, as it is designed for 1st – 3rd graders and was taught to your students last year. The Talking About Touching program teaches children skills that will help keep them safe from dangerous or abusive situations. It also teaches them to ask for help when they need it. The kids completed the first two lessons this week – one about walking safety (along roads, at night, etc.), and the other about fire safety. The kids have been given a fire safety sheet and have been asked to fill it out with their parents and turn it in next week. Thanks for your help with this.
Our language arts lessons this week focused on how authors use language to make their writing more interesting. We learned how poetry uses such elements as rhythm and rhyme to make a piece sound good. We also learned how comparing two things can paint images in our minds. The kids learned two ways to paint images when they learned the difference between similes (as tall as a skyscraper, he sings like a bird) and metaphors (he is a rock). We are also learning how the words we choose help to add interest to our writing. We are beginning to listen more carefully to our writing and to revise our work so that it is as good as it can be.
In social studies we began our thematic unit on cultural understanding. I told the kids that this is not a unit on Japan, but rather a unit that uses Japan to study how cultures develop and how their geography affects this development. This social studies unit will carry us to the end of the year. The kids enjoyed a Power Point slide show about what they will be learning, and then brainstormed what they thought they already knew about the geography, food, home life and school life of Japan. We will begin studying the geography next week in order to begin understanding how much this affects the way people live.
Dates to remember:
April 26 – 30 – I.T.B.S. testing continues
April 27 – Ida Culver
April 30 – Poetry book report due, progress reports come home
May 3 – Students out at noon – faculty in-service
May 7 – 3rd grade swimming party and overnight in gym
Have a great weekend, and pray for sunshine!
Chris and Mark
March 26, 2010
Dear Parents,
We had a busy week! We continued studying about Lent and began learning about the Easter Triduum (Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Vigil). We learned that on Holy Thursday Jesus gathered at the Last Supper to celebrate the feast of Passover with his Apostles. Mrs. Landes came in and spoke about her experience in celebrating Passover. We began watching the movie “The Prince of Egypt” during lunch so that the kids could hear the story of the Exodus. We will continue watching this movie during lunch and will proceed our study of Passover and Easter next week.
Spelling centers this week included further study of apostrophes used in contractions and apostrophes used to show possession. We also reviewed prefixes and suffixes. As a culmination to our Helen Keller novel, we invited a speaker from the Community Services for the Blind and Partially Sighted to come speak to the kids. Meegan Kirby teaches Braille to the blind and explained about this system which allows those without sight to read. She was impressed by the depth and thoughtfulness of the questions the students asked. The kids were each given a copy of their name in Braille and a copy of the Braille alphabet. If you wish to learn more about Braille, you may explore this great website: www.afb.orgraillebug/louis_braille_bio.asp . We began a new class novel, The War with Grandpa, by Robert Kimmel Smith and will continue this novel next week.
We finished learning our basic cursive alphabet and are beginning to practice writing with more fluency (speed and consistency). We completed several assignments completely in cursive. I am encouraging (but not demanding) the kids to use cursive as much as possible, and as much as they are comfortable – this applies to homework, too. Our creative-writing unit continued this week with the kids writing about a kid who has been invited to a swim party but who doesn’t know how to swim.
We continued studying the concept of division, relating it to repeated subtraction and to multiplication. The kids learned the math term inverse as a way of saying that division is the opposite of multiplication. They learned how fact families can be used for multiplication and division and how these families can help them solve division problems or check division answers. The kids learned that a dividend is something we divide up, a divisor is what we divide it by, and a quotient is the answer we get in a division problem. We solved many story problems that included division, and even solved some multi-step problems that used more than one type of operation. We spent some time this week reviewing place value concepts and regrouping in subtraction. Those who went to Ida Culver this week shared some math games with the residents there.
Social studies lessons focused on the arrival at and founding of the city of Seattle. The kids will spend time working in groups to research and plan a presentation about various Seattle pioneers during social studies lessons next week. These will be presented to the rest of the class at the Lakeview Cemetery field trip Wednesday, April 14th (the week we return from spring break). We will visit the cemetery in the morning, have a sack lunch at Volunteer Park (right next door to the cemetery), then drive to the Museum of History and Industry to explore some aspects and artifacts of Seattle history. If you have not yet returned your child’s permission slip, please do so as soon as possible so that we have ample time to arrange for drivers.
This week in science we finished breaking apart our mock rocks and have started to investigate whether we can find more minerals in our rock – minerals that may not be easy to see with the naked eye. Students added the smallest mineral we found from our mock rock to 35mL of water and let it settle overnight. The next day, the kids poured just enough of the liquid from the vial to cover the bottom of a plastic dish in the hopes of discovering that something dissolved in the water overnight. Each morning, students check their dishes; they are beginning to notice something interesting forming as the water evaporates. We will study what is left in the dishes next week.
