Week of 11/28/2016

Ahoy! Sorry for the late post! I hope that your week has been off to a great start! We are working feverishly here at school to wrap up some of our learning before the Holiday Break. Here is what is going on.

Reading: We are continuing our unit on finding the central message or main idea of a text. Yesterday we finished reading Treasure in the Trees and worked on finding its central message. We teach the kids that the central message is what the author is trying to teach the reader. Today we will start with a new book titled About Earth. The end of next week we will be taking our reading assessment for this unit.

Math: This is our last week of Unit 2. The students are doing a great job of understanding the concept of multiplication. This week we are working on the concept of doubling and halving. We will be taking our unit test next week!

Writing: Students are continuing to work on their informational essays. We might be sending work home if we feel that it would help your child get their work done. Kids are working on the idea that there needs to be an intro, 3 details, and a conclusion. This works both for the entire essay as well as each paragraph!

Spelling: (Test Friday)
life
little
left
without
once
thought
another
house
took
animal
there
enough
know
something
these
find

Mystery Questions:
1. What's the birthstone for someone born in December?
2. What day is the anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack in Hawaii during World War ll?
3. On what day in December did the Write Brothers make their first flight?
4. "Jingle Bells" was originally written for what holiday?
5. If the Farmer's Almanac prediction states there will be snow fall on Christmas Day, what weather is predicted for Easter Sunday?
6. What is the first day of winter?

Stuff the Bus is happening this week! Please bring in cans! 

Thanks, 

Miss Irwin 

Week of 11/14/2016

Ahoy! Welcome to the last full week before Thanksgiving Break! I can't believe how fast time is flying by! Here is what you need to know for this week and next!

Reading- We are focusing heavily on main idea and central message in rooms 204/205. The focus of the last few days is finding text evidence that supports our main idea or message. We need to be able to "prove" why we believe what we believe. Today we started a new book titled Treasure in the Trees. As your students what they think Nisha's secret is!

Writing- Students are working on informational writing. This week they are picking and researching their topics. As your student what their topic is and what their subtopics are.

Math- We are continuing to power through Unit 2 in math. Our focus for this week is using our strategies of repeated addition, skip counting, and arrays to solve multiplication problems.

Spelling- (test Friday)
large
form
land
from
side
its
feet
without
home
different
boys
their
around
too
could
been

Mystery Questions:
1) What year was the first Thanksgiving celebrated?
2) Who organized the first Thanksgiving?
3) In what year did Thanksgiving become a legal holiday?
4) What does it mean when one lucky turkey gets a pardon every year on Thanksgiving?
5) What famous parade is on Thanksgiving Day?
6) What chemical is in turkey that makes people sleepy?
7) Which state consumes the most turkey on Thanksgiving?
8) What famous Thanksgiving food did Campbell's soup create 50 years ago?

Dates to Remember:
11/18 @ 6:00- Finding Dory Movie Night
11/21- Inventions are due
11/22 @ 12:50- Inventions Presentations

Thanks,
Miss Irwin

Week of 11/7/2016

Ahoy! What a beautiful week we are having. It feel like April not November! Here is a peek at what is happening in 204!

Reading: Today students took their Module 1 assessment. We will be starting Module 2 on Thursday. Module 2 will be looking at more non-fiction pieces of writing. I am excited to dive into the new materials!

Writing: Students are continuing to work on figurative language. Along with the new reading unit they will be starting a new writing piece on Thursday.

Math: We are continuing to work on the introduction to multiplication. We have been looking at how we can use multiplication to find the length of something (the door is 3 times as tall as the chair). We are also looking at multiplication as groups of something! Please start working with your child to learn their multiplication facts!

Spelling: (test Thursday)
which
children
important
form
keep
food
their
want
great
until
went
again
more
always
because
first

Mystery Question:
This week we are switching it up... instead of mystery questions please write a paragraph about why you think it's important to honor our country's Veterans on Veterans Day. Please include ways we can honor them besides our assembly.

Thanks,
Miss Irwin

Week of 10/31/016

Ahoy!

Can you believe it is NOVEMBER! Where did the time go? We have some great things coming up in the next few weeks.

Reading: This is our last week of module 1. We will start working on informational reading and writing here in the next week. The students have done a good job of understanding characters; their traits and motivations.

Writing: Students are learning all about figurative language. Yesterday the students learned about idioms. Yesterday Mrs. Blair passed out the students fictional narrative. As to be expected at this time of the year some students were surprised by the scores. Do not fret, students scores will improve the more they write :)

Math: This week we are beginning our unit 2 in math. We are focusing on the very beginnings of multiplication. We are looking at the idea that multiplication is just groups of things. Math homework will not be coming home the next few weeks, however, if you would like some work so that you can help your student at home please email me!

Homework: Over the next three weeks students will be working on their inventions. The first paper for the invention project is due TOMORROW!!!! We will be giving students an envelope to store their papers in over the course of this project. If you have any questions please feel free to email me. There will be no homework journal or math during this time.

Spelling: (test is Friday)
what
asked
always
want
world
help
school
each
going
show
right
important
around
there
write
another

Mystery Questions:
1) What is the purpose of Veterans Day?
2) What is the difference between Memorial Day and Veterans Day?
3) Where is the ceremony held in the U.S. to honor all who have died in war?
4) List three wars our nation has fought in.
5) What was the original name for veterans Day before the 1940's?

Events to Remember:
11/2- First handout for inventions due
11/3- School Picture Retake
11/10- Veterans Day Assembly @ 2:30
11/11- No School
11/21- Inventions are Due
11/23-11/25-Thanksgiving Break

Thanks,
Miss Irwin

Week of 10/24/016

Ahoy!

We have a very busy schedule this week with conferences. I am enjoying my time getting to sit and chit chat with you all.

