September 29, 2017

Ms. Zurales' 3rd Grade News

September 29, 2017

ELA  The focus will be on comparing/contrasting themes, setting and plot from books in a series by reading MORTY THE MEANIE and MORTY and the TWICE FIT MICE. During Reading students are enjoying station time. Students will finish editing their personal narratives on a small moment. By the end of the week, students will participate in visualization activities in preparation for argumentative writing. 

September Reading Logs are due on Monday. The October Log is going home today.

SPELLING An assessment was given today. A new sort will go home on Monday. Homework (3 items on the menu, 1 from each column) is due on 10/13, which is also the day of the test.  

SOCIAL SCIENCE We will begin to study the history of Downers Grove.

MATH We began Unit 2, An Introduction to Multiplication.

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.

Important Dates & Announcement

10/2 September Reading Log Due
10/3 Fall Picture Re-take Day

September 22, 2017

Ms. Zurales' 3rd Grade News

September 22, 2017

Tuesday, September 26th is Johnny Appleseed’s birthday. We will be having a celebration! A letter went home yesterday. Please send a peeled, cored, and sliced apple with your child on Tuesday, September 26th to be used to make applesauce for the class.

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. Next week in Writer's Workshop we will continue editing our narratives. 

Please remember to keep track of your child’s reading (20 minutes, 20 days) on the pink reading log they brought home.  They will turn it in on or before October 2.

SPELLING Your child has been working with their new spelling sort. Homework (3 items on the menu, 1 from each column) is due on 9/29, which is also the day of the test.  

SOCIAL STUDIES The test on Hemispheres will be on Thursday, 9/28. A study guide went home today. 

MATH We will close Unit 1 by reviewing multi step subtraction problems next week. The Unit 1 Test will be given on Thursday, 9/28. A study guide went home yesterday. It is due on Tuesday, 9/26. 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.

Important Dates & Announcement

9/26 Johnny Appleseed Day - bring a peeled, cored and sliced apple 

9/27 SIP DAY - Early Dismissal
9/28 Hemisphere Quiz
9/28 Math - Unit 1 Test
9/29 Spelling HW due and Test

September 15, 2017

Ms. Zurales' 3rd Grade News

September 15, 2017

ELA  Next week in Writer's Workshop we will be typing and revising, and editing our narratives. In Reader's Workshop we will study folktales. Students will learn more about fairy tales while reading Rumpelstiltskin. They will be working on the reading skill of sequencing. They will also learn more about fables while studying the moral/theme of a story. Students will read good fit passages during reading stations as well

Please remember to keep track of your child’s reading (20 minutes, 20 days) on the pink reading log they brought home.  They will turn it in on or before October 1.

SPELLINGA spelling test was given today. On Monday, look for your child's new spelling sort and Homework Menu to come home. Homework (3 items on the menu, 1 from each column) is due on 9/29, which is also the day of the test.  

SOCIAL STUDIES The test on the 7 continents and 5 oceans is scheduled for Tuesday, September 19. Students will have to label their correct location on a world map. They will be given a word bank. Our next topic is hemispheres.

MATH Students will be working on 2 digit addition problems. We will be investigating the many different strategies. 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.

Important Dates & Announcement

9/19 Oceans and Continents Test
9/19 Magazine Turn In Day
9/21 Magazine Turn In Day
9/26 Magazine Turn In Day

9/27 SIP DAY - Early Dismissal

September 8, 2017

Ms. Zurales' 3rd Grade News

September 8, 2017

ELA  Next week we will begin Writer's Workshop. We will be learning how to write personal narratives with independence. We will also start 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. 

Please remember to keep track of your child’s reading (20 minutes, 20 days) on the pink reading log they brought home.  They will turn it in on or before October 1.

Spelling On 9/5 your child's spelling sort came home. Students are being asked to choose 3 activities, one from each column, from the Spelling Homework Menu. This will help them master their spelling words. All 3 activities should be stapled to the Spelling Homework Menu and turned in on Friday, September 15, which is the day of the test. The test will include 15 words from the student's list (teacher's choice) and 2 sentences, using any of their 2 words.

Social Studies We are learning about the 7 continents and the 5 oceans. By the end of this unit, students will be able to locate the  7 continents and 5 oceans. A study guide will be going home on Thursday. The tentative test is scheduled for Tuesday, September 19.

Math There will be a short checkpoint quiz on Monday over addition and subtraction. This week we’ll be focusing on length, which will include a fun scavenger hunt on Wednesday.

