October 13 - 17, 2014

October 13 - 17, 2014

WRITING

We have finished our Personal Narrative/Small Moment unit, and I have to say that I am proud of your students' efforts. We have very interesting stories with engaging beginnings, strong details, narrow topics, specific nouns, and compelling endings, I hope you enjoy them as much as I do! We will be putting our personal stories on the bulletin board outside of our classroom for the next couple of weeks in case you would like to stop by and read them when you are in the school.

This week, we will begin a unit on Expository/Informational writing. Many students love to read nonfiction texts, but now they will get a chance to write one! Just like the last unit, we will be using many picture books, charts, notes, and opportunities for practice to work through this craft. 

Again this week, students will be assigned vocabulary homework that needs to be completed at home and turned in by Friday. All 8 words must be defined and used correctly in a sentence (with at least 7 words). On Friday, students will be assessed for their ability to spell 5 of the words correctly, choose their matching definition, and use 2 of the words in a complete sentence.

*** Please Note - Students will take an editing and writing Curriculum Based Assessment (CBA) on Wednesday. 

READING

Students will be reading What Do Illustrators Do? and answering comprehension questions related to this story. They will also be assigned a smaller text that correlates to the style, theme, and content of What Do Illustrators Do? to complete a second comprehension activity. We will be comparing and contrasting similar stories with each other. Students will learn that much of the 3rd grade reading curriculum centers around understanding a text and responding in various ways and answering in complete sentences. 

In addition to these texts, we will also begin learning more about reading nonfiction texts. For this week's focus, we will discuss the differences between nonfiction and fiction books. 

Again this week, students will be assigned an additional comprehension activity that needs to be complete at home and will be due on Thursday. In addition to answering each question, students are expected to find the page number in which the answer can be found in the text. 

MATH 

At the beginning of the week, we will conclude our unit on subtraction strategies. Students have been taught a variety of strategies, and now is their opportunity to show what they have learned. Students are expected to know how various strategies work, but to then pick the strategy that works best for them when problem solving. 

Toward the end of the week, we will begin a unit on time and money. Students are expected to read an analog clock and count a collection of coins. Please allow your child to practice these skills at home with you, being sure to use these in practical, everyday life situations.

SCIENCE

We will conclude our matter unit at the beginning of the week, and will then dive into classifying and sorting resources. We will assess for this short unit at the end of the week. 

HARVEST FEST

Caraway Harvest Fest is coming up soon! Please mark your calendars for October 25, from 12:00-3:00pm, rain or shine! Wristbands can be bought beforehand for $15 or at the door for $20.  If you would like to buy a wristband, but aren’t sure who to contact, please contact the PTA. Tickets will also be sold for 50 cents each. However, there are MANY free booths that do not require a ticket or wristband (haunted hallway, petting zoo, cakewalk, adults on inflatables, and carnival games without winning a prize). Please plan to stop by! This is a huge fundraiser for the PTA, and they do so much for our students each day!

IXL MATH

One of those great things that PTA does is sponsor programs for student use. This year, they have purchased another IXL license. Usage will be monitored this year, so please use this program at home so that we can have it for many years to come.  Usernames and passwords have been changed this year. They will be sent home in next Tuesday’s folder.. 

PTA

Please consider joining the Caraway PTA. For $6.50/person, you are contributing to a great resource for your child. Joining online is easy! 

REFLECTIONS

The PTA Reflections contest is ending on November 5th! It's time to start thinking and planning those entries! This year’s theme is "The World Would Be Better" and entries are accepted in 6 categories (like visual arts, music, writing, etc). More information can be found on the Caraway PTA website or on the entry box in the library. 

COFFEE and CONVERSATION

If you'd like to visit with our principal, Ms. Bailey, she is hosting a Coffee and Conversation morning on October 16th. Please mark your calendars to join her in the library from 7:45-8:30am. All parents are welcome. 

UPCOMING DATES

October 13--Student Holiday

October 29--Early Release

November 18--Third Grade Program