1st Week of December

Hello parents,
December is here and let me tell you...it goes fast!  Thank you so much for helping to make our Thanksgiving Feast wonderful this year!  The food was delicious and we are so appreciative for all of your help! Here's what we have going on in 3rd grade for the next couple of weeks.

Religion: We are looking at the Christmas story and awaiting Jesus' birth from several different points of view.  Using the book Voices of Christmas we will learn the reason that Jesus was born so many years ago!

Reading: Our 1st book club session is underway.  I will be teaching the kids reading strategies such as predicting, visualizing, making connections, find problems and solutions, and others as we read through The Boxcar Children together.  Then they will be breaking off into smaller book club groups and applying these skills independently to their respective books.  For this session of book clubs all the kids are reading a book from The Bailey School Kids series.  As the year goes on, we will break into different levels and genres of books.

Science: We are done with our unit on Life Cycles and will be starting to look at Force and Motion beginning next week.

Seesaw I plan to have your kids use Seesaw more and more.  Thanks for all of your comments so far.  The kids love seeing your feedback during the school day!

Important Dates:
Thursday December 8th: Santa's Workshop (we are right away in the morning)

Wednesday December 14th: Last day that I will accept missing/late work for 2nd quarter.

Friday December 16th: Service project field trip to Bethesda Nursing home on Big Bend.  We will be singing Christmas carols and playing games with the residents.  (Leave at 8:45 am and return at 11:45 am)

Monday December 19th: CCLS Advent Service at Concordia Campus - 7 pm (This is a formal and mandatory event)

Tuesday December 20th: Christmas Party @ 2 pm (Last Day of School before Christmas)

December 21st - January 3rd: NO SCHOOL

Week of Nov. 7th

Dear Parents,
Our Thanksgiving project is in full swing.  Your kids are working hard in class to do research before they begin creating things.  Here are a few points to remember:

• Daily homework will still include memory, math, and spelling.  Outside of those subjects, we won't have much time to assign other things since we are working on our projects.  
• Check the calendar that got sent home on Friday for due dates of things.  The kids also have a copy of that calendar in their binder. 
• This week we are doing mostly research and teaching the kids how to cite and organize the information they find.  They are responsible for staying on task and being a productive group member during this.  I will be sending home half sheets of paper with grades for behavior/participation this week.  
• The Traditions Essay is due on Monday Nov. 14th.  We spent a LONG time in class explaining this and taking questions.  This assignment needs to be completed at home.  However, your child is welcome to bring it in and ask for feedback and clarification if needed.  
• ART - Please send a recycled mason jar (spaghetti sauce etc.) so that we can use it for an art project this Friday.  

Reading

We are reading Thanksgiving on Thursday from the Magic Treehouse series.  We are separating facts from pieces of fiction as we read each chapter.  

Religion: 

Our character formation curriculum is currently taking us through the story of Moses and showing us integrity, self-sacrifice, responsibility, and self-sacrifice.  We are also talking about contentment and service connected to our Thanksgiving unit.  

Important Dates:

Wednesday Nov. 16th  - Operation Christmas Child Boxes due

Monday Nov. 21st - 1:00 pm Pie making Day (We could use volunteers to help us make the pies as well as $$ donations to buy the supplies.  These pies will be served at our Thanksgiving Feast.) 

Tuesday Nov. 22nd - 11am - 1pm  - Thanksgiving Feast  (Please see the sign up sheet and invitation to RSVP.) 

Wednesday Nov. 23 - Friday Nov. 25th - No School/Thanksgiving Break

December 8/9 - Santa's Workshop 

Monday Dec. 19th - CCLS Advent Service at Concordia campus

Dec. 21st - Jan. 3rd - No School/Christmas Break

Week of Oct. 17th

Hello parents,
I hope that are all enjoying the lovely fall weather.  I had a great week with your kids last week.  They really are a sweet group!  Please take a minute to look at what is coming up in 3rd grade...

Religion: We will be covering the 9th commandment this week, which talks about coveting.

Math: We are talking about money, especially making money exchanges which leads to adding and subtracting it.  This is a great time to start having your kids pay attention in the checkout line at the store!

Reading: We are going to be combining our Reading and Social Studies for the next 2 weeks.  The story Boomtown is a great tie in to the topic of "Change over time" in Social Studies.  I began teaching the kids a new way to do vocabulary cards using the app "Pic Collage".  This will be something that your kids do at least a little bit of most weeks.  They will need time to work on an ipad to complete this, which I will give them plenty of in class.  However, if your kiddos really want to do some of this at home I am attaching the directions sheet HERE.

Science: Our class is now studying life cycles by observing live crayfish.  We have 10 little crayfish that the kids are working with for the next several weeks.

Important Dates:

Friday 21st - Fall party at 2pm
Tuesday 25th - Candy Corn Festival
October 24 - 26th Book Fair
Thursday 27th  - Early Dismissal P/T conferences
Friday 28th - No School
Monday 31st (Halloween) - Daniel Boone Home Field Trip

Book Fair!

