2/23/23

 Burg's Buzz

nburg@crestonstmalachy.org

2/23/23

Math

This week the third graders have learned about three different addition properties (commutative, associative, and identity). Students have also been working on solving addition problems using mental math strategies.

Reading/Language Arts

This week the third grade class is reading aloud a play entitled Two Bear Cubs adapted by Robert D. San Souci. In this play, a Mother Grizzly warns her two bear cubs about wandering off. The two  cubs wander off and end up on the top of a mountain unable to get down. The help of an unlikely hero saves the two mischievous bear cubs. Students were assigned parts to practice during the week. On Friday, the class will perform the play like a Reader's Theater script. The comprehension skill reviewed story structure. Students identified the setting, characters, and plot. The phonics skill covered the vowel sounds in spoon and wood. The grammar focused on identifying irregular verbs. As the vocabulary skills, students worked on identifying prefixes and their meanings.

The results of the lesson 18 weekly assessment have been included in the take home folder.  

Science

The next unit that the third graders are learning about is weather.  Students have learned about types of weather, tools used to measure weather, and     .

National Reading Month

The month of March is National Reading month. I have several educational and fun activities planned throughout the month. One of the first activities planned is trip to Gibson Memorial Library on Thursday, March 2nd. If your child does not have a library card from the public library in Creston, I have included the paperwork necessary for getting your child one. A copy of your driver's license is also needed. I would like for each student to be able to pick out a book of their choice when the class visits. A permission slip has been included in the take home folder to be filled out. The plan is to use Southern Iowa Trolley as transportation. Please return back to school by Wednesday of next week. Also scheduled are guest readers throughout the month and fun dress up days.

Reading Incentive Program

February calendars need to be returned back to school by Friday, March 3rd. March calendars have been included in the take home folder.

Important Dates

Friday, February 24th-Spirit Day $1

Monday, February 27th-Late Slips Start

Thursday, March 2nd-Gibson Memorial Library Visit

Monday, March 6th-Thursday, March 9th-Conferences

Thursday, March 9th and Friday, March 10th-NO SCHOOL

Monday, March 13th-Friday, March 17th-Spring Break

2/16/23

 Burg's Buzz

nburg@crestonstmalachy.org

2/16/23

Science

The next unit that the third grade class will be learning about is weather. Students will start by learning about types of weather and the instruments used to measure it.

Math

Topics 8 and 9 focus on addition and subtraction. The class will start with topic 8 learning about strategies and properties of addition and subtraction.

Reading/Language Arts

This week the third grade class is reading A Tree is Growing by Arthur Domos. In this informational text, students learn all about the structure of trees, how they grow, and their uses. Students had to locate text and graphic features as the comprehension skill. The vocabulary skill focused on the word roots of auto and tele. The phonics skill covered the sounds /k/ and /kw/. In grammar students worked on using the verb be and helping verbs.

The lesson 17 weekly assessment results have been included in take home folder.

Late Slips

With the start of the third trimester on Monday, February 27th, third grade students start getting late slips. This is how late work is handled in 4th-8th grade at STM. By starting this now gets the third grade students accustomed to what to expect next fall. Basically a student gets a late slip for late work. If the late slip gets signed and the work gets turned in the next day, there is no further consequence. A students can get up to 6 late slips until a detention has to be served. If the work or late slip does not get returned the very next day, then the students owes a detention. Late slips are given by Mrs. Sickels, Miss Surma, and myself. There is a note in the take home folder explaining how the process works. Like I told the third grade students, get your work done on time and late slips won't be an issue.

Please talk with your child about late slips. These can cause tears and students to get upset. I do my best to remind them that getting one or two late slips isn't the end of the world. At the end of next week, I will have a whole class conversation about late slips explaining everything to them.

Parent/Teacher Conferences

For spring conferences this year, STM is using JMC for scheduling. Mrs. Simmons sent out directions in an email last week. Once logged on to your JMC account, you can follow the directions below. For the spring conferences times are available Monday, March 6th, Tuesday, March 7th, and Wednesday, March 8th after school. Time is also available on Thursday, March 9th from 8:00 AM-12:00 PM. There is NO SCHOOL Thursday, March 9th or Friday, March 10th.

 

Next, you will select the Teacher Conference Scheduler

 

The last step is to select the day you want to schedule your conference and then the time for that day.

