5/28/26

 Burg's Buzz

nburg@crestonstmalachy.org

5/28/26

3rd Grade

It's crazy to think the school year has come to believe the 2025-2026 school year has come to an end! Through all the ups and downs, I have truly enjoyed teaching each of your children. I loved getting to know each one of the students, watching each one of them progress academically, and seeing them participate in outside-of-school activities.  I get to watch each student on the path that God has chosen for them.

Thank you, parents for all of your support throughout the school year. I appreciate all you have done to support your child in third grade.

Lucky for me, I get to continue to teach your children. I will be their 4th grade science teacher. I get to continue to watch these students grow in their academics.

I hope all families have a wonderful summer. I know everyone is very busy with all of their activities. I hope you can take time this summer to relax with your family. Besides golfing and tutoring this summer, my husband and I have a trip planned to Belize in July. This will be our first time in Central America.

Summer Academics

Summer is a time for fun and a break from school, but we also don't want children losing the knowledge they have learned throughout the school year entering into a new grade in August.  The "summer slide" is the learning loss children can experience when school is out for an extended time.

Some ideas to avoid the summer slide include setting aside time every day to read, practice math facts, or write in cursive. Anything children can do to keep stimulating their brains. Mrs. Simmons challenged students to let their electronic devices get dusty this summer by finding other things to do besides being on them all of the time.

Field Day

Field day will take place on Friday, May 29th, the last day of school. The activities begin at 9:30 AM. Please have the students wear the t-shirts that were brought home earlier this week as a gift from Grey Mohr. Students should also wear tennis shoes. The silly string activity is to begin around 10:45 AM. A lunch of burgers and chips takes place around 11:00 AM. Students can bring their own lunch from home if they would like. The 8th-grade clap-out is scheduled for 11:55 AM. School dismisses 3 hours early.

5/21/26

 Burg's Buzz

nburg@crestonstmalachy.org

5/21/26

Spring Music Concert

Another wonderful performance put on by Mrs. Warner and the students of St. Malachy School. Our students are so blessed to have a wonderful music teacher. Our school also has some very talented vocalists and musicians.

Reading/Language Arts

The last story the 3rd-grade students will be tested on is "How Do You Raise a Raisin?" This is a multi-genre text. It is both informational and poetry. Through the poetry sections, the author uses imagery, alliteration, and similes to ask questions through rhyme, all about raisins. The informational sections answer the questions through the facts given. The comprehension skills included identifying figurative language and text and graphic features. Students also worked on the suffixes of -ness and -able as the vocabulary strategy. The grammar skill reviewed contractions when used with pronouns.

Included in the take home folder are the results of Module 8. We completed two of the three stories.

Math

The 3rd grade's survey this year was "Favorite Animals." The options for animals included eagle, monkey, hippo, and dog. Students tallied choices for each grade. Totals were then calculated. That data was then used to create a bar graph.  A dog was received the most votes.

For the students who did not master all four operations on XtraMath, I am sending home information on how parents can sign up online to continue practicing over the summer. The flyer can be found in the take home folder.

FAST Testing

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

Desk Clean Out

The students will clean out their desks on Thursday, May 28th. Book bags should come to school on this day empty. Lockers will also be emptied out. 

Dress Code

The dress code for next school year is changing. A copy of this dress code is coming home today. There are changes in the dress code that will affect all students.

Last Day of School

The last day of school is scheduled for Friday, May 29th. Field day activities will begin at 9:00 AM. Lunch will be served at 11:00 AM, consisting of hamburgers and chips. The 8th grade clap out is at 11:55 AM. School dismisses 3 hours early at 12:10 PM.

Important Dates

Friday, May 22nd-Spirit Day $1

Monday, May 25th-NO SCHOOL (Memorial Day)

Wednesday, May 27th-1 Hour Early Dismissal

Friday, May 29th-Field Day 9:00 AM

Friday, May 29th

5/14/26

 Burg's Buzz
nburg@crestonstmalachy.org
5/14/26

Science

The class will have a test over the topic of weather next week.

Math

The 3rd grade class is working on representing and reading data from graphs. Students have worked with picture graphs and bar graphs.

Next week, the class will take a school-wide survey. Students will collect the data and then record the information in different types of graphs.

Reading/Language Arts

There will be one more text that the students will be covering in our reading textbook.

The next spelling test that the students take will be an End of the Year test. This test will include one word from each of the spelling lists that your child was assessed on throughout the year. There will be daily assignments that review the words.

