2/15/24

 Burg Buzz

nburg@crestonstmalachy.org

2/15/24

Science

The next topic the third grade students will be learning about is weather.

Math

The third grade class will have an assessment over interpreting and analyzing data next week.

Reading/Language Arts

This week's story is T.J. The Siberian Tiger by Ann Whitehead Nagda and Cindy Bickel. In this informational text, students learn about a tiger cub that loses his mother due to cancer. The tiger cub quits eating and begins losing weight. Under the care of caring workers, The comprehension skills covered text structure, text and graphic features, and the central idea. Students also worked on words with vowel + /r/ sounds  as the decoding skill. The vocabulary strategy covered the suffix of -ly. 

The class has also been working on opinion writing. Students have written about their favorite between rain and snow, whether they would rather be the student or the teacher, their favorite day of the week, and their favorite restaurant.

Book Order

An order form was sent home in last week's take home folder about ordering books written by visiting guest author Elizabeth Gilbert Bedia. Order forms with payment are due back to school by Tuesday, February 21st.

Donations

3rd grade class is still in need of monetary donations for the third, fourth, and fifth grade "I'd Rather Be Reading" basket and silent auction adirondack chairs.

Late Slips

The third trimester begins on Monday, February 26th, which means late slips will be starting in third grade. Every time a student doesn’t not have an assignment (spelling packet, writing missed words, getting a test signed, etc) completed, he or she receives a late slip. The student must get the late slip signed and the homework completed and returned the next day.  If the homework is completed and the late slip is signed there is no other consequence.  If the late slip is not signed or the homework is not completed by the next day, the student will have to serve detention.  On the sixth late slip received, the student gets an automatic detention.  If any more late slips are received after the sixth one also results in detention being served.  Parents will be notified when a detention is to be served.  Students receive late slips from Mrs. Sickels, Miss Surma, and me, so the six late slips allowed are per teacher.  I have talked with the third graders about the late slip policy.  The best way to avoid late slips is to just get homework completed on time!  Please continue to check assignment books to see what was done during the day, what still needs to be completed, and what needs to be signed.  Please take a few minutes to talk to your third grader about the late slip policy and what the consequences are for not getting work completed.

  

Important Dates

Monday, February 19th-NO SCHOOL (Teacher PD)

Friday, February 23rd-Spirit Day

Monday,  February 26th-Third Trimester (Late Slips Start)

Saturday, March 2nd-Auction and Gala

2/8/24

 Burg's Buzz

nburg@crestonstmalachy.org

2/8/24

Science

Students will take the Unit 5 Assessment covering "Organisms and Their Environment" on Monday, February 12th.

Math

This week the students have been analyzing and interpreting data using bar graphs and picture graphs. Later in the week, students will be doing a school wide survey about who will win the upcoming Super Bowl football game. Students will gather the data and create a bar graph with the results.

Reading/Language Arts

This week the class is reading Octopus Escapes Again by  Laurie Ellen Angus. In this narrative nonfiction story, the reader follows Octopus trying to find food all the while avoiding being eaten by other animals in the sea. The comprehension skill reviewed figurative language and text and graphic features. Students worked on using words with er, ir, ur, and or as the decoding skill. The grammar skill focused on using adjectives to compare. Students worked with using the prefix of un- as the vocabulary strategy.

The results of Module 5 have been included in the take home folder.

FAST Testing Results

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

Author Visit

March is National Reading Month. On Tuesday, March 5th, children's author Elizabeth Gilbert Bedia will be visiting St. Malachy School. Families have the opportunity to purchase books she has written prior to the visit.  In this week's take home folder is an order form. Books can be purchased using cash or check. Order forms are due back to school by Tuesday, February 20th.

St. Malachy Foundation Gala

The St. Malachy Foundation Gala is scheduled for Saturday, March 2nd. Donations are still needed for the adirondack chairs for the silent auction item. The 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade book basket for the live auction is in need of donations as well.