If you have multiple children you will have to toggle to each child to complete these steps again.

Important Dates

Monday,February 20th-NO SCHOOL (Professional Development)

Friday, February 24th-Spirit Day $1

Monday, February 27th-Late Slips Start

Thursday, March 9th and 10th-NO SCHOOL

Monday, March 13th-17th-Spring Break (NO SCHOOL)

2/9/23

 Burg's Buzz

2/9/23

nburg@crestonstmalachy.org

Reading/Language Arts

This week the class read The Albertosaurus Mystery In this informational text, the reader learns about past paleontolgists, Barnum Brown and Phillip Currie's hunt for Albertosaurus fossils. It was believed that meat-eating dinosaurs hunted and lived alone. Phillip Currie began believing this theory wasn't true after finding twenty-two albertosaurs buried in the rock together. More evidence was discovered when more meat-eating dinosaur bones were found in places all over the world. Students worked on drawing conclusions at the comprehension strategy. The vocabulary skill was using the suffix -ly. Students continued to work on identifying adjectives.This week the skill was using adjectives to compare. The phonics skill covered the sounds of /j/ and /s/.

The lesson 16 weekly assessment results have been included in the take home folder.

Math

This week has been spent reviewing for the Topic 7 assessment covering data and graphing. Students will have test over this concept on Friday, February 10th.

Science

Students have been preparing this week for a test covering living things and adaptations in their environments. There will be test early next week.

Valentine's Day Party

The third grade students will have a Valentine's Day party during the afternoon of Tuesday, February 14th. Bags were decorated during art class this past week. Students may bring valentines beginning this upcoming Monday.

St. Malachy Gala and Auction

The St. Malachy Foundation's annual gala and auction is scheduled for Saturday, March 4th. Tickets are on sale now for the event. A great meal is served, and is an evening of fellowship and fun. The donations received from the auction directly benefit STM students.

Each class will have a personalized silent auction item to bid on. I still have a few students that have not turned in their Bible verse. Thank you to those who have made monetary donations. You still have time to donate to help cover the cost of the project.

Important Dates

Friday, February 10th-Spirit Day $1 (Wear Red)

Tuesday, February 14th-Valentine's Day Party

Monday, February 20th-NO SCHOOL (Teacher PD)

Friday, February 24th-Spirit Day $1

Monday, February 27th-Late Slips Start

2/2/23

 Burg's Buzz

2/2/23

nburg@crestonstmalachy.org

Math

The third grade class conducted a school wide survey collecting data, creating a graph, and interpreting the data. The students asked each grade level, "What is your favorite sport?" Each person was given 4 choices, volleyball, swimming, tennis, or soccer to pick from. Students collected data, then created an online bar graph with the results. In our survey, swimming just beat out 

volleyball.

Science

The students are learning about how plants and animals survive in their environments when things such as natural disasters occur. The class has also discussed human impact, both positive and negative, on the environment.

Reading/Language Arts

This week in third grade the class is reading  Judy Moody Saves the World by Megan McDonald. In this humorous fiction story, Judy's science class at school discusses ways to help protect the Earth. Judy goes home and wants her family to jump on board all of her ideas.She realized saving the Earth isn't as easy as she thought.

The Unit 3 Benchmark results have been included in the take home folder for parents viewing.

FAST Testing 

The results of the FAST winter screening have been included in the take home folder. You are able to see scores from the fall to the winter testing. These results are yours to keep.

Silent Auction Item

Please return back to school the note about picking your child's Bible verse for the silent auction item. I need this returned back to school by Friday, February 10th. Also, donations are still needed to help cover the costs of the project.

Valentine's Day Party

The third grade Valentine's Day party will take place during the afternoon of Tuesday, February 14th. Next week students will decorate bags for holding their valentines. A class list has been included in the take home folder. If bringing valentines cards for classmates, please make sure to bring one for each student in the class. Please don't bring valentines to school before Monday, February 13th.

Important Dates

Friday, February 3rd-Dress Up Day

Friday, February 3rd-Grandparents Mass 1:30 PM

Friday, February 10th-Spirit Day $1

Tuesday, February 14th-Valentine's Day Class Party

Monday, February 20th-NO SCHOOL 

Friday, February 24th-Spirit Day $1

Monday, February 27th-Late Slips Start