Biography Book Reports

The third graders did a wonderful job on their projects and presentations. I received many compliments about how well the students were able to answer questions and discuss their person and project from those who attended the Biography Bash.

The rubric used for grading has been included in the take home folder.

Important Dates

Wednesday, May 20th-1 Hour Early Dismissal

Wednesday, May 20th-Spring Music Concert 6PM

Friday, May 22nd-Spirit Day $1

Monday, May 25th-NO SCHOOL (Memorial Day)

Friday, May 29th-3 Hour Early Dismissal (Last Day of School)

5/7/26

Burg's Buzz

nburg@crestonstmalachy.org

5/7/26

Math

The class has been learning about quadrilaterals. Students have sorted the square, rectangle, rhombus, parallelogram, and trapezoid by their attributes.

Reading/Language Arts

Students are reading the informational text A Bumpy Ride by Sharon Katz Cooper. In this story, the reader follows a timeline and learns about the invention of the bicycle. Beginning in 1818, a bicycle without pedals was made. The bicycle went through many changes until 1885, when the framework was changed to the bikes of today. In 1889, the modern tire was born, and cycling became a national craze. It wasn't until the 1970s, though, that helmets were used as a form of protection for the head. The comprehension skills being covered include identifying the author's purpose and making and confirming predictions. The students also started working with singular and plural possessive nouns as the grammar skill. The decoding skill focused on the prefixes of re- and un- and the suffixes of -less and -ness. Students used the prefix of ex- as the vocabulary skill.

Science

The class is learning the difference between weather and climate in science.

Biography Bash

Please join the third grade class for their Biography Bash on Tuesday, May 12th. The event will be held in the gymnasium from 2:00-3:00 PM. Students' biography projects will be on display for viewing.

On the Trail of Iowa Corn Field Trip

This field trip is scheduled for Thursday, May 14th. We will leave STM at 9:00 AM. Drivers for the field trip include Stormy Catron, Jenny Purdum, JaLynne Schmaling, Sean Fox, and me. The class will start the day at the Neely-Kinyon Research Farm, then lunch in town at the Adair County Fair Grounds. The lunch consists of a ham and cheese sandwich, chips, apple slices, a rice krispy treat, and milk/water. Followed by more activities for the students. We will head back to Creston around 2:00 PM. Most of the day is spent outside, so tennis shoes need to be worn. Due to this being a short drive, no cell phones or tablets are needed. Please complete the permission slip that has been included in the take-home folder, and return it back to school.

Important Dates

Friday, May 8th-Spirit Day $1

Tuesday, May 12th-Biography Bash 2:00-3:00 PM

Wednesday, May 13th-1 Hour Dismissal

Thursday, May 14th-On the Trail of Iowa Corn Field Trip

Wednesday, May 20th-1 Hour Early Dismissal

Wednesday, May 20th-Spring Music Concert 6 PM

Friday, May 22nd-Spirit Day $1

Monday, May 25th-NO SCHOOL

 

4/30/26

 Burg's Buzz

nburg@crestonstmalachy.org

4/30/26

Chaperones Still Needed

Parent chaperones are still needed for the field trip to Greenfield on Thursday, May 14th. At this time, there is enough transportation for twelve students. Using grandparents can also be an option if necessary. All paperwork just needs to be completed before the field trip. If I am not able to get enough transportation for all twenty-two students, the class will not be able to attend this event. I am appreciative of any chaperones who volunteer.

FAST Testing

I will test students' reading fluency on Friday, May 1st. Mrs. Brown will be subbing in the classroom while I am testing in a different room.

Cross Picture

The student body cross picture will be taken on Friday, May 1st. There is no specific dress code for the picture this year. Students may wear what they want.

Biography Book Report Projects

We are down to ONE week before biography book reports are due. I have had several students ask if they could bring their projects to school early since they are finished with them. My response is to please keep them at home until Thursday, May 7th. There is not enough storage space, and I do not want anything to happen to a student's project that they have worked so hard on.

Please have your child practice their presentation at home. Students should be able to pronounce all of the words in a clear speaking voice that the audience can hear. Students should also be able to make some eye contact with the audience. They can read the information from the report form.

Math

The class continues to work on time. In addition to telling time to the nearest minute, students have also been calculating elapsed time and solving word problems that involve time.

Reading/Language Arts

Module 8 will focus on inventors and inventions. The essential question asks, "What does it take to make a successful invention?" 

