Third Grade eBlast May 1st

Important Upcoming Dates:

Thursday, May 7th: Progress Reports go home and Boys Night Out 5:30 (see flyer for information)

Thursday, May 14th: Volunteer Brunch

Friday. May 15th: Spirit Day

Monday, May 24th No School

Testing Information:

The end of the school year is upon us and with that comes End of Grade testing.  The testing schedule this year will be as follows:

May 21&22 – 3rd reading and math (date determined by district)

May 27&28 – 4/5 reading and math

May 29 – 5th science

June 1 – 3rd reading retest only for those applicable(date determined by district)

June 4 – 3rd RTA test only for those applicable (date determined by district)

 The schedule contains several different days of testing for 3^rd – 5^th grades.  Please read carefully to know what days your child(ren) may be involved in testing.  If you are willing and available please consider volunteering to proctor for EOGs.  This is not the most fun way to volunteer, but I can assure you it is an incredible value to our students, teachers and staff.  With the help of our parent volunteer proctors last year I was able to let teacher assistants remain with K-2 in most cases to support teachers in the classroom with instruction and other special activities.  I am hoping to be able to accomplish the same thing this year, possibly even run a modified special area schedule for students to be able to participate in most or all specials throughout the testing.  I cannot tell you how much we all appreciate your willingness to volunteer.  It makes a big impact in our end of year testing.  Please click the link below to sign up to volunteer.  Contact Kelly Dowdy Kelly.dowdy@cms.k12.nc.us with any questions.

http://www.signupgenius.com/go/60b0945adae292-eogproctors

Parent_Input_Student_information_2015-20162  Parents- this form is optional. The Due dates for these forms is May 7th. Thank you!

Curriculum Information:

Literacy: We continue to review nonfiction.

Math: Our classes finished a review of geometry and will move into multiplication/division review

Writing: Congratulations to our poets on their hard work. We will begin an imaginative narrative unit this week.

Science: We are studying Metric Liquid Volume.

Finally, if you are interested in serving on the 2015-2016 Beverly Woods School Leadership Team, please contact gray.donohoe@cms.k12.nc.us

E-Blast April 29

Notes and Important Information

• Our 3rd grade performance will take place tomorrow. We look forward to seeing you all there. Students should meet in their classrooms at 5:45 as parents and family go down to find a seat in the cafeteria. There will be a very brief PTA meeting at 6:00pm and the performance will immediately follow.
• The End of Grade (EOG) tests are coming up. These tests have been scheduled for May 21 (reading EOG) and May 22 (math EOG). Please make every effort possible to have your child at school on time these days.

 

Important Dates

Our Character trait for May is HOPE.

April 30– 3rd grade performance at 6:00pm

May 7- Progress reports come home, parent input forms due

May 21- Reading EOG

May 22- Math EOG

May 25- Memorial Day Holiday, No School!

 

Curriculum Updates:

Reading:

We are reviewing the reading skills we have learned this year in preparation for the EOGs. We have broken this review down into the different genres we studied and will be tested on.

This Week: Non-Fiction EOG Prep

Week of May 4: Fictional EOG Prep

Week of May 11: Poetry EOG Prep

Each week students are working to:

• Identify the important elements of the genre we are reviewing.
• Understand the types of questions we may be asked about each genre.
• Reference the text to support our answers.

Writing:

Students are wrapping up our poetry unit and will move into an imaginative narrative unit.

• We will analyze illustrations in the Mysteries of Harris Burdick by Chris Van Allsburg to guide our imagination and writing.

Math:

We are reviewing the skills we have learned this year in math by working in our EOG practice and mastery book. Students are working to:

• Identify the skill needed to tackle each problem.
• Analyze and understand single step and multi-step word problems.
• Prove their answer by carefully showing their work.

• **Please continue to practice multiplication and division facts at home: It is crucial students master their multiplication facts to prepare for success in 4th grade. We will continue assessing their mastery of these facts each week, so please practice these with your student at home. By the end of 3rd grade, it is expected that students will have quick and accurate recall and use multiplication combinations from 0x0 to 12 x 12.

