Dear 3C Parents and Families,

We are already two weeks into the second quarter!  With all of the breaks and schedule changes the second quarter always flies by so quickly.  This week students adjusted back to full days of school-not always easy, but we did it!  I am looking forward to all of the learning that we are going to do this quarter.  I hope you all have a restful and fun weekend.  

Best,

Mrs. Bowers

Announcements

1.    The Read-a-Thon is Monday, October 31st! We are greatly looking forward to this occasion and can't wait to see everyone in costume. Please remember that no weapons (real or fake) are allowed due to school policy. Also, this day happens to fall on Halloween so we will not be assigning homework on that day.

A Look in the Classroom

1.    Language Arts: We will have a 20 word Spalding list this week. in grammar we are discussing helping, linking, and action verbs. We are also spending a good deal of time defining predicate nominatives and diagramming them in sentences. In Writing instruction we will be creating independent summaries about Hammurabi's code. In Literature we will continue discussing the beautiful lessons on virtue Pinocchio is teaching us as well as hoping our main character learns his lesson about the Fox and Cat! Our Idiom for the month of November is Back to the Drawing Board. Poetry Recitation for our Macbeth selection will take place on at the Read-a-Thon. For November and December we will be working on Marc Anthony's speech from Julius Caesar, this will be recited chorally at the Rome Celebration at the end of the quarter.

2.    Science: On Friday your scholar was sent home with a study guide for our upcoming Ecology assessment. Answers will be reviewed on Wednesday in preparation for the assessment which will take place on Friday. On Wednesday we will be learning about different Biomes. Additionally, on Thursday we will be learning about the life and accomplishments of John Muir. Muir was key in helping out country establish national parks, which is very relevant to our study of Ecology!

3.    Math: On Monday there is a test covering multiplication and division, including some bar model problems. Please review multiplication facts 2-5 with your scholar this weekend! On Tuesday we will continue to focus on our multiplication and division facts, starting with 6’s and continuing through 9’s during this quarter.

4.    History: This week students will complete their study of the world’s rivers, learning how rivers can be used for trade and more of the difficulties that rivers can cause in such an industry. On Friday students will review for a quiz; please review this study guide with your scholar next weekend to prepare for a quiz on Monday.

Assessments

1.    Monday - Math Test (Multiplication and Division)

2.    Friday - Ecology Test and Spelling Test

Quarter 2 Week 2

Dearest 3C Parents,

It was so wonderful seeing you all for conferences this week.  We have such a wonderful group of students this year and Mrs. Geyer and I would like to thank all of you for entrusting us with your children.  Today we had a puppy come visit our classroom!! The students were absolutely in love with the puppy- I apologize ahead of time for the puppy talk that is probably coming your way. In addition, I introduced long division today- since it was a half day it was a quick introduction.  Many of the students found the new concept to be a bit overwhelming.  I told them all that they should review the concept, but not to stress out because we will be working on this concept for many weeks/months.  I explained to them that you all probably know the exact same algorithm and that you might explain it a little bit differently, but not to resist the help!  (However, I will give you an example here about the way we discussed the algorithm in class)

Example: 53/2

We have 5 tens.  How many tens can go in each group (there are 2 groups)?  2 tens can go in each group.  Great out the 2 on top of the 5.  We used 4 tens (2 x 2).  So we subtract 4 tens from 5 and get 1 10 left over.  We bring down the 3 and now we have 13 ones.  How many ones go in each group? 6! Great the 6 goes on top of the 3.  How many ones did we use? 12 (6 x 2).  We have 1 left over.  Our answer is 26 R 1.

I know that might be confusing in a paragraph like that.  Please e-mail me if you would like more information!  However, feel free to explain the method you learned and see if that helps them.

In addition, I sent home a letter and word list for the spelling bee today.  Keep an eye out for that flyer!

Best,

Mrs. Bowers

Announcements

1.    Permission slips for the Read-a-Thon have gone home, please return your scholar's costume proposal by next Friday. 

2.    Tutoring schedules begin again next week.

3.    There is no school on Monday 10/24.

Wish List

1.    Tissues

2.    Hand Sanitizer

A Look in the Classroom

1.    Language Arts: Our idiom for this month is Beggars Can't Be Choosers and we are focusing on a selection from Macbeth for our poem. In Spalding we will have a 20 word list because of the 4 day week. We are taking a look at the lessons Pinocchio is learning (and unlearning!) in our Literature book for this quarter. In Writing we are creating 3 sentence summaries about Abraham and in Grammar we will discuss poetic devices used in Wordsworth's I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud and discuss simple versus complete subjects and predicates.

2.    Science: This week in Science we are continuing our ecology unit. This has been a very fun unit with lots of cutting and pasting! This week we will be discussing the types of consumers including herbivores, carnivores, scavengers, omnivores, and decomposers. In addition, we will be discussing food chains and the impact of environmental change on various ecosystems. Ask your child about how animals adapt to environmental change and why each animal/plant is important in a food chain.

