NWEA Progress Reports

Today students' NWEA progress reports were passed out along with 2 additional sheets explaining more about the data sheets.  Be sure to check for it in your child's Green Homework folder!

A Sneak Peek At Our Week ...

Writing & Social Studies:  This week, writing and social studies instruction will be integrated together.  Students will start focusing their "city research" this week, beginning to complete compare/contrast matrix organizers that will help them compare and contrast Chicago and their city of study.  They will then use the information from their matrixes to create a compare/contrast article.  Writing lessons will focus on the text structure of compare/contrast articles.  

Reading:  Students completed The Sign of the Beaver last week, and will begin "Perspective Literature Circles" this week.  Students will be making a selection from four different texts that all focus on the importance of understanding others' perspectives.  The texts include: Never Mind! A Twin Novel, Eggs!, Every Soul a Star, and Schooled.  

Math: Lessons 11.5-11.7 will be instructed this week.  

Wax Museum Information: 

• The dress rehearsal will take place on Wednesday, June 4th
• Please make sure your child has their notecards for the rehearsal - they will be practicing their speech in front of the other third grade classroom
• Students do not need their costume for their dress rehearsal
• The Wax Museum will take place on Thursday, June 5th from 1:45-2:45 - friends and family welcome!
• Make sure your child brings their costume to school, they will begin getting ready around 1:10; you are more than welcome to come in then to help your child get ready
• Your child may also bring in props for their presentation!

End of the Year Party/Carnival

The END OF THE YEAR PARTY is quickly approaching and we would love for you all to be able to join!  The outdoor carnival will take place on Friday, June 13th from 12:00-1:00 for the Third Grade.  You are welcome to take your child home after the carnival.

The third grade will need volunteers to run following activities:

1.  Dunk tank ( a new person every 20 minutes)

2.  Face painting/tattoos (may need parents to bring additional supplies)

3.  Sack races

4.  Ring toss/hula hoops/sidewalk chalk

5.  Volunteer to bring an iPod with a playlist for the sound system

6.  Limbo

7.  Photographer for the hula girl/surfboard cut outs.

* We will also have bouncy castles and a pop a shot basketball game available and may need a few parents 

Please e-mail me if you are interested and able to volunteer!  Thanks!!

A Sneak Peek At Our Week ...

Reading:  We are continuing our "Perspectives" unit this week and students will be finishing The Sign of the Beaver, our shared classroom novel.  Lessons this week are focusing on what influences an individual's perspective (experience and culture), creating mental images that go beyond imagery, and forming opinions based on perspective.  On Friday students will complete a biopoem for the characters Matt and Attean from the text highlighting the perspectives, differences, and similarities between these two characters.  

Writing:  Students will finish drawing illustrations for their realistic stories this week and then will shared their published work with their peers.  

Math:  Lessons 11.3 and 11.4 will be instructed this week!

Social Studies:  Students will continue to research their city this week using different research resources online.  Then, they will begin comparing and contrasting their city and Chicago, noticing what features are different, and what features they have in common.  

City Research

Students are researching different big cities across the United States, and will ultimately, compare and contrast features of their city of study to Chicago's features for their final social studies unit this year.   

Yesterday, they were given their "city teams" - or students who they will work with to learn more about their city of study.  Students have been SO enthusiastic and interested in this unit so far!

The cities our class will be exploring are: Houston, Phoenix, Portland, Boston, Atlanta, New York City, Denver, Philadelphia, Miami, Washington D.C., and Los Angeles.  If you have any informational resources or items that would help students learn more about one of the cities listed above, we would love to use that resource in the classroom!

A Message from the Principal ...

Good Morning Skinner North Families,

On June 12th from 5PM-6PM we will be hosting our next Principal's Forum & State of the School Report.

I plan to present information on:

     a) The Skinner North CIWP (Continuous Improvement Work Plan)

     b) Staffing Model for 2014-2015

     c) Sample Student Schedules & Specials Schedules

     d) Budget Overview for 2014-2015

     

I hope you can join us! 

LSC News:

Please also save the date for July 2nd (at 5PM) for Skinner North's 1st ever LSC organizational meeting! LSC meetings are open to the public and all parents are encouraged to attend. I will post and email out an agenda prior to the actual meeting.