Reading: We are finishing up the first Module in Unit 1 this week. We will be working on comparing and contrasting the stories we have read. We will continue working on a character's motivation and how it drives the story.

Writing: Students should be finished with the fictional narratives. If they are not they are coming home tonight to finish. Please return tomorrow. They will be in the purple folder if they are not finished and can be returned in the purple folder.

Math: We are starting unit 2 this week. This unit focuses on the basics of multiplication. The concept that multiplication is simply groups of something is a hot topic for the next few weeks. This week we are finishing up our Array Cities and then diving in the to first couple of lessons.

Spelling:
No spelling this week!

Homework:
No homework this week!

Reminders:
-Early release all week
-10/29 is the Harvest carnival. It is from 4 to 7. They are still in need of volunteers. You can sign up here: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0c48aeaa2aa1fe3-2016

Mystery Questions:
1) What are Mrs. Blair's two dogs named?
2) What big purchase did Miss Irwin buy recently?
3) What are Mrs. Blair's two daughters names?
4) What was the name of the rogue hamster who lived in the Blair family's wall?
5) What is the big event called where everyone gets to bid on items with Blairwin Bucks?
6) What is Mrs. Blair's favorite place to go in the whole world?
7) Where did Miss Irwin go to visit her sister last year (hint: it's in Europe)?

I will award $20 on Wednesday and Thursday if students would like to come ask me or Mrs. Blair a question.

Have a great week!
Miss Irwin

Week of 10/17/2016

Ahoy!

We have a wet and rainy week ahead of us! Here is what is happening in the classroom.

Reading:
This week we are studying a text called Thunder Cake. We have really been focusing on a character and their motivations, this week we will take a turn and look at how actions in a story change the character. Ask your student to retell the story to you!

Math: This is the last week of unit one! We are taking our unit 1 assessment this week and will be doing our unit 2 pre-assessment the end of this week! I am excited to move on and start diving into 3rd grade math!

Writing: This week we are really focusing on writing our realistic fiction narratives. Writing full pieces in 3rd grade is a big jump from writing in second grade. We are working on writing paragraphs in our pieces. We are also working on character/setting/problem/solution plan for our stories. Our workshop model supports having students at different stages of writing, but there is a general timeline that pieces need to be finished. If class time is not used efficiently you may see writing work come home in the purple folder.

Homework Prompt: What would happen if you could fly whenever you wanted? What would it be like? What would you do?

Spelling Words:
they
what
their
said
many
over
our
think
also
those
large
often
together
asked
house
don't

Reminders:
-Read n Quiz is up and running. If you go to the Lacamas Heights website and click on library links you will be able to access the Read n Quiz login page.
-I have 8 people currently signed up for conferences. Please fill out the pink form that went home on Thursday and return it in your child's purple folder.
-Next week is conference week, students will be released at 1:10 everyday.
-This is the last week for our box top competition.
-Friday is the Human Carwash.

Mystery Questions:

1)What three forms of precipitation can fall from the sky?
2)Which continent is the driest on earth?
3)What are forests that experience high levels of rainfall called?
4)Where are there rainforests in the world? Name three locations.
5) What's the record amount of rain ever recorded in Camas, WA?
6) How many inches of rain fell on Clark County this past weekend (Sat/Sun)?

Have a great week!
Miss Irwin

Week of 10/10/16

Ahoy!

Hope your week is off to a great start! With it being a short week here at school we are working hard to fit everything in! Just a heads up the cold is going around school. We are continually cleaning desks and washing hands. Please help your child get enough sleep to fight this stuff off! Here is what is going on...

Reading:
We are still focusing on a character's motivation and how it helps to move the story along. This week we are also starting to focus on the character's point of view. Our weekly focus this week is evaluate, this will come in handy as we are finishing up the Case of the Gasping Garbage. 

Writing:
This week we are finishing up our final drafts of the fall walk. Students are starting to write a fictional narrative. We will be breaking down each part of the narrative and diving in deep with characters, setting, and events in a story.

Math:
This will be our last week of Unit 1! Yay. The students have been doing very well. We have been working on double digit addition and subtraction; as well as choosing a strategy that helps them to solve the problem.

Spelling:
No spelling this week.

Homework Journal Prompt:
Write a scary story. Include characters, setting, beginning, middle, and end.

Mystery Questions:
1) Name the four oceans and seven continent (please spell them correctly).
2) What region of the country do we live in?
3) What is the object called that shows you direction?
4) Mexico is what direction from the United States?
5) Canada is what direction from the United States?
6) Which state is directly south of Washington?
7) Which state is directly east of Nevada?

Events to Remember:
Now-10/31: Box Top Collection
10/13- Human Carwash
10/14- No School

Thanks,
Miss Irwin

Week of 10/3/16

Ahoy!

Happy 5th week of school! We did a great job making it through the craziness of last week!

Math: This week we are continuing to work on adding and subtracting within 20. We are working on choosing strategies that are most accurate then efficient. One strategy that I am really trying to get students to have a deep understanding of is a number line. Stay tuned for an example of how to use a number line.

Reading: We are still working on how characters motivations drive a story forward. We are continuing to read The Case of the Gasping Garbage. When you are reading with your students at home ask them to explain the characters to you. Our weekly focus is on retelling. We are also working on turning nouns in to plural nouns.

Writing: Students are finishing their first pieces and will begin working on starting their fall walk pieces. They will be encouraged to use vivid vocabulary to explain what the saw, heard, smelt, and touched while on the walk.

