VW 3rd Grade Blog 2020-2021

Good Afternoon, It has been a great start to the school year in the month of September, and it makes me realize on a day where the school has no students in it how much energy and life they bring to our classroom everyday. It's been so enjoyable getting to know everyone a little better every day, and the students are engaged in their learning to want to do well daily! We have a busy week next week with various things going on, so I will keep this short in the beginning, but just know that our school is the best because of the students that come in here every day! Week in Review: Writing: Writers turned to story tellers in the beginning of the week, setting down their pens and really focusing on their voice when telling narrative stories. It was great to see the transfer into their writing when they finally started writing, and it has been awesome to see the growth and engagement in just a few weeks. Math: Students had their first quick quiz which they talked about on Seesaw, explai...

 Good Afternoon, As we wrap up our first full week of school, I am reflecting on how great it has been to get to know the students so well over these first few weeks. The class has really settled into a groove with their classmates, and getting to know one another every day, as well as getting routines down where it really starts to feel like we are in a good spot and officially back to school! I am excited to continue on this learning journey with all of them and watch all the growth that the students will make both academically and socially! Week in Review: Writing: Writers have been making great strides in their writing in just the few weeks they have been back! We are starting to transition from not only focusing on story ideas, but how can we turn those ideas into well written narratives. Students are applying the strategies that authors use in their writing, and ended the week with an editing tip of how we can be editing on the go as we write! Math: The mathematicians worke...

 Good Afternoon, The first 7 days of school have been a great time to build relationships with everyone in the class, and it is starting to settle into a place where everyone feels safe and comfortable in their new classroom. The students have done a great job of establishing routines, creating class expectations they want, and a mission statement that we will try and accomplish daily. It is hard to not notice the positive energy of every student as they walk into the classroom each day, as they bring the life and energy that truly brings a classroom to life. Week in Review: Math: Students worked together to create class posters to talk about the importance of these 4 things in math: Math talk, mistakes are powerful, speed is not important, and believing in yourself. We also co-created a chart of how to have success in math from a students role, and a teacher role to help establish what we can all do to have success in math this year! Writing: Writers have been eager to start writ...

 Good Afternoon, It's bittersweet thinking don't have many weekly updates left with this great class and their families. I just want to say how appreciative I am of all of your support throughout this school year. It truly has been unforgettable, and I cherished every second with all of the students. I had so much fun teaching and getting to know the students and families, and am looking forward to taking in every second we get together next week. Week in Review: Math: Students finished their end of year assessments and the growth is fantastic! SO much to celebrate! We will be working on summer math goals, and creating math games to play over the summer next week. Writing: Writers turned into storytellers as they practiced all week with classmates, and were able to share them with the other class today. The big performance for the 4K students happens on Monday! Reading: Readers are completing year end units in social issues, and will be celebrating next week on how they can be ...

 Good Afternoon, This week students worked extremely hard, and put in such great effort to finish up their i-Ready testing. Students did an awesome job, and were able to showcase all the growth and learning they have gained this year! It was also great to be able to celebrate as a class their efforts with a relaxing movie in the afternoon, as the weather outside makes it clear that summer is truly right around the corner. We were able to cheer on participants in the Breaking Boundaries Triathlon on the CE trail, while also trying to get every car and truck that went by to honk as well. It is hard to believe we only have two weeks left of school in this unforgettable year, but we are sure to enjoy every minute we get to be together! Week in Review:  Math: Students completed their i-Ready testing and finished the week with a quick quiz on their last unit in math! We will be reviewing before our end of year assessment next week! Writing: Writers were storytelling, drafting, revis...

 Good Afternoon, As a class we started this week off with a whole class conversation about wanting to end the school year strong. We discussed how hard we have all worked this year, and making sure we end the school year the right way will lead us into a successful summer and a great start into 4th Grade. The end of the year also means end of year assessments, which will show just how much we have grown since the beginning of the year. I hope that some relaxed "homework assignments" will help everyone stay energized, engaged, and focused while we are in the classroom these final few weeks! Week in Review: Math: The students have been working hard taking a part problems, and really thinking about what it is asking. The 3rd graders will have completed every single unit for 3rd grade by the end of next week!  Writing: Writers finished their first Fairy Tales adaptations, and moved on to their second one where they were able to choose which Fairy Tale they wanted to adapt! It ha...

 Good Afternoon, As students finished with their Forward State testing this week, we ended our week with a class treat to celebrate the hard work and efforts all year, and that we are done with state testing! It can be a very stressful time, but understanding that the test can not measure all of the amazing things that make all of the students so special. It has been such a joy to watch the growth made over the year by everyone, and I am going to cherish every day we get to be together here in school in the month of May. Week in Review: Math: Students completed their Forward testing in math this week, and also had a couple lessons where they had to work through some tricky language in word problems to solve what the question was asking them. Writing: Students started to study adaptations made to fairy tales, and by the end of the week started writing their own adaptations to either 3 Billy Goats Gruff or Little Red Riding Hood. The storytelling and acting going on in the classroom ...