Thanks! -Ethan

School Happenings

• May 19th @ 5:15 - FOSN Meeting in the cafeteria
• May 23rd from 2:00-3:00 - Moovin' & Groovin' Music Assembly for grades 3-5
• June 6th from 4:00-6:30 - June Jamboree

Quarter 4 Project Speech - Update!

In the Quarter 4 project's description, it states that your child's Wax Museum speech should be 1-2 minutes.  The speech can be anywhere from 30 seconds - 2 minutes, as long as it highlights the required components!

A Sneak Peek At Our Week ...

Reading:  Students will begin looking closer at point of view and perspective this week using the mentor text Voices in the Park.  On Tuesday students will begin reading The Sign of the Beaver, a shared novel we will be reading as a class.  Lessons this week will focus on using details in the text to help us visualize, using key words to summarize, and understanding different perspectives of one event. 

Writing: Students will make final revisions to their realistic fiction story on Monday, and will spend the remainder of the week publishing their final pieces!  

Math:  The Unit 9 test will take place on Monday.  Students will take the Unit 11 pretest on Tuesday and will begin Unit 11: 3D Shapes, Weight, Volume, & Capacity lessons during the remainder of the week.  Check out the 3GW for resources!  

Social Studies:  We will begin Unit 4: Chicago & Other National Cities inquiry project this week.  On Monday students will choose a city a city to explore and will be put on different "research teams".  Students will spend the remainder of the week researching and exploring information about their city.  

Important Information:

• *** Notecards outlining students' wax museum speeches were originally due Friday, 5/23; I will be out of the building so students can turn them in on Tuesday, 5/27
• NO SCHOOL ON Monday, 5/26 - Memorial Day

Science Homework

*** For students' multiple choice homework for science, they are missing a page in their text so they will not need to complete #8! (They can attempt to answer the question as best as they can - it will not be marked against them!)

Pencils

With only a handful of weeks left in school, our pencil supply has been depleted!  Room 210 would appreciate any pencil donations to the classroom!  THANK YOU!! :)

A Sneak Peek At Our Week ...

Word Work:  Affixes and roots students will explore this week are: a/an, dec, derma, photo, port, struct

Reading:  Students will have their final literature circle this week for their biography book.  A biography assessment will take place on Wednesday.  Then, we will begin our final Perspectives reading unit.  Lessons on Thursday and Friday this week will focus on differentiating between third person limited and third person omniscient point of view.

Writing:  We will take the week to finish revising and editing students' realistic fiction stories.  They will begin publishing them next week!

Math:  Lessons 9.4-9.7 will be instructed this week.  A review guide will be passed out in the beginning of the week and we will have a Unit 9 review day on Friday.  The Unit 9 test will be Monday!

Science & Social Studies:  Early this week we will finish exploring different sound concepts.  A quiz will take place on Wednesday.  A study guide for the unit will be passed out on Tuesday!   Students can use their science notebooks, passed back items, and their Sound text to help them review.  With science ending this week, students will begin the final unit in social studies towards the end of the week.  More information about the unit can be found on the Social Studies page of the 3GW!

Important Dates & Information:

• 5/13: Storyteller Oba Williams will be performing at Skinner North tomorrow!
• 5/14: Q4 Famous Chicagoan essay due (rubrics, due dates, and information can be found on the Quarter 4 Project page of the 3GW!)
• 5/14: Progress Report signature due
• BINGO #3 Due: 6/2

Six Flags Read to Succeed Tickets

Congratulations to the following students for successful completing the 2013-2014 Six Flags Read to Succeed program!: Eva, Isaiah, Izaak, Ireland, Kevin, Jett, Maha, Joseph, Lauren, Zuri, Rohan, Sean, Isabel, & Sophia

Tickets will be passed back today!  Please be sure to look for it in your child's take home folder!

Progress Reports

Progress reports were passed back today!  Please review the report with your child, sign the bottom, and have your child return only the bottom portion on or before Wednesday, May 14th.  

Handouts and graded papers were also passed back today, as I was not in the classroom last Friday!  Be sure to check your child's homework folder for these assignments!!

A Sneak Peek At Our Week ...

