Multiplying by 5

Reading Calendar

Don't forget that November reading calendars are due tomorrow (Tuesday, December 1st). A couple of students turned theirs in today, but there several more that can turn theirs in tomorrow. The students won't want to miss playing outside tomorrow as the high temperature is supposed to be near 50 degrees! That'll be great for their extra recess.

Star of the Week

November 30 - December 4

Multiplication Baseball

This game goes along with our Everyday Mathematics series. This a game we learn during Unit 4, which is Multiplication and Division.

Multiplication Baseball

Little Grunt

The video should be working now. Give it a try!

Little Grunt and the Big Egg

Star of the Week

This week we began the Star of the Week. Each week we'll have a new Star of the Week who will get their picture posted on the website, get to be line leader, and receive a pencil.

I did not include the child's name along with their picture so their is not too much personal information shared. Also, we make a word cloud at www.wordle.net, which the kids get to take home with them. In the word cloud we list the different things each child likes as well as complements from his/her classmates.

Nov. 24 Update

I was home yesterday with a sick child so I haven't had a chance to make any updates. I'll try to add a couple things in the next couple of days before Thanksgiving.

Here are a few notes:
- We are taking our second unit test in Language Arts this week. The tests are kind of long so we split them up over several days.

- No spelling words this week since it is a short week and we are taking our language arts test.

- We will finish the story of the Mayflower this week as well. We are getting close to the end and if we have time we'll watch a video on life on the Plymoth Plantation.

- Today we are going to RIF (Reading Is Fun) and the kids will be able to pick out a free book thanks to many local merchants.

- We are also making our sparkling cornucopias this week, which is a third grade tradition (some parents may have even made them if they went to Iowa-Grant).

- We are also retaking our last Math test this week too. The kids had a difficult time with the test so we went over it last week and we'll try it again this week.

Friday Game

Decide which math symbol you should use to get the correct answer. Move quickly, but be careful! This game is great for mental math practice.

If you play with the kids make sure they use the terms add, subtract, multiply, and divide instead of calling it by its symbol: plus, minus, and times. That is something we have been working on all year!

Quick Math

Three is a Magic Number!

We will start multiplication today. We will start with mostly the lower numbers during the first unit and then do the larger numbers (6, 7, 8, and 9) later in the year.

Rosie: A Visiting Dog's Story

This weeks story is Rosie: A Visiting Dog's Story, which the students will need to read as their Wednesday homework. The whole story is not on Google Books, but we are going to read the first part of the story in class today so they can read the second half on the computer if they would like. The story is a bit too small to read so here the link too if you want to have the story go full screen: Rosie

Multiplication

In math we are going to begin unit 4 on Thursday (Wednesday is a halfday and we won't have math). In unit 4 we work on Multiplication and Division. We don't learn individual numbers in multiplication, but there are School House Rock videos for each number in multiplication that I'll be adding to the blog during this unit. The first video is about the number zero.

Little Grunt and the Big Egg

Here is the video of the play. It ended up taking over 10 minutes so the quality isn't the best, but it's not too bad. Once again, great job third graders! They really did a great job of being animated.

You can save the video by right clicking on the link and going to Save Target As. From there you can name it and put it in a folder. Since the video is so big, it may not be able to be left on school website past this week (Nov. 20).

Little Grunt and the Big Egg

Little Grunt

The third graders did an excellent job on the play this morning. We practiced all week and they did their best work in front of a rather large audience. Thanks to all those who were able to come. For those who couldn't make it, the tech. staff is working on posting the video and hopefully it will be done by Monday (it's quite a job posting such a long video and the other third grade classes recorded theirs too). As of right now, we will not need any permission slips to put the video up because of the Acceptible Use Policy that was already signed. The video will be posted on the Iowa-Grant website and I will link it on the blog when it is done.

Finally, if any parents who took pictures of the play want to send me pictures I'd love to post some on this site. Please send as many as you have and I'll try to create a short slideshow. I had planned on taking pictures, but got busy and forgot. My e-mail address is avanovermeer@igs.k12.wi.us

Thanks and have a great weekend.

