Hi All,

This week students will continue working on their Animal Reports in class. On Monday, they will also be bringing home information regarding the Diorama about their animal. This part of the project will be completed completely as homework. In addition, students will be bringing home edited drafts of their reports to type. While many kids enjoy the challenge of typing, parents may assist with this final draft. However, please resist making changes.

In math, we will continue multiplying, using bigger numbers. Most of the class has made good progress with automaticity in multiplication, and are easily applying the math facts to larger numbers. Students with solid math facts will also discover the benefit when they learn long division.

The kids will enjoy the 3rd of 4 Pottery sessions on Monday, from Jenny Ward. The opportunity for Spectra is through your hard work at fund raising.

Take care, and have a good week,

Carroll Mayer

Hi All,

This week students will continue learning multiplication with greater numbers, including regrouping. For the most part, students are catching on; but some are finding out how difficult it can be to multiply 2 and 3 digit numbers, if you don't know your basic multiplication facts. I have reminded them that they will be using these facts in math for the next several years, and that knowing the facts will really serve them well.

As you may have heard, the kids have begun taking notes for their mammal reports. Most have articles we've printed from the Internet, and many have books from the school library as well. We will be taking notes from this material this week, and then rewriting the notes into paragraphs. Third grade teachers will send home a note regarding the homework portion of this research project shortly.

Finally, a big thank you to Patti Long, Jennifer Benson, and Cynthia Jacque for coordinating a little St. Patrick's Day celebration. The kids enjoyed the yummy cupcakes, green milk, and beads.

Take care, and have a good week,

Carroll Mayer

Hi All,

This week the Spelling Packet contains review words from the last 3 weeks, and no sentences. In math, we are returning to multiplication -- this time, with larger numbers. We are also beginning a series of 4 Spectra Art lessons on pottery, from Jenny Ward.

The kids are beginning research on their mammal reports; most found articles in the computer lab and books at the school library. Information regarding the homework portion of this project will be coming home soon.

Take care and have a good week,

Carroll Mayer

Hi All,

This week students will bring home the Spelling list for the story, Trapped by the Ice! The spelling homework includes a writing task so please make sure that your child completes it along with the practice book pages. As you may have noticed, the multiplication portion of the packet is primarily a cumulative review. I am also testing the children weekly on their multiplication facts. Please be sure your child continues to practice these facts until they can multiply with automaticity, which is a 3rd grade math standard.

Report cards go home on Tuesday. Please return your child's envelope, with your signature, on Wednesday.

Finally, thanks to Lisa Bird and her daughter, Taylor, for their work on Friday with the class on the Auction Art project. According to Miss Butler, the class had a great time and did very nice work. I look forward to seeing the complete project!

Take care,

Carroll

Hi All,

I hope you enjoyed the weather this weekend. I had the pleasure of seeing Scotts Valley blanketed in snow during the wee hours of Saturday morning, and it was like a postcard!

This week I will be gone from class on Tuesday and Friday to attend Data Team trainings, but the kids will be in the capable hands of our former student teacher, Joy Butler.

Two important fundraising events are on the horizon. On Friday, students will be participating in the Jog-a-thon, so be sure to send in your sponsorship dollars. As you all know, this fundraiser makes our Spectra Arts program possible. The kids will also be working this week, with Lisa Bird, on their Auction Art project. Without the money raised at the Auction, there are countless academic supplies, resources, teachers, that our students would do without. Thank you in advance for your support of these two activities.

The students took a multiplication timed test this week. I will be repeating this test weekly, giving the class 12 minutes to complete 100 problems. It's my goal that everyone will complete this test in well under the 12 minutes by the end of the year. We will also continue working on fractions in our HM math program, addressing addition and subtraction this week. In spelling, the kids will be working on the difficult -ough and -augh words. Please continue to support your child in organizing their homework time appropriately, so that all work is completed in a high-quality, timely fashion.

Have a great week!

Carroll

Welcome back! I hope you all enjoyed this 3-day weekend. This week we will continue working on the story Across the Wide Dark Sea. The homework packet, which students received last week, is due this Friday. Students are doing a much better job handing in homework in a timely fashion since I began consequences for missing homework on Fridays. Please continue to support your child in organizing themselves so that they complete homework when it is due. There are still a few kids forgetting or not completing their Lit. Circle assignments.

In math, we have moved from division to a unit on fractions. However, students should continue practicing multiplication facts, which will support their studies when we return to division later this year. We will have a multiplication facts test this Friday, which will cover the facts from 0-10. Our goal in third grade is for students to learn to multiply with automaticity, so that they can focus on the more complex aspects of math problems that require multiplication.

Take care and have a good week,

Carroll Mayer

Hi All,

I hope you have enjoyed this first of two three-day weekends; I know I have! And a Happy Valentine's Day as well. On that note, a big thank you to Patti Long, Sandi Kolassa, Jennifer Benson, Maria Meade, and Amy Humphreys, who worked to make a cheerful Valentine's celebration for our class.

This week, the students' Spelling list and homework will be good for two weeks. Therefore, it is not due until Friday, February 25th. I have found the students to be doing a better job at handing in their homework since instituting our Friday consequences for missing homework. Each week there have been fewer students with Friday "make ups" during our Finish Work block.

Finally, a few people have checked in regarding upcoming big projects. In March, third graders will begin researching their mammal reports. We will be asking students to select mammals from specific websites that have age appropriate readability and content. Most of the work will be done in class, but final drafts may be homework. There will also be a diorama component to be completed at home.

Have a good week,

Carroll Mayer