September 22, 2011 Home Note

September 22, 2011

Dear Parents,

I know the school year has officially established itself when I complete the first rearrangement of desk groups. We have been busy in the basement. We have been on two “Spider Safaris” this week. Different habitats on TGS grounds offered astute third graders much success in locating a variety of webs, egg sacs, spiders… It is always fun to watch their enthusiasm and wonder. They have been sketching and recording observations, as well as using classroom resources to locate facts on specific unit-related topics.
We have read several chapters of Charlotte’s Web, and have had lively discussions about the characters and E.B. White’s style (e.g. he loves lists!). The relevance of this book’s themes of friendship and appreciation for the natural world to our third grade activities is a strong one.
Each child has begun work on a short descriptive written piece. I also have begun a series of individual writing conferences, a time I cherish. I learn much about each student when exploring with them their approach to the writing process and listening to their thoughts and ideas expressed on paper.
We are working on the initial lessons in our spelling books. Various spellings of the long /i/ sound, lists of ou/ow words, proofreading sentences, beginning work on “surprise words” (e.g. what, they, said) are some of the key skills these early lessons target.
In math our focus has been on place value and number patterns. In addition to the review of bar graphs and introductory probability activities, daily lessons have helped establish the general routine of the third grade math program. It is very important that each child work to master the basic addition and subtraction facts, and to that end I need your support. Third graders generally like to move fast and become easily frustrated when they need to stop and count on their fingers to solve, for example, 3 plus 8 when calculating 13 plus 8 -there is just too much to keep track of! More importantly, their confidence soars when they have basic computations mastered! You will see this skill as part of the homework next week, but I think that like learning to play the recorder, five to ten minutes five days a week generally quickly yields great results. Thank you.
The children are working hard as individuals and as members of a larger group. I have enjoyed watching their kindness to eachother in- and outside the classroom. Next week, for three mornings, we will work with Carol Schnabel, a weaver, teacher, and visiting artist. This is part of our spider unit and a folk literature theme. I keep thinking during these recent days how much Carol will enjoy working with this group of outgoing, cheerful third graders. I know I am.
Please feel free to contact me with questions or concerns.


Sincerely,
Linda