This week's story is a biography by Gene Barretta entitled Timeless Thomas. Students learn about a variety of inventions by Thomas Edison. The author compares present day inventions that were developed from Thomas Edison's inventions. The comprehension skills focused on text/graphic features, making inferences, text structure, and the central idea. Students worked on words that ended with -ed and -ing as the decoding skill. The vocabulary skill focused on the Greek word root graph and the suffix -logy. The grammar skill reviewed adjectives and adverbs that compare.

The results of Module 7 assessments have been included in the take home folder. These are yours to keep.

Science

The class has been learning about severe weather. Students have learned about solutions that can help reduce risks during severe weather.

Important Dates

Friday, May 1st-FAST Fluency Testing (Sub in the Classroom)

Friday, May 1st-Student Body Cross Picture

Wednesday, May 6th-1 Hour Early Dismissal

Thursday, May 7th-Biography Book Report Projects Due

Friday 8th-Spirit Day $1

Tuesday, May 12th-Biography Bash 2:00-3:00 PM in the gym

Wednesday, May 13th-1 Hour Dismissal

Thursday, May 14th-On The Trail of Iowa Corn Field Trip

4/23/26

 Burg's Buzz

nburg@crestonstmalachy.org

4/23/26

Math

The 3rd grade class is learning about time. Students have identified the time to the nearest minute.

Reading/Language Arts

The Storyteller's Candle is a historical fiction story about a Puerto Rican family that moved to New York City during the time of the Great Depression. As Christmas is approaching, the cousins Hildamar and Santiago are missing their sunny home and their traditions, especially celebrating Three Kings' Day. They meet a librarian named Pura Belpre, who changes everything. Students worked on the comprehension skills of literary elements (identifying characters, setting, and plot), figurative language, and text and graphic features. The grammar skill covered adverbs that compare by adding -er, -est, more, or most. The class also focused on compound words as the vocabulary skill. The decoding skill was words with /oo/, such as mood and wood.

Glow-A-Thon

Glow-A-Thon is a PTO fundraiser that will take place on Monday, April 27th. Since the gym will be set up for Glow-A-Thon, we will not be able to eat in the gym. Students need to bring a sack lunch. Students are asked to wear neon clothing and tennis shoes. Also, please return the donation forms and money back to school.

Biography Book Report Projects

We are down to two weeks until the biography book reports are due. The due date is Thursday, May 7th. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Important Dates

Friday, April 24th-Spirit Day $1

Monday, April 27th-Glow-A-Thon (Bring a Sack Lunch)

Wednesday, April 29th-1 Hour Early Dismissal

Friday, May 1st-Fluency FAST Testing (Substitute Teacher)

Wednesday, May 6th-1 Hour Early Dismissal

Thursday, May 7th-Biography Book Reports Due

4/16/26

Burg's Buzz
nburg@crestonstmalachy.org
4/16/26 

Reading/Language Arts

The class is reading One Plastic Bag by Miranda Paul. In this biography, the students follow Isatou Ceesay from a young woman to a mother herself as she realizes the need to clean up all the plastic bags that have created a trash problem in her village. She comes up with an idea to turn the plastic bags into purses by cutting the bags into strips and crocheting them together. Eventually, the purses get sold, and this helps with the trash problem. One of the comprehension skills covered was text structure, specifically cause and effect. Another comprehension skill covered is point of view. The students were introduced to adverbs as the grammar skill. The vocabulary skill focused on the suffixes of -ness and -able. The decoding skill went over irregular plurals.

Science

The class continues to study the weather. Last week, Doug Welch, grandfather of kindergarten student Connor Smith, talked to the third, fourth, and fifth grade students about weather balloons. Students have been learning about typical weather conditions to identify patterns and make predictions.

Math

The next topic the third grade class will be covering is figuring time to the nearest minute. The class will also continue to review addition and subtraction using the algorithm.

Mass

The 3rd grade class will lead the liturgy on Wednesday, April 22nd. Mass parts have been included in the take home folder. Please practice speaking parts at home. Mass begins at 9:15 AM. Parents are more than welcome to attend.

Biography Book Reports

Biography book reports are due on Thursday, May 7th. Please let me know if you need any necessary supplies from me. I can provide the pizza box, poster board, construction paper, or the directions to the foldable person. 

Important Dates

Wednesday, April 22nd-3rd Grade Leads Mass

Wednesday, April 22nd-1 Hour Early Dismissal

Friday, April 24th-Spirit Day $1

Monday, April 27th-Glow-A-Thon

Wednesday, April 29th-1 Hour Early Dismissal 

4/9/26

 Burg's Buzz

nburg@crestonstmalachy.org

4/9/26

ISASP Testing

ISASP testing will be finished after today. I appreciate the students taking their time on these standardized tests. The school will notify you when the results are in. A big thanks to the PTO for supplying snacks for the students. 

