Friday Newsletter

Hello Everyone! Just one more full week and one very short week until winter break! The students are super excited and full of holiday spirit. We had an eventful week. We had our first snow worthy of snow pants and boots, and we had teachers from the Putnam Museum come to teach the students an art lesson. The art lesson was about art in nature. The students learned about shape, texture, color, and line. They even got to make an origami frog that hops. You may see your child playing with it this weekend! The Putnam teacher gave each student a free pass to visit the museum. I took a look at it, and noticed that it expires on December 31st of this year. That does not leave very much time to make your visit, so I thought I'd point that out!

The "Five"
Now that we have had our first snow the students need to have 5 specific winter items in order to play off the blacktop. They will need a coat, gloves or mittens, a hat, snow pants, and boots. If students do not have one or more of the above mentioned items, they will not be permitted to leave the blacktop during either recess. This is a school wide rule. Please let me know if you have specific questions about this rule.

Pencils and Supplies
Please check with your child to see if he or she is running out of or missing school supplies.

Multiplication
Last Friday, we started to learn our sevens multiplication facts. At this point we have now learned the ones, tens, and sevens. Some of the students are really struggling to get the 25 facts done in one minute. I suggest making or purchasing some flashcards that your child can practice with. It is very important for the students to learn these facts as we have already started to learn division. As the students move forward in math, they will continue to use these basic multiplication facts on a daily basis. I have seen flashcards sold at Dollar Tree, Walgreens, Target, and Wal-Mart. If you do not want to purchase flashcards, you can also make them on note cards. You can print some free flash cards at the following website: http://multiplication.com/flashcards.htm

Gift Exchange
Please remember to send your child's gift for the gift exchange by Friday, December 16th. Do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns.

The Week Ahead
English: We will continue learning about verbs.
Math: Next week we will learn to subtract 2, Use guess and check to solve problems, measure with cups, tablespoons, and teaspoons, read a recipe, write a part of a set as a fraction, subtract a multiple of 10 from a number using mental computation, estimate differences of two two-digit numbers, square numbers, identify perfect squares, find area of a square, and simplify expressions with exponents of 2.
Reading: My reading class will be reading a selection from Ramona Forever. We will also discuss prefixes and suffixes, decoding strategies, root words and suffixes, following directions, drawing conclusions, and literary forms.
Science: We will continue our unit about types of animals.
Social Studies: We will continue our unit about December celebrations.

Friday Newsletter

We had an exciting week! As mentioned last week, we were lucky enough to have Junior Achievement lessons all week. Mr. Seys made each lesson engaging for the students. They learned about how a city operates. Mr. Seys even put together a newspaper using articles that the students wrote during one of the lessons. These newspapers will go home with the students on Monday.

Bundle Up
As the temperature starts to drop, please make sure that your child is coming to school with a heavy coat, gloves or mittens, and a hat. The students have two outdoor recesses each day.

Gift Exchange
During the week of Thanksgiving, your child should have brought home a gift exchange note. This note should indicate the child that they will bring a gift for, and some ideas for gifts. These gifts should be brought to school by Friday, December 16th. It is important that each student brings a gift (no more than $5.00) so that no one is left out. If for some reason you cannot participate in this exchange, please privately let me know by sending a note or emailing me at bcalcott@orionschools.us. I will then make different arrangements with you.

The Week Ahead
English: We will continue our unit about verbs
Math: We will learn to estimate capacity, act out, draw pictures, and write number sentences for "equal-groups" stories, identify and draw lines of symmetry, write division problems in three ways, divide by 10, by 7, and by 1, and identify quotients.
Reading: My reading class will be reading a story called, Centerfield Ballhawk. We will also discuss sequencing, summarizing, compound words, drawing conclusions, following directions, and much more.
Social Studies: We will begin learning about different holiday celebrations.
Science: We will being learning about types of animals.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend. Please feel free to e-mail me with any questions or concerns at bcalcott@orionschools.us.

Friday Newsletter

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

The Week Ahead

English: We will continue our unit about verbs.
Math: We will learn to construct a number line, add two-digit numbers using the addition algorithm, use estimation to verify the reasonableness of calculated results, draw and measure line segments to the nearest half inch, and multiply by seven.
Reading: My reading class will be reading a story called, The Talent Show. We will also discuss the prefixes dis-, im-, in-, and bi-, the suffixes -er, -or, -less, -able, and -ible, how to create mental images as we read, sequence of events, words with the /aw/ sound, and much more.
Social Studies: We are super lucky to have Junior Achievement all this coming week!

Please feel free to e-mail me with any questions or concerns at bcalcott@orionschools.us. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!!

Friday Newsletter

Three full days and one half day sure do fly by! The students were very excited for this long weekend, but were able to keep calm during instructional time. I was very proud of them for that! We were also very excited to see some snow falling on Wednesday! This quickly got the students thinking about December, and all of the exciting events that come along with it.

No Worksheets
You will notice as you look through your child's Friday Folder that there are no graded worksheets. This decision was agreed upon by the third grade team. We felt, that since it was a shorter week, we would just send all of the graded worksheets home next Friday, November 18th.

Pencil Shortage
Some students are still having a pencil shortage. Please check with your child to see if they are short on pencils.

The Week Ahead
English: We will continue our verb unit.
Math: We will learn to read a thermometer to the nearest degree Fahrenheit, identify freezing and boiling points of water and normal body temperature on the Fahrenheit scale, estimate a reasonable temperature, use comparison symbols, identify horizontal, vertical, and oblique lines and line segments, and find perimeter.
Reading: My reading class will be reading and exploring a story called, The Stories Julian Tells. We will also discuss sequence of events, reading ahead, following directions, the prefix re-, multiple-meaning words, and possessive and plural words.
Science: We will discuss types of animals.
Social Studies: We will continue our unit about The First Thanksgiving.

I hope everyone enjoys this long weekend! Please feel free to e-mail me at bcalcott@orionschools.us with any questions or concerns.