LRS: Your child should begin putting the LRS board together at this time and. Next week, the kids will need to turn in their “Student Needs” sheet. By that date they should know what type of special needs they have (electrical outlet, larger table space, etc.), so they should be thinking about that (with your help).
Dates to remember:
March 31st – Non-fiction book report due
April 2nd – 3rd grade attends Stations of the Cross 11:10-11:40, parents welcome to attend with us (meet in 3A at 11AM).
April 2nd – Good Friday, out at noon
April 8th – 12th – Spring Break
April 14th – Lakeview Cemetery, MOHAI field trip (drivers here at 8:45AM, return 2:20PM).
April 16th – LRS Presentation Day
April 19th – 30th – ITBS testing
May 7th – Third grade overnight in the gym
Have a great weekend!
Friday, March 12, 2010
Dear Parents,
As we move through Lent, we have been learning what this season is all about: that it is a time of forgiveness and repentance, and also that it is a time to focus on being the kind of person God wants us to be. We spoke this week about what it means to help others and discussed what forms of help we might give. We also talked a lot about helping humbly (without expecting praise), and helping without judgment (e.g. when giving to someone holding a sign on the corner).
We finished our novel, The Hundred Dresses, and wrote some really wonderful letters to Wanda (the one who was bullied in the story). The letters expressed our sorrow, our reasons for getting pulled into the bullying game, and the ways we would avoid letting this ever happen again. The letters were so thoughtful and used such beautiful cursive that I couldn’t help but find a place to display them in the front hallway. The class wrote a summary of the story to place next to the letters so that people reading them would have a bit of background information about what took place in the novel.
We wrapped up our multiplication unit this week and will move on to division next week. Most of the kids have a solid understanding of the concept of multiplication and it seems the most helpful support at home should come as continued practice with multiplication math facts for the 0, 1, 2, 5, and 10 times tables. Again, this could come in the form of the math-fact binder (although this has more than just those facts listed above), flash cards, or computer programs. Some even use a music multiplication CD that “raps” the facts. Memorizing the multiplication facts will really help when it comes time to memorize the division facts, as they are related to one another, so don’t give up now – our goal is to have the kids know their facts by the end of the year.
The pioneers we are studying have now reached the Puget Sound. The kids are learning why this area was such an ideal place for the early White settlers – mainly because of the resources it offered. This is a key concept in social studies, and one that we will come back to time and again. Soon, we will begin learning about other pioneers besides the Denny and Low Parties and about the impact they had on the building of our city.
Our class is beginning a new science unit using the FOSS Earth Materials kit. We will investigate a selection of the most common rocks and minerals that make up Earth’s crust and learn some techniques used by geologists to identify them. Geology requires analysis. To develop analytical skills and techniques, we will first take apart simulated rocks called a mock rocks. We will observe them, break them apart, dissolve them in water, and evaporate the liquid to see what the rocks are made of. We will then move on to real rocks and minerals, using scratch tools and acid (vinegar) to test for specific minerals. Finally, we will look at granite, the base rock from which continents are made, and analyze it to discover the minerals it contains. You can increase your child’s understanding and interest in earth materials by asking him or her to talk about the investigations we are doing at school. Rocks, which appear so commonplace, may become objects that inspire questions and promote close observation. We are looking forward to weeks of fun with rocks and minerals! If you have questions or comments, or have expertise you would like to share with the class, feel free to email Ms. Gonzales.
Report cards came home today. Please note that the “computes accurately” and “computes quickly” marks refer to multiplication math facts, not addition and subtraction, as in the first trimester. The same is true for the “problem solving” section of the report card – it refers to problem solving in multiplication. You may also notice that your child has not moved to a higher level on the writing continuum. This is a developmental stage and the kids must be showing strength in all areas of a particular stage for us to have marked it. We have not yet worked on many of the skills beyond the “Bridging” stage, so most students will still be at this stage. We will be working toward the next stage this trimester. You will also notice that we have sent home a sample of your child’s writing. Please sign this on the space provided and return it; your child will keep this in his/her writing file and may wish to use it when we learn to revise later this trimester.