Reading/Language Arts

Since there was no testing this past Wednesday, the third grade students completed a spelling pretest. The class will resume in our reading series on Friday, April 10th.

Math

The class is reviewing for an assessment on estimation by rounding and strategies used for addition and subtraction.

Biography Book Report Projects

Biography book reports were assigned to third-grade students this week. Students were excited to pick out their books on Wednesday. A packet has been included in the take home folder. This packet includes two report forms. I send two home in case of mistakes. Students should write on the report form in pencil using legible handwriting with proper spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Only one form needs to be returned to school. Also, in the packet are the project options. I have poster boards, pizza boxes, construction paper, and directions for the foldable person. Please have your child let me know when any of those supplies are needed. The rubric that I will use for grading has also been included in the packet.

Projects are due back to school on Thursday, May 7th. I know spring schedules are busy. I talked with the students about not waiting until the night before the project is due to start working on it. Students will present to their classmates on May 7th and 8th.

Parents, grandparents, and other family and friends are invited to the "Biography Bash" on Tuesday, May 12th, from 2-3 PM to view all the projects.

Important Dates

Friday, April 10th-Spirit Day $1

Monday, April 13th-NO SCHOOL (Teacher Professional Development)

Wednesday, April 15th-1 Hour Early Dismissal

Wednesday, April 22nd-3rd Grade Leads Mass

Wednesday, April 22nd-1 Hour Early Dismissal

Friday, April 24th-Spirit Day $1

Monday, April 27th-Glow-A-Thon

4/2/26

 Burg's Buzz
nburg@crestonstmalachy.org

4/2/26

Happy Easter to all St. Malachy 3rd Grade Families from Mrs. Burg.

ISASP Testing

This week has been spent completing the practice ISASP tests to prepare the 3rd grade students for the actual testing.

Students will need to make sure they have a book available to read when they finish testing. 

A note card with an envelope was sent home in last week's take home folder. The note card was for parents to write a positive and encouraging note to their child. Notes will be given out to students before testing begins on Monday, April 6th.

Science

The 3rd grade class continues to learn about weather. The students have learned about predicting different types of weather.

Math

Students worked on estimating differences to the nearest ten and hundred, then solved the actual problem. A review of concepts for ISASP testing was also covered.

Peep Adoption

Each third grade student has adopted a Peep to care for over the Easter weekend. Each student filled out a certificate of adoption. Students are asked to complete one journal entry per day, which includes Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Each journal entry should be at least three sentences. Each sentence should start with an uppercase letter and end with punctuation. Students should also include an illustration to go along with the journal entry.  The journal needs to be completed and returned to school on Monday.

Needed

The 3rd grade classroom needs more boxes of Kleenex. Any donation for the classroom is greatly appreciated.

Important Dates

Friday, April 3rd-NO SCHOOL

Wednesday, April 8th-1 Hour Early Dismissal

Friday, April 10th-Spirit Day $1

Monday, April 13th-NO SCHOOL (Teacher Professional Development)

Wednesday, April 15th-1 Hour Early Dismissal

3/26/26

 Burg's Buzz

nburg@crestonstmalachy.org

3/26/26

Welcome back to school! I hope the students enjoyed their time away from school. From now until the end of the year, there will be lots of activities going on.

Latest Edition Bookstore

The field trip to the bookstore is planned for Friday, March 27th. We will leave St. Malachy at 12:30 pm. While at the bookstore, Creston native author Terri Higgins will visit with the students about her experience as an author. We will head back to St. Malachy around 2:15. There will be time for the students to browse the store's selection of books. If your child is bringing money, please put it in a sealed envelope with their name on it. I will collect envelopes on Friday morning, and then hand them out to the students when it is time for the purchase of books.

ISASP Testing

During the week of April 6th, students in third through eighth grade will be taking the Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress standardized tests. These tests will be administered on chromebooks. The third grade students take three separate tests that include reading, math, and writing. Practice tests and review of concepts will be done during the week of March 30th.

In your child's take home folder, you will find a note card and an envelope. Please write an encouraging note to your child about the testing. You can decorate the note card and envelope how you wish. Then, return the envelope sealed with the note card inside. I will hand out the notes for the students to read before testing. Please have this returned to school by Thursday, April 2nd, due to no school on Friday.

