CHARACTER TRAIT: Encouragement
Reference: Romans 15:2
Bible Verse: Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.
Definition: Supporting others in ways that inspire hope, courage, or confidence in others
Opposite: Gossiping
SPELLING
Lesson 17: Pattern Words–Words with the (o) Sound
1. loss
2. also
3. stall
4. haul
5. fault
6. often
7. rainfall
8. almost
9. always
10. caught
11. bought
12. lawyer
13. authors
14. naughty
15. yawned
16. daughter
17. awesome
18. thoughtful
High Frequency Words
19. beside
20. distance
Challenge Words
*presidio
*pueblo
Cursive: Beginning third quarter, students will start to take their spelling tests in printing and cursive. Third graders will be graded for spelling credit in printing and progress will be observed in cursive for handwriting. This week the first 5 spelling words will be required in printing and cursive. We will add 5 more words each week until we reach the required 20 words plus challenge words. After several weeks, the training wheels of printing will be removed and spelling tests will be in cursive only. You will be informed in a future newsletter which week the cursive-only requirement starts for spelling.
PARENT CORNER
WINTER WELCOME!
HAPPY NEW YEAR! What a peaceful and restful Christmas with family and dear friends! I trust all of you had a wonderful Christmas vacation enjoying the holidays together. The class self-portrait quilt was absolutely INCREDIBLE!!!! I loved it! I consider it a magnificent keepsake from these special children. Their interpretations of themselves were adorable! A big, warm thank you to Emily Phillips for orchestrating this one of a kind quilt with our class. It is absolutely gorgeous!
I also want to thank all of the families in our classroom for the beautiful expression of love sent through your Christmas cards and precious, thoughtful holiday gifts. I felt so blessed and loved and the Christmas party was such a delight for all! Thank you Patty Steele and the many hands that lovingly prepared and provided for our celebration together. May God’s peace dwell in your hearts as we look forward to all that God has planned for us in 2014!
BIBLE
In January Unit 3 focuses on the start of the great nation of Israel, begins with the story of Jacob’s 12 sons and God’s blessings on Jacob with many sons. We will read the story of how Jacob flees from Laban to return to Canaan, the land God had promised to his family. God wrestles with Jacob at the Jabbok River as angels meet Jacob as he sets out on the final leg of his trip back to Canaan. It is here that Jacob receives his new identity–Israel (he who strives with God.) This week we will see how God heals broken hearts and Esau is able to embrace and forgive his brother, Jacob for stealing his birthright and blessing.
MATH
This week we will continue our study of measurement. We will explore customary units of weight comparing ounces and pounds. We will use benchmark temperatures in degrees Fahrenheit in ranges of COLD: 32 degrees Fahrenheit–when water freezes, COOL: 50 degrees Fahrenheit–a cool day when you need a jacket, WARM: 70 degrees Fahrenheit–a warm day, and HOT: 110 degrees Fahrenheit–a very hot day! We will study about metric units to measure greater lengths in meters and kilometers. We will learn about how centimeters are used to measure shorter things like a spoon or key and how decimeters are used to measure slightly longer things like a book, a vase, or a breadbox. We will also discovery metric units of capacity and how liters and milliters are used to measure liquids.
SPELLING
This quarter students will study the following phonics patterns:
Words with the /o/ sound
R-Controlled Vowels: ar, are, or, ore, our
R-Controlled Vowels: air, ear, er, ir
R-Controlled Vowels: eer, err, ur, ure
Contractions
Compound Words
Hard and Soft C
Hard and Soft G
Prefixes: a-, in-, pre-, re-, un-
LANGUAGE ARTS: PEACH BLOSSOM FESTIVAL
This week our third grade class will begin selecting poems to memorize for the class oral interpretation speech meet and advancement to the finalist round for selection as a representative to the Peach Blossom Festival in early spring. All students are expected to memorize a poem as part of their oral language grade for third quarter in language.
Requirements include:
A minimum of 12-16 lines (3-4 stanzas)
Choose selections that allow children to “bring to life” their pieces through their voice and and gestures
Poem of integrity and value
Humorous or serious
Appropriate selection for age
Identify the title and author at the beginning of the selection
Vocal variety in volume, rate, pitch
Expression of voice and face
Hand and/or Body Movements
Eye Contact
Creativity Utilized
Meaning and Emotion
Naturalness and Sincerity
SOURCES FOR POETRY
Students may select from a variety of sources. The school has a grade level resource book with Associated Christian Schools International collection of poems and elementary speech materials for third grade including classic poets and more contemporary poets like Robert Louis Stevenson, A. A. Milne, Helen Steiner Rice, David McCord. There are many poetry books at school in our classroom and in the library. Parents are welcome to look on-line for poems and have your child submit a copy for approval by this Friday, January 10.
