The share for the week of December 8th is a poetry share.  Students should read a poem that they have practiced and can read with fluency.  We will have an upcoming share be an advertisement that they like.  It can be from a newspaper, magazine, internet, other?  Students should be clear on why they like the ad and what the ad is advertising.  They may like the photograph or picture that is used, or the phrases mentioned, or like the product; whatever they like about it. 

We have two collecting projects going on.  One is we are collecting bottlecaps; 1,000 bottlecaps to be exact.  It's a math project with lots energy and use of numbers and reasoning.  Just the student enthusiasm makes this worthwhile.

 

The  second project is collecting money to donate to the Make a Wish Foundation.  Each year I ask my class to forfeit receiving grab bag gifts and to use those few dollars (or whatever is possible) to put into a collection jar.  I have found from past years that the disappointment of receiving a "not fun" gift while others do, is just too painful to watch.  It is impossible to make sure that every grab bag gift is a good match to each child.  However, I have found that this approach of collecting and giving to be meaningful and well received by the students.  Students know that if they can not contribute, that is okay and it will not be noticed.  We always write a letter to the recipients of our donations, so they know how we collected the money.  The recipients always write back to us and the letter gets posted in our room, which is an exciting event in itself.  I also feel that it is inappropriate for me to receive gifts whle I have asked students to forfeit theirs.  I ask that any gifts be either something for our classroom (so all student can benefit, see my Wish List page for ideas) or add to our Make a Wish collection.  In January we will be counting the money and writing the letter to send it all off!  If your child would like to make me a card that would be a wonderful gift.  I love to post illustrations from my students. 

 

Third grade is a huge year developmentally.  Students are really ready for greater independence and it is expected of them in the classroom and in their work.  I have been telling students that they are each an Inspector.  We talked about how cars have to go through yearly inspections with a checklist of items that must be done.  In class each student has to inspect their own work to make sure it is ready to hand in.  Students have to makes sure all work has their NAME and DATE on it.  They need to carefully make sure they have FOLLOWED ALL PARTS of the DIRECTIONS.  This can be very difficult, but it is expected of them.  You can help your child at home by asking him/her if he/she has inspected their homework before packing it up to return to school.  Then you can have him/her run through their inspection for you; make sure he/she has followed all parts of the directions.  Students want to think that if they found the answer then they are done.  How they find their answers and how they represent the answers if often more important.  Please remember that students can come to me for help or with questions about the homework, I am happy to guide them so they should be able to complete the work themselves.  However, it is important that they come to me before Friday when it is due.