1. Math: Students will delve deeper into division, working with long division and the concept of remainders. Bar models will also continue to make appearances. Please continue reviewing math facts with your student at home; comfortable familiarity will make concepts discussed in class much easier! 
2. History: Students will continue their discussion of the world's rivers. Focusing on the Mississippi River and Australia's Murray River, students will learn about the ways rivers can change a landscape, the dangers involved with transport and travel via waterways, and the habitats wildlife can find along a river's banks. 

Tests and Quizzes

1.    Friday: Spelling Test

Dear Parents,

We had a wonderful celebration today.  The students got to celebrate Little House with crafts, food, a trip to general store, and a lovely story from special guest Mrs. Mason.  Thank you SO much to the 3C parents who helped coordinate and run the activities today.  The third grade team is so very thankful and appreciative of all of your hard work.  I hope you all have a restful and enjoyable fall break!  I look forward to an exciting quarter two.  

Best,

Mrs. Bowers 

Announcements

1.    Fall Break is R and R! Please enjoy this well-deserved break from homework with your scholar!

2.    Conferences will be held the week we return from Fall break; please click here to sign up. Reach out to me directly if these times do not work and we can arrange an alternate time.

3.    Specials Teachers also have conferences available, please click here if you would like to sign up for a conference with your specials teachers.

4.    October 17-20 are half days and there is no school on Friday, October 21st and Monday October 24th. 

5.    Please empty out your student's homework folder with them over the break to give them a fresh start for the new quarter. We have sent home all of their in-class work from quarter 1.

6.    Please send your scholar to school with his or her copy of Pinocchio as we will start reading it the day we return from Fall Break. We ask that you ensure you have the ISBN recommended by the school (978-0-141-33164-5) as there are several different translations.

7.    Directions for the Pinocchio project will be sent home the day we return from Fall Break. Final Projects are due Monday December 12th. Guidelines for the project can be found here. 

8.    Q2 math and BURST tutoring will begin week 2 of the 2nd quarter.

Wish List

1.    Tissues

2.    Clorox Wipes 

3.    Hand Sanitizer

A Look in the Classroom

1.    Language Arts: With Little House on the Prairie behind us we will start our new classic for the year Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi. This is always a favorite for 3rd graders and we'll have the opportunity to discuss many virtues along the way. We will have a 20 word Spalding list due the shortened week, we will finish with our N list and start on O; we will pick up on Grammar and Writing in the second week of quarter 2.

2.    History: We will start the second quarter with a unit of the world’s rivers, particularly how they benefit and affect civilization. This information is vital for future units (such as Rome and the Vikings!), as students will learn about why civilizations settle where they do.

3.    Math: We will continue with our exploration of multiplication by  multiplying 3 and 4 digit numbers. We'll also have an introduction to long division supported by a discussion of what quotient and remainder mean. Please emphasize the specific vocabulary of product for multiplication and quotient for division. Also, emphasize importance of learning these facts: 2,3,4,5,10.

4.    Science: We will continue our Ecology unit by discussing types of organisms such as producers, consumers, and decomposers. We will also discuss the sun's role in providing us with heat, light, and energy.

Tests and Quizzes

1.    Thursday: Spelling Test

Bard Competition

Archway Arete Students and Families,

Throughout Western civilization, bards have been keepers of tradition, reciting the poetry of their people and passing on oral history. At every grade level, our students practice memorization and recitation of poems in the classroom. This year, we will again be joining our fellow Great Hearts schools in holding a Bard Competition for our 3rd through 5th grade students, whom we will challenge to memorize and recite poetry. Over the course of two rounds and two poems, we will winnow the field to find our school’s most skillful bard. That student will be named School Bard for the year and will represent Archway Arete at the Great Hearts Archway Bard Competition in the spring.  If your student is interested in competing, you can download the competition guidelines and registration form attached. Whether your student participates or not, we invite all of our Archway families to join us for these public recitations, which promise to be engaging reminders of this oral tradition.

If you have any questions about the Bard Competition, please contact Miss Desirae Smith (Dsmith@archwayarete.org) or Miss Hannah Maguire (HMaguire@archwayarete.org).

Kind Regards, Desirae Smith & Hannah Maguire

Here is a link with the form! https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxSuyHM9YtLNeW9BaU92TGtzZk0/view

Conferences!

Dearest Parents,

Fall conferences are just around the corner!  Please use the following link to sign up for a conference.  If none of these times work for you, please let me know and I will do my best to find a time that would work better.

http://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090e4daead2fa2fb6-q1parentteacher

Additionally, if you would like to sign up for a conferences with the specials teachers please use the following link:

 https://email.schooldeskus.com/OWA/redir.aspx?C=uy5wlu0v902Vmfu3_A8UxyNrWJLg8tMIXQAxQnYkcqL-NA5j4p6sC6hcoBiY2u0Y4jI0e9razyQ.&URL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.signupgenius.com%2fgo%2f20f0c4ea8a92aa7fe3-25specials

Best,

Mrs. Bowers