Mrs. M-G's 3rd grade

Thursday, August 11, 2016

August 10, 2016

Dear Parents,

Wow, this year is off to a great start!! We have gotten to know each other better through several "break the ice" activities, organized and color-coded our class journals, completed our first cold read and cold write assessments, started our first class novel with "Stone Fox", begun our notes on Democracy for our first Social Studies unit, personalized the front covers of our Writing journals with photos that are important to us, created our student-generated class rules, taken our first computation timed test, and begun using our brand new agendas. Having Mrs. Johnson visit our class and read "The Most Magnificent Thing" was an added highlight to our week! I love the good work and thoughtful behavior your wonderful kiddos are showing in our class this week and am excited about this school year. :) :) :)

Here are the first standards we will be focusing on in Math:

Math On Level -
MGSE.3.NBT.1 Use place value understanding to round whole numbers to the nearest 10 or 100. This standard refers to place value understanding, which extends beyond an algorithm or procedure for rounding. The expectation is that students have a deep understanding of place value and number sense and can explain and reason about the answers they get when they round. Students should have numerous experiences using a number line and a hundreds chart as tools to support their work with rounding. For example: Question: Round 34 to the nearest ten. Student thinking: "Let me locate 34 on a number line. I know that it takes four jumps (ones) to get back to 30 and six jumps (ones) to get to 40. This means that the closest ten would be 30."

MGSE.3.NBT.2 Fluently add and subtract within 1000 using strategies and algorithms based on place value, properties of operations, and/or the relationship between addition and subtraction. This standard refers to fluently, which means accuracy, efficiency (using a reasonable amount of steps and time), and flexibility (using strategies such as the distributive property). Students explain their thinking and show their work by using strategies and algorithms, and verify that their answer is reasonable. Example: There are 178 fourth graders and 225 fifth graders on the playground. What is the total number of students on the playground? Student 1 100 + 200 = 300, 70 + 20 = 90, 8 + 5 = 13 so 300+90+13 = 403 students. Student 2 I added 2 to 178 to get 180. I added 220 to get 400. I added the 3 left over to get 403. Student 3 I know 75 plus 25 equals 100. Then I added 1 hundred from 178 and 2 hundreds from 275. I had a total of 4 hundreds and I had 3 more left to add. So I have 4 hundreds plus 3 more which is 403.

Math Advanced-
MGSE3.G.1 Understand that shapes in different categories (e.g., rhombuses, rectangles, and others) may share attributes (e.g., having four sides), and that the shared attributes can define a larger category (e.g., quadrilaterals). Recognize rhombuses, rectangles, and squares as examples of quadrilaterals, and draw examples of quadrilaterals that do not belong to any of these subcategories. Students recognize shapes that are and are not quadrilaterals (four sided) by examining the properties of the geometric figures. A quadrilateral must be a closed figure with four straight sides and they begin to notice characteristics of the angles and the relationship between opposite sides. Students should be encouraged to provide details and use proper vocabulary when describing the properties of quadrilaterals.

They sort geometric figures and identify squares, rectangles, and rhombuses as quadrilaterals. Students should classify shapes by attributes and drawing shapes that fit specific categories. For example, parallelograms include: squares, rectangles, rhombi, or other shapes that have two pairs of parallel sides. Also, the broad category quadrilaterals include all types of parallelograms, trapezoids and other four-sided figures. Example: Draw a picture of a quadrilateral. Draw a picture of a rhombus. How are they alike? How are they different? Is a quadrilateral a rhombus? Is a rhombus a quadrilateral? Justify your thinking.

MGSE3.G.2 Partition shapes into parts with equal areas. Express the area of each part as a unit fraction of the whole. For example, partition a shape into 4 parts with equal area, and describe the area of each part as 1/4 of the area of the shape. This standard builds on students’ work with fractions and area. Students are responsible for partitioning (splitting) shapes into halves, thirds, fourths, sixths and eighths.

