Hello Families!

This week, our Reading lessons will focus on the history of flying.  We’ll read several cool stories about flight, and hopefully gain an appreciation how flying has changed the world.  We will have spelling this week, as well as a Literacy Homework.

In Math class, we’ve switched our focus to telling time.  This can be a little tricky for some kids, especially learning elapsed time.  Any extra practice with telling time at home is helpful!  In my Math class, I anticipate homework on the following nights.

Monday – Homework 4-7

Tuesday – Homework 4-8

Wednesday – No Homework

Thursday – Homework 4-9

Friday – Homework 4-10

In Writing, we’re in the process of creating a classroom book called, “What Am I?”  The kids are completing research on an animal, and will create a book page describing that animal.  The idea is to give clues to the animal, and how it adapts to survive, without saying what the name of the animal.  Then, the class gets to guess the animal!  It’s always a fun process and hopefully something I can share with you at conferences.

In Health, we just completed a unit on fitness and healthy eating.  I’m hoping that your child has brought some of what they learned home with them, especially when buying food at a grocery store.  Several of our lessons focused on advertising, and reading the labels on foods.  If nothing else, I think the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle was impressed upon them!

Our Second Step curriculum has shifted to “Emotion Management.”  We’re learning ways to stay calm when life gets stressful, as it so often does.  This week’s lesson is about “Test Anxiety,” which is a real thing, even for third graders!  Hopefully the kids will learn some strategies to stay calm, and not worry about the result of a test.  The most important thing is the process and preparation before exams.  If we can learn to prepare properly, the test itself will not be so stressful!

Lastly, I will be gone from school on Monday, due to a meeting I’ve been mandated to attend.  There is nothing I hate more than missing school, but I’m sure the kids will do fine in my absence!  Thanks for reading, stay warm, and have a great week!

Mr. Wachter

Good Morning Families!

I hope you are all staying warm and safe this week.  I have been holding off sending this weekly update because I wasn’t sure when we were staring this week!  Considering it’s another short week, I’m going to cut spelling and the weekly literacy homework assignment.  Three days just isn’t a fair amount of time to practice.  We’ll simply condense the weeks activities and make the best of the situation.

In Math class, we’ll switch gears to measurement for the next couple of lessons.  Last week the kids struggled to compare fractions, so I’m not entirely sure how far we’ll get this week with our lessons.  I want to review fractions, and keep pace with measurement, so we’ll see how it goes.  Because of that…I’m going to play it by ear with homework for the next couple of nights.  My guess is they will have an assignment on Thursday, but don’t hold me to it.  We’ll figure it out as we go!

That’s about all for this week.  Stay warm and safe out there!

Mr. Wachter

Hello Families!

This week your child will take their winter Map Test in both reading and math.  They took this exam in the fall, and now we’ll be able to see growth and progress with the winter edition.  The test is not based on things the kids have learned, but rather gives a general picture of their strengths and abilities.  The reading portion will take place on Tuesday and Thursday from 10:30 to 11:30.  Math will take place on Wednesday and Friday from 1:15 to 2:15.

In Reading this week, the kids will learn their lessons through a number of realistic fiction stories.  We’ll practice the strategy of Asking and Answering questions, as well as talk about Point of View and prefixes.  Due to the MAP test, we will practice spelling words, but we will not have a test this week.  Losing two days of instruction makes it hard to practice properly.  We will have a weekly Literacy Homework assignment, however.

In Math, we’ll continue to practice fractions.  I’ve been very pleased with the work my math class has done so far!  Fractions are such a tricky concept, and I’m proud of what they have shown.  You can expect homework in my class on the following nights.

Monday-Homework 4.3

Tuesday-Homework 4.4

Wednesday-No Homework

Thursday-Homework 4.5

Friday-No Homework

In Writing Class, we’ll continue to practice some winter poetry.  Most kids finished their Cinquain snow-globe poems last week, and they are now on display on their lockers.  They are so cool!  This week we’ll practice more poetry by writing some acrostic poems to decorate our classroom.

In Health, the kids will spend the next couple of weeks learning about proper diet, and learn exercises to stay healthy.  Our Second Step curriculum will begin to focus on strategies to handle our emotions, and how to calm down if you’re upset.  There is a home lesson attached to the weekly email.

Thanks for reading and have a great week!

Eric Wachter

Hello Families!

Happy New Year!  I’m so glad to be back at school, and ready for the 2nd semester to begin!

This week, the kids will begin Unit 4 in both Reading and Math.  In Reading, we’ll learn our lessons by reading various folktales.  We’ll practice the strategies of “Asking and Answering Questions,” as well as focusing on point of view as we read.  The kids will have reading homework, as well as a new spelling list.

In Math, we’ll begin Unit 4 by learning about fractions.  The kids completed an Intervention with fractions a few weeks ago, so hopefully that background knowledge will help as they learn some new concepts.  The first few lessons are two day lessons, so there won’t be homework every night.  In my Math class you can expect homework on the following nights.

Monday – No Homework

Tuesday – Homework 4-1

Wednesday – No Homework

Thursday – Homework 4-2

Friday – No Homework

In writing, we’ll begin the semester by working on Cinquain poetry.  By the end of the week, we’ll hopefully have created some Cinquain Snow Globe poetry that will be displayed on their lockers.

Our Second Step lesson this week will wrap up the Bullying Unit from December.  We’ll also begin a series of Health lessons that will focus on exercise and eating a healthy diet.

Thanks for reading, and have a good week!

Eric Wachter