Spooky Music!

Today we made the first entry in our "Composer Files!" Students will keep a folder of special composers and musical pieces that we learn about this year, and we kicked things off with a little spooky music. If you would like to explore more spooky tunes at home, here is the link:

http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/interactives/spookysounds/

Each tombstone lists the title, composer and storyline behind famous classical works. Enjoy! 

Prefix Game

Happy Monday! We had a truly awesome day in Room 12 and learned all about prefixes and suffixes. Students asked if I could share the game we played in class, and I am more than happy to post it.

Crystal Castle game:
http://www.sadlier-oxford.com/phonics/crstcast/crstcastle.htm

Bank of other prefix/suffix games:
https://sites.google.com/site/easygrammar4kids/prefixes-and-suffixes

Happy learning! :-)

Supply Drive!

I decided to make this a separate post so the information would be more contained. If anyone is willing or able to contribute, our classroom has a few needs in the coming weeks:

• Wed. October 29: Cheese-It crackers (3 boxes)
• Week of Nov.3: Cardboard Boxes or other large containers for a recycling project. (We will need about 20 in all, and will work with other classes to achieve this goal.)
• Classroom Pencil sharpener (ours has completely died)
• Wet wipes/Clorox wipes to kill germs
• Hand sanitizer
• Boxes of Tissues
• Reams of copy paper (Not for copying, but for classwork. I try not to steal from the copy machine!)
• Thin dry erase markers 

Please let me know if you have any questions about our needs. Any and all help would be greatly appreciated! Having a stocked classroom means smoother days, more invididualized experiences, and a clean space. :-) Thank you! 

Testing Complete! Time for a Craftivity...

Star Student Thatcher and Mom
during Parent Spotlight!

We survived our first Benchmark Test! Students were troopers today and handled our unusual schedule with ease. The test was much shorter than we expected, and had us on to relaxing craftivities in no time. :-) A creative, artistic project is just the thing to loosen us up after bubbling scantrons and crunching numbers. I am so proud of everyone's hard work this week, and look forward to our short week together! Take a peek into our latest adventures:

We wrote and illustrated our own Halloween "mad libs!"

We enjoyed "Click Clack Boo!" with Thatcher's mom on Thursday.

Coziness Abounds!

What a wonderful day! I am so very proud of students' hard work and focus today. With an unusual schedule, literacy skit performances AND "Sippers and Slippers" things could have been a whirlwind, but the day was smooth sailing. What a pleasant, cozy way to finish our week. :-)

We began with Star Student Erika's "Parent Spotlight." We learned all about Erika's family and favorite hobbies, and read "Pigeon Takes a Bath" with her mom. Lots of fun!

Students worked in groups to classify quadrilaterals by their attributes. They did a great job of using the math language we've learned this week, and everyone participated in the conversation. Bravo!

Our week-long study of mysteries culminated in a day of movies! Table groups turned "Nate the Great" from narrative to drama, assigning roles and acting out scenes one chapter at a time. Hopefully I can combine all the small videos soon and share the finished product. We had a great time!

Last but not least, students completed all of this wrapped up in furry blankets with their favorite fluffy friends there for support. We enjoyed several "read alouds" and hot chocolate after lunch- no spills! Thanks to everyone who donated time and supplies to make this possible. Enjoy our pictures below. :-)

...did I mention that we even knocked out TWO quarterly writing prompts today? YES

Thatcher's table works to sort polygons into groups.

Congratulations, Erika! 

Sippers and Slippers

The big day is almost here! Students came home today with a note in planners about tomorrow's "Sippers and Slippers" celebration. Just for review, here are our guidelines:

• Students may bring ONE blanket and a pillow OR stuffed animal.
• All fluffy items must come to school in a bag- no loose animals, please! 
• Students must still turn in all homework and will take a spelling test as usual.
• Students may bring a favorite picture book to read aloud during hot chocolate time. We'll have as many readers as we can! 

As students earn tickets in class, they have the option to donate it to our Community Ticket Bowl instead of keeping it for themselves. Students have pooled their tickets and purchased this reward as a group. Thank you for your support in this exercise of saving, spending, and working together. Wonderful learning opportunity! 

