Thursday, September 27, 2012

Newsletter 9-27-12


Ms. Little’s Third Grade Beacon
September 27, 2012


Upcoming & Important Events:
·      Thursday, October 4thPicture Day
·      Friday, October 5th Dismissal at 12:30

Classroom News:

Molly: Last week we made cursive “it” pictures. We learned how to write the word “it” in cursive, so we made cursive “it” pictures to celebrate. A cursive “it” picture is a picture with the word “it” hidden in the picture. I thought it was fun.

Lily: For Read Aloud we are reading The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane. This is what is happening now. Edward is in a doll store. We have snack while Ms. Little reads to us.

Sophia: On Monday Ms. Little showed us on the Smartboard how to do number patterns. She showed us how to work with numbers. We had the first three numbers in the pattern, and we had to figure out the rule for the pattern and write the next three numbers.

Tyler: For a spelling activity we did Look, Say, Cover, Write, Check. We did it because we are learning how to spell. It is tiring when we pick up the page.  It helps us practice our spelling words.

Colin: Our new homework is to read for 15 minutes each night. It is important to read. I LOVE BOOKS! I am reading Geronimo Stilton.

Seamus: We played a Math Around the World game last week. It was fun because if we beat everyone we would win a prize. I’m going to start next time we play because it ended on me.

Ali: Yesterday we learned about rounding. Rounding was stupendous. Ms. Little said, “Five to the sky, four to the floor.” For example, if you had the number 77, you would round it up to 80, because the 7 in the ones place is 5 or higher.

Jameson: Last week in Music we played Stella Ella Ola. We also played the drums. After that, we lined up for recess.

Jesse: In Gym we did relay races. We practiced soccer and dribbling. We also had a fire drill.

David: In class we played a math game where we had three minutes to see how many addition cards we could solve. We sat in a circle, Ms. Little held up a card, and we tried to get as many right as fast as we could.

Daniel: The last time we went to Library was September 19th. Mrs. Patino read us tall tales. One of them was called Satos Do. Another one was called Blue Shoe.

Nathan: This week we received notebook planners. Then Ms. Little taught us how to use them. We could use them to write down our homework if we wanted.

Elizabeth: In Art we are making heads out of our initials. We took tissue paper and cut out our initials and we glued them on paper. After that we looked up what our names mean. And Mrs. Santillo looked up what our last names mean, too.

Brenna: In Writing Workshop we learned how to write leads. A lead is the beginning of a story. I started my lead with an action. We are writing in our notebooks.

Seanalee: We are calling people to send us postcards. We have already gotten some from Hawaii, Utah, and Colorado. It’s awesome.

Emily: Yesterday we made state imagination symbols after we learned about Massachusetts state symbols. First we had to write “state imagination symbol” and then we sketched a picture. After that we colored the picture in and put it in our finished work bin.  For example, some people did imaginary animals, creatures, and ice creams.

Madison: In Writing Workshop we are taking a big story and turning it into one little moment and taking the reader’s mind and bringing it into a whole different world. We call the big stories watermelon stories and the small moments seed stories.

Phaydan: In Cursive we learned how to write the lowercase letters w and e. We also learned lowercase i, t, u, and l. We learned twenty-three words in cursive.

Logan: Last week we started write, cut, make. It was fun. You had a pencil, scissors, a glue stick, and a piece of paper and then you were ready to do write, cut, make. To do it, you took a piece of paper with boxes and wrote your words with one letter in each box. When you were done writing your words, you cut the letters out. When you’re done with that, you glue all the words on a big piece of paper. When you’re done with that, you write your words on the other side of the paper. Then you write your name at the top of the paper. The whole thing is about learning your spelling words.

Ms. Little: Thank you to all who attended Back to School Curriculum Night last week.  I sent home handouts of the information that was presented.  The same information can also be found on our class website. Please let me know if you did not receive it, or if you have any questions about the third grade curriculum.  Have a great weekend. J

Monday, September 24, 2012

Reading Buddies!


