Mrs. Fox's Third Grade: April 2021

Friday, April 30, 2021

April 30, 2021

Announcements

Please note Wednesday, May 5th, is an early release day. Dismissal will be at 12:50. Send a note or email if your 3rd grader is getting home a different way than usual. Also, I will be absent Friday, May 7th. Please send a note or call the office if there is a change in transportation.

We are thankful to be finished with MAP testing! Students will continue keeping iPads, chargers, and keyboards at school.

On Thursday, Mrs. Hanson helped us with a SECRET activity for our 5th graders to celebrate their last year at Paxton! Look for more information soon...

On Friday, we went on a virtual field trip to the St. Louis Zoo! Thank you to the PTA for purchasing this for the 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders.

We also took advantage of the nice weather Friday and explored the Science Classroom outside!

In the Classroom

We finished our Historical Fiction stories this week! We had a writer's celebration on Wednesday where students had the ability to share their pieces with each other.

We also squeezed in some poetry this week between MAP testing. Students did an amazing job creating some wonderful poems!

In math this week, we practiced measuring volume, estimating, and word problems.

In science this week, students learned more about Forces. We started learning about simple machines and made a desktop level. We used a cotton ball and straw to practice using force to change an object's direction. Finally, we discussed balanced forces by building paper bridges that could hold cubes.

Upcoming Events

Early Dismissal at 12:50-May 5

Last Day of School-June 3

Summer School Begins-June 14

Friday, April 9, 2021

April 9, 2021

Announcements

Please note Wednesday is an early release day. Dismissal will be at 12:50. Send a note or email if your 3rd grader is getting home a different way than usual.

We have had lots of changes this week! Student desks are in groups which allows more space for time at the carpet and other activities. Students no longer have to stay in zones at recess! We are hoping to start eating lunch in the cafeteria soon as well. Students were able to check out books in the library for the first time this year! We will have library checkout every other Monday until the end of the year. Students can always return books when they are finished with them, but they will need to be returned by April 19 if they want new ones.

On Tuesday, we had another author visit! David Harrison has written over 90 including picture books, poetry, and teaching resources.

In the Classroom

We started our new unit in reading and writing called Communities Then and Now. In reading, we read a personal narrative and learned about point of view. In writing, students are planning a historical fiction piece. We have looked at examples and are developing our characters, setting, problem, and solution to occur during a time in history.

In math, we have continued to focus on multiplication. Students learned to identify facts for which they have "fact power" or fluency. We learned how to use a multiplication/division diagram to help us solve word problems, and we played two games called Beat the Calculator and Multiplication Top It. We also spent a day reviewing geometry and data by building quadrilaterals based on attributes and collecting data for a penny slide!

This was our final week for Missouri History. We learned about Lewis and Clark and Westward Expansion. Finally we learned about the Oregon Trail! The students had to listen to me get very excited about playing the computer game when I was in school. : ) On Friday, we played a version of the games as a class. It was so much fun to see which choices they made and why. Next week, we will have a short Health unit.