Snow Day!

We're having a snow day!  Next week we will be making snowflakes, snowy trees, and learning facts about snow.  So on Friday (12-20), we will have an in school snow day to kick off the winter vacation.  Kids should wear their pajamas to school and bring a blanket, pillow, and ONE stuffed animal.  We will read, drink hot chocolate, and perhaps watch a snowy video.  If you would like to donate a goody, we are limiting them to cookies only.  Nothing goes better with hot chocolate and snow like cookies!

Caution!! Math Ahead!

This Thursday, we will take a timed computation test.  Most students are just  one or two problems away from the goal of 36 problems in two minutes!  Please make sure they study!

We have a Unit 2 post test coming up on Wednesday, 12-18 (pending no more interruptions in our schedule due to the weather).  The unit test will cover solving two digit addition and  two digit subtraction problems more than one way.  They include:

Base Ten Pieces 

Rounding and Adjusting

Algorithm/"The Old Fashioned Way"

Front Loading

Number Line

The test will also cover using estimation and rounding of numbers to determine if answers are reasonable.  

There will be a review on Monday, so please look in your child's backpack so you can help them study!

Here are some examples:

Base Ten

193-157

Junior Great Books

As the holidays approach we are about to complete stage 1 of the Junior Great Books program.  In this program students read rich selections of text and after three or four learning activities, participate in a shared inquiry discussion in which teachers can only ask questions and students are the leaders.  The discussions are fun, lively, and at times heated (we are learning to agree to disagree)!  

Ask your students about our discussions!

Give Thanks

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving from the Goodwin Feast!

Spelling Again!

Students will be working on Unit 8 in Mrs. Haggerty's class for two weeks. 

Math Facts

Just a reminder, students should be practicing their math facts every night for at least ten minutes.  Students are tested once a week on their fact fluency!  Five new links have been added to the right of this page for convenient practice opportunities. 

The November benchmark for computational fluency is that students master addition and subtraction facts (36/40 facts in 2 minutes).  Fact test results go home every week with your child.  Please ask your students how they are doing and if you have any questions regarding your child's success, please email us!

kelly.haggerty@mansfieldct.org

laura.scruggs@mansfieldct.org 

Spelling City

Many of the spelling lists have been uploaded to Spelling City.  Here you can find the spelling words for the week (including 4 challenge words at the end of each list) and students can study their words through activities, games, and online assessments.  This week students are working on Unit 7!  Have fun!
username: thirdgradephenoms
password: thirdgradephenoms 

Spelling

Hi Families!  Spelling booklets and/or notices were sent home regarding the pretest that was given yesterday.  This is to inform you about your child's spelling lists and the outcome of their pretests.  If a spelling book was brought home, it is to "live" in your child's homework folder.  This booklet will be used every Monday morning in class for a pretest and every Friday afternoon for a post-test.  Other than that, it will go back and forth from school in your child's homework folder so they know what words need to be studied!

Thank you for your ongoing support and we will see you next week for conferences (Monday, November 25 or Tuesday, November 26)!

Blogging Hiatus

After a long blogging hiatus, we're back!  It has been a couple  of crazy weeks preparing for report cards and parent conferences.  

Meanwhile, students have also been preparing.  They are in the process of  rehearsing for a play in Spanish and here you will see them practicing their lines!  I wish I could tell you what it is about; however, I took French in high school and college.

According to the students, "It is about the book, The Old Lady who Wasn't Afraid of Anything.  In the book a grandma meets clothing and isn't afraid of any of it, except when the pumpkin head and the tree come and then she gets scared and runs home.  So all of the clothing gets sad, and the grandma has a plan and it is to make the clothing and the pumpkin into a scarecrow."

The performances are tomorrow and Friday.  We will report back!

Homework

There is a case of the missing homework stack in Mrs. Haggerty's class!  Tonight students from Mrs. Haggerty's class should read for at least ten minutes and practice their math facts for at least ten minutes!

Costumes

PS. Don't forget to BRING IN costumes!

Halloween Party

Masks

After a meaningful discussion, the students have persuaded us to allow masks!  They were able to convince us that without the mask, their consumes would be ruined...we're not in the business of ruining costumes.

The State of Refreshments

• As of right now we have napkins, cups, cookies, juice, and some plates.  
• We have heard from few families letting us know that there are some baked goods to come.  

Conferences

Parent teacher conferences are coming up on Monday, November 25 and Tuesday, November 26.  A sign up sheet was sent home last Friday in an effort to schedule conferences that were not scheduled during Open House in September.  Please fill out forms and return to school as soon as possible.  Thank you!

More Trickster Tales

We continued our celebration today and here are a couple of pictures.

We have more featured authors to bring to you virtually, however, we are experiencing technical difficulties with the videos.  Please check back soon!

Computational Fluency

As a component of the math program, timed computational tests are administered on a weekly basis.  It is expected that students complete at least 36 facts in two minutes before moving on to the next level.  

Because of this, students are expected to practice their computational fluency at home every night, as outlined on the homework log.  Computational fluency begins with addition and depending on each child's skill level, moves to subtraction, multiplication and division.  

To aid in the process, we have added a number of links to the right of the posts to support at home practice.  If there is an online resource that you use at home to support computational fluency, please pass it along so we can include it to our growing list!

Trickster Tale Spotlight

Here is a spotlight author.  

There will be more to come tomorrow!

Trickster Tales

During the last six weeks the third grade students have been learning about fables, folktales, and tricksters tales as examples of stories that are worth telling again and again.  This has been a pilot within the CCSS unit development.

The third grade classes joined to share their hard work today!  Our learning celebration will continue tomorrow and end with refreshments!