Outdoor Discovery Center

We had a great day at the Outdoor Discovery Center.  The kids had a great day learning and having fun.  We learned how the Native Americans lived in Michigan, how they built their homes, and the importance of trade.  We also shot darts like the Native Americans would have used for hunting, learned about the French voyagers, and practiced being a voyager in a canoe.  We even tried to make fire!

Upcoming Events:

• Reading Minutes due Monday
• Word work test on Friday
• May 11 (Wednesday) Half day for Tulip time.  Dismissal at 11:30
• May 12 (Thursday) Half day for Tulip Time.  Students remain at school for lunch (brown bag sent from home) and then head to the parade route by bus.  We will be marching in the Kinderparade in the afternoon.  All students will need a dutch costume to wear.   Many students choose to wear them to school already in the morning.   I will send a parade line-up of the kids as the date approaches.

What we have been doing in 3rd Grade:

Bible:  This week we learned how the Israelites did not trust that God would help them defeat the Canaanites and take the promised land as their own.  We see them doubt God once again and for each day that the spies explored the land of Canaan, the Israelites now need to wander in the desert for a year.  40 Years!  Yet we continue to see how God cares for his people.  We talked about how God wants us to rely fully on Him.   We also continued memorizing Acts 2:1-4.

Reading:  Our mystery book clubs continue!  The students are busy reading several chapters each day and jotting down discussion topics that they then take with them to their book clubs.  Each day a new student is in charge of leading this discussion.  This will continue through next week.

Writing:  We focused on our introductions and life event details for our personal essays this week.  The students are doing a nice job of sticking to the big idea that they have chosen to write about and finding experiences from their own lives to back up their opinion.

Science:  We continued our study of light this week.  We experimented how light interacts differently with different materials.  We studied how shadows are made and how to change the length of a shadow by moving the light source.  We also did an experiment to demonstrate that light is refracted when it travels through air and then water.

Math: This anchor chart is just a taste of what we covered in Math this week.  We are busy learning geometry terms and doing a lot of practice with these on our ipads.  Next week we will continue to work with these polygons as we start finding area and perimeter.

Blessings!

Lynae

April 22, 2015

Upcoming dates:

• Reading Minutes due Monday
• Word Work Test on Friday
• Wednesday- Outdoor Discovery Center.  We will be out of the school from 9-2:30 that day.  Please send your child with a brown bag lunch with their name on it, good walking shoes, and appropriate dress for the weather.
• May 11 (Wednesday)- Dismissal at 11:30 for Tulip Time
• May 12 (Thursday)- Half day of class.  Students remain at school for lunch (brown bag sent from home)  and then head to the parade route by bus.  We will be marching in the tulip time parade in the afternoon.  I will send home a line-up of the kids for the parade as the date approaches.

What we have been up to in 3rd Grade:

Bible:  We focused on the tabernacle this week.  To make it real to the kids, Mrs. DeZwaan and I set up the dimensions out on the school yard and then assigned each child to a tribe.  We talked about why the organization of the tabernacle was important and then we read the verses on how the Israelites packed up the tabernacle and traveled to a new location.  As a class, we practiced marching in our tribes as well.  I am sorry that I didn't have my camera on me for photos of this, but I was busy measuring the tabernacle and blowing the trumpet to get kids marching.  :)
We also had Keith Blystra come from the High School and explain more about the tabernacle to the kids.  He did a wonderful job of explaining how God was like a neighbor moving into the Israelite neighborhood.  God's door is always open and the light is always on....just waiting for us to come and spend time with Him.

Math:  We wrapped up our unit on two step story problems this week.  This was a tough unit for many and I was proud of how hard the kids worked.  We took Thursday and Friday to do some logic problems, play some math review games, and do a few fun challenge activities with small groups.  On Monday we will start polygons, perimeter, and area.

Reading: We have finished our first book (or two for some groups) in our mystery book club and will be moving on to the next one in the series.  Continue encouraging your child to read for our upcoming all-star game as well.

Writing:  This week we chose a big idea that we feel strongly about (ex: reach to do the impossible) and created our opinion statements as well as ideas from our own lives to support these statements.

Science:  We have had a fun week doing experiments with light.  This week we learned that light travels in a straight line.  We also played with mirrors and flash lights and learned that we are able to change the direction of light.

Blessings,
Lynae

Spring is in the air!  We were not able to stay inside with this beautiful weather so we moved outside for a Bible lesson, Science experiment, and a read aloud this week.  It puts the entire class in a great mood.  :)  Bring on the sunshine!

A few odds and ends:
Book Orders:  I will place another book order on Friday, April 22.  If you are interested in ordering any books, click on the red scholastic tab on the side of this blog and you will be directed to my scholastic page.  You are free to order from any grade level on this site.

Field trip:  We will be going to the Outdoor Discovery Center on Wednesday, April 27.  We will be out of the building from 9:00-2:30 that day.  Please have your child bring a brown bag lunch with his/her name on it, good walking shoes, and appropriate dress for the weather.

