Dear Parents,
We are moving towards October and the weeks are just flying by! So many interesting and exciting things are happening in Mrs. Haagsma's 3rd grade each day! We are working on independence with our routines and responsibilities and I am continually impressed with our progress.
Curriculum Updates
Writing- The students are building their writing stamina and gathering Small Moment journal entries. I love hearing the wonderful Personal Narratives they are composing! Ask your child to share a few of their stories with you.
Math- We will continue to work on multiplication and division facts and strategies this week. Please encourage your child to practice his or her flashcards each night. It is very important to learn these multiplication facts! The students are tested each week on 20 facts. Their group of "known facts" will grow each time they pass their weekly test. Please do not allow your child to count on their fingers while practicing their facts. This strategy will slow them down during our timed test. They must memorize their facts in order for them to be successful in our math units. This is an essential part of our 3rd grade curriculum!
Science- We continued our study on plants and their adaptations. Ask your child about a few of the "Killer Plants" we learned about! We even learned about a plant that uses fish as nutrients! We will also focus on the functions of plant parts and explaining the characteristics of different types of plants.
Reading- We began an exciting new read aloud; The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane. The students are intrigued with this story of china rabbit. Our reading stamina has grown and we are currently able to read about 15 minutes straight without distraction! Awesome job!
Upcoming Dates:
Thursday, October 6th
- Art prize Field Trip-We are all looking forward to a great field trip next week! Exploring the artwork Downtown Grand Rapids will be a wonderful experience for us! Be sure to return the orange sheet that went home last week if you would like to chaperone. This field trip will take place rain or shine!
- Can Drive- Save your cans for the week of September 26th. Our fifth graders will be collecting cans to help cover the cost for camp!
- Box Tops- We are collecting Box Tops for education, remember each Box Top is worth 10 cent to our school.
Specials for the week:
Wednesday-Art
Thursday-Gym
Friday-Music
Congratulations to Dylan for winning a Color The Park Auction item! Dylan won a trip with me and 2 friends to a special "behind the scenes" tour and lunch at Culvers.
Awesome job for Evan being the top fundraiser in our whole school! Evan won a special go cart for raising $300! Congrats Evan! Great job!