Science:

Students have begun a liquid volume and mass unit.

• Students will measure and estimate liquid volume and masses of objects using standard units of grams, kilograms, and liters.
• Students will add, subtract, multiply, or divide to solve one step word problems involving masses or volumes that are given in the same units.

Performance Update

Dear parents,

We are looking forward to seeing you all next Thursday for our 3rd grade performance. The program will begin immediately following a brief 6:00 PTA General Meeting.

Students should meet in their classroom at 5:45 p.m. 

ALL STUDENTS SHOULD WEAR THE FOLLOWING CLOTHING:

• Patriotic!! SOLID red, white, or blue shirt or blouse. Please, no T- shirts with logos.
• Blue jeans, blue jean shorts or skirts. Black would also be fine. Dress is casual, but should be neat – no pants with holes.
• Shoes should be comfortable and safe to move in. Sneakers are fine. No heels or shoes with open toes.

Once the program begins, it will last no longer than 30 minutes. We look forward to seeing you on Thursday, April 30^th!

Paperback Swap

The media center is collecting books for its annual paperback swap. Gently used paperback and hardcover books will be collected from now until the end of May. All students will have the opportunity to select 1 book from the swap in June. Books can be sent to the media center.

eblast March 27

Notes and Important Information

• Soup Kitchen: Just a reminder to please send in all Soup Kitchen items this Wednesday, April 1. We will pack sandwiches on Thursday, April 2, but would like to know what we have or need more of on Wednesday. If you do not remember what to bring in, please email your child’s teacher. Thank you!!
• Our 3rd grade performance has been rescheduled for April 30 at 6:00 pm. More details to come soon about costumes, meeting locations, etc.
• The End of Grade (EOG) tests are coming up. These tests have been scheduled for May 27 and 28. Please make every effort possible to have your child at school on time these days.

Important Dates

Our Character trait for March is Perseverance

April 1- soup kitchen items due at school, 3rd Grade Performance at 6:00pm

April 2- 3rd grade packing sandwiches for lunch project

April 3-12- Spring Break!!

April 17- 3-5 Fun Day

April 22- 3rd quarter report cards come home

April 24- Spirit Day

April 27- Reading 3D testing window opens

April 30- 3rd grade Performance at 6:00pm

Curriculum Updates:

Reading:

We will wrap up poetry this week!

•         Students will work to identify the main idea in poems.
•         Students will then compare and contrast poems they read.
•         We will take a final post- test next Thursday to assess student learning. This grade will be part of 4th quarter grades.

After spring break we will complete a 2 week study of fables!

• Students will determine the moral and explain how it is conveyed through key details in the text.
• Students will describe characters’ traits and feelings in a story and explain how their actions contribute to the sequence of events.

Writing:

Students are writing poetry to correlate with our poetry reading unit.

• Students are analyzing the elements of poems and creating some of their own to match these styles and elements.
• poems include elements such as stanzas, alliteration, rhyme, rhythm, metaphors, and similes in their work.
• Students carefully selecting specific language for their poems to make them descriptive for their reader.
• After Spring Break, students will write poems about found objects. If you find any natural objects (shells, rocks, leaves, etc.) while on your spring break travels, pick these up and bring them in as inspiration for writing!

Math:

We are moving into Unit 8 which builds on addition and subtraction concepts learned earlier this year.

• Students will refine their addition, subtraction, and multi-step word problem strategies.
• Students will strengthen their knowledge of place value, using it to round numbers to the nearest hundred.
• Please continue to practice multiplication and division facts at home: It crucial students master their multiplication facts to prepare for success in 4th grade. We will continue assessing their mastery of these facts each week, so please practice these with your student at home. By the end of 3rd grade, it is expected that students will have quick and accurate recall and use multiplication combinations from 0x0 to 12 x 12.

