Congratulations

Congratulations to Jesse on his accomplishments in the Special Olympics last week.  He got 1st place in his division in the tennis ball throw.  He threw 12 m 5 cm to take the gold.  He also got 3rd in the 100 meter dash in his division.  He ran the race in 23.09 seconds.  Here is a picture of Jesse with his ribbons. 

There will be TWO sheets of homework tonight.  We actually went through two math lessons today because the kids are all doing so well with their multiplication.  I think their practice at home is making a huge difference. 

They will also be bringing home their spelling pre-test and a practice book page that they may use to study their words. 

Let's all work together to make it a great week! 

Picture Slideshows by Emma Stroner and Marissa Kaufman

Bridge Building

Today in math we had the challenge of building a bridge between two books with a single piece of paper.  We then stacked calculators on the paper to see whose bridge held the most. 

Kyzer, Cody, Bronwyn, and Ella got their bridge to hold 8 calculators to win the competition. 

There is homework tonight to practice lattice and partial products multiplication.  If lattice multiplication confuses you, below is a video explaining it. 


Lattice Multiplication: Introduction to lattice multiplication

The Y Camp

Wow!!!  What an amazing experience!!!!  Our field trip today turned out to be a great day.  This is the second time that we have gone to the Y-camp and last year it was raining.  This year it was cold, but it was actually a very nice day.  We were so busy and excited that we didn't even notice it was a little chilly.  The sun was shining and it was a great day to be outdoors.  Make sure to ask your kids how the day was.  We will be working on a slideshow of pictures, so look out for that in the future.  You can also see some pictures on Twitter that I uploaded throughout the day. 

Field Trip tomorrow

Please remember that our field trip is tomorrow. Following on some points of emphasis for the field trip.

• Dress appropriately, layers, old shoes, hats are allowed.  
• Lunch if you signed up to bring one from home.   Please no pop.
• Backpack or drawstring bag (if you don't have one we can share, do NOT buy one)
• Be on time.  Bus leaves at 8:15 sharp.
• Water bottle 
• We will not be back until 3:00.  

I am looking forward to a great day tomorrow! Check Twitter throughout the day for updates. 

Earth Day

Today is Earth Day.  I have posted an extra credit assignment on KidBlog for the kids to do for Earth Day.  They are to come up with a plan for how they can help improve the Earth.  I tried stressing to them that they should be able to carry out their plan on their own, with minimal help.  Encourage them to do this assignment.  If you, the parents, were to help that would be awesome.

There is regular math homework along with math facts and reading tonight.  We are also back on track with a reading story this week and a spelling list.  Each child should be bringing home practice book pages with their spelling words on it.  They are to complete these pages but they don't need to be returned to school.

Remember, our field trip is Wednesday.  We will be leaving at 8:15 sharp for the Boone Y-Camp.  If your child is a walker or gets dropped off please help them to get here a little early Wednesday.  As soon as they arrive they may come into the room.  If your child signed up to bring a lunch from home they will need to remember this, if they forget they will NOT be getting a lunch.  We are only able to take as many as we order.  Also, make sure your child dresses appropriately.  They will need old clothes.  They should also dress in layers.  We will be outside even if it is raining for part of the day.  When we went last year it was a day like the last couple weeks and we were all very muddy when the day was over.  Thanks for your cooperation in all of these matters!! 

Have a Great Weekend!

There is no homework other than checkered flag multiplication and reading minutes this weekend.

This afternoon we had visitors here to help us plan our gardens.  We will be planting a small garden behind Sunset if the weather will ever cooperate.  Today we voted on what crops we would plant.  We decided that we would plant carrots, leaf lettuce, radishes, and broccoli. 

Hopefully it warms up soon!  Have a great weekend!

Yearbooks

Students who ordered yearbooks should have got them today.  If they didn't get one and should have let me know. 

We took a few minutes this afternoon with all of the other third graders to sign yearbooks in the gym. 

Tonight there is regular math homework and also checkered flag multiplication and reading minutes to work on. 

Today in reading we took some time to publish persuasive letters to the KidBlog.  If you can, log on with your student and look through some of the students work.  I have been very impressed.  Asking them to publish it online really makes them put forth their maximum effort. 

Don't forget our field trip is next Wednesday.  We will be going rain or shine, or should I say snow or shine???

Factors

Today in math we introduced factors.  Listing factors can be a simple way to practice multiplication facts.  The homework tonight is about factors. 

Most of the students finished their Unit 4 Benchmark test in reading today.  Most did very well.  The first part of the test comprehension of two short stories.  I think the reading they have been doing at home has really helped their comprehension skills.  Keep up the good work at home!!

We have also been working on writing persuasive letters.  I asked each kid to write me a letter trying to persuade me to let them do something here at school.  I am going to ask them to type their letters on the KidBlog and then I will reply through the comments section.  It should be interesting to see what they write about!!!

One More Day in the Books

When it gets to this time in the school year it seems like the days click off right before your eyes.  They come and go before you can even blink.  Before we know it these kids will be leaving 3rd grade and moving right on to 4th grade. 

