2/27/25

 3rd Grade Buzz

nburg@crestonstmalachy.org

2/27/25

Science

Channel 5 Meteorologist Chris Kuball visited the 3rd grade classroom on Monday, February 24th. He discussed thunderstorms with the students. That included learning about wind, hail, lightning, flooding, and tornadoes.

Math

The next topic that the third grade students are learning about is time. Students have told time to the nearest minute and calculated elapsed time.

Reading/Language Arts

The class finished Octopus Escapes Again! The comprehension skills covered figurative language and text and graphic features. Students also worked on using comparing adjectives as the grammar skill. The vocabulary skill focused on the prefix of un-. The decoding skill covered words with -er, -ir, -or, and -ur.

The class has started reading the informational text TJ-The Siberian Tiger by Ann Whitehead Nagda and Cindy Bickel. Students follow the journey of a baby tiger at the Denver Zoo. TJ's mother, Buhkra, suddenly dies of cancer, and zoo staff has to figure out a way to feed and care for TJ. Students will be working on text structure, text and graphic features, learn about the verb "be", and decode words with -ar and -ir. 

The goal for the spring FAST screening is 125 WPM. Any student who is lower than that will be bringing home a weekly fluency passage in the take home folder each week. Please have your child do repeated 1 minute readings of the passage.This is something that I am doing at school as well to help improve fluency. There is a note in the take home folder explaining all of this for parents.

Reading Incentive Program

February calendars are due back to school on Monday, March 3rd. A March calendar has been included in the take home folder. The month of March is the last month for tracking reading minutes.

Mass

There is an all school mass on Wednesday, March 5th. This will be the start of Lent, as it is Ash Wednesday. If your child has a part, it has been included in the take home folder. 

Parent/Teacher Conferences

Parent/teacher conferences are scheduled for Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday of next week. As a reminder, there is no school on Thursday or Friday of next week. I look forward to discussing your child's progress with you.

National Reading Month

During the month of March, the third grade class will be celebrating National Reading Month. There will be fun activities planned as well as themed dress up days. A schedule has been included in the take home folder. Throughout the month, there will also be guest readers as well. Parents still have the opportunity to be a reader for the class. Feel free to reach out to me, so we can figure out a time that works for your schedule.

Important Dates

Friday, February 28th-Spirit Day $1

Saturday, March 1st-STM Gala and Auction

Monday, March 3rd-Third Grade Day (3/3)

Monday, March 3rd-Parent/Teacher Conferences

Tuesday, March 4th-Parent/Teacher Conferences

Wednesday, March 5th-Parent/Teacher Conferences

Thursday, March 6th-NO SCHOOL

Thursday, March 6th-Parent/Teacher Conferences

Friday, March 7th-NO SCHOOL

Monday, March 10th-Friday, March 14th-Spring Break (No School)

Wednesday, March 19th-PTO Meeting

Friday, March 21st-Spirit Day $1

2/20/25

 Burg's Buzz

nburg@crestonstmalachy.org

2/20/25

Math

The class will have a test over fractions on Friday, February 21st.

Science

In our weather unit, the third grade class is learning about severe weather. A meteorologist from Channel 5 is coming to visit the third grade classroom on Monday to share his knowledge of weather with the students. Once we finish this lesson, students will be writing an informational piece on weather.

Reading/ Language Arts

On Wednesday, the class started the next lesson. We are reading the narrative nonfiction Octopus Escapes Again! This is a narrative nonfiction selection how the different adaptations that the octopus uses to avoid being eaten by predators.

Late Slips

With the start of the 3rd trimester on Monday, February 24th, the third grade students start late slips. Late slips are given when a student does not turn in a homework assignment. This is a policy that is followed in fourth-eighth grade at STM. We start in the third trimester of third grade to get the students ready for the responsibilities that come with these upper grades.

There is a note in the take home folder that gives all the details on how late slips work. I have talked about the policy with the class. It's inevitable that there will be late slips given out. 

St. Malachy Gala

The St. Malachy School Foundation Gala and Auction is scheduled for Saturday, March 1st. This event is a wonderful evening of food, friends, and fellowship. This fundraiser directly benefits St. Malachy School. You can use the following link to get your tickets.  Gala Tickets

Parent/Teacher Conferences

Parent/Teacher conferences are scheduled for the evenings of March 3rd, 4th, and 5th. Also there are times available during the morning of March 6th. There is no school on March 6th or 7th. Please sign up for a time on JMC.

