Newsletter 5-17-12

The Green Meadow Gazette

May 17, 2012

Upcoming & Important Events:

·        Friday, May 18^th – Book orders due

·        Thursday, May 24^th – Up Day

·        Monday, May 28^th – Memorial Day (no school)

Classroom News:

Lindsey: On Monday, May 14, 2012, our class had an assembly. Dorinda, Kyleigh, Robbi, Rory, Skylar, Reese and I sang about being kind, safe learners. We had to sing in front of the whole school. We practiced before we left. It was fun.

Kyle: We are reading A Series of Unfortunate Events #3 (The Wide Window). It is a very good book. It is funny, too. It is funny because Count Olaf keeps following Sunny, Klaus, and Violet. Right now they found a note from Aunt Josephine who is their guardian.

Morgan: This week Ms. Little read a book about Paul Revere. The book was called And Then What Happened, Paul Revere? The book was about Paul Revere’s ride. We read it after we acted in the play.

Thomas: In Math we learned about measuring. We learned about feet, inches, and yards. There are 12 inches in a foot. There are 3 feet in a yard. We practiced measuring on the Smartboard.

Joseph: Once in cursive we learned how to write the uppercase E. It took a while to finish it but we all did. Ms. Little showed us how to do it. It’s like this: you make a little check mark, and then a curve. Then you make a loop and another curve. Then when you finish you raise your hand and Ms. Little comes and checks off your packet page. Then if you have extra time you can do a page of cursive words, names, or letters.

Kyleigh: Yesterday in Ms. Little’s class we were writing Clerihew poems in Writing Workshop. A Clerihew poem is about a famous person.  You write two lines, put a line break, and write two more lines. You need to make each set of lines of your poem rhyme.  So if you want to write a Clerihew poem, then take my advice.

Aiden: This week in Gym we played Doctor Dodgeball. How you play is you pick a doctor and when someone gets out the doctor has to tag them back in. If the doctor gets out you have to make a basket in the basketball hoop. When everyone’s out the other team wins. I like dodgeball because you get to throw balls at people.

Kate: In Music we learned a new song. We also worked on our recorders. I’m working on Beethoven’s Symphony 9. Here are the other options of songs: The Lion Sleeps Tonight, Pop Goes the Weasel, The Saints Go Marching In, and that’s it. We can work in the hallway to practice.

Dorinda: Yesterday, Morgan received a postcard from Boston. Tara, her mom’s friend, sent it to her. In the postcard it said that Tara was going to get married in Hawaii. We have already received a couple of postcards from Hawaii. We have received a postcard from everywhere in the United States.

James: Last week we had to take math MCAS. On the MCAS we compared fractions. We also compared sums. And we added and subtracted. That’s what we did on the MCAS.

Graham: This week we had a presentation about Paul Revere. Everyone had a part in the play. My part was Paul Revere Jr. Paul Revere Jr. only had one part. I learned that Paul Revere liked playing cards with his sister. He was 15 years old and he was the only boy. After the presentation we went to second recess.

David: This week we did Spelling. We got our spelling list and we wrote our words on cards. Then we chose something to do for spelling. We could practice with a partner, write our words three times on a white board, or write colorful words for rainbow words. Some of my words this week are bring and swing.

Alonso: Last week we took a reading test with Mrs. Adamson. It was pretty easy but I did not finish. I hope I get a good score. I think we all got good scores. You have to read the sentences in the test and then choose the answer that makes sense. You have to circle one bubble to finish the question. For example: Ben (saw, went, new) home. You would circle went.

Vinny: Last week we went to Library and we did Type to Learn 3. We typed things like this “FJ FFJ.” And then we got to the final challenge. In the final challenge, you keep on typing but there are more letters. You have to type without looking at the screen.

Henry: Lately in poetry we are writing Mentiras. In Spanish, Mentira means lie. We have to do at least one stanza, and a stanza is four lines. A Mentira poem is all lies and no true stuff. I wrote two Mentiras. Also, each of my mentiras are four stanzas long.

Reese: On Monday, May 14^th, we read Time for Kids. We read with a partner. It was about Earth Day. After that we worked on a paper. Most people didn’t make it to the paper. I learned that hippopotamus horns are worth a lot of money.

Brianna & Samantha: On Tuesday for Math we read a book called How Big is a Foot?  The book was about feet, human feet and measurement feet. The reason we read it was because in math we were doing measurement. In the story there is a king and a queen. It’s the queen’s birthday so the king wants to make her a bed and measures with his human feet. He didn’t get it right. Then we, as a class, had to figure out why the king’s feet weren’t accurate. The other person who measured was too small.