There is regular homework in math today.  I am aware that the walkers or riders didn't receive homework so they will all get a free homework pass.  It was my fault that they didn't get it.  However, I do expect all of those kids to do both their reading and math practice and return recorded minutes with a signature since they didn't have to do the regular homework. ;)

Encourage your students on the new Kid Blog.  I still can't get over how interested they are in this.  If you are around while they are on it check it out and see what some of the students are contributing.  Try to encourage your student to write something.  They could write about what they did after school, what they learned in school, something they are excited for that is coming up, etc.  Any writing is better than no writing. 

Thanks for all of your support as the support you give at home makes a tremendous difference here at school!!

Partial Products

Partial Products is a new method to solve a multiplication problem.  Below is a video demonstrating a couple problems.  The kids' homework in math is about partial products. 

I have been amazed at the involvement of the Kid Blog over the weekend.  That is awesome!  There is an extra credit assignment on the Kid Blog website.  I would love to see as many people writing on the blog as possible. 

We will not be doing a spelling list this week.  We also will not be working on a story in reading this week. 

Kid Blog

I am happy to announce that our class now has a Kid Blog set up. 

Kid Blog is a blogging website similar to this site.  It is private to only the people in our class though.  The best part about it is that the kids can write on it from anywhere that they can access the internet.  Each kid has a user name which is their first name and a password which is their last name. 

There is a link to the Kid Blog site in the links section of this page.  You can also get there by going to kidblog.org/mrbrim.  We have only been out of school for an hour and Devon and Mollie have both found their way onto the blog and made a post.  That is great!!  Let's see how many kids we can have write something over the weekend!!

Have a great weekend!!

Study, Study, Study

Please have your child take a few minutes tonight to study their spelling words.  I am sending home a double sided worksheet that they could complete as their spelling practice.  This is not required but highly encouraged. 

There is also a math worksheet for homework tonight.  Along with the math homework they can practice their math facts and read for 15 minutes.  I realize that this adds up to be a lot of work sometimes.  Do what you can and forget the rest.  Anything is better than nothing. 

Ask your student about our science activities.  I think the kids are really enjoying these lessons and having a lot of fun with them.  I know I am!!

Scholastic News

The homework for tonight is to read the Scholastic News Magazine that was sent home and to write down 3 things that the kids learned by reading the magazine.  If your child is in Project Explore they weren't in the room when we handed out the magazines and don't have to do the homework.

A little over half the class finished the reading portion of the MAP test today.  Our next test will be Language on Friday afternoon. 

I did ask if a couple of the kids could bring a apple or orange tomorrow for our science lesson.  I don't need a bunch but a few would be great.  Thanks!!

MAP Testing

Most student finished their Math MAP test today.  Most of the kids went up about 8 points which is great.  Encourage them to keep up the good work. 

We will be taking the Reading portion tomorrow and the Language portion on Friday.

There is no homework this evening.  You could use this rainy day as an opportunity to work on multiplication facts and reading minutes. 

Spring Has Arrived

It finally feels like spring outside.  Remember the rule we use at Sunset about coats is that if it is below 60 degrees students must have jackets to go outside.  If it is about 60 degrees they may go out in t-shirts.

This week we will be taking our Spring MAP tests.  Our class will be testing on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoons.  Remind your students to do their best.

There is math homework tonight.  Along with the homework students may work on reading and checkered flag multiplication. 

Let's make it a great week!

April Fools

I made it through the day without being tricked with any April Fools jokes.  You never know what third graders might come up with.  I am hoping that Mother Nature is playing a joke on us with this chilly day.

There is no math homework tonight.  Kids could however practice their math facts.  March Mathness is over and our class scored 551 points which translates into 1,653 minutes of fact practice.  Today we are starting a new incentive that is very similar called Checkered Flag Multiplication.  Check out Twitter for a picture of our race track.

Spelling practice book pages are also coming home tonight for practice.

Out of everything coming home tonight the most important is the field trip packet.  Our field trip will be to the Boone Y-Camp on April 24th.  Students CAN"T go without returning the green "Health Form".  They also need to bring back their lunch choice by the 8th of April.  Look for further field trip details at a later date. 

Tomorrow is the last day for yearbook orders!

Happy April!!

No More Winter Gear!!!

Starting Monday please DO NOT send snowpants or boots with your child.  Even though all of the snow isn't quite gone as of now we are going to be done with boots and snowpants for this year.  Even if it snows again they don't need these things.  We will either be on the blacktop only or inside for recess.

There is no homework this weekend other than March Mathness and the 15 minutes of reading.  Enjoy the three day weekend!!

Yearbook Forms

Yearbook order forms are due Tuesday.  Those need to be turned in if your child would like a yearbook. 

There is homework in math tonight about fractions.  Today in math we introduced mixed numbers. 

The spelling test and reading test will be tomorrow.  Practice those spelling words!!!

Challenge

The homework tonight will be a challenge and it is meant to be.  Please don't give your student too much help, try to make them work through it.  Help walk them through the steps they need to go through to answer the question, however.  I would like them to be able to explain to me how they got their answer tomorrow. 