NWEA Testing:  This week students will be taking the final NWEA assessments of the year.  Our classroom is scheduled to take the reading assessment Monday morning and the math assessment on Wednesday.  

Reading:  Students will continue their biography literature circles this week!  Mini-lessons will focus on different discussion strategies to enhance conversation and deepen student understanding during discussions.  

Writing:  We are coming to a close with our realistic fiction writing unit.  Students will draft endings this week, complete a self-revision checklist, and then complete a peer revision checklist as well.  

Math:  Lessons 9.3 - 9.6 will be instructed this week.  

Science:  Students will investigate the following key questions this week through labs, readings, and additional activities: Can sounds travel through liquids, solids, and gasses?  How is sound different when traveling through different mediums?

Important Dates & Information:

• 5/6, 4:00-5:30: Spanish Night
• 5/7: Progress Reports passed out

Literature Circles

Students began their Biography Literature Circle discussions this week.  Through literature circles, students have the opportunity to discuss the influences, strengths, and weaknesses of their chosen subjects. Through sharing, they will arrive at common themes and features of biographies and periods in history.  Students are very engaged and excited to participate in classroom discussions!

Personalize your own digital collage

Book Recommendations

Today students posted book recommendations from their first reading homework BINGO assignment.  This will give other students in the classroom an opportunity to explore different books that might interest them as well.  You can read your child's recommendation which is posted on their own STUDENT BLOG! 

Movin' & Groovin' Spring Music Assembly

What: Movin' & Groovin' 3rd, 4th, &5th Grade's Music Assembly
When: Friday, May 23rd at 2:00
Where: Skinner North Auditorium

The students at Skinner North have been working hard in the music room and can't wait to share their talents with you.  Join the 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders as they sing, dance, and groove with their instruments!

Last Library Check-Out

The last week students will be able to check-out books is the week of May 12th!

FOSN Meeting Tonight

Please read the below message from FOSN:

Dear Friends,

Thank you for your interest in tomorrow's Town Hall Discussion about the CHA Redevelopment Plan. However, the meeting has been postponed.

 

With the announcement of the proposed Barack Obama College Preparatory High School on Thursday, it seems the CHA's Cabrini-Green Redevelopment Plan will have to be amended. Therefore, we are postponing tomorrow's Town Hall Discussion until more information is known about the streets, parking and other issues associated with the high school. As soon as we know more, we will let you know.

 

We will still host a FoSN meeting tomorrow night: pizza dinner and child care start at 5:00 p.m., meeting starts at 5:30 p.m.

 

On Monday May 19, our guest speaker at that 5:30 p.m. FoSN meeting will be a Chicago police detective who will give a no-holds barred talk about keeping our kids safe online. We will also elect new FoSN leadership. You won't want to miss it!

 

Again, thank you very much for your interest. The high level of parent involvement is one of the factors that makes Skinner North such a great school!

IXL Shout-Outs

Shout-outs to the following students who practiced an hour or more of IXL last week!  Keep up the great work!: Harry, Daniel, Joseph, Lauren, Sydney, Zuri, and Rohan!

A Sneak Peek At Our Week ...

Writing:  Students will begin revising their realistic fiction drafts this week.  A revising checklist can be found on the 3GW under the Realistic Fiction tab.  (A final rubric will be posted this week as well!)

Reading:  This week students will begin literature circles!  Students already chose a subject they were most interested in and will begin working in groups of four, participating in literature circles for the next two weeks.  Each group has created their own calendar and schedule for their discussions.  Lessons will focus on discussion strategies that promote student interaction and higher level thinking skills.

Math:  Students will take the Unit 8 math test on Monday and then will begin Unit 9: Fractions, Decimals, and Percents this week!  Be sure to check out the Unit 9 page of the 3GW for the family letter, vocabulary resources, the IXL checklist, and games! 

Science:  Students will investigate the following key questions this week: How are high and low sounds made?  How does length affect the rate of vibration, and therefore pitch?  The Sound page of the 3GW has great resources and games for your child to explore!

