Homecoming 2017

Homecoming

2017

Here are some pictures of the third grade class and videos from the pep rally. Thank you to the Creston  High School cheerleaders and football players for getting St. Malachy excited for the game.

 St. Malachy 3rd grade class.

Mrs. Simmons joined in our class photo!

Here is a link to the videos

 Pep Rally

Go Creston Panters!

9-28-17

3rd Grade News

nburg@crestonstmalachy.org

9-28-17

Reading/Language Arts

Third grade read a biography this week about Roberto Clemente, a baseball player from the Pittsburgh Pirates from the late 1950s through the early 1970s. The comprehension skill covered cause and effect. The vocabulary strategy focused on the prefix mis-.  The phonics skill covered long o. In grammar students worked on singular and plural nouns. 

Results of the lesson 4 weekly assessment have been included in the take home folder. These are yours to keep.

Next week third grade will be taking the Unit 1 Benchmark test. This will cover skills learned throughout the first five lessons. This test is more difficult than the weekly tests. This assessment shows if students are applying the skills they have learned in the lessons taught. In addition, third grade will be writing a personal narrative. Third grade will not be moving ahead in the reading series. There will no spelling next week.

Math

Third grade is working on subtraction strategies. Students have estimated differences and used mental math (number lines, friendly numbers, place value) to solve subtraction problems. Please practice the basic subtraction facts at home. 

Science

The third grade has moved on to a unit about animals. The class has identified the needs of animals.

The 3rd grade students did a great job on the test covering animals. Students need to keep all study guides until after the tests have been returned.

Homecoming

Friday, September 29th is Homecoming for Creston. Students are encourage to wear their Creston Panther gear to school. It is a Spirit Day. Student may pay $1 to wear sweats. There is a 2 hour early dismissal on this day. The parade begins at 2 PM. St. Malachy will have a float in the parade. Notes were sent home last week about riding the float.

Reading Incentive Program

The October calendars were sent home in take home folders today. Please keep the calendar in a safe place and keep track of minutes read starting on Sunday, October 1st. Anytime spent reading for enjoyment or free reading may be counted. Students may count minutes at school as well that is not "required" reading. There are timer bookmarks that can be purchased at Barnes and Noble or Amazon that can also help the students track minutes. The goal for October is 400 minutes.

Bully Prevention Month

October is National Bully Prevention Month. The PTO is bringing in guest speaker Bobby Jones to talk to the student body on Monday, October 2nd. Mr. Jones talks to students about the decisions they make and how those decisions impact on their future. The elementary presentation begins at 8:30 AM and the middle school session at 9:30 PM. Parents are welcome to attend. Students are encourage to wear a blue shirts since it is World Day of Bully Prevention.

"History of My Name" Family Interview

In next week's class meeting we are going to discuss the importance of our names.  In your child's take home folder is an interview form that needs completed.  Your child needs to ask a parent the questions listed on how he/she got his/her name. The 3rd grade student needs to be the one writing the answers on the paper.  Students will share and discuss at our class meeting on Friday, October 6th. Please have your child complete and return the form by Thursday, October 5th.

Free Book

Each third grade student received the book The Bad Guys: Guide to be Good by Aaron Blabey for me placing an October book order with Scholastic. The book has been included in the take home folder and is for your child to keep.

Important Dates

Friday, September 29th-Spirit Day ($1) and 2 Hour Early Dismissal

Friday, October 6th-Volunteer at Food Pantry

Thursday,  October 11th-3rd Grade Mass

Friday, October 13th-NO SCHOOL (Teacher Professional Development)

Monday, October 16th-No SCHOOL (Teacher Professional Development)

Thursday, October 19th-Muffins with Mom at 7:30 AM

9-21-17

3rd Grade News

nburg@crestonstmalachy.org

9-21-17

Science

Third grade continues to learn about plants. Students have learned about the process of photosynthesis. A test over plants is planned for Monday, September 25th. Students have completed a chapter review over the material. As a class we are in the process of filling out a study guide. The information on the study guide will help prepare the students for test. The study guide will come home with the students on Friday.

Reading/Language Arts

This week third grade read the historical fiction story called Pop's Bridge. In this story, a young boys thinks his father has the most important part of the process of building the Golden Gate Bridge. After an accident occurs, the boys realizes that each of the jobs that the crew has are equally important to the completion of the project. The comprehension skill focused on compare and contrast. The vocabulary strategy was word families. Students learned about common and proper nouns in grammar. The phonic skills focused on long o words that have an oa and ow.

The results of the lesson 3 weekly assessment have been included in this week's take home folder. These are yours to keep. The weekly assessments are taken on the Chromebooks. The assessments test each child's understanding of the skills covered in class each week.

Math

Third grade continues to work on addition strategies. Students used the break apart strategy using place value to add three digit numbers. Before solving problems, students estimate the sum. Student also practiced addition problems following the standard algorithm for regrouping. 