Rory: Last week we saw a movie called A Series of Unfortunate Events.  It was rated PG, but Ms. Little sent home a permission slip to see the movie.  The movie was really funny. My favorite character is Sunny. She is one year old and she loves biting stuff. Violet is the eldest. She is an inventor. Klaus loves to read. They get caught by a person named Count Olaf and he’s a really bad person. If you want to hear any more, you’ll have to see the movie.

Cara: We had Yoga with Samantha’s mom this week. We worked with a partner. We did a pose called the boat. It was fun but complicated, too. You had to hold your partner’s hand, put your feet together, and then lift them inside your hands.

Hannah: Lately, in Art, we have started our drawing unit. It sounds a little bit weird because we have been drawing since kindergarten. But so far in our drawing unit we have learned things like the writing posture techniques like starting by drawing the eye or eyes. We also learned the families of art, which are the dot family, the line family, the circle family, and the curved line family. It is cool to be learning a whole different kind of drawing.

Robbi: On Monday we had an assembly in the cafeteria. Some people were singing. The people that were singing were Dorinda, Reese, Rory, Kyleigh, Skylar, Lindsey, and I. Mrs. Bator read a story called Once upon a Time. I liked the book. There were some teachers who acted out the stories Mrs. Bator read from the book.

Ms. Little:  Homework assignments are going to become less frequent for the remainder of the school year. Your child will be responsible for reading 20 minutes, studying spelling, and working on their biography project each night, but will not always have a worksheet to complete. Please let me know if you have any questions.  Enjoy the weekend.

Paul Revere 5-15-12

On Tuesday our class participated in a special Social Studies activity! We had a visitor from the Paul Revere House in Boston. Each of us had an opportunity to be involved in the play about Paul Revere and his family, which included many of the events that led up to the American Revolution. 

Newsletter 5-10-12

The Green Meadow Gazette

May 10, 2012

Upcoming & Important Events:

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

·        Friday, May 18^th – Book orders due

·        Monday, May 28^th – Memorial Day (no school)

Classroom News:

Joseph: Last Friday we went to Music. In Music we practiced the recorder. We did it because of our concert. First we had to choose our recorder song. Then we had to practice it.

Hannah: Last Friday there was a first grade concert taking place in the cafeteria. All of the first grade classes were participating. Some people in our class were planning to go to it until we figured out that we couldn’t go unless we had a note from our parents that allowed us. It was disappointing to not be able to go to the concert but there will still be other things to go to.

Dorinda: Last week Ms. Little gave us MCAS practice worksheets. We had a whole week to do the worksheets. On Monday we checked the answers. We did MCAS practice worksheets because the real MCAS is on Wednesday, May 9^th and Thursday, May 10^th. We usually do MCAS practice worksheets every time we have MCAS.

Rory: Last week on Friday we read our stories in front of a camera for WAVM. It was fun. I read my essay. It was called Gymnastics Can be Fun but Dangerous. It was dedicated to Isabella Angelone and Emma Rubio. They gave us little microphones. It was taped in the Excel room. I got a little nervous.

Cara: We finished reading A Series of Unfortunate Events. What happened last was Violet got Mr. Poe thinking that Stephano was actually Count Olaf. She found evidence in Count Olaf’s suitcase. Klaus found evidence in a book. At the end, Count Olaf and the hook handed man got away. That’s what happened in book 2 of A Series of Unfortunate Events.

David: In Math we were measuring to the nearest ½ and ¼ inch. We used rulers to measure pictures on a paper. We lined up the 0 on our ruler with the picture to see how long each thing was.

Alonso: Last week we made our May calendars. I think I made a plain one. I got two calendars because I lost one. Sometimes we get them after the month has started. I wonder why we get them after the first day of each month. I can’t wait until I see everyone’s calendar.

Kyleigh: Last week Ms. Little’s class wrote poetry. Some of the types of poems we wrote were acrostics, cinquains, and haikus. What I’m here to talk about is ballad poems! Ballads are poems that have some kind of beat to it. Many ballads rhyme but they don’t have to. While you are writing this kind of poem you need to write from your heart, mind, and hand.

Kate: Last week in Library we learned about a new website. If you want to use it at home then you have to pay for it. It is a typing website. On the website, there are levels. Most people are on level 2 or 3. There are mini games, too.