Upcoming Dates:

• Reading minutes are due Monday
• Word Work test on Friday
• Math test REVIEW due Tuesday,  April 19
• Math test on Wednesday, April 20

Here is what we have been up to in 3rd grade:

Math:  We have been solving two step story problems this week.  Reading carefully is important and these problems take time.  We will finish this unit on Monday, review on Tuesday, and take our test on Wednesday.

Reading:  We have begun Mystery book clubs.  Each day your child meets with his/her book club and discusses their reading from the previous day.  It is amazing to listen to their discussions and to watch them find evidence in their books to support their thoughts.  

Writing:  We have begun our Persuasive Essay unit.  We examined several essays this week and looked for the big idea of the essay and then the evidence to support that big idea. By the end of the week the kids were getting really good at this! 

Bible:  We read about the tabernacle and talked about the importance of the Israelites having a place to worship God.  We drew a diagram and learned about the furnishings that were placed in the tabernacle.  We talked about how God is teaching the Israelites the importance of worshipping him.  Acts 2:1-4 is our new Bible memory.  

Science:  We have begun a new unit called Light and Sound.  This week we focused on light and did several fun experiments.

Blessings,

Lynae 

Good Friday

A few reminders...

Report Cards:  Your child brought his/her report card home today.  Please return the envelope to school so I can reuse it for the final quarter.

Conferences:  I am looking forward to meeting with you next week Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday for conferences.  Each conference is 20 minutes in length and I will do my best to stick to the schedule to respect your time.

Resthaven:  Next week Tuesday we will be walking to Resthaven on 40th street from 9-10 a.m.  We are going to spend some time visiting with the residents and reading our nonfiction books to them.  If your child knows someone there, please let me know and we will do our best to visit them.  If you care to join us just let me know!

Reading Minutes:  While I hope your child spends some quality time reading during Spring Break, I will not be requiring the usual form to be filled out.  Enjoy your time off and we will resume Reading minutes the week of April 11.

All Star Reading:  We have kicked of "All Star Reading" in 3rd grade.  A letter came home on Monday explaining the details.  This will continue through May so there is no need to rush.  If your child completes 5 "innings" or genres of books, they will be participating in a baseball game against the HC varsity baseball team.  It is a blast and the kids are excited!

Here is a look at what we did this week:

Literacy:  We finished our Nonfiction books!  They turned out great and the students enjoyed looking at the final product on Friday.  We will be having our Reading celebration on Monday morning.
We also enjoyed a bit of poetry this week.  We read many different types of poems and each child chose a poem to read to the class today for a "poetry slam".  We also tried writing a few poems of our own!

Bible:  We learned about the 10 commandments this week.  We talked about how God desires for us to live in accordance to these commandments as we strive to walk closely with Him.
We also spent time each day discussing the events leading to the crucifixion of Jesus.  We created an Easter poster as we spent time discussing the importance of each event.

Math:  We have begun a new unit on multistep word problems.  Once again we are reading carefully, underlining the question in our word problem, drawing pictures to help us if needed, and deciding if we need to add, subtract, multiply, or divide.  Knowing math facts solidly helps greatly with this unit.

Social Studies:  This week we studied the pioneers making their way to Michigan.  We looked at the hardships they faced, how they traveled to Michigan, and what their daily lives were like.  We will be covering Michigan becoming a state next week Monday and Tuesday.

May you have a blessed Easter!!

Lynae

See you at Fun Night!

Seussville Family Fun Night:....is tonight!  See you at Pine Ridge from 5:30-8:00.  To say that the class is excited today is a bit of an understatement. :)

A huge THANK YOU  to Dirk Hollebeek:  On Monday Dirk Hollebeek came from the Middle school and shared his experience about living in New Mexico.  He taught many students who lived within the Navajo tribe and was able to share their culture with the class.  We compared this to the Native Americans of Michigan. What a blast!

Upcoming dates:

• March 22-Skating Party
• March 28 and 29-Evening Conferences  March 30- afternoon conferences.  If you would prefer to meet at a different date/time, please contact me and we will work something out.
• March 31-April 8- Spring Break
• Reading minutes due Monday
• Work Work test on Friday
• Matthew 28:1-10 due on Friday, March 25

Here is a brief look at what we have been doing:

Math:  We finished our fractions unit and took our final test.  Next week we will begin multi-step story problems.

Literacy:  You guessed it...more work with our nonfiction book!  :)  This week we worked on our conclusions, our title page, and putting our glossary together.  We are SO close to being done and the kids are excited for you to see the final product.

Bible:  We traveled in the book of Exodus again this week.  We read chapters on water from the rock at Rephidim, the Amalekites, and Jethro coming to visit Moses.  We talked about how God equips Moses to lead the Isrealites and He guides them through tough times.  We also published Matthew 28 on a keynote presentation.  

Social Studies:  This week we studied the British coming to Michigan to get involved in the fur trade.  We covered a bit of the French and Indian War and learned about Chief Pontiac.

Music Note from Mrs. Boer - This is what we learned this quarter....