The CCLS Book Fair is coming up in the next couple of weeks.  This is always a great way to get Christmas shopping done and support the school at the same time.  There is a great selection of books this year so please take advantage of this opportunity!  

If you cannot attend, check out the online catalog with this link:  

http://www.scholastic.com/bf/ccls2016

There are still open slots to help out with the Book Fair.  You can sign up HERE

Book Fair Hours & Special Events:

Monday, Oct. 24^th:     8:15am – 10:15am ~ Fair set-up in the gym!  All are welcome!

Tuesday, Oct. 25^th:    8:00am–3:30pm ~ Fair is open.  K-4 students will visit with their class.

6:00pm–7:30pm ~ Fair is open during the preschool Candy Corn Festival!

Wednesday, Oct. 26^th:          7:30am–3:30pm ~ Fair is open.

7:30am–8:15am ~ Breakfast With A Buddy!  Students may invite a relative or

special friend for a light breakfast and book fair shopping!

Thursday, Oct. 27^th:  8:00am–7:00pm ~ Fair is open during school and Parent-Teacher Conferences!

Week of Oct. 10th

Hello parents,
We are slowly but surely getting used to each other and having a great time doing it.  Here's an overview of the next few days as well as some slight changes in routines that you should be aware of.

Religion: We are talking about the 8th commandment this week as well as "Integrity".

Math:  I will be sending home a Practice Test on Wednesday and we will  take Test 3 on Thursday.
I am going to start working with the kids on the speed of their addition and subtraction facts.  This will be tested in class each day (not for a grade).  They need to be able to complete 50 facts in 2:30 minutes.  Once they get a hundred percent on a set, I will have them move on to the next set.  Each child will move at their own pace, but if they are taking more than a couple days to pass these tests it would be beneficial to practice some at home.  

Reading: This week we are reading a Time for Kids article about how things will be changing in the future.

Grammar: We are focusing on irregular plural nouns this week.  We have done a lot of work in class with them and I will give them a short little quiz on Friday to wrap up the quarter.

Social Studies: We are looking at maps and landmarks right now.  The map project was sent home last Friday and is due this Friday.  A good portion of this grade will be based on neatness and effort.  If they take their time and read the instructions they should do just fine!

New Routine:

• I have noticed that some of the kids are working on their homework that they didn't complete when they get to school in the morning.  I understand that Mrs. Headrick allowed this so I have been letting them do it.  However, I generally have meaningful work for them to do when they arrive and they also have to prepare for the day and get themselves organized.  Therefore, I am not going to allow them to complete unfinished homework in the mornings from now on.  I give them lots of time the day before to work in class, as well as a low stress environment to pack up in the afternoon so they can remember what needs to be taken home.  Thanks for your understanding!  

I am really enjoying getting to know your kiddos!  They are all so polite and fun to work with.  Thanks for helping us make a smooth transition.  

Have a great week!  

Week of Sept. 19th

No school - Friday Sept. 23

Zoo/Science Center - Monday Oct. 3

Religion:  This week's Character Formation lessons emphasize self-sacrifice. We continue the story of Abraham with God's direction to sacrifice the son Abraham and Sarah waited so long to have. Abraham had learned to trust God completely and was willing to give up one of his most important possessions, his son, the key to fulfilling God's covenant promise.  In Abraham's mind, God was faithful before, He would somehow prove faithful again. How willing are we to follow God all the way in every part of our lives? Thankfully, His Son, Jesus, did that for us to be able to save us.

We study the 5th Commandment this week. God did not want harm to come to Isaac. Murder is prevalent in our city. We are also guilty when we cause hurt or harm to others either physically and emotionally. We will look at the examples of Cain and Abel as well, as the Good Samaritan.

Math:  We start the 2nd unit with an investigation of pictographs and bar graphs. We will proceed to place value, reading and writing numbers through 999, and adding two digit numbers.

Spelling: This week's list concentrates on the long "o" sound. With the short week, contracts are due on Thursday. New spelling lists will be assigned that day to be completed over the weekend.

Grammar: We will combine short sentences with the use of a comma and a conjunction. Though we finished subjects and predicates, we will revisit them. Many students were rock solid on these, while others still need some work.

Social Studies: Let the project begin! Students will be paired up to plan a map or model to depict the difference between rural and urban environments. In class, they will research books and the internet to cite their information. Presentations will most likely occur next week.

Science: We finished the six days of drawings and observations of our seeds in our mini sprouters. One student described them as looking like a jungle. We had that much growth in a short time with only water, no light, and no soil. We also compared the weight and other properties of dry and soaked lima bean seeds. We have one more activity to disperse seeds as naturally as possible to simulate how seeds get moved away from the parent plants. We should be ready for an Investigation Check, written assessment, by next week. 

