Tuesday Achievements

Pablo's table designs our coat of arms project.

What a productive day! I couldn't wait until Friday to share our newest achievements with everyone. Room 12 completed 3 major tasks today:

• We finally started writing centers! Students have drafted "Quirky Turkey" letters telling the president why they should be pardoned this Thanksgiving. Students started our peer editing process today. SO PROUD!
• We finished graphing our first nine weeks' grades in Responsibility Notebooks. This is a valuable, but tedious, process and students handled it beautifully! Great data and reflection.
• Field Trip Tuesday kicked off our "Tale of Despereaux" novel study! We learned all about the Middle Ages and created our very own coat of arms. Students listened to Chapter 1 of our story and the music of Josquin des Prez, a prominent Renaissance composer. WOW!

I am so proud of the way we took a restless, chilly day and turned it into such a successful one. We are growing up, I think! :-) Thanks for all you do to make these victories possible!

Partners work in our "Revising Rabbit" writing center.

Just So You Know...

In reviewing my calendar, I discovered we have quite a week ahead! Just to keep everyone in the loop:

• Monday: Cookie Dough Fundraiser Kick-Off (8:45 Assembly)
• Tuesday: PTA/Science Night (5:15 pizza, 6:00 PTA)
• Wednesday: AIG Science Showcase in Library (9:00-12:00)
• Friday: "Blue Jay Day", LR Percussion Concert 9:30, City Manager Mick Berry visits 3rd grade

...in addition to all the learning that will take place. We are rolling full steam ahead to Thanksgiving. We can do it!  :-)

Recycling Extravaganza!

Happy Friday, everyone! Despite an odd schedule, we had a great week in Room 12. Our school-wide recycling initiative has been a huge success, and we have learned a lot about reducing waste in our Social Studies lessons. Today's field trip to the recycling center was our culminating event! You can see more pictures from our trip HERE.

This week's Star Student was Jehu. We loved our spotlight visit from his older brother and got to ask him a lot of questions about being a senior in high school. What a fun time! These visits are a wonderful learning experience for our students. Thank you for your support as we continue to introduce loved ones to peers. :-)

In other news, multiplication and cursive writing continue on. Students also switched classes for math to review geometry skills. We plan to form "flex groups" every Wednesday morning for skill reviews. Red Group started their first novel for Literature Circles this week, and I am so proud of their hard work. Can't wait to see what's next!

Coming Up...

• Veteran's Lunch: Ask a local veteran to visit us at lunch Monday Nov. 10 for cake, coffee, and conversation with curious students. We'd love to talk with them!
• NO SCHOOL Tuesday Nov. 11 (Veteran's Day)
• RIF Literacy Night: Ridgeview Rec. Center, Thursday Nov. 13 5:00-7:00pm. Students who attend and bring back a token will get a special prize! Please let me know if you plan to attend so they can have a head-count. :-)
• $2.00 Due: Thursday Nov. 13
• Recycling Center Field Trip: Friday Nov. 14
• Thanksgiving Break: Nov. 26-28

New All Around!

Aidan was a great Meeting Moderator!

Happy Friday, everyone! Second quarter started with a bang. So many new activities, procedures, and special treats started this week. We successfully implemented the Homework Club, Multiplication, Cursive, two new literacy centers, our daily "Learning Launch" dance, and the Meeting Moderator job at snack time. WOW! Who knew third graders were capable of such multi-tasking?

Special thanks to Star Student Lily and her mom for our Parent Spotlight this week. We enjoyed our story and silly game. Students continue to impress me with their personal responsibility and caring for others. Who will be chosen next??

Third graders have kicked off our service learning project all about recycling. Please ask your student about how we are helping our community! We have spread posters and recycling bins around the school encouraging Oakwood to recycle paper, plastic and cans. We will continue to learn about community services and the science of recycling next week, ending with a field trip to the Catawba County recycling plant in Newton. Can't wait!

The "Reading Buddies" program has kicked off!