Friday Newsletter

Hi Everyone!
The ghosts, bats, and pumpkins are coming off the walls just as quickly as the turkeys, cornucopias,and pilgrims are going up! The students did a great job switching gears after the excitement of Halloween on a Monday! I'd like to thank the parents that were able to come in on Monday to help with the Halloween festivities. The party was great, and the kids had a blast!

Staying Healthy
I have been really pushing healthy hand-washing habits at school recently. We are getting into cold/flu season, and the germs are starting to spread. I have been sanitizing the students' desks a few times per day, and reminding the students to keep their hands off of their faces. Hopefully this keeps our classroom fairly germ free!

The Week Ahead
English: We finished our unit on nouns. We will be starting our next unit about verbs.
Math: We will learn to identify a missing digit in an addition problem, multiply by 1 and 10, identify factors and products, estimate and find capacity.
Reading: My reading class will be reading and exploring a wonderful personal narrative called, Rosie, A Visiting Dog's Story. We will also discuss strategies to decode long words, using context clues, setting a purpose for reading, the letter pattern -ough, how to classify and categorize, and much more.
Science: We will start to learn about types of animals.
Social Studies: We will continue our unit on The First Thanksgiving.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! Please feel free to contact me at bcalcott@orionschools.us with any questions or concerns.

Friday Newsletter

I can't believe it is already the end of October! This month has gone by so fast! This week was Red Ribbon Week. On Wednesday, we went to a great assembly at which the students were able to see a "drug dog" do a search for drugs. Some of the students had an opportunity to pet the dog. The officers that came to the assembly spoke to the students about the importance of staying drug-free. Today was "wear red" day, and it was neat to see many students come to school wearing red!

Halloween

Be sure to look for the note that Mr. Lowe sent in the Friday Folders about Halloween. The note reminds students and parents about costume rules. Besides the Halloween party on Monday, we will also be doing many different Halloween related activities. It is going to be a great day!

Picture Retakes
If your child was absent on Picture Day, or you are not satisfied with your child's picture, please be aware that picture retakes are on Tuesday, November 1st. There is reminder note in Friday Folders.

Canned Food Drive
C. R. Hanna is going to be participating in a food drive starting next week, and it is being turned into a friendly competition. There is a note about the food drive in Friday Folders. The food drive is optional. Please do not feel pressured to make a donation!

The Week Ahead
English: We will finish our unit about nouns! We will be having our test on Friday, November 4th. I will send a reminder note home early next week. The note will include recommended study pages. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns about this upcoming test.
Math: We will learn to conduct a survey, draw and read a pictograph, identify place value to hundreds, write three-digit numbers in expanded form, add two-digit numbers using mental computation, name line segments, and identify and make scalene, isosceles, and equilateral triangles. Make sure your child is practicing their math facts. They are getting harder and harder. If you feel that your child is struggling to finish the timed facts, try using flash cards with him or her. You can turn it into a game that they will enjoy. Flash cards can be purchased at many locations. I have seen them available at the dollar store, Walgreens, Target, and many more locations. Creating your own flash cards is also a great option.
Reading: My reading class will be reading and exploring a story called, Little Grunt and the Big Egg. We will discuss reality versus fantasy, how to self-question while reading, how to make predictions, open and closed syllables, and much more.
Science: We will continue our plant unit!
Social Studies: We will begin an exciting unit about The First Thanksgiving!

Please feel free to e-mail me at bcalcott@orionschools.us if you have any questions or concerns!
Have a wonderful weekend, and thank you for your support!

Friday Newsletter

Hello Everyone!
It was so nice to see all of you during conferences!
Next week is Red Ribbon Week. This week reminds kids just how important it is to stay drug free. We will be having a wonderful assembly given by the Quad City Area  MEG Unit (Drug Task Force). They will be bringing one of their "drug dogs" with them, which will be very interesting! On Friday, the students will be encouraged to wear red. I will remind the students on Thursday.
I will be sending the insect projects home next week, along with the scored rubric. I wanted to keep them in the classroom through conferences to allow parents the opportunity to see the wonderful work of the students in our class!

The Week Ahead
English: We will continue our unit about nouns. We are getting very close to the end of this unit. I will be sending a note home soon to inform parents about the upcoming test. It will probably be the first week of November. Some of the students are still finishing up their very first expository essay about Halloween safety tips.
Math: We will learn to count quarters, find half of a set of objects, add three or more single-digit numbers, tell and show time to five-minute intervals, identify a.m. and p.m., and identify the number of minutes in an hour and number of hours in a day.
Reading: My reading class will be reading and exploring a magazine article called, Wild Shots, They're My Life. It is a wonderful non-fiction piece about a photographer that grew up taking photos of animals on the Galapagos Islands. We will also discuss author's purpose, soft c and hard c, soft g and hard g, setting a purpose for reading, how to read non-fiction books, and much more.
Social Studies: We will continue our bullying unit. We have been focusing on respecting ourselves and others. We will continue this discussion into next week, and then move on to the teasing side of bullying. You may have heard from your child about a new anti-bullying system in our class called, "Fill a Bucket." If not, each student in the class has a "bucket" that sits on the book shelves in the reading corner. There are little slips of paper on which the students can write nice comments to each other. The point is to fill everyone's bucket with positive thoughts and feelings. Right now, the students are loving the concept and are filling out slips left and right! I am hoping this will instill a strong sense of community in our class!
Science: We will continue our unit about plants.

Again, thank you for coming to conferences. It is always nice to touch base with parents!
If there is anything that you feel we did not discuss at the conferences, please do not hesitate to e-mail be at bcalcott@orionschools.us.
Thank you for your continued support! Have a wonderful weekend!

