Parent Letter

Hello to all!  It is the final week of school before our winter break and I am sure that we are all very EXCITED about that.  We have a busy week ahead of us with wrapping up our units in literacy and social studies, so a break will be needed after all of our testing!  Yah!

Hopefully your child took some time this weekend to study for the social studies test today.  Your child had a study guide and social studies book to help with studying.  Maybe some of the class used the link on my blog page to help them study too.  Please see that your child brings back his or her social studies book if it has not been returned already.  Once all of the tests are corrected, I will send his or her test home for you to see the results.  If you have any questions, feel free to contact me.  Thanks!

