Language Arts-  This week's story focused on the essential question, How can problem solving lead to new ideas?  We read the stories, "Mary Andresen’s Great Invention", “Lighting the World”, and "All Aboard".  The stories were biographies and told the true story of a person's life. We discussed metaphors, subjects and predicates and introduced cause and effect. Each Friday we take our online assessment.  These are a new format for the kids this year since we are taking them online.  Before we take the test we discuss the extended response in great detail and I begin a graphic on the board with them to use on their planning sheet.  At this point in the year I give them a lot of leeway with their response and the point value for the test overall is minimal.  We go over the response after and discuss what the expectations were so they can learn what we are looking for.  They will become easier as they get used to the format.  

Next week our main focus will be Main Idea and Details of a story. 

Spelling- Please continue to practice spelling throughout the week and encourage your children to practice writing them at home.  It is very difficult to read some of their spelling tests so please stress good penmanship. 

Math- We just finished up Topic 2 and took our test on Thursday.  They did very well and you can find them in their Friday Folders.  This coming week we will be working on topic 3 and continuing to learn our multiplication facts as well as learn about the Distributive and Associate Property of Multiplication.  The Distributive Property is usually a difficult concept for Third Graders so we will be spending a couple extra days on it.  
              Please practice math facts nightly.

Science- We are learning a lot about Matter and will continue to explore the different states this next week.

PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCE SIGN-UP

A note about how to sign up came home today in their Friday Folders. Teacher conference are October 9th and 10th.

If these dates do not work for you, please let me know.  We can make arrangements to meet before school or during specials.  I am typically at school by 8:00 each day. 

Important Dates...

September 23rd- School Picture day
October 9th - Evening Conferences
October 10th - NO SCHOOL; Conferences
October 11th - NO SCHOOL - NEOEA Day
October 21st - Book Fair, our time is 9:00-9:20
October 22nd- Third Grade State tests
October 24th- Third Grade State tests
October 25th- End of First Quarter
October 31st- Halloween
November 1st- No School, Teacher Inservice

Third Grade testing- Ohio testing will be Tuesday, October 22nd and Thursday, October 24^th.  Please make sure that your children are well resting, eat a healthy breakfast and come to school on those days.  

Please look at your child's planner each night.  Also, please be sure to look through your child's Folder each Friday when we send home papers from that week.

Hope you had a great weekend.