Welcome to Ms.

Rosellas 3rd Grade

Class!

All Our Dreams Can Come True, If You Have the

Courage To Pursue Them Walt Disney

Classroom Newsletter
September 7, 2017

I am very excited to be your childs 3rd grade teacher and I am looking

forward to the upcoming year ahead! My goal is to create a nurturing, safe, and
motivational classroom to make the best learning experience possible. Each day will
be filled with many exciting activities and various events will be planned
throughout the year that will help foster a love for learning. I would also like to
introduce our 3rd grade teacher assistant, Ms. Johnston. We both will work hard to
help each child grow into his or her fullest potential to achieve academic success.
Reading and Language Arts:
The Reading Program in 3rd grade is a creative and engaging curriculum that
combines all the important areas of literature, word structure, spelling, grammar,
and writing. Throughout the year, the students will be working on various
literature units centered around a topic or theme of a specific classical literary
work. In these units, students will be participating in various writing activities and
discussions aimed at developing students analytical and critical thinking skills.
The first two units we will be working on in September are based off of the two
books the students read over the summer. The first unit on Charlottes Web by E.B.
White will be centered on the Big Idea What is Friendship? The second unit on
Tales of the Odyssey: The One Eyed Giant by Mary Pope Osborne will be centered
on the theme of risks and consequences.
In addition to literature units, the students will be studying various stories
and texts from the SRA Open Court Reading Program. Students will be learning
about the various Things that Good Readers Do, including beginning, during, and
after reading strategies that will help them to enhance their comprehension and
critical thinking skills. Students will also be studying poetry and continue with the
Fundations, Wilsons Language program for spelling and word structure.

Spelling/Word Structure Homework:

Students will be given a list of spelling words on Friday and the
corresponding assignments for those words in their Spelling
Notebooks.
Students will complete these assignments in the spelling notebooks to
be handed in the following Thursday. You may choose when to
complete these assignments throughout the week according to the
students schedule.
Each spelling list will be centered on a specific rule. Students must
study the rule so they are able to explain it and apply the rule to new
words.

Vocabulary:
Vocabulary will be taught with each lesson according to the text being studied that
week. Students will be focusing on specific words with each text, which will be
discussed throughout the lessons. Students will be using context clues to help
determine word meanings and express their understanding of the word by applying
them in writing and illustrations.

Math:
The Math program utilized will be Math in Focus; Singapore Math. Students will be
studying math in different ways so as to develop a strong conceptual thinking about
mathematical concepts. Students will be participating in hands-on activities using
manipulatives as well as daily word problems. In addition, students will have
guided and independent practice on each math skill being taught. Each activity is
designed to help students develop their math skills, problem solving ability, and
apply various strategies to new problems. Please see the following website for
additional information: www.greatsource.com/mathinfocus.

Science:
The science curriculum seeks to help students become inquisitive thinkers who
learn how to discover information about the world in which they live. Students will
be participating in many hands-on activities that require students to think about
and discover scientific concepts on their own. Students will learn how to ask
questions and how to solve problems through the scientific method. Students will
also have a chance to create their own science experiment to be presented at a
Science Fair in the second half of the year.

Character Development:
A good education is not just about developing academic skills and knowledge, but
also develops the whole person to have the tools for future success. Throughout the
year, we will be discussing and taking part in activities that help to foster
confidence, self-esteem, and social skills. On Tuesdays, the teacher will eat lunch
with the students during Teachers Caf. At this time, the teacher will discuss
bullying, positive manners, and self-esteem.

Star Student:
Throughout the school year, each child will be highlighted as a Star Student.
Students will create a poster about themselves and include pictures of their favorite
things, family members, friends, and things they love to do. They can include things
such as favorite memories, quotes, and events. The students poster will be hung up
in the classroom and a presentation will be given Monday morning where the
student will have a chance to share their poster with the class. The posters will be
handled with great care but please note at this time, students will handle the poster
so you may want to use a duplicate photo or copy the ones you will be using. The
schedule for Star Student is attached to this letter and can be found on the
class website.

Homework:
Homework is a very important part of the learning process and gives students the
opportunity to practice what they are doing in class and build on skills theyve been
taught. Students will copy homework into their assignment pads daily, Monday
through Thursday. All homework will be due the following day unless otherwise
stated. Please check your childs assignment pad for their daily assignments. If a
student is struggling with homework, please write me a note and put it in the
childs HW/Take Home folder so I may review what the child is struggling with. In
addition to their spelling/word structure assignment given on Fridays, a
typical day of homework will consist of math, reading, and writing. At times,
students may also have a science, social studies, handwriting, or current events
assignment.

Specials:
In addition to the traditional subjects, students will have the opportunity to
participate in activities at additional classes throughout the day. The schedule for
our class is attached to this letter. Special subjects include:
Computers
Physical Education
Music
Art
Spanish
STEM

STEM/Outdoor Classroom:

We are very excited to be introducing our new outdoor classroom and STEM
program this year! The outdoor classroom is full of amazing educational
opportunities and places to explore. These include various areas for math, art,
music, gardening, engineering, animals, and more. Throughout the year, we will be
taking our curriculum and bringing it to life through discovery activities in the
outdoor classroom that engage students in the learning process. They will have
opportunities to build, create, learn through movement, and explore. We are excited
to be able to take math, science, social studies, and reading, and turn it into a
nature-driven experience.

We are also happy to introduce a new STEM program with our new indoor STEM
lab. STEM, which means science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, is a
program that will tie in our curriculum, Robotics program, and outdoor classroom to
help students be well-rounded and prepared for whatever their future endeavors
may be.

A Few Notes:

Please be sure to check your childs homework folder each day as well as the
class website, as notices about upcoming events and parties will be
distributed this way.
All graded work will be sent home on Friday.
***Class website: msrosellas3rdgrade.weebly.com