LRS: We had a nice conversation about the LRS boards in class today. I am displaying a few samples of boards from years past and will keep them up for those parents who wish to see what a finished presentation board might look like. You are welcome to come in to see these any time. The kids also know that the board plan they will be asked to turn in is simply another way to help them to stay organized and on track. I am not going to be comparing their board plans to the real thing, so your child may make last-minute changes to the real thing, if needed. In three weeks you will need to turn in the “Student Needs” sheet. By that date you should know what type of special needs you have (electrical outlet, larger table space, etc.), so be thinking about that (or better yet, have your child problem solve and think about what he/she might need).
Reminders:
March 17th and 18th – Mrs. Eusebio will be out of town (sub: Dorothy Urban)
March 18th – LRS presentation plan due
March 19th – No school: North Deanery schools meet
March 24th – Class Pictures in uniform at 9:45
March 31st – Non-fiction book report due (can be an LRS-related book)
April 2nd – LRS Student Needs due
April 2nd – Good Friday: noon-dismissal, beginning of Spring Break
May 7th – Third grade overnight in the gym (more information to come)
Have a great weekend!
Mrs. Eusebio and Mr. Hastings
Friday, March 5, 2010
Dear Parents,
We have had a busy week learning more about Lent and the opportunities it gives us to forgive and to be forgiven. We prepared for the reconciliation service that was offered today by learning a song called “Undo” by Rush of Fools. (Karaoke version) The words of this song are strong and true:
Turn me around pick me up
Undo what I’ve become
Bring me back to the place
Of forgiveness and grace
I need You, need Your help
I can’t do this myself
You’re the only one who can undo
What I’ve become
We reviewed a “Steps to Respect” lesson this week which taught about what it means to be a bystander and how the actions that a bystander takes can either be part of the problem or part of the solution. We continued reading The Hundred Dresses and talked about how the kids in the story who stood and watched, but did nothing, were part of the problem. We also talked about how one person, just one person, can help to stop something from becoming far worse simply by having the courage to stand up and say, “Stop!” The kids worked in groups to role play the type of bravery it would take for someone to stand up to a bully and tell them to stop. They were able to present a variety of skits, posters, videos, and artwork under the guidance of our school counselor, Lori Landes. This has been a good opportunity for them to put their anti-bullying strategies into action.
In language centers this week we worked on the /oi/ sound (as in “boy”), the /s/ sound, which can be spelled s, ss, ce, ci, cy and sc, prefixes, and suffixes. We continued working on the upper case cursive letters and have only a few to go. Most kids have finished their second story in our creative-writing unit, although a few have some finish-up work to do.
We continued our study of multiplication and will wrap up our exploration of this concept next week, although we have not finished memorizing our multiplication math facts. Practice of these facts should continue to be a part of each night’s homework and will likely continue through the rest of the school year so that your child knows them “in a snap.” Again, they are responsible for the facts for 0,1,2,5, and 10. They will learn the others next year in 4th grade.
In social studies our Seattle pioneers have now gone from Cherry Grove, Illinois to Portland. They have travelled 108 days so far and are not “home” yet. We are learning about the last stages of their journey, fraught with Indian attacks, sickness, boiling hot springs, and drudgery. We are also learning about what made the Puget Sound region so favorable for these early settlers. Next week we will arrive at Alki…
In science this week, we wrapped up our Physics of Sound unit with an assessment and a field trip to Soundbridge Seattle Music Discovery Center and a tour of Benaroya Hall. Thank you so much to those who volunteered to drive us. Students had a great time applying their knowledge of sound to real-life instruments! We will begin our study of earth materials next week.
We had a special visit by Maddie Bender’s uncle Lou (Commander Louis Mueller of the U.S. Navy) a couple of weeks ago. He shared with us his experiences in both Iraq and Afghanistan and thanked the kids for the many letters they had sent him and his troops there. I have attached a picture of our class with Cmdr. Mueller. Thanks again, Barb, for putting us in contact with your brother. These real-life connections to things that we sometimes only hear about really make a difference to the kids.
LRS: The kids enjoyed sharing their LRS facts with their table mates today. They are really becoming “mini-experts.” Now that the interviews are nearly complete and the kids have a good amount of facts, they need to start thinking about how they are going to present all their information. We recommend purchasing a tri-fold presentation board from an office supply store. These need not be the expensive, foam type – the cardboard ones work just as well and are much cheaper. The resourceful ones might even paint over or glue paper over an old board used by an older sibling. If your child has a different idea about how to present his/her information, that is fine; however, please keep in mind that we will set up in the gym and have limited availability of outlets and tables. I will again share some old LRS boards with the kids next week so that they can see what a plan would look like and how it can help them put their final presentation together. The LRS presentation board plan is due Thursday, March 18th (there is no school Friday, the 19th).
