Spelling Practice

There are so many creative ways to study spelling words!

1. Writing in shaving cream with your fingers
2. Spelling words out using candy or cereal and gluing them on paper
3. Painting
4. Jump rope
5. Walk the words (i.e. make a "L" by walking down then over)
6. Rainbow Write (multiple crayon tracing)
7. Chalk on the sidewalk or on black construction paper

  

Parent Note

Dear Parents,

We have had a whirlwind of learning going on in our classroom these past weeks.  The Newbery Club has been energizing the kids and opening new genres of literacy to interest them.  It is great fun to hear them give their book reviews and recommendations to the class.  Most of our students have joined the Newbery Club and kids are reading amazing literature!

Thank you for your support in helping your child with the writing process activities we sent home last month.  Brainstorming, writing, editing, and rewriting are important skills and your children have become wonderful writers.  We are continuing this work on the traits of editing and voice to make our writings come alive. 

Our reading groups are focusing on drawing inferences, which is a higher level skill.  Authors don’t always “tell,” but give clues for readers to pick up their intended meaning.  We often call this "reading between the lines."  This can be tricky!

Math in our room is robust!  The long division we have looked forward to is here and the students are working hard.  Ask your child to teach you to use the code, Dad-Mom-Sister-Brother-Cousin, to help them remember the steps in long division.  We are beginning to do more work on multiplication and division, as well as using bar models to help us.  We will end the year adding, subtracting, comparing, and converting fractions. 

Doc Grizzly is coming today and tomorrow and we are all excited for his visit.  On Thursday, your child will want to come dressed up as a person from Colorado history (pioneer, Native American, etc.) and bring 12 trading items.  If you have a moment Thursday, come see our Mountain Man as he makes Colorado History truly come alive.  Your child will always remember Doc!

As we near the end of the school year, I want to let you know how truly amazing your children are. Your children are positive, kind, and love to learn.  That has made for a great community of inquisitive learners who support each other.  I personally do not want the month of May to come, as I will really miss this class come June.

Fondly, 

Julie

Our Incredible Gymnast

McCayden just competed in Regionals, Level 7 for gymnastics.  We are so proud of you, McCayden!

Click here to see a video of her vault.

Click here to see a video of her bar routine.

Click here to see a video of her floor routine.

Pledge of Allegiance and National Anthem

This morning our class led the Lower School assembly in the Pledge of Allegiance and the National Anthem.  Below is a snippet, but click here to view the entire video.

We got a kind note from third grade teacher, Mrs. Cook.

Dear Mrs. O'Connor's Class,

Thank you so much for explaining some of the important words in the Pledge of Allegiance today. Thanks also for bringing the  National Anthem into our assembly.  What a wonderful new tradition.  You can be proud of reminding us how important it is to be patriotic.

Mrs. Cook

Allie and Matthew did a fantastic job as emcees!  

Karina and Emerson-Ellis Present...

THIRD GRADE JOURNEY

Doc Grizzly

On April 30th and May 1st, excitement and adventure are coming to our Third Grade students. Doc Grizzly is coming to Graland. Doc Grizzly is a real Mountain Man. He will teach about an important part of Colorado history. He will demonstrate how traders and trappers lived and what a rendezvous was really like.

On his first visit, Wednesday afternoon, April 30th, Doc Grizzly will show us some of the Mountain Man’s important tools. He will tell stories about how people lived in the mountains in the mid to late 1800’s.

On Thursday, May 1st^, Doc Grizzly will set up camp on the field. He will pitch his tent, cook his food, share more wonderful stories, and trade with us

Here’s what our students need to do to be prepared for the Thursday visit:

·      Come dressed as a mountain man, explorer, settler, trapper, storekeeper, trader, or Native American. (There is no need to purchase a costume. Use things from your own closets.)