We will read many poems together in class and students should have a poem selected by this Friday, January 10. We will all choose a different poem. Once selected, students should begin to memorize their poem on a daily basis at home with parental guidance. A “Helpful Hints” guide sheet for memorizing and presenting the poem will be sent home with the newsletter to assist parents on tips for a great, effective presentation. Please continue to work individually with your child on these steps. We look forward to sharing our favorite poems with our classmates. Thank you for your cooperation in helping your children learn their poems.
Our class oral interpretation speech meet will be on Friday, January 24. Guest judges will select 4 semifinalist on that day to participate in the finalist round with grades 1-6 Speech Assembly to be announced.
READING
There will be no book report project assigned this month as students will be memorizing poems for the oral presentation in Oral Language. Students will have the next 3 weeks to practice and prepare the presentations of their oral poetry.
We will continue our leveled reading adventures and literature studies in reading groups. Please note that your child will have a recommended reading list attached to your newsletter today. These lists show the reading lexile comprehension level most recently received from the latest Scholastic Reading Inventory taken at the end of second quarter. Beginning third quarter, third graders should be checking out books in the lexile score range listed at the top of the Recommended Reading List. A list of books in your child’s interest areas are included as examples of matching their reading ability to books in the library. The goal is to move away from books less challenging or too easy to those those more closely matched to students’ reading abilities when choosing selections for READING COUNTS.
WRITING
This third quarter we will focus on learning to write fictional narratives or stories. We will study about story elements including characters (imaginary people, animals, or creatures), the setting (time and place), the plot (sequence of events), the villain (someone or something that causes a problem), the conflict (a problem), and the resolution (how the problem is solved).
Third graders will learn how to develop a plot with a beginning, middle, and end. They will also develop the characters and setting by using strategies like dress-ups, action, descriptive detail, and dialogue to make their stories interesting. We will also focus on correct grammar, capitalization, and punctuation.
SOCIAL STUDIES
We will begin Unit 3 Community History this week with Chapter 5 How Communities Began. Lesson 1 will include Exploring California and rulers who sent Spanish, English, and Russian explorers to California. We will follow routes on a map. We will learn about early communities including Spanish missions, presidios, and pueblos. We study how to read a time line.
HEALTH AND SCIENCE
Our class is starting a program to learn more about healthy eating and physical-activity choices called “Shaping Up My Choices.” We will discover how to:
Build balanced meals using a food grouping system
Name the nutrients of each food group
Balance breakfast, lunch, and snacks with healthy choices
Read the Nutrition Facts label on food packages
We will also:
Learn about serving sizes of foods
Learn about the benefits of being physically active
Learn about healthy beverage choices
*After some of the lessons, students will bring activities home that you as parents can do together. I would also like to invite any parent who is in the health or medical field to come and share with the children about their professions. Let me know if you would be willing to come and share with us. The children are so proud when mom or dad or grandma or grandpa come to our classroom and share.
BOX TOP TREASURE DAY
Just a reminder that this Friday, January 10 is a Box Top Collection Day so be sure to bring in your pre-counted boxtops on Friday.
SPIRIT DAY
Remember that every Friday is Spirit Day! So be sure to wear your favorite FCS spirit wear on Fridays!!
COMING ATTRACTIONS
JANUARY
Monday, January 6 – Happy New Year! School resumes
SUNDAY, JANUARY 12 – HAPPY BIRTHDAY EMMA CALDERON!
MONDAY, JANUARY 13 – HAPPY BIRTHDAY ERIC RUIZ!
Wednesday, January 15 – Half Day/Teacher In-Service /Release Time at 12:00 PM
Monday, January 20 – No School/ Martin Luther King Jr. Day
TUESDAY, JANUARY 21 – HAPPY BIRTHDAY CYMBRIE STEELE!
Friday, January 24 – Class Oral Interpretation Speech Meet
SATURDAY, JANUARY 25 – HAPPY BIRTHDAY TAYLOR BECKWORTH!
FEBRUARY
February 3-7 – Parent Teacher Conferences / Early Dismissal at 12:00 PM
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4 – HAPPY BIRTHDAY SETH RADKE!
Monday, February 10 – No School / Lincoln’s Birthday
Friday, February 14 – Happy Valentine’s Day! / Party 1:30-2:40 PM
Monday, February 17 – No School / Washington’s Birthday
Wednesday, February 26 – Staff In-Service / 12:00 PM Dismissal
