September 30, 2016

Ms. Zurales' Class News

ELA This week we focused on Fairy Tales. We read Disney's Cinderella and Prince Cinders, a fractured fairy tale. We compared and contrasted the two stories. Next week we will continue Writer's Workshop. Students will complete a story map and then write a Cinderella fractured fairy tale of their own. We will also continue Daily 4.

Language Arts The focus this week was on "What is an adjective?" Next week students will study comparative and superlative adjectives.

Spelling  Students took a spelling test today. A new sort is coming home on Monday. Homework (3 items on the menu, 1 from each column) is due on October 14, which is also the date of the next test. 

Math Ms. Zurales' math class will begin Unit 2, An Introduction to Multiplication.

Science  We began studying the Water Cycle this week. We discussed where water is found on Earth. Next week we will focus on the what the water cycle is. 

Important Dates & Announcement

10/3 September reading log is due
10/4 Picture Day
10/14 Spelling Test and 3 HW activities are due

September 30, 2016

Ms. Zurales' Class News

ELA This week we focused on Fairy Tales. We read Disney's Cinderella and Prince Cinders, a fractured fairy tale. We compared and contrasted the two stories. Next week students will complete a story map and then write a Cinderella fractured fairy tale of their own. 

Language Arts The focus this week was on "What is an adjective?" Next week students will study comparative and superlative adjectives.

Spelling  Students took a spelling test today. A new sort is coming home on Monday. Homework (3 items on the menu, 1 from each column) is due on October 14, which is also the date of the next test. 

Math Ms. Zurales' math class will begin Unit 2, An Introduction to Multiplication.

Science  We began studying the Water Cycle this week. 

Important Dates & Announcement

September 16, 2016

Ms. Zurales' Class News

Monday, September 26th is Johnny Appleseed’s birthday. We will be having a celebration! A letter will be coming home on Monday. Please send a peeled, cored, and sliced apple with your child on Monday, September 26th to be used to make applesauce for the class.   If you can donate  bowls, spoons, and juice boxes please email me. We will need 24 of each for our class. Thank you!!

ELA Next week we will focus on the moral of the story by reading The Tortoise and the Hare. During Reading students are enjoying station time. We've added Lexia to our stations this week. This is a computer program that helps students build their phonics skills. Ask them to show it to you on their chromebook.

Spelling  Students took their first spelling test today. They were given 15 words to spell correctly. They also had to write 2 sentences using any 2 of their words. A new sort is coming home on Monday. Homework (3 items on the menu, 1 from each column) is due on 9/30, which is also the date of the next test. 

Math Ms. Zurales' math class will be focusing on 2 digit addition problems. The Unit 1 test date is scheduled for 9/29.

Social Studies The continents and oceans test will be on Thursday. There is a study guide in your child's homework pocket. Students will need to identify where each continent and ocean is on a map. There will be a word bank.  

Important Dates & Announcement

9/22 Continent and OceanTest
9/26 Johnny Appleseed Day
9/27 SIP DAY - Early Dismissal
9/30 Spelling Homework due
9/30 Spelling Test

September 9, 2016

Ms. Zurales' Class News

ELA Next week in Writer's Workshop we will be editing, rehearsing, and writing discovery drafts. In Reader's Workshop we will continue reading folktales. 

Language Arts The focus will be on plural nouns, proper and common nouns, and abstract nouns.

Spelling  On 9/6 look your child's spelling sort came home. Students are being asked to choose 3 activities, one from each column, from the Spelling Homework sheet. This will help them master their spelling words. Once your child has completed the activity, please place the activity in their spelling folder and initial the activity square. All 3 activities should be attached to the Spelling Homework Sheet and turned in on Friday, September 16, which is the day of the test.

Math There will be a short checkpoint quiz on addition and subtraction. Next week students will begin adding 2 digit numbers. If your child should forget their Student Book or their Home Connections workbook at school, they can go into my google math classroom from a home computer and print the page they will need to complete for homework. 

Social Studies We are learning about the 7 continents and the 5 oceans. By the end of this unit, students will learn to spell the 7 continents and 5 oceans and where they are located. A study guide will be going home on Thursday. The tentative date for the test in Thursday, September 22.