Last Wednesday we launched Reading Buddies with Ms. Burns’ 1st grade class.  Reading Buddies will happen twice a month and it’s a fun way for the 1st graders and 3rd graders to get to know each other.  It is also a great opportunity to practice reading skills in a meaningful way.  During this literacy time the 1st graders read several books at their reading level to their 3rd grade buddies.  Then, the 3rd graders have a chance to choose to read more difficult books aloud to their 1st graders.  Everyone is excited and engaged, and we are all thankful to spend this time together!





















Sunday, September 23, 2012

Back to School Night


Thank you to all who attended Back to School Curriculum Night on Thursday!  The following is an overview of the information that was presented.  Please let me know if you have questions or concerns regarding the third grade curriculum.



Back to School Night
September 20, 2012
3rd Grade
Ms. Elizabeth Little

Expectations
·      Be independent
·      Be responsible
·      Be respectful to others
·      Be able to follow multi-step directions
·      Be neat and organized
·      Put best effort into all assignments

Homework Procedures and Expectations
Students will receive homework most nights (Monday – Thursday). It should be brought back to school the next day in their homework folder. Homework assignments will be discussed each day in school prior to going home so that students understand what is expected of them.

A minimum of 15 minutes of reading should occur nightly. Independent Reading Journals will be given each Monday and should be completed and returned the following Monday. There is a checklist on the Reading Journal itself so students can check independently that they completed each part.

Support at Home
Families can support students at home by asking questions about a book they are reading, such as asking what kinds of connections they are making to the characters or plot in the story. There is a “Sentence Starters” sheet that will stay in each student’s homework folder to help them respond to what they’re reading.

Math is a cumulative subject and therefore builds on what students have learned prior to third grade. It is beneficial for students to practice basic addition and subtraction facts to help them build a solid base for multiplication and division.

Communication
A typed newsletter (Ms. Little’s 3rd Grade Beacon) will be sent home weekly in the Thursday Backpack Folder. This newsletter will communicate upcoming events, important dates, and classroom news. Most of the newsletter will be written by the students. Completed and corrected work will be sent home in the Thursday Backpack Folder as well. Please take a look at what we’re working on, and please communicate with your child about their assignments. There is a class website that displays our newsletter, updates, and pictures. (http://mslittleinmaynard.blogspot.com). You’ll also find several links to websites that students may visit to practice math and literacy skills.

Availability
I am available for parent conferences and/or extra help both before and after school if you find there is a specific concern you’d like to discuss. Appointments may be made by email (elittle@maynard.k12.ma.us) or by calling the school. I check my email at least twice daily. Please feel free to send me an email if you have a question or concern, and I will respond as soon as possible.

Thursday, September 20, 2012

Newsletter 9-20-12

Ms. Little’s Third Grade Beacon
September 20, 2012

Upcoming & Important Events:
·        Thursday, September 20th – Back to School Night 6:30 – 8:00
·        Friday, September 21stScholastic book orders due
·        Friday, September 24thDismissal at 12:30

Classroom News:

Sophia: In Art on Monday we got our idea books so we could get ideas for how to make faces out of our initials. We cut out our initials with colored tissue paper. Then we glued the letters on a big piece of paper.

Colin: Yesterday we played a game in the classroom about Math. The game was about three ways to write a number. They are word form, standard form, and expanded form. Expanded form looks like this: 200 + 60 + 2.

Phaydan: Our class is doing a postcard project. We contacted our family and friends and asked them to send us postcards. Four people in our class got postcards already.

Lily: In Music we sang one song called a choice of our song name. We had fun in Music. We worked in groups, too.

Madison: We wrote about a story called How I Spent My Summer Vacation after we read it with a partner. It’s about a little boy who has an overactive imagination.

Jesse: In Math we played a place value game. One person read the card they chose from the bag out loud. The other person made the number with the place value blocks.  Then we checked that they made the right number.

