Happy Thanksgiving

Hi Parents and families,
We've had a quick, short week but we've wrapped up our novel study which focused on Native Americans and Pilgrims. The students will finish their posters about the Delaware/Lenape tribe but I doubt that we'll get to present them to the class until next week.

When we return from the holiday break, we will pickup where we left off in our reading books and with the spelling list that accompanies that story.

Have a super Thanksgiving!

Costumes

Don't throw out those costumes yet. In the spring our class will be studying fairy tales and putting on a Fairy Tale Ball. Students will be selecting their favorite fairy tale and they'll be asked to dress the part for an exciting afternoon of role playing. You may have the perfect costume for your child or another in our class!!

Exciting News

I would like to announce our top readers for the month of October. Alexis read 815 minutes, Caitlin read 420 minutes, and Maddie read 415 minutes. Congratulations to these students! Our class as a whole read 5,115 minutes at home in the month of October which is down some from our September total. Please continue reading at home AND filling out the reading logs and turning them in each Monday.

Until Thanksgiving

Good Morning Parents and Students,
I wanted to let you know what our class will be doing with reading until Thanksgiving break. The students will be divided into 3 different groups each reading a different novel. Depending upon the book, each group will have daily assigned reading and activities to accompany that reading. I'll meet with each group daily to ensure they are completing the reading and assignments but also to monitor comprehension. Your child may or may not need to bring their novel home to finish the assigned reading.
I'm looking forward to a change from our reading book and I know the students will enjoy the novels.
Enjoy this beautiful Sunday!

Monday Homework Packet

I hope you have all seen the homework packet that went home with your child today. In preparation for the spring ISTEP, I'll be sending home a packet each week. It will reinforce the skills from the previous week and will be due on Friday. I have encouraged the students to use a highlighter on the reading passages and to read the questions first. Then, as they read, they can highlight the answers. While they can't highlight on the actual ISTEP, locating answers to questons in a text is a crucial skill that should be grasped this year. To help practice this skill, after hearing the new story on Mondays, I'll read actual test questions and have the class go back to where they think they heard the answer and try to find it.
As usual, I'll try to put reminders in the assignment notebook regarding the due dates for the homework packet. I did tell the students today that I should not see them working on the packet at school. Thanks for your help in preparing your child for the ISTEP.

Service Learning Project

Read a Good Book Lately?

3rd graders have a wonderful opportunity to help some little ones do just that. We are partnering with Healthy Families of Hendricks County to provide new or gently used books for preschool aged children for Christmas. They are holding their annual Christmas party on Dec. 11th so we would need to have the books at school on or anytime before Dec. 1st. As a team of parents, students, and teachers we can help these preschoolers build a foundation for reading and learning at a very early age. We hope that you’ll consider being a part of this project with us!

Mary Kintner
Kim Runyon
Lori Medjeski
Krista Mingus

Week of Oct. 19

Since this is a short week, we will not have a spelling list nor begin a new story. Those activities will resume next week.

Reports cards will be available Wed., Oct. 21. The report cards will not be printed so please follow the instructions at http://www.brownsburg.k12.in.us/ regarding this new procedure.

Look for conference reminder slips to come home this week. Please look over the appointment date/time then sign and return the bottom portion of the second page to me.

Our PSG is wrapping up the garmet sales on Wednesday, Oct. 21st. Please send in your order forms with payment on or before Wednesday. You can see examples of all the garmets offered in the office.

And finally, we'll be finishing this week with the first party of the year. Our room moms have been working hard to plan an enjoyable party and you are welcome to join in the fun. The party will be on Wednesday at 2:45.

Have a super fall break!