Friday Newsletter

Hi everyone! I hope you have all had a great week! We had a wonderful week in 3rd grade. Today Ag in the Class came to our room and did a lesson about how footballs are tied back to a farm. They also discussed the types of food your order at a concession stand, and how that is tied back to a farm! You may notice a small bag filled with random items in your child's book bag. This bag contains different items that are meant to remind the students that many things we see and eat at a football game came from a farm. We also did an integrated art project with fractions this week. The students were given a circle, and then told to make halves, fourths, eighths, and sixteenths. They were then required to form these fraction pieces into fish. They all turned out really cute. Currently, they are in the hallway.

The Week Ahead
English: We will continue our unit about nouns.
Math: We will learn to order three-digit numbers, list combinations, and write story problems for addition and subtraction number sentences. We will have our fact assessment for the adding 3, 4, and 9 facts on Tuesday. We will have our written assessment on Wednesday.
Reading: Since it is a short week, we will not be starting a new story. There is also no spelling test. Instead, we will be focusing on comprehension skills, sequencing skills, decoding skills, root words, inflected endings, making compound words, and much more! This will be a great opportunity to tackle some of the skills that the students need extra time practicing.
Science: We will continue our plant unit.
Social Studies: Will continue and possibly complete our bullying unit.

Pencil Shortage
Many of the students are starting to run out of pencils. I have been giving some of my extra pencils out, but am running low! Please ask your child if he or she is out of pencils (or close to being out of pencils), and send them to school next week. Thanks!

I hope everyone has a great weekend! Remember, conferences are next week on Thursday and Friday! You can still sign up for a time slot by calling the office. I am looking forward to meeting with all of you!
Thank you for your support!

Friday Newsletter

What a beautiful week we have had! It was great that the students had these last few days of warm weather during recess. As cooler weather starts to set in, please make sure that your child is sent to school with appropriate outdoor clothing. With each passing day in the month of October, the students are getting more and more anxious for Halloween. There is an exciting energy in our classroom! Please remember that Donuts with Dad is on Friday, October 14th. The RSVPs for this event were due today.

The Week Ahead
English: We will continue our unit about nouns. We will also do some expository writing.
Math: We will be learning how to add multiple of 10 using mental computation, estimate the sum of two two-digit numbers, estimate, measure, and draw line segments using centimeters, and add a multiple of 10 to a number using mental computation.
Reading: My reading class will be reading a great narrative nonfiction story called, Balto, the Dog Who Saved Nome. We will also focus on some very important skill and concepts. We will learn what analogies are, how to make predictions, what the author's purpose is, how to decode words containing a root word and the inflection -ed, how to classify word relationships, and much more.
Science: This week, we started a unit about plants. We will continue this unit next week.
Social Studies: We will continue our bullying unit. I will be introducing some literature to go along with it. This week, the students made "Peace Plans" for our school. Some of the students have already presented their plans, and they are great! I am looking forward to hearing the rest of them.

There is a Scholastic Book Order in the Friday Folders. If you would like to place an order, please have it turned in by next Friday, October 14th.

I hope everyone has a wonderful long weekend! Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns at bcalcott@orionschools.us.

Friday Newsletter

Happy Friday! Right now, our room is "haunted" by ghosts and "infested" with 21 made-up insects! :) On Tuesday, we were lucky enough to have newly retired 3rd grade teacher, Mrs. Brewers, come in to do an art project with us! She showed us how to make some adorable ghosts out of cheese cloth and fabric stiffener. They are really neat and are being displayed in the front display case for the month of October. The "insect infestation" is due to the fact that the students' insect dioramas were due on Wednesday. Everyone brought theirs in, and they are all really nice. I can tell that the students spent a lot of time on these. We started presenting them to the class on Thursday. We still have about 5 more presentations to go. Once we are finished presenting, I will put them in the hall for the other students to see. Feel free to stop by sometime next week to see our interesting insects!

The Week Ahead
English: We will continue our unit about nouns. We will be discussing common and proper nouns, nouns in the subject, and how to write with nouns.
Math: We will be learning how to write money amounts using dollar signs and cent symbols (the students have been anxiously awaiting this lesson), read and shade a thermometer to the nearest two degrees Fahrenheit, solve a problem by acting it out, collect data, tally data, and estimate the sum of two two-digit numbers.
Reading: My reading class will be reading and exploring a story called Turtle Bay. We will also discuss the author's purpose, how to reread to clarify, letter patterns kn, wr, and gn, homographs and homophones, and compound words.
Science: We will begin a unit about plants.
Social Studies: We will continue our new bullying unit.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend. I will be helping at the Zoe Stamer Memorial Benefit on Sunday. Hopefully I'll run into some of you while I'm there!

Thank you for your continued support! Please feel free to e-mail me at bcalcott@orionschools.us with any questions or concerns.

Friday Newsletter

I hope everyone had a great week! It was fun hearing all of the students talk about their involvement in the homecoming parade and festivities. It seems that we have many Chargers and Chargerettes in our class! This week, we started making our insect habitats. I sent a note and a rubric home with the students. Please see the "Science" section of "The Week Ahead" for more information about the project.

The Week Ahead
English: We started learning about nouns this week. We even had a chance to learn a song about nouns. They were all reluctant to sing at first, but then decided it was a fun song. Next week we will continue to learn about nouns. We will also be learning to write by using sensory details.
Math: We will learn to write fractions using the fraction bar, add nine to numbers, write fraction number sentences, identify dozen and half dozen, write a fraction to show a part of a set, and read and write numbers to 1,000 using digits. We will have a timed fact assessment on Wednesday, and a written assessment on Thursday.
Reading: My reading class will be reading and exploring a nonfiction story called, The Olympic Games: Where Heroes are Made. We will also be discussing elements of nonfiction, closed syllables (words that end with consonants), antonyms, acronyms, how to make inferences, and much more. Some students are telling me that they are taking their book home to read on Mondays and then not reading. Please try to encourage your child to read the entire assigned story.
Science: As you probably know, we have been working on our insects/habitats. On Monday,  I sent the students home with a note that explained the project, and a rubric to show how they will be graded. I sent the dioramas home with the students this afternoon, but they are not due until Wednesday, September 28th. If your child finishes the project over the weekend it is fine to send it to school with them on Monday.
Social Studies: We will finish talking about maps. I also want to squeeze in a quick unit about bullying, and how to handle a bully. We seem to be having an issue with this within our classroom.

