Wingo

Where did winter go?

The weather is beautiful and I am so enjoying the sunshine these days. Please take some time to go for a short walk or bike ride with your child and talk about what is going on in school. You will see the rewards for that short investment of your time!

This week is very busy! We have PTA on Thursday night and your child needs to be in our classroom by 5:45 PM. We are wearing blue jeans and white t-shirts - we have even discussed how kids in the 50s wore their t-shirts rolled up on the sleeves. Please walk your child down to our classroom and then pick him/her up from our classroom after PTA is over.

We have finished our chapter in math on fractions and are beginning decimals this week. We will add and subtract them, just as we did fractions.

In Science, we are learning about the habitats in Georgia and will do a research project on one animal that lives in a Georgia habitat. Most students have already chosen their animal and we will all be researching. Later, your child will have to write a written report about this animal and present a project showing its habitat. This important project will combine Science and writing this nine weeks.

In Social Studies, we have learned about the accomplishments of Mary McLeod Bethune and will now begin learning about Franklin Roosevelt. We will also discuss Eleanor Roosevelt before the end of the nine weeks.

Remember that your child has reading homework each and every night. The 20 minutes of reading should be logged into your child's reading log daily. I will check every Friday morning to be sure that this is complete for the week. When your child brings home a guided reading book, it is one that we have read together in group. Your child has an assignment and often has a work sheet to complete about the book. Be sure that both things are returned to school the next day - book and worksheet. I appreciate your help.

I am attaching the spelling words for this week.Download Sort21

 

Happy New Year!

We have come back from the holidays and started working very hard! It's unbelieveable that we are half way through Third Grade already!

Here are a few important dates to remember:

Friday, January 13th - Report Cards go home and we attend the Spelling Bee in Varner's Cafeteria

Tuesday, January 17th - In-School Field Trip with the folks from CATO Environmental.

Wednesday, January 18th - Chik-Fil-A in the AM carpool line

Thursday, January 26th - WellStar Dental Health Program (in school)

Friday, January 27th - Spirit Day

Monday - Friday, January 30th - February 3rd - Book Fair in the Media Center

Thursday, February 2nd - PTA 6:00 PM Third and Fourth Grade perform

I am attaching this week's spelling list here:Download Sort18

Because this week and next are short weeks, I will not send home a reading packet for homework. Your child will have spelling tic-tac-toe homework, but it will not be due until Friday. Please be sure that your child reads his/her guided reading book for homework and/or a library book that he/she can take an AR test on before Friday.

Keep practicing those multiplication facts as they need to be mastered. Thanks for your help!

Happy Holidays!

We are quickly approaching the end of the first semester and we still have so much to do! Please pay close attention to your child's planner and this blog for important information. Some dates you will want to remember are:

All this week: Secret Santa Shop by the PTA.

Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, December 13, 14, and 15: Checkpoint testing (CCSD mandated).

Friday, December 16th: Spirit Day and Science test (students have their notebooks and workbooks to study).

Saturday, December 17th: Reindeer Run at 8:00 AM.

Monday, December 19th: Magic Show for Performing Arts and WellStar Health Program.

Wednesday, December 21st: Polar Express Day - Students may wear their pajamas for our special trip on the Polar Express.

Thursday, December 22nd: Class Party, 11:00-12:00 and Cafeteria behavior reward! We get to watch Willie Wonka!!! YEAH!

Remember that your child has reading homework each and every night! Please be sure that he/she reads the assigned pages in his/her guided reading book.

I am attaching this week's spelling words here:Download Sort16

We are reviewing for the big math test for this nine weeks and the class gets to rotate into other classrooms for the review. Ask your child about Princess Diameter! They loved that one!

All reading logs will be due when we get back from the holidays. Be sure that your child has kept up with his/her reading log.

I hope you all have a wonderful, restful, joyous holiday!

Thankful Third Graders

We had a wonderful trip to the Vulcan Rock Quarry and I am sure the students learned so much and had fun, too! They were tired by the end of the trip after rock hunting and lugging around those heavy rocks!

Today was just the beginning of a very busy week here at Varner! We hope all of our parents will be able to join us for lunch on Wednesday, November 16th at 11:08 for the Thanksgiving lunch. Then on Thursday at 10:45, the third grade will participate in the Fun Run! I hope you are collecting pledges as this helps our school so much!

We are continuing to work on multiplication facts and your child should have memorized up to the 5's by now. We are working on learning the facts through the nines, so keep up the good work. These will need to be memorized by the end of the nine weeks, which is the end of December.

All students are expected to take and pass an AR test each week. Last week we had several students who did not meet that goal. This is not an optional assignment. I will be writing in your child's planner if he/she has not taken a test by Friday of each week. Students who have not taken a test will go to the opportunity room to read on Friday afternoons instead of participating in RCCs.

I'm attaching this week's spelling list to the blog here:Download Sort13

Remember to sign the planner daily as it has valuable information about our classroom and your child.

There is a Science test this Friday along with the weekly spelling test.

In Social Studies, we are learning about three American heroes: Paul Revere, Frederick Douglass, and Susan B. Anthony. Ask your child what he/she has learned about these important folks in our history.

I hope your family has a wonderful, restful Thanksgiving holiday. I am truly Thankful for all of you and all you do to help your child.

Conference Week!