Reading Bingo Sheet

The reading bingo sheet that was sent home at the beginning of March can still be turned in for prizes. I will accept them until Wednesday, April 1st.

Reading Incentive Program

March reading calendars are due back to school by Thursday, April 2nd. Minutes for March will then be tallied.

Since March is the last month for the program, recognition will be given to students who met the goal during all six months. The total minutes read for all six months will also be calculated. Awards will be given to the top two finishers.

Math

In 3rd grade, the class has been working on estimation. Students have practiced rounding to the nearest ten and hundred. The class will next be working on estimating sums and differences.

Reading/Language Arts

Module 7 focuses on how people are making a difference in their communities. This week's story, Farmer Will Allen and the Growing Table. In this biography, the reader is introduced to Will Allen, a former basketball player turned farmer and educator. He recognizes the need for better food options in the inner city. Will Allen turns an abandoned city lot into a community farm as he faces many challenges along the way. The comprehension strategies covered included the text structure of chronological order, the author's purpose, and the point of view. Students also worked with compound words and abbreviations as the decoding skill. The grammar skill focused on irregular verbs. The class also worked on the vocabulary strategy of using the suffix -ion.

Important Dates

Friday, March 27th-Sprit Day $1

Friday, March 27th-Bookstore Field Trip

Wednesday, April 1st-1 Hour Early Dismissal

Thursday, April 2nd-Seder Meal/Bring Sack Lunch

Friday, April 3rd-NO SCHOOL (GOOD FRIDAY)

Monday, April 6th-ISASP Testing Begins

3/5/26

Burg's Buzz 

nburg@crestonstmalachy.org

3/5/26 

Science

The next topic the third grade class is learning about in science is weather.

Reading/Language Arts

This week's story, TJ The Siberian Tiger Cub by Ann Whitehead Nagda and Cindy Bickel, is an informational text that follows TJ from birth to adulthood. Students learn about the death of TJ's mother when he was six weeks old and, and the struggles TJ faced gaining weight due to not eating. Students also learn how TJ was raised at an animal hospital until he was ready to return to the tiger exhibit at the Denver Zoo. TJ is eventually moved to a new zoo in Billings, Montana. The comprehension skill for this story focused on text structure, text/graphic features, and identifying the central idea. Students worked on decoding words with -air, 

-are, and -ear. The vocabulary skill covered the suffix of -ly. Students also work on the verb "be" and linking verbs as the grammar skill.

Math

In third grade this week, the class began working with addition properties. We compared them to the multiplication properties. Students were also asked to identify which property was being used in addition problems. Students also had to find the missing numbers in problems to make both sides of the equations equal.

Parent/Teacher Conferences

With parent-teacher conferences next week, I am sending home a form for parents to fill out with any specific topics they would like to discuss during their child's conference. Please return it before your child's scheduled conference time next week.

Author Visit

On Friday, March 27th, the 3rd grade class, will be going to The Latest Edition Bookstore uptown.  Author and Creston native, Terri Higgins, will be reading her book, Bella Bean on Blue Berry Lane, aloud to the class. She will also be discussing the process she went through from beginning to end to having a book published. There will be time for the students to shop at the bookstore. A permission slip for walking uptown has been included in your child's take home folder. Please fill out and return back to school.  I am sending it home early since there is no school on Thursday, March 12th, because of parent/teacher conferences. There is also no school the following week due to Spring Break. The week in which school resumes is the week of the field trip.

Important Dates

Friday, March 6th-Spirit Day $1

Wednesday, March 11th-1 Hour Early Dismissal

Thursday, March 12th-NO SCHOOL

Friday, March 13th-NO SCHOOL

Spring Break

St. Malachy School will be closed from Monday, March 16th, through Friday, March 20th, for Spring Break. Classes resume on Monday, March 23rd.

2/26/26

 Burg's Buzz

nburg@crestonstmalachy.org

2/26/26

Science

There will be a test on Friday, February 27th, that covers living things and their environment.

Math

The next concept the 3rd grade class will be working on is addition and subtraction.  This will include using math properties, mental math strategies, and estimation.

Reading/Language Arts

This week, the third grade is reading the narrative nonfiction selection Octopus Escapes Again by Laurie Ellen Angus. The reader follows Octopus spending her day trying to find something to eat. Meanwhile, she also has to escape predators trying to eat her. The comprehension skills reviewed the central idea, text/graphic features, and figurative language. The grammar skill continued to focus on adjectives. Students worked on adding -er and    -est as well as more and most to adjectives when comparing. The class covered the prefix of un- as the vocabulary skill. The decoding skill focused on words with -er, -or, -ir, and -ur.