Notes in Friday Folders
This week, an RSVP for Donuts with Dad went home with the students. Please send those back with your child by October 11th. Also, there is an exciting change to the lunch program! You can now add money to your child's lunch account online. You can still send money with your child if it is more convenient for you. There is a note about this change in the Friday Folder.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend. Have fun if you are going to the Homecoming game!

GO CHARGERS!

Please do not hesitate to contact me with questions or concerns!

Friday Newsletter

I hope everyone had a great week! We had an exciting week in 3rd grade. Along with learning all of the exciting new concepts that I mentioned in the newsletter from last week, we had an "Ag in the Class" lesson! The Farm Bureau volunteers come in once a month and talk to our students about the importance of agriculture. Yesterday, the lesson was all about apples. The volunteer that came in even made the students a yummy apple treat! The recipe was given to each student.

The Week Ahead
English: We had our first English test today! Next week, we will spend Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday writing a rough draft of a paper, peer editing, and writing a final copy of a paper. On Thursday and Friday, I will introduce unit 2 which is about nouns. We may even be learning a song that will help us to remember what a noun is!
Math: On Monday, we will have our third fact assessment. It will cover sums of 10, adding 0, adding 1, and doubles. On Tuesday, we will have our third written assessment. throughout the rest of the week, we will be learning how to solve a problem by working backward, name and draw polygons, divide a square into three equal parts, identify and shade thirds, rewrite numbers by regrouping tens and ones, and count dimes, nickels, and pennies.
Reading: In my reading class, we will be exploring a story called, Allie's Basketball Dream. We will also review narrative elements (characters, setting, and plot), work on decoding skills with CVCe and CVVC (Consonant-Vowel-Consonant-e and Consonant-Vowel-Vowel-Consonant) spelling patterns, work with synonyms, practice using a dictionary, and much more.
Science: We finally get to do our final insect project! We will be starting this on Monday. Check your child's book bag on Monday for a rubric and information about the project.
Social Studies: We will be working in groups to create a map of C. R. Hanna.

The are a few notes in Friday Folders. Two of them have information regarding the Zoe Stamer Memorial Benefit. As always, please contact me with any questions or concerns. Have a wonderful weekend!

Friday Newsletter

Hello Everyone!
I hope everybody had a great week! We had a very busy week in 3rd grade. With MAPs testing, we only had reading twice this week. We had time to do a little more science, social studies, and art! We will have MAPs testing again next week. Our class will test on Tuesday (September 13th). Because of testing, we will only have reading on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. As stated in the note sent home last Friday, the spelling pretest will be on Wednesday, and the final test will be on Friday.

The Week Ahead
English: We will be finishing Unit 1 (The Sentence). On Monday and Tuesday, we will learn how to write "good" sentences by using the word and. Wednesday and Thursday will be spent reviewing the Unit. On Friday, we will take the Unit 1 test. On Wednesday and Thursday, I will be sending the students home with their English books to study. I will also send a reminder note home during the week.
Math: We will be having our second written assessment on Monday. During the week, we will learn to write the date using digits, divide squares into two, four, and eight equal parts, read a thermometer to the nearest 10 degrees Fahrenheit, and round numbers to the nearest ten.
Reading: We will continue reading and exploring Nate the Great: San Francisco Detective.
Social Studies: We will continue our unit on community. We will also learn a bit about maps.
Science: We will continue and most likely finish our insect unit. This means an exciting science project will be introduced! I will send information about the project as soon as I explain it to the students.

Scholastic Book Orders
Book orders were due today. I will be sending that out on Monday! Expect your order to be in very soon!

Grandparent's Day
The Grandparent's Day Ice Cream Social is on Monday! If your child is attending this event and is also a bus rider, please send them with a walker note on Monday. I'm excited to meet some of the students' grandparents (and eat ice cream) on Monday!

Picture Day
I just want to remind everyone that picture day is on Tuesday, Septemember 13th! Please send your orders in with your child.

Have a fantastic weekend! Please contact me with any questions or concerns at bcalcott@orionschools.us.
Thank you for your support!

Friday Newsletter

Yet another week has quickly passed us by! We had quite an exciting week. I'm sure that most of you heard about some big insects that we have in our class. If you haven't heard, I have introduced the students to my Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches. They are giant insects that do not bite or fly, which makes them great for kids to handle.  Right now, they live in a cage near our pencil sharpener. Since I have put them there, the students have mysteriously had many broken pencils that need sharpening... As soon as the excitement wears down, I'm sure the pencils will start breaking less frequently. Also, we now have enough shoe boxes for our upcoming project! Thank you for sending them in with the students!
I also want to remind everyone that there is no school on Monday. I hope everyone has a great LONG weekend. If you are going to the Fall Festival, have a blast!

The Week Ahead
English: We will be learning to correct run-on sentences. We will also spend some time reviewing subjects and predicates. We will also practice how to write using the "5 Ws" (who, what, when, where, and why).
Math: We will learn  howto divide squares into two and four equal parts, how to identify congruent shapes, how to count dimes and nickels, how to add/subtract 10 to/from a two-digit number, and how to solve addition facts with sums of 10.
Reading: As the note in Friday Folders stated, we will be stretching next week's story out over the next two weeks due to MAPs testing. My reading class will be reading Nate the Great: San Francisco Detective. We will also be discussing CVVC and CVCe spelling patterns, how to decode long words containing prefixes and suffixes, how to distinguish the difference between fiction and nonfiction, how to make a story map, and much more.
Science: We will continue our insect unit. More specifically, we will discuss symbiotic relationships and endangered insects.
Social Studies: We will continue our discussions about communities.

