Miss Gentile's Third Grade Blog

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May 4, 2015

May4

Third grade had a wonderful field trip to the North Museum on Friday! We lucked out with the weather and made it back just before some rain fell. As we are nearing the end of the school year, we continue to work and show some awesome behavior!

Reading: In reading, we spent some time looking at different ecosystems from our science textbook. We were able to explore various text features and do some comparing and contrasting. This week we will be spending some time with Little House on the Prairie. As we read, students will be creating a comic to summarize each chapter. In addition, we will spend time getting ready for our writing sample this Friday.

Writing: All students have completed their full circle stories as well as an illustration to go along with them. We are working on one more short persuasive piece at the moment.

Math: In math, we have worked through geometry and studied lines, angles, polygons such as quadrilaterals, and 3-D shapes. Now, we are moving to decimals. Please encourage your child to continue practicing basic facts each night. We will be holding our ice cream social for fact mastery within the next few weeks!

Odds & Ends:

Gr 2 Spring Concert – 5/5

Cadet/Jazz Band Concert Tour – 5/6

PTO Reptile Assembly – 5/7

Elem Orchestra/Honors Chorus Concert Tour – 5/8

Moms & Muffins – 5/14 & 5/15  **** date change!

Box Top Store – 5/20

Field Day – 5/22

Memorial Day No School – 5/25

Early Dismissal – 5/28

Field Day Raindate – 5/29

 

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me!

Thanks,

Miss Gentile

April 16, 2015

April16

We are right in the middle of PSSA testing and the students are truly working hard! They are keeping such positive attitudes as they complete each section of the test. I’m so proud of all of them!

Reading: The past few weeks in reading were focused on test taking strategies, responding to reading through writing, and comprehension skills such as main idea and details, ordering events from a story, compare and contrasting, and text features. We have used a combination of Reading Street materials and materials from online as well. Because of PSSA testing, we have no reading instruction this week. We will pick up next week with a story from Reading Street. We will hold reading in the afternoon during testing days next week which will be a fun change!

Writing: Each class is finishing up their full circle stories. We are typing them on Google Docs and the students are creating an illustration to go with their story. I’m excited to see all of the final copies!

Math: We have been moving in math! In the last few weeks we have covered fractions, multiplication and division, and area and perimeter. The students are now working on geometry and have been focusing on lines, angles, triangles, and quadrilaterals. We will continue with geometry in the coming weeks.

Please be sure that your child is practicing multiplication and division facts each night. Our ice cream social will be held in June and we would like all students to have all of the toppings offered!

 

Odds & Ends:

Language Arts  Gr 3-6 PSSA Testing Window – 4/13 thru 4/17

PTO Art/Music Gala – 4/17

Math Gr 3-6 PSSA Testing Window – 4/20 thru 4/24

Field Trip to North Museum – 5/1

***Please return field trip forms by Monday, April 20th.

Moms & Muffins – 5/14 & 5/15  **** date change!

 

As always if you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me!

Thank you,

Miss Gentile

March 18, 2015

March18

Happy belated St. Patrick’s Day! Third grade has been busy at work as we near the end of the third marking period.

Reading: In reading, we have been reviewing skills such as author’s purpose, main idea, compare and contrast, and graphic sources. We have been using a mixture of Reading Street stories and non-fictions passages. In small groups, we started our next literature circle books. The students have done a nice job picking up with their jobs and completing their packets.

Writing: In writing, all the third grade has completed two persuasive pieces. I have seen so much progress in their writing! We are now working on full circle stories. Students are typing these using their laptops and adding an illustration as well. I’m excited to see the final pieces!

Math: In math, we have worked through quite a bit of material. We have completed area and perimeter and fractions. Students have learned how to write and draw fractions, order fractions, locate fractions on a number line, add and subtract fractions, and find equivalent fractions. They have been working so hard! We will start with data and graphs in the coming days.

 

Odds & Ends:

Day of Service – 4/1

No School – 4/2

No School  — Easter Break – 4/3 thru 4/6

Report cards home – 4/10

Language Arts  Gr 3-6 PSSA Testing Window – 4/13 thru 4/17

Math Gr 3-6 PSSA Testing Window – 4/20 thru 4/24

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me!

