Have a great break!

 See you in 2024! 

Thursday Night's Homework

1. Read for 20 minutes

2. Complete Book Report (Due Tomorrow!) 

* Friday Spirit Day - Pajama Day 

Wednesday Night's Homework

1. Read for 20 minutes

2. Complete perimeter worksheet (Remember: Perimeter means adding the lengths of all sides of an object together AND all 4 sides of a square are EQUAL)

3. Complete Book Report (Due Friday) - Students who have not already completed their book reports will present their reports in class since iPads will be staying at school

* Thursday Spirit Day - Sparkle Day 

* iPads are staying at school for winter break, starting today. If your iPad needs attention (glitchy, broken case), let me know so I can make sure the tech team checks it out and fixes it over break! 

Tuesday Night's Homework

1. Read for 20 minutes

2. Complete Book Report (Due Friday) 

3. Wednesday Spirit Day - Festive Headwear 

Monday Night's Homework

1. Read for 20 minutes

2. Complete area worksheet

3. Complete Book Report (Due Friday) 

*** Tuesday Spirit Day - Grinch Day 

End of Week News and Notes

 Good afternoon! 

This week in Room 106 was a bit different due to testing, but students did a great job staying focused during their tests and working hard throughout the day. This week in math, we continued working on area, focusing on breaking down non-rectangular shapes into smaller parts to determine the area. We will continue working on this next week in addition to beginning our lessons on perimeter. In literacy, we began our study of folktales, reading and analyzing “Anansi The Spider”, while continuing to work on informational texts regarding space and our solar system. In science, we learned about the relationships with bees and flowers, the process of pollination, and the parts of the flower that make this process possible. 

NOTES: 

 - Next week is our last week before winter break. If you know your student will be absent, please let me know so I can plan accordingly. 

- December Book Reports are due on Friday. 

- We have had quite a few sicknesses in class this week, and I know there are cases of strep throat going around, so please remind your students to wash their hands, respect personal space, and stay home if they are sick. 

SPIRIT DAY THEMES (OPTIONAL): 

Monday, 12/18 - Winter Wonderland Day: Wear a cozy flannel

Tuesday, 12/19 - Grinch Day: Dress like a Whoville citizen or dress in green

Wednesday, 12/20 - Tree Topper Day: Wear festive headwear

Thursday, 12/21 - Sparkle & Shine - Wear sparkly attire

Friday, 12/22 - Polar Express Day - Wear your favorite pajamas

Again, all optional. 

Have a wonderful weekend! 

Ben

Thursday Night's Homework

1. Read for 20 minutes

2. Complete Spelling worksheet, study for test

3. Complete Book Report (Due Friday 12/22) 

*** Tomorrow's Spirit Day - Wear your best "Ugly" or holiday themed sweater!  

Wednesday Night's Homework

1. Charge your iPad

2. Bring your iPad

*** Tomorrow morning at 9:05, we will be taking our Winter iReady Reading Test, which requires our iPads to be present and charged, and students to be well-rested. So there is no homework tonight EXCEPT for making sure that their iPad is charged and ready to go.

*** Thursday Spirit Day - Wear festive lights

Tuesday Night's Homework

1. Read for 20 minutes

2. Complete math worksheet

3. Complete Book Report (Due Friday 12/22) 

*** Tomorrow's Spirit Day - Festive Socks!  

*** Please let me know if your student will be leaving early for Winter Break 

Monday Night's Homework

1. Charge your iPad

2. Bring your iPad

*** Tomorrow morning at 9:05, we will be taking our Winter iReady Math Test, which requires our iPads to be present and charged, and students to be well-rested. So there is no homework tonight EXCEPT for making sure that their iPad is charged and ready to go.

News and Notes for This Week

Good afternoon!

We had a great week in 3rd grade, starting with an outstanding ProKids Show assembly by Tim Hannig and ending with another excellent Mystery Reader! In math, students continued to learn about area concepts, and this week learned about multiplying length and width to find the area of a rectangle. We continue to work on our math facts, and I’m hoping all students can master their facts by the end of the year. In literacy, students continued reading informational texts regarding space and our solar system, and worked to determine main ideas, supporting details, and the author’s purpose for writing informational texts. In science, we concluded our activities regarding mosquitoes (and what environmental factors cause mosquitoes to flourish) and began learning about the relationship between bees and flowers and why we need both in our world. Finally, in social emotional learning, we continued discussing emotion management, including levels of happiness, from content to extremely excited, and how we can manage those feelings when they make us feel out of control.