Reading: We will read "The Perfect Pet". Once again, we will identify the problem and follow a sequence of events that lead to a solution. Other skills include reading a diagram and a dictionary entry. We will also have a review of the vocabulary words covered in this unit.

Week of Sept. 12th

This week's highlight is our field trip on Tuesday, Sept. 13th, to Fresh Pasture Farm and the City LIbrary. All parents are welcome. We leave ate 9:00 A,M. and return around 2:30 P.M. Please bring a lunch. 

Religion:  This week's character lesson revisits integrity, God's power to be true to HIm and yourself.  Abraham and Sarah had trouble understanding God's plan. After waiting 25 years in their old age for God to grant them a child, they took matters into their own hands. God still remained faithful to HIs promise, but the consequences of their actions did not go away. Use this discussion starter at home of how do you stay true to God when you do not understand His plan?

Memory: The 4th commandment and its meaning can be tied to the discussion of not understanding God's plan as we approach the next election and the actions of those in charge. We are reminded that these people are placed in their positions by God. We are to respect authority in all forms.

Math:  We are fast approaching our first math test. After two more lessons on missing addends and adding three addends, we will take a practice test on Thursday. Friday is test day.

Reading: We will read two nonfiction pieces about arctic climates. We continue to work on main ideas and details for understanding and the writing process. Homographs will also be reviewed. If time allows, we will try our hand at writing some poetry.

Spelling: From now on the Monday sight word tests will be 10 words.  

Grammar:  After successfully conquering subjects, we go headlong into predicates. We will also identify and correct run on sentences this week.

Social Studies: Tuesday's field trip will be a springboard for the rural/ urban project. The students will take notes on the trip. They continue to learn about organization and paragraph production with Mr. Fishburn.

Science: Our seeds are spouting and changing daily! This week we will continue to note changes in our notebooks. We will also use a balance scale to determine how much water our seeds have soaked up compared to dry seeds. Though you haven't seen any grades, notebook evaluations will happen very soon. More formal evaluations will happen at the conclusion of our seed investigation. 

Friday Sept. 23 - No School for Professional Development for teachers

Blessings on your week!

Week of Sept. 5th

Seesaw: A big thank you to those parents who attended curriculum night. Seesaw was introduced to parents. Several parents who received their QR codes have already commented on their student's first journal entry. Those who did not attend should look for their codes and instructions to come home with their kids. Included are tips for posting comments to your child's account. Seesaw parents posts are only visible to your student, and their teacher. Class viewing of everyone's is only permissible if the teacher allows. Please feel free to ask questions about this new program which will be a part of documenting your child's progress.

Religion: This week's character word, deligence, is taught from the story of Noah. We know about Noah's ability to stick to God's plan. We will look at God's ability to stick to His promises and all the work He does. He expects us to also to remain focused on our work and His expectations. How timely is this as we study the 3rd Commandment as our memory assignment and this week's Bible study?

Math:  The answer sheet adjustment is coming along nicely. This week word problems answers MUST include a label for full credit.We began work on telling time with analog and digital clocks as well as reading thermometers. We will proceed with more clock work and begin reviewing addition, subtraction, and fact families. 

Reading/Grammar/Writing: We will read a nonfiction article, "Whose Habitat Is It?" Skills include main idea/details, using a dictionary, long vowels, and rhyming. Grammar moves into identifying subjects and sentence fragments. With our recently acquired knowledge of the four kinds of sentences, we are going to write a message on a "postcard" about a summer event incorporating each of the four kinds of sentence. The other side of the card will be an original watercolor painting of the place described. Mrs. Glackin will be the recipient of these larger than usual "pieces of mail." We will send these out on Seesaw so you can see them too.

Spelling: Our first attempts at creating our own spelling lists were successful. Some were not only successful, but ambitious. Others could benefit from a little more challenge. Thanks, parents. Your efforts are very much appreciated. The kids are have commented about how much fun they are having with their spelling assignments.This week we attempt long vowel sounds in this short week. 

Social Studies: Mr. Fishburn continues teaching expectations for the rural/urban project. This week we learned about citing sources and main idea/detail sentences. Our field trip is Tuesday, September 13th. We will go Fresh Pastures Farm in Millstadt, IL, in the morning and to Central Library downtown for a mapping program in the afternoon. The students are expected to complete notes as a part of their project grade.

Science: Mr. Fishburn and I hope to coordinate class time as we share one large sprouter. Groups will be maintaining mini sprouters. We will record our observations as we note daily changes in bean seeds. Grades thus far will be based on participation and notebook completion. Each unit is designed to last 1/3 of the school year. 

Yesterday was a big day for the Glackin family. Little Tessa was baptized at Webster Gardens. We celebrate the gift of new life that is hers through water and the Word.Her identity, like some many of us, child of God, comes with joy and much responsibility to live the life God intends for us.

