Third Grade News

If you have a change to make in how your student gets home or if your student is ill, please include Shelly Sartin (shelly.sartin@gcisd.net) and Charlotte Brumley (charlotte.brumley@gcisd.net) on the email. Due to our schedule, we don't have a lot of opportunities to check our email during the day and Shelly will make sure we get the message. We don't want to miss any important messages!

Our wonderful Morning Melodies Program is back!

Mr Kaufmann started this program last year and it was featured on the evening news!

We have a fabulous old piano Mrs Kaufmann found that needed a new home so we fixed it up, got it painted and now students can play some fun tunes in the morning to welcome our Texans into the school as they enter the building! It is a very relaxed, positive space to try out a new tune or show off something you are learning in the piano lab!

If your student would like to sign up for a slot, please click the link below!

Morning Melodies

• Third Grade is a stress free zone! If something seems to go wrong, just let us know and we'll work through it with you!

• Students are welcome to bring in a non breakable sealing water bottle with water in it (please no soda or colored drinks) to drink from during the day in our classroom. Plastic or padded waterbottles are a huge help as the metal/glass ones make a lot of noise in the hallways when they fall.

• Recess is at 11:30 each day and lunch time is at 12:00.

• Students are welcome to bring a dry, nutritious snack to class each day. We will have a short, designated snack time in the morning to tide us over until lunch.

• Please check the schedule below to see when your student will have PE to make sure they have gym appropriate shoes for that day. They are also able to bring a pair to change into if they want to wear their fun shoes the rest of the day.

• We know that the headphones provided by the school supply pack are not as sturdy as they can be so you are welcome to send in a pair from home if you would prefer!

3/17-21 - Spring Break

3/25 - Spirit DAY at Portillo's in Grapevine 10 am - 10 pm

4/9 - STAAR Reading for Grades 3-5

4/11 - BES Arty

4/22 - STAAR Science for 5th Grade

4/29 - STAAR Math for Grades 3-5

5/6-7 - Campus Performance of Moana at GHS Auditorium at 6 pm

5/20 - Field Day

5/22 - Last Day of School / Early Release at 11:45 am

Reading: In reading this week we read a great text about Thomas Edison and his greatest inventions! We reviewed how to summarize a text by looking at subheadings, the main idea of each paragraph, and the details that support it.

Writing: This week we have been tying up loose ends in preparation for Open House and focusing on editing and revising prompts that reflect what the STAAR test will ask students to complete. Students are asked things like "What revision can be made to improve the topic sentence in paragraph 3?" In that case, they would be given four options for sentences that could replace the original sentence and they have to decide which one would be best. We are seeing improvement in third graders' ability to do this type of thing. Their practice is paying off!

Social Studies: Third grade learned all about budgets this week. They have talked about short and long term goals that adults make. For example, a short term goal for a budget might be to provide this week's groceries for the family and a long term goal might be the savings over the year that will pay for family vacation this summer. It is so funny to watch them realize the effort and thought that goes into having a successful financial plan. And it turns out that money truly doesn't grow on trees...it must be earned, saved, and spent carefully. Who knew?

Science: This week was a simple one in science! We have finished our learning for units 5 and 6 which meant that our scientists took their TEKS check to show what they know! We used our time before the test to review the big concepts from units 5 and 6 on earth science, weather, and space. The kids have worked very hard these last two units and we are so proud of them!

This week we finished our Mondrian Squares equivalent fraction Arts Integration pieces and we can't wait for you to see them! To demonstrate our understanding of equivalent fractions, we studied the Dutch artist Piet Mondrian who loved to use bold colors, straight lines, and right angles to create our versions of his abstract art. We examined his journey through his different stages and then looked at how we could use his art to show our knowledge of fractions. The finished products will be on display for Open House. Can't wait for you to check them out!

Our Mondrian Squares concluded our official study of fractions and we are now in our Geometry and Measurement Era! In this unit, students will develop their understanding of geometric figures by sorting and classifying two- and three-dimensional figures that may vary in size, shape, and orientation based on attributes using formal geometric language.

Students will also focus their exploration of two-dimensional figures as they explore subcategories of quadrilaterals, including rhombuses, parallelograms, trapezoids, rectangles, and squares. Students use formal language to describe the attributes and properties of each subcategory of quadrilaterals as well as recognizing and drawing quadrilaterals that do not fit into any of the subcategories.

Students will then determine the area of rectangles and squares with whole number side lengths by multiplying the number of rows by the number of unit squares in each row. Students determine the perimeter of polygons with given side lengths as well as by measuring side lengths with both customary and metric measures. They find a missing length when given the perimeter of a polygon and the remaining side lengths.

They will determine and use appropriate customary and metric units of measure, including distinguishing between fluid ounces for measuring liquid volume (capacity) and ounces for measuring weight, and determine liquid volume (capacity) and weight in problem situations. In this unit, students also solve problems involving addition and subtraction of time intervals in minutes, finding an ending time when given a start time and an interval of time, and finding a start time when given an end time and an interval of time.

1.Students are able to bring in one small, dry, healthy snack to each during the morning. Water bottles that seal are welcome as well.

2. We will be getting our Chromebooks soon and trading in our iPads. Chargers will be coming home with the Chromebooks so you can make sure to have them charged each night.

3. Dismissal changes at the end of the day - If you need to change how your student is getting home and it is the day of, please call the office and Shelly Sartin will make sure we get the information. With all that goes on during the day, we don't have an afternoon break throughout the day to check email and we don't want to miss an important notice! Thank you!

Corrie Kaufmann corrie.kaufmann@gcisd.net

Jenna Flink jenna.flink@gcisd.net

Alex Diaz alex.diaz@gcisd.net

Megan Delfeld megan.delfeld@gcisd.net