NOTES:

- 2 more weeks until Winter Break and the due date for December Book Reports! Don’t wait until the last minute!

- Over winter break, iPads will stay at school so the tech department can service and update them so they are ready for 2024.

- Mrs. Luehr says that the beginning of recorder lessons has been great! Keep practicing at home!

That's all for this week. Have a great weekend!

Ben

Thursday Night's Homework

1. Read for 20 minutes

2. Complete spelling worksheet 

3. Study for tomorrow’s spelling test

4. Get started on your December Book Review (due Friday, December 22nd - 15 days left!)

Wednesday Night's Homework

1. Read for 20 minutes

2. Complete Unit 3 Practice worksheet #2 (Front and Back)

3. Get started on your December Book Review (due Friday, December 22nd)

*** One of our students (Delaney) and her family are doing "Cocoa for a Cause & Toy Drive" for gifts for boys and girls in the hospital. Delaney made flyers for the class that she handed out today. I think it's great to think of others during this time of year and to spread kindness in this way.

Tuesday Night's Homework

1. Read for 20 minutes

2. Complete Unit 3 Practice worksheet (Front and Back)

3. Get started on your December Book Review (due Friday, December 22nd)

Monday Night's Homework

1. Read for 20 minutes

2. Complete Lesson 11 Review worksheet (Front and Back)

3. Get started on your December Book Review (due Friday, December 22nd)

Week 12 Spelling List

 Week 12 Spelling List - Test on Friday, December 8th

Link to Spelling City for practice: https://www.spellingcity.com/view-spelling-list.html?listId=40174961

1. sharp

2. yard

3. artist

4. carve

5. porch

6. storm

7. sport

8. story

9. chore

10. shore

11. sore

12. hoard

13. oars

14. pour

15. your

Thursday Night's Homework

1. Read for 20 minutes

2. Complete spelling worksheet

3. Get started on your December Book Review (due Friday, December 22nd)

Wednesday Night's Homework

1. Read for 20 minutes

2. Complete pattern worksheet

3. Get started on your December Book Review (due Friday, December 22nd)

Tuesday Night's Homework

1. Read for 20 minutes

2. Complete division worksheet

3. Get started on your December Book Review (due Friday, December 22nd)

*** Take Wonders Workbook #1 home (We have begun using Workbook #2. If you would like, you can complete missing pages or activities we skipped at home, or you can recycle your workbook. ) 

Monday Night's Homework

1. Read for 20 minutes

2. Complete division worksheet

3. Get started on your December Book Review (due Friday, December 22nd)

Thursday Night's Homework

1. Read for 20 minutes

2. Finish your final draft of your state essay (if you didn't finish in class)

3. Finish Book Review, it's due tomorrow!  

Mid-Week News and Notes

Good afternoon Room 106 parents! 

I can’t believe we are 2 days from Thanksgiving break! Trimester 1 is complete, and report cards go live on Powerschool on Friday (probably after 10 or 11am). 

Thanks again to all of the families who took time to come in for conferences. I enjoyed getting to discuss the growth your students have made, and look forward to building on that progress in the coming months. To any families that were unable to attend conferences, I would be happy to set up a phone conference to touch base and update you on your student’s 3rd grade year. 

This week in math, students are learning the meaning of division and learning division strategies while continuing to work towards mastery of their math facts. We will continue division when we return from Thanksgiving. I highly encourage students to continue working on iReady and XtraMath over break if possible to stay sharp while we are out of school. 

In literacy, we wrapped up our short unit on poetry, learning about alliteration, rhyming patterns, and free verse poems. Students are completing their informational essays on states, and I’m excited to see what the students write about! November book reports are due this Friday, and I have loved the reports that have been turned in so far. Students have done a great job summarizing their books and gotten other students excited about reading! In social studies, we are wrapping up our lessons on regions and landmarks, and we will return to science, specifically life cycles, when we return from Thanksgiving break. 

NOTES: 

- 3rd grade students will begin their recorder lessons with Mrs. Luehr in music class after Thanksgiving break, so please make sure to submit $5 for a recorder or let Ms. Luehr know if you have a recorder already so that everything is ready to go when we return. (Almost all students have done this already.)

- iReady Winter Testing will occur the week of December 11th-15th. Times are not set yet, but please let me know if your student will be absent during that time. 

That is all for now. I hope everyone has a fantastic break and all students have some time to relax and recharge so we can return and have a great and productive end to 2023! 