 

Thanks,

Miss Gentile

February 15, 2015

February15

Happy Valentine’s Day! The entire third grade had a blast last Thursday as we celebrated in the afternoon. The students completed a craft and had a snack (thanks to our wonderful homeroom parents for helping!) in my room, watched a movie in Mrs. Stoppi’s room and were able to exchange valentine’s in Ms. Gerhard’s room. The afternoon ran smoothly and the students enjoyed every minute of it!

Reading: In reading, we worked on main idea, author’s purpose, and we also practiced constructed responses. My reading group had time to work on their book jacket projects which will be due on Tuesday, February 17th. Students were provided with all of the materials needed to complete the project and also have a green sheet of directions. After looking at their rough drafts, I’m very excited to see the final projects!

Writing: We are wrapping up our work with persuasive writing. My homeroom is the last group who will write a second persuasive piece. Their job is to convince their parents to buy them the pet of their dreams. The students have come up with some pretty convincing as well as creative arguments!

Math: In math, we worked with word problems. The students are using a strategy called CUBES to help them work through problems and identify important information to solve. Students also got to see real PSSA problems from previous years and we discussed what a math open ended response looks like. I’m looking forward to working on that skill with the group in the coming weeks. This week we will continue to work on word problems and the students will take a Unit 3 Post Test at the end of the week.

Odds & Ends:

NO SCHOOL – 2/16

PTO Science Fair – 2/20

Spring Picture Day – 2/24

Jump Rope For Heart – 3/2 thru 3/6

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me. Have a wonderful weekend!

Thanks you,

Miss Gentile

February 8, 2015

February9

Third grade is gearing up for Valentine’s day! The students have been hard at work and are super excited for our celebration on Thursday. Students will be rotating between all three of the third grade classrooms for Valentine’s exchanging, snack and crafts, and a movie. We have been busy learning in addition to our holiday celebration.

Reading: In reading we have been working with author’s purpose. Students have read a variety of material, both fiction and non-fiction, and have determined the author’s purpose based on clues in the text. We have also been working with main idea and supporting details. This week we are covering a few different topics such as main idea, citing text evidence, and test taking strategies.

Students in my reading group will begin a book jacket project which will be due on Tuesday, February 17th. We are using our literature circle books The Best/Worst School Year Ever. The jacket will include a summary, character analysis, comparison between the student and a character, a review, and a recommendation. The students will be completing a rough copy of each section before they move to the final book jacket. I’m very excited to see the final products!

Math: Third grade has tackled two digit by one digit multiplication! I’m so proud of all the students for working on this new skill and keeping positive attitudes. Some students moved to three and four digit by one digit multiplication. We will be focusing on word problems this week which will include multiplication and division. Next week will be the post test for the third unit.

Writing: Each of the third grade classes has been through a week long persuasive writing project. We are now working on a second week. Students are writing letters to parents, trying to convince them to buy a family pet. The first group did such a wonderful job! I’m excited to see what the next two classes produce!

Odds & Ends:

NO SCHOOL – 2/13

NO SCHOOL – 2/16

PTO Science Fair – 2/20

Spring Picture Day – 2/24

Jump Rope For Heart – 3/2 thru 3/6

 

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me!

Thanks,

Miss Gentile

January 26, 2015

January26

We are well into the third marking period now! Report cards were sent home today and if you have any questions or concern for your child’s math or language arts teacher, please do not hesitate to contact us!

Reading: In reading we spent some time exploring text features with the main selection from Reading Street, Seeing Stars. The students enjoyed telling me all about what they learned about the solar system last year in second grade. We looked at titles, headings, photographs, diagrams, captions, and glossaries. At the end of the week in small groups, we read an article from National Geographic Explorer and the students were fascinated with the photographs within the article! This week we are taking different skills such as author’s purpose and applying them to different articles we will read.