Important Dates & Information: 

• 4/28 - FOSN Meeting @ 5:00
• 4/30 - Final day to purchase Starry Night tickets
• 5/3 - Starry Night fundraiser 

Open Books Field Trip

Students had a great time creating "colorful poems" about themselves using similes and metaphors during our field trip to Open Books on Friday.  After creating their poems, students got the chance to present them to the class wearing a pencil costume!  The field trip ended with students having the opportunity to choose their own book to take home from the store.  A great day for all! 

Make a digital slideshow

Math Test - Monday

Third grade will be pushing the math test back to Monday, April 28th, instead of having students take the test tomorrow!

Famous Chicagoan Wax Museum Project

Listed below are the "famous Chicagoans" that students in class have already selected: Jane Addams, Frank Lloyd Wright, DuSable, Harrison Ford, Mike Ditka, Dorothy Hamill, Hillary Clinton, Daniel Burnham, Shel Silverstein, Barack Obama, Walt Disney, Enrico Ferni, Rahm Emanuel, George Halas, John Kinzie, Oprah Winfrey, Bart Conner, Ludwig Meis van der Rohe, Harold Washington, William B. Ogden, Michelle Obama, Sandra Cisneros 

Blue forms with students' top 3 choices (and a parent signature) are due tomorrow!

*** Updated 4/9/14

Reading Homework BINGO Board

Both today and yesterday students have had the opportunity to ask questions regarding the Quarter 4 Reading Homework.  I've had a few questions regarding the Quarter 4 Reading Homework from parents as well so I wanted to address a few points:

• The reading BINGO assignment is not the quarter 4 project - it is reading homework for the quarter
• Because it is reading homework, no additional worksheets/responses/assignments will be sent home for homework (unless it is reading work that was not finished in class)
• An expectation for the year has been that every night students are required to read 30 minutes (or a weekly total of 150 minutes); therefore, the student "reading/homework load" should be staying the same - just the types of books students are choosing will change
• In my classroom, I told students that the middle square (N3) is a free space
• Students are more than welcome to use any books from the classroom library!
• Students should have one BINGO completed on each of the due dates listed in the assignment description 
• Depending on how students get the BINGO for each of the due dates, the number of books read/response logs may vary
• An assignment description along with handouts can be found on by clicking the following link - Reading BINGO Homework 

The purpose of this assignment is to make sure students are reading at home and to really push them to explore genres, authors, and topics that they might not usually try!

As always - please let me know if you have any questions!

Quarter 4 Reading Homework

Students will be completing a "Reading Bingo Board" for their quarter 4 reading homework.  Information and due dates for their reading homework can be found under the Reading section of the Third Grade Website!  

Please let me know if you have any questions!

A Sneak Peek At Our Week ...

Writing:  Students have been working hard drafting the different scenes of their realistic fiction stories, organizing the scenes so they are consistent with the story/plot mountain structure (exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution).  Lessons for the remainder of the week will focus on drafting the scenes, dialogue, and settings.   

Reading:  Students will also continue progressing through the biography unit.  Lessons this week focused on how the setting and people influence a subject.  Students will complete a reflection assignment based off of the past five lessons instructed in class on Thursday.  Then, they will begin reading a new biography focused on a new subject of their choice.  

Math:  We will wrap up Unit 7 this week.  The Unit 7 test will take place on Friday!  A review guide is being passed out today and will be due Thursday.  

Science:  Later in the week students will begin a new unit of study focused on Sound.  Information about this unit can be found on the Sound page of the 3GW.  Essential questions of the unit are listed below:

• What are properties of sound that make them identifiable?
• How are sounds made?
• How are high and low sounds made?
• How does length affect the rate of vibration, and therefore the pitch?
• Can sounds travel through liquids, solids, and gasses?
• How is sound different went traveling through different mediums?

To wrap up the unit students will complete a mini-inquiry on a sound topic of their choice.  

Quarter Projects:  Students' digital "Rock Stories" should be posted early this week!  Information about the Quarter 4 project will go out towards the end of the week.  

Parent Teacher Conferences

Parent teacher conference forms will begin to be sent back home today with your child, with the scheduled time of the conference.  Be sure to check your child's take home folder for this!

Please let me know if the scheduled time does not work for you, thanks!

A Sneak Peek At Our Week ...