Important Dates & Announcement

9/11 Math - Checkpoint Quiz on addition and subtraction

9/11 Magazine Drive Kickoff 

9/15 Spelling Homework Activities due - all 3

9/15 Spelling Test
9/19 Oceans and Continents Test

9/27 SIP DAY - Early Dismissal

September 1, 2017

Ms. Zurales' 3rd Grade News

September 1, 2017

I was so happy to see many of  you at Curriculum Night! If you were unable to attend or would like to revisit our third grade slide presentation, please email me and I will send home a paper copy with your child. There seems to be a “glitch” sharing the link, but I’m happy to get you a copy if you weren’t here, or just need to revisit what I shared with you all.

ELA We will continue focusing on various reading skills using fun literature. This week our books will be Lost and Found, Pigsty, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, and Zoom.  Our skills studied will be setting plot & theme, and main idea & details.

Please remember to keep track of your child’s reading (20 minutes, 20 days) on the pink reading log they brought home yesterday.  They will turn it in on or before October 1.

Spelling  On Tuesday look for your child's spelling sort to come home. I've decided to have the students complete the activities in school. They will seesaw them/bring them home when they are done. Any work that is not completed by the test date will be homework. The test over 20 words will be on Friday, September 17th.

Social Studies Students have been learning about directions, cardinal and intermediate. There will be a quiz on Thursday, Sept 7th. A study guide went home on Thursday. 

Math Welcome to the math portion of my blog!  If you were unable to attend and would like my handout about the Bridges units, please email me and I’ll get it to your child.  We’ll be focusing on the addition table and the subtraction table this week.

Important Dates & Announcement

9/4 Labor Day - No School
9/5 Panther Poster Due
9/7 Directions Quiz
9/27 SIP DAY - Early Dismissal

August 25, 2017

Ms. Zurales' Third Grade News

Happy Friday everyone! We had a terrific first week in 3rd grade! We really got to know each other. I am looking forward to a wonderful year with my new students!

Families, please make sure you check my blog weekly. I will send an email with the link every Friday. Today your child will be bringing home "Extra! Extra" Read all about Me!" poster. These will be due back to me next Friday, September 1, or earlier. 

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

Picture day is Wednesday, August 30.

Curriculum Night for parents only is Wednesday, August 30th, at 6:30. See you then!

We’ll be MAP testing on Tuesday (Math) and Thursday (ELA).  

Let's make it a great year!

Next Week:
   

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

Spelling We are continuing the spelling series Words Your Way.  Fortunately, the students have worked with this program in 2nd grade.  I took an inventory today. Students will be working with patterns they struggle with during Word Work in Daily 5. We’ll officially start the “menu homework” after Labor Day weekend.

English Language Arts We’ll be starting our year focusing on various reading skills using fun literature.  This week our books will be Chrysanthemum, Recess Queen, and If you Give a Mouse a Cookie.  The skills studied will be character traits, theme, and cause and effect.

On Thursday, students will be bringing home their September reading log. They are expected to read for 20 days, 20 minutes each day.  I know many read more than that. This log will be part of their grade.

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

Important Dates & Announcement

8/29 MAPS Math Testing
8/30 Picture Day
8/30 Curriculum Night 6:30-8pm
8/31 MAPS ELA Testing
9/1   Read All About Me Poster due
9/1   F & P Testing
9/4   Labor Day - No School
9/27 Early dismissal

May 19, 2017

Ms. Zurales' Class News

ELA We will continue reading the novel The One and Only Ivan. As we read the novel, students are completing a packet that addresses multiple reading skills. We have also begun gather information to write an opinion paper on whether or not animals should be kept in zoo. Next week we will fill out the graphic organizer and write the paper.

Don't forget to read for 20 minutes each night and fill out the May Log. It is due on June 1st.

SPELLING  Homework (3 items on the menu, 1 from each column) is due on Friday, May 26, which is the day of the test.

MATH Ms. Zurales' math class - We will finish the unit on Fractions with a test on Thursday. The study guide is due on Wednesday. 

Science  We began a new unit - Animals Through Time, Habitats, Heredity, & Change Over Time. In this unit students will develop an appreciation for how animals and the places they live are not constant. In our activities next week students are prompted to examine animal teeth and figure out what the animal ate. They will also try to outrun a dinosaur by taking larger steps than the dinosaur took by using a number line and calculating the stride length of their classmates.

Important Dates & Announcements

5/24 - 2nd Grade Pen Pals come to PV
5/25 - Ms. Zurales' Math Class - Fractions Unit test
5/26 - Spelling HW due and Test
5/31 - Bowling Trip - Wear gym shoes! 
6/1   - May Reading Log due & Field Days