·      Bring a dozen items to trade in a plastic bag. Some examples are beef or turkey jerky, beads, buttons, fabric scraps, store bought biscuits, store bought cookies, or other small items that you can trade. Be creative with your ideas. (There is no need to make major purchases.) Just remember that whatever you trade you will not get back. No items containing nuts, please. No chocolate, it melts. You may want to bring in your trading items on Wednesday so that you don’t forget them on Thursday.

·      Spend time thinking up a tall tale about your trading items. It makes trading more fun. Your teacher will give you examples.

·      Apply and bring sunscreen; we will be outside for most of the day. Teachers do not apply sunscreen.

·      Bring a water bottle and a towel with your name on it.

ERB Testing

Dear Parents,

Third grade students will take the ERB (Educational Records Bureau) test this week, April 22-25. These tests are designed to showcase what your child knows, and, more importantly, what we need to teach them in the future.

Here are a few things we have told the students to help alleviate any anxiety.  Please review them with your child.

• This test does NOT decide whether or not they go to fourth grade.

• The most important thing students can do is READ AND FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS CAREFULLY.

• They should NOT worry if they are unable to finish a section of the test in the allotted time.

• They will NOT know how to do every problem on the test.

• Usually their first answer is correct.

• They should use available time if they finish early to go over their answers for that section.

• They should not spend too much time on each problem. They may skip problems and then come back to them if they have more time.

• Teachers cannot provide any help after the directions have been given.

Please be sure that your student has a good night’s sleep and good breakfasts every day.

Thanks for your support at home!

Plains Conservation Center Field Trip

Click here to view pictures from our wonderful field trip to the Plains Conservation Center!

Here is a video of the rattlesnake we saw!

Visit Your Building on April 12 or 13

Doors Open Denver, celebrating neighborhood architecture, is an annual celebration of Denver’s built environment.  Presented by The Denver Architectural Foundation, and celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2014, Doors Open Denver is a free two-day event. They are inviting residents and visitors to tour, explore and appreciate the spectacular, the new, and the historic buildings they see every day, but may never have entered.

Click here and here for more information!

This valuable visit / tour and interview opportunity will really be helpful as you complete the research phase of the Historic Denver Architecture Project!

Building Assignments

The Historic Denver Architecture Project has begun!  Here is a list of buildings being studied by our students:

Allie:                   Denver Municipal Auditorium
Belen:                  Denver Fire Station No. 1

Cate:                   Union Station

Elliot:                  Molkery/Montclair Civic Building

Emerson-Ellis:      Boston Building

Gracie:                Chamberlain Observatory

Hastings:             Trinity United Methodist Church

Hudson:               Phipp’s Auditorium

Karina:                 Daniels and Fisher Tower

Lorenzo:              State Capital

MacCoy:               Byron White United States Courthouse

Matthew:             Buckhorn Exchange

McCayden:           Denver Mint

Mia:                     Loretto Heights

Milin:                   Brown Palace Hotel

Rachelle:             Molly Brown’s House

Robert:                Grant Humphreys Mansion

Sara:                   Gas and Electric Building

Kindness A to Z Video

Click here to view our Kindness A to Z video.

Spring Break

Click here to view photos of Spring Break!

Plains Conservation Center Field Trip

On Friday, April 11th, third graders are going back in history to visit the Plains Conservation Center.  There we will explore the lives of Native Americans and early Colorado pioneers.  We will leave school at 9:15 and will return around 2:30.  School will provide lunch and snack as usual. Each student must carry a backpack with a labeled water bottle inside, as there are no drinks available there.

Students should dress warmly in layers as we will spend most of the time outdoors moving from one place to another. It will feel about 10 degrees colder on the plains.

All students need boots, warm socks (or at least two pair), hats, and gloves. As it may be snowy or muddy, we recommend that children not wear expensive boots.  Extra warm clothes will be kept in the student's backpack, but you won't want the pack to get too heavy.  Each student will carry his/her own bag.  It will be a wonderful day!

Checklist

☐ Backpack

☐ Bottle of water

☐ Hat that covers the ears

☐ Gloves/mittens

☐ Boots with extra warm socks (toes get really cold)

☐ Warm jacket

☐ Clothing layers