Important Dates

Friday, February 9th-Spirit Day $1 (Wear Chiefs or 49ers Gear)

Friday, February 9th-Valentine's Day Party

Monday, February 19th-NO SCHOOL (Teacher PD)

Friday, February 23rd-Spirit Day $1

Friday, February 23rd-End of the 2nd Trimester

Monday, February 26th-Late Slips Start

2/1/24

 Burg's Buzz

nburg@crestonstmalachy.org

2/1/24

Math

The next chapter the third grade class will cover is interpreting and analyzing data. Students will read and make a variety of graphs.

Reading/Language Arts

Module 6 will focus on animal behaviors. This week the class read another narrative nonfiction story called This is Your Life" by Heather Lynn Miller. This story also contained some fantasy. The comprehension skills focused on text and graphic features, summarizing, and author's purpose. Students learned about adjectives as the grammar skill. The vocabulary skill covered the prefixes of uni-, bi-, and tri-. 

Science

Students will be having a test over how living things are able to survive in their environments next week.

St. Malachy Foundation Gala

The St. Malachy Foundation committee have decided to bring back the class baskets to the auction.  The theme of this year's Gala is "We Are God...We Are Community." This year the 3rd, 4th, and 5th grader classes are combining to put together "I Rather Be Reading" basket. The plan is to focus on the new bookstore in town. Items that could be included are bookmarks, reading light, blanket, candle, snacks, a gift card, etc. Our grade band is seeking donations to purchase items for the basket. Donations are due to school by Friday, February 23rd. There is a note in the take home folder pertaining to this.

Also, please remember monetary donations are also needed to help with the silent auction as well. A note from Casie Klejch was sent home last week about monetary donations for this.

Special Guest Mass

Catholic Schools Week will end with mass on Friday, February 2nd. School will be dismissed at 1:00 PM. All students will be picked up in the car line. Mass begins at 1:30 PM. Students will not return back to school. Students with parts have spots reserved for them up towards the front of the church.

Valentine's Day Party

St. Malachy School will hold Valentine's Day parties on Friday, February 9th. Students decorated bags in art class on Wednesday, and will finish next week. Please do not have students bring their valentines until at least Thursday of next week.

Important Dates

Friday, February 2nd-Black Tie Dress Up Day

Friday, February 2nd-Special Guest Mass at 1:30 PM

Monday, February 5th-Mrs. Burg Absent

Friday, February 7th-Lenten Retreat 6-7 PM

Friday, February 9th-Spirit Day $1

Friday, February 9th-Valentine's Day Party

Friday, February 19th-NO SCHOOL (Teacher PD)

Friday, February 23rd-Spirit Day $1

Friday, February 23rd-Last Day of the 2nd Trimester

1/25/24

 Burg's Buzz

nburg@crestonstmalachy.org

1/25/24

Reading/Language Arts

The class is reading the narrative nonfiction story Brothers at Bat by Audrey Vernick. This story was about brothers who loved the game of baseball. They played the game throughout their whole life. Students worked on figurative language and sequencing as the comprehension skills. The decoding skill focused on contractions. The vocabulary skills were the shades of meaning of words and the suffix of -ment. Students also worked on verb tense as the grammar skills. The post test and weekly reading assessment will be on Friday, January 26th.

Math

There will be a test over perimeter and area on Monday, January 29th. Students will bring home the practice assessment in Friday's folder.

Science

The third grade class discussed how living things react when their environment changes.

Book Order

A book order flyer has been included in the take home folder. All books are ordered online using a credit card. Scholastic books are an affordable way to build your child's home library.

Catholic Schools Week

St. Malachy School will be celebrating Catholic Schools week from Sunday, January 28th-Friday, February 2nd. There are many fun dress up days and activities. A note was sent home in last week's take home folder about each day. Just a reminder there is no mass on Wednesday, January 31st. Mass will be on Friday, February 2nd during the week of CSW.

Class List

A class list is being sent home in this week's folder for students to use when completing valentines for their classmates. The Valentine's Day party will be on Friday, February 9th.

Silent Auction Item

Each class is responsible for a personalized item to contribute to the silent auction. Jason and Casie Klejch are the overseeing the third grade project. There is a note in the take home folder pertaining to our class project. 