Writing:  We are continuing the Realistic Fiction writing unit of study this week.  Students will begin developing one of their ideas and will develop characters for their story, creating struggles and motivations for their character.  They will also use the plot mountain story structure to help them develop logical story events.    

Reading:  This week, students will begin a new Biography Unit of study.  An overview of enduring understandings of the unit can be found on the Biography page of the TGW!  Students will read a biography on a subject of their choice this week.  Lessons will focus on defining the genre, examining the structure, summarizing significant effects, and determining how the setting influences a subject.  

Math:  Lessons 7.8-7.11 will be instructed this week.  Students will also take the Unit 8 pretest.  The Unit 7 test will take place next week!  

Social Studies:  Students will explore different cultural features that make up Chicago and take a "virtual tour" of the different neighborhoods of Chicago.  Students will also be learning about the historical importance of different city landmarks, taking a closer look at the landmarks that help define our city.  

Quarter Project:  Students will continue recording their voices for their "Rock's Stories!"  They will also be posting their stories to their student blogs!

FOSN Updates

Book Sale Part 2 - There are lots of books available at a variety of levels, and low prices, setup downstairs near the parent room at Skinner North.  The sale continues into tomorrow from 2:00-6:00.  All proceeds go to Friends of Skinner North.  

The Art of Cooking - Last call for recipes to be included in Skinner's first cookbook, entitled The Art of Cooking.  Send your recipes to Carine Sharp (famillessharp@gmail.com) and she will include them.  You have until Friday this week - the cut off date is Friday, March 21st at 5:00 pm.  The cookbook will be printed and ready to sell in about 2 weeks - hard copies will cost $20 or a PDF copy will be $15.

A Sneak Peek at Our Week ...

Morning Work/Vocabulary:  This week, students will begin spending part of the morning literacy block exploring different latin and greek roots. 

Writing:  After creating and publishing a St. Patrick's Day limerick, students will begin a Realistic Fiction unit of study on Wednesday.  Be sure to check out the Third Grade website for more information about this unit!

Reading:  Students will continue practicing their reader's theater skits and will present on Thursday and Friday this week.  They will also complete a comprehension/vocabulary quiz on Friday, based on their specific scripts. 

Math:  We will continue our Fractions & Chance/Probability unit this week focusing on lessons 7.4-7.7.  Information and resources about this unit can be on the Unit 7 page of the 3GW!

Social Studies:  This week, students will identify features of Chicago that make it culturally diverse, and focus on the different celebrations and traditions that help define Chicago as a leading cultural center.  Activities will also focus on the neighborhoods that make up Chicago, and students will explore how these neighborhoods reflect the city's history.  

Quarter Project:  Using a voicethread program, students will record themselves reading their "rock stories!"  Students' final digital stories will be posted to their blogs. 

Important Dates & Information:

• 3/17 - FOSN Meeting @ 5:30
• 3/20 - LSC Forum @ 5:30
• 3/20 & 3/21 - Used book sale
• 3/27 - Winter Olympic Night , 4:00-5:30

This Week in Social Studies...

      In third grade  in Mrs.Magina's class, we are pretending that a W.G.N. reporter has come to Chicago to interview three city officials to ask them about their roles and responsibility's, why their job is  important and how their job helps the citizens of Chicago.  We found photos of three city officials and glued them on construction paper.  We also made speech bubbles about what they would say if a city reporter would ask them about their job.  We created scenes of what Chicago looks like in the background in different areas.

Written by: Ireland & Julia

Local School Council Forum

The 2014 Local School Council Election will be held on Spring semester parent/teacher conference day on Monday, April 7th from 6:00-7:00.  

A candidate forum will be held at Skinner North at 5:30 on Thursday, March 20th in the auditorium.  It is encouraged that you attend the forum to hear the candidates speak about their qualifications and their plans if elected (or appointed) to Skinner North's LSC.  

A note containing more information will go home with your child today!

A Sneak Peek of Our Week ...

* Students will take the final session of the reading ISAT on Monday (20 multiple choice) and the final mathematics session on Tuesday (2 extended responses).  Any make-ups will happen Wednesday-Friday.  

Writing: Students will write blog posts this week focused on our class read-aloud and poetry.  Be on the lookout for an update to your child's blog! - http://kidblog.org/210ThirdGraders2013/

Reading:  This week we will begin a mini unit  on reader's theater.  Information about the unit can be found on the Reader's Theater page of the third grade website.  