Science:

• Students are wrapping up their study of plants including their needs, structures, and uses.
• In April, we will begin a liquid volume and mass unit.
  • Students will measure and estimate liquid volume and masses of objects using standard units of grams, kilograms, and liters.
  • Students will add, subtract, multiply, or divide to solve one step word problems involving masses or volumes that are given in the same units.

Performance

Parents,

We were, unfortunately, mistaken when we said the most recent update to the 3rd grade performance date would be the last. Because of circumstances beyond our control, the 3rd grade performance has now been moved 1 week later to April 30. We truly apologize for such frequent changes to this date, but hope you understand it is in the best interest of both the students and Mrs. Phillips. We hope you can all still make it on that date and look forward to seeing you then!

3rd grade performance- now April 23

Parents,

Mrs. Phillips’ mother passed away Monday night, 5 weeks after her father’s passing. Our heart goes out to her during this difficult time. Because of this unfortunate event, she will need to leave town again to take care of family obligations. After much consideration, we have decided to again change the date of the 3rd grade performance so that Mrs. Phillips will have time to get back and prepare the students. We are so sorry to change the date once again, but hope you understand our reasoning.

Your student’s performance will now take place on April 23 at 6:00pm. We hope that all students, their families, and friends will be able to attend that night. We will send out additional details regarding costumes and meeting locations closer to that date.

Thank you for your understanding-

eblast March 13, 2015

Notes and Important Information

• Thank you!!! We were so impressed which the students’ preparation and dedication to their wax museum project.  We were amazed at how much they learned! Thank you for all your support with this project. We hope you enjoyed the event as much as we did.
  
• Fun Day Form: Please click the following link and complete the fun day permission form so that your child is able to participate in this fun event. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1oJk-s2VNwSvjWFCjw8e9bsH7AIX-JGjKBmoiJQSkqyw/viewform?usp=send_form
• Our 3^rd grade performance has been rescheduled for April 1 at 6:00 pm. More details to come soon about costumes, meeting locations, etc.
• Third grade is participating in the Soup Kitchen. Letters came home yesterday detailing what your student is to bring in. Please have these to school on (only before if items are not perishable) Wednesday, April 1. We will make sandwiches and pack snacks and cookies on Thursday, April 2.

Important Dates

Our Character trait for March is Courage

March 13– Lunch project visitors come to speak with 3^rd grade about their service project.

March 16-20-Book Fair Week

March 20– OM performance at 1:45

March 24– Spring Picture Day

March 31– End of 3^rd Quarter

April 1– soup kitchen items due at school, 3^rd Grade Performance at 6:00pm

April 2– 3rd grade packing sandwiches for lunch project

 

Curriculum Updates:

Reading:

We will begin poetry next week!

• Students will begin to understand that poets use many different devices to convey their meaning.
• Students will notice the voice author’s use to write poetry: understanding that determining the narrator of a poem is important to understanding its meaning.
• We will notice elements of poetry such as rhyme, alliteration, onomatopoeia, rhythm, metaphor, and simile while reading poetry and explain how the use of these helped us understand the poet’s point of view.

Writing:

• Students are working this week and next to create persuasive commercials.
• After we complete this next week, we will move into writing poetry.
• In Poetry…

• Students will analyze the elements of poems and create some of their own.
• write their own poetry and include elements such as stanzas, alliteration, rhyme, rhythm, metaphors, and similes in their work.

Math:

We are continuing work in our fraction unit:

• Students now understand fraction vocabulary including: numerator, denominator, equivalent fractions, improper fraction, and mixed number.
• Students are working to compare and order fractions on a number line.
• Students are using manipulatives like rulers and number lines to understand that a fraction is simply a number and can be identified on these measurement tools just the way whole numbers can.
• Third graders need to know fractions with denominators of 2, 3, 4, 6, and 8.
• Our final test for this unit is scheduled for March 19.
• Please continue to practice multiplication and division facts at home: It crucial students master their multiplication facts to prepare for success in 4th grade. We will continue assessing their mastery of these facts each week, so please practice these with your student at home. By the end of 3rd grade, it is expected that students will have quick and accurate recall and use multiplication combinations from 0x0 to 12 x 12.