Week of August 29th

Religion:  This week's CFP devotions will focus on the virtue respect. Adam and Eve's disobedience will teach us about our own struggles concerning respect for God and others. Our respect for God will also be challenged by our study of the 2nd Commandment.

Math: We started the math text this past week. We will take the time to answer questions from graded homework in class. Please go over these with your children. Many mistakes are happening from not reading carefully or working too quickly. I plan to make quizzes from the homework questions. After doing calendars this week, we will press on to clocks and thermometers. Follow up with teachable moments at home especially on telling and using time.

Reading:  We will finish reading Ranger in Time on time and get the author's point of view in person. Kate Messner will visit on Tuesday, Aug. 30. The 3rd-4th grade presentation will be from 10:00-10:45 in the church sanctuary. Mr. Fishburn ordered extra books which are available for sale while supplies last. The kids have really enjoyed this book. There are currently three books in this series with more to come in the future. Check your public libraries for all of Kate Messner's books. They would make great read aloud material for home.

Spelling: Our first contract is behind us. The kids seemed to really enjoy doing jumping jacks while spelling. Please do each activity only once per week as per the directions. I look forward to seeing what kinds of words are selected this week.

Grammar: We will continue with the four kinds of sentences. So far, the kids have done well identifying and writing these.

Social Studies: I hope you didn't take the day off to attend a field trip on Sept. 9th. Mr. Fishburn and I found an alternative to replace our foiled afternoon plans. However, kindergarten scheduled a field trip and the bus only minutes before we got our trip approved. We are hoping for a date the following week.

Mr. Fishburn will introduce the rural/urban/suburban project on Monday. The students will work in pairs researching, presenting and writing the differences in these three communities. This project will be a combination of field trip notes, research notes, Vern diagram, main idea/detail sentences, and a representation depicting the differences.

Science:  Our notebooks are coming along. We counted the fruit inside pea pods. Yes, the seeds are called the fruit even in green veggies. We will look at a variety of seeds this week and will start some sprouting beans in the near future. We will log daily changes in their growth for 6 days.

Please come to Curriculum night. We will talk about Seesaw, a digital way to see the work students are proud to save and show you without a lot of clutter and files of paper. 

Week of August 22nd

Religion

Micah 6:8 serves as our theme verse. "What does the Lord require of you. . .act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God." We not only memorized this verse but we see it as a key verse for understanding how we live in God's will. Ask your kids to give examples of how to live each of the three requirements. It's our goal this year and every year of our lives.

Be sure and note the new memory assignment. We begin a new pilot program, the Character Formation Project, for our morning devotions. This week is a series of lessons about creation that teach the virtue integrity, God's power to be true to Him and to yourself. We also begin our first lessons from My First Catechism for Kids.

Math

We spent a few days reviewing addition and subtraction with some fun games. Friday's baseline test showed good retention overall of 2nd grade math skills. Therefore, we will press on to 3rd grade math.

This week we will begin keeping a math notebook. Our first entries will be problem solving strategies. Another transition to be introduced will be using an answer sheet and text- book for the first time. Look for this to begin toward the end of the week.

Spelling

You should have seen some mini sight word quizzes we did this week. We will continue these on the first day of each week. A list was sent home over the weekend. Not all words will be tested, only a random sampling.Be mindful that what makes these challenging for some is many are homophones.

First contracts went home on Friday. They are due Friday, August 26. This week's list was a prescribed list of classmates' and teachers' names the students should know how to spell.

Reading

A story from our textbook was appropriate for this week, "First Day Jitters," reminded kids that students aren't the only ones who get nervous. Teachers do too. In class activities included vocabulary and sequencing.

The 3rd and 4th grades are reading Ranger in Time: Rescue on the Oregon Trail by Kate Messner. Ranger is a rescue dog who is transported into the past. Ms. Messner will be our visiting author on August 30. Her visit will give us a greater appreciation of the research, editing, and publishing process. This book will satisfy our reading and social studies this week. Students will write responses that will help them identify with those who made this difficult journey. 

Social Studies

We need to adjust our field trip plans for September 9. We will not be going to Soulard Old Trinity. Mr. Fishburn is working on plan B. More details will be forthcoming.

Hopefully you have seen the "Who Am I?" folders taking shape. This week we solve these mysteries with our combined classes. It will be neat to combine this lesson with our identity in Christ.

Science

We took part of the survey test for the next unit in our new Foss science curriculum. It was challenging for many. Our third graders are going to learn so much this year as we complete hands on activities and document our findings in a notebook. Our first large unit is Structures of Life. This will begin with seeds and progress to animals and people.

Art

Mistakes don't happen in art this year. They are better known as a Beautiful Oops. The students learned to make something beautiful from an otherwise discarded mistake. That's life. We make the best of the situation. Creativity and much imagination was exercised on Fridayand will continue until the next Friday.

Important Dates

August 30   Author visit

September 1  Curriculum night

September 5  Labor Day (no school)

September 9  Field trip 

Can you help?