Brenna: In Writing Workshop we thought about objects that matter to us. For example, the object I thought about was my doll. I wrote about the day after I got my doll.

Tatyiana: We got big United States maps. On our maps we are writing the names of the states. I live in the state of Massachusetts. I like the map.

Ali: Last week we started our acrostic name poems. First, we got a chart and wrote down all the adjectives that started with each letter on the chart. Then, we wrote the real poem and added words to make the lines longer. Then we were finished.

Katie: We voted on our class newsletter name. Last Tuesday we came up with ideas for a name. Then we made a list of the names. The name we chose was Ms. Little’s Third Grade Beacon.

Seanalee: Last week we read about the Olympics in Time for Kids Magazine. I read about a guy who had no legs that ran the race. I also read that Missy Franklin came home with four gold medals and one bronze.

Seamus: We have Library on Wednesday. Last time we had Library was last week. We had so much fun because we got to play on the computer.

Jameson: In Writing Workshop we wrote about places that are important to us. I wrote about Johnny Camp because it was my grandma’s birthday and we always go there for her birthday. I also write about Coco Keys. Jake, Anthony, Jake’s Dad and I went to Coco Keys and we had fun. I went in the hot tub, too.

Daniel: At Gym on Friday we practiced passing soccer balls. We played Freedom Ball and warmed up by doing relays and stretching. We all were sweating.

Emily: On Tuesday we used watercolors for our poems. We drew a picture and then put black crayon over our pencil lines. Then we took our watercolors and started painting.

Molly: Last week our class went over to Ms. Burns’ classroom and had first grade reading buddies. My buddy was named Megan. Then we helped them read.

Logan: Last week we started chip trading in Math. This is how it went. We had a white board, an eraser, a dry erase marker, and a big piece of paper with four up and down lines. We had a partner to help. The 1st column was the thousands, the 2nd column was the hundreds, the 3rd column was the tens, and the 4th column was ones. We rolled the dice and say it ended up as a 3, you have to put 3 chips in the ones space. When you get 10 chips in the ones place, you have to trade the 10 chips in for 1 chip to put in the tens column.

Tyler: I like Writing Workshop because we do it in our notebooks. I wrote a story of when I went to Ocean City. It was awesome there. We wrote about people that are important to us and moments we had with them.

Nathan: We started cursive on Monday. We learned the letters of the word “it.” For example, it looks like this:             . We liked it because we all wanted to learn cursive.

David: Ms. Little is reading us the book The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane. The main character is a china rabbit. He is the toy of a little girl named Abilene. Abilene’s grandmother made Edward for her. Abilene’s parents don’t really care about Edward. Edward doesn’t like this because he thinks he is a perfect rabbit. Every night Abilene says to Edward that she’ll come home to him when the little hand is on the twelve and the big hand is on the three. One night when she said that and left, their dog Rosie snatched Edward in her mouth. When Abilene’s mom came in she said, “Rosie, drop it!” Rosie dropped Edward. Soon after, Abilene’s family went on a boat to London. Some boys were tossing Edward around. One boy didn’t catch him and Edward went overboard and sank to the bottom of the ocean. He was caught by a fisherman and so he lived with someone named Nellie. Then he lived with Bull, and then with Sarah Ruth. Now he lives with a boy named Bryce.

Ms. Little: Our Back to School Curriculum Night is tonight from 6:30 – 8:00.  I will present important information about the third grade curriculum, expectations, and daily routines. If you are unable to attend, I will send home handouts of the material that was presented with your child on Friday. Hope to see you there! J

Thursday, September 13, 2012

Newsletter 9-13-12


Ms. Little’s Third Grade Beacon
September 13, 2012
 
Upcoming & Important Events:
·        Friday, September 14thDismissal at 12:30
·        Thursday, September 20th – Back to School Night 6:30 – 8:00
·        Friday, September 21stBook orders due
·        Friday, September 24thDismissal at 12:30

Classroom News:

Jesse: In Math we made sunflower glyphs. We cut out the stem, petals, head, and seeds. Each part of the flower stood for something about us. My sunflower had 11 seeds because I was born in November.