Best, 

Ben

Wednesday Night's Homework

1. Read for 20 minutes

2. Complete division worksheet

3. Complete graphic organizer for state project if you didn't finish in class

4. Work on Book Review (Due Friday)

** Optional - School-wide hat day tomorrow! 

Tuesday Night's Homework

1. Read for 20 minutes

2. Complete research for state project if you didn't in class. Students do NOT need to complete all sections. On the front side, they need to complete 5 of the state facts, along with the current governor. On the back, students need to complete 4 state symbols, 2 landmarks/places to visit, and 1 fun fact. But doing extra is encouraged! 

3. Work on Book Review (Due Friday)

Monday Night's Homework

1. Read for 20 minutes

2. Complete math worksheet

3. Work on Book Review (Due Friday)

Thursday Night's Homework

1. Read for 20 minutes

2. Complete spelling worksheet 

3. Study for your spelling test

4. Work on your Book Reports!

Wednesday Night's Homework

1. Read for 20 minutes

2. Complete math review worksheet 

3. Work on your Book Report if you haven't finished yet. They are due by Friday, November 17th! 

Tuesday Night's Homework

1. Read for 20 minutes

2. Complete multiplication worksheet 

3. Work on your Book Reports! 

Monday Night's Homework

1. Read for 20 minutes

2. Complete multiplication worksheet

3. Work on Book Report 

End of Week News and Notes

Happy Friday Room 106 Parents! 

First off, thank you to all of the families I met with yesterday for conferences. It was great meeting and discussing your student’s growth and progress. If you missed your conference or haven’t signed up yet, there are still plenty of time slots available next Thursday after school. Sign up link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0848A5AD22AAF5C43-44554288-fall

Second, thank you to our Room Parents for an amazing Halloween party! The kids had a blast and the room didn’t get destroyed. Win win! 

This week in math, we continued working on grouping using 3 factor multiplication problems and utilizing strategies to simplify multiplication problems. Next week, we will be working on using place value to multiply (for example, 6 x 90) and beginning our unit on division. In literacy, we read historical fiction texts regarding immigration, and explored the concept of cause and effect as a writing structure. In social studies, we completed our lesson on landmarks and will begin our lesson on how geography affects our community and the way we live next week. Finally in social emotional learning, we began our unit on emotion management, learning strategies to deal with big emotions. 

There is no homework this weekend, but a reminder that book reports are due Friday, November 17th. A few students have turned them in already and they have been phenomenal! I can’t wait to see the rest. 

I also wanted to let families know about a service project being run by Sullivan Ambassadors to collect food for our veterans. It’s a great project supporting those who have dedicated their lives to supporting us. Check out the link here and give if you can. Link: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1v7KEGcQ8waVSEERmNX85It71WyWYby8ZdbLR-KEuVsk/edit?usp=sharing

Have a great weekend! 

Ben

Thursday Night's Homework

1. Read for 20 minutes

2. Complete spelling worksheet (3 times)

3. Study for spelling test

4. Work on your Book Reports! 

Wednesday Night's Homework

1. Read for 20 minutes

2. Complete multiplication worksheet

3. Work on Book Report

Monday Night's Homework

1. Read for 20 minutes

2. Complete math worksheet

3. Work on your Book Report 

End of Week News and Notes

 Good afternoon! This week in math, students worked on their multiplication facts for 7, 8, and 9, and worked on “break apart” strategies to simplify multiplication problems. We will continue working on multiplication strategies and grouping next week as well. In literacy, we explored the concept of theme in stories, which can be complex for third graders, as theme is not explicitly stated in texts. In our discussions, we talked about fables and stories that teach lessons as a way to identify a story’s theme, but students had a harder time identifying themes in their small groups. We will continue this work next week. In social studies, we continued our work on cardinal directions, geography, and landmarks. Finally, in social emotional learning, we concluded our bullying unit by talking about “not being a bystander” when we see bullying occurring to someone else. 

NOTES: 

- Seesaw has a new logo and redesign! I hope everything works the same as before, but please let me know if you experience any issues. 

- In music, 3rd grade will soon begin their study of the soprano recorders. Ms. Luehr informed the students about the unit, and let them know the cost of a new recorder. However, she has since learned that recorder fee was included in the 3rd grade registration fee, and thus many families have already paid for their recorder. Ms. Luehr is very sorry about the mix-up, and will be sending home updated information soon. If your student brought in money today, I have it stored securely with their name on it, and will return it to them once everything is sorted out. 