Reminders:
March 8th – Lenten gathering in church
March 10th – 3rd grade goes to Mass at 9AM
March 12th – LRS interview completion sheet due, report cards come home
March 18th – LRS presentation plan due
March 19th – No school: North Deanery schools meet
March 31st – Non-fiction book report due (can be an LRS-related book)
Have a great, sunny weekend!
Mrs. Eusebio and Mr. Hastings
February 26, 2010
Dear Parents,
As we progress through Lent, we continue to learn about the amazing forgiveness God offers us. We talked about how it is not always easy to forgive, especially when we have been hurt in some way. The kids will have the opportunity to experience God’s forgiveness through the Sacrament of Reconciliation on Friday, March 5th here at school. Of course, children are not required to receive the sacrament, but they are encouraged to do so. I will send home a response sheet early next week letting me know if you wish your child to receive this sacrament on the 5th.
We finished our biography about Helen Keller today. The kids used this biography not only as a way to understand the impact sight and sound (or lack thereof) have on a person’s life, but also as an opportunity to practice their note-taking skills. I will try to find a copy of the movie about Helen Keller’s life so that we may watch it during our lunch time next week. If you have a copy and would be willing to loan it to us, please let me know. Our spelling lessons this week reviewed the rules for using double letters, the long a sound, and homophones (we narrowed our choice of homophones to those with the long e sound).
We continued our study of multiplication and will wrap up our exploration of this concept next week, although we have not finished memorizing our multiplication math facts (0, 1, 2, 5, and 10). Practice of these facts should continue to be a part of each night’s homework and will likely continue through the rest of the school year so that your child knows them “in a snap.” If your child wishes to memorize more than those mentioned above, they may work through their math fact binder (Rocket Ship Math), which incorporates all multiplication facts through the 9’s.
In social studies our Seattle pioneers have now left Cherry Grove, Illinois and are on their way to Portland. We are learning about the different places they stopped along the way, including the Platte River (a mile wide and a foot deep) that had dangerous quick sand, Chimney Rock, and Independence Rock (the great “register” on the trip west). We are learning about the last stages of their journey, fraught with Indian attacks, sickness, boiling hot springs, and drudgery. We are also learning about what made the Puget Sound region so favorable for these early settlers. Next week we will arrive at Alki…
In science this week students began to learn about how sound travels through air and water. In one activity, we used a stethoscope to see if we could hear our fingers tap underwater. Students learned that sound can travel through water! In fact, sounds can be louder and clearer when they travel through water. In the second activity, students experimented with a tuning fork and a long paper tube to see how sound can be gathered and directed to another source.
LRS: We spent some time this week practicing, again, how to take notes. The kids seem to understand that notes are meant to be reminders of what we read or learned. They practiced using bullet points to write notes about the Helen Keller biography they are reading. Hopefully, they will use this note-taking skill while working on the LRS. Their goal is to have 40 cards by the middle of March (although I’m certainly not going to count). The students must bring in their LRS folders on Friday, March 5th so that they can share the facts they have gathered with their table mates. They will be writing down questions that their table mates have about their topic – these will hopefully spur more research.
Upcoming Events:
March 3rd – Field trip to Benaroya Hall 11-2PM (drivers be here by 10:45)
March 5th – Reconciliation service
March 12th – LRS interview should be complete
March 12th – Report cards go home
March 19th – No school: North Deanery in-service
March 31st – Non-fiction book report due (can be an LRS-related book)
Have a great weekend! Chris and Mark
February 19, 2010
Dear Parents,
We began examining the symbols and practices of Lent this week, which included making stained glass windows and writing in our Lenten journals. These journals are a chance for students to reflect on this time of repentance and forgiveness and what that means in their lives. Students celebrated a beautiful Ash Wednesday liturgy with the entire school. We had many comments about how nice the liturgy was – you can be proud of your third-grade leaders.
Mrs. Landes has been working with the kids to reinforce our Steps to Respect unit on bullying. She is having the kids work in groups or alone (their choice) to present some type of project that shows their learning. The kids have been working hard this week to create skits, movies, posters, or any other type of format so that they can present them to their classmates by next Friday.
We began reading a biography about Helen Keller this week and are really thinking about things differently. The children wonder how anyone could actually even learn a language if they can’t hear it, how they can know how to get around if they are blind, and many other things that can create strong challenges for someone who is both deaf and blind. They have, astutely, identified that it really wasn’t good for Helen’s parents to give her everything she wanted just to avoid a temper tantrum. (Remind them of that the next time you are with them at Toys ‘R Us!) I look forward to finishing the book with them next week. The kids can’t get enough of cursive, and have been asking when they may start using it more often. Hopefully, we will begin using it for shorter writing assignments soon.