Math:  On Monday this week students will take the pre-assessment for Unit 7: Fractions & Their Uses; Chance & Probability.  The family letter, IXL checklist, and other games and resources can be found on the third grade website as well.  

Social Studies:  Last week students investigated how Chicago meets the needs of its citizens, and this week students will learn about how Chicago's government is organized and will describe the role of Chicago's mayor, city council, and other local officials.  

Quarter Project: To finish up their quarter 3 project, students will spend time in the computer lab putting their rough drafts into a PowerPoint, and then creating a digital story with them.  

Starry Night Information Packets

Today two informational packets about Skinner North's Starry Night fundraiser will be passed out to your child.  The first packet contains information about purchasing tickets to attend the event and the second packet is about fundraising for it.  

Please be sure to check for these in your child's take home folder!

Chicago's Birthday

During Unit 2: How Chicago Came to Be of Social Studies, students learned that Chicago officially became a city on March 4, 1837.  So, today we celebrated Chicago's birthday!  Students created birthday cards for the city using the following RAFT format:

o  R (Role) – A citizen of Chicago

o  A (Audience) – The city of Chicago

o  F (Format) – Birthday card

o  T (Topic) – Chicago’s birthday (what accomplishments Chicago should be proud of over the years, and what the city should be excited to celebrate)

IXL Shout-Outs!

WOW!  Students in Room 210 have been working very hard practicing their math skills on IXL!  A special "great job" shout-out goes to the following students who practiced over an hour of IXL last week:

Eva, Blake, Max, Harry, Mason, Henry, Ireland, Daniel, Kevin, Jett, Joseph, Ivana, Lauren, Sydney, Sean, Raymond, Zuri, Matiyas, Rohan, Isabel, and Sophia

ISAT Week Begins

It is officially time for ISAT testing to begin!  I am so proud of all of the hard work your child has done to prepare for this assessment.  Please see important information below regarding the assessment.

•  Please make sure your child arrives on time for the ISAT.  Your child may not enter the classroom during the testing time. 
• If your child is late to school, he or she will have to make up the ISAT within a different room.
• If your child is sick, please do not send your child to school that day.  He or she will make up the assessment in the afternoon on a different date.
• Please make sure your child gets a good night’s rest each night before the ISAT.
• Please make sure your child eats a well-balanced breakfast each morning as well.

 Please see the ISAT testing schedule for the week below:

• Tuesday - Reading 1, 20 multiple choice
• Wednesday - Math 1, 40 multiple choice
• Thursday - Reading 2, 20 multiple choice, 1 extended response
• Friday - Math 2, 30 multiple choice, 3 short responses 

Read to Succeed Reading Logs

The deadline was extended for inputting students and their minutes read, so if your child did not turn their reading log in on Friday, I will still accept it on Monday!

ISAT Information

Within the past couple days there have been a few questions for teachers and administrators regarding the ISAT coming up next week.  Information below is a response and note from administrators:

This year’s ISAT is more aligned to the Common Core and is an important exam for a number of reasons. 

• It is an additional opportunity to understand the increased expectations of a Common Core-aligned test.
• At Skinner North, assessment data and results are extremely important to our instruction.  Our teachers use the data to make sure we are best meeting the needs of all students.  Multiple data points (NWEA, classroom assessments and ISAT) allow us to better differentiate instruction for our students.
• The data from ISAT informs our teachers and their instructional programs. Teachers make important use of all assessment data.  
•  ISAT – like PSAE for high schools – is still a measure used to determine Annual Yearly Progress (AYP) of schools.

If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to email Mr. Netterstrom (enetterstrom@cps.edu). 

A Sneak Peek At Our Week ...

Writing:  This week students will focus on creating extended responses in a timed period, without using a graphic organizer.  Today I gave students their final goals to work on before ISAT next week!

Reading:  Similar to last week, we will be reviewing different reading concepts this week and students will be participating in different reading stations in our literacy block.  Lessons and activities will focus on figurative language, word knowledge (prefixes, suffixes, Latin roots), main idea, and genres.  