Madison: Ms. Little is reading a story to us called The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane. It is about a rabbit named Edward. Right now in the story he is lost. I like it so far.

Emily: Last week we learned how to do Read to Self. When we do Read to Self you have to read in your head and don’t move around. I think people enjoy it.

Tatyiana: Last week we made license plates with our names on them. I decorated mine with stars and hearts. I loved making them.

Logan: Last week our class did the Pledge of Allegiance over the loudspeaker. We did it slowly because the people that are saying it with us in the school are little and big kids so we went slow. I was nervous because it feels like you are on a stage speaking in front of a big audience.

Seamus: Last week we had Gym. It was so fun when the fire alarm went off. We also did a relay race.

Jameson: On the first day of school Ms. Little read Chrysanthemum to everyone. During the story I ate my snack. The girl in the story liked her name a lot and everyone was laughing at her because she had a long name. Then we talked about our names and why we have them. I’m named after my dad.

Nathan: In Writing we made Me Books. We drew and wrote about family and friends. We added as much detail as we could.

Katie: Last week we went to Library. We went to the story corner so Mrs. Patino could read us a story. After that we checked out a book. Sometimes after Mrs. Patino reads us a story we do an activity. I think people enjoy it.
  
Molly: This month we made September calendars. We had to write things we did or we were doing to help other people know more about ourselves. First, we wrote the month up top, and then we wrote the weekdays.  Next, we numbered the days. Finally, we wrote in the things we did.

Lily: This week in Music we learned how we could work together with music. We worked in stations. The instruments we used were drums and voices.

Daniel: Each person in our class has a job. Our jobs change every week.  Some of the jobs are messenger, line leader, and substitute. I hope to be the sharer soon.

Ali: Last week in class we drew self-portraits. We added lots of color and detail. We also had a lot of fun drawing them.

Tyler: In Art we colored the front of our ideas book and we made postcards.  I like Art because Mrs. Santillo teaches Art and I want to be an artist, and we do fun things too.

Brenna: Last Friday we made a rule list for our class. One of the rules we said is that we will respect each other.  Then we traced our hands and decorated them.

Sophia: Last week Ms. Little assigned us to bring in pictures to decorate our writing workshop notebook. We glued the pictures on our notebook. Ms. Little let us design it ourselves.

Seanalee: On the first day of school Ms. Little read us First Day Jitters. Then we wrote about our first day jitters. My picture said I was feeling happy. I drew a picture of me on the school bus smiling. I saw all of the pictures hanging up.

Elizabeth: Last week decorated our book boxes. Our book boxes were blank so we colored them or some people brought in pictures from home to put on their book boxes. When we finished they looked really good and colorful. I thought it was really fun.

Phaydan: Yesterday Mrs. Dankner read to us. The book she read was called A Fine, Fine School. It was a fine book because it was funny.

David: Ms. Little read us a story called Chrysanthemum on the first day of school. In the book, nobody liked Chrysanthemum because of her name. When she went home she said that school is no place for me and that she hated her name. Her parents wanted to make her feel better so they said, “Your name is beautiful!  And precious and priceless and fascinating. It’s everything you are.” This made her feel better. The next day at school they had Music. They thought the music teacher was fabulous and they would do anything to impress her. During Music, everyone was saying mean things about Chrysanthemum, like she’s named after a flower, or her name is so long. Then the Music teacher said, “I’m named after a flower, too!” Then they all liked Chrysanthemum’s name.

Ms. Little: Our class had a busy and productive start to the school year!  We hope to write and send our class newsletter home once a week.  Please read it carefully to find out what has been going on in our classroom.  Have a great weekend!