Monday 9/11

Hello parents! Lots to talk about so let's get right to it! We are back to work and trying to get used to a new routine. We are working on learning the relationship between multiplication and division in math. It is important that students learn this inverse relationship as it makes learning their facts much easier. We use counters and draw pictures to help us with grouping and items in a group. We continue to look at arrays which are simply rows and columns. Both of these strategies are excellent ways to calculate and help picture multiplication and divison.

In Reading we began reading groups. We are working on the short vowel sound in our spelling pattern. (see spelling words on the weekly calendar) Students will work on these words in class during independent work, but should also be working on spelling short vowel sounds at home. I have begun assessing reading levels as well. It takes a while to get through everybody so it will most likely take all week.

In ELA we are talking about correcting sentences and writing them with correct capitalization and puncuation. This leads me to talk about our Non-Negotiable list. The Non-negotiable list is a list of writing rules that all the students in the class came up with and agreed they KNEW before coming to third grade. This non-negotiable list includes:

- all sentences begin with a capital letter

- all sentences end with punctuation

- questions end in a question mark

- Begin writing on the red margin line EXCEPT new paragraphs get indented

- put spacing between words

- don't float letters....tall letters are tall and short letters are short

- write neatly

- the letter i by itself is always capitalized

- copy spelling correctly from the paper or board

- All sentences need a noun and verb (a who and what happened)

When students write anything at home, these non-negotiables need to be enforced. Students KNOW they need to use capital letters and ending punctuation, they just don't do it. They will be held accountable for it this year and asked to redo assignments where these rules are not followed. They are NON-NEGOTIABLE!

Super Student posters will be passed out tomorrow morning. Students are asked to work on them and turn them in Friday 9/22. These are fun ways to get to know one another a little better.

Thank you to all parents who have taken the time to log into and sign-up for the Remind app. I've had several questions already and I am happy to use this method to help communicate effectively with you!