Math:  We will be taking a break this week from Unit 6 of Everyday Math and be reviewing important math concepts specific to Grade 3 Common Core math standards.  Students will not have Study Links this week, but instead will have different math worksheets or assigned IXL practice for homework.  

Important Dates & Information: 

• 2/24 - Today an ISAT informational letter was passed out to your child!
• 2/26 - Day of Service in the classroom
• 2/28 - "Read to Succeed" reading logs are due (no late exceptions; students can turn this in earlier than Friday if they would like!)
• 3/1 - Literacy Day & Book Sale @ SN
• Next week begins ISAT testing

Correcting Multiple Choice Homework

Today for a homework, students are supposed to correct any multiple choice problems that they got wrong from today in class by explaining and providing text evidence that supports the correct answer/choice.  They each took home a lined sheet of paper to complete this assignment.  An example of how students can set up their work is listed below:

1.  #54 - My Answer (A), Correct Answer (B)
At first I thought A was the correct answer because I thought the reason twigs were used was to make the teepee look a tree since twigs come from trees.  However, now I know that B is the correct answer because in the text it says, "carefully spread twigs out to form a pyramid shaped frame."  This shows how the purpose of the twigs is to create the form or shape of the teepee.  

ISAT Information Letter

Tomorrow an informational letter about ISAT will be sent home with your child.  Please be sure to look for it in your child's take-home side of their homework folder!

A Sneak Peek at Our Week ...

Writing:  This week, students will no longer use a graphic organizer when they are writing extended reading responses.  Students will continue to create responses that focus on comparing and contrasting texts.  

Reading:  With ISAT being just around the corner, we will take the next two weeks completing different review stations to review reading concepts, strategies, and skills. This week, stations will focus on author's purpose, compare/contrast, cause/effect, fact/opinion, and sequencing.  

Math:  We will continue with Unit 6 lessons this week!

Social Studies:  This week we will be starting Unit 3: Chicago Today in social studies.  Information for this unit can be found on the Unit 3 page of the Third Grade website!  Listed below are guiding questions for the unit:

• What does Chicago look like today?
• How do Chicago's neighborhoods reflect the history of the city?
• How does Chicago take care of its citizens?
• In what ways have Chicago become a leading cultural and entertainment center?
• What are some of the businesses that have helped define Chicago as a city?

Study Links 6.3

Tonight students will be completing study links 6.3 which focuses on the partial quotients division algorithm.  This algorithm really helps students understand the concept behind dividing larger numbers more clearly.  I'm including a family/parent resource that can help explain this method: Partial Quotients.  After getting to the website you'll need to click on the following buttons:

1. Algorithms in Everyday Math
2. Grade 4
3. Division
4. Partial Quotients
5. Then you can choose different models of how this method is used to solve different division problems.  

Rapping About Story Elements

On Tuesday students began to learn how to compare different story elements found in Little Red Riding Hood and Lon Po Po.  To review the different story elements they could compare and contrast they "rapped" to a video about story elements!  I've included the link - have your child rap to you at home! - https://www.flocabulary.com/fivethings/

A Sneak Peek At Our Week ...

Reading & Writing: Skills taught in reading and writing will be blended into our literacy block this week.  On Monday students will practice comparing themes of two stories and then will write a response about theme.  For the remaining part of the week, students will practice comparing and contrasting texts and writing about the comparisons.  

Math:  Unit 6 will begin this week!  Lessons 6.1-6.4, which all focus on division will be instructed.  Unit 6 information including the Family Letter, IXL checklist, and extra games can be found on the Unit 6 page of the Third Grade Website.

Science:  Now that students have learned about the three different types of rock, they will begin comparing and contrasting each type of rock and will explore connections amongst the three types of rocks when they learn about the rock cycle.  The following website - Interactive Rock Cycle - is a great way for students to visualize and comprehend the rock cycle.  The test for this unit will be on Thursday.  

Important Information:

• 2/11 - SN Family Game Night
• 2/12 - NO SCHOOL
• 2/14 - Rocks & Minerals test

Chicago ABC Wordle Covers

Students' Chicago ABC wordle covers turned out great!  Students showed their creativity with the color, format, and layout of each of their covers.  On each wordle cover, the larger the word, students thought the larger the impact that person or event had on Chicago becoming the city it is today.   