We can use old newspaper for art and science.

Big thanks, parents!

The first three days were awesome! Applause for excellent hall behavior, good manners, and terrific attitudes.

Problem and Solution - Reading News Stories

The 3rd graders read a story called Beatrice's Goat a few weeks ago.  We started off by looking at children's bedrooms around the world and the different problems that could cause all of these children to be in those bedrooms.  Some were rich, some were poor, and some even slept in dirt.  As we read the story of Beatrice, we discussed how her goat affected a lot of change and made it possible for her to go to school in a poverty stricken society.

My goal was to have the students take this lesson and be able to apply it to real world situations.  I gave them the task of researching news stories on Timeforkids.com.  Once they had picked a news story, they had to dissect the article for the problem/solution and causes/effects that were hidden in it.  Once the problem was clearly noted, the kids were also challenged to come up some creative solutions to those problems and then create a news report video documenting what they learned.  This was a long process, but it showed me just how deep they can think.  It also made me proud to watch them pick out real world problems and start to analyze them as little adults.  Every part of this process was student driven and created.  I merely gave them the physical tools they needed to accomplish the task.  Here are the results!

Too Many Snow Days

Reported by Alexa, Mallory, and Logan

Trashing the Earth

Reported by Ryan, Kate, and Thelma

Addicted to Sugar?

Reported by Layna, Colton, and Evie

Strange Monkey Business in Bananas

Reported by Caleb and Sophia

Earthquake in Ecuador

Reported by Emma, Nicholas, and Mason

Get Hydrated 

Reported by Evaline, Savannah, and Eli

Week of May 9th

Dear parents,
I have just a few things to inform you of for our last couple weeks of school.

Field Trip
Our last field trip is scheduled for Monday May 23rd.  We will be leaving school at 9 am and returning around 1:30 pm.  You are welcome to ride the bus with us or if you plan to meet us there, we will meet in the tennis court parking lot of Forest Park (right across from the trolley and visitor center).  We will be starting the race around 9:30 and then have lunch around noon or whenever everyone finishes.

I could still use a couple more people to help lead groups around the park.  Ideally groups of 3 work best and we are about 1 or 2 people short of that.  If you plan on joining us this is what you should be sure to bring:
1. Sack Lunch for after the race
2. Water, Water, Water
3. Shoes and clothes that you can run/walk a lot in
4. Your cell phone (We will be using an app on the phones to do the scavenger hunt with.  There are a couple of options on how to do this, but you will either need to allow the kids to look at your phone, or have a hot spot connection that they can connect an ipad to.  I will give more details about this later.)

Field Day
Mrs. Knost has been sending out emails about field day which is on Friday May 20th.  Be sure to check her emails to find the color your child is supposed to wear that day.  Also, thank you for sending in $1 to help offset the cost of the Ted Drewe's for the kids.

Book Club
We are doing one last book club using the dearly loved author Beverly Cleary.  These books were written specifically for this age group (Level 0) and really appeal to the kids.  I am not sure that we will have time to do another Tic-Tac-Toe project with these, so I will have a shorter assessment piece that is done in class as we near the end of the books.  This will most likely take place the last week of school on Tuesday.  I'll send home more info as we get a little closer.

Thank You!!
I have had such a wonderful year teaching your kids and am a little bit sad to let them go on to 4th grade.  They have all come so far, and as a class we truly enjoy being around each other every day.  Thank you for all of your cards, gifts, prayers, support and time this year.  I have been blessed to get to know each one of your families and pray that you have a wonderful summer!

1st Week of May

Dear parents,
I cannot believe that we have less than 4 weeks of school left.  Your kiddos have come such a long way since August and I am very proud of them.  Last week was lovely since we were able to get back into the routine of things after so many big events.  Here's a look at the next couple weeks:

Religion: 
We finished up talking about communion and will be going through confession in our Catechisms.  We will also be reading The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, which ties in nicely with our Christian faith.  It has a lot of symbolism and is a great book to practice comparisons with the Bible.

Math:  
We are working on division and still trying to get everyone to learn their times tables through 12.  We still have enough time for the class to earn an ice cream party if everyone keeps practicing!

Reading: 
A couple weeks ago we read a story in our reader called Beatrice's Goat.  This gave us a good glimpse into what life is like in other parts of the world.  We are now studying problems in the news using the website "Time for Kids" and learning about the causes, effects, and solutions to those problems.  Your kids have written news scripts to report on those problems and will be turning them into iMovies this week.

Science: 
We have finished up our unit on Ecosystems and are sharing our last couple projects this week.  From now until the end of the year, we will be working on learning body systems (mostly bones and muscles) and health.  There may be a couple smaller lessons thrown in there depending on how much time we have.