- As the holidays approach, District 23 is participating in a Holiday Gift Card Drive for families in need. The district will be collecting gift cards between the amounts of $10-$25 to bring hope to our families in need this holiday season. (Suggested stores: Target and Walmart) Gift cards can be given to me or dropped off in the front office by 12/6. Thank you in advance for helping families in need have a brighter holiday! 

- Finally, next Tuesday is Halloween! Ms. Gage has sent this information already, but I figure I’d attach it as well below. I’ve discussed school rules and expectations with students regarding Halloween already, but I figured I would share it here as well. 

Have a great weekend! 

Ben

HALLOWEEN INFORMATION: 

PARADE: The Ross/Sullivan Halloween Parade will be held on the walking path behind the District 23 buildings, which is directly behind Betsy Ross and Anne Sullivan Schools. The parade will start promptly at 12:45 PM on October 31st. Parents may arrive anytime between 12:20 PM and 12:40 PM to allow for parking and locating a spot on the parade route. Families may park at the south end of Ross but will need to vacate the premises prior to the arrival of buses at 2:00 PM in order to facilitate dismissal. Parking is also available at the west end of MacArthur Middle School or the Patriot Park lot (in the neighborhood).

Parents may stand anywhere along the length of the walking path to view the parade. Please note that Ross students will be parading on the inside of the path, while Sullivan students will be parading on the outside of the path. Due to this factor, Ross parents should plan to view the parade from the inside of the walking path and Sullivan parents should plan to view from the outside of the path. Please also note that any parents arriving late to the parade will be required to view from the outside of the path.

***In the case of rain or inclement weather, the parade will be held indoors for students and available on live stream for families.

COSTUMES: 

Costumes should be brought to school. Students will have time to change after lunch, before the Halloween Parade at 12:45 P.M. on October 31st. Costumes should be school-appropriate, not offensive or hurtful to others, and should not include weapons, look-alike weapons, or excessive gore. Appropriate masks must be worn on heads in school and during the parade for safety reasons.

Thursday Night's Homework

1. Read for 20 minutes

2. Complete spelling worksheet

3. Work on your Book Report

4. Study for Spelling Test

Wednesday Night's Homework

1. Read for 20 minutes

2. Work on your Book Report (It's due by Friday, November 17th, but I want to make sure students don't wait until the last minute.) 

3. Show your parents your progress report (See Seesaw message for more detailed explanation) 

Trimester 1 "Progress Reports"

Good afternoon! 

It’s hard to believe, but we are two and half weeks from the end of the trimester. 

Today I sent home informal progress reports to let you know your student’s current grades and areas for improvement. These grades ARE NOT final and can change. The good news is that nearly all students have the potential to be successful, “A” students with a little hard work and extra focus.

We will review the information and notes on your student’s progress report at conferences, but there were some classroom-wide trends I wanted to address. 

By far,  the three main factors negatively effecting grades are 1) missing or late work, 2) failure to read directions or questions completely, and 3) lack of academic focus and effort. These factors are all very common for 3rd grade, especially executive functioning issues, so I will continue to work with students to developing proper organizational habits and reminding students to take their time and put in quality effort on their work.

This trimester, I have provided students with missing work extra copies and time to complete those assignments in class as I know students are still getting adjusted to the rigor and pace of 3rd grade. However, 4th grade teachers may not be as flexible, so I want to really work on helping student independently manage their workloads so they are not overwhelmed next year. 

I truly believe all students in this class can excel academically, and I look forward to working with them to be successful students and helping them achieve significant academic growth during this year. I look forward to discussing your student’s progress at our upcoming conferences. 

Best, 

Ben 

Tuesday Night's Homework

1. Read for 20 minutes

2. Complete multiplication worksheet 

3. Finish pages Wonders pages 144-147 if you didn’t finish in class

Monday Night's Homework

1. Read for 20 minutes

2. Complete multiplication (x9) worksheet 

Thursday Night's Homework

1. Read for 20 minutes

2. Complete multiplication worksheet (both sides) 

3. Complete spelling homework (write each word 3 times) 

4. Study for spelling test

Wednesday Night's Homework

1. Read for 20 minutes

2. Complete multiplication worksheet (Factors of 8) - Work on iReady Math for 15 minutes if you have mastered your facts for 8 

Tuesday Night's Homework

1. Read for 20 minutes

2. Complete multiplication worksheet (Factors of 7) 

** Work on iReady Math for 15 minutes if you have mastered your facts for 7

Week 7 Spelling List

 Week 7 Spelling List - Test on Friday, October 20th

Link to Spelling City for practice: https://www.spellingcity.com/view-spelling-list.html?listId=40174945

 1. heel

 2. week

 3. creek

 4. free

 5. green

 6. street

 7. freeze

 8. seal

 9. weak

 10. bean

 11. speaks

 12. team

 13. clean

 14. cream

 15. field 

End of Week News and Notes

 Good afternoon 106 parents! 

