Jeanne Thome

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Valentine's Day, President's Day!!!

Since the first of the year it seems like one event after another. Conferences came and went so quickly and now we are past our mid-quarter of the third nine weeks. Read on to find out what lies ahead for us all!

Teacher Appreciation Week

WOW! A huge thank you for all of the goodies for our classroom and kind notes. There was no doubt I felt appreciated. It is a true joy to work with each of your children. Thank you again for your generous tokens of appreciation.

Congratulations

Congratulations to Caroline Anderson and Emma Lewallen on winning the "Best Valentine Boxes", voted on by the class.

Congratulations for our "Terrific Kids";  Kyle Swade, Brooke Etheridge and Beck Barbin.

Field Trips

The students enjoyed the in school field trip given by High Touch, High Tech on Heat and Energy. What a fun way to make sense of a complex unit!

Wellstar Visits

Wellstar also visited us to remind us all of good dental health. Each student should have brought home a new toothbrush.

New Echota

Our upcoming field trips will be on Friday, March 14th to New Echota. If you would like to attend please let me know. We will also be going to our Performing Arts field trip on March 18th. These will be our last trips for the year.

Economics Day-Thursday, April 3

If you missed out on volunteering for this very important learning event we'd love to have you. The students will be earning money (play) three weeks prior to this day so that they can pick and choose how they may want to spend it. They will have ten stores to go to throughout the day and some money will be collected (must haves) and the rest will be up to the students to budget throughout the day their remaining money. If they run out of money they will need to go to bankruptcy court and work to earn more money. This event takes parents to run the stores and / donations for each store. More information will be forthcoming. Please let me know if you are able to join us on the 4th!

Happy New Year!

Welcome back to all!

It was wonderful to have perfect attendance after the many travels all were involved with over the holidays. The students seemed glad to be back with their friends and they showed interest in our new units of study. It will be enhanced by a new gift from my children and husband, a LCD, which will bring a new dimension to each student's learning. We reviewed how to get to our classroom blog, how to get to The Learning Site for extra math support and we used our on-line math book for extra practice with area and perimeter.

Upcoming Events

TV Free Week January 14-18  Give it a try! For some it may not be a challenge, for others it may be quite difficult. Have your child log a few alternatives they came up with. In our home I hope to read more and try out some of the new board games received at the holidays. Also we will be spending more time outdoors walking, biking and enjoying the wonderful bright days and cooler weather.

Monday, January 21 No School in Observance of Dr. Martin Luther King Day

Early Release (12:10) /Teacher Conferences and Book Fair Tuesday, January 22-Monday, January 28. Conference times were sent in your child's Thursday Folders. Please return you confirmation slip if you are planning on attending the conference noted. Thank you.

Thursday, January 31 Heat and Energy "In School" Field Trip

January Birthdays

January 1    Mrs. Thome (one of the students said something that was so profound about my big day...he said..."Mrs. Thome your birthday is on a great day because it is the only one that has a countdown to it!" I love it!!!!

January 10  Savanna C.

January 25  Andrew M.

Writing

The students continue to get opportunities to refine the four-square writing process. This past week we wrote about the best things about the winter break. This week they will hopefully get to use the computers to write the final copy. We are also completing a personal narrative and will then move on to writing a "How to" paper.

Reading

This week we will be reading Biographies in our Guided Reading Groups. While doing this we will talk about the components of Biographies. By the end of the week each student will be able to pick out a biography of their choice to read and report on at home. We are also working on being the best readers that we can be by rereading and looking for the key ideas of each reading. Students are encouraged to read the questions first on a comprehension assessment so they know what they are looking for. Students are also encouraged to highlight with a highlighter where they found their answers.

Math

Keep practicing those facts! Although we have moved on to some additional Geometry then to Fractions and Decimals all students would benefit from extra practice with multiplication and division facts. Also, division with remainders was introduced but could stand more reinforcement. The Learning Site is a great resource or try the on-line math book and your child can do the activities on the left side of the page or at the end of each chapter has the Chapter Reviews and CRCT practice sections. Practice not only makes perfect it also makes permanent!!!

Read to find out what our class thought of the Field Trip to Vulcan! (Typed by the 3rd graders)

Anna -The field trip was awesome!My favorite part about it was collecting all of the extraordinary rocks.I loved going to Vulcan, I had such a fabulous time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Grayson-My favorite part of the field trip was the tour!

Brooke-I thought that the field trip was fun because we got to pick out cool rocks!!!!!!!!!

Emma -I thought it was so fun picking our rocks outside!!!!!!!!!!

Marina-My favorite part of Vulcan was finding cool rocks!

Blessing -I loved the rock hunt and the video of rockman!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lauren-My  favorite part was finding the rocks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Savanna-My favorite was when we went to get rock !

Annie-I enjoyed the field trip to Vulcan because we got to pick out cool rocks and on the bus we had a tour on the way back.

Beck-I liked the field trip because of the cool movie and the tour.I loved the canyon with the turqoise water under it.