*Three hymns of the month - Stand on the Rock, I Walk by Faith, and In the Lord I'll Be Ever Thankful (in Spanish)

*Musical form (AB, AABA, ABA)

*To create our own composition based on Hot Cross Buns

*We began playing recorders (how to care for them and play them)

*We began learning how to read music (the musical alphabet, lines & spaces on a stave, a poem for the lines of treble clef)

***Recorder Practicing Expectations: For the best learning to occur, the practicing of the recorder should take place at least 3 days a week and practicing each song 3 times (3X3). The dark blue folder and the recorder should accompany your child to every music class from now until the end of the year.

Blessings!
Lynae

March 11, 2016

Here is what we have up to in 3rd Grade:

Skull Detectives:  We solved a lot of animal mysteries on Wednesday.  The kids enjoyed our special presentation from Hemlock Crossings and we had a lot of fun looking at different skeletons.

Math:  We continued with fractions this week.  Almost all of our work is done with either manipulatives or drawing pictures so we are able to see each fraction.  We focused on comparing fractions and equivalent fractions this week.  Our Math test on this unit will be on Thursday, March 17.  I sent home a review test today which is due on Wednesday.  

Bible:  We continue reading from the book of Exodus.  This week we saw how God cared for the Israelites as they began their journey through the wilderness.  He provides them with manna and quail to eat and water from the rock.  We see how quickly the Israelites complain when things become difficult and they even wish to return to Egypt.  We talked about how we often complain as well and yet God shows us over and over again that He will care for us.  

We also published Matthew 28:1-10 on a keynote presentation this week.  

Literacy:  This week we worked on completing two more chapters in our animal books.  The class worked hard once again on organizing their information, creating a rough draft, editing, and then neatly composing a final copy.  At this point, I can just let the students go and everyone is on task and focused.  It is truly amazing to watch!

Social Studies:  We studied the French explorers coming to Michigan this week.  We learned about the fur trade and how the Native Americans and the French traded goods to get what they wanted.  We read several different articles about the French explorers and compiled all of our information onto a web.  

Upcoming Dates:

• Seussville Fun Night- Friday March 18.  We have collected enough full size candy bars.  Thank you for helping in this area!  If you would like to donate some of your time to helping with a game that evening or maybe bake a cake for the cake walk, contact Mrs. Baker at dabaker@hollandchristian.org.
•  Clorox Wipes.  With so much sickness going around, we have been cleaning our desks with wipes almost every day.  If you are able to contribute, I would greatly appreciate it.  
• Conferences will be held March 28 and 29 (5:00-8:30) and March 30 (1:00-3:00).  An email with sign-up information will be coming out this week.  
• Spring Break- March 31-April 8
• Reading Minutes due Monday
• Work Work test on Friday
• Math test on Thursday

Enjoy your weekend!

Lynae

March 4

Well, it certainly was a different week in our classroom with me being out sick.  Much thanks to you and your child as the routine was a bit different with a substitute for the first half of the week.  The class did a WONDERFUL job and I am very proud of them.  A huge thank you to Leanne Van Rees as well for teaching in my place.

Upcoming dates and events:

• Seussville Fun Night:  If you are able to help on March 18 with any games or contribuations please sign up at:  http://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0c4daaab22a20-funnight  The 3rd grade class is asked to bring in full size candy bars for the prizes for some of the games.  Please contribute if you are able.
• Our new Bible Memory is Matthew 28:1-10.  I will send home the paper to practice on Monday.  For many students this is a review from previous years.
• On March 9 (Wednesday) Hemlock Crossings will come to our classroom to do a presentation called Skull Detectives.  We will be learning about how to identify animals from their bone structure.  This fits in well with our study of physical characteristics.  
• March is Reading Month- Students can record their reading progress on their Media Center Bingo Card.  Those who complete the card will earn a prize from Mrs. Hoffman.  A Whitecaps Sheet also came home with instructions on how to record reading minutes.  If your child completes this sheet, send it back to school and your child will receive a voucher for two free baseball tickets.  Both of these reading incentives are completely optional but easy to do simply by completing required weekly reading minutes for our class.
• Reading Minutes due Monday
• Spelling test on Friday
• Conferences March 28-30 (An email for signing up will be coming soon)
• March 30- 1/2 day of school
• Spring Break March 31-April 8

Here is what is happening in our classroom:

Math:  We have begun a new unit on fractions.  We have learned about numerators, denominators, finding fractions on a number line, and identifying fractions larger than one.   This is a difficult concept for many students at the beginning so much of our math time is spent with manipulatives.  

Bible:  The week we studied the passover.  We compared the passover to communion and saw many similarities.  We also learned about the Israelites crossing the Red Sea and how God delivered them from the Egyptians. 

Literacy:  This week we wrote our chapter on physical characteristics.  Once again we had to organize our information, edit all of our work and complete the final draft.  The class has gotten great at this routine and our mornings are spent with everyone busy at work!  I love seeing every student so engaged in their writing and reading!

Social Studies:  We learned about the "Three Fires"  (the Ottawa, the Ojibway, and Potawatomi tribes).  Each child was placed into a small group and assigned a tribe.  They researched their tribe and then presented the information to the class.  Everyone enjoyed being the "teacher" and there is a lot of natural talent for leading a classroom in these kids!

Have a great weekend!

Lynae