Friday Folders
Many important notes went home in Friday Folders. Make sure that you read each one. I also want to remind everyone to send in the reservation forms for the Grandparent's Day Ice Cream Social, PTA bag orders, and directory information.

MAPs Testing
Next week we will begin MAPs testing. Our class will be testing on Wednesday, September 7th and on Tuesday, September 13th.

Have a wonderful weekend! If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me at: bcalcott@orionschools.us. Thank you for your support!

Friday Newsletter

Hello Everyone!
It is hard to believe that we have already finished our second week of school! For those of you that have been able to send shoe boxes to school, THANK YOU!! We will be using them very soon for a science project. If you find more shoe boxes lying around, feel free to send those as well. I still do not have enough for everyone.

The Week Ahead
English: We will continue learning to identify the subject and predicate of a sentence. This is a difficult concept and will take longer than most English lessons.
Math: We will be identifying even and odd numbers, making organized lists to solve problems, covering designs with pattern blocks, and acting out number sentences. On Tuesday we will have our first fact assessment. The students will have one minute to answer as many addition problems as they can. On Wednesday we will have a our first written assessment.
Reading: My reading class will be reading a great story called, Pepita Talks Twice. We will also discuss narrative elements of a story, how to make and confirm predictions, how to use a dictionary, how to decode words with the inflected endings -s and -es.
Science: Because of the heat schedule, we were unable to get to science this week as often as I would have liked. Next week, we will continue our exciting insect unit.
Social Studies: We will discuss the use of maps. We will also discuss important aspects of communities and community members.

Friday Folders
Many notes went home in the Friday Folders this week. Please be sure to look at each one. I also want to remind everyone to send Reading Records with your child on Monday.

Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns at: bcalcott@orionschools.us

Have a wonderful weekend, and enjoy the beautiful weather!

Reminder

I just wanted to remind everyone that we will be on a heat schedule tomorrow (Wednesday) through Friday. See you bright and early!

Friday News

We made it through our first week of school! I can tell this is going to be a great school year! This week, we already started math lessons. A note went home with the students on Thursday explaining the math program that we use. On most weekends there will not be any homework. Please just make sure to check your child's backpack for their Friday Folder. There will usually be many notes and graded papers. This week, the third grade teachers decided not to send any graded work home with the students. Please be sure to look over each note, and all of your child's work every week.

The Week Ahead

English: This week we started a unit called, "The Sentence". We discussed what a sentence is, what a statement is, and what a question is. Next week we will learn about commands and exclamations, the subject of a sentence, and the predicate of a sentence.

Math: This week we learned how to tell time to the hour, solve elapsed time-problems, graph data on a bar graph, read  a graph, and identify digits. Next week we will  learn to tell and show time to the half hour, estimate time to the nearest half hour, identify addends, estimate length to the nearest inch, and much more!

Reading: This subject will always vary depending on the teacher. My reading class will be reading a story called, Officer Buckle and Gloria. We will also explore some reading skills that go along with this story.

Science: We will continue learning about insects.

Social Studies: We will continue learning about communities.

Shoe Boxes

In the very near future, we will be making dioramas for a science project. We will be needing one shoe box for each student. If you have some empty shoe boxes that you can spare, please start sending them to school with your child. Thank you for your support!

Reading Record Reminder

I just want to remind everyone that the first reading record went home in Friday Folders today. Please send the completed reading record to school with your child next Monday, August 29th. If you happen to lose the reading record sheet, a handwritten one will be accepted.

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to e-mail me at bcalcott@orionschools.us. I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! 

WELCOME TO THIRD GRADE!

Dear Parents,

I hope everyone had a wonderful summer! I am really excited to be teaching third grade this year. We will be learning and exploring many exciting concepts.
I will be posting Friday Newsletters on this blog to limit the use of paper. I will also be posting educational games and activities on this blog that will correspond with what is being taught in school. If you do not have regular Internet access please let me know, and I can make different arrangements with you.
Please feel free to e-mail me with any questions or concerns at: bcalcott@orionschools.us. I check my e-mail frequently and will get back to you as soon as possible. I am looking forward to working with all of you to ensure that your child has a successful and meaningful year!

Assignments

Social Studies: Study your states and capitals! Big 50 is tomorrow!

English: Finish possessive pronouns worksheet if you were unable to finish it during the day.

Assignments

Reading: Finish reading article if you did not finish during partner reading.

Spelling: Study words

Math: Finish problem set 90

• Field trip to Bishop Hill tomorrow! Please wear comfortable shoes to walk in (no flip flops) and a Jacket. It will be very cool in the morning! Also, don't forget a sack lunch!

Assignments

• BANK AT SCHOOL TOMORROW!
• MAPs TESTING TOMORROW

Math: Finish problem set 87. This was a tricky new concept. If you find that you are struggling with this lesson, please come see me for extra help.

Social Studies: State report is due tomorrow

Assignments

Reading: Finish reading Yeh-Shen if you did not finish during partner reading.

Spelling: Study spelling words and their meanings.

English: Finish P. 209 #7-20 if you did not finish during school.

Math: Finish problem set 86

Social Studies: Finish Chapter 12 Lesson 1 worksheet. The states and capitals test over the West is on Friday. State reports are due Thursday! Let me know if you have questions or concerns.

Assignments

Great job at the science fair! I am impressed with all of the hard work that you put into your projects!

After the science fair, many students left without Friday Folders and some left without notes. Please make sure that you get notes from me on Monday.

Spelling List Unit 32

1. farmer's
2. poets'
3. group's
4. calf's
5. watches'
6. fish's
7. poem's
8. calves'
9. brother's
10. herd's
11. couples'
12. mother's
13. wives'
14. child's
15. father's
16. daughter's
17. sisters'
18. children's
19. wife's
20. sons'

Happy Mother's Day to all of the moms!

Assignments

Math: Finish Problem Set 84

Important

• Permission slips for Bishop Hill are due tomorrow. I am still in need of some parent volunteers to come along. If you would like to go, please send a note with your child.
• The Science Fair is tomorrow from 1:30 until 2:30. I hope to see many of you there!
• Muffins with Mom is tomorrow.