Spelling: Mrs. Blair and I decided not to do pre-tests any more. So students will write their words in their planners on Monday afternoon. The spelling test will still be on Friday.

there
their
about
out
very
know
too
because
found
read
might
few
those
always
show
large

Homework Journal:
This weeks prompt is to describe one time that you felt proud of yourself. Please work with your students on using correct punctuation. Have you child read what they are writing out loud to help hear were the breaks need to be. Mrs. Blair and I would like to see the students really working on writing in paragraph form with more complex sentence structures.

Mystery Questions:
1) What is a Harvest Moon?
2) What weed causes the most common fall allergies?
3) What is the name of the hurricane going towards Haiti this week?
4) Which color leaves are actually caused by the presence of sugars from sap that is trapped inside of the leaves?
5) What kind of trees are those that lose their leaves?

Thanks!
Miss Irwin

P.S. We are starting to collect box tops! Please make sure to send them in with your student!

Week of 9/26/2016

Ahoy!

Happy 4th week of school! We are getting really close to being back in to the full swing of things! Here are the happenings for this week!

Math: This week we are working on adding multi-digit numbers together using a numberline, or decomposing numbers. We will learn the standard algorithm later in the year, but not right now.

Reading: We are working how a character's motivation affects the sequence of events in a story. Ask your student about what happened in the latest chapter of our class book!

Writing: The students are working on using sequencing words, adding in sensory details, and creating more complex sentences. Students are on the mission for "Apostrophe Catastrophes" (ex. Ann's Wig's... yes that was really someone's sign.) They can earn $30 if they bring in a picture or email one in.

Homework: Math homework and journals came home today. They are due friday. The journal prompt for this week is... "Write about your favorite parts of fall." Students need to use sesory details and adjectives to describe the season.

Spelling Words: (TEST FRIDAY)
from
there
their
said
could
first
back
right
help
between
never
below
saw
something
thought
both

Dates to remember:
9/27 (Tomorrow)- Picture Day. We will take pictures at 10:35, before first recess.
9/27 (Tomorrow)- Fall Family Learning Night from 6-8
9/28- Grand's Breakfast @ 8:00 AM
9/30- Sport-a-thon. Please sign up to be a volunteer! http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0c48aeaa2aa1fe3-sportathon2

10/5- Character Education Assembly @ 9:15

Mystery Questions:
I have not explained this to students yet, I will be explaining tomorrow. Write answers down on a piece of paper and put in purple folders. Students can receive up to $20 Blair-win Bucks.

1) If it's autumn here, what season is it in Australia?
2) In the fall is there more or less sunlight?
3) Do squirrels hibernate?
4) Name four trees that lose their leaves.

Thanks for all of your support!
Miss Irwin

Week of 9/19/2016

Ahoy!

We are off to a great start to the week! Students walked in the door ready to read. I love starting the morning with some quiet reading time. Here is the plan for the week!

Reading: We are continuing to look at how characters drive a story. Tomorrow we will begin reading The Case of the Gasping Garbage as a class. This is a very fun and silly book that allows students to see how a character can change the direction of the story. Be sure to check in with your student each night to see what is happening in the story.

Writing: Students are going to continue working on generating ideas while writing. They are working on using their five senses to recount a story. They are also continuing to work on the idea of writing a narrative.

Math: This week students will continue exploring patterns. We will be looking at patterns in subtraction and reviewing some subtraction strategies. We will be continuing to work on our strategies for addition and subtraction. On Wednesdays we will focus on problem solving.

Spelling: (Test is Friday)
there while
small
along
with
because
would
never
been
next
sound
great
one
think
little
might

Dates to remember:
9/27- School Pictures
9/27- Fall Family Learning Night
9/30- Sport-a-thon ends

Thanks,
Miss Irwin

Week of 9/12/16

Ahoy!

Wow I fall more in love with your kiddos everyday! They are full of kindness and compassion, while having a deep desire for knowledge. I love the way they work together to learn, and inspire. I CANNOT WAIT FOR THE REST OF THIS YEAR! It is going to be a good one. Here is what happened this week. (I will start updating the blog in the beginning of the week so you can know what is coming up.)

Math: We are working on getting back into the hang of things. This week our focus was looking at patterns in math. We focused on our addition facts. We will be moving on to subtraction next week. Just a reminder, this unit is mostly review from 2nd grade. My goal is that my students have a solid base before learning new information in the coming months.

Reading: This week we started with our new curriculum! Our first focus is about characters and how their motivations drive a story. We are reading a book called the Lemonade War! Ask your students to retell it to you! We also learned about finding evidence in a text to support our ideas.

Writing: This first week of writing class has been all about the writing process. Looking at how we go from prewriting to drafting, editing, revising, and finally publishing. Students also learned about the editing code that we will use this year.

Spelling: Spelling tests will begin next week. We do a pre-test on Monday and the post test on Friday. Words will be written in planners as well as posted here on our blog.

Homework: I had almost everyone's homework turned in today! I am hoping that we can have 100% next week! I know we can do it! Homework will come home on Monday and be due on Friday.

Reminders:
-If you have not turned in your permission slip for the instagram and facebook accounts please do so. If you have turned yours in please search for us on Facebook. I am unable to find you account if it is private.
-Fall Family Learning Night is the 27th from 6-8
-P.E. days are Monday and Friday

If you have any questions please let me know!
Thanks,
Miss Irwin

Week of 9/6/2016

Ahoy!

Wow! What a great first week. It is truly a joy to be able to teach all of your kids. They are a sweet, kind, hard-working class!

As the school year gets rolling this blog will be very helpful for many class updates. I will updated it weekly with the happenings of the week, important dates, spelling words, and mystery questions. If you ever have any questions please feel free to email or call!

The first week was mostly about getting to know each other, starting to assess students academic levels, and looking at how Lara and I can best teach each student. I can tell you we are both very excited for this year! One thing to be looking for is a permission slip for our class facebook and instagram pages. This is another way in which Lara and I work to keep parents in the loop, while also providing a place to create a 3rd grade community outside of school. This should be coming home today.