Science:

• Next week, we will begin our science unit exploring how plants survive in their environment by investigating their unique structures and the environmental conditions that support them.

Updated fun day form link

Parents,

We apologize, it seems as if the link for the Fun Day permission form in our e-blast did not work. Here is an updated link to follow to complete the form: https://docs.google.com/a/cms.k12.nc.us/forms/d/1oJk-s2VNwSvjWFCjw8e9bsH7AIX-JGjKBmoiJQSkqyw/viewform

Thanks!

eblast for February 26

Notes and Important Information

• Fun Day Form: Please click the following link and complete the fun day permission form so that your child is able to participate in this fun event. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1oJk-s2VNwSvjWFCjw8e9bsH7AIX-JGjKBmoiJQSkqyw/viewform?usp=send_form

• You’re Invited to our Wax Museum: As a way to wrap up all the learning we have done throughout our biography unit in both social studies and reading, students will participate in a Wax Museum on Thursday, March 12. Students will be encouraged to dress up as one of the influential figures they have studied. We ask that all students be prepared to speak for 1-2 minutes about this person including when they lived, their accomplishments, and the way they influenced our society today. Students will present as a part of their social studies classes and will partner up so that each student has a chance to both present and learn from their peers. We invite all parents and family who are able to join us for this fun event.
  • Mrs. Garcia and Mrs. Donohoe’s social studies classes will present from 1:45-2:05.
  • Mrs. Lewis and Mrs. Michaelson’s social studies classes will present from 2:10-2:30.

 

Important Dates

Our Character trait for March is Courage

March 5- Progress reports come home

March 8- BWE Spirit night at the Checkers game

March 11- Dining Night out at Hawthorne’s

March 16-20-Book Fair Week

March 20– Spirit Day

March 24– Spring Picture Day

March 31- End of 3^rd Quarter

April 1- 3^rd Grade Performance at 6:00pm

 

Curriculum Updates:

Reading:

We are continuing our biography unit that combines our fictional reading strategies of growing ideas about a character with non-fiction strategies of gathering new learning, understanding cause and effects, and learning lessons from influential figures’ lives. Throughout this unit students will continue to…

• Differentiate between narrative nonfiction and expository texts
• Connect cause and effect in a person’s life to understand his journey and achievements
• Synthesize and interpret events providing relevant text evidence
• Choose words to more precisely describe a character or event
• Identify life lessons that could be learned from a biography
• Participate in book clubs that analyze the achievements of those we are studying
• We will wrap up our study of this unit with a Wax Museum on Thursday, March 12.

Writing:

• Students have worked this week to compose good beginnings and endings for their expository piece.
• Next week we will work to revise, edit, and create a final draft of our writing for a final grade.

Math:

We are continuing work in our fraction unit:

• Students now understand fraction vocabulary including: numerator, denominator, equivalent fractions, improper fraction, and mixed number.
• Students are working to compare and order fractions on a number line.
• Students are using manipulatives like rulers and number lines to understand that a fraction is simply a number and can be identified on these measurement tools just the way whole numbers can.
• Third graders need to know fractions with denominators of 2, 3, 4, 6, and 8.
• Our final test for this unit is scheduled for March 19.
• Please continue to practice multiplication and division facts at home: It crucial students master their multiplication facts to prepare for success in 4th grade. We will continue assessing their mastery of these facts each week, so please practice these with your student at home. By the end of 3rd grade, it is expected that students will have quick and accurate recall and use multiplication combinations from 0x0 to 12 x 12.

Social Studies:

• Our social studies unit continues to link our reading study of biographies to a study of how these individuals have shaped the community we live in today.
• Students are studying and analyzing the influences that inventors, explorers, political figures, and civil rights leaders have had on our community.
• Students will wrap up their learning with a social studies final project that will display their learning of 1 influential figure from our past.