Reading Incentive Program

During the months of October through March, the students in kindergarten through fifth grade will be participating in a reading incentive program. A calendar will be sent home each of these months. Please Keep track of the number of minutes your child reads each day. At the end of the month a parent needs to total the number of minutes read, sign the calendar, choose the reward if the goal is met, and return the calendar to school. The goal for the months of October, November, and December will be 400 minutes for the month. If a student has met the goal for the month, he/she may choose a reward of a personal pan pizza from Pizza Hut or a free mini single topping pizza from Pizza Ranch. There will also be a reward each month for the third grader who read the most minutes each. The October calendar will be sent home in next week's take home folder. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Important Dates

Thursday, September 21st-PTO Meeting at 6 PM

Sunday, September 24th-PTO Color Run at McKinley Park at 2 PM

Friday, September 29th-Spirit Day ($1) and 2 Hour Early Dismissal

Friday, October 6th-Volunteer at Food Pantry in PM

Wednesday, October 11th-3rd Grade Mass

Friday, October 13th-Teacher Professional Development (NO SCHOOL)

Monday, October 16th-Professional Development (NO SCHOOL)

9-14-17

Third Grade News

nburg@crestonstmalachy.org

9-14-17

Math

Third grade has been using addition properties to add. Students were introduced to the Associative Property that states addends can be grouped in different ways and still get the same sum. Another strategy students using place value to add.

Please continue to work on the basic addition facts at home to improve fluency.

Reading/Language Arts

This week third grade read the realistic fiction story Destiny's Gift in which a young girl and a bookstore owner share a special friendship. Destiny senses something is wrong and learns that the bookstore may have to close because the rent of the bookstore has been raised for Mrs. Wade. Determined to save the store, Destiny rallies the community to help save the store. The comprehension skill focused on analyzing characters. The vocabulary strategy covered antonyms. Students worked on the long vowel pairs of ay, ai, ea, and ee. The grammar skill focused on compound sentences.

The weekly assessment results from Lesson 2 have been included in the take home folder. These are yours to keep. These tests show the students' understanding of the concepts covered during the week.

Just a reminder to parents and students, please remember to return the spelling pretest along with the missed words that have been written for homework. Both papers need turned in together.

 Science

As the class continues to learn about plants, students have been studying seeds. Student dissected bean seeds to find the seed coat, seedling, and stored food.

                                       

Book Order

A book order was sent home in last week's take home folder. Please have orders submitted online or returned to school by Friday, September 15th.

Important Dates

Friday, September 15th-Book Order Due

Monday, September 18th-NO SCHOOL (Teacher Professional Development)
Thursday, September 21st-PTO Meeting at 6 PM

Sunday, September 24th-PTO Color Run at McKinley Park 2 PM

Friday, September 29th-Spirit Day ($1)

Friday, September 29th-2 Hour Early Dismissal (Homecoming)

9-7-17

3rd Grade News

nburg@crestonstmalachy.org

9-7-17

Math

This week third grade students have been estimating sums. Students have used been using the strategies of rounding and compatible numbers. The class has also started working on using mental math to add.

Students practiced basic addition facts online. Students can access the following website at home Flashcard Practice for additional practice.

Science

Third grade continues learning about plants. Students have been learning about the parts of a plant cell.

Reading/Language Arts

This week third grade read a fantasy selection entitled The Trial of Cardigan Jones in which a moose is put to trial and falsely accused of taking an apple pie. Students worked on conclusions and inferring for the comprehension strategy. The vocabulary strategy focused on using a dictionary/glossary. Students worked with long vowels with the VCe pattern. The class continued to work on dividing words into syllables. The grammar skill identified the four types of sentences (declarative, interrogative, imperative, and exclamatory).

The results of the lesson 1 weekly assessment have been included in the take home folder. These are yours to keep. These weekly tests assess your child's understanding of the concepts covered in class each week.

Dress Code

Just a reminder about dress code. If leggings are going to be worn, the bottom of the dress or skirt needs to extend to to mid-thigh. This is listed on the dress code for everyday, all year long expectations and under mass day. There is a copy of the dress code on the St. Malachy website. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

Highlights Magazine

In this week's take home folder are two order forms from Highlights. One of for the regular Highlights magazine and the other is for Puzzlemania. Please complete the order forms and return to school. Even if you do not intend to order, please return the order forms back to me. The class receives free materials based upon the number of returned order forms.

Book Order

A book order for September is in the take home folder this week. Orders may be placed by completing the order form and returning back to school with cash or check (payable to Scholastic Book Club). Online orders at www.scholastic.com can be placed by credit card. The classroom code is GRHFQ. All orders are due by Friday, September 15th.

Important Dates

Friday, September 15th-Spirit Day ($1)

Sunday, September 10th-Holy Spirit Food Fair at St. Malachy School
Wednesday, September 13th-Mrs. Burg Attending Tier 2 Literacy Class 
Monday, September 18th-Teacher Professional Development (NO SCHOOL)

Thursday, September 21st-PTO Meeting 6 PM

Sunday, September 24th-Creston Color Run sponsored by PTO

Friday, September 29th-2 Hour Early Dismissal