If you have any questions let me know!
Miss Irwin

P.S. I will be working on contacting those who signed up to volunteer this week. My hope is to start having volunteers next week :)

Week of 5/31/16

Ahoy!

Wow I can't believe it is already June! When did that happen! Here is what is going on in room 204.

SBAC: We did our first round of math testing on Tuesday. Our last round of testing will be on FRIDAY! Please make sure students are getting a lot of sleep and exercise leading up to Friday,

Social Studies: We are finishing up our Native American units with a report on the student's region that they picked. Most students are done we will finish up the last few tomorrow and have them ready to present them at Lacamas Showcase tomorrow night.

Writing: Students are practicing presenting their anthology pieces. They will be presenting these at the showcase.

Important Events:
Lacamas Showcase: 5:30-7:30
 -We are doing anthology readings at 5:45, please have students here dressed in presentation        outfits ready to read their piece by 5:40.
-At 6:45 students will be playing the boomwhakers.

Remember that next week is a special week! Check the TOP SECRET EMAIL! Please send your student with a beach towel any time between now and Monday of next week! I need all beach towels here by MONDAY JUNE 6th!

Thanks,
Miss Irwin

Week of 5/23/16

Ahoy!

Wow what a busy time of year. We have been working feverishly in here to learn the last bits of third grade goodness! Sorry for the late posts!

Reading: This week in reading we are using an article about non-natives wearing headdresses. It has sparked quite a bit of conversation. Students worked on finding the main idea of the informational piece today.

Writing: Students should be finished with the legends! We are now starting to practice performing our anthology pieces.

Math: Students will be taking the unit assessment tomorrow and friday. It touches on shapes, area and perimeter. I have had quite a few students who have already finished all of their multiplication facts! Keep working at it! I would love for everyone to pass!

Spelling: There will be no more spelling tests for the year.

Social Studies: We are working on researching the different native american regions. Students are creating a research report that will be on display at Lacamas Showcase.

Science: We are learning about different structures of life. We have been working on plants. This week we took our seed that had sprouted and put them in a hydro-planter. This allows us to observe their root systems, as well as everything else above "ground."

IMPORTANT:

There is a lot of important things happening next week. The first is our SBAC math testing that will be on Tuesday and Friday. Please make sure you student is at school on those days. We will have make up days the following week, but I would prefer not to use them :)  The next thing is Lacamas Showcase. Our students will be presenting their piece that is in the anthology. They will also be performing a musical piece using "boomwhackers". This is on the 2nd of June at 5:30 p.m.

Mystery Question:
I have a yard that is 12 feet long and 10 feet wide rectangle. Please find the area for grass to be put down and find the perimeter for fencing.

Dates to Remember:
5/26-6/3- Book Fair
5/27- Grands Breakfast
5/30-Memorial Day- No School
5/31- SBA Math Test Day 1
6/2- Lacamas Showcase @ 5:30-7:30
6/3- SBA Math Test Day 2
6/14- Field Day- WE NEED VOLUNTEERS! 
6/15- Last Day of School!

Thanks,
Miss Irwin

Week of 5/9/16

Ahoy!

Sorry for the late post! I was too excited to go play in the sun yesterday, and forgot to post ;/ My fault!

Reading: This week we are continuing our learning focused around legends. We diving in deep to a legend that looks to explain how rainbows were formed. This is tying in with what the students are learning in writing.

Writing: Students are using their knowledge from reading about legends to create their own legend. They have to pick a topic that they are trying to explain. Some topics were why giraffes have purple tongues, why an owl "whoo's" at night. Students should be on the rough draft phase of their writing.

Math: This week we are working on the different attributes of shapes. We are also talking about area and perimeter of different shapes. This is a very important unit for the students, and one of my favorite units to teach! We are having lots of fun learning with geoboards and different manipulatives. Next week we will be using tangrams!

Spelling:
Which
there
American
usually
around
table
course
great
family
might
because
tree
front
want
what
its
people
space
own
very

NO MYSTERY QUESTIONS THIS WEEK!

Dates to Remember:
5/17- Lalooska. Students will need to bring a sack lunch.
6/2- Lacamas Showcase and Author's Night.
6/15- Last Day of School!

Thanks,
Miss Irwin

Week of 5/2/16

Ahoy!

We made it through the first week of SBAC testing! Wahoo... I am so proud of the kids and how hard they worked!

Writing: We are putting together an anthology of with a piece of writing from every 3rd grader. Students should have brought home their piece to finish making corrections and either type it or bring in back in their best handwriting. If they type it you can email it back to me. If it is hand written please send it back in take home folder. Pieces should not exceed one page.

Math: We are beginning Unit 6! This unit focuses on geometry! It is a unit that is very heavy in vocabulary. Here are some of the vocab works that we will be working on. Area, perimeter, line of symmetry, right angles, acute angles, obtuse angles, sides, closed figures, open figures, congruent, parallel, straight, length, quadrilateral, symmetrical. We are also continuing our multiplication fact test! I have some students who are getting very close to filling in their ice cream dish!

Reading: Our focus this week is on legends. Our piece this week will be a legend explaining why the seagull walks the way it does, and makes their funny squeak! Students will also be working in writing to write their own legend explaining something! Stay tuned for some entertaining pieces!

Social Studies: We continue to dive into learning about the different Native American regions in the United States. Today we learned about the Great Plains. We are focusing on the food they eat, transportation, environment, and life-style. We are currently making totem poles!