      

Igneous Rock Model

Today and tomorrow in class students will explore different stations discovering more about igneous rocks.  At one station they observed three types of igneous rocks and described their properties.  At another station students read different informational texts about rocks, and at a third station they explored online interactive websites about rocks and minerals. 

At the final station students observed an igneous rock model.  Students made observations of what happened to a "rock" (crayon model) as heat was added.  The burner represented the heat from the core of the Earth which melted the rock (crayon model) into "magma" or "lava."  Students saw the melted wax harden which represented the formation of an igneous rock.

Valentine's Day

On Valentine's Day, students are allowed to bring in Valentine's cards for their classmates.  Cards will be passed out at the end of the day on Friday, February 14th.  If your child decides to bring in cards, they must bring one in for each student in our class.  Class lists will be passed out tomorrow and will be in your child's "Take Home" side of their Homework Folder.  Please remember, no food or candy is allowed!  Please let me know if you have any questions!  

A Sneak Peek At Our Week

Writing:  Early in the week, students will be given extra opportunities to practice elaborating their thinking and providing inferences while writing reading responses.  They will also revise and edit their peers' work.  Towards the end of the week students will learn how to conclude their extended response.  

Reading:  Today students learned different genre characteristics of myths and legends and on Tuesday will learn about different allusions found in mythology.  Later this week, and which will also extend to the next, students will focus on comparing and contrasting different elements of fables, folktales, and myths.  

Math:  Students completed the final lesson of Unit 5 today, which focused on comparing large data and numbers.  On Tuesday they will complete a study guide in class and on Wednesday students will correct their study guide, practice IXL, and take the Unit 6 pretest.  The Unit 5 test will be on Thursday and students will begin Unit 6 on Friday.  Information about Unit 6 can be found on the third grade website!

Science:  This week, students will discover how both metamorphic and sedimentary rocks are formed.  The Rocks & Minerals assessment will be Thursday of next week.  

Quarter Project Information:  Today information about students Quarter 3 Literacy project went home!  Students will be writing a hybrid story told from the perspective of a rock.  They will ultimately create digital stories telling their "rock's story".  Parts 1 and 2 of the project will be completed at home, and Part 3 (the PowerPoint and digital story) will be completed  in the classroom.  Information about this project can be found on the Quarter 3 page of the third grade website!

Important Dates:

• SN Game Night - 2/11
• NO SCHOOL, Lincoln's Birthday - 2/12
• Q3 Project, Part 1 - Due 2/20

Read to Succeed

The third grade at Skinner North will be participating in a "Read to Succeed" program.  A reading log will be sent home Friday.  Information about the program is explained below:

Your child’s class is participating in an exciting program that encourages students in grades K through 6 to read for fun. Read to Succeed is a free program sponsored by Six Flags Theme Parks. Every student who completes six hours of recreational reading before the  deadline noted is eligible for a free admission ticket valid at participating Six Flags Theme Parks. Students will develop a greater appreciation for books when they see that you think reading is important too. You are sure to have fun as you investigate the world of reading together! 

Here’s what you need to know: 

• Only students in grades K through 6 are eligible to participate. 
• Review the attached reading log. Your child should use this sheet to record what and how long he/she reads. 
• Your child must complete six hours, or 360 minutes, of recreational reading. 
• Please initial each entry and then sign the reading log to verify that the six hours of reading has been completed. 
• Your child can read books, magazines, newspapers, or comic books. Reading for homework or a class assignment does NOT count. 
• Students can read silently, aloud, or with an adult—you can read to your child, or your child can read to you. 
• Remind your child to return the reading log to his/her teacher by the date on the log. 
• Late entries will NOT be accepted. 

About the Tickets 

• Tickets will be awarded to students by their teacher/coordinator. 
• The ticket is valid for admission on select dates only during the 2014 season. Valid dates will be printed on the tickets. 
• Tickets are valid for students in grades K-6 only and are not valid for anyone over the age of 13. No exceptions. 
• Each ticket is valid for one free admission only. 
• Tickets are not for resale and are nontransferable. 
• They cannot be replaced if lost, stolen or damaged.