December Happenings

12/3:     Early Release @ 11:30

              Parent Teacher Conferences

              Family Night Book Fair 4:30-6:60

12/13:   Field Trip to Buffalo History Museum

12/19:   Art Show & Holiday Showcase @ 6:00

12/23-1/1/13: Winter Recess...No School

Welcome December!!!!

We can't believe it's already December...we've had a blast so far and have learned a lot since September. Thank you to all the parents who have had the ability to chaperone on field trips, check our blog, and read the various text messages sent out. We have come so far as a grade and with your continued support we will go even farther. 

 Humanities: We are beginning a unit titled Creative, Inventive, and Notable People. In this unit we will reading biographies about musicians, artists, and inventors of the early twentieth century. We will delve into research about an inventor and their invention while creating a foldable to display what we've learned, we will utilize the iPad in order to find main ideas of specific songs and create an iMovie, and we will also be comparing and contrasting different artworks from the same artist. To bring this unit to life we will be going on a field trip to The Buffalo History Museum to look at inventions from out area and how they came to be. 

 Writing: We are shifting gears from writing narratives to writing informational and explanatory texts. I am so excited about this unit because it allows students to teach others about what they're experts at. We will be focusing on paragraph formation including an introduction and conclusion. We will also learn how to write a paragraph with the topic sentence followed by supporting details and closing with a closing sentence. Some students are moving on from having a writing notebook to being able to use the Notability app on their iPad as their electronic notebook, they are very excited about that as it will help strengthen their typing skills.

 Math: We are vigorously working through Khan Academy. The students have been showing such growth since we began this journey. Please have them continue to work on it at home as well as Study Island to help continue their growth as a mathematician. 

 Science: We are beginning a Life Cycle unit this month. We are going to be working with meal worms, frogs, and various organisms. This should be a hands on unit and we are excited to immerse the students in this kind of environment.

The Happenings...

Comprehension homework will now be done using Study Island. It will be assigned Mondays and turned in Thursday night. For those who don't have internet, your child will receive a paper copy to also be completed and handed in Friday morning. Please make sure your child is completing their homework.

Parent Teacher conference sign ups went home today, please sign up as soon as possible and return the slip with your child.

On Wednesday November 27th there will be a school wide Thanksgiving Feast.

No school 11/28-11/29

Have a Happy Thanksgiving

Field Trips...

Field trips are being offered in addition to the classroom curriculum as way to immerse each child in a rich experience. There are some guidelines that we must adhere to for the remainder of the school year. 

 Your child will not be able to participate for any of the following reasons: 

 * Any suspensions in the current quarter

 * Unacceptable number of missing assignments/homework 

 * Overall behavior in school and in the classroom leading up to the day of the trip and including the day of the trip

 ** If your child is asked to stay behind after he/she has paid, the cost of the trip will be refunded

Field Trip to Rochester Museum of Science

Kids are allowed to wear  regular clothes for our field trip tomorrow . If you are chaperoning, bus leaves at 9:20. Thanks!!!

November Schedule

Monday, November 11th: Veterans Day No School

November 12th: Family Thanks Handprints Due

Friday, November 15th: Fall Picture Retakes

Wednesday, November 20th: First Quarter Report Cards distributed

Thursday, November 27th & Friday, November 28th: Thanksgiving Break Observed...No School

November Happenings

We are still working hard on nonfiction and being inspired by the sea. Students are creating a poetry anthology, a research based nonfiction book, and a research project using their iPads. 

Please make sure students are at school on time...breakfast will end at 8:10 and the learning day will begin. We don't want them to miss out on the valuable reading that happens first thing in the morning. 

Please remind students to complete their reading logs, we have had a huge number of students unable to participate in Barnes and Noble Fridays due to the lack of reading logs being turned in. 

Khan Academy can be practiced at home as a way to enhance math skills. The more they practice, they better they'll get at certain math concepts.

If your child hasn't brought in a mug yet, please send one in A.S.A.P

A HUGE THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU to all of the families participating in snack, the kids really look forward to it and it helps to curb their appetites as it is a long day after lunch.

News and Happenings

In humanities we are starting our new unit titled Inspired by the Sea. During the next six weeks, students will read stories, poetry, and informational texts that are inspired by a love of or curiosity about the sea. They will also create a poetry anthology and an informational poster on a sea animal that inspires them. 

In writing students will be writing imaginary narratives using descriptive details, dialogue, thoughts and feelings, action, and written in sequence. They will learn about paragraphs and when to switch to a new one. Writers will also focus on writing strong sentences including nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs. 

In math students are challenging their level of personal ability while using Khan Academy. 

** students can challenge themselves at home as well!!

In science students are learning how to forecast the weather. They have learned about hurricanes, tornadoes, and earthquakes through hands on activities in the classroom.

The Khan Experience

We are embarking on a new journey. This year math will no longer be taught the traditional way. Your child will be using Khan Academy to drive their math instruction. 

 Khan Academy is a free online resource that allows students to learn anytime, anywhere, with material that is uniquely appropriate for them. Students can explore new topics and practice their math skills by using interactive exercises, videos, and tutorials. As students learn, their activity feeds into reports that show important information such as strengths and weaknesses in a particular concept. As your child’s coach, I will be able to mentor them through concepts/skills that they may struggle with and help push them to reach their full potential. By using Khan Academy, I’ll be able to provide a more personalized learning experience for your child. 

 You can become your child’s coach as well! 

