Week 21

Our thanks go out to our two awesome Class Moms, Zoe and Jaime, who came in on Wednesday morning to teach our kids about Paul Klee! We also got to create our portraits and play with color. These projects will be on display at the PS 154 Art Gallery.

Many of the children are demonstrating more knowledge of the multiplication facts and have become more flexible solvers when the facts are presented to them in different ways (i.e. when the answer appears at the beginning of the number sentence). Please continue to encourage your child to practice their math facts.  Here are some links to practice on for next week:

• https://www.ixl.com/math/grade-3/divide-by-3
• https://www.ixl.com/math/grade-3/divide-by-4
• https://www.ixl.com/math/grade-3/divide-by-6
• https://www.ixl.com/math/grade-3/divide-by-7

Here's what we're looking forward to next week:

• We will make landform maps of China as part of our Social Studies unit. You child has a note with a recipe for salt dough, which will be a fun addition to our maps. Please ask your child for the letter if they have forgotten to give it to you. We are also asking to a 9"x12" piece of corrugated cardboard to support the map. 

Have an excellent weekend!

Week 20

Our Martin Luther King Jr. Mural

The children have worked very hard these past months to learn their times table. It is gradually becoming easier for students to name the facts and use them in mental calculations. There are still some tricky facts in the four, six, seven and eight times table. Please continue to help your child learn these facts.

Here are some links for extra practice:

• https://www.ixl.com/math/grade-3/division-facts-for-2-3-4-5-and-10
• https://www.ixl.com/math/grade-3/division-facts-up-to-10-true-or-false
• https://www.ixl.com/math/grade-3/division-word-problems

Here's what is happening next week: 

• Schools are closed on Monday in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
• We are headed to the Armory on Tuesday.
• Friday is a school wide Pajama Day!You child may wear pajamas to school if he or she chooses. We spoke in class about making sure that our pajamas are comfortable for a full day of school, which includes recess. We are also accepting donations of new sets of pajamas for children in need. 

Have a warm cozy weekend!

Week of January 14

Our Division unit is coming to an end next week and the Chapter 6 test will take place on Friday. Here are some links to help review:

• https://www.ixl.com/math/grade-3/relate-multiplication-and-division-for-arrays
• https://www.ixl.com/math/grade-3/relate-multiplication-and-division-for-groups
• https://www.ixl.com/math/grade-3/division-word-problems
• https://www.ixl.com/math/grade-3/division-facts-up-to-10

In Social Studies, we have begun to learn about China by reading Look What Came from China. Students have been applying their nonfiction reading skills to help learn about objects and ideas that have come from this country. Our read aloud, The Year of the Panda, is also set in China. As we progress in this unit, we will use maps, photographs, artifacts and nonfiction books to help us learn about this large country.  

Have an excellent weekend!

Welcome Back! Happy New Year!

This three day week was a great way to ease ourselves back into our school routines. We started the year with and exciting new reading unit. Children have enjoyed exploring the Nonfiction library and have been learning how to pick nonfiction book that appeal to them and is a "just right" level for them. Our read alouds for this unit are a variety of Information books about Sharks. Through these books, we will explore how text features and text structures help us understand what the main ideas are in a text.

We've also begun looking at Division stories in Math. This build on our multiplication skills. Our students are working to carefully distinguish the difference between these related operations. Here are some links for extra practice:

• https://www.ixl.com/math/grade-3/divide-by-counting-equal-groups
• https://www.ixl.com/math/grade-3/write-division-sentences-for-groups

Next week, we will start our Social Studies unit on China. This is also an exciting unit as we get to focus on this large country and learn about the aspects of its culture. We have two upcoming trips to support our learning. The first trip is to Chen Dance Center in Manhattan's Chinatown, where our children will watch stories told through dance. This trip is always fun! Many of you have sent in your payment for this trip but if you haven't done so, please do this as soon as possible.

Here's what else is happening next week:

• We will launch our annual Read-a-thon on Monday. Please encourage your child to record the reading minutes from their home reading. Even if you do not participate in the fundraising aspect, children will still get a certificate of participation. This is event helps make reading a fun community building activity.
• On Tuesday, we will visit the Armory.
• Wednesday will be the final session of Tiny Scientist for third graders. We have enjoyed this program throughout 2018 and will be sad to see it go. We want to thank our families for funding this amazing enrichment!
• On Friday, children are invited to share a special skill at our monthly Assembly. 

Have a wonderful weekend!