Welcome to Third Grade at HCE!

Mrs. Skrivanek and Mrs. Ford are excited to see many of you

at Meet the Teacher on Friday, August 24 from 10:30 to 11:30a.m.

Mrs. Ford’s room is Rm 15 and Mrs. Skrivanek’s room is Rm 16. 

Check in with your homeroom teacher first. 

However, we want you to come into both rooms and meet us! 

No matter who your homeroom teacher will be for the year,

we will both spend lots of time with you this year

and look forward to getting to know each special person in our classes!

Dates and Information

May 16th Showcase Luncheon (formally known as Publisher's Picnic) 
You are welcome to join us from 12:00-12:30 in the third grade courtyard for Showcase Luncheon.  This will be a time for your child to share with you his or her work from this school year.  Work samples will SHOWCASE learning from all the content areas.  You may bring your child lunch, or purchase a hamburger lunch from the HCE cafeteria.

Winds of Time Continues (May 2-May 25)
We are learning more and more about ancient Rome.  This week we've made connections to the Romans form of government and ours.  We have also discussed famous Romans and compared our schools to that of the Romans.  Next week we will focus more on Roman fun!  We will start creating our chariots in preparation for race day.

May 24th @ 10am Chariot Races on the field
Each homeroom will have 8 teams of 3.  The race will have 8 heats featuring the color team from each class and then a winners heat.  Teams consist of a “puller”, “pusher” and “rider.”  It's an exciting day.  Please make time to come and join us at the races!

May 25th @ 9:30am Winds of Time Program and Parade

The culmination of our learning and fun is the Winds of Time parade held on Friday, May 25^th at 9:30a.m.  You will want to make sure you get here and get a good seat.  We will provide students with Roman garb.  They will either be dressed as a Roman Senator, Roman Soldier, or Roman Goddess.  Students process to the hard top for our school wide assembly.  Each grade level will present speakers.  The ceremony closes with a song sung by the entire school.  Then, we parade around the hallways of the school and back to our classroom.  It’s a great KODAK moment! 

May 28th- School Holiday- Memorial Day

May 29th- Camp Read-A-Lot

Students are invited to bring several chapter books or other favorite books from home that they would like to read or want to recommend to classmates.  Also, have them bring a pillow and a blanket to camp out in.  Dress in "camp style" clothes.  We will share a delicious trail mix for snack that day!

May 30th- Beach Day and Step-Up Day!

Bring a large beach towel, wear sunglasses and get ready to watch some beach and ocean movies.  Teachers will provide students with a "fishy" snack.  Third graders will also meet the 4th grade teachers and find out what exciting things they will be learning next year.

May 31st- LAST DAY OF SCHOOL!

The last day of school will be a short one!  We will do some end of the year wrap-up, have a pizza party and then dismiss at noon.  STUDENTS WILL NOT NEED TO BRING ANYTHING TO SCHOOL ON THE LAST DAY.

 

April 30- May 2

STAAR is over, but the learning CONTINUES!

Language Arts
Reading: We will read Roald Dahl's The Enormous Crocodile together this week.  This book will help us review the genre of fantasy and enjoy the imaginative craft writing that Roald Dalh so expertly demonstrates.  In this text, the enormous crocodile creates serve different "clever tricks."  We will use his clever tricks as a discussion starter for cause and effect and problem and solution.

Writing:  As we finish The Enormous Crocodile, your child will craft a persuasive letter to the crocodile.  In his or her letter should be at least 4-5 reasons why the crocodile SHOULD NOT EAT him or her.  We will send these letters home toward the end of the week.  Please read your child's letter and then use the provided stationary to craft a response as the ENORMOUS CROCODILE! :)  The letters will be due the following Wednesday.  Each child will have an opportunity to share the enormous crocodile's response in class!

Spelling:  This is a full week of spelling.  Words will come home on Monday.  Homework is due Thursday.  Spelling tests will take place on Friday.

Social Studies:  We discussed the southwest region of the United States last Friday.  This week, your child will bring home a review map.  He or she is expected to learn the location and spelling of thirty states (only ten more than last year).  The review sheets will come home 4/30.  Our states quiz will be on May 10th.  We will also be showing your child some great apps and websites to use for study aids.
This week your child will go on a states road trip.  He or she will visit Hawaii, Alaska, California, Colorado, New York and Florida.  The classes will travel to each of the Social Studies teachers to join her on a pretend road trip.  They will create scrapbooks in which they will journal about each state and record "memories" from the trip.  We look forward to sharing these with you at Showcase Luncheon!