Thank you for your continued support!

Assignments

Reading: finish your reading packet if you were unable to complete it during the school day

Math: Finish problem set 81

English: Finish p. 205 #6-13

• Tomorrow is the last day to purchase a field day t-shirt. It is $6.00 for kids and $8.00 for adult volunteer t-shirts.
• Please continue to send in permission slips for the field trip. I still need some parent volunteers to come with. If you are interested in going, please send a note to school with your child.

Thank you!

STATE REPORT

The following post is for the students who have committed to completing a state project. The information below is exactly the same as the information that was on the sheet that was signed. I realize that some students may have accidentally misplaced the sheet. Let me know if you have questions. Remember, the project is due on May 12th.

 

You may choose to make a report on one of our fifty states. You can make a poster, booklet, or brochure. The work should be your own work, not copied from the Internet. Be neat and creative. Neatness counts. This will count as an extra test grade.

 

Your report must include the following:

 

1. Name of state (5 points)
2. Colored map of state including the state capital, 3-5 of the larges cities, main rivers and        landforms, and the states that border your state, all labeled. (10 points)
3. A well written short paragraph describing the climate, pictures could be included (7 points)
4. A list of natural resources found in the state. (7 points)
5. A list of the main crops, products produced, and any major industries found in state. (7 points)
6. Short paragraphs about 3-5 places of interest including the name, location, and why the place is interesting. (7 points)
7. A list or paragraph about any famous people from the state and why they are famous. (7 points)
8. Facts including current governor, capital, area in square miles, population, year of statehood, motto, song. (7 points)
9. Colored pictures of the bird, flower, tree, and flag (8 points)
10. What Native Americans first lived in the state. (7 points)
11. Any other interesting, historical, or general facts about the state. (7 points)
12. Creativity (7points)
13. Neatness (7 points)
14. Spelling (7 points)

Assignments

There is no homework tonight!

Social Studies: Please start working on your state project if you have chosen to do one. Remember, it is due on May 12th!

** If you are wanting to bring some things in for the tornado victims, please check to make sure it is okay with your parents first. Remember, all donations must be in by Thursday.

Assignments

No Homework!

Dear Parents,
I have a couple of announcements. Many important notes went home in the students' Friday Folders. There is a permission slip for an upcoming field trip, a note about the science fair, a packet about registration, and much more.
This morning I received a letter from the Gillis family regarding the devastating tornadoes that affected the Southeast. They have family friends that were right in the middle of it. That family, along with many others in the community lost everything. Rick Gillis was able to borrow a 26' trailer from his employer. The Gillis family would like to fill the entire trailer with various items that will help all of the families in that area to rebuild their lives. If you have any items that you feel would be useful to these families, please send them to school with your child starting Monday. Do not feel that this is something you must do. I will be bringing a few things in myself. Some ideas for items that the families could use are: paper towels, toilet paper, shampoo, conditioner, bottled water, toothpaste, clothes, canned goods, toothbrushes, hand soap/sanitizer, blankets, detergent, and the list goes on and on. On Friday, May 6th (a week from today), Rick Gillis will be driving all of the goods that he has collected to the areas affected by the tornadoes. Please try to have all donations in by Thursday morning. If you have any questions or concerns, please e-mail me.
Thank you so much!

Assignments

Science: Study "Mr. Bones" and make corrections

Social Studies: Finish Chapter 11 Lesson 2 worksheet

Spelling: Study dictation sentences.

Assignments

Math: Finish any corrections that you have not finished during school

Reading: Finish reading Mom's Best Friend if you did not finish it during partner reading.

Science: Finish Mr. Bones and study your vocabulary

Social Studies: If you did not turn in the signed "state project" sheet, please remember to get it signed and turned in for tomorrow. This sheet needs to be signed even if you are not going to be doing the project.

Please continue to bring in any forms for the carnival or for Muffins with Mom. I am also still missing some picture/money for the pictures that were sent home a few weeks ago.
Thank you!

Assignments

Math: Finish Problem Set 80

Social Studies: Get the "State Project" sheet signed and brought back by tomorrow

Science: Study vocab and "Mr. Bones"

Please continue to send in picture money, carnival forms, and RSVP for Muffins with Mom.

Assignments

Math: Finish problem set 79

Science: Study vocab, Study "Mr. Bones", complete extra credit assignment

Spelling: Final test is tomorrow.

Assignments

Reading: Finish reading The Fox and the Guinea Pig

Math: Finish problem set 78

Science: Study your vocabulary words and know about bones

Social Studies: Finish chapter 10 lesson 2 worksheet

Assignments

Math: Finish Problem Set 77

Science: Study your two vocabulary words

Social Studies: Finish chapter 10 lesson 1 worksheet\

Please remember to bring pictures and/or money for the pictures
Bring in the RSVP for Muffins with Mom

New Link

I found a really fun way to practice multiplication facts! It is listed under "Study Tools" on the right side of the blog. I will be going over how to access/play the game on Monday. I hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Assignments

Spelling: Study unit 28 words for final test tomorrow

Science: Study for test

Reading: Finish reading Earth's First Creatures for selection test tomorrow

Tomorrow is the last day to bring donations for the PTA raffle baskets.

Please return picture and/or picture money as soon as possible.

Assignments

There is no homework tonight! Good work on all of the tests that we've had this week!

Assignments

Math: Finish Problem Set 74

English: Study for unit 5 test (test is tomorrow)

Social Studies: Study for chapter 9 test and Southwest states and capitals test (both tests are on Wednesday).

• Bank at school is on Thursday.
• Please remember to bring in a small scrapbooking related donation for the PTA Carnival Raffle Basket.

Assignments

There is no homework! Enjoy your weekend!