Reading Incentive Program Calendars

February calendars are due back to school on Monday, March 2nd. Please make sure a parent totals the amount of minutes read and signs the calendar. A calendar for March has been included in the take home folder. March is the last month for tracking minutes at home.

National Reading Month

March is National Reading Month. Last week a calendar went home with the dress up days planned for the month. This week, a Bingo card is being sent home. If your child completes a square on the sheet, have your child X it out, and an adult should sign the square. When your child has a BINGO (up and down, across, or diagonal), he/she can return the sheet and get a prize. The Bingo sheet will then be sent back home. Each time your child gets another BINGO, he/she can return to get a prize. The goal is to complete all of the reading tasks by the end of March.

Late Slips

As a reminder, with the start of the 3rd trimester on Monday, March 2nd, the third grade students start late slips.

Parent/Teacher Conferences

Parent/Teacher Conferences are scheduled for Monday, March 9th, through Thursday, March 12th. Please sign up for a time on JMC if you have not already done so.

Important Dates

Saturday, February 28th-STM Foundation Gala

Monday, March 6-3rd Trimester Begins

Wednesday, March 4th-1 Hour Dismissal

Friday, March 6th-Spirit Day $1

Monday, March 9th-Thursday, March 12th-Conferences

Friday, March 13th-NO SCHOOL

Monday, March 16th-Friday, March 20th-Spring Break

2/19/26

 Burg's Buzz

2/19/26

nburg@crestonstmalachy.org

Reading/Language Arts

Module 6 focuses on animal behaviors. This week, the students are reading This is Your Life Cycle by Heather Lynn Miller. In this multi-genre text (narrative nonfiction and fantasy), the students learn about the life cycle of a dragonfly through a talking insect who hosts a game show. The comprehension skills covered text and graphic features, the author's purpose, and the author's craft. Students worked on identifying adjectives as the grammar skill. The vocabulary skill focused on the prefixes of uni-, bi-, and tri-. The decoding skill worked on vowels + r words.

Science

The class has been learning about how an environment can affect the living things living in it. Some changes to the environment include wildfires, mudslides, hurricanes, drought, significant changes in temperature, and humans cutting down trees for building homes, highways, and businesses.

Math

The third graders continue to work on measurement. Students have been measuring length to the nearest 1/4. The class also continues to work on fractions.

Reading FAST Testing

Results for reading of the winter screening of FAST testing have been included in the take-home folder. The results are yours to keep.

Late Slips

Late slips will start in third grade, starting with the third trimester on Monday, March 2nd. A late slip is what a student receives when he/she does not complete his/her homework on time. This is what is followed in fourth through eighth grades at STM. This is started at this point in 3rd grade, so students understand the expectations. A note has been included in the take-home folder outlining how the late slip policy works. Please reach out if you have any questions.

National Reading Month

In March, the third-grade classroom will be celebrating National Reading Month. Included in the take-home folder is a list of dress-up days planned throughout the month. At the end of March, there is also a trip planned to The Latest Edition Bookstore. More information will be sent home about that at a later date.

Important Dates

Friday, February 20th-Spirit Day $1

Tuesday, February 24th-Mrs. Burg Absent From School

Tuesday, February 25th-1 Hour Early Dismissal

Friday, February 27th-End of the 2nd Trimester

Saturday, February 28th-STM Foundation Gala 5 PM

Monday, March 2nd-Late Slips Start

2/12/2626

 Burg's Buzz

nburg@crestonstmalachy.org

2/12/26

Math

Students worked with fractions that were greater than 1 on a number line. The class has also been covering measurement. Students have measured to the nearest 1/4, 1/2, and 1 inch.

Science

The students are learning about traits that help living things survive. The class has also learned about the advantages of animals living in groups. These advantages include obtaining food, defending themselves, and coping with changes.

Reading/Language Arts

Students read the narrative nonfiction selection Brothers at Bat by Audrey Vernick. This story focuses on a family of sixteen, with twelve of those being boys who all play baseball. The boys formed a semi-pro baseball team that was coached by their father. Due to World War II, the team disbanded because six of the brothers went off to war. Eventually, all the brothers return home and continue playing baseball. In 1997, the family was honored by the Baseball Hall of Fame. The comprehension skills focused on text structure, figurative language, and point of view. Students worked on using the suffix -ment as the vocabulary skill. The decoding skill covered contractions. Students also worked on verb tense as the grammar skill.

