VW 3rd Grade Blog 2020-2021

Good Morning, It was great to be able to connect with everyone at conferences. I always appreciate that time to meet with everyone, and talk about all the growth and success that I get to see everyday! You have all been so supportive this year, and I can't say thank you enough; looking forward to another great 2+ months of the school year! Week in Review: Math: Our new unit kicked off with students learning all about Liquid Volume in both customary system and metric system!  Writing: Writers wrote their on demand informational books, and then enjoyed some days of free write to celebrate all their hard work during the unit. Reading: Readers are working very hard during our test prep unit of reading passages and answering questions learning tips and strategies, all while building their reading volume and stamina! A Look Ahead:  No School Friday April 2nd No School Monday April 5th Have a great weekend! Mr. VW

 Good Afternoon, As we are heading towards spring, with warmer weather and more sunlight, and conferences next week it is a great time to stop for reflection. I always look forward to conferences because of that reflection time of where we are at, and celebrating all the growth that has been made with goals still in mind for the future. It has been a school year unlike any other, but it is important to offer yourself grace, and know that the students are doing great work everyday pushing themselves to grow both academically and as a person. Week In Review: Math: Students finished up their math unit with a Jeopardy Review and unit test, and celebrated their learning and growth with a Math Gameday on Friday!  Writing: Writers are wrapping up their informational writing unit, and will be doing interviews to talk about how much they have grown as a writer from their first informational writing to the end of their third book they just finished!  Reading: Readers ended their in...

 Good Afternoon, I hope everyone has enjoyed the nice weather, as it looks like the weekend will bring another beautiful day as well. It is hard to believe sometimes that we are less than two weeks away from spring conferences with a little over two months left of this school year. I know I have said it before, but this year has been such an enjoyable year for myself because of all of you and your support, but the amazing students who have made each day an adventure!  Week in Review: Math: The mathematicians have been working hard this past week understanding and working with fractions. It is amazing to see the growth they make in a week when working with a a new concept! A lot to be proud of with all the students! Writing: Writers finished yet another informational book this week, and "leveled up" in their writing. They learned new strategies to add to this book with their group to make it even better! Reading: Readers have been learning strategies on how to research well, i...

 Good Afternoon, The students have really been enjoying the nice weather we have been having outside, and this past week enjoyed the extra reading activities we had to Celebrate Read Across America Week. March becomes a very busy time of the year so it is important to find the enjoyment in the process of each day or it can start to wear you down, and we will continue to try to do our best every single day! Week in Review: Math: Students spent this week learning concepts all about Area and Perimeter. It was a different way of thinking, but by the end of the week we had felt comfortable about understanding the concepts and how to solve for the two of them. Writing: Writers embarked on their next journey of writing all about a topic they are doing research on in reading. It is great to see them really push themselves, and group members to make their writing the best it can be! Reading: Readers were working hard on their research of their second animal, and the knowledge they are gaini...

 Good Afternoon, This past week it really hit me we are actually closer to the end of the school year, than we are to the beginning. Sometimes you get so caught up in the daily work and the learning process of the school year, that it hits you when you walk outside and feel the air, or see the snow melting, or hear students ask you if they have to wear their snow gear since it is SO HOT outside. The class has persevered through the year, and have been working hard daily that when you stop and look up it amazes you how much time has gone by, and how much growth has been made. I am really looking forward to these final months of school to see how much growth we can continue to make, and continuing to be our best self every single day. Week in Review: Math: The mathematicians finished another unit of math, and worked on corrections to solidify their learning of the unit. They participated in some new math games to finish up their week, and celebrate their hard work. Writing: Writers p...

 Good Afternoon, As we transitioned to new units in both reading and writing, with new units coming up in math and content as well, the students are really growing in their ability to adapt to new changes and routines. They have done a really great job of pushing themselves to do their best everyday, and I am very proud of their daily efforts to keep working on becoming our best selves! We had a very fun time with the Penny War as well, as every amount raised will be donated to the Pillars warming shelter! Week in Review: Math: Students worked on graphs and data, while also getting themselves prepared for the unit test which is next week on fractions, time, measurement, graphs and data! Writing: Writers transitioned from writing literary essays back to informational writing with a focus on writing about what they observed in their nonfiction research club books. Reading: Readers were hard at work as they began in their nonfiction unit with Research Clubs! They are starting research...

 Good Afternoon, This year we may have not been able to do a traditional Valentine's Day exchanges and celebrations, but the class made the most of the time we were able to just be together. With it being cold all week, we had indoor recess, and a lot of time is spent with each other so I am just reminded how thankful I am that we are able to all be here in school learning together. Week in Review: Math - Students had a quick quiz on telling time, and began to transition to working with graphs and data. I gave the students an extra credit opportunity that if they see a graph over the long weekend, to take a picture and have it emailed to me for a future class treat! Writing - Writers wrote more literary essays this week (even one on a short Disney film Dante's Lunch), and began to self assess and work with partners to identify the techniques that great writers use all the time in essay writing! Reading - Readers celebrated all of their learning with a reading celebration! They ...