Math and Science for the Week of April 30th-May 4th

Parents,

Well we made it past STAAR week and I must say it wasn't easy!  The kids worked really hard and were exhausted.  The STAAR party on Thursday was just what we needed to give our brains a break.

Believe it or not, this week in Math we will be gearing up for 4th grade!  The kids will learn multiple strategies on multiplying 2 digit numbers by a 1 digit number.  On Monday, we will be drawing out the multiplication problems on a tens and ones T-chart.  Your child will have this for HW on Monday night.  On Tuesday, I will teach them how to multiply a two digit number with another number that has many zeros.  They will find this trick simple and fun!  On Wednesday, we will use our past knowledge of expanded notation to solve the problems.  By Thursday and Friday, after hopefully truly understanding this multiplying two digit number skill, I will merge into teaching them the correct algorithm for multiplying a 2 digit number by a 1 digit number.  It should be a fun and challenging week in Math.

For fast facts, we will be making this week interesting!  The kids will go back to their colored timed multiplication tests.  This week will be for a grade.  I will give each child a verbal reminder on Monday what they specifically need to study.  Then, we will ALSO give them a practice division timed test that will NOT be for a grade.  Our goal is to have the kids apply what they know in multiplication facts, to division.

In Science, we are trekking along and having a good time learning about Ecosystems and Food Chains/Webs.  This week we will dive deep into learning about Food Chains and try to internalize what exactly a producer, consumer, and decomposer is when we are talking about food chains.  We will be watching a plethora of Non-Fiction videos, drawing/mapping out an actual Food Chain, and using Brain Pop as a resource to teach us as well.

It should be a fun week. I am glad to be back to learning and having a good time with these kiddos.

Love,
Mrs. S

STAAR Week

Tuesday, April 24

The Math STAAR test will be given Tuesday morning.  Students will need to arrive at school on time,  (7:50am) having had a nutritious breakfast.  The school will provide snacks and a water bottle for each student during the test.  If your child wears glasses it is IMPERATIVE that he or she brings them to school that morning.  Students will be given four hours to complete the test.  We have modified our schedules to meet this state requirement.  Lunch will be at 12:45.  Specials will be at 1:15.  For homework  this evening, students will also need to have a good night’s rest.   

Wednesday, April 25

The Reading STAAR test will be given Wednesday morning.  Students will need to arrive at school on time,  (7:50am) having had a nutritious breakfast.  The school will provide snacks and a water bottle for each student during the test.  If your child wears glasses it is IMPERATIVE that he or she brings them to school that morning.  Students will be given four hours to complete the test.  We have modified our schedules to meet this state requirement.  Lunch will be at 12:45.  Specials will be at 1:15.  For homework  this evening, students will also need to have a good night’s rest.   They will have worked very hard over the last two days, and deserve a night to relax!

Thursday, April 26

(PLEASE LOOK FOR A BRIGHT ORANGE FLYER TO BE COMING HOME.) 

Any students absent on Tuesday or Wednesday will have to make up the STAAR test on this Thursday (4/26).

Students will have a day to celebrate their hard work over the week with a STAAR PARTY on Thursday.  Students may bring a pillow, blanket, and books to use as we celebrate with a cozy READ IN during the language arts block.  For math, students may bring a strategy board game to play with classmates.  We ask that you keep any electronic game devices at home. 

Friday, April 27

Friday is our annual BIKE or CARPOOL to school day.  We are asking kids to help do their part to reduce pollution.  If possible, please help your student bike to school.  If this is not possible, carpooling and riding the bus to school is another way to help reduce emissions and take care of our environment.  Friday will be a regular school day.  We will be back to work!

Your children have been hard at work keeping you up to date with their favorite happenings at school.  Please read and comment on their excellent reporting.  The website is http://hce3rdgradethoughts.blogspot.com/.

Thank you for all your hard work, cooperation and support this year!

