Newsletter 2-7-13

Ms. Little’s Third Grade Beacon

February 7, 2013

Upcoming & Important Events:

·        Friday, February 8^th – Dismissal at 12:30

·        Friday, February 15^th – Book orders due

·        Friday, February 15^th – February vacation begins at the end of the day

Classroom News:

Seamus: Last week we read Time for Kids. It showed that the cheetah was the fastest animal on land. Cheetahs can run 70 mph. There are only 10,000 left. I learned that a cheetah could change direction in the air.

Tatyiana: In Art we made posters. We cut out words to glue on the paper. We colored pictures to match the words. We had to write our name on the back. The posters were about being healthy.

Lily: We earned homework passes in February. If you do all of your homework and bring in in on time then you get one.  I like homework passes, but I think homework is good.

Logan: For homework this week we have an MCAS practice packet that is about hippos. There are a lot of interesting facts. A baby hippo is called a calf. It is due on Monday. I am almost done.

Daniel: We read an article about sea lizards to practice for MCAS in class. First, Ms. Little read to us, then we read out loud, and then we read to self. Before we read, we read the questions. Then we looked for the answers to the questions in the story. Then we solved them. Last we wrote some facts that were special about sea lizards.

David: In Math we played a game that requires a good memory. It’s called Subtraction Concentration. You look at the numbers on the paper and then you cover them with tiles. Next you roll a die and subtract whatever you rolled from ten. Then you try to uncover the number you rolled. I was a partner with Tyler. It was fun!

Emily: Last week in Science we made water cycle wheels. This is how we did it. We had two pieces of paper that had pictures on it like raindrops. On one paper we had to cut out squares and then we took a thing that kind of looks like a tack but it has things attached to it that bend down. We cut out the pieces of paper and took the thing that kind of looks like a tack and stuck it through them. Then it was a water cycle wheel.

Madison: In Library we are studying OPAC. On OPAC we look for books in the library. I checked out a book. It’s called Ashley and MaryKate. Its genre is mystery. I checked out another one. It was Diary of a Wimpy Kid.

Seanalee: In Writing Workshop we finished writing our scenes and now we’re writing our final copies. Some are short and some are long. We can make designs with the paper. We made pictures to match the words. Everyone is doing it.

Nathan: In Math we are doing mental math for subtraction. We used mental math to get to the nearest ten to subtract. Mental math is math but it is in your head. For example, 5 x 5 = 25. That was mental math for me. I don’t like it much because I like checking the answers. Some people like mental math because it is quick.

Molly: This week we received postcards. We received them from Chicago, Illinois. We have not gotten Illinois yet. We have a lot of postcards, but we still have a few more states that we need!

Brenna: We made our February calendars. We got to decorate them. Some of us put Valentine’s Day on it. We wrote the days of the week. I put hearts on mine. We worked very hard.

Tyler: Last week in Gym we first did some relay races. Then we did a bucket relay race. Then we played dodge ball. After, we picked up the equipment. Then we left.

Jesse: We watched a Brainpop video on Monday. We watched it with Mrs. Messina’s class. It was about the water cycle. We also made water cycle wheels. In the video, they went to the beach and it wasn’t raining, but then it started to. Raining is a kind of precipitation.

Sophia: Last week we did stations in Music. The stations were recorder, peace like a river, rhythm, and some other things too. We only got to do three stations because of the time. Then we played a game. The game was called Button and the Key.

Ali: In Literacy, Ms. Little taught Molly, Cherry, and me a new spelling activity. It’s called Secret Codes. First, you switch your spelling cards with your partner. There are different numbers for different letters. Next, you write the number that substitutes for the letter under the word. Last, your partner writes the letter in the word above the number. You do that for all your words.

Colin: In Math we played a math game to practice estimating then subtracting. First, we roll the dice to make a math question like 36 – 24. Then, we round it like this:

36 à 40

24 à 20

Then you subtract 40 – 20 = 20. This strategy helps you get 1 percent less than what the real answer is. You’re close but not exactly at the answer. Math is my 9^th favorite subject in school. By the way, the real answer to 36 – 24 = 12.

Cherokee: Right now we are reading A Series of Unfortunate Events. Today we are on chapter thirteen. I don’t know what is going to happen but it is a mystery. The first chapter is about when the orphans moved into Count Olaf’s house and they did not like it at all. But at the last chapter, Count Olaf wanted to marry Violet.

Phaydan: During Science we read water cycle packets. We had partners with Mrs. Messina’s class. My partner was Drew. First we read the packet and then we sang the water cycle song. After that, we colored the water cycle pictures.  There were about five pages in the packets.

Katie: On Monday we made water cycle diagrams in Science. At the top we wrote condensation. Going down we wrote precipitation. At the bottom, we wrote collection also known as accumulation. Last going up we wrote evaporation.

Ms. Little: We are practicing both in class and at home for the English Language Arts portion of the MCAS test that will take place in March. The first practice packet was sent home Monday and is due Monday, February 11^th. Students are expected to complete MCAS homework assignments independently. Please contact me with any questions. Enjoy the weekend.