Henry: Last time we did poetry in Writing Workshop we were learning about Diamante Poems. The reason it’s called that is because when you write one it looks like a diamond. I wrote two Diamantes about two soccer players. The rules of a Diamante are: write the first name of the person on the first line, then two words that describe the person on the next line, then three –ing words, then four nouns related to the person, then three words that describe how the person felt about the things they did, two more describing words, and then on the last line, the person’s last name.

Graham: Yesterday in Art we made little fold up books. You fold them like you fold a fan to flip through the pages. My character’s name was Biddybob. It was hard because my book was falling apart on me. I only got one page done. Then we went back to the classroom.

Samantha: On Tuesday we switched desks for MCAS. I am in a row with Morgan, Kate, Kyleigh, and Aiden. The next row is Cara, James, Joseph, Thomas, Brianna, and Daniel. Another row is Rory, Henry, Dorinda, Hannah, Lindsey, and David. The last row is Kyle, Graham, Robbi, Reese, Vinny, and Alonso.

Brianna: Last Thursday we had visitors from the Middlesex Savings Bank. When the bank people came in they taught us about money. They showed us money that was around a long time ago. And they told us a lot about different kinds of money.

Morgan: Last week we all signed a t-shirt. The t-shirt will say 2012 graduates. We will get these shirts at the ice cream social in June. An ice cream social is a party where we watch a video of pictures of us from kindergarten to 3^rd grade.

Robbi: Last Tuesday in Gym we played dodge ball. We split the class in half. If we got out we would have to do 5 jumping jacks (head shots count). Some people got aggravated because some people kept throwing balls at the same exact people. I can’t wait to play again!

Reese: Last week we went to the lunchroom to watch Mrs. Messina’s class play. It was about the Little Red Hen. It was very funny. I liked when the pigs put on sunglasses. I hope Mrs. Messina and the parents of the students in her class love it.

Aiden: Last week we filled up the marble jar. We got to pick what to do and we picked to play dodge ball. We do not know when we are playing dodge ball yet. I like playing dodge ball because you get to throw balls.

Kyle: This Wednesday and Thursday we are having MCAS. On Tuesday we separated our desks. I think it will be hard. I think the fractions will be the hardest. I hope it is not as hard as I think it is.

James: Last week we took a fraction test. On it we compared fractions. We figured out the mixed numbers. And we compared mixed numbers. That’s what we did on our test.

Thomas: This week we won’t do spelling or have homework. We don’t have to do those things because we have MCAS. Our only homework is to read for 20 minutes each night.

Lindsey: On Monday our class had three Literacy choices to choose from. They were read to self, read to someone, or work on writing.  I chose to read to someone. I read to Rory, and I read him A Series of Unfortunate Events. I read for thirteen minutes. It was awesome.

Ms. Little:  Homework assignments are going to become less frequent for the remainder of the school year. Your child will be responsible for reading 20 minutes and studying spelling each night, but will not always have a worksheet to complete. Please let me know if you have any questions.  Enjoy the weekend.

Newsletter 5-3-12

The Green Meadow Gazette

May 3, 2012

Upcoming & Important Events:

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

·        Wednesday, May 9^th – MCAS testing

·        Thursday, May 10^th – MCAS testing

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

·        Friday, May 18^th – Book orders due

Classroom News:

Lindsey: Last week we finished listening to A Series of Unfortunate Events. Violet signed a paper that made her and Count Olaf be married, but Violet is a righty and she signed the paper with her left hand, so it didn’t count. At the end, Count Olaf said to Violet, “I’ll be back.”

James: Last week we put fractions on a number line. We played a game for it, too. We rolled dice, and then we put them on the line and wrote the fractions. For example, if we rolled a 6, we would write the sixths between 0 and 1. I liked it.

Robbi: This week we have an MCAS math packet for homework. We had to finish the packet by Monday. We also had to do this because we have the real MCAS test next week. During the real MCAS, we also get to chew gum. I hope I do good!

Aiden: Last week we started reading the second book in A Series of Unfortunate Events. The book is called The Reptile Room. It’s about 3 kids whose mom and dad die. They have to live with an uncle named Dr. Montgomery.  The book is by Lemony Snicket.

Cara: We did poetry this week. Ms. Little brought in new objects to observe with our senses. One of them was a bahama fizz candle. It smelled so good! She also brought in a sea urchin shell. It felt really cool. She also brought in a bowl that I think Ms. Little said she kept her earrings in. Then we wrote our observations in our notebook, and turned our observations into poems. For example, I said the bahama fizz candle smelled like the beach. Did I mention it smelled good? That’s what we did in poetry.