Cooper-I loved picking up rocks. I even found a mineral/quartz. I loved seeing the water fall and the movie.

Cherokee-I liked the field trip because l liked finding cool rocks!!

Caroline-I liked finding rocks and I loved that my dad came he even said "You should get small rocks so we can buy a rock smoother and make them nice."

Mrs. Thome-My favorite part was the bus tour and the Rockman movie. I also enjoyed looking at the things in the display cases.

Sarah-What I loved about Vulcan is when we went to go find rocks, they were very cool! And we had so much fun!!!

Kyle-My favorite part of Vulcan was when we were in the bus and saw so many cool things!!!! It was so fun!!!!!!

Thomas- I liked it when we went on the bus and saw the big  hole.

Andrew L.  -I liked about everything, but when we went to find rocks,they were pretty much all the same!!!!!!

Andrew M. My favorite thing is when we picked up rocks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Andrea -I liked when we found rocks outside.

Brandon - My favorite thing was finding things outside!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As you can see we had a great time.

Monday, December 3, 2007

Landform Projects

The landform projects were exceptional. The students presented their landform while the others were able to picture in their mind what each landform is. Without a doubt, the volcano seemed to be the most popular to make. We displayed them in the media center to share with others. Super job third graders!

Cherokee Indians

The students are learning about the Cherokee Indians. The Cherokee were an Indian group that lived in Georgia at one time. As we read about the Indians we are completing a study guide to help us recall all of the interesting facts.

On to Division!

As we continue this nine weeks in math we move to division. It is my hope with the strategies taught for each multiplication fact and the additional practice through playing Rio and Cross Out that division will come somewhat easily for all. Also in this nine weeks we will be learning Geometry so eventually you child will be bringing home homework to help support both division and geometry. If your child hasn't already they should try to access their math book on line and use the resources in Chapters 7-10 for multiplication practice and 11-13 for Division. For this week the students began division on page 223.

To the left of each page are some additional math practice for each concept taught. The website again is www.eharcourtschool.com and then your child's login. If they have lost their login let me know, I can send a duplicate.

Magnets

We are doing a short unit on Magnets. After Magnets we will begin a Heat and Energy Unit.

Midquarters

Midquarters were sent in the Thursday folders last week. I hope the update as to how your child is doing was helpful.

Field Trip to Vulcan

Our field trip to Vulcan was a great one. The weather certainly added to its fun. The students learned about the types of rocks and were able to search for some on site. We had a tour of the grounds to see where the rock was taken from. A big thank you to the following parents who joined us. Your help and supervision was greatly appreciated. Mr. Anderson, Mrs. Barbin, Mrs. Copenhaver, Mrs. Gorges, Mr. Lewallen, Mrs. Thomas and Mr. McCook.

Mark you calendar!

Our holiday party is on Wednesday, December 19th from 12:00-1:20. If you can attend, wonderful! Mrs. Anderson and Mrs. Etheridge are our room parents and will be contacting you with any items they may be requesting.

Second Nine Weeks- Mid quarter

It's hard to believe we could be in the middle of the second nine weeks already. We are fortunate to have two brand new student computers that all students have an opportunity to use.

Midquarters will come home the week of November 26th for any student receiving less that 80% in any given subject.

What's happening in math?

The past few weeks in math have been filled with learning the multiplication facts through strategies. We will soon begin division and finish the quarter with geometry. The students have been given game boards to play RIO. A few other multiplication games will be sent home to help the reinforcement of facts. Students should be practicing their facts on a regular basis at home.

For other practice with the facts go to the Bullard school website and see the variety of math sites available. Above the math sites go to Harcourt Learning Sites from our new math program. We are in Chapters 7 and 8 so go to those chapters to find additional practice.

This Thursday your child is bringing home a "log-in" for our math program. (www.eharcourtschool.com)  At this website your child can access the math book online if needed. Also, additional practice is available.

Mega Math...as soon as your child gets an opportunity to use this new math support program they will be anxiously waiting their next turn! The students will have an opportunity to practice math concepts at their level. If your child needs additional practice, it is available. If your child needs some challenge       that too is available. Mega Math is a computer program only available at school. Now with our two new computers each child should be able to get at least a half hour a week practicing the concepts we are currently learning. I had an opportunity to try the various programs and it is a fabulous tool!

If your child has a set of headphones that they can keep at school when using this program please have them bring them in. Thank you.

Social Studies

Water and low and high land landforms have been our unit of study. The students are drawing the various landforms to match the definitions in their Picture Dictionary. Videos have been helpful to bring these images to life in our classroom. The students were recently assigned a 2-3 dimensional project to construct of a water or land landform of their choice. They should bring in their completed project Monday, November 19th. A culminating "hands on" project will be done on Tuesday, November 20 where the students will be able to construct five "land" landforms and three water landforms using dough.

Reading Groups

Our last three weeks have consisted of reading non-fiction on the topic of Landforms. The students have been taking notes and turning their notes into mini-reports. By taking notes the students have a lot more recall of the information read. Our next reading groups will continue to be non-fiction, but we will be reading about the Creek and Cherokee Indians.