In math we continued looking at a variety of strategies to help us find our math facts for the different times tables. We have gone through the 0’s, 1’s, 2’s, 3’s, 4’s, 5’s, 6’s, and 10’s. We learned the Zero Property of Multiplication (0 X any number or any number X 0 = 0), the Identity Property of Multiplication (1 x any number or any number X 1 = that number), and the Commutative Property of Multiplication (2 X 5 = 10, so 5 X 2 = 10). The kids are enjoying learning these “rules” and are also being challenged by some multi-step story problems. They are getting better at finding clues in story problems that hint at the need for multiplication. For example, they know that if a story problem says that each one costs a certain amount, it’s probably going to require multiplication. They are also becoming more familiar with how to use the multiplication fact charts in our classroom to find answers to problems and know that “it is a clever person who uses his/her resources.”
We continued our study of Seattle’s history this week. We learned that the Denny Party consisted of 15 people, four dogs, and four horse-drawn wagons. We even learned that they left Cherry Grove, Illinois at 3PM on April 10, 1851. What kind of family leaves for a cross-country trek at 3PM? We mentioned the route they took and will continue to follow their path and learn about the many adventures that took place along the way next week.
Students have been very busy in science learning how sound travels through air, water, and solids. In one activity, they used a stethoscope to see if they could hear their fingers tap underwater. Students learned that sound can travel through water! In fact, sounds can be louder and clearer when they travel through water. In the second activity, students experimented with a tuning fork and a long paper tube to see how sound can be gathered and directed to another location. Students experimented with wood and string to discover that sound can seem loud traveling through solids, and softer traveling through air.
LRS: Students should have turned in their expert interview questions today. I have looked at them and suggested some changes or additions to some. I have given them back so that they can now be used. Students should continue collecting facts and storing them in their report folders on index cards. We have practiced writing facts onto index cards in class, so your children should be familiar with the process. Writing the facts in phrases instead of complete sentences and using bullet points may help in the task of putting the information into their own words. The folder will help them to organize their information as they go and will also give them a visual reminder about categories they may need to find more information about. The students have a goal of at least 10 facts in each of their 4 categories by the middle of March, although many will have more than that. Many kids have asked if the number in each pocket needs to be exactly 10 – the answer is no. Again, this is a guideline to help ensure that the kids are gathering a broad range of facts. I don’t want them scrambling at the end because they only then realize they know nothing about “the history of coat colors in Labradors.”
The kids have had several opportunities to see some LRS-type projects recently. They viewed the 6th graders’ Greek projects and the 4th graders’ Native American projects last week. They saw the 6th and 7th grade science projects the week before that. Each time they visited, they were asked to look at the projects with a discriminating eye – what did they like about the boards, what was most interesting and engaging about them? They were also asked to ask the presenters some questions about the projects to see if they really “knew their stuff.” Hopefully, this will give them an idea of what we are looking for in the LRS (but of course, at a third-grade level).
Upcoming Dates:
February 26 – Biography book report due
March 3 – Health screenings
March 3 – Physics of Sound field trip 11-2PM (drivers here at 10:45)
March 5 – Bring in LRS folders to share facts with table mates. We will check to see how fact-gathering progress is going.
March 5 – Reconciliation during school time (in Assumption Church)
Have a great weekend!
Mrs. Eusebio and Mr. Hastings
February 5, 2010
Dear 3A Families,
Our religion lesson this week was about how we are asked to shine our light in the world for all to see. This was the theme of the Mass for Catholic Schools Week just yesterday – a great coincidence. We used this opportunity to revisit the song we learned at Christmastime, “Light a Candle” (by Avalon). We also learned about the virtues of faith, hope, and love and shared examples of times in our lives when we have shown these virtues.
In literacy centers we reviewed homophones and learned more about affixes (prefixes and suffixes). Homophones do not seem to be a challenge when students are asked to verbally use examples; however, we are still working on mastering the differences in spelling of a homophone pair (or triplet such as their, they’re, there). We reviewed the spelling rules to follow when adding prefixes and suffixes to our base (or root) word. We have been working hard to finish our Little House in the Big Woods novel; most were able to finish it (and all our projects and activities associated with it) by today. The students have really gained practice in listening and speaking with each other through our small group discussions about the characters and events in the book. They have also been building on their pioneer vocabulary.
In writing, students spent time working on their first short story. We learned about staying on topic and reviewed making sure we include proper punctuation at the end of each sentence. We will try to finish our first story next week. These weekly stories will remain in the writing portfolios at school. This is to allow students continued access to their stories as they progress through this writing program. They will pull out old stories to practice revising and editing skills.
