Grade 3 Newsletter   February 6 - 10, 2012

Be prepared every day.    Be respectful to all people and all things.

I hope you will continue to make attending Mass part of your weekend activities.  This past weekend we were at 76% - we dropped a little this week.  Hopefully we will be able to regroup and come back strong next week.

Please check your child’s AR progress.  They need to be reading on a nightly basis even if it is not assigned as homework.  Reading is an essential life-long skill that needs to become part of your child’s daily/nightly activities.  Reading is the foundation for the success of your child’s education.  The children should be more than halfway to their goals.  

AM goal is to be at objective 242 – this week your child needs to be in the 225 - 230 range to meet our ultimate goal.  I strongly suggest your child works to stay ahead.  We never know what Indiana weather will bring us, and we know the testing days are not going to change.  Congratulations to those children who have completed the 3^rd grade library.  Many others are really close so I know the list will continue to grow.

We are really going to be working very hard each and every day as we prepare for  testing.  We will have 3 different testing windows.  I am asking you to please avoid any appointments during these dates.  Thank you!

          March   5 – 14 – ISTEP applied skills

          March 19 – 21 – IREAD ( new test based upon Indiana Academic Standards)

          April 30 – May 2 – ISTEP basic skills

Reading – voc words – festival, snug, cotton, graceful, handkerchief, paces, pale, rhythm– these will be part of the weekly test on Friday.  This week our story is fiction story.  We will be working on comparing and contrasting.  We will also be completing the Unit 4 reading test.  Your child should have received their information for the February book report last week.  This is due on February 29. R

Spelling – Our words this week contain the CVVC and CVV pattern. With these patterns the vowels are talking.   We will work on syllables again this week with this pattern.  Our test is Friday.

Math – Today we took one more 50 problem timed tests – great progress has been made by all the students.  Tomorrow we will move on to the 100 problems.  Once your child has completed their 3 tests in 4 more or less with 100% accuracy, they will be permitted to return the flash cards to me.  This week we will work on place value, adding 3 or more addends, probability, division and its relationship with multiplication.  We will also have a test.

English – Writing, writing, writing - continues to be the focus of our English class.  We are finishing up with a conclusion today.  This ends our pre-write activity.  Tomorrow we will put our story together with our partner.  Next we will look for ways to make that story better – pumping it up with better details.  Hopefully by Thursday we will begin another writing.

Religion – Catholic Schools Week was awesome!  This week we will begin our study of the 7 Sacraments.  The Sacraments of Initiation will be introduced first – Baptism, Eucharist, and Confirmation.

Science –We are beginning the study of matter.  This will begin with identifying the different properties of matter, realizing how scientists study and measure these properties,  and grouping.    

Have a great week!

sandik@stmarysnv.com                              

346-3445 – school

346-8831 – home                                         

592-0748 – cell