Grammar: 
We have been talking about pronouns in class and will have a small quiz tomorrow.  This is really just an activity to see if they can pick out the correct pronoun and it's antecedent.  We have done a lot with this in class so there isn't much to study.  If you'd like to review, you can use the story Play Ball that we worked on in class today.  They should have brought it home with them.

Field Trip: 
Monday May 23rd is our Amazing Race Field Trip.  We will be needing a few more parents to help out with this.  It's been awhile since I've said anything about it, so here is the list of parents I currently have.  If you could please confirm your spot, that would be very helpful!  The smaller the groups we have, the more fun it is for everyone.  We will be arriving at the park around 9:15 and leaving around 1:30.  Thanks!
Karl and Jenna Nelson
Kelly (Nate?) Ritter
Rene Uhlig
Craig Uhlig
Jayme (Colton's aunt)

Important Dates

• May 23rd  - Amazing Race Field Trip at Forest Park (We need as many parents as are willing!)

• May 26th - Last Day of School; Join us for closing worship and early dismissal 

Memory work

Hello parents, 

This week's memory verse is taken straight from the ESV version of the Bible. It can be found in Galatians 5:22-23,25. 

Galatians 5:22-23, 25 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk with the Spirit. 

Achievement Test Week

Dear parents,
This week is testing week.  Thank you for helping your children prepare for these by:

1. Making sure they get plenty of sleep each night
2. Making sure they have a good healthy breakfast and snack
3. Get to school on time 

Thanks for your cooperation! 

Grandparent's Day

Just a reminder that Grandparent's Day is next Thursday April 21st.  Please sure to have them RSVP and choose what lunch option they will be taking advantage of with your child.  This helps us plan ahead so that we can make sure your child and your parents are safe are taken care of.  Here is the invitation: 

Grandparent's Day Invitation

Science and Social Studies

Our government unit will be coming to a close at the beginning of next week.  I will be giving the students a short quiz on the vocabulary that we have learned next Wednesday.  I will do my best to get those vocab packets graded and sent home in the next couple of days so they can study with them.  Just a reminder that this quiz will be more open ended instead of multiple choice.  I want to make sure the children understand the concepts instead of just repeating facts back to me.  

We are also starting a unit on Ecosystems.  However, with testing, Grandparent's Day, PE testing, and Operetta practice, our schedule is very shifty right now.   Therefore, I will not be sending home a calendar for this unit.  We will just have to fit things in where we can and I will put any assignments in their planners.  I will also be sure to give plenty of notice for any big projects that need to be completed at home.  Thanks for you flexibility and understanding.  

Operetta and Ice Cream Social

The operetta is scheduled for Thursday April 21st at 7 pm.  Please be looking for more information from Mrs. Killian on what to wear and exact arrival times.  

We will be having an ice cream social with a free will offering after the Operetta.  The money raised from this will go into our Author Visit Fund for next year.  The author visit is always a great way to get your kiddos motivated and excited about their writing.  Thanks for your support!

Important Dates

• April 11th-15th - Achievement Testing Week

• April 21st - Elementary Grandparent's Day

• If your child will not have a special guest that is able to be present please let me know and we can try to arrange a surrogate guest.  We have had a few people volunteer to be "grandparents" for the day.  

• April 21st 7:00 p.m. Elementary Operetta at Webster Gardens 

• Ice Cream Social to fund our Author Visit will follow the Operetta.

• May 23rd  - Amazing Race Field Trip at Forest Park (times to be announced later but we definitely need help between 9 and noon - We need as many parents as are willing!)

• May 26th - Last Day of School; Join us for closing worship and early dismissal 

Week of April 4th

Hello parents, 

Just a couple reminders for the week:

Thursday - field trip to World Bird Sanctuary  (leave school at 9:20 and return at 1:30) 

We will be walking outside for part of this so be prepared for any kind of weather and bring a sack lunch. 

Achievement Tests

We will be doing achievement tests next week. Please do your best to have your child at school next week. We will be starting promptly at 8:20. 

Have a great week!

Week of March 28

Hello parents!
Happy Easter to all of you!

I don't have a lot of new information for you this week.  We will be continuing with a lot of the same things we were working on last week.  Here are just a few reminders:

Field Trips

• April 7th - 9:20 am to 1:30 pm - World Bird Sanctuary 
• Bring a sack lunch and good outside walking shoes.  We will be exploring the woods a bit so be prepared for weather.  
• I can still take 1 more parent if anyone wants to join us.  $8 admission (If you can't come, we will be fine for this field trip.  We really need more help with the Amazing Race one in May.)
• May 23rd - times to be announced but plan on most of the day - Forest Park Amazing Race
• Bring a sack lunch and good running around clothes if you are a parent.  
• Free of cost
• We will need at least 10 parents to help the kids walk around the park.  We have found the smaller the groups, the better the kids do.  

Please let me know if you are joining us for these!

Grandparents Day:

Mrs. Leet sent out an email about Grandparent's Day.  Here is the link to the invitation and registration.  We would love to have your child's special guest, but we need to know who is coming ahead of time.  Please RSVP by April 15th.  