Vinny: Yesterday we went to gym and we played dodgeball. To play dodgeball you throw balls at people to try to get them out. When you get out, you have to do 5 sit ups or 5 jumping jacks to get back in. And then you get back in and keep playing.

Alonso: Last week we read Time for Kids. We learned about sugar. Did you know that sugar is found in a lot of foods?  I think you should check what you’re eating. Try eating good snacks like fruit.

Reese: Yesterday in class we learned about the Boston Tea Party. The two things I learned is that the colonists stopped paying for tea and other items from England because of the taxes. I also learned that when they threw the tea in the water, it did not stay on top of the water. I loved the story.

Kyleigh: Today, Ms. Little’s class received a postcard from Maine. A girl named Ashley sent us the postcard. It was very nice of her. She used to be in Ms. Little’s class last year!

Henry: Lately in Writing Workshop we are starting something new: poetry. In poetry, sometimes you need to have line breaks. Line breaks are when you pause. You have to pretend sort of like there is a whole sentence on the line even if there is only one word. Like this:

I

said

hi.

You would pretend there are words there and don’t say anything, just wait like 3 seconds.

Graham: Last week in Writing Workshop we had to pick a theme for all the poems we make. I picked food because I like food. Then we talked to our partners to tell them which theme we chose.

Dorinda: Yesterday we wrote Cinquain poems. There are five rules for writing a Cinquain. The first rule is you have to write a one word title on the 1^st line. The 2^nd line is 2 words that describe the first word. The 3^rd line is 3 words that are actions. The 4^th line is a feeling phrase. The 5^th line is a one word synonym for the title. When we were done writing our Cinquain, we could make another Cinquain or we could make an acrostic poem. I liked writing Cinquains because it was easy.

Hannah: Lately in Math we have been adding and subtracting fractions. What you do is you get a partner, a white board, and two dice. Either you or your partner goes first by rolling the dice. Then, after you roll the dice, you take the two numbers you rolled and make them into a fraction. After you’re done, your partner goes, but they only roll once dice, and keep the fraction’s number on the bottom the same. Then you add or subtract the fractions, but you only add or subtract the numbers on the top. You leave the bottom number the same. It will probably help later in life to know how to add and subtract fractions.

Samantha: On Monday we went to Art. We started a drawing unit. We drew a lion to practice. Then we started a practice page to warm up our eyes. We used our idea book to sketch a picture. The picture is going to be ironed onto a bag. The bag will hold art supplies.

Kate: In Cursive we learned uppercase letters C and D. On one of the cursive practice sheets there were names. On the D practice page were D names, like Dorinda, David, and Daniel, and on the C page was Cara’s name. I almost finished the whole practice sheet. You had to finish the D page to go out to recess.

David: In Math we learned about mixed numbers. Mixed numbers are a whole number and a fraction. For example, 1 5/8 is a mixed number. We played a game about mixed numbers to practice.

Rory: Yesterday we had writing workshop. We were writing Cinquain poems. When we finished, Ms. Little said we could make an acrostic poem. I made one about New Year. An acrostic poem is when you pick a topic and write down the side of the page, and then you write on the letters. For example:

Nice

Exciting

W

Y

E

A

R

Joseph: Last time we went to Library we read about people that invented things. We read about Ray Croc. He invented McDonalds. I forget the rest of their names but they invented frozen vegetables, jeans that lasted longer, and cars. But best of all, we learned about the person who invented Hershey chocolate.

Thomas: Yesterday we switched seats. Every month we switch seats. If a person in your group is bothering you then they get separated from the group.  This time we could pick who we want to sit with, and it’s ok if you’re with your friends.

Morgan: In school we are doing a biography project. We had to pick a person that made history and find a book about them. We have to pick the right book that’s appropriate for us and read it. Then we have to make a timeline. The timeline will have important things that they did in their lifetime on it. Most of the work is going to be done at our houses. Also, it will be is a wax museum. I am going to be Helen Keller.

Ms. Little:  Information about the Biography Project was sent home with your child last week. Please let me know if you have questions or concerns about the project. Also, your child will be taking the math portion of the MCAS next Wednesday and Thursday. Please make sure your child goes to bed at a reasonable time each night, eats a good breakfast each morning, and arrives at school on time each day. The only homework for next week will be to read each night for 20 minutes. Enjoy the weekend!

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!