Please let me know if you ever have ANY questions or concerns by e-mailing me at magisgraves@fultonschools.org Thank you for all of your support!!

Mrs. M-G

Monday, May 2, 2016

Update for 3/27

Dear Parents,

         We are finishing up our Heat unit with today's test and will have the Unit 6 math assessment on Wednesday. The review sheets that are coming home today will help your student review milliliters/liters and grams/kilograms. The IXL review topics that were homework last week and this (S.1-S.10, U.1, U.2, U.14) will also help your child with the time portions. In class and Tiger Time, we have been working on using number lines and lots of hands on investigations with Capacity, Volume, and Weight.

         Thursday and Friday this week in Social Studies we will be reviewing Government on Brain Pop and Study Jams (Democracy, Branches of Government, the Presidency, Supreme Court, How a Bill Becomes a Law). If your students are reviewing at home on Study Jams, remember to sign off on their pages so that can earn Dojo points!

         Thanks for all of your support! Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.

         Jenny M-G

Update for 5/2

Dear Parents,

       It's hard to believe that we are in the final weeks of 3rd grade!! It has been such a joy to see your kiddos grow so much over the past months. Thank you so much for all of your support this year and for the wonderful goodies we have gotten today for Teacher Appreciation Week!

       For the next two weeks, we will be giving homework so please check your child's agenda. Today I am sending home the Health books so your child can read the last two sections of Chapter 3 (pages 78-85) and answer the questions on pages 81 and 85. This will be due on Friday.  Also, for math I am asking that your student work on iReady math for 20 minutes 3 nights this week.

        Also, we have finished our research and will begin construction on our environmentally friendly homes this week so your child may ask you to send in small boxes, strips of tinfoil, or other small items. I am including the rubric below - this will be an in-class project. Please let me know if you have any questions!

       Jenny M-G

Building A Structure : Environmentally Friendly Home

Teacher Name:

Student Name: ________________________________________

CATEGORY	4	3	2	1
Construction -Materials	Appropriate materials were selected and creatively modified in ways that made them even better.	Appropriate materials were selected and there was an attempt at creative modification to make them even better.	Appropriate materials were selected.	Inappropriate materials were selected and contributed to a product that performed poorly.
Construction - Care Taken	Great care taken in construction process so that the structure is neat, attractive and follows plans accurately.	Construction was careful and accurate for the most part, but 1-2 details could have been refined for a more attractive product.	Construction accurately followed the plans, but 3-4 details could have been refined for a more attractive product.	Construction appears careless or haphazard. Many details need refinement for a strong or attractive product.
Information Gathering	Accurate information taken from at least four sources in a systematic manner.	Accurate information taken from at least three sources in a systematic manner.	Accurate information taken from at least two sources.	Information taken from only one source and/or information not accurate.
Journal/Log - Content	Journal provides three paragraphs/ five sentences on how your house conserves energy (What kind of power does it use?), reuses materials (How did you build your house?), and does not pollute (How is your house friendlier to the environment?).	Journal provides almost three paragraphs/five sentences on how your house conserves energy (What kind of power does it use?), reuses materials (How did you build your house?), and does not pollute (How is your house friendlier to the environment?).	Journal provides at least /two paragraphs three sentences on how your house conserves energy (What kind of power does it use?), reuses materials (How did you build your house?), and does not pollute (How is your house friendlier to the environment?).	Journal provides less than two paragraphs/three sentences on how your house conserves energy (What kind of power does it use?), reuses materials (How did you build your house?), and does not pollute (How is your house friendlier to the environment?).

Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Update for 4/27 - Field Day info.

