3rd Grade Peek at the Week News October 17, 2011

Dear 3rd Grade Parents,

Please take a look at this week's highlights:

Vocabulary/Spelling: Unit 9 due Wednesday. Vocabulary Quiz on Thursday. Spelling Test on Friday. The online component for our textbook we use in class have been helpful for the kids when learning and retaining information. The word maps and games online help our students become engaged in learning, so we will continue this routine on the touchscreen Smartboard until we master our vocabulary building skills. 

English: We will continue our writing workshop lesson on personal narrative. Our 3rd graders will begin to develop more mature idea development, organization skills, and voice. We will also try to revise our work to produce a more polished final product. Tonight, we will work on our story organizer for homework.

Math: Using our ALEKS online Math program,  we will review and increase mastery rounding whole numbers to the nearest ten or hundred to approximate reasonable results in estimating sums and differences this week. We will begin our new chapter in our textbook to introduce multiplication concepts and facts. In our ALEKS Quick Tables online program, we will practice recalling Math facts.

Reading: We continue with our listening comprehension practice using our new novel unit Sideways Stories from Wayside School written by Newberry Medal winner author Louis Sachar. This time, we will use reader response activities, compositions, and other projects to assess listening comprehension skills.

Religion: In preparation for Priesthood Sunday (October 30th, 2011), students will learn the role of a priest in a community. 3rd graders will discover that every priest is called to serve God's people in word and deed. The students will begin to understand that priests are called to be SERVANT LEADERS who serve the people of God. Some of our activities will include: reading the Gospel and applying them to character building themes such as proper attitudes toward our religious practices, encouragement, keeping God's covenant, and appreciating our very own servant leader, Father Jerry. In this lesson, we will begin to develop a deeper awareness of his role as our servant leader at Holy Family.


Notes/Reminder:
1. Priesthood Sunday is October 30th, 2011: Priesthood Sunday, the last Sunday of October, is a special day set aside to honor the priesthood in the United States. It is a day to reflect upon and affirm the role of the priesthood in the life of the Church as a central one. We will do a few classroom activities to reflect upon the services of our parish priest, Father Jerry and his role to our community. In addition to our classroom activities, we will participate in a schoolwide project in honor of Father Jerry for Priesthood Sunday. Our class will collect coins beginning this week for a gift to present to our priest. Please allow your child to bring his/her spare change for this project.
2. 1st Quarter ends on October 25th. Report cards coming soon.
3. Spaghetti Dinner and Talent Show this Friday evening! Please join us in the Parish Hall for this exciting event. Our 3rd graders will perform live with a short skit, song ("Celebration"), and dance. The kids are very excited to share how they celebrate in the classroom. They may dress in simple costume with a 70's/disco theme. If you need help or have questions regarding this matter, please contact Shelly Griffin or Virginia Gonzalez.