Wednesday Computer Time

Happy Wednesday, everyone! Today we will spend some time learning more about Christopher Columbus. Click the link below to play the game. :-)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/primaryhistory/famouspeople/christopher_columbus/

A Few Updates

Hello! Hopefully everyone is home safe and tucked inside. :-) I'm sure our students have told you about the interesting afternoon we had, but I wanted to let you know they did a great job. It isn't easy to "duck and cover" for an hour and a half! We had some brave, patient third graders and I am very proud of them.

Parent Night and Book Fair are rescheduled to Thursday Oct. 16! 

In other news, see our pictures below:

Last week's Star Student, Charles, and his dad at Parent Spotlight!

Our cereal box US History projects turned out wonderfully! Students loved sharing with each other.

Such Excitement!

Happy Thursday, families! Room 12 has seen a slew of exciting learning opportunities this week. As I took pictures, I realized there was no need to wait until Friday to share them with you! Enjoy. :-)

Groups were given a $1,000 gift card to "Toys for Us" to practice multi-digit subtraction skills.

Jillian and Thatcher use iPads and QR Codes to check answers!

Today's "Field Trip Thursday" was about Hispanic Heritage Month!
Students are designing their own Zapotec rugs using traditional colors and symbols.
Can't wait to see the finished products!

Finally, please visit https://www.xmarksthekit.org/ for your very own energy-saving supplies FOR FREE from Duke Energy. You may also call 1-855-386-9548. Students loved the play on Wednesday and learned all about natural resources. All students received information on these kits, but let me know if you need an extra. :-)

Can't wait to see what tomorrow brings! 

Upcoming Events

Happy Tuesday, all! Here are a few events of interest:

TODAY @ 7:00pm

"What Testing Teaches us About Learning Differences" Seminar

Patrick Beaver Learning Resource Center

First Plaza 1985 Tate Boulevard, Hickory, NC, 28601

TOMORROW Oct. 8 @ 8:00am

"Walk to School Day"

Meet at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church or the YMCA gravel lot by 8:00. 

Tuesday Oct. 14 @6:30pm

"Crash! Bash! Science" 

The Science Center is coming to Oakwood! Buy pizza at 5:15, then stay for a night of PTA, bookfair, and science fun. Childcare available. 

Cereal Box Projects

Happy Monday, everyone! We had the most wonderful day in third grade. Students participated in class, worked well in centers, and had several grade-wide learning opportunities today! This note is about one of them.

Our cereal box social studies projects were officially assigned today. Thank you for sending in your cereal boxes, and extras, so that we could ensure all students had the necessary supplies. Students chose a famous person OR famous event in US history today. They will follow the rubric and research guide to look up facts about this topic and display the information on their cereal box.

• Only the outside  of the box will be decorated.
• List your sources! (books, websites, etc)
• The entire box must be covered! (Make it a "blank canvas")
• DUE Monday October 13

As always, please feel free to call/email me with questions. I can't wait to see our beautiful projects! 

Awesome Ending to the Week!

What a wonderful day! October has started with great listeners, special visitors, and hard-working third graders- what more could we ask? I am so thankful for our class and the community they have established. We are finally becoming a little family! I never doubted them. :-)

We enjoyed our time with Visiting Artist Ms. Hice. This program was made possible by a grant for the Hickory Art Museum and was a wonderful opportunity for our third graders. Please ask to see your child's project! They look amazing and are all unique. You can see more pictures of our artist project HERE!

We also celebrated our first Star Student, Miss Claire! She enjoyed special jobs every day, and we loved having her mom visit today during MIRP. Every Star Student will invite a loved one for "Parent Spotlight." This way someone special can be a part of our classroom for a time, and help or read to us. Can't wait to have you join us!

Oakwood successfully completed fire and "lockdown" drills this week. We are officially prepared for any and all emergencies. :-) Parent conferences have also started rotating through. Thank you so much for your time! I look forward to meeting with each and every one of you.

Coming Up:

• Mon. October 6: Social Studies project assigned in class (due Oct. 13)
• Wed. October 8: "Children's Theatre" Play in Gym, 2:10
• Fri. October 10: Progress Reports home
• Oct. 13-17: Book Fair!
• Tuesday Oct. 21: String Quartet concert in Gym, 1:30
• Oct. 30-31: No school for students