Important Dates

Sunday, January 29th-Kick Off CSW Mass at Holy Spirit 9AM

Monday, January 30th-Sack Lunch Needed (Milk Provided)/STM Gear Day

Tuesday, January 31st-Favorite Saint or Bible Figure Day

Wednesday, January 30th-Career Dress Up Day

Thursday, February 1st-Sock, Cros, & Birenstocks Day

Friday, February 2nd-Special Guest Mass/Black Tie Day

Wednesday, February 7th-Lenten Retreat 6 PM

Friday, February 9th-Spirit Day $1

Friday, February 9th-Valentine's Day Party

1/18/24

 Burg's Buzz

nburg@crestonstmalachy.org

1/18/24

Math

The third grade class continues to work on perimeter and area. Students also continue to review basic facts. Please practice the facts at home, especially the multiplication and division facts.

The class should be ready for an assessment next week.

Science

This week students learned about how organisms succeed in their environment. Students collaborated to help determine how an animal's environment affects its ability to survive in its environment. 

Reading/Language Arts

The class will start a lesson 15 on Thursday, January 18th.  The story the class will read is a narrative nonfiction story entitled Brothers at Bat by Audrey Vernick.

Valentine's Day Party

This year St. Malachy School will be hosting Valentine's Day parties on Friday, February 9th. Valentine's Day is on Wednesday, February 14th, which is Ash Wednesday this year. Ash Wednesday is a day of fasting in the Catholic faith. 

Students are allowed to bring valentine cards to school for their classmates. If your child is bringing valentines, please have them bring one for each student in the class. A class list has been included in the take home folder. Students will decorate bags in art class in February.

Important Dates

Friday, January 19th-Spirit Day $1

Sunday, January 28th-Friday, February 2nd-CSW

Friday, February 9th-Spirit Day $1

Friday, February 9th-Valentine's Day Party

1/11/24

 Burg's Buzz

nburg@crestonstmalachy.org

1/11/24

Math

Students will be learning how to find the area of irregular shapes.

Reading/Language Arts

Due to the snow days, the class will continue to work on the story Running Rivals in lesson 14. The spelling post test will be on Monday, January 15th.

Science

Students have been learning about physical and behavioral adaptations.

Snow on the Ground

In order to play in the snow, students need to have boots on their feet and their winter coats with hats and gloves/mittens. Snow pants are a great way to stay warm and keep clothes from getting wet. A pair of shoes is necessary for wearing in the building.

Important Dates

Wednesday, January 17th-PTO Meeting

Friday, January 19th-Spirit Day $1

Sunday, January 28th-Friday, February 2nd-Catholic Schools Week

1/5/24

 Burg's Buzz

nburg@crestonstmalachy.org

1/5/24

Welcome Back

Can you believe we are halfway through the school year? I look forward to seeing the students continue to improve academically and socially. I took some time on Wednesday to review classroom expectations and procedures. As a class we discussed the social contract, and how students should behave when at school.

Reading/Language Arts

Wednesday was used to write goals for 2024. On Thursday, the class started the next story in our reading series and had a spelling pretest. The post test for Lesson 14 will be on Friday, January 12th. 

Science

The third grade class continues to learn about animal adaptations.

Math

The class will continue to work on perimeter and area.  Students will be using the Distributive Property of Multiplication to find the area. Students will also be finding the perimeter and area of irregular shapes.

FAST Testing

The winter screening for FAST testing will start next week.  The students will take the computerized tests first. The CBMreading test will be given during the afternoons of January 16th and 18th.

Reading Incentive Program

Please return December reading calendars to school by Friday, January 5th. The reading goal will increase to 500 minutes during the months of January, February, and March.

Class Fridge

Students can still bring in a picture to put on our class fridge.

Important Dates

Friday, January 5th-Spirit Day $1

Monday, January 8th-Mrs. Burg Absent

Wednesday, January 10th-Cookie Party

Wednesday, January 17th-PTO Meeting

Friday, January 19th-Spirit Day $1