Dear Parents,
I apologize that no Friday News went home in Friday Folders today. I had a substitute today and was unable to get the Friday News to her by the end of the day. Next week we will be having two big tests. We wrapped up our English unit on capitalization and punctuation. We will do a review on Monday and we will have the test on Tuesday. There is a great practice test starting on page 191. I will be reminding students to take their English books home on Monday. We also finished chapter 9 in social studies. We will be reviewing Monday and Tuesday and having the test on Wednesday. Along with the content test, we will also be have the Southwest states and capitals test. There are only four states and capitals for this test and the students are pretty excited about that! Please encourage your child to study states and capitals this weekend and early next week. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to e-mail me! Have a great weekend!

Assignments

Math: Problem Set 72

Social Studies: Finish Chapter 9 Lesson 3 worksheet

Spelling: Study list

Assignments

English: Finish p. 189 (1-24)

Math: Finish problem set 71

Reading: Finish reading the Joanna Cole story if you have not yet finished reading during class.

Social Studies: Finish chapter 9 lesson 2. (Due Tomorrow)

Assignments

Welcome Back!!

English: please finish p.187 #17-32

Math: Finish problem set 70

Science: Have science fair note signed and bring it in tomorrow.

Spring Break!

There are no assignments due after break!

Please continue to study states and capitals, multiplication facts, and your current spelling list (unit 27).

I'm looking forward to seeing all of you in April!

Spelling List

1. farmer
2. skater
3. painter
4. camper
5. listener
6. banker
7. owner
8. learner
9. hiker
10. catcher
11. speaker
12. climber
13. player
14. reader
15. baker
16. dreamer
17. reporter
18. builder
19. singer
20. leader

Assignments

English: Finish Quotations worksheet

Reading: Finish vocabulary worksheet

Math: Practice your multiplication facts

Social Studies: Study States and capitals

Dear Parents,

I just wanted to remind everyone that tomorrow is picture day. If you are wanting to purchase pictures, please send the form to school with you child tomorrow. If you have any questions or concerns, please e-mail me.

Thank you for your support,

Miss Calcott

Assignments

There is no homework! Enjoy your weekend!

Practice your multiplication facts and states and capitals in your spare time.

Assignments

Math: Finish problem set 65. Practice multiplication facts.

Social Studies: Finish chapter 8, lesson 4 worksheet

Spelling: Study for test.

Reading: Finish reading Gluskabe

Assignments

English: If you did not finish p. 181 #10-20, please finish it tonight and turn it in tomorrow.

Math: Finish problem set 63 (due tomorrow)

Social Studies: Finish chapter 8, lesson 3 worksheet (due tomorrow). Study NE, SE and MW states and capitals. Chapter test and states and capitals test on Friday.

Assignments

There is no homework this weekend!

Dear Parents,
I just wanted to touch base with everyone about social studies. Next week is going to be very busy. We will finish chapter 8 and will have a chapter test on Friday. We will also have the Northeast, Southeast, and Middle West states and capitals test on Friday. Please encourage your child to study. I will send some study materials home with the students during the week. A great way to study for the states and capitals test is the game I posted under the section called, "Study Tools." If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to e-mail me at: bcalcott@orionschools.us.


Thank you for your continued support!

Assignments

Math: Please finish problem set 61 for tomorrow.

Social Studies: If you did not finish the chapter 8 lesson 2 worksheet, please turn it in tomorrow for a reduced grade. Midwest states and capitals test tomorrow. Please study! Use the game that I have posted under the study tools section.

Science: I believe there is a science homework assignment. Please check Mr. Wyant's page to check and see what it is.

Reading: If you have not finished reading Scruffy, please read it tonight. The selection test is tomorrow.

Spelling: Study your sentences for the dictation test.

***Remember*** tomorrow is mismatch day! Wear some colors and patterns that do not match!

Assignments

Reading: Finish reading Scruffy if you haven't finished it during class.

Social Studies: Finish Chapter 8 Lesson 1 worksheet. Due Tomorrow.

Spelling: Remember to study for the dictation test.

Assignments

Math: Finish problem set 60. We will be having a math test tomorrow.

Social Studies: If you have not finished the chapter 8, lesson 1 worksheet (assigned Thurs.) please finish it and turn it in tomorrow.

Spelling: Remember that this week is a dictation test week. Study the sentences carefully.

Assignments

No Homework! Enjoy your weekend!

Assignments

One more day of testing! Phew!

Math: Finish problem set 56

Social Studies: Study your states and capitals. Use the "Study Tools" link.

Spelling: Study your spelling words. This is a really tricky list this week.

Assignments

Spelling: We will be having our pretest tomorrow. Please remember to study.

Social Studies: Start studying the Midwest states and capitals. We will be having a quiz in the near furture. Click on the link under "Study Tools." This is a really fun way to study!

Please continue to get plenty of rest and eat healthy breakfasts!

Assignments

No homework tonight. Get plenty of sleep and eat a healthy breakfast. Great job during ISATs today!

Assignments

There was no homework assigned for this weekend.

ISAT testing begins on Monday. Get plenty of rest tonight and eat a healthy breakfast in the morning.

Assignments

Math: Complete the "slides, flips, and turns" worksheet and turn it in tomorrow.

Social Studies: Southeast and Northeast states and capitals test is tomorrow. Study hard. It has been a long time since you have taken a states and capitals test.

Dear Parents,
I will be sending a note home about snacks and pencils for ISAT week. Please check your child's backpack after school tomorrow. Thank you for your continued support!

Assignments

English- Finish the capitalization worksheet for names of people and pets.

Reading- finish the comprehension worksheet for, A Place Called Freedom.

Social Studies- Finish the worksheet for chapter 7, lesson 3. This will be due tomorrow (Wednesday).