Spelling:
cold
morning
ground
it's
really
enough
large
remember
your
table
water
because
they
first
learn
until
there
people
United States

Mystery Questions:
1) What language did Chief Lelooska speak?
2) What is a memorial potlatch?
3) Describe what is inside a longhouse?
4) Where is the Lelooska lodge?

Dates to Remember:
5/5 Disney Day
5/5 @ 9:15 Character Ed Assembly
5/10 Book Orders Due
5/17 Field Trip to Lelooska
5/21 Family Fun Run
5/26- 6/3 Book Fair
5/31-6/3 SBAC Math Testing
6/2 Lacamas Showcase

Thanks for all you do for your kiddos!
Miss Irwin

Week of 4/25/2016

Ahoy!

Wow I can't believe that it is already wednesday! Sorry about the late post. It was a crazy day with testing yesterday. I am so proud of how hard our class worked. We have one more day of testing on Friday and then will start with math in June. Here is what is happening this week!

Reading: We are taking it a bit easier this week because of testing. We will continue to review what is needed for the test, as well as introducing a new text for our Native American unit. We are focusing on myths and how they are important to the Native American culture.

Writing: This week students are working on finishing their final drafts of their opinion piece. They are also working on polishing their piece for a 3rd grade anthology. If you can help we are editing pieces tomorrow at 9:30.

Math: This week we are finishing up Unit 5 and will begin Unit 6 next week. It will be focusing on geometry!

No spelling this week!

Dates to Remember:
4/28- Take your child to work day
5/4- Disney Dress Up Day
5/31-6/3- SBAC Math Testing

Have a good day!
Miss Irwin

Week of 4/18/16

Ahoy!

I hope you have all been enjoying this sunshine. I was able to enjoy the Camas Baseball game today! Go Makers!

Reading: We are beginning our unit on Native Americans. This week we are learning some general facts about them. We are also working on reviewing main idea, message, character traits, etc. for our SBAC testing next week.

Writing: Students are working on finishing up their persuasive writing pieces.

Math: This week we are diving deep into division. Students are working on using their multiplication facts to help them solve division story problems. We are also working on showing our thinking using a second strategy. Please make sure your child is practicing their multiplication facts!

Social Studies:
This week week will be mapping out the 5 different regions that the Native Americans lived in. This unit will include a lot of neat art projects. We will need paper plates, yarn, beads, and cereal boxes if you have any you would like to donate.

Spelling:
Were
there
their
about
these
first
its
find
such
important
food
life
needed
year
told
living
run
book
gave
order
open

Mystery Questions:
1) Name three types of homes Native Americans live in.
2) What wildlife was used for Native American clothing?
3) What did Native American Indian tribes eat?
4) What are the names of the clans in Cherokee Society?
5) When was the 'Battle of Little Bighorn'?
6) What was the most important Native American food crop?

Thanks,
Miss Irwin

Week 4/11/16

Ahoy!

Welcome back from spring break! I hope you all had a great week! We have had a great start her in room 204-205!

Reading: This week we will  begin our unit on Native Americans. Our primary focus will be on the different N.A. legends.

Math: This week we are beginning unit 5, focusing on multiplication and division. This will be a very quick unit. Please have your students practicing their multiplication facts daily!

Writing: We are continuing with quick writing assignments focusing on the three different types of writing: narrative, persuasive, and informational. This week we are focusing on persuasive writing.

Spelling:
living
life
United States
high
black
because
hear
city
white
along
across
use
pages
eat
after
short
about
there
could
story

Mystery Questions:

What percentage of Americans eat ice cream?
How much did the largest ice cream cake weight?
Which country produces the most ice cream in the world?
What is the most popular ice cream topping?
In what state was it against the law to serve ice cream on cherry pie?

Reminders:
4/13- Twin Day
4/13- 3rd grade music performance at assembly
4/22- PALS movie night
4/26 &4/29- Smarter Balance Assessment for English/Language Arts
4/28- Take your child to work day

Have a great rest of your week!
Miss Irwin

Week of 3/28/16

Ahoy!

What beautiful weather we are having! Today we were able to sit outside during read aloud and soak in some sunshine!

Reading: We are finishing our unit on Salmon. Unit test was today and yesterday.

Math: Finishing unit 4 test today. In-depth look at multiplication and division will start when we get back from Spring Break!

Writing: Students should be finishing their personal narrative. Many students took it home tonight to finish up.

Science: This week we are focusing on structures of life. We will first start by looking at the life cycle.

Spelling:
thought
since
world
they
above
there
country
its
half
true
red
picture
animals
fish
plants
their
many
would
group
own

Mystery Questions:
1) What is the most rain we've ever gotten in one spring season in SW Washington?
2) How do meteorologist measure the amount of rain that falls in a city?
3) What is the study of weather called?
4) Name three types of clouds.
5) What are two things you should not do during a thunderstorm?
6) How common are lightning storms in the Northwest?
7) What do you get when you mix rain and sunshine?
8) What are the 7 colors in the rainbow (in order)?

Thanks and have a happy spring break!
Miss Irwin

Week of 3/21

Ahoy!

Wow... I can't believe that it is almost the end of March! Where did this month go? We have been working really hard in here since Christmas break! I have noticed that some of my kiddos are feeling under the weather :( Please make sure they are getting plenty of sleep, drinking water, and eating healthy food! We are all worn down right now and ready for spring break! We just have a few more days!

Reading: This is our last week of our salmon unit. Students have had a blast learning about salmon and their life cycle. This week we are focusing on a story called Salmon Forest. We are working on finding the main message and retelling a story.

Writing: Students are working on a personal narrative. They are currently in the rough draft phase.

Math: This week we are continuing to learn about fractions! This will be our last week of this unit! Please be doing multiplication facts with your students at home!