We had a great week in third grade, including a fantastic send off for our MacArthur cross country runners. Good luck at state! 

In math, students worked on strategies to master their multiplication facts for the factors 3, 4, and 6. Next week, we will continue working on these facts as well as the more challenging facts for 7, 8, and 9. I highly encourage students to use XtraMath at home to help them master their math facts for addition, subtraction and multiplication. Practice makes perfect! (For students who have mastered their facts, iReady has personalized lessons ready to go for your student.) 

In literacy this week, students shared their “Ouch” essays and we worked on main idea skills as well as learning to identify an author’s point of view (why an author wrote a text or how the author feels about the topic they are discussing). In social studies we finished our lessons on continents and oceans, and will continue building our geographic knowledge next week by studying cardinal directions and landmarks. Finally, in social-emotional learning, we continued our bullying prevention unit by discussing how to recognize bullying and the importance of reporting bullying. 

NOTES: 

- There is no school on Monday. Teachers will be in the building for trainings and meetings, so please feel free to reach out if you have any questions. 

- There is no homework this weekend, but we will have a spelling test next week. Lists went home today

- Please help your student remember to charge their iPad every night. Unfortunately I only have one charger in the classroom and it’s been in high demand. 

- Thank you to everyone who has signed up for November conferences! For those that haven’t there are still excellent slots available! Link to sign up:  https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0848A5AD22AAF5C43-44554288-fall

- Would you like to visit the class and be a Mystery Reader? Surprise your student and Read your favorite childhood book or story to the class! I’m very flexible on dates and times, so if you are willing to come in, I’m happy to make it work! Shoot me a message on Seesaw or email (bbrandstrader@d23.org) if you are interested.

That’s all for now! Have a great weekend! Stay dry! 

Ben

Thursday Night's Homework

1. Read for 20 minutes

2. Complete multiplication worksheet (both sides)

3. Complete spelling worksheet (write each word 3 times)

4. Study for Spelling test

Wednesday Night's Homework

1. Read for 20 minutes

2. Complete Factors of 6 multiplication worksheet

3. Complete your illustration for your OUCH essay if you didn't finish in class 

Tuesday Night's Homework

1. Read for 20 minutes

2. Complete multiplication worksheet (You can skip #1, #5, #15, #21, #27 because they have the factors of 11 or 12. If you want a challenge, go for it!) 

Monday Night's Homework

1. Read for 20 minutes

2. Complete illustration for your OUCH story. Make sure to take plain paper and coloring supplies if you don’t have them at home. I know students have different artistic skills, but I’m mainly focused on effort. Take your time! 

End of Week News and Notes

 Good afternoon! 

We had a fantastic week in Room 106! In math, we worked on our multiplication facts for 0, 1, 2, 5, 10 and students did a great job. Next week we will be continuing with multiplication facts for 3, 4, and 6. Students who have mastered their multiplication facts (yay!) should be using iReady more frequently over the next few weeks at home to continue to build their math skills while the class works toward mastery of their facts. In literacy, students completed their first written essays of the year, writing personal narrative stories about their worst "Ouch" experience. The next writing unit will cover informational writing. In social studies, we continued our study of geography, learning about the oceans, continents, hemispheres, equator and prime meridian and will continue into next week. 

There is no homework this weekend, but we will have another spelling test next Friday, so I sent home the Week 6 word list for any students that want to get an early start on practicing.

NOTES:

- Today I sent home Scholastic Book Club order forms for any families that are interested. Scholastic has a ton of great books at reasonable prices and they often have good sales. If you do choose to order books and use the class code (NPWBW), the class receives points that can be used to buy books for our classroom library. This is completely optional. 

- Thank you to everyone who has signed up for November conferences! For those that haven’t there are still excellent slots available! Link to sign up: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0848A5AD22AAF5C43-44554288-fall

- Would you like to visit the class and be a Mystery Reader? Surprise your student and Read your favorite childhood book or story to the class! I’m very flexible on dates and times, so if you are willing to come in, I’m happy to make it work! Shoot me a message on Seesaw or email (bbrandstrader@d23.org) if you are interested.