Math: Last week in math we worked with frames and arrows. The students did a really nice job with that skill! We took the pre-test for unit three which will focus on multiplication and division. We started algebra today and worked with variables. We will continue with that and move to function tables towards the end of the week. Please continue to  encourage your child to practice multiplication facts at home each night. Many students are well on their way to earning their ice cream treat in the spring!

Writing: I am meeting with the last class to work on a persuasive writing piece. We are writing to convince a teacher to take the class on a field trip to an amusement park. It has been fun reading their arguments! We will continue with persuasive writing in the coming weeks.

Odds & Ends:

District Wide Early Dismissal – 2/4

NO SCHOOL – 2/13

NO SCHOOL – 2/16

PTO Science Fair – 2/20

Spring Picture Day – 2/24

 

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me! Enjoy this snowy evening!

Thanks,

Miss Gentile

January 11, 2015

January11

Wow! We are coming up on the mid-point of the school year in just a few days. This year is certainly flying by, and the students continue to grow each and every day! We have been very busy these last few weeks.

Reading: In reading we have been spending a great deal of time on main idea. Students are becoming more comfortable with reading passages and determining the main idea own their own. We have been completing bi-weekly main idea quizzes and will continue on this schedule for the remainder of the year. In addition to main idea, we have spent some time with sequencing. Last week we read the main selection Kumak’s Fish from Reading Street. The students really enjoyed this tall tale and did a nice job practicing the skill throughout the week. This week we will continue with sequencing and spend some time on chronological sequencing.

The students work through non-fiction articles on Kid Biz each day during our Language Arts block. On the weekend there are articles available should the students want additional practice. They can access the site through the schools Symbaloo page.

 

Math: We have been very busy in math! In the past few weeks we have covered elapsed time, making change, comparing coins and bills, measuring to the nearest 1/4 inch, and we just finished a week on liquid volume. The students have grown so much in these areas. We will be having a Unit 2 Post Test at the end of this week after we spend some time with mass.

Please continue to encourage your child to practice their multiplication facts each night. I can send home another set of flashcards if needed. We take timed tests on Tuesday and Thursday of each week. Many students are quickly moving through each fact set, and will soon be earning their entire ice cream sundae for our party in the spring!

 

Writing: I have met with all three classes to work on dialogue. We took our narrative writing pieces from a few weeks ago and worked through them to add one or more areas of dialogue. I would like to take time in the coming weeks to review this skill with each of the three classes. The next round of lessons will be focused on persuasive writing. The students will be working through the writing process this week to complete a final draft on Friday. I’m excited to start this new skill with the students!

 

Odds & Ends:

End of 2nd marking period – 1/16

No School – 1/19

District Wide Early Dismissal – 2/4

No School – 2/13

NO SCHOOL – 2/16

PTO Science Fair – 2/20

Spring Picture Day – 2/24

 

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me. Have a wonderful weekend and stay warm!

Thank you,

Miss Gentile

December 6, 2014

December6

We are well into the second marking period and I am seeing so much wonderful progress with the third graders! Our schedule has been a little off with the holidays upon us and special events taking place during our school day, but the students have been able to work with all of our changes.

Reading: In reading we have been working on main idea and supporting details quite a bit. The students are learning to read a passage and implicitly determine the main idea. This week we worked on comparing and contrasting through many different activities. We used a book and nonfiction passages to compare and contrast moths and butterflies. WE also read a book about colonial life and compared it to our lives today. On Friday, the students listened to My Rotten Redheaded Older Brother and compared the main characters. They were then put into groups to read short picture books and compare the characters they read about. The class worked so well together and I heard some great conversations about the characters from the books. This week we will be continuing our work with compare and contrast with the main selection from Reading Street, I Wanna Iguana. This is such a fun story and I’m excited to share it with the students!

On Friday, December 12th the students earned a celebration for their awesome behavior. They voted on a beach reading day and we will be spending part of our morning laying on beach towels, reading our favorite books, and listening to ocean music.

Writing: I have met with all of the third grade classes to write a short narrative piece. The students all wrote to the same prompt and turned in some well done pieces. For the next round of writing lessons, we will be working on adding dialogue to our narrative stories.