Weekend Game

This is one of my favorite ones yet. We have been working on geometry and area in math and this fits right in. In the game Shape Inlay you will need to place all the shapes into the existing shape. Enjoy!

Shape Inlay

First Quarter Attendance

According to my unofficial figures the Van Clan was here for 97.67% of the time! That means on average, each child missed only a little more than one day per student. That is excellent attendance for the first quarter, especially considering that the flu has been causing many absences in the area.

Keep up the great work!

Testing is Done!

Congratulations third graders on finishing your WKCE testing!

Little Grunts Play

The Little Grunts play is going to be on Friday, November 13 at 9:30 a.m. Mrs. Peat's class is going to come watch the play too. Parents are invited to come as well, but if you can't make it I am planning on recording it and posting it on YouTube.

Weekend Game

Here is the weekend game. Remember that all the games are also linked at the right side of the page. You may want to save this game for another day and go outside and play this weekend. It's supposed to be in the 60s!

Bus Driver's Math

No More Kings

Next week we will begin reading a story about the Mayflower. This Schoolhouse Rock video is a little preview of our upcoming unit.

Lowercase Cursive

We finished lowercase cursive today. Next, we will begin working on the uppercase letters. Even though the kids are very excited to begin writing in cursive, I have asked them to wait until we learn the new letters. The one exception will be cursive, where all the letters are lowercase. To begin with they will write their words in print and cursive to make sure they aren't missing words because of cursive errors. Then after a couple of weeks we'll move to just cursive on the spelling words.

Parent/Teacher Conference Schedule

Below is the schedule for parent/teacher conferences. I will also leave this list on the right side of the page. Each conference is scheduled for 10 minutes so that is why you may see more than one name at each time slot.

Thursday, Nov.12
4:30 - Elizabeth, Brandon, and Trysten
5:00 - Brylie
5:30 - Haylee and Hunter
6:00 - Carter
7:00 - Keaton
7:30 - Hannah

Tuesday, Nov. 17
4:30 - Allyson
5:30 - Nathan
6:00 - Peyton
6:30 - Kailey and Charity

Little Grunts Play

Next week, Friday, Nov. 13, we will be doing a play with our story Little Grunts. I will send out more information about the time later if parents would like to come watch. I will also video record the play and post the video on the blog for parents who can't come.

Reading Calendars

Congratulations to the following students for turning in their reading calendars: Allyson, Brylie, Carter, Elizabeth, Hannah, Haylee, Hunter, Kailey, Nathan, Peyton and Trysten. If you forgot to turn in your calendar you can still turn it in on Tuesday and get your personal pan pizza.

On the student's new reading calendar Sunday, November 1st is a free day that has been crossed off. Since they didn't get their calendars until the 2nd they don't have to read on that day and it does not count as a skip day.

New Challenge: In addition to the extra recess and free personal pan pizza I'm adding a new challenge to go along with the November reading calendar (I feel like a sales person). If everyone in my class turns in their reading calendar finished on December 1st then they will get to vote for what kind of facial hair they'd like me to wear for one whole week! Below are the options they have to choose from.

Crazy Scheduling Week

We have a crazy schedule this week. Below is a list of what is going on each day.
Monday - Practice Language Arts test in the morning. Practice math test in the afternoon. Extra reading recess in the afternoon.
Tuesday - Language Arts and math WKCE test.
Wednesday - Language Arts and math WKCE test.
Thursday - Language Arts and math WKCE test.
Friday - Language Arts and math WKCE test both in the morning. No school in the afternoon. End of the first quarter.

WKCE Testing Week

Here are a few notes about this week and some of the changes that occur because of WKCE testing.

- Monday's Practice Test - I'll grade the multiple choice questions and we'll go over the test together. I'll also send home a sample of what is expected for the writing portion of the test.

- No Spelling This Week - Since we use quite a bit of time testing this week we have to cut out some things. We'll continue spelling again next week.

- Limited Homework - Don't be surprised if your child doesn't have homework most nights. We just don't have a lot of time to go over new material this week.