This homework comes out of our new science program - FOSS Science.  The program is unique in the fact that it has stories that go along with what we are learning about and also incorporates math.  I am sure that some social studies will be incorporated down the road also. 

Keep studying for the spelling test.  Remember that it will take place on Thursday this week. 

Back to School!!

I hope everyone had a much needed and relaxing break.  I was able to enjoy a trip to Arizona to visit my parents with my wife.  It was much warmer there than it has been here.  I am ready for spring already. 

This week we are reading a story titled, "Goodbye 382 Shin Dang Dong".  It is about a girl in Korea that moves to America with her family.  It compares how things are alike and different Korea and America.  As we read this story we will be talking about sequence of a story, adverbs in our writing, and words that are spelled with the same vowel sound as BALL. 

There is homework in math tonight as we continued our work on fractions this afternoon. 

Also coming home today are yearbook ordering forms.  These forms are due back by Tuesday, April 2.  The yearbooks should be delivered in Mid-May. 

Some students did a great job of logging math and reading minutes over break.  Everyone needs to get back in the groove and routine of 15 minutes of reading each night and practicing math facts each night.  I have seen tremendous growth by the students who do this on a regular basis.  Keep up the good work!!!

What Can We Work On At Home??

What can we work on at home? is probably one of the most commonly asked questions at conferences.  I also think it is a question most parents want to know, but don't ask for a different number of reasons.  I also never really feel like I have that great of an answer for parents.  After much thought this is what I have come up.

Does your child read 15 minutes or more each night?  If they are that is awesome, if they aren't then that could be a goal to work towards.  I would also encourage parents to take interest in their reading.  Ask them about their book.  When a student retells what they have read it improves their comprehension of what they have read tremendously. 

Has your child be practicing their multiplication facts?  Currently we are having a competition at school called March Mathness.  Each student gets a point for every 5 minutes practiced.  We are competing against Mr. McGrane's class to see which class can get the highest total of points.  There are a million different ways to practice facts.  Flash cards, ask and answer with someone, make flash cards, write out facts, and several other ways.  There are also many fact practice games on various websites on the internet.  Many of them are linked in the Links section of the blog.  If you find a new one feel free to share it with me.  (Sometimes a website says it is for math, but then the games really have little to do with math so be careful of that.)

Writing is another focus for third graders.  A great Spring Break task would be to write a few sentences each day.  Work on neat handwriting, correct spelling, capitalization, and punctuation.  Every little bit helps.

With Spring Break coming up we have a great opportunity for kids to practice lots of things at home.  Does that mean I want them to do school work all day everyday?  Absolutely NOT!  A few minutes a day can make a huge difference.  Anything is better than nothing.

Sometimes I think parents wonder if they are working on the right things.  In my opinion there really are no wrong things to work on.  If  you are taking an interest in your child's education and trying to help them become better at ANYTHING, then you are working on something positive. 

Have a great break!  I look forward to break and also a strong finish to the end of the school year! 

Character Counts Day!!!!

We had a fun filled day at the middle school and with the middle school kids visiting us.  Below is a link to a video of pictures and video clips that Emma put together for us.  Thanks Emma!!!

Character Counts Day iMovie

Science!!

Today instead of Math we started some Science.  Sunset teachers are piloting the FOSS Science program that we will be adopting next year.  We will be alternating between Science and Math in the afternoons.  Since we didn't have math today there isn't any math homework. The area of Science we will work on is Measuring and Matter.  Today we talked about having common measurements and good measuring habits and techniques. 

In Reading this week we will be reading the story How My Family Lives in America.  The story is about three young people who all have a parent that was born in another country.  The spelling list that goes along with this story is homophones.  Check with your child to see if they know what a homonym is.  They should be bringing home practice book pages to practice their spelling.  As always, this doesn't have to be returned to school.

Tomorrow will be an exciting day as we will be visiting the middle school and also have visitors from the middle school to celebrate Character Counts day. I will take pictures tomorrow to add to the week's slideshow on Friday.  I will also post Twitter updates.  If your not following our class on Twitter at @mrbrimsclass do so before tomorrow so you can see updates throughout the day. 

Report Cards

Be on the look-out for report cards.  Each child should bring one home with them today.  You may keep the report card and any other papers.  I do ask that you send the envelope back with your student on Monday.  The sooner they bring it back the more Brim Bucks they get!

Also, if you haven't sent back the conference sheet yet please do so ASAP!

There is homework in math this weekend and the opportunity to scored 9 points in March Mathness.  15 minutes of fact practice each day gets them 3 points per day.  The practice does need to happen on three different days.  Keep recording the reading minutes as well.

This morning we had Juli Jaycox visit us to talk about dental hygiene. She gave each kids a toothbrush and small tube of toothpaste.  Students in 3rd grade should already be taking good care of their teeth but they are also getting close to the age where other good hygiene habits need to be started. 

Check out the new video link for pictures from the past week!

Happy Friday and Have a Great Weekend!!!!