Newsletter 4-16-12

The Green Meadow Gazette

April 26, 2012

Upcoming & Important Events:

·        Friday, April 27^th – Dismissal at 12:30

·        Friday, May 4^th – Dismissal at 12:30

·        Friday, May 11^th – Dismissal at 11:25

Classroom News:

James: Yesterday we learned about equivalent fractions. Equivalent fractions are two different fractions that mean the same amount. One of them was ½ = 5/10. We got homework about it, too. It was exciting.

Cara: On Monday we had a presentation from a person from the Lowell Mills. Then we made thank you letters for John who came in. We had to write two things we learned and two things we liked. We had to do a sloppy copy and then a final copy.

Kate: In Art we had mystery art. If we didn’t finish we got a small, medium, or large bag to put things in to take home. Most of the kids in my class used a large bag. I made a house. I used foam, fabric, tape, a cardboard box, and I drew a cat and cut it out.

Graham: Ms. Little read A Series of Unfortunate Events. The part we’re reading right now is when Violet has to marry Count Olaf or he is going to drop Sunny from thirty feet in a bird cage. Now, Violet, Klaus, and Sunny are trapped in the attic.

Robbi: Last Thursday night it was Open House. Our parents came and we showed them what we’ve been doing in school. Our parents were happy!

Hannah: Lately in Math we have been using these symbols to compare fractions: > (greater than), < (less than), and = (equal to). What we did to start out is we looked at the two fractions on the board and figured them out together. Then Ms. Little called on one of us to say which fraction is bigger, and we dragged the correct symbol between the two fractions. It is a good idea to teach kids how to compare fractions.

Aiden: Last week Hunter left school. He moved to a new school in Stow. We also made cards to give to him. The one I made him was orange and black.

Rory: Last week we finished our lowercase packets in cursive. So that means we are on our uppercase letters. The letters we have learned so far are uppercase A and uppercase O.

Kyleigh: The week before vacation Ms. Little’s class wrote sentences in cursive that started with the letter A or the letter O. My sentence was, “Apple picking is fun!” After that we drew a picture with it and when we were gone Ms. Little hung it up on the wall for Open House.

Joseph: Yesterday we played a math game. This is how you play: You roll the dice to get two numbers to make a fraction. You draw a rectangle and divide it into pieces, and color in some of the pieces to make it a fraction. The other person does it too. Then you compare how much of each fraction is shaded and whoever has the bigger fraction wins.

Henry: On Tuesday, April 24, 2012, we played a math game. My group asked Ms. Little if we could play on the Smartboard and she said, “Yes!” How you play is you roll the dice and write the two numbers in a fraction. Then you draw a picture of your fraction next to the fraction. Then everybody goes and whoever went first puts the fractions in order from greatest to least.

Samantha: Two weeks ago we finished our essays. I was not there so I still have to finish writing my final copy. My essay is about how being an older sister is hard but marvelous. I think everybody’s essays are going to be good!

Alonso: Last week we had Music. I forgot my recorder. We also sang songs that are kind of easy. One song, for example, was “This Pretty Planet.” I think that day was easy, smooth, and fun.

David: Last week we went to the Library. We had the Book Fair. At the book fair we bought books. I bought one. Then we watched Shrek.

Dorinda: On Friday we had extra recess. Mr. Mehigan’s class was having extra recess so we did, too. For extra recess, Ms. Little gave us a choice of having it outside or inside so we voted, and having it outside won. I had fun at recess!

Reese: On Monday a person from the Lowell Mills came to our classroom. Vinny and I got dressed up like boys and girls from the 1800s. I learned that the boy has to clean the sheep. We also got to take home wool and we weaved with thread. Also, our class got to have 4 turns weaving thread! They usually only let classes do it 3 times.

Vinny: Yesterday we went to Gym. We did stations. One station had scooters and one had tennis balls. We had a challenge where we had to get the tennis balls in buckets before anybody else.

Morgan: In Social Studies we watched Liberty Kids. It was very educational because it was about colonial times. One video was about the Revolutionary War starting.

Lindsey: Two weeks ago the Savings Makes Cents person came in. Her name was Patty. We took turns reading a book about why it’s important to save your money. I had a good time.

Ms. Little:  Thank you for attending the Open House! Many families came, and all students proudly showed off the hard work they’ve done this year. On another note, we have started practicing for the Math portion of the MCAS. Each Monday, I will send home a packet of practice MCAS questions for your child to complete by the following Monday. They should try to solve each problem independently. Please let me know if you have any questions. Enjoy the weekend! J

Reading and Math Websites

The third grade teachers have compiled a list of what we believe are great math and reading websites. You can use the shortcuts on the right side of this website for easier access, or just click on the links below.               

                                                                                                             

Math & Reading Websites

 

http://www.multiplication.com/games

Games to practice multiplication

http://www.funbrain.com

Reading and math games

http://www.coolmath4kids.com

Math games and activities

http://www.aaamath.com

Games and practice for various math topics (click on grade three)

http://www.abcya.com

Math and reading games and activities (click on grade three)

http://www.starfall.com

Reading games and activities

http://www.coolmath.com

Math games

Newsletter 3-12-12

The Green Meadow Gazette

April 12, 2012

Upcoming & Important Events:

·        Thursday, April 12^th – Open House (3^rd grade: 7:15-8:00)

·        Friday, April 13^th – Book orders due

·        Friday, April 13^th – April vacation begins at the end of the day

Classroom News:

James: Last week we did a math activity with area and perimeter. First we made figures on graph paper. Then we traded our paper with a partner. Our partners figured out the area and perimeter of our figure. It was fun.

