Hi All,

I hope you enjoyed your weekend.  I'm not sure how we'll cope with next Monday, as we are completely out of practice!

The new Reading and Writing Units are underway. The kids very much enjoyed finding and beginning mystery novels. As an introduction to Opinion Writing, the class looked over some student examples from other years, and we also had a "debate" about whether sweet treats should be allowed in schools for parties.

In math, both grades are working hard on multiplication and division. Third Graders are building their fluency with math facts in these areas, while Fourth Graders are applying their knowledge of the facts to bigger and more complex problems. Both grades are "warming up" with 100 Second Math, which is a practice sheet that lists the products of factors 3-9, with the student naming the factors. So for example, a student sees 24, and names 4 x 6 and 3 x 8.  This is a great way to practice multiplication/division facts, and also comes in handy as they move toward fractions and look for ways to simplify them. 100 Second Multiplication

I have sent home the permission slip for the Museum of Natural History. This is a Third Grade field trip. Fourth Graders will remain at school with a sub for the morning. I am in need of 3-5 drivers/chaperons.  Please contact me if you are a Third Grade parent, have volunteer clearance, and are able to drive.

Have a great week!

Carroll Mayer