Magis-Graves____ (3)

Red team

Daniel

Beck

Warren

Jake

Paulina

Samantha

Alejandra

Blue team

Amira

Ansley

Camryn

Matthew F

Kaylie

Carson

Nolan

Green team

Katherine

Lou Lou

Brady

Simms

Jace

Matthew N

Remy

Ainsley

Good Morning,

Field Day is coming! Field day will be on May 12th and 13th this year! The first day of field day will be from 8:30-12:00 and the students will rotate to 30 different stations that day. The second day of field day is from 10:00-11:15 and 1:00-2:00. The first section will be a relay race for 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students. Please come join and watch the students race! The second part of the day will be the awards ceremony for the race and the sportsmanship trophy and there will be a faculty volleyball game.

I have split your class up into 3 teams. (Red, green, and blue) The students must wear a t-shirt of their team color, athletic shorts, and tennis shoes on the first day of field day and the second day of field day is a free dress day. I divided the teams up based on athletic ability to help in making the teams as fair as possible but please feel free to change any of your students! Please announce these teams this week and begin to remind the students of their color teams as we close to the big day. Again, please let me know if there is anything I can do to help in any way. Thank you!

Rachel Hutcherson

Physical Education

Spalding Drive Elementary

http://pehutcherson.weebly.com/

Monday, April 11, 2016

Update for 4/11

     Dear Parents,

     I hope everyone had a wonderful spring break!! Milestones testing begins tomorrow so please make sure your kiddo gets a good night's sleep and has a larger breakfast with protein tomorrow since we probably won't be eating snacks until 10:30.

      Our Milestones schedule is: Tuesday, 4/12   Reading and Language
                                                     Thursday, 4/14 Writing
                                                     Monday, 4/18 Math
                                                     Thursday, 4/21 Science
                                                     Monday, 4/25 Social Studies

       In class we will be reviewing concepts studied this year. We will not be giving homework over the next three weeks since we want the students to run and get their wiggles out in the afternoons and rest.  However, please feel free to encourage your student to get on iReady, Study Jams, or Brain Pop at their leisure to review reading, math, government, economy, habitats, adaptations, fossils, minerals, rocks, soils, magnets, and heat.

       If you would like to send snacks in for the class on testing days, we now have 22 students. Any nut-free snacks are welcome. :) Thanks for your support!!

      Jenny M-G

Tuesday, March 15, 2016

Update for 3/14

Dear Parents,

I will be sending home this review sheet with your students in paper form soon. It's a great way to review for the Milestones and will earn your kiddo lots of Dojo points if he/she reviews every section and checks it off!

Thanks so much for your support!

Jenny M-G

www.Studyjams.scholastic.com is a great way to review for the CRCT! Below is a checklist to help you keep track of your activities. This checklist is due April 21. Please have your parents sign to confirm that you have completed at least 25 activities for full credit.

Science Activities: Student Name _________________________

Plants – plant adaptations

Animals – animal adaptations Parent signature _________________________

Ecosystems – Changes in Ecosystem

Food Chains

Food Webs

Aquatic Ecosystems

Landforms, Rocks, and Minerals – Igneous Rocks

Metamorphic Rocks

Sedimentary Rocks

Soil

Minerals

Rock Cycle

Fossils

Energy, Light, and Sound – Fossil Fuels

Natural Resources

Current Electricity

Heat

Renewable Fuels

Electricity

Magnetism

Scientific Inquiry – ALL

www.studyjams.scholastic.com

Math Activities Student name __________________________

Parent signature _________________________

Numbers :

Place Value

Number Lines

Order Whole Numbers

Estimate Whole Numbers

Integers

Expanded Notation

Addition and Subtraction:

Estimate Sums and Differences

Relate + and –

Addition with Regrouping

Properties of Addition

+ and – without Regrouping

Subtraction with Regrouping

Multiplication and Division

Multiplication

Single Digit division

Relate Multiplication and Division

Divisibility Rules

Fractions

Equivalent Fractions

Thursday, March 10, 2016

Math update for 3/14

Dear Parents,

Just FYI, in addition to the fabulous iReady that you are having your kiddos work on at home, here are some additional IXL assignments that will stretch their thinking. Thanks as always for your support!

Jenny M-G

Mixed Operations