Spelling:
there
several
animals
family
often
upon
it's
up on
most
move
along
a long
work
once
turn
its
sure
water
later
another

Mystery Questions:
1) Between what days does Easter fall between during the year?
2) Where does the most famous Easter egg hunt take place in the US?
3) How many chocolate bunnies are made in the US for Easter?
4) What did the first Easter baskets look like?
5) In the song, "Here Comes Peter Cottontail" he's got colored eggs for who?
6) How long will a boiled egg keep in the refrigerator?
    a) 2 hours
    b) 3 days
    c) 1 week
    d) They don't need refrigeration once cooked
7) Rabbits with long floppy ears can't hear as well as those with ears upright. True or False? 

Reminders:
Report Cards come home in backpacks Thursday.
Next week is Jungle week, students are allowed to bring one stuffed animal for the Jungle. Please put your name and room number on it.


Thanks,
Miss Irwin

Week of 3/14

Ahoy!

Reading: This week we are reading an informational article about destruction of a salmon's habitat. Ask your student what the main idea of this article is!

Math: We are starting to work on fractions. This is a more difficult concept for students to grasp. We have been using a lot of manipulatives to help understand what exactly each fraction means.

Writing: Students should be finished with their informational piece. They are beginning working on a new personal narrative.

Spelling:
I'm
because
said
car
morning
right
didn't
made
body
several
soon
thought
best
himself
usually
people
something
try
others
their

Mystery Question:

1) What is the greatest migrator of all animals, flying 30,000 km from the Arctic to the Antarctic and back again each year?
2) What is the migration pattern of a moose?
3) What migrates 4,000 km every year, from North America to small clumps of trees in Mexico?
4) What is a magnetic compass in migrating animals?
5)These animals travel how many miles?
-Chinook Salmon
-Arctic Tern
-Sooty Shearwater

Dates:
3/24- Report Cards go home.
3/28-4/1- Jungle Week

Thanks,
Miss Irwin

Week of 3/7/16

Ahoy!

Yesterday we had a big chat with both classes about giving full effort in their work. This is usually the time of year we give the "you're almost 4th graders" speech. Many of your children are following through so well, but many are being reminded multiple times to stay on task and complete work. We are here for your kids and are so invested in their success. We tried to communicate yesterday and today that the reason we are remind/remind/remind is that we care and want to see them shine. We appreciate any help you can give your children with organization, getting a good night's sleep, eating well, limiting excessive screen time and giving full effort at school! We have a lot planned for the next few months and cannot wait to watch these kiddos turn into fourth graders before our eyes!

Reading: This week we starting reading a new passage in our salmon unit. This is a legend titled The Girl Who Swam With Fish. Ask your student what the main message of this passage is!

Math: We are continuing to work on multiple step story problems. Tomorrow is the beginning of multiplication quizzes! The end of the week we will start working on fractions! We have a lot of information to still get through before the end of third grade! I am excited to see the amount of learning that takes place in the next few months!

Writing: Students are finishing up their informational pieces about migratory animals. Most students are in the edit or final draft stages of the publishing process. If your student brings writing home please make sure that it gets finished and returned :)

Spelling:
himself
seen
however
usually
always
try
kind
paper
money
number
example
there
it's
five
sure
answer
seconds
would

*Mystery Questions (oops!) *

1) What colors are in the Irish flag?
2) What is the most popular traditional St. Patrick's Day dish?
3) What year was Lucky Charms cereal created?
4) When and where did the first St. Patrick's Day parade take place?
5) How many regular three-leaf clovers are there for every lucky four-leaf clover?
6) How many current U.S. residents were born in Ireland?
7) How many people who signed our Declaration of Independence were of Irish origin?


Thanks for all you do to help your kiddo succeed!
Miss Irwin

Week of 2/29/16

Ahoy!

Happy Leap Year! We have had a great beginning of the week here in 204! Here is what we are learning!

Math: This week we are learning about liquid volume using the metric system. We are using milliliters and liters to help us estimate, measure, and solve story problems. Next week we will begin our multiplication quizzes. Your student is responsible for studying and passing tests in a timely manner. We will have a celebration for students who pass all of their facts :)

• Students are bringing home an assignment tonight for blairwin bucks if returned tomorrow. They need to research the about of liquid that each of the 8 pictures on their hand out holds. I would google the answers, they are pretty easy to find that way :)

Reading: This week is all about the life cycle of a salmon. Today we worked on finding the main idea of an article that we read. The rest of the week we will continuing to learn about each of the stages from egg to spawning.

Writing: Students are beginning to use all of the information that they have researched to start writing their informational essay. This will be a week and half long process from graphic organizer to final draft.

Spelling:
learn
little
children
play
city
there
point
about
which
its
young
toward
school
four
were
ever
said
called

Mystery Questions:

1) Salmon are called _______ when emerging from their eggs.
2) How many species of Pacific Salmon are there? How many of Atlantic Salmon?
3) How much did the largest salmon ever caught weigh?
4) How many eggs does an average salmon lay?
5) Up to how many miles can a salmon travel to spawn?

Thanks for all you do to help your child!
Miss Irwin

Week of 2/22/2016

Ahoy!

What a beautiful week we are having. The students are enjoying being able to run around outside without getting drenched!

Reading: This week we are introducing our students to the new unit all about salmon!

Writing: Students have picked their animals for their informational research project. They are working on iPads to do research.

Math: We are working on elapsed time using a timeline the beginning of the week. The end of the week will be focused on using the metric system to measure.

Spelling Words:
name
father
sea
because
much
very
several
called
room
top
their
against
turned
however
were
what
might
right

Mystery Questions:
1) What was Dr.Seuss' original name before he published books?
2) What was his first book published/
3) What famous word did he create that we use today (think pocket protectors and glasses with tape)?
4) What is the book "The Sneeches" really about?
5) What did Thing 1 and Thing 2 like to play with?
6) Name 5 Dr. Seuss books.

