Seven Habits Superstars!

We used procedural texts to make origami hats!

What a great week! We enjoyed such happy, productive days and I am thankful for our little class. Students are so well-trained and stamina is strong, that we actually finished lessons ahead of schedule this week. (Something they can assure you NEVER happens. Ms. Reese? On time? No way!) This is only possible because of our teamwork, clear vision of daily goals, and our understanding of the steps needed to get there. Boy have our "7 Habits" come in handy! We grow more into 4th graders every day. :-)

Highlights this week included finishing our Leprechaun creative writing projects, starting a world cultures unit in Social Studies, exploring math patterns, and a huge focus on nonfiction text features. We continue to chip away at our multiplication tables, and I am so proud of the progress we have made!

Things to Remember:

• Our final timed tests (11's and 12's) will be next week! Make ups continue after break.
• Wednesday April 1 Math Benchmark
• Friday April 3: No school!
• April 3-10: No school! Spring Break
• Tuesday April 14: "Around the World" Projects due
• Wednesday April 15: "Around the World" Project presentations in gym 1:00

Joseph and Gabriella's moms teach us about Brazilian culture!

Research Resources!

Happy Tuesday, everyone! Third grade's "Around the World" projects are finally here. Students were very excited to receive their countries today, and we started researching at school. After today, students will be primarily responsible for researching at home, but here are some resources to help!

From Ms. Reese's "Student" page: CLICK HERE

Pssssssst! Want some extra fun at home? Click HERE for some fun musical games, in honor of "Music In Our Schools Month." So many games and learning opportunities to explore!

Happy Spring!

We loved our field trip to the Art Museum!

Happy first day of Spring, everyone! We are so excited to finally say "Spring" during our daily calendar report. :-) This was an exciting week full of festive activities. From field trips, to Science Day, to St. Patrick's Day and more, it was the BEST!

We started a math unit on line plots and measurement this week. Not only did we plot the marshmallows in "Lucky Charms" cereal, we also measured, tallied, and plotted the lengths of leprechaun feet! It was a lot of work, but students did a great job hanging in there. Our stamina grows every day!

We loved Science Day! Special thanks to all the volunteers that made this event possible for our students. We solved a mystery with help from the Catawba Science Center, and students were exposed to several different science concepts during our time in the gym. What fun!

Finally, we were so excited about Star Student Nelly's parent spotlight! We met Nelly's mom and sister, and learned all about her favorite things. Way to go, Nelly!

Only two more weeks to Spring Break, we can do it! Have a happy weekend, and I look forward to seeing everyone on Monday. :-)

What a Week!

Happy Friday! We had a fantastic week in Room 12. I am thankful for fun projects, recess (in spite of some very ominous clouds!), our new read aloud, and the way we continue to grow together. Our classroom family is so supportive and understanding of eachother, which makes such a difference at this time of year. :-) No "spring fever" in here! 

Lily's table practices "Fractions of a Set" with counters.

We found text evidence to support answers in a "Little Grunt" Jeopardy game.

        Finally, just listen to the engagement in this video. Students LOVED our dinosaur classification game. We drew inferences on the dinos' diets based on physical features. We observed pictures of dinosaurs as well as used information from a nonfiction text. What fun!

You can play, too!      Dino Appetite Game                         

Coming Up...

• Mon. March 16: Men's Night 6:00-7:30...for male parents/guardians and their students.
• Tues. March 17: Science Day at Oakwood (all day)
• Wed. March 18: Art Museum field trip ($3.00)
• Thurs. March 19: Salsarita's Spirit Night
• Thurs. March 26: Latino Parent Potluck Dinner
• Thurs. April 2: Yearbook Orders Due

Springing Forward!

Happy Monday, everyone! We were off to a sleepy start today with our time change, but everyone worked their hardest and I am so proud of them. With snow days and my conference in Raleigh, we've had a crazy few weeks. My hope is that this week will be routine, comfy, and enjoyable. :-)

Without further ado, congratulations to Star Student Avery! She was a trooper through the snow days and delays, and we enjoyed her Parent Spotlight. So proud of you!

We have been plotting fractions on a number line, and are now moving toward mixed numbers and equivalences. If we keep practicing I know we can do it!

Our plants and soil unit in Science has been a lot of fun. From digging up actual soil samples and watching the layers separate in water, to assembling our own "edible soil," we've had a great time. Thanks to all those who donated supplies to make today's lesson possible!

Claire and Erika sketch diagrams of soil layers next to pudding models!