**** Remember**** The states and capitals test for the Northeast and Southeast will be on Thursday. Please use the packets that were handed out and the flash cards that we made in class. If you have misplaced these items please study the following list:

Northeast

1. Hartford, Connecticut
2. Augusta, Maine
3. Boston, Massachusetts
4. Annapolis, Maryland
5. Concord, New Hampshire
6. Providence, Rhode Island
7. Montpelier, Vermont
8. Dover, Delaware
9. Trenton, New Jersey
10. Albany, New York
11. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

Southeast

1. Montgomery, Alabama
2. Little Rock, Arkansas
3. Tallahassee, Florida
4. Atlanta, Georgia
5. Frankfort, Kentucky
6. Baton Rouge, Louisiana
7. Jackson, Mississippi
8. Raleigh, North Carolina
9. Columbia, South Carolina
10. Nashville, Tennessee
11. Richmond, Virginia
12. Charleston, West Virginia

Assignments

There was no homework this weekend.


Social Studies: Please remember to study your Southeast and Northeast states and capitals. The test is on Thursday.

Assignments

English: If you did not finish your English assignment that was on p. 171 # 9-24, please finish it for tomorrow.

Math: complete mean, median, mode, and range worksheet for tomorrow. If you borrowed a calculator from me, please bring it back tomorrow.

Reading: If you have not read, A Place Called Freedom,  please read it tonight. The selection test has been moved to tomorrow.

Social Studies: Study Southeast and Northeast states and capitals. We will have the test next Thursday.

Assignments

Reading: If you did not finish reading A Place Called Freedom during parnter reading, finish it tonight at home. You will need to be prepared to take the selection test on Thursday.

English: If you did not complete the English worksheet, "Writing Good Sentences," please finish it for tomorrow.

Spelling: Study unit 21.

Social Studies: Complete the chapter 7 lesson 2 worksheet. This is due tomorrow (Wednesday).

Dear Parents,
NAEP testing is tomorrow. Please make sure your child is well rested tomorrow. Please also make sure that they eat a good breakfast. If you have any questions or concerns, please e-mail me at: bcalcott@orionschools.us

Assignments

There is NO homework!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!

Assignments

Since it is a weekend there is no homework.

Social Studies: Some students forgot to complete their Chapter 7 Lesson 1 worksheet for Friday. Please complete it and turn it in on Monday. It would also be a good idea to study your Northeast and Southeast states and capitals. We will be having a test over both of them soon. I will send a note home as soon as I have picked an exact date.

Valentine's Day is on Monday! Don't forget to bring your valentines.

Assignments

Social Studies: Complete Chapter 7 Lesson 1 worksheet for tomorrow.

Spelling: Study for test (Friday)

Assignments

Social Studies: This is not homework. This is just a reminder to finish making your flash cards for the Northeast and Southeast states. This will be a great study tool when we take the Northeast Southeast states and captials test. I will let you know when I have decided on a date.

The class list was sent home with students today. Check thier backpacks to see if it's in there.

Bank at school is tomorrow.

Assignments

Reading: If you have still not finished reading Grass Sandals, tonight is your last chance. The selection test is tomorrow.

Science: Study for the test that will be given tomorrow.

Spelling: Study for unit 20. Feel free to use spelling city.com for help. Mrs. McConaghy puts our spelling list on there every week.

Dear Parents,

Many of the students had some concerns about the date of the Valentine's Day party. The party is going to be on Monday, February 14th. If you want to start sending the Valentines in with your child you may do so. make sure they are all filled out and in a bag or box with your child's name on it. I will send a class list home with the students tomorrow. Please check their backpacks for the list. If you have any further questions about Valentine's Day, please feel free to e-mail me at bcalcott@orionschools.us.

Assignments

Reading: finish reading "Grass Sandals". You will be responsible for knowing this story on Wednesday when you take the selection test.

English: Adjectives test tomorrow. Remember to study.

Assignments

There is no homework this weekend.

English: I want to remind students to study for the English test that will be on Tuesday. This test will cover the unit about Adjectives.

Spelling: I sent a note home, but I know that sometimes notes can disappear as they make the journey home. Unit 20 will be covered this week. We are not moving to the next unit because we did not have time cover this current unit due to the snow days.

Remember to practice your multiplication facts! :)


Enjoy the Superbowl!!

Snow Days

The social social studies test will be given on Friday when we return to school.

The English test will be moved to Tuesday the 8th.


I hope you've enjoyed your 3 days off!

Assignments

Social Studies: Study for the chapter 4 test (will be given tomorrow). Use the book, the study packet, and the vocabulary worksheet to help you study. For practice with time lines, use pgs. 116-117 in your book.

English: Study for the adjectives test. This test will be on Wednesday.

E-mail me at: bcalcott@orionschools.us for any questions regarding the upcoming tests.

Assignments

Social Studies: Start studying for the social studies test covering chapter 4. Remember, the test is on Tuesday.

Assignments

Math: Finish Problem Set 55. Study for test.

Spelling: Study for test.

Assignments

English: If you did not finish the "Exact Adjectives" worksheet, please complete it at home and turn it in tomorrow.

Math: Finish Problem Set 54

Social Studies: Complete Chapter 4 Lesson 4 worksheet. Use pages 126-131 to answer the questions.

Assignments

English: P. 147 (6-18)
               This is only homework if you did not finish it during the school day.

Math: Finish problem set 53

Assignments

Reading: Read Pat Cummings: My Story p. 284-293

English: p. 145 # 6-18

Math: Problem Set 52 p. 334

Assignemnts

There is NO homework this weekend!

With the rush of the shortened day, I forgot to send the spelling list home. I will post it on here. Also, feel free to check out spelling city. Mrs. McConaghy posts our list every week. See you Monday!

Spelling List

bottle
pebble
single
jumble
tickle
rattle
middle
bubble
sample
cattle
snuggle
kettle
jungle
ankle
giggle
simple
settle
temple
battle
mumble

Assignments

English: Finish p. 141 #6-10

Math: Finish Problem Set 51

Science: Study vocabulary for the quiz tomorrow

Assignments

Social Studies: Chapter 4 Lesson 3 Worksheet due tomorrow. Use pages 118-125 to find the answers. This will be due tomorrow (Thursday).