Weeks of 1/30/12 & 2/6/12

This week is going to be so exciting!  It is Catholic Schools Week, a time for us to celebrate that we are a part of a Catholic school community.  The week schedule is below:

Monday: Pajama Day - Students wear their pajamas to school. We will have an extended D.E.A.R. time in which students will be allowed to get comfortable around the classroom and read silently.
Tuesday: Buddy Day - We will get together with out buddy classes and create a special present for our parents.  Students can wear sport apparel this day.
Wednesday: Staff Appreciation Day - Students should wear regular uniforms.  They will get to eat with their buddy classes during lunchtime while the teachers get to relax and eat together.
Thursday: Family Appreciation Day - Students will wear matching shirt with their buddy class.  The third grade will wear green shirts.  We will have an all school mass at 8:30. Then parents and other family members may accompany us back to the school for the awards ceremony.  Parents are welcome to continue their visit in the classroom and during lunch until 11:40.  From 6-8pm we will have Family Game Night in Schwinn Hall.
Friday: Student Appreciation Day - Students will wear their gym uniforms.  We will have an all-school olympics in Schwinn Hall from 9-11am.  We will then eat lunch in our classrooms.

As for the curriculum, below is a list of what is happening in each subject.

English - We just finished up the chapter on verbs and are moving on to adjectives and adverbs.  This is perfect timing since students have started working on a personal narrative in writer's workshop.  Students should focus on adding more descriptive words to their writing.
Math - Students have started division with single digits.  We will begin with numbers 0-5, then move on to larger numbers.  It is imperative that students continue to work on their multiplication since it is so closely related to division.  We will continue to take timed tests in class in order for students to assess themselves on their multiplication skills.
Reading - We will be reading the next few chapters in Because of Winn Dixie.  During this book, students will focus on character and setting descriptions, vocabulary, predictions, and summaries.  We will also be making connections to history events such as the Civil War.
Science - Students will test over chapter 4 on Tuesday, January 31st. We will then be skipping to chapter 7.  This chapter covers topics such as weather, the water cycle, climate, and seasons.
Social Studies - We have just begun a new chapter on government.  This chapter is complex and has a lot of information.  It would be beneficial to review what was learned on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays.  Students are currently learning about the national government as well as the three branches of government (executive, legislative, and judicial) and their roles in creating and enforcing laws. We will later move on to state and local governments as well.