The results of Module 5 testing have been included in the take home folder. These are yours to keep.

Valentine's Day Party

There will be a Valentine's Day party in the afternoon on Friday, February 13th, at school. Students can bring valentines for their classmates.

K-3rd Grade Mass

Kindergarten through third grade will lead the Mass on Wednesday, February 18th. This is Ash Wednesday. If your child has a part, it has been included in their take home folder.

St. Malachy Foundation Gala

The St. Malachy Foundation Gala is scheduled for Saturday, February 28th. Here is the finished product for the silent auction item.

Important Dates

Wednesday, February 18th-Kindergarten-3rd Grade Lead Mass

Wednesday, February 18th-1 Hour Early Dismissal

Friday, February 20th-Spirit Day $1

 

2/5/26

 Burg's Buzz
nburg@crestonstmalachy.org
2/5/26

Science

Research on plant and animal adaptations has been completed. Now each student is busy writing their informational essay. These will be available for parents to view at conferences.

Math

The class continues to work with fractions. Students have identified the number of parts in the whole. The class is also working on putting fractions on a number line.

Math FAST Testing

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

February Book Order

A February Scholastic book order has been included in the take home folder. Please take a few minutes to review the flyer. All orders are placed online at Scholastic Book Clubs.

Dictionary

Each 3rd grade student received a dictionary as a gift from the Creston Elk's Lodge. Also, included in the take home folder is a drug awareness coloring book from the Elk's.

Valentine's Day Party

Valentine's Day will be celebrated at St. Malachy School on Friday, February 13th. Students may bring valentines for their classmates to the party. If bringing valentines, please have your child bring one for each student in the class. A class list was sent home last week. The students will be decorating bags next week.

Important Dates

Friday, February 6th-Spirit Day $1

Wednesday, February 11th-1 Hour Early Dismissal

Friday, February 13th-Class Valentine's Day Party

Wednesday, February 18th-Ash Wednesday Mass (K-3 Leads)

Wednesday, February 18th-1 Hour Early Dismissal

Friday, February 20th-Spirit Day $1

1/29/26

Burg's Buzz

nburg@crestonstmalachy.org

1/29/26

Math

The next topic the third-grade class will cover is fractions. Students will learn how to read and write fractions.

 

Reading/Language Arts

This week's story, Running Rivals by Jake Maddox, is a realistic fiction story about a girl returning to the track after an injury. As she struggles with her racing times, she gets help from her biggest rival. The students will be working on these comprehension skills, monitoring and clarifying what was read, literary elements, and the author's purpose. The decoding skill is working with homophones. Students will also work on the Greek root "bio" and the Latin root "vid" as the vocabulary skill. The grammar skilled focused on subject/pronoun verb agreement.

Science

Students continue to research plant and animal adaptations.

Fill Me With Love Activity

A heart was sent home last week to be filled with things that your child loves. Please return the completed heart to school by Monday, February 2nd.

Reading Incentive Program

A February reading calendar has been included in the take home folder. Please calculate January minutes and return to school on Monday, February 2nd.

Book Order

The preorder deadline for purchasing Bella Bean on Blueberry Lane by Terri Stephens-Higgins is quickly approaching. The deadline is Friday, February 6th. Terri will be the guest author when the class visits the bookstore at the end of March.

Valentine's Day Party

The class Valentine's Day party will be held on Friday, February 13th. A container for holding the valentines will be made at school during art class. If bringing valentines, please bring one for each student in the class. A class list has been included in the take home folder. Valentines do not be brought to school early. Please have your child bring his/hers to school on the 13th.

Important Dates

Friday, January 29th-Dress to Impress Day

Friday, January 29th-Mass at 1:30 PM at Holy Spirit Church

Wednesday, February 4th-1 Hour Early Dismissal

Friday, February 6th-Spirit Day $1

Wednesday, February 11th-1 Hour Early Dismissal

Friday, February 13th-Class Valentine's Day Party 

1/22/26

 Burg's Buzz

nburg@crestonstmalachy.org

1/22/26

Catholic Schools Week

St. Malachy School will be celebrating Catholic Schools Week from Sunday, January 26th-Friday, January 31st. Each day, there will be a dress up day and a fun activity taking place. I also need students to return the note about who will be their special guest at the Mass at Holy Spirit Church on Friday, January 30th.

Silent Auction Item

Last week, a note went home about the third grade silent auction project. Each student will be creating a greeting card that contains a Bible verse. If your child has not returned their note to school, please help him/her pick out a Bible verse and get it turned in to me. Additionally, please submit donations for the project as well.

