Welcome to the blog for Mrs. Oldach's Third Grade Class at Elmwood School in Hopkinton, Massachuetts
Thursday, September 3, 2009
We had a wonderful first three days of school! The boys and girls got to know each other while talking about our summer souvenirs and answering "beach ball" questions during Morning Meeting. Here are some pictures of the amazing class of Room 29!
Hi boys and girls! I just loved meeting you all this week and getting off to a fantastic start to the school year. Have a great long weekend, and I will see you after Labor Day! Love, Mrs. Oldach
April 1, 2010 is the kick off for the US Census which happens only once a decade. Here is a great link that explains the census in kid friendly format.
The whole school looks forward to the arrival of our class biography people each February. The boys and girls did a fantastic job representing their historical figures and adding accessories to hint at their identity. For example. Ruby Bridges is holding a school notebook and JFK has a coconut with PT-109 written on it! Inside each person is a folder with a timeline of important facts and a biopoem about their life and contributions to our country. Please feel free to stop by before or after school to view our "guests" which are hanging on the walls near our room.
A Visitor to Room 29 ...
Amaryllis Day 37
Ask your child why they think these two plants are growing so differently ...
MCAS - Practice like you play!
After February vacation, the class will be spending some time getting familiar with the format of the MCAS Reading test which will be administered the week of March 22. We will be using the third grade MCAS tests from previous years to practice test items. Being familair with actual MCAS tests helps reduce any anxiety the children may have about this third grade experience -- or, as athletes say, we will practice like we will play! All of our learning thorughout the year prepares the boys and girls for this MCAS test. Our goal is to feel relaxed and confident on test day and everyday!
Is a circle a polygon?
Maybe, maybe not ..... Ask your third grader to explain the right answer to you!
Would your age and weight be different on other planets?
Yes! You can calculate how old you would be and how much you would weigh on other planets. On which planet would you be the youngest or weigh the least? Mrs. Oldach wants to move there!
Geometry
We have started Unit 6: Geometry in math class. As an introduction to this unit we read Grandfather Tang's Story, a Chinese tale told with tangram figures. Tangrams are a set of standard shapes cut from one square. The slide show below is of the some of animal figures the children created. In one of the pictures, three children combined their tangram sets to create a scene from the book of Grandfather Tang, Little Soo and a tree.
Grace's Grampa Published a Book!
Grace brought in the book that her grandfather recently wrote about her family's genealogy. She showed us the page where she is noted in her family history.
Amaryllis Bulbs
We planted these two amaryllis bulbs on January 4th when we returned from vacation. They are slowly taking their time to show us signs of growth but there are subtle changes every day. The boys and girls check in on our bulbs every morning when they arrive to school.
"Eye Grows" Observation
These little guys have taken up residence in one of our windowsills. Their grass seed hair took about a week to sprout. We think that the hair is growing at different rates becasue of the angle of the shadow created from the window frame. We are looking forward to seeing the new "hair" growth after MLK weekend. Maybe they will need a hair cut. The sombrero is complements of Molly!
HPTA Silent Auction Basket Donations
The HPTA Silent Auction is Saturday, March 6th. This year the theme of our classroom basket is "Green Thumb" along with Mr. Keane's class. Please consider donating any child oriented item having to do with gardening to our basket which will be auctioned off that evening. The funds from the Silent Auction go directly back into our schools to help fund learning experiences. Thank you HPTA!
Math Unit 5
We are well underway in Unit 5: Place Value in Whole Numbers and Decimals. As part of this unit, we will continue our work on effective word problem solving. Please remember that starting the week of January 12th, all students will be taking the timed tests for multiplication and division. If your child had progressed onto multiplication and division timed tests previously, he or she will continue with the appropraite test. Please visit our class website for links to websites for practice tests you can use at home.
Let's Eat a Rock Today
Using the analogy of a chocolate chip cookie helps kids understand that a rock (cookie) is made up of minerals (chocolate chips). The dough is the "sediment" in this yummy exploration~
Snow Flake Projects
Thank you to the many parent volunteers who helped us with our 3-D , symmetrical snow flake projects. Just like in nature, no two snow flakes were quite the same! Check out these original snow flake photographs by Wilson Bentley, the famous snow flake photographer from Jericho, Vermont.
Can Rocks Float?
Sure they can! Ask your child why these pumice rocks floated when we dropped them into the water pitcher ...
Multiplication and Division
We have started Unit 4 in math which builds upon the concept of arrays and area from Unit 3. Multiplication and division are presented as reciprocal functions which expands the children's ability to manipulate numbers and strengthens problem solving abilities. Before December Break the children will be bringing home a packet of several resources to help them study multipication and division facts at home. In this packet will be the lyrics to the multiplication songs in the link below. Songs are a great way to make learning math facts fun while the catchy tunes help increase the retention of concepts. Check out "Scooby Twos" and other mulitiplication songs and nyou will soon be humming along!
Check out these catchy songs to help you remember the multiplication tables!
Adverbs and Adjectives add variety and interest to our writing. We started with "barebones" sentences such as "The cat sat." to modify and enliven with more specific describing words -- adjectives and adverbs! Grammar Blast and MadLibs are fun online games which reinforce these concepts.
Our class has begun Unit 3 - Linear Meaures and Area in the Every Day Math program. In Computer Lab this week we will be exploring units of measure for weight and capacity using this video link .
Congratulations Patrick!
Patrick won First Prize for Most Scary Jack-O-Lantern in the Hopkinton Cub Scouts Pack 26 Pumpkin Carving Contest this past weekend. Our Patrick is very creative and also enjoys making movies in his spare time ... look out Hollywood!
Trade First Subtraction Practice
Check out this website for a fun way to practice trade first subtraction using virtual manipulatives.
Jacob's Four Eyed Creature
Jacob found this mysterious worm in his yard over the weekend and brought it in to show the class. We had a hard time deciding what end was the head! Watching its muscles contract as it slithered along was fascinating.
Elmwood the Bear
Our class mascot, Elmwood the Bear, wore his Hopkinton Hillers sweater for his favorite team for DEAR Day too!
Our Swinging Frog is a Lever Too!
Ask your child what the load, fulcrum and force is on our "toadily" fun lever.
Our Handprint USA Flag
Each child from our class and Ms. Joyce's class has their red handprints on this flag. This flag is a reminder to all of us of the meaning behind the first line of the Constitution, "We the people of the United Sates of America".
Ice Cream? Sure!
Vote for your favorite flavor of ice cream from the four choices on our poll. Our class will be graphing these results in Computer Lab using Graph Club software.
What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?
Save the Date!
The Invention Convention is December 3rd at 10:00 in the Elmwood Cafteria. What is the Invention Convention? It is the culminating project for our science unit on Simple Machines. Be dazzled by how the the children's imaginations combine with their knowledge of simple machines !
1 comment:
Hi boys and girls! I just loved meeting you all this week and getting off to a fantastic start to the school year. Have a great long weekend, and I will see you after Labor Day!
Love,
Mrs. Oldach
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