Events:
Dr. Seuss Dance Friday at 6:30

Thanks,
Miss Irwin

Week of 2/15/2016

Ahoy! I hope you all enjoyed your long weekend.

Reading: We are assessing for unit 3. Next week we will be beginning our unit on salmon.

Writing: Students are going to pick their animals for the informational writing pieces this week. They will start using the iPads to conduct research.

Math: We are starting unit 4! We will be focusing on time, measurement, and fractions! Yay!

Spelling:
During
thought
their
would
heard
they
answer
could
several
example
use
change
landed
said
some
today
what
other

Mystery Questions:

What is Miss Irwin's dog's name?
What is the name of Miss Irwin's new baby niece?
What is Miss Irwin's favorite color?
What sport does Miss Irwin coach at Camas High School?

Dates to Remember:

Friday is our field trip to Columbia Springs. Please dress your child according to the weather. We will be outside all morning. There is mud where we are going. We will be back in time for lunch at school. If you are meeting us at Columbia Springs you must still be background checked my the district. Please arrive at 9:40 and remember this is not a field trip that can accommodate siblings. Thank you for understanding.

Thanks,
Miss Irwin

Week of 2/8/2016

Ahoy!

I hope you are all enjoying the sneak peek of sunshine while it is here! I know the kids are enjoying being able to go to recess and not be drenched when they come back in. We are continuing to work hard in 204-205 to learn everything that there is to know in 3rd grade! Here is what we are working on!

Math: We are finishing up unit 3 on Thursday and Friday. Please make sure your student gets a good night's rest and eats a good breakfast. Next week we will be starting unit 4 which focuses on fractions, elapsed time, and measurement. We will continue to work on the concepts already taught all year, so don't be surprised if they show up in homework :) Please be practicing multiplication facts. We will start our multiplication quizzes in the next few weeks.

Reading: In reading we are working on our last text for the river unit! It has been a blast learning all about rivers. The big focus this week will be on main message in a fictional source. (What the author is trying to teach the reader.) We will also be looking at character traits, the characters motivation, and working on retelling a story.

Writing: This is the last week of our persuasive essay. The students have been working really hard to find their reasons then support them with examples or details. This persuasive piece has been a bit more difficult for students. We will continue working on this the rest of the year. We will start researching for our informational topic next week.

Science: The end of last week we did a really neat science experiment looking at the different densities of hot and cold water. Ask your student about it!

Spelling: 
there
thing
whole
since
young
knew
picture
little
across
through
sun
would
hear
however
said
don't
about
important

Dates to Remember: 
2/12- Math homework due.

2/12- Valentine's Day Celebration, we will pass out Valentines at 1:00. I will be sending a student list home today. After we pass out Valentines my class will be decorating cookies as our celebration for winning the last box tops competition. It will be a great afternoon!

2/19- Field Trip to Columbia Springs. If you received a personal email from me you are chaperoning the field trip. If not you are welcome to meet us there at 9:40. Unfortunately, this field trip cannot accomodate siblings.

2/26- Dr. Seuss Dance. 6-8 pm. Wear stripes or dress as your favorite character.

Typing: 
Please have your student work on typing. We will be starting our state testing in the spring. It is very helpful if the students feel comfortable typing. You can use typing agent (link in last week's blog) or have your student type me a story, grocery list. Really anything works!

Mystery Questions: 
1) What is the Latin name for spring?
2) If it's the first day of spring in the northern hemisphere on earth, what season is it in the southern?
3) In what season does the most extreme weather occur?
4) Name three significant things that happen in nature in the spring.
5) In spring, the Earth's axis is tilted toward __________________.

Thanks for all you do to help your child succeed.
Miss Irwin

Week of 2/1/16

Ahoy!

Yay, finally a full week! We are really working with the students on the idea that they are responsible for their own learning. We are a team and we have to give all our effort to succeed. I really saw them take charge today of their learning! Amazing things happen during this time of year, I can't wait to see the next few months.

Reading:
We are continuing our river unit. Main idea and main message is our focus! The article this week is all about pollution and the various types of pollution that is harming our rivers and lakes. It has been fun to see the students starting to come up with their own ways to protect our rivers and lakes here in Camas.

Math:
We are finishing up our unit on multi-digit addition and subtraction next week. We are currently working on regrouping with our base-10 blocks. Here is a website if you wanted to print off your own base 10 blocks out to help your child understandregrouping: http://www.havefunteaching.com/tools/paper-cut-outs/printable-base-10-blocks/
Please be working with your students on their multiplication facts. 

Writing:
Students are finishing their persuasive writing pieces. The format for persuasive is a big focus. They are expected to state their opinion, give 3 reason for their opinion and 2 examples to support each reason. Finally, have a conclusion to wrap up the essay. If your student brings their work home please help them finish it!

Spelling:
there
knew
little
still
today
sure
once
told
it's
often
school
however
its
different
began
try
then
know

Upcoming Events:
Feb 19th: Class Field trip to Columbia Springs. Field Trip costs $9.

Mystery Questions:
1) How many Valentine's Day cards are exchanged every year in the U.S.?
2) When did Valentine's Day start?
3) What other countries celebrate Valentine's Day besides the U.S.?
4) How many dollars worth of chocolate is purchased in the U.S. on Valentine's Day?

Thanks,
Miss Irwin

P.S. Please be practicing typing with your student. Here is a website that they can use to continue practicing typing. This will be very helpful when it comes time to take the SBAC.

https://camas.typingagent.com/

Username: First letter of first name and the first four of last name. ex. cirwin
Password: 204

Week of 1/26/2016

Ahoy!