Grandparent's Day invitation and information

Important Dates:

• March 25th - NO School - Good Friday

• March 28th - NO School - Easter Monday

• April 7th - World Bird Sanctuary Field Trip (leave at 9:20 and return at 1:30) 

• Please pack a sack lunch and good walking shoes

• I have 2 parents so far and can take up to 5/ $8 admission

• April 11th-15th - Achievement Testing Week

• April 21st - Elementary Grandparent's Day

• If your child will not have a special guest that is able to be present please let me know and we can try to arrange a surrogate guest.  We have had a few people volunteer to be "grandparents" for the day.  

• April 21st 7:00 p.m. Elementary Operetta at Webster Gardens 

• Ice Cream Social to fund our Author Visit will follow the Operetta.

• May 23rd  - Amazing Race Field Trip at Forest Park (times to be announced later but we definitely need help between 9 and noon - We need as many parents as are willing!)

• May 26th - Last Day of School; Join us for closing worship and early dismissal 

Holy Week

Hello parents,
After talking with your kids, it sounds like most of you had a good Spring Break.  I filled you in on what we are doing in class before Spring Break, and most of that still holds true.  Here's a few reminders:

Religion:
Next week come check out all the Holy Week art we made as part of our religion lessons.

Math:
We are working through some basic geometry concepts right now and your kids seem to be handling them well.  Please remind them to look back at the previous lessons for help if they cannot remember certain terms, etc.

Multiplication:
As a general rule, I have tried to refrain from grading the time tests I do with the kids.  However, a lot of them have needed some extra incentive to practice them at home.  This is a required standard for your third grader to meet.  In order to help challenge and motivate them the class asked if we could come up with some rewards.  Here is what they voted on:
1st place - (First person to complete all sets through 12) Lunch of their choice from Mrs. Glackin
2nd place - (Second person to complete all sets through 12) Free Choice Reward approved by Mrs. Glackin
3rd place - (Third person to complete all sets through 12) Homework Pass

Class Rewards: 
1. After the whole class passes a set of multiplication tables they will receive 5 extra minutes of recess time.
2. If they all pass their time tests (through 12) before the end of the year Mrs. Glackin will have an ice cream party with them.

Social Studies:
We are working through basic government concepts for the next couple weeks.

Reading:
I am loving watching and listening to your kids present their projects.  I will put them out in the hall next week for everyone to see the wonderful things they came up with.  Great Job!

Field Trips:

• April 7th - 9:20 am to 1:30 pm - World Bird Sanctuary 
• Bring a sack lunch and good outside walking shoes.  We will be exploring the woods a bit so be prepared for weather.  
• I can still take 3 more parents if anyone wants to join us.  $8 admission (If you can't come, we will be fine for this field trip.  We really need more help with the Amazing Race one in May.)
• May 23rd - times to be announced but plan on most of the day - Forest Park Amazing Race
• Bring a sack lunch and good running around clothes if you are a parent.  
• Free of cost
• We will need at least 10 parents to help the kids walk around the park.  We have found the smaller the groups, the better the kids do.  

Please let me know if you are joining us for these!

Grandparents Day:

Mrs. Leet sent out an email about Grandparent's Day.  Here is the link to the invitation and registration.  We would love to have your child's special guest, but we need to know who is coming ahead of time.  Please RSVP by April 15th.  

Grandparent's Day invitation and information

Important Dates:

• March 25th - NO School - Good Friday

• March 28th - NO School - Easter Monday

• April 7th - World Bird Sanctuary Field Trip (leave at 9:20 and return at 1:30) 

• Please pack a sack lunch and good walking shoes

• I have 2 parents so far and can take up to 5/ $8 admission

• April 11th-15th - Achievement Testing Week

• April 21st - Elementary Grandparent's Day

• If your child will not have a special guest that is able to be present please let me know and we can try to arrange a surrogate guest.  We have had a few people volunteer to be "grandparents" for the day.  

• April 21st 7:00 p.m. Elementary Operetta at Webster Gardens 

• Ice Cream Social to fund our Author Visit will follow the Operetta.

• May 23rd  - Amazing Race Field Trip at Forest Park (times to be announced later but we definitely need help between 9 and noon - We need as many parents as are willing!)

• May 26th - Last Day of School; Join us for closing worship and early dismissal 

Week Before Spring Break

Hello parents,
We are almost to Spring Break and I'm sure you all have exciting plans for your break.  Here is what we are doing in class right now and what to expect when we come back from break.

Religion:
We will be working our way through the stories of Holy Week.  For each event in Holy Week we will read the account from the Bible and then do an art project to represent and retell the story.  I love doing these with the kids because it gives them time to reflect on the stories and allows me to see how each of them relates to the story in a unique way.