Important Dates

Friday, February 21st-End of the 2nd Trimester

Monday, February 24th-Late Slips Begin in 3rd Grade

Friday, February 28th-Spirit Day $1

Saturday, March 1st-St. Malachy Foundation Gala and Auction

Monday, March 3rd-Parent/Teacher Conferences

Tuesday, March 4th-Parent/Teacher Conferences

Wednesday, March 5th-Ash Wednesday Mass (K-3rd Leads Mass)

Wednesday, March 5th-Parent/Teacher Conferences

Thursday, March 6th-NO SCHOOL

Thursday, March 6th-Parent/Teacher Conferences

Friday, March 7th-NO SCHOOL

There is no school from Monday, March 10th-Friday, March 14th, due to Spring Break.

2/13/25

Burg's Buzz

2/13/25

nburg@crestonstmalachy.org

Science 

Students  continue to learn about weather. Students have learned about predicting weather based upon data from previous seasons.

 

Reading/Language Arts

The class started Module 6. This module will focus on animal behaviors. This week the class read This Is Your Life Cycle by Heather Lynn Miller.  In this multi-genre story, a dragonfly's life cycle is explored in a TV show with insects hosting and participating. The vocabulary skill covered the Latin prefixes of uni-, bi-, and tri-. The decoding skill focused on words with or and ar.  The students were introduced to identifying adjectives as the grammar skill. The comprehension skills focused on summarizing, author's purpose, text and graphic features, and author's craft. We will continue the first lesson in Module 6 next week due to the snow day, late start, and no school on Monday.

The results of Module 5 assessments have been included in the take home folder. As a reminder, the selection tests cover the story covered during the week. The module assessments involve students reading a new story and answering questions over skills previously learned.

Math

The third grade students continue to work with fractions. Students continue to compare fractions by using the benchmarks of less than or greater one half and using a number line. Another skill the students worked on was using fraction names to represent whole numbers.

FAST Testing

The results of the winter screening of FAST testing have been included in the take home folder.

Valentine's Day Party

The third grade class will celebrate Valentine's Day during the afternoon of Friday, February 14th.

Royal Readers

During the month of March, the third grade class will celebrate  National Reading month. I am looking for guest readers to come to our classroom to read aloud to the third grade students. A note was sent home in last week's take home folder. Guest readers can be moms, dads, grandparents, or another relative. Please fill out the form with days and times that will work best.

Important Dates

Friday, February 14th-Spirit Day $1

Friday, February 14th-Valentine's Day Party

Monday, February 17th-NO SCHOOL (Teacher PD)

Monday, February 24th-Late Slip Start in 3rd Grade

Friday, February 28th-Spirit Day $1

Saturday, March 1st-STM Foundation Gala at Legacy Venue

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2/6/25

 Burg's Buzz

nburg@crestonstmalachy.org

2/6/25

Math

The third grade class has been comparing fractions. Students identified which fraction was greater between two fractions with like denominators. Using like numerators, students also identified which fraction was greater.

Reading/Language Arts

Brothers at Bat by Audrey Vernick. is this week's focal story. In this narrative nonfiction selection, students learn about a family with sixteen children, twelve of which are boys. Ranging in age from seven to thirty-two years, the oldest twelve form a semi-pro baseball team. Then during World War II, the team disbanded while six members of the family headed off to the war. Upon returning back to New Jersey when the war ended, the brothers returned to the baseball field. The comprehension skills focused on making and confirming predictions, sequencing, and figurative language.  Students also practiced using contractions at the decoding skill. The vocabulary skill covered the suffix of -ment. The grammar skill reviewed verb tense.

Science

The third grade class continues to learn about weather. 

Students have been learning about weather patterns and making predictions.

Super Bowl Party

There will be a Super Bowl party in the third grade classroom on Friday, February 7th. Come dressed to support the team you will be cheering during the Super Bowl on Sunday. Students can wear Kansas City Chiefs or Philadelphia Eagles gear. Students can also wear red or green as well. We will do a variety of fun football themed activities.

Valentine's Day Party

STM will celebrate Valentine's Day on Friday, February 14th. Students are welcome to bring valentines for their classmates. If you bring valentines, please bring one for each student. A class list was sent home in last week's take home folder. Please don't bring valentines to school until the 14th.

Fill Me With Love Activity

Last week, a heart activity was sent home for parents to complete with their child. If your child has not yet returned his or hers back to school, please return by this Friday.

Silent Auction Donations

Donations are still being accepted for the silent auction item that the third grade class will have at the STM Foundation Gala. Please send cash or check (payable to Lindsay Ide) to school with your child or Venmo your donation to Shelby Bishop or Lindsay Ide. All donations are greatly appreciated.

Important Dates

Friday, February 7th-Super Bowl Party

Wednesday, February 12th-Ben Tracy Presentation

Friday, February 14th-Spirit Day $1

Friday, February 14th-Valentine's Day Party

Monday, February 17th-NO SCHOOL (Teacher PD)

Friday, February 21st-End of 2nd Trimester

Monday, February 24th-Late Slips Start