Another short week of school here at Lacamas. I hope you all enjoyed your three day weekend. We are continuing to work extremely hard here in 204!

Reading: This week we are continuing our reading focused around rivers. We are using an informational text to learn about river pollution and how humans are contributing to this pollution. Our focus this week is on using our ACTIVE strategies and finding the main idea of an informational piece.

Writing: Rough draft time! Students are finishing up their planning and are moving on to their rough drafts of their persuasive essay. Our essays are focused around our learning in reading. Ask your student what they are trying to persuade their readers of.

Math: This week we're continuing on multi-digit addition and subtraction. We will work on choosing appropriate strategies to help us solve each problem. Students are practicing using "CUB" to help them understand story problems. Circle the numbers, Underline the question(s), Box in key words! I would love to see students doing this on their homework!

Spelling: This week's words are all no excuse words! Please help your child to have these down pat!
know
world
however
never
during
something
said
best
there
very
could
air
then
would
across
why
don't
today

Upcoming events:
1/27- Pajama Day

Mystery Questions:

1)What's the number one pollutant in Lacamas Lake?
2)What percentage of America's rivers are too polluted for fishing?
3)How many gallons of untreated sewage, groundwater, and industrial waste are discharged into U.S. waters each year?
4)What is the most polluted river in the world?
5)Which continent has the most polluted rivers?

Enjoy the rest of your week!
Miss Irwin

Week of 1/19

Ahoy!

I hope you all had a great three day weekend celebrating Dr. King. We are continuing to stay busy here in 204. During this rainy season please make sure you are sending your student with a coat. It gets cold out there and the students need to have a way to stay warm.

Math: Our learning around multi-digit subtraction is starting to really take hold. Students are choosing the strategy that best fits them in order to solve problems.

Reading: Today marked the official first day of our river unit. Students were assigned their own body of water for our simulations. I am really excited to get this unit going! There is a lot of fun learning that will happen.

Writing: Tomorrow the students will begin their persuasive writing unit. Our persuasive writing piece will be a letter to the editor about how to help fix pollution.

Spelling:
paper
place
near
now
something
hard
because
sentence
what
don't
through
until
think
better
without
your
their
were

Events:
This saturday we are hosting an hour of clean up at Lacamas lake. *This is totally voluntary* The 3rd grade teachers will be at Lacamas lake docks from 11:00-12:00. If you and your family would like to come help that would be great. Since this is off of school property and out of school hours we are not responsible for the children while at the lake. If your child wants to attend they must have a legal guardian with them. No exceptions. (FYI: I may not be there, my sister is supposed to be having her baby any day. If she has it before then I will be in Seattle with my new niece or nephew!!!)

Mystery Questions:
Name the stages of the water cycle and what happens in each part. (You need to spell them correctly!)

Have a great week!
Miss Irwin

P.S. There is no school monday.

Week of 1/11/2016

Ahoy!

I am still having a hard time believing that it is 2016! The class has been working hard to get back into our groove. We are having a great time here in rooms 204 and 205!

Reading: We are continuing to pilot a new reading curriculum that the district is looking into! Lara and I have really enjoyed teaching this curriculum and feel that our students are very engaged with it! Ask your student what they think about the new curriculum! On Thursday we will be beginning our next unit on Rivers and Water.

Writing: We are working our way through the writing process for a fictional narrative. Students should be at editing in the writing process. Some students have taken work home to finish their rough draft.

Math: We are working on multi-digit addition. At the end of the week we will start to work on multi-digit subtraction. I have not taught the students standard algorithm yet. We are working on developing number sense and understanding of how regrouping works. We are currently using a number line to help add. Please be practicing multiplication facts.

Spelling:
white
house
year
they
there
important
people
began
together
soon
again
through
ever
since
been
write
above
story

Mystery Questions:
1) In what did Dr. Martin Luther King receive his doctorate degree in?
2) How many times was Dr. King put in jail?
3) Was Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech his first at the Lincoln Memorial?
4) What other person is the only other American to have had his birthday observed as a national holiday?
5) What age did Dr. King enter college?

Events to Remember:
1/13- Assembly
1/13- River set up in 204/205 at 2:30 (Lara and I will be at a meeting before this and will show up right at 2:30)


Thanks for all you do to support your kiddo and our classroom!

Miss Irwin

Week of 1/4/16

Ahoy!

Welcome to the first blog post of 2016! Yay! I am so excited to be back and see my kids! I have missed them all so much. This is the period of school were a large chuck of learning really gets done. We jump in with both feet.

There will be no spelling or homework this week.... That being said it is crucial that students are reading 20 minutes everyday and are practicing their multiplication facts. 

Reading: This week we are piloting a new reading curriculum that looks very promising. Luckily for us the unit in the curriculum that we have been asked to use focuses on the book Lemonade War, which our class has already been reading.

**Chapter Books** We are encouraging our students to be reading chapter books during SQUIRT time. Now that we are 3rd and a half graders we are really pushing our students to find good fit books! Having your help to encourage this transition as well as helping them find a genre/author to fall in love with would be great!

Math: This week math will be focused on a review of multidigit addition, and rounding. We are getting back into the swing of things. Please make sure your child is practicing their multiplication facts through x10.

**Help Needed**
Our next unit for reading revolves around rivers. We are wanting to create a river in our classroom. We are doing this next Wednesday around 2 o'clock. If you would like to help let us know!

Mystery Questions:

1) What is the largest single snowstorm on record?
2) When and where was the biggest hailstone recorded?
3) How big was the world's largest snowflake?
4) What color is snow actually?
5) What percentage of all the freshwater on earth is frozen as ice or snow?
6) How many words do Eskimos have for snow?
7) How many sides does every snowflake have?

Looking forward to an exciting 2016!
Miss Irwin