Omi Ford and Angela Skrivanek

LA and SS for the weeks of 4/16-4/27

Language Arts

Reading- This week we have been fine tuning our learning to get ready to apply ALL our reading strategies on the STAAR test next week.  Students have a reading passage due this Friday, April 20th and they should be reading nightly and posting to the blog or recording their summary on a sheet of notebook paper.  

As we prepare for next week, please know that your student will need all their reading strength for the math and reading STAAR tests next week.  There will be no reading homework the week of April 23rd-27th.  I simply want your kids to rest and relax.  They need to think positive thoughts and ready themselves for success on the STAAR.

Spelling- Students will be tested on word work this Friday, April 20.  There will NOT be any spelling given the week of April 23rd-April 27th.

Writing- We are working hard to finish up our BIG 6 planet research.  Students have learned about the location, rotation, climate, appearance and other interesting facts about their planet.  As we finish our research, students will select one of three computer products to use as a way to share their new learning with others.

Social Studies

We have learned about explorers, pioneers, tall tale characters, and now scientists/inventors.  All of these people helped shape the Story of America.  Their contributions shaped our country and changed our physical, medical and economic story.  Below you will find a list of people we have discussed over the last few weeks.  We will finish up with scientists and inventors this week and then play some review games next week to solidify our learning.

Mrs. Ford's Homeroom, our book order is due this Friday, April 20th.  You are welcome to send back the paper form or order online.

Thanks for everyone's support at home!  ~Mrs. Ford

Third Grade Historical People

1.   Pierre-Charles L’Enfant (1754-1825)- A French born American builder and cityplanner. He planned and designed Washington D.C., our nation’s capital.pP.346

2.   Christopher Columbus (1451-1506)-An Italian explorer working for Spain who sailed to the Americas while trying to reach Asia from Europe. p.332

3.    William Clark and Meriwether Lewis – American explorers who, in 1803, led The Corps of Discovery in exploring the land west of the Mississippi River. They journeyed overland across North America to the Pacific Coast and back. p. 284

4.    Jane Addams (1860-1935)-The first woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize (1931), Jane Addams is widely known for her role in the establishment of Hull House in Chicago in 1889 which offered medical care, legal aid, language classes, music, and drama to more than two thousand needy people each week. p.68

5.   Helen Keller (1880-1968)-An American writer who had lost her sight and her hearing at 19 months of age. She was taught by Anne Sullivan. p. 119

6.   Harriet Tubman (1820-1913)-An escaped slave who used the Underground Railroad to lead more than 300 slaves to freedom. P. 118

7.    Daniel Boone (1734-1820)-An American pioneer leader who helped settle the state of Kentucky. P. 216

8.   Davy Crockett (1786-1836)-An American pioneer who served as a U.S. representative from Tennessee. Crockett fought in Texas against Mexico and died at the Alamo. P. 219 

9.    Louis Daguerre (1789-1851)-A French artist and early inventor in the field of photography. P. 386

10.       Cyrus McCormick (1809-1884)- an inventor and manufacturer who developed a mechanical harvester in 1831. p.388

11.       Louis Pasteur (1822-1895)-A French chemist known for inventing the process for pasteurization, which made milk safer to drink. p.297 

12.       Jonas Salk (1914-1995)-The American microbiologist who invented the vaccine to prevent polio. P.223

13.       Henry Ford (1863-1947)-An American automobile engineer and manufacturer. He invented the assembly line. P. 372 

Math and Science for the Week of April 16th-20th

Parents,

This week will be nothing short of a cramming session for finals!  All week long in Math we will study old concepts in whole group, partners, and alone.  In the early part of this week, we will be going over Objective 1, which covers all number sense.  The kids will be working on ordering numbers, comparing numbers, fractions, money, and place value.  On Tuesday, we will take a quiz independently over these objectives.  Towards the latter part of the week, we will be working on 3-D attributes, temperature, reading graphs and charts, area, and perimeter.  The kids have been enjoying so far working hard in pairs to be the group that receives a 100 on their review packets.  It's become quite the competition in the classroom and I am proud that the kids are taking their learning seriously.

This week in Science we are still discussing Living and Non-Living attributes.  The kids are in the process of making a Living/Non-Living book and and then we will be phasing over to how organisms live together and competition of needs.  Eventually we will be headed towards the study of ecosystems.  

Scholastic orders for my homeroom will be due this Friday.  I hope everyone has a great week ;)

Love,

Mrs. S