Hello!

Just 2 days of school left in the 2nd quarter, and just 2 days of school left until Winter Break!!  I will try my hardest this week to keep normal routines as much as possible, so the kids are reminded of the safe feeling they have when they are here at school.  However, with it also being the week before the holidays there will be some fun that we partake in, too.  :) 

The school's new reading program began yesterday!  In your child's Monday folder you found enough reading log space to record your child's reading minutes for 3 weeks (this week and the two weeks of winter break).  Please have your child send all three reading logs back to school on Monday, Jan. 7, when school resumes.

The last to vote is Dec. 19th!!  Please continue to support our school for the next couple of days by texting 1044pbf to 95248 or by going to the website www.vote232.com.

Here is what we will be doing to complete our semester:

Reading-
Reading groups have been finishing up their chapter books and will have a mini-project they will complete in class on Wednesday.  We have also read many holiday books and discussed main idea and details along with cause and effect and making predictions. 

Spelling-
No spelling this week! :)

Math- 
We will complete Topic 7 this week with a review on Tuesday and the final test on Wednesday.

Writing-
We are completing our Christmas bulb writing this week.  We will be reading the Grinch later this week and practicing a variety of ways (persuasive, narrative and expository) to write in response to the story. 

Social Studies-
Our research for our international study is well underway.  The kiddos are doing a great job of notetaking from books and specific websites.

Have a wonderful week!!

December 10-14

We are nearing the end of the 2nd quarter in 3rd grade.  The last day of the semester is next Thursday, Dec. 20.  We will have a busy afternoon that day:
1:30-2:15-- The entire school will listen to The Polar Express read by Mr. Hertog.
2:15-3:00-- The Choir and Band will perform for the entire school.
3:00-3:45-- Classroom/Holiday Party--Thank you to Mrs. Emerson and crew for getting this party organized.  It looks like the kids are going to have a lot of fun.

Monday will be PJ day for the 3rd grade!  The 3rd grade will be watching "The Lorax" as a reward for having 75% (or more) participation in our Cool the Earth program.  The kids may bring an extra snack/treat to enjoy with the movie.  :) 

Please continue to vote daily.  There are only 9 days left.  Vote for Prairie Ridge at www.vote232.com or by texting 1044pbf to 95248.  Thanks again for all you help and support.

Here is a look at what's going on this week:

Reading-  This week in reading we will be learning about "Nature's Hazards" as we determine what's important in the text that we read.  We will also continue our study on text features and how they help us. 

Spelling-  The pattern this week is Homonyms-- words that sound the same but are spelled different and have a different meaning.  The final test will be on Friday.  We will not have spelling next week.

Writing-  The students are continuing to write holiday stories using their senses.  For a creative writing assignment, kids will be writing about what life would be like inside a snowglobe! 

Math- We completed our multiplication unit on Friday.  Today we started to learn about its inverse operation, division.  The students will learn that division is separating a total into groups.

Social Studies-  International Research-  The students will begin researching information about the country in which they will be studying. 

Have a great week!!

December 3 - 7

Tourism Day was a huge success!!  The students had a great time being presenters to all of the 1st, 2nd and 4th graders that came on a tour of the states.  Your child will be bringing home their folders with all of their research later this week.  I'm very proud of how hard they worked to be ready for their presentation.

We then walked to the high school to film our skit. The kids had an amazing time learning about the green screen and how the high school turns our acting into an amazing production.  Stay tuned.  I'll keep you posted when we can show our performance to you. 

In your child's Monday folder you will find a letter outlining our next big project, International Festival.  I will be walking the students through this entire project.  What I need from your child first is the name of the country he or she would like to research.   The country is decided upon by your family's heritage.  If your family has more than one, let your child choose which one he or she would most like to research. 

Don't forget to vote!!  There are still 15 more days left of the voting period.  Please help our school by texting 1044pbf to 95248 or by voting at www.vote232.org.   Thanks for all your support and effort!
Third Grade is responsible for helping before and after school this week.  Use this link to sign up and help. 
www.SignUpGenius.com/go/409084BAEAF229-3rdgrade1/1991412  Thanks again! 

Reading-  We are continuing to read about forces of nature as we practice fix-up reading strategies. 

Spelling- The spelling lists this week contain 'multiple-meaning words.'  The final test will be on Friday.

Math-  We will be completing our unit on multiplication facts with a test this Friday.  Please have your child continue to practice multiplication facts at home by using flash cards or fun websites. 

Writing-  The class will be starting a new writing assignment this week.  They will use their five senses to describe Christmas. 

Social Studies-  We will finish our mapping unit this week and begin to learn about our International Festival project.

Earlier today I sent a sign up for our classroom cocoa party on the 20th.  If you missed it, then you can find it here.    www.SignUpGenius.com/go/4090B4AA8A6283-margheims/1991412  Thanks for helping to make our party memorable for the kids. 

Have a great week!