That is all for now. I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend, especially after the Bears finally won a game! 

Best, 

Ben

Thursday Night's Homework

1. Read for 20 minutes

2. Complete spelling worksheet (3 times)

3. Complete multiplication worksheet (If you have mastered your multiplication facts, you should do some extra work on iReady or XtraMath as the homework will be very easy)

*** Picture Retake Day tomorrow

Wednesday Night's Homework

1. Read for 20 minutes

2. Complete multiplication worksheet (If you have mastered your multiplication facts, you should do some extra work on iReady or XtraMath as the homework won't take very long)

3. Pajama Day tomorrow! 

Tuesday Night's Homework

1. Read for 20 minutes

2. Complete multiplication worksheet (If your student has mastered their multiplication facts, they should do some extra work on iReady as the homework will be very easy for them) 

OPTIONAL: Write your speech on why you should be the Room 106 Bulldog Ambassador

* Pajama Day Thursday

Monday Night's Homework

1. Read for 20 minutes

2. Complete multiplication worksheet

* The school met their Bulldog Beliefs Challenge goal and earned a Pajama Day Thursday! Go Bulldogs!

Week 5 Spelling List

Week 5 Spelling List

Test on Friday, October 6th

Link to Spelling City for practice: https://www.spellingcity.com/view-spelling-list.html?listId=40174940

1. coast
2. float
3.  toad
4.  coal
5.  soak
6.  gold
7.  sold
8.  scold
9.  slope
10.  broke
11.  note
12.  bone
13.  slow
14.  show
15.   foe 

End of Week News and Notes

 Good afternoon! 

This week in Room 106, we wrapped up our introduction to multiplication and next week we will begin working on multiplication facts for 0, 1, 2, 5, and 10.  In literacy, we are focused on main ideas and key details. This can be tricky for some students who want to share every detail of a story, so it would be a great help to check in with your students about the stories they are reading and asking them to summarize what they have read in a sentence or two. We began our first social studies unit, which focuses on geography and maps. And in social-emotional learning, we are beginning our anti-bullying unit to coincide with National Bullying Prevention Month. 

There is no homework this weekend, but we will have a spelling test next Friday, so I sent home the word list for any students that want to get an early start on practicing. 

NOTES: 

 - Thank you to everyone who has signed up for November conferences! For those that haven’t there are still excellent slots available! Link to sign up: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0848A5AD22AAF5C43-44554288-fall

- Would you like to visit the class and be a Mystery Reader? Surprise your student and Read your favorite childhood book or story to the class! I’m very flexible on dates and times, so if you are willing to come in, I’m happy to make it work! Shoot me a message on Seesaw or email (bbrandstrader@d23.org) if you are interested.

- Finally, next Friday (10/6) is Picture Retake Day for any students that would like to retake their school picture. 

Have a wonderful weekend everyone! 

Ben 

Thursday Night's Homework

1. Read for 20 minutes

2. Complete math array worksheet 

** Update your iPad (i0S 17) 

Wednesday Night's Homework

1. Read for 20 minutes

2. Complete math array worksheet 

** Update your iPad (i0S 17) if you weren't able to last night

Tuesday Night's Homework

 1. Read for 20 minutes
2. Complete My Ouch Story 4 part outline (if you didn't finish in class)
*** Update your iPad (yes, again)

End of Week News and Notes

Good afternoon Room 106 parents!

We had an excellent week in Room 106, Students demonstrated great progress in their rounding skills, spelling test scores were excellent, and our morning announcers have done a fantastic job getting our school days off to a great and humorous start.

Next week, we will begin working on our multiplication skills in math, a key focus for this year. For any students looking to practice their math facts at home, all students have XtraMath accounts set up on their iPads so they can practice at any time. We are beginning our first in-depth writing unit, where student will be writing personal narrative essays based on their worst “Ouch” story. We began brainstorming this past week and will begin drafting our essays next week. Finally, we wrapped up our first unit of science, focusing on fossils, and will begin our first unit of social studies, focusing on geography.