Thank you all so much for making the time to come and see me and discuss your child's progress! It makes my job easier when you show that much dedication to your child's education! With all the schedule changes and the "busy"-ness of Conference Week, our kids have shown their lifeskills of flexibility and patience over and over!

I am attaching the latest information from PTADownload Coming up next Week and here are this week's spelling words:Download Sort10

Thanks, also, for the yummy snacks for Conference Week! I have enjoyed a little nourishment between conferences and certainly appreciate your thoughtfulness.

Friday is the last day for the Book Fair and the boys and girls have picked out many good books.

Monday is Hat Day and your child may wear a hat and bring $1.00 for Relay for Life. Pleasae do not send your child to school in a costume, as this is only hat day.

October 17-21, 2011

Last week's testing is finally over and I am proud of how our kids used their lifeskills of flexibility and perseverance during testing. They were tired and they kept at it! We don't have any make-up tests to give, and a big thank you to all parents who got their students to school on time, fed, and well-rested. The testing and schedule change was difficult, but they dealt with it all like champs!

This week's happenings from PTA are attached here:Download Coming up this week at Varner.

We will have a busy week this week getting everything finished that needs to be before I meet with you during conference week. I am looking forward to sharing what we have been doing this nine weeks, and giving you information about what is coming in the next grading period.

There will be spelling tic-tac-toe honmework this week and your child is responsible for getting any of the worksheets he/she needs to complete the homework. I give them reminders every day. This week's spelling words are available here:Download Sort 9

We will also have a reading packet this week, as we had before testing. Be sure your child works on it a little each night so it is ready to turn in on Friday.

Don't forget that Picture Day is Thursday, October 20th. Please send in picture money on that day. Your child should wear his/her best smile on Thursday!

Every student should be taking at least one AR test per week. Our regular library day is Thursday, but your child can go to the media center any day that he/she needs to in order to exchange a book or take a test. They may go to the media center any day from 7:15-7:50, or during our Literacy Lab time, as well as every Thursday when we go as a class. I will print out each child's AR report and give it to you at our conference.

Thanks for your generous suppoort of the Third Grade's bake sale at the Fall Festival. Everything looked so good!

Remember to sign the planner each and every day so you are kept informed of the happenings in our class and at Varner.

Weekly Happenings at Varner - October 10th

Please see the attached informaiton from the PTA:Download Coming up next week at Varner

Remember that we are testing all this week. There is no spelling homework or a reading packet for you to do at home this week. All students should be reading a library book for at least 20 minutes per day. All students should be reading and taking tests on at least one AR book per week. The students know that I expect this and also know that their AR report will be printed out and given to parents at conferences.

We have been working on counting money and making change the past few weeks in math. We played a game today and several students are still having difficulty counting coins up to 99 cents. This week is a great week to review that skill at home with a little practice. Put a small group of coins on a table and see if your child can count the amount correctly. Maybe the reward could be that he/she gets to keep the money for his/her own piggy bank if it is counted correctly! That might be just the incentive your child needs to get it right!

This Thursday we will have a library lesson using the I-Respond clickers to answer questions. Check with your child to see how he/she liked using the clickers. Everyone should have new books on Thursday to read over the weekend.

I am getting things ready for our conferences and am looking forward to seeing all of you again and sharing your child's progress for this first nine weeks. Please sign and return the conference forms as soon as possible so I will know if I have scheduled you at a convenient time for you.

I hope you like the progress reports that I send home each Friday. If I need to tell you something important about your child, I will still continue to write in his/her planner, but will make these Friday reports a weekly thing if you find them beneficial.

 

 

Awesome October!

There is so much going on this week and we are working so hard to get it all done! Our CoGat testing and ITBS begins this Wednesday and we will test through next week. Please be sure your child has had a good night's sleep and a healthy breakfast each day. It's hard to do your best on a test if you are tired.

We will have spelling this week and I'm attaching the words to this blog.  Download Sort 8 Spelling tic-tac-toe is due on Thursday. Next week, we will not have spelling or a reading homework packet due to testing.

Each child should be taking one test per week on Accelerated Reader. Many students have already begun taking tests, and you need to check with your child to see if he/she has taken any. I will print out their AR report bwfore conferences so you will know how your child is doing with his/her comprehension.

Please take a minute to volunteer for helping out with the Book Fair and the Fall Festival. Our room moms can really use your help with the bake sale. Our class is scheduled to close down the bake sale at the end of the Fall Festival, and any helpers who are there can take home whatever may be left. Not bad pay for a little work! Please contact our room moms for additional information.

Here is what is happening at Varner this week:  Download Coming up next week at Varner

 

 

Welcome Fall!

I'm attaching the information from our PTA president about the happenings this week at Varner. Please check your child's planner for additional information.Download Coming up this Week at Varner

Here are this week's spelling words.Download Sort 7

Have a great week!

Week of September 19th at Varner

We have so much going on this week! Attached is your child's spelling list for this week, just in case it is not in your child's planner.Download Sort 6

Also, for Fall Festival, Third Grade will host a bake sale and I'm attaching the information about this as well.Download Fall Fest 2011-2012 Bake Sale

More information will be coming about the Fall Festival, but I wanted to give you some advance notice.

Progress reports will go home for all students on Wednesday, September 21st. Please sign and return as soon as possible.