May 9, 2008

 

Dear Parents and Third Graders,

    

     Thank you to Mrs. Penner, Mrs. Bailey, and Mrs. Weiler for driving us to the Junior Theatre production of  "Joseph and his Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat."  We read the entire story about Joseph and his life in the book of Genesis upon our return to school.  The play followed the story in the Bible really well. 

 

     I am sorry about the website snafu this last week.  I think the only really urgent news in the newsletter last week was about the new biography book report due on May 23.  Students have chosen their books from my library and some have even completed the written part of the book report.  I have not seen any stretch faces yet.  Remember there are two parts to this book report.  Also, I know that I gave the children the bonus words so they did not have to get those from the website.  I think things are back to normal now.

 

     We have no field trips planned for awhile.  So, it is back to work.  We are completing two of our Art Masters art pieces this next week.  Both really pertain to our reading unit about imagination.  We are studying Miro and Degas.  I think the children are enjoying the projects and viewing the slides about the artists.  In addition, our reading book includes a story about Picasso, an artist we have studied in Art Masters in a previous year.  These are my favorite times in class. 

 

     We continue to work on our computer projects and I hope the students are practicing their typing skills, especially home row letters on the keyboard, at home.  In math we are beginning long division, reading and writing decimal numbers, finding negative numbers on a number line, using a number line to work addition, subtraction, and multiplication problems, and practicing timed simple divisions facts.  Please work with your child on a regular basis reviewing the multiplication facts as well.

 

     Cursive writing is used for most of our assignments now.  The children seem to be relatively comfortable.  We have some problems with the capital letters, but with practice I know we will all  be successful and ready for fourth grade cursive writing.

 

     We are working on government and the history of our country in social studies with the greatest amount of time spent on reading our novel about the Revolutionary War times. 

 

     On Thursday we completed a novel we have been reading in class called A Dog Called Kitty.  It was very emotional for all of us in many ways.  I was impressed with the children's responses to the literature and how each child described what the novel meant to them.  I am pleased that reading for entertainment and for learning new things has become important to the children.  It is a great place to be at the end of the year.  Instead of viewing reading as a chore, reading has become a gateway to new ideas, new thoughts, new feelings, an opening to the discussion of our collective feelings, and how we relate to one another as human beings.  What fun! 

    

1.  Book reports (written cards and the stretch face) due May 23.

 

2.  Next Friday, May 16, is Celebration of the Arts.  Choirs will perform, some students will be sharing their musical talents, and the Art Masters pieces will adorn our walls.  See you there.

 

3.  Spelling Bonus Words

 

      opportunity      audible       inconvenient     imaginable       negative

 

4.  Memory

     New memory sheets for May are in the plan books if your child has completed April memory verses.  

 

                                                                                    Yours in Christ,

                                                                                     Kate Seal