NOTES:
* There is no homework this weekend, and I hope all that are observing Yom Kippur have an easy fast.
* There will be no spelling list this week due to the short week. We will use our spelling time to work on our spelling in our personal narrative writing essays.
* Thank you to all families who have signed up for November conferences. For those who have not scheduled a conference yet, there are still plenty of time slots available! Link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0848A5AD22AAF5C43-44554288-fall

That’s all for now. Have a nice weekend!
Ben

Thursday Night's Homework

1. Read for 20 minutes

2. Complete spelling worksheet (Write each word 3 times)

* Spelling test tomorrow - Link to practice: https://www.spellingcity.com/view-spelling-list.html?listId=40174937

* Remember to charge (and bring) your iPad!! 

Wednesday Night's Homework

1. Read for 20 minutes

2. Complete Rounding worksheet #3

* Tomorrow we are having our rounding wrap up quiz. If your student is able to complete the worksheet without any help, they are in great shape for tomorrow! If they get stuck on any problems, please circle them so I can go over them tomorrow before we take the quiz. 

* Reminder: No School on Monday (Yom Kippur) 

Tuesday Night's Homework

1. Read for 20 minutes
2. Complete rounding worksheet
* Clean out your folder

Monday Night's Homework

1. Read for 20 minutes
2. Complete rounding worksheet
3. Finish Story Mountain if you didn’t in class. You need at least 2 details for the beginning section, 2 details for the middle section, and 2 details for the end sectiona

** Please clean out your home folder. Picture proofs and/or picture orders went home today and the graded papers stay at home.

Thursday Night's Homework

1. Read for 20 minutes
2. Complete spelling worksheet (Please write each word 3 times) 
* Update your iPad! 
* Study for tomorrow's spelling test 

Wednesday Night's Homework

1. Read for 20 minutes
2. Complete 2nd Step worksheet
3. Update your iPad! (Go to Settings -> General -> Software Update)

Tuesday Night's Homework

1. Read for 20 minutes
2. Complete subtraction worksheet. You can use any strategy you feel comfortable with. The answers are at the bottom so you can double check your work
3. We will have our Subtraction Wrap Up “Quiz” tomorrow before moving to rounding. If you are able to complete the homework successfully, you will be all set for the wrap up!

Monday Night's Homework

1. Read for 20 minutes
2. Complete subtraction worksheet

End of Week News and Notes

We had an excellent week in 3rd grade, including our first drills of the year (bus evacuation and a fire drill). This week in math, we continued working on subtracting 3 digit numbers. Quite a few students had trouble with borrowing and regrouping, so we will continue working on this skill into next week before we begin our rounding lessons. In literacy, we've continued our sequencing work, and the first week's spelling scores were fantastic, so I'm hoping the same will be true of today's test! We also completed our first science lessons which focused on what we can learn from fossils and where they are found.

There is no homework this weekend, and I forgot to pass out next week's spelling list at the end of the day, so the students will receive their lists on Monday morning, but the list is posted in Seesaw for students that would like to start practicing.

NOTES:

1) Students have done an excellent job this week of transporting their iPads back and forth from home and bringing them to school fully charged. If your student is having an issue logging on from home or with their charger, please let me know so I can help troubleshoot.

2) The great slime/putty/fidget experiment has ended, and I will no longer be allowing them in class without parental approval. If you believe a fidget or putty helps your student focus, I'm happy to allow them to use it, just send a note or shoot me an email to let me know.

3) I will not be able to attend Family Fest tonight, but it sounds like there are a lot of great activities lined up, so thank you to everyone who has taken the time to put it together. I hope everyone has fun!

That's all for this week. Please reach out with any questions and have a great weekend!

Thursday Night's Homework

1. Read for 20 minutes
2. Complete the spelling worksheet. Write each word 3 times.
3. Study for tomorrow’s spelling test - https://www.spellingcity.com/view-spelling-list.html?listId=40174931T

Wednesday Night's Homework

1. Read for 20 minutes
2. Complete subtraction math worksheet
3. Study for Friday’s spelling test - https://www.spellingcity.com/view-spelling-list.html?listId=40174931

Tuesday Night's Homework

1. Read for 20 minutes
2. iPads come home today! Set up your iPad charging area 
3. Work on iReady Math or Reading for 10 minutes (If you aren't able to connect to internet or log on from home, let me know where you got stuck so I can help troubleshoot the issue)

Week 2 Spelling List

Week 2 Spelling List

Test on Friday, September 8th

Link to Spelling City for practice

1.  step

2.  mess

3.  head

4.  crops

5.  stop

6.  rock

7.  clock

8.  sock

9.  pond

10. jumps

11.  shut

12.   luck

13.  slump

14.  bugs

15.   mug 

End of Week News and Notes

Good afternoon! 