Important Dates & Announcement

9/12 Math - Checkpoint Quiz on addition and subtraction

9/12 Magazine Drive Kickoff 

9/16 Spelling Homework Activities due - all 3

9/16 Spelling Test

9/27 SIP DAY - Early Dismissal

September 2, 2016

Ms. Zurales' 3rd Grade News

September 2, 2016

I was so happy to see many of  you at Curriculum Night! If you missed or would like to revisit the presentation, click on the following link:

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1l_n3sKS5JbBnEGyHQwQFxQbimiarA5KCvDKO9Ds0t8E/pub?start=false&loop=false&delayms=5000

Here's what is going on next week:

ELA This week we began Writer's Workshop. We are learning how to write personal narratives with independence. We also started a unit on Folktales, Fairy-tales, Fables, and Myths. Students will recount stories and determine the central message, lesson, or moral and explain how it is conveyed through key details in the text. Next week we will begin rotations for Daily 4.

Language Arts The focus will be on quotation marks. 

Spelling  On 9/6 look for your child's spelling sort to come home. Students are being asked to choose 3 activities, one from each column, from the Spelling Homework sheet. This will help them master their spelling words. Once your child has completed the activity, please place the activity in their spelling folder and initial the activity square. All 3 activities should be attached to the Spelling Homework Sheet and turned in on Friday, September 16, which is the day of the assessment.

Math We had a great first week in math. Next week we will be working with the addition and subtraction tables.

Social Studies Students have been learning about directions, cardinal and intermediate. There will be a quiz on Wednesday, September 7. A study guide went home on Thursday. Next we will be learning about the 7 continents and the oceans. By the end of this unit, students will learn to spell the 7 continents and 5 oceans and where they are located.

Important Dates & Announcement

9/5 Labor Day - No School
9/7 Directions Quiz
9/9 F & P Testing
9/27 SIP DAY - Early Dismissal

August 26, 2016

Ms. Zurales' Third Grade News

Happy Friday everyone!  We had a terrific first week of 3rd grade.  We really got to know each other. I am looking forward to a wonderful year with my new students!
Today we thought of "one word" to describe our feelings and goals for the year! We wrote the word on a stone which will be used as a reminder! My word is "patient" since good things happen when you work hard and are patient. Ask your child what their "one word" is. 

Families, please make sure you check my blog weekly; I will put out an email with the link every Friday.  

Curriculum Night for parents only is Thursday, September 1, at 6:30.   See you then!

We’ll be MAP testing on Monday (reading) and Wednesday (math.)  

Let's make it a great year!

A few reminders:  

Please label all envelopes sent in with your child's name, their grade, what is in the envelope, and my name.

Please review the Prairieview Handbook at http://www.ccsd66.org/schools/prairieview/.

If you haven't already please send in a shirt and hanger with your child. This will be used as a special Curriculum Night project. Don't worry, you will get it back! 

The Second Week of 2016 at School:

Science: We will begin with social studies.    

Social Studies: We will study directions. Students will learn about cardinal and intermediate directions.  

Spelling: This past week students will take the spell inventory to start our program Words Their Way.  Students worked with this program last year.  The inventory will help me determine where students should start in the program this year.  

English Language Arts: We will be focusing on writing (writer's workshop) and reading (reader's workshop) throughout the year. The genre of folktales will be introduced this week as we close readRumplestiltskin. 

Ms. Zurales' Math Class :  Please check Power school for your child's math teacher (we do switch for Math). We will start Math on Tuesday, August 30. Students will be taking a pretest to see what they know!

August 23, 2016

It was wonderful meeting you during Open House today! I am very excited to be your child's 3rd grade teacher this year.

Please check this blog every Friday. It is here that you will find what's happening in our classroom. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns.  Education is a partnership between the school, parents, and community. Together we can make your child's educational experience positive, fun and challenging. 

3rd grade is peanut free. Please do not send a snack which contains peanuts. Thank you.

I am looking forward to a wonderful year!