Music

Learning to play the recorder is a skill that third graders learn in music class. If you haven't paid the $5 to cover the cost, please submit it.  Mrs. Warner cannot start the children playing the recorders until all students have paid. If you have a recorder already at home, please feel free to have your child bring it to use.

Fill Me With Love Activity

February is quickly approaching, so included in your child's take home folder is a heart for your child to fill up with all their favorite things. Items can be drawn on the heart, stickers can be used, and photographs or pictures printed off the Internet can be glued to the heart. The heart should contain your child's name, and then cut out. Please return the hearts to school by February 2nd.

Reading/Language Arts

In addition to FAST testing, the students also worked on a research and writing project. Students were assigned a habitat, then they researched a plant and an animal that lived in that habitat. Students had to identify and explain two adaptations the living things had to help them survive in their environment. Students then organized the information into a paragraph with a topic sentence, supporting details, and a conclusion.

The results from testing in Module 4 have been included in today's folders. The results are yours to keep.

Math

The students will be assessed on the topic of finding area on Monday, January 26th.

Important Dates

Friday, January 23rd-Spirit Day $1

Sunday, January 26th-Catholic Schools Week Mass

Monday, January 27th-Out of this World 

Tuesday, January 28th-Winter Olympics

Wednesday, January 29th-Wild West

Thursday, January 30th-St. Malachy Day

Thursday, January 30th-Talent Show Begins at Noon

Friday, January 31st-Dress to Impress

Friday, January 31st-Special Guest Mass Begins at 1:30 PM

1/15/26

 Burg's Buzz

1/15/26

nburg@crestonstmalachy.org

Math

The class continues to find the area of shapes. Students have found the area of regular and irregular shapes.

Reading/Language Arts

The class is now working on Module 5, which focuses on stories about teamwork. The story we are currently reading is Soccer Shootout by Jake Maddox. Berk was the goalie on last season's state championship game, but a new player is trying out for the team as the goalkeeper. When the coach gives Ryan the position at goalie, Berk is given the position of the sweeper. When it looks like the team might not win the championship, the coach suggests putting Berk back in at goalie. Berk comes up with a plan that brings Ryan and him together as teammates. The comprehension skills focused on the author's purpose, literary elements, theme, and author's craft. Students worked with the diphthongs of oi and oy and the decoding skill. The grammar skill covered subject/verb agreement. The students also covered the suffixes of -er and -est.

Science

Students are learning about animal adaptations.

Music Class

A note has been included in the take home folder pertaining to ordering a recorder for your child. If you already have a recorder from a previous child at St. Malachy, your current third grade student may use it. The cost of ordering a recorder through Mrs. Warner is $5. Please send the money to school with your child.

Mass

The 3rd grade class will lead the liturgy on Wednesday, January 21st. Parts have been included in the take home folder. Please practice speaking parts at home, especially since there is no school on Monday, January 19th.

FAST Testing

I will be testing each child's fluency on FAST on Tuesday, January 20th. There will be a substitute teacher in my room that day, so I can test each student individually. The remaining tests will be taken next week as well.

St. Malachy Foundation Gala

The annual gala is scheduled for Saturday, February 28th. Each classroom is responsible for a silent auction item. Homeroom parents Jordan Wardenburg and Kaitlin Dorsey have come up with the idea to make a wooden gift card holder. There is a note in the take home folder with more information about this project. Parent help is needed to complete the project. Each student will be creating their own greeting card to put on the holder. On the greeting card will be a Bible verse. Please complete the form coming home, and have your child return it back to school by Friday, February 6th.  Also, monetary donations are being accepted to help cover the costs.

Catholic School Week

Catholic Schools Week is quickly approaching. There are several notes in the folder pertaining to events happening during this week. There is a note about volunteering for the Mass at Holy Spirit Church on Sunday, January 25th. There is also a note about who will be your child's special guest at the mass on Friday, January 29th. The guest will need to pick your child up at St. Malachy School and bring them to Holy Spirit Church that afternoon.

Book Order Form

Last week, a book order form went home about purchasing the book Bella Bean on Blueberry Lane, written by Terri Higgins. She will be the featured author in March. Please get those orders in by February 7th.

Important Dates

Monday, January 19th-NO SCHOOL (Teacher Professional Development)

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

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

Wednesday, January 21st-1 Hour Early Dismissal

Wednesday, January 21st-PTO Meeting

Friday, January 23rd-Spirit Day $1