 1. Create an email account. 

 2. Log on to www.khanacademy.org and create an account. 

 3. Log on to your child’s account. Their username is their full name (ex. kimberlynelson) with no space. Password is wccs3.

 4. On the left hand side, click on coaches.

 5. In the box, enter your email address/coaches id/class code. Please do not remove me from your child’s coach.

 6. You are all set! 

 Once you are your child’s coach, you can explore the site and see what he/she is up to. You can see how long they have been on, what concepts/skills he or she is struggling with, etc. As a coach, there are ways to dig deeper and check to see exactly what your child is doing on each problem.

 If you have Internet at home, I would recommend students to practice their math skills 30 minutes a night. The website is www.khanacadamy.org. I feel that taking the time nightly to work on this site will be beneficial to help strengthen your child’s math skills. 

 Thank you in advance for encouraging your child to continue the Khan experience at home. ☺ If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me. Best, Ms. Nelson

Community Service Month and the Weather Machine

In celebration of Community Service Month, the third grade team has decided to collect canned goods and other non-perishable food items throughout the month of October. Please be sure to grab a can or two at the grocery store this week! It'll all benefit a local charity. The timing is perfect with the holidays coming up, and it's a great way to start a conversation with your children about the gift of giving back to the community! 

 The third grade and fourth grade science classes are teaming up to bring Channel 2's Weather Machine to our school! If you have internet access at home, you can help make this truly incredible learning experience a reality for Westminster Community Charter School. Here's how to vote: Watch Andy Parker in the morning on Channel 2 at 5:15am or 6:15am. He will give out the "word of the day. Then log onto www.wgrz.com, click on "weather machine" and submit your vote along with the "word of the day". It's that easy and you can vote as many times as you want!! We are currently in 8th place!!!

Tidbits and reminders

Monday is picture day so please make sure your child is in complete uniform and ready to smile!

Monday field trip money is due, please send it in a sealed envelope.

Remind your child to complete their comprehension packets and reading logs, we want to ensure that they are getting as much exposure to reading as possible

We have kicked off the iPads in third grade and the kids are extremely excited to have this tool to help push our thinking and learning. It is a tool and doesn't replace the teaching that must go on. 

We had our first Barnes and Nobles Friday...it was a success! Kids were able to kick off their shoes, grab a few good books, and fall in love with reading! If you haven't sent in your coffee mug, please do so by Wednesday so that your child is able to participate.

Pictures, Early Dismissal, Mugs and more....

There is a lot to look forward to as we kick off a brand new month!! 

The first Barnes 'N' Noble reading celebration starts this Friday, October 4th. Please remember to send a mug in with your child by Friday so they can enjoy some hot chocolate with the class as we kickback, relax and read as a class. 

We are extremely close to distributing iPads to all of the third graders; however, we need your help! All of the students need to set up a gmail account in order to get started with the iPads. A flyer was sent home with your child in their take-home folder with instructions on how to set one up. If you've already done so, THANK YOU! 

 Wednesday, October 2, 2013 is a half day! Students will be dismissed at 11:30am. 

Picture day is next Monday, October 7, 2013. Please make sure your child looks his/her best in their uniform!! :) 

Another friendly reminder about homework: Reading logs must be filled out every single night. Please do not initial or sign your child's reading log if they did not read. They are more than welcome to make-up the reading if they skipped a night by reading double time. They are collected every Friday. Every Monday, a reading comprehension worksheet packet is given out. Your child has until Thursday night to complete all of the assignments. That packet is also due every Friday. Every student is aware of the consequences for not bringing in their homework in a timely manner. Thank you for your cooperation! Hope these reminders have been helpful. :)

The Happenings!

During the next four weeks, we are focusing on Folktales...more specifically: myths, folktales, and fables. Students will engage in reading stories that are worth telling again, write stories (true and fiction) that are worth telling again, as well as build upon their knowledge of cultural backgrounds and geographical settings. 

 In science students are working on the scientific method. It includes science labs as well as group work. There is a unit test this Friday, make sure your child studies!!!

 In math, students are working on properties of Multiplication and Division.

Homework Schedule...a Reminder

On Mondays: Reading bags with a reading log come home and are to be returned on Fridays Comprehension packets come home and are due on Fridays

Your child may receive math, science, or writing homework throughout the week to be turned in the following day unless otherwise stated. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us!

Taste of WCCS

What an amazing event!! Thanks to all the parents for coming out, we enjoyed getting to know you and talking about the great things that are yet to come in third grade. *** Don't forget to sign up for Remind101 and Class Dojo.

Great Start to a New Year!!!

What an amazing start to what is going to be a fun-filled learning year! The kids have come and settled in quite nicely. We are not just classrooms, we are a big family. Thank you to all who brought in school supplies, it is much appreciated. We look forward to seeing you on Wednesday September 11, 2013 for The Taste of WCCS!! **Important Dates** 9/11/13: Taste of WCCS/ Open House 9/14/13: School Carnival 9/27/13: Mugs Due for Barnes and Nobles Friday

Supplies

Please make sure to label your child's school supplies. Enjoy the rest of your summer!!
Click below to access the supply list

http://www.westminsterccs.org/documents/Student/Third.pdf

Summer is winding down

Summer is winding down and we are starting to get prepped for an exciting year! This year your child will have three teachers teaching in their field of expertise. Mrs. Moon will be teaching science, Ms. Nelson will be teaching math, and Mrs. Vishion will be teaching writing. We can't wait for the start of the school year and for the opportunity to work with you and your child.