This weekend will mark a whole month of 3rd grade for your student. Wow!

Over and over this weekend work came up (baby showers, church, etc), and every single time I found myself gushing about how much I love my kids and love my job. Thank you for all you do to support your students’ learning, and my work as a teacher — YOU and your KIDS are what make my job rock!

Please read on for a variety of reminders and information, and for upcoming dates. Thanks so much! Like last week, I included a few pictures from our week at the end of this post.

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One More Short Week

Another short week for the kids this week! Please remember that students will have a half day this Friday, September 18th.

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Recorder Orders

Please be sure to get your child’s recorder order form and payment in for music class! As a former elementary music teacher, I can assure you these BEAUTIFUL sounding instruments ( but truly when played correctly, they actually are nice…that just doesn’t happen all that often!) are such an exciting right of passage for these kids. They can’t wait to begin learning and playing!

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Sports Events and Performances

There’s nothing I love more than supporting my students in their interests outside of school! While I know this year has limited extracurricular opportunities for students, I would love to support your child in any activities he or she is a part of! While I cannot guarantee that I make it to an event, I can guarantee that if I don’t know about it there’s no way I’ll be there 😉

Please email me a schedule of your child’s sports, dance, karate, musical performances, or whatever else they have going on (virtual events included!) and I will try my very hardest to make it to at least one! Email me at kdeters@hpseagles.net . Thank you!

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Reading Logs

Beginning today (Monday, September 14th), a weekly reading log will be sent home for students to keep track of their reading outside of school, and will be turned in the following Monday. PLEASE DO YOUR BEST to encourage your child to read for a minimum of 100 minutes each week!

Please…

Read with your child
Have them read to or with a sibling
Have them read alone
Have them read in the car
Have them read while waiting for dinner
Have them bring a book to a sibling’s sports game or practice
WHENEVER and WHEREVER you can to get those 100 minutes in!

We do not have traditional homework in 3rd grade because the number one indicator of success in literacy (anything related to reading and writing…which is just about every subject out there!) is tied directly to a child’s time spent reading!

We work very hard at school to grow as readers and writers in 3rd grade, but the time constraints of our school day just don’t cut it. Please encourage your child to read anything and everything they find interesting — I had a girl last year who read cookbooks and food blogs most nights. That’s great! If they’re excited to be reading something, please ENCOURAGE that!

Thanks so much for your help in this, parents 🙂

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Library

Speaking of reading — trips to our school library will begin this week. A variety of books were not returned to the GES library due to the abrupt school closure last spring, so please do your best to get them returned as soon as you’re able. Thank you so much to those of you who have already brought yours in this fall!

We will have library on Wednesday afternoons this year.

Thanks so much!

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Curriculum

This week begins the first lesson or two in 3rd grade content and curriculum. I can’t wait to partner with you to help your child reach his or her full academic potential this year!

Reading: We will begin our first Reader’s Workshop unit, “Building a Reading Life”. Students will learn how to combine literacy skills with personal reading preferences to make reading the BEST it can be, and to begin the road to being a lifelong reader.
Writing: This week we will continue the first unit of our Writer’s Workshop: Crafting True Stories.
Math: We will continue working on multiplication, introducing the concept of division and multiplying groups of 2’s.
Social Studies: We will build on the work we did looking at Growth versus Fixed Mindsets, and learn more about how are brain works and why it is so important to be willing to take risks!

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Upcoming Dates

Friday, September 18: Early Release (12:15 pm dismissal)
Monday, September 21 – Friday, September 25th: Spirit Week
- - Monday-PJ Day
  - Tuesday-Silly Socks
  - Wednesday-Crazy Hair
  - Thursday-Hat Day
  - Friday-Maize & Blue
Thursday, September 24th: Walkathon
Friday, October 23: Early Release (12:15 pm dismissal)