In math we continued looking at a variety of strategies to help us solve our multiplication math facts. We have gone through the 1’s, 2’s, 4’s, 5’s and 10’s. This does not mean that we have memorized these facts; we have merely learned how to use a variety of strategies to find the answer to math problems involving them. The kids decided that the 5’s are easy simply because they have been counting by fives since they were in first grade. The kids are getting better at finding clues in story problems that hint at the need for multiplication. For example, they know that if a story problem says that each one costs a certain amount, it’s probably going to require multiplication. They are also becoming more familiar with how to use the multiplication fact charts in our classroom to find answers to problems and know that “it is a clever person who uses his/her resources.” In addition to learning strategies to remember or solve these multiplication facts, students practiced their problem-solving skills. Students have learned these steps in order to solve word problems: 1. Understand; 2. Plan; 3. Solve; and, 4. Check. Some of you are noticing that the story problems are more difficult than those the kids have had in the past. This is partly because this is a new text we are working with. It uses multi-step story problems early on in student learning because this type is more typical of real-life situations. We will continue to practice ascertaining what information is important and what is extraneous in the problems, and also figuring out what the problem is actually asking. Being able to do this will help us solve these more difficult problems. If your child has spent five minutes trying to solve a math story problem on his homework and still cannot figure it out, please have him stop and move on to the next one. Chances are, others will have found it equally tricky. We will go over these tougher problems together in class and share our strategies with one another.
Our social studies lesson this week introduced the concept of economy. The children learned that economics deals with jobs and money (and the goods we buy with it). Most have heard that our economy is not doing very well lately, so they were curious to know what the economy was. We used the folktale “The Three Little Pigs” to introduce how resources affect our economy. The students learned that there are natural, human, and capital resources. They made a table in their pioneer journals to show which resources found in this folktale belonged to which type of resource. I told them that the pigs could be considered a human resource just this once, since they were acting like humans in the story. The kids easily categorized the different resources into either natural, human, or capital resources.
Students have been very busy in science learning how vibrations and length change a sound’s pitch. In addition to length, this week’s lessons taught that tension also affects a sound’s pitch. Through two mini-activities, students discovered that the greater the tension on a source, the higher the sound. We have an upcoming science field trip to the Seattle Symphony Music Discovery Center (at Benaroya Hall). This experience will allow us to extend our learning about sound through observation and experimentation with different instruments. More information about this field trip will be sent home soon.
Reach for the Stars! – Scrip @ ASB: Thanks for your ongoing support of scrip at ASB! You’re encouraged this month to convert to a monthly standing order for your basic scrip needs, if you don’t already have a standing order. We are having a school-wide contest to increase support of this important fund-raiser. Students in the classroom with the most standing orders at the end of February will receive free dress coupons. Visit: http://www.asbschool.org and click on “scrip” to find the form. Standing orders help us anticipate demand so that we have the cards you need. They also help us anticipate our earnings for the year. You can help us reach for the stars and meet our goal for ASB! Thanks again for your support of ASB!
Reminders:
February 11th - LRS four topic categories due
February 11th – Valentine’s Day Breakfast – 8:30-10:00! Students are welcome to bring cards and/or treats for classmates, as long as they bring one for everyone. Of course, they are not obligated to bring valentines either, if that is their preference. Please do not personally address valentines or treats – simply sign your name on each card. This allows for a much smoother distribution process.
February 12th – Faculty retreat, no school
February 15 – 16th – Presidents Holiday, no school
February 26th – Biography book report due
January 29, 2010
Dear Parents,
We ended our Friday afternoon with a fabulous assembly featuring the “Matsiko” African children’s choir from Uganda. This group is sponsored by the International Children’s Network and is traveling throughout the country to raise awareness for the world’s 600 million orphaned and at-risk children through their personal testimonies of hope, inspiration, song, and dance. The children, ages 7-14, sang and danced with such passion that the students were easily engaged and left wanting more. The group sells their music on CDs and also online for download to iPods, if you are interested. Follow the link above for more information.
In religion this week we learned about God’s law of love: that we are to love others just as Jesus loved us. We learned that this requires us to love our enemies, not just our friends. The kids talked about how difficult this can sometimes be. We also learned about the Beatitudes. I sang “Blessed Are They” to the kids (one of my favorite Church songs) and we talked about the Beatitudes mentioned in the song. We learned that God’s law of love sums up both the Beatitudes and the Ten Commandments.