October 31st

Thank you to all of the families who donated paints and food for our p.m. gathering. The students painted "designer" rocks. Thank you to Mrs. Anderson, Mrs. Barbin, Mrs. Etheridge, Mrs. Lewallen and Mrs. Lawrence who made this a special event.

Holiday Party

Our Holiday Party is scheduled for Wednesday, December 19th from 12:20-1:20 p.m. Please plan to join us if you can! A student sign out sheet will be provided if you choose to take your child home with you that day after the party. Mrs. Anderson and Mrs. Etheridge are our room parents. Please contact them if you would like to help with this event (see class directory information for phone numbers or e-mail addresses).

Science Day-Thursday, November 15th

Our whole day will consist of Science knowledge. Students should try to wear their blue class t-shirts since we will be rotating around and that will help them to stand out more among all of the participants. We will begin at 8:00 and finish around 1:25. If you'd like to participate please let Mrs. Anderson or Mrs. Etheridge know. Students are asked to wear their light blue class t-shirt on this day if possible.

October 19, 2007

Maps and Globes Conclusion

What a wonderful way to end our unit. The students' Ocean and Continent projects are now displayed in the hallway. The final assessments were excellent and it was quite apparent the study guide supplied was used and time was spent at home to prepare. We will continue maps and globe skills through our morning work (Daily Geography) and whenever possible. Thank you for the terrific support at home in preparing for this unit test.

Landforms

We will begin the landform unit the next few weeks. We will first learn about the water landforms and then move on to the high and low land formations. Towards the end of the unit the students will be assigned a project to construct a landform of their choice.

Wellstar

A representative was here a few weeks ago reminding us all of to eat a balanced diet by eating appropriate servings from the six food groups on the Food Pyramid. The students recently created a poster listing some of their favorite foods from each section of the pyramid. On Thursday, October 25th, we will get our second Wellstar presentation on Internet Safety. We are lucky to have this fine resource visit our third grade classes.

Red Ribbon Week

Next week is Red Ribbon Week. Students can support this week by participating in the PTSA ideas sent home on this weekly news peek. We will discuss in our health unit the dangers of use of tobacco, alcohol and other drugs.

Multiplication

This week we made arrays to illustrate what multiplication is...repeated addition. The students also learned about the O's and 1's property. For next week, the focus will be learning the 2's and 4's. We may even begin the 5's. For the 2's and 4's we will be doubling the number once for 2's and twice for 4's. We will be playing multiplication games whenever we can to keep the learning fun and to help with the repetition needed to learn all of the facts. Any support at home with learning the facts will be greatly appreciated.

Mrs. Thome's Third Grade News

Welcome to Mrs. Thome's Third Grade News. This will be updated weekly. I hope you find this as a helpful resource to understanding what is happening in our classroom.

Week of October 8-12th

This week we will resume back to our regular schedule. Testing is completed and all students worked very hard.

Math: We are completing Unit I. This Friday will be our final Unit 1 Test. The test will consist of place value up to 10,000, Greater and Less Than, Rounding to the nearest 10's, 100's and 1000's, Addition and Subtraction. Subtraction with regrouping with zeros is challenging for all. Any practice at home would be helpful. Our upcoming Unit for the second nine weeks is Multiplication and Division single digits.

Social Studies: We are in the middle of the Maps and Globes Unit. The students will need to know the Parts of the Map, the Types of Maps and the Parts of the Globe including identifying the seven continents and four oceans. The map of their bedroom is due this Friday, October 12th.

Writing: We just recently completed writing a non-fiction four square piece on the Three Types of Rocks. The students have brought home their grades last Thursday. Their writing is displayed in the hallway. This week they will be writing a Response to Literature which will be assessed. This is an assessment required by the county for all third grade students. They have had an opportunity to  practice together as we read Brave Irene last week. Ask your child the details of this very good story! In addition to writing their Literature Response, their next writing prompt is My bedroom is a Special Place for three main reasons...

Reading Groups: Your child is in a leveled reading group for about twenty minutes three to four times a week. We will be working on the Comprehension Strategy Main Idea. We have covered Literary Elements and Sequencing before Main Idea.

Reading Logs: Great job with the nightly reading. It is a goal for each child to raise their reading level a month for every month in school. Reading on a regular basis, books at their Instructional Reading Level is the best way to do this. Reading aloud to your child is also important to increase vocabulary development and provide reading of high interest topics.

GA Weekly News: Did you know that the majority of the CRCT testing in reading is Non-fiction reading? This tool that your child is using is a great reinforcement of Non-fiction reading. Have your child re-read this to you when they bring them home. It has fascinating news both historical and local GA information!

Upcoming Dates...

October 15     End of First Nine Weeks

October 17th   Early Release

October 22      Bus Driver Appreciation and Red Ribbon Week

October 22      Report Cards go home

October 25th   Wellstar visit  (Internet Safety)

October 30th    Fall Harvest Celebration

November 15th   Science Day