Math:
We have learned about area and perimeter recently and the kids are starting to grasp the concepts.  However, they are new and the kids get the two of them mixed up often.  We will be practicing these with hands on activities, but any review you can do over the break will be very beneficial.

Reading:
We are finishing up our Boxcar Children book club this week.  Yesterday I sent home a packet full of culminating project ideas for the kids to do.  These will be due on Monday 3/21 when we come back from break.  I do not expect that you need to hold your child's hand through these projects.  They should be capable of finding a couple that they can mostly work on themselves.  If they need specific materials, I would be happy to send some of those home with them before break.
They will be presenting these to the class after break, so they must be able to clearly explain their projects in detail.

Social Studies
When we come back from break we will be starting our government unit.

March Book Madness
Our class and several others around the world are participating in March Book Madness.  The bracket for the books is up on the bulletin at the bottom of the stairs to the basement.  We are reading each book and then voting on them to see which book will win.  We are also reading the books to Mrs. Ann Schmidt's 1st graders so that they can participate as well.  This a fun way to connect with books and other classes around the world!

Twitter
CCLS has requested that each teacher post things mainly to Twitter so that it is easy to have things all in one social media location.  I invite you to follow me on Twitter and see the things our class is doing @CCLSGlackin.  

Field Trips:

• April 7th - World Bird Sanctuary Field Trip (leave at 9:20 and return at 1:30) 
• Please pack a sack lunch and good walking shoes
• I have 2 parents so far and can take up to 5/ $8 admission
• May 23rd  - Amazing Race Field Trip at Forest Park (times to be announced later but we definitely need help between 9 and noon - We need as many parents as are willing!)

Important Dates:

• March 14-18th - NO School - Spring Break

• March 25th - NO School - Good Friday

• March 28th - NO School - Easter Monday
• April 7th - World Bird Sanctuary Field Trip (leave at 9:20 and return at 1:30) 
• Please pack a sack lunch and good walking shoes
• I have 2 parents so far and can take up to 5/ $8 admission

• April 11th-15th - Achievement Testing Week

• April 21st - Elementary Grandparent's Day; look for schedule soon
• If your child will not have a special guest that is able to be present please let me know and we can try to arrange a surrogate guest.  We have had a few people volunteer to be "grandparents" for the day.  

• April 21st 7:00 p.m. Elementary Operetta at Webster Gardens 
• Ice Cream Social to fund our Author Visit will follow the Operetta.
• May 23rd  - Amazing Race Field Trip at Forest Park (times to be announced later but we definitely need help between 9 and noon - We need as many parents as are willing!)

• May 26th - Last Day of School; Join us for closing worship and early dismissal 

Week of February 29th

Hello parents,
I just have a few important things to note for you.

Read-a-thon
As some of you may know, each class has been asked to support a student at CCLS-U this year.  The cost of tuition and supplies for each student there is $250.  Our students name is Gladys and she is also in the 3rd grade.  As a 3rd grade, we will be doing a Read-a-Thon this Wednesday March 2nd in school to help raise the $250 for Gladys to go to school.  Your child should have brought home an envelope with information and a spreadsheet to take pledges on.  Please consider with your child how your family can help support Gladys.  Our Read-a-Thon will take place during the afternoon and we will be reading for about 1 hour.  We are asking that all pledges and donations be collected and turned in by Thursday March 10th.  Thanks for your support!

Chapel
Our class is presenting chapel this Wednesday March 2nd.  You can join us in the sanctuary at 8:35 am. If at all possible please try to get your kiddos her no later than 8:15 so that we can set up in the sanctuary.

Homework Policy
I mentioned last week that I will be revising the homework policy slightly for 4th quarter in order to help transition your kids into 4th grade.  Here is the new homework policy:

Late work: Late work will be given an automatic 75% if it is not turned in the morning that it is due.
(The previous policy stated that it would receive 10% off the original grade for a week.  After being a week late then it got a 50% when turned in.)

Redos: I will no longer be accepting redos to be turned in for a grade change.  If you would like your child to redo an assignment/test to make sure that they understand the concept, they are more than welcome to show it to me and ask questions.  However, I will no longer be changing grades on assignments that are redone.

At this point in the year, your child is able to better ask questions on things they do not understand before they hand things in to me.

Multiplication Facts
Your kids have been working hard in school to learn their multiplication facts.  However, this is a skill that must be memorized and repeated a lot in order to keep the knowledge they have acquired.  Please be sure to spend a few minutes each day at home on multiplication facts.  This will greatly aid them on the time it takes to complete math homework in 4th grade.

Important Dates

• March 14-18th - NO School - Spring Break

• March 25th - NO School - Good Friday

• March 28th - NO School - Easter Monday

• April 11th-15th - Achievement Testing Week

• April 21st - Elementary Grandparent's Day; look for schedule soon

•   7:00 p.m. Elementary Operetta at Webster Gardens 

• May 26th - Last Day of School; Join us for closing worship and early dismissal