Our Steps to Respect lessons this week had us review the definition of bullying: a pattern of behavior that is unfair and one-sided that happens when a person repeatedly frightens, harms, threatens, or purposefully leaves someone out. We spoke about our school policy of not allowing bullying, and the students seemed to understand why a school would not allow bullying. We reviewed the appropriate way to deal with bullying – Recognize, Refuse, and Report it – the three R’s. We also talked about when it was safe to refuse (stand up to) it, and when it might be unsafe to refuse it (when someone is bigger, with a gang, or when there are no adults around to help). We talked about ways to get away safely when the latter was the case. We will continue working with this topic next week. It will coincide nicely with our preparations for Lent – a time for forgiveness and healing.
In language centers we worked with contractions, with words that contain silent letters, and with words that use prefixes or suffixes. We continued reading Little House in the Big Woods and were able to practice writing a couple of summaries of events that occurred in the book. Many kids are still making mistakes in summarizing because they are not reading the directions carefully and are summarizing the entire chapter rather than a particular event. Again we go back to, “Get the question right before you get the answer wrong.”
The kids made some nice entries into their pioneer journals with the information we discussed in Little House and ideas learned during our social studies lessons. They learned about the Lewis and Clark Expedition and that they named their group the “Corps of Discovery”. Ask them if they remember what the main goal of the expedition was (to follow the Missouri River, then find a safe land path to the Pacific Ocean). The students began a pioneer Web quest in computer class with Mr. Pouley, who will be helping them use this guided Internet-based project over the next couple of weeks to learn more about the pioneers. If you are interested in exploring this Web quest, you may find it at the following URL: http://questgarden.com/47/15/7/070224084843/ You may also find a link to this Web quest on the third grade homework page, along with links to other pioneer Web quests the kids might like to explore.
In science this week the students experimented with pitch (how high or low a sound is). They learned that a high-pitched noise could be described as a squeak, and a low-pitched noise could sound like a grumble. The experiment they performed helped them to practice recognizing pitch and the vibrations associated with it. Next week we will explore frequency.
We have entered our multiplication unit and are now trying out a new math text: Macmillan McGraw-Hill “Math Connects”. The kids seem to really enjoy this new text so far, and have found the layout and explanations engaging. We will be working our way through this text to learn about multiplication and the various times tables. The kids are discovering that learning their multiplication facts is really not that difficult, especially if they see multiplication as repeated addition. The 2x tables, for example, are really just the doubles (things we should know by now). For example, 2 X 7 is really just 7 + 7, or 14. They also learned the Commutative Property of Multiplication (2 X 7 = 14, therefore 7 X 2 = 14). We call it “the good ol’ Commutative Property” because it’s so handy. You can have your kids start practicing the multiplication facts we have worked with so far (1x and 2x) at home. They can make flash cards and practice them at meal times, in the car, in the bathroom… Before you know it, they’ll be fluent! (At least, that’s the goal.) Our new state standards require the kids to master only the 1x, 2x, 5x, and 10x in third grade, so that is what we will focus on in class and at home. If your child wishes to be more challenged with their facts, they can begin working their way through the multiplication section of their rocket ship binder. This section progresses through all the multiplication facts, so if your child has a hard time retaining facts it would probably be best just to work with math flash cards or computer games on the facts mentioned above. A variety of math web sites can be found on the “Resources” section of the third-grade website to help with this.
LRS: If your child has not already started reading about his topic, he should begin reading and recording facts now. We will have the students make folders at school to keep their facts in, but not until they have turned in their four topic categories form on February 11th. Look for the folder to come home after that date. Reading and writing facts for the LRS can count for your child’s nightly “read and record for 20 minutes” homework. Keeping up on the LRS project will help avoid any last minute stress or anxiety for your child.
Progress reports came home today. Please be sure to sign the envelope and return it – we reuse these each grading period. You may keep the progress report for your records. If you have a question about your progress report, please contact me. I have still not received several math chapter tests that were sent home two weeks ago. I use these to work with the kids who have not yet mastered the concept and would like them back. Please look through your things this weekend and return the signed chapter test on Monday, if you still have it.
Upcoming events:
January 30th and 31st – ASB students will be lectors at Masses at Assumption & St. Bridget. The choir will sing at the 10:30 Mass on Sunday at Assumption. We are asking students to wear their uniforms to Mass this weekend.
Week of February 1st-5th – Catholic Schools Week
February 4th – Open house 9-12 and Catholic Schools Week Mass at 1:30 in the gym. Please join us for Mass.
February 11th – LRS Four Topic Categories due
February 11 – Valentine’s brunch first thing in the morning (we might also celebrate Mr. H’s birthday as we will not be here on the 12th – the actual day)
February 12 – No school – faculty retreat
February 15 -16 – Presidents’ Day vacation, no school
February 26 – Biography book report due (forms coming home next week)
Have a wonderful weekend!
