1/8/26

 Burg's Buzz
nburg@crestonstmalachy.org
1/8/26

Reading/Language Arts

The final play that the students will read in Module 4 is "Two Bear Cubs" by Robert D. San Souci. In this drama,  Mother Grizzly warns her two cubs to not to go downstream, but after eating berries, the cubs decide to nap on a rock where they are not supposed to go. As the cubs sleep, the rock "grows" into a mountain. Not able to find her bear cubs, Mother Grizzly gets help from the other forest animals in searching for them. Once Hawk sees the cubs asleep, all of the animals try to climb the mountain. Each is unsuccessful until help comes from an unlikely source. The comprehension skills cover elements of drama, literary elements, and theme. The students also work with the Latin roots aud- and vis- as the vocabulary skill. The decoding skill focused on the vowel sound heard in talk, raw, cross, and fault. The grammar skill introduced students to using quotation marks to identify when someone is speaking.

Math

Topic 6 focuses on finding the area of shapes. Students first used unit squares to find the area of regular and irregular shapes. Students also measured area using nonstandard units.

The class will continue to work on multiplication and division. This week, students took a five minute timed test over both operations. The timed tests have been included in the take home for parents to review. Again, if your child has not yet mastered multiplication and division, any additional practice at home would be greatly appreciated.

Science

The next unit of study for the third grade class is organisms and their environment. Students have been learning about how plants are affected by the lack of or excess of water, the amount of sunlight, and the nutrients in the soil. The class also learned how the environment can affect animals such as their chemicals and nutrients in their diet or air temperature.

Talent Show Tryouts

This year during Catholic Schools Week (January 25th-30th), there will be a talent show. The talent show will take place on Thursday, January 29th. If a student wants to be in the show, he/she must try out. Tryouts will be the weeks of January 12th and 19th. There are sign-up sheets in the hallway outside of the classroom. Talents may include singing, dancing/tumbling, magic tricks, playing an instrument, or telling jokes. 

The last time STM held a talent show was when this class was in kindergarten, so it is time again to showcase those talents!

Book Order Form

I celebrate National Reading Month in March with the 3rd grade students. This year the class will have the pleasure of listening to Terri Higgins, a Creston resident, read aloud her book Bella Bean on Blueberry Lane. Coming home in the folder is an order form to purchase a copy of the book. Orders are due back by Friday, February 7th.

Important Dates

Friday, January 9th-Spirit Day $1

Wednesday, January 14th-1 Hour Early Dismissal

Tuesday, January 20th-Fluency FAST Testing (Substitute Teacher)

Wednesday, January 21st-3rd Grade Leads the Mass

Friday, January 23rd-Spirit Day

Sunday, January 25th-Friday, January 30th-Catholic Schools Week