Brianna: Every week we read Time for Kids. Time for Kids is a magazine for kids. It teaches us a lot about history and about other people’s lives. It is very interesting. One of the articles was about a little boy who had cancer. He cooked and it took his mind off of the cancer so he got better.

Kyle: In the morning Ms. Little’s class has Writing Workshop. We each have a partner to share ideas with for our essay unit. Our partners can give us ideas if we’re stuck. We don’t have to write the ideas if we don’t want to.

David: Last week we went to Music on Friday. We played recorders. We also made posters to help us learn the song.

Kyleigh: Two weeks ago Ms. Little’s class had 1^st grade buddies with Ms. Burns’ class. I had a partner named Prisca but she was absent so I had to be partners with a girl named Meg and Dorinda. When the 1^st graders are stuck on a word while they are reading we help them. When I looked around the room I saw everyone reading wonderful books.

Kate: In Art we did three different things. The first thing we did was we had to write what the month we were born in meant in our idea book. Next, we had to write what our name meant. Mrs. Santillo taped the cards to the back of our masks. Last, we had to peel off a sticker with our initials on it and stick it to a folder.

Cara: We switched seats. These are the tables we are in now: Kate, Cara, Rory and James are together. Samantha, Aiden, Henry, and David are together. Reese, Brianna, Graham, and Kyle are another. Hunter, Morgan, Joseph, and Robbi are another. Alonso, Kyleigh, Vinny, and Dorinda are another. Last but not least, Thomas, Hannah, Lindsey, and Daniel are another. Those are all of the table groups in Ms. Little’s class.

Thomas: We started watching people to see if they are doing the right thing. At the beginning of the week, we pick a name out of a box and can’t tell anyone who we are watching. At the end of the week, we will share at least one good thing that we saw our person doing at meeting.

Alonso: In Math we used unifix cubes to find the area and perimeter of a shape. Unifix cubes are blocks that you can stick together. We had partners to help us. To me, everyone did a good job sitting for the lesson. I think my partner and I did an amazing job finding area and perimeter.

Samantha: Last week we finished listening to Ms. Little read Stuart Little. I thought it was a pretty good book. It did not end like I thought it would. Stuart Little did not find Margalo the bird. Ms. Little said we could watch the movie soon.

Aiden: Last week we finished learning the lowercase letters in cursive. We did lowercase z. It looks like a y in cursive. Lowercase y looks like a cursive h upside down. Lowercase v looks like a mountain.

Hannah: Lately in Library, Mrs. Patino told us the book fair was coming up. The book fair is when the library puts out a bunch of books and kids bring money and buy them. But if kids do not bring money, there is a video to watch until the book fair is over. If you want to get a book but did not bring any money, there are two things you can do. You can either write your name and the book you like on a slip and get your book the next day, or you can go to the book fair on a different day. The book fair is a good idea because it is an easier way to buy books.

Graham: Last week in Math we learned about area. Area is the square units inside a figure. You would need to know how to find area for some jobs. After math we went to lunch and recess.

Robbi: Last week we had two days of early release days. The days were Thursday and Friday. The special thing about it was that we got to have recess with all of the 3^rd graders. Also, Ms. Little had parent conferences. That’s why we had dismissal at 11:25.

Joseph: Yesterday we were learning about fractions. Fractions are parts shaded out of a whole shape. So if you had a square with 4 parts, and all 4 were shaded in, you would have       .       would be 3 parts shaded out of 6.

Henry: In Writing Workshop we have been drafting. My essay is 10 pages long but that is on drafting paper. It will probably be shorter on the final copy because I won’t skip lines. The teacher (Ms. Little) recommended that I write a paragraph explaining what a good sport is because my essay is about why it’s important to be a good sport.

Morgan: In class we started a new book for read aloud. It is about three kids having a bad life. The story is called A Series of Unfortunate Events. The three kids’ parents died in a fire so now they have to life with a relative named Count Olaf.

Rory: On Monday Samantha read to us because it was her birthday. She read us a book called Where the Sidewalk Ends. It was a poem book. She read three poems from the book. Some were funny.

Dorinda: Last week on Friday we watched a movie about the 13 colonies on Brainpop Jr. The video said that Native Americans were slaves. I learned that the people who settled in the colonies had to pay money to the King of England even though they were across the ocean. I liked the movie.

Vinny: Last week in Gym we played a warm up game and did our relays. We also climbed the net. After that, we played ball tag.

Lindsey: On Monday, April 9^th, Ms. Little’s class went to an assembly. It was a singing assembly. We sang America the Beautiful, The Ants Go Marching, Chicken Soup with Rice, and Risseldy Rasseldy. I liked singing Risseldy Rasseldy.

Reese: Last week in class two people from Middlesex Savings Bank came in for Savings Makes Cents. They taught us how to fill out a deposit slip. A deposit slip is a slip you use to put money into your bank account. First you write the date and your name. Then you write your account number. Then you write how much money you are putting in. It’s very simple!

Ms. Little:  You are invited to visit our classroom for Open House on Thursday, April 12^th.  We have worked very hard on our realistic fiction stories and our essays in Writing Workshop and are looking forward to showing them off! The time to visit third grade classrooms will be from 7:15 – 8:00. We hope to see you there!