Mrs. Eusebio and Mr. Hastings
January 22, 2010
Dear Parents,
We had a very busy, productive week. We had an Art Parents lesson on Thursday about artist Alexander Calder. He is best known for his sculptures, both large and small, and was inspired by the universe and nature. Calder is the inventor of the hanging mobile – the project our kids were able to create during their Art Parent time on Thursday. Look for these to come home next week (I want to display them in our classroom first).
In religion this week we learned about the mission of the Church – to share Jesus’ good news with the people of all nations. We talked about the students’ former Kindergarten teacher, Ann Nachtigal, who went on a trip to Namitembo, Malawi with her husband last winter. We discussed how the Nachtigals had served God on this trip while serving the people of our sister parish there. We also explored the meaning of the word catholic and discussed how this ties in to the Catholic faith – that our Church is everywhere and welcomes everyone.
Our Steps to Respect lessons this week taught the kids how to recognize bullying. They learned that bullying is unfair and one-sided and that it happens when someone keeps hurting, frightening, threatening, or leaving someone out on purpose. The kids also learned the “three Rs” of bullying: Recognize, Refuse, and Report. These Steps to Respect lessons immediately followed a play about bullying that was presented to our school on Monday by Taproot Theatre. We were extremely fortunate that our Steps to Respect lessons about bullying just happened to coincide with the presentation. We will continue to talk about issues dealing with bullying in the next few weeks.
In math this week the students were able to complete their “candy box research” to find the possible box shapes for a half-dozen, a dozen and a two-dozen sized box. They then wrote a letter to the president of the candy company explaining which shape they recommended and why. Next week we will be starting our formal lessons in multiplication using a new math text: McMillan McGraw-Hill’s Math Connects.
Our writing this week also included entry into our new Write Well, Write Now creative-writing program. The kids learned the secrets to super stories that lay hidden throughout the classroom: The main character has a problem; the character solves the problem; two descriptions per paragraph (at least); one feeling per paragraph (at least); and, the character learns something during the story. The kids used a brainstorming worksheet to get some preliminary ideas down on paper so that they would be ready to begin writing their story next week. We decided that everyone would begin writing a story with the same problem (the main character can’t seem to get up in the mornings) so that they could share their first stories with one another and discover how different they all are, despite the similarity of the problem.
In language centers we worked on –er, -ar, and –or words, reviewed spelling patterns for the long a sound, and reviewed words in the “tough” group (words that use the ou spelling pattern in a way that doesn’t sound like the ou in house). We continued reading Little House in the Big Woods, by Laura Ingalls Wilder. The students are enjoying learning about life during this time period. We used the historical novel this week to learn about an author’s purpose for writing, to practice dictionary skills, to think critically about events in the book, and to practicing writing a summary of an event in the book without retelling the entire chapter. Of course, this book also ties in directly to our social studies unit about the pioneers and their way of life. We will begin a quilting project next week so that the kids can learn how the pioneers had to use whatever resources they had at hand to make the things they needed.
In social studies we reviewed the reasons the pioneers began heading west, which included a brief history of our acquisition of land from the Colonial Period through 1803 when Thomas Jefferson bought the Louisiana Territory from France. The kids should be able to tell you why we wanted to purchase just New Orleans, but ended up being able to buy the entire Louisiana Territory (the transaction known as “The Louisiana Purchase”).
In science this week students further explored vibrations and sound through three investigations. We made a “door fiddle” with string and a block of wood that allowed us to observe slow and fast vibrations and their affect on volume. As we moved the wood up and down the door, we found that slow vibrations produce a soft sound, while fast vibrations produce a loud sound. We were also able to listen and feel vibration travel as we experimented with a “gong” made out of hangers and plastic cups. Students also witnessed vibrations powerful enough to move an object! We watched beans go from lying still to bouncing just by turning up the volume on a tone generator.
Dates to remember:
January 25-29 – Spirit Week
January 29 – Progress Reports come home
January 29 – Historical fiction book report due
Week of February 1st-5th – Catholic Schools Week
January 30th and 31st – ASB students will be lectors at Masses at Assumption & St. Bridget. The choir will sing at the 10:30 Mass on Sunday at Assumption. We are asking students to wear their uniforms to Mass that weekend.
February 4th – Open house 9-12 and Catholic Schools Week Mass at 1:30 in the gym. Please join us for Mass.
February 11th – LRS Four Topic Categories due
Have a wonderful, restful weekend!
Mrs. Eusebio and Mr. Hastings