Math: In math, we have started our unit on measurement. Last week we spend time learning about elapsed time and I am impressed with how quickly the students have picked up on this new skill. We are moving to counting, comparing, and making change with money this week.

I have been giving the students timed multiplication tests twice a week and I have seen such and improvement since we first started. The students seem to be practicing much more and many are moving up through each fact set easily! Our ice cream social will be held in the spring so the students have plenty of time to practice and master these facts!

Odds & Ends:

Picture Retake Day – 12/8 PM

No School, Christmas Vacation – 12/24 -1/2

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me. Have a wonderful weekend!

Thanks,

Miss Gentile

November 15, 2014

November15

Thank you all for joining me at conferences. It was wonderful to chat about the progress of the students! I look forward to sharing more good things about the class as the year continues. We have been very busy in all subjects and have been growing a great deal.

Reading: Last week in reading, we took some time to focus on main idea and detail. We used National Geographic Explorer to read an article about caves. The students looked for the main idea and details for each section of the text and then took their notes to write a complete summary. This is some of their best work yet! I look forward to sharing these pieces with families. This week we will be using the Reading Street main selection Amazing Bird Nests to continue our work with main idea and details. We will be taking some of our observations from our fifth grade trip to watch literature circles to start our second book this week! The students are very excited to begin our new book and start on their literature circle packets.

Math: In math, we spent some time reviewing topics from the first unit such as multiplication facts, division facts, word problems, and order of operations. The students took a unit 1 post test and I saw some good growth. We will be starting our second on measurement Monday with Time. I’m excited to start this new unit and come back to multiplication and division in unit 3.

 

Odds & Ends:

Book Fair – 11/13 to 11/21

Dads & Donuts – 11/21

No School, Thanksgiving Vaca – 11/26-11/28

Teacher In Service, No School for students – 12/1

Holiday Assembly for school – 12/2 AM

Evening Holiday Assembly for parents – 12/3

Picture Retake Day – 12/8 PM

No School, Christmas Vacation – 12/24 -1/2

As always if you have any questions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact me at any time. Have a great weekend!

Thank you,

Miss Gentile

November 9, 2014

November9

I’m very much looking forward to meeting parents at conferences this week! I’ll be giving out report cards during conferences and we will go over student progress at that time. If you have any questions or concerns before then, please contact me!

Reading: In reading, we have been working on main idea and supporting details. We read the expository text Penguin Chick and the students LOVED learning about penguins. We even read a small book titled All About Penguins and a short article titled Let’s Talk About Penguins. In addition, students had their first experience with a constructed response. We used a Reading Street story from a few weeks back to practice restating the question, answering the prompt, supporting our thoughts with details from the text, and wrapping it up with a closing statement. I’m impressed with the students’ first attempt and I’m excited to offer them more challenging prompts within the coming weeks.

Writing: We have started writing narratives. The students were given a prompt and we brainstormed ideas to use for the story. Using a graphic organizer, students organized their thoughts. Then we took the organizer and turned it into a paragraph and  that was edited and revised. Finally students wrote a final copy and included any changes they made through the revision process. One class has gone through the entire writing process and I’ll work with the other two classes in the coming weeks.

Math: We have reviewing multiplication and division facts, order of operations, and word problems for the past two weeks. This Tuesday, students will be taking the Unit 1 post test on the topics listed above. Students have shown so much growth and I can see their confidence growing with multiplication and division. We will be coming back to multiplication and division in Unit 3 and students will continue with basic facts. Our next unit will be on measurement.

Odds & Ends:

Parent/Teacher Conferences, No School for students – 11/13

Parent/Teacher Conferences, No School for students – 11/14

Book Fair – 11/13 to 11/21

Dads & Donuts – 11/21

No School, Thanksgiving Vaca – 11/26-11/28

Teacher In Service, No School for students – 12/1

Holiday Assembly for school – 12/2 AM

Evening Holiday Assembly for parents – 12/3

Picture Retake Day – 12/8 PM

No School, Christmas Vacation – 12/24 -1/2

Have a great weekend!

-Miss Gentile

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