It was another great week in 3rd grade! This week, we worked on 3 digit addition and took a “practice” quiz to get a feel for what math quizzes will be like this year, and discussed how we can prepare for quizzes to be successful. Next week, we will begin working on 3 digit subtraction with regrouping. In literacy, we finished our first novel read-aloud, Sideways Stories from Wayside School, and began our second novel, Granny Torrelli Makes Soup. Our focus reading skill was on sequencing, which we will continue next week, and we completed our first spelling test without any tears! 

There is no homework this weekend, but I did send home next week’s spelling list for students that wanted to start practicing as it will be a shorter week with the holiday on Monday. 

OTHER NOTES: 
* Thank you for turning in all of the iPad contracts! iPads will be coming home next Tuesday. 

* A reminder that personal technology (phones and smartwatches) must be used and handled appropriately at school. Phones should be silent and not leave backpacks during the school day. 

* Finally, a reminder that it is a school rule that birthday invitations are not allowed to be distributed at school, even if all students in a class are invited. Student contact information can be found through the PTO’s website (the Membership Toolkit I believe) 

Have a great long weekend! 
Mr. Brandstrader

Thursday Night's Homework

1. Read for 20 minutes
2. Complete Spelling worksheet (Write each work 3 times)
3. Study for tomorrow's Spelling Test (https://www.spellingcity.com/view-spelling-list.html?listId=40174928)
** Please return signed iPad Contract ** 

Wednesday Night's Homework

1. Read for 20 minutes
2. Complete Math worksheet
** Study for Friday’s Spelling Test

Tuesday Night's Homework

1. Read for 20 minutes
2. Complete Math worksheet
3. Study for Friday’s Spelling Test
** Sign iPad Contract
** Picture Day is tomorrow! Our time slot is 9am.

Monday Night's Homework

1. Read for 20 minutes
2. Study for Friday’s Spelling Test
3. Sign iPad Contract
* Picture Day is Wednesday (make sure parents saw your form!)

Parent Night Presentation

 Thank you to all of the parents who were able to attend tonight! Below is the my presentation in case you missed it (or wanted to relive the excitement). 

Parent Night is Tomorrow Night!

Good afternoon Room 106 families! 

I just wanted to send a quick reminder that tomorrow night is Parent Night from 6-7:30pm. I will be presenting in Room 106 regarding 3rd grade/classroom information starting around 6:05pm for about 20-30 minutes, followed by a chance to visit specials teachers and support staff, and then a presentation in the gym led by Principal Gage around 6:45pm. 

If you are unable to make it, I will be posted my presentation on my website (mrbrandstrader.com) and will share a link to the presentation via Seesaw as well. 

I look forward to seeing many of you tomorrow night! Stay cool! 

Week 1 is in the books!

Hello Room 106 families! 

What an amazing first week in 3rd grade! Thank you so much for all of your efforts getting your students prepared for the school year!  

Every week I will send a message home regarding what we did during the week and what's coming up in the week ahead. This week, students got acclimated to the classroom and got to know their teacher and their peers. We did a lot of labeling and organization of our supplies. Next week, we begin our academic work and dive into the curriculum.  

The most important note for this upcoming week is that Parent Night is this Thursday (August 24th) from 6-7:30pm. Keep an eye on your email as more information and details regarding Parent Night will be sent soon. On Parent Night, I will introduce myself, share what students will be learning in 3rd grade, provide information regarding routines and expectations, and answer any questions that you have. If you are unable to attend, I will post the presentation on my website (mrbrandstrader.com) and provide a link via Seesaw. 

Second, binders are not required for my class. I know that supply lists went out before class lists did, so I'm sorry if anyone was scrambling to find a binder. They will be used in 4th grade, so I instructed students to take them home and save them for next year unless they wanted to use them this year. 

Finally, we had our first lost tooth of the year, and unfortunately, we actually lost it! So if anyone finds a tooth in their backpack, please return it to the classroom so I can reunite it with its owner. 

Thanks again to you and your students for making my first week at Betsy Ross a great one! 

Best,

Mr. Brandstrader

Welcome!

 

Hello!

My name is Mr. Brandstrader, and this will be my 15th year teaching, my first year at Betsy Ross Elementary School and my first year teaching third grade! I am a graduate of University of Illinois, National Louis University, and Concordia University. I've spent most of my career teaching fourth grade, but I'm super excited to be part of the stellar third grade team at Betsy Ross!