Smart Goals, Math Facts, Spelling Bees, Book Reports And More!

Welcome back!  It was great to see students walk through the doors today with a smile on their faces and a renewed energy to get back to work.  Along the lines of New Year's resolutions we talked about SMART goals today, and then picked 1-2 goals that we are excited to work towards over the next few months. Smart goals must be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and  Timely.  We discussed how goals that don't address all aspects are really just nice wishes and dreams.  Some of our SMART goals consisted of improving reading fluency, multiplication fluency, artistic and musical talents, and sports achievements.  Ask your student about their goal.  We are all certainly reaching for the stars!

                                              
To prepare ourselves for our school wide Spelling Bee, we will be having a class Spelling Bee next week.  The list of grade level words can be found on the back of the informational sheet that came home today in homework folders.  All are encouraged to participate in the class Spelling Bee.  Good luck students!  More information will be coming :)

                          

We’re busy and working hard on one of the most important computation concepts for your third grader this year: multiplication!  Future math concepts will be taught with the assumption that the students have mastered these basic facts.  Below is the schedule for passing off facts.  Please post it so that you can help your child master them at home.

Procedure:

We will be studying and practicing multiplication/division fact families at school according to the schedule below. Math drills will be given daily with the opportunity to pass off fact families 1-2 times per week.  Students may work at their own pace, but should try to keep up with the class schedule as much as possible.  Automaticity is the goal!

Homework:

       For the next few months, math homework will center around practicing multiplication facts.  Students may use flashcards, websites, or other practice strategies that work well for them. There are many ways to memorize math facts.  Your child should also continue reviewing facts that he/she has already learned. Websites for games and worksheets can be found under “Multiplication” on the class blog, and flashcards are available upon request.  Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.  We’ll be celebrating the children’s success with an Ice Cream Party after Spring Break. Good luck, students!

Date                                         Math Fact Families                              Ingredient Earned

Jan. 10                                                 x0-x1, x10                               bowl

Jan. 17                                                 x2                                            spoon

Jan. 24                                                 x5                                            1^st scoop of ice cream

Jan. 31                                                 x9                                            1^st topping

Feb. 6                                                   x3                                            napkin 

Feb. 14                                                 x4                                            banana 

Feb. 21                                                 x0-5 Review                             2^nd scoop of ice cream

Feb. 27                                                 x6                                            2^nd topping

Mar. 14                                                 x7                                            whipped cream

Mar. 21                                                 x0-7 Review                             sprinkles

Mar. 28                                                x8                                            oreos

Apr.  4                                                 x0-10                                       skittles/ gummy bears

                                               

This month our genre for book reports is Biography.  The next several weeks will be full of biographies as we study in class about many  people who made a difference for good in the world.  Today during our library rotation students chose biographies that interested them and are interesting to read.  The project that we are completing to go along with our reading is a caricature poster.   Below is a list of things that should be included on each child's poster.  Biography book reports are due Thursday, January 30th.  Happy Reading!

Requirements: 

• On a poster board, draw a large picture/caricature of the individual whose biography you read. 
• The illustrations must be done by hand, by the students, and neatly colored. 
• Outline everything with a darker color or a black fine tip marker.
• Along the sides of the character, write or type sentences and draw a line to each of the following body parts:

Forehead (Mind):    Write something the person thought.  
Eyes:                       Write something the person saw.  
Ears:                        Write something the person heard.  
Heart:                      Write something the person felt or believed.  
Hands and/or Feet:  Write something the person did.