Writing- Writing workshop has been a fun and exciting way to get to know one another the last few days.  We will focus this year on sharing our stories.  Last week we started story sharing and taking turns listening to one another's stories.  This week we will create some resources that we will use this year in Writer's Workshop when we are trying to figure out what story to write! Students will spend a few days this week creating their own heart map.  Our heart maps remind us what people, things, and places we love.  These  will help prompt and promote storytelling and writing.  Ask your student what they placed in their hearts!!

Reading- We've been talking about our reading for days!  Students have been helping each other understanding the difference between real reading and fake reading.  We've started to focus on our thinking while we read.  We've even started to share our thinking and all this thinking about thinking is what we call metacognition. 

Students have been practicing this skill with our read alouds and their independent reading books.  We will continue practicing this skill this week and begin talking about what good readers can do when they get stuck on an idea in a book that doesn't make much sense.

Social Studies- We spent last week creating classroom community. Our study will more to focus on our greater communities and citizens who have served as great role models.  Students will be introduced to Ruby Bridges, Helen Keller and Jane Addams.  We will look at what they did to help their community in the past and how that impacts our communities today.  Students will also be encouraged to start thinking about character traits that a "good citizen" would display.

Homework-Third graders will have 20 minutes of reading homework each night.  We will start our library schedule this Wednesday.  Students should record the book title in their planner each night to show that the required 20minutes was completed.

Update from Mrs. Ford

Language Arts
Reading
In Reading this week we will be diving into the word of character traits and character development.  Good readers notice how a character may change throughout a story.  We will begin the week by brainstorming a list of character traits.  What words can we use to describe how the character is acting and feeling?  Then, we will review some books we have read to see if we can find text evidence to support a character's personality trait.  As the week progresses, students will look for this text support in their DEAR time (independent reading) book. 

Writing
 This week we will introduce our first writing genre study, personal narrative.  We will spend the next few weeks sharing examples of personal narratives and noticing and naming the parts of a narrative.  This week we will focus on learning the vocabulary for those parts (setting the stage, rising action, climax, falling action and resolution).
Spelling
Please remember that your child is responsible for completing 8 points and turning in  his or her homework on Thursday mornings.  Students may complete any assignment on the menu they wish.  If they choose to write their words 3 times this week, they may only use that assignments once this week to get 2 of the 8 points.  

Social Studies
In class, we will learn and discuss the words rights and responsibilities.  Students will also participate in a debate to determine if he or she thinks it would be best to live in FREEDOM TOWN (where anything goes) or LEADER TOWN (where one leader tells everyone how they can live.  It's always a great time to hear kids thoughts and watch them come around to understanding how our country decided on its form of government.  

This week we will discuss LEADERSHIP COUNCIL.  We will discuss qualities needed in a leadership council representative and the duties and responsibilities that go along with this leadership position.  Students will be allowed to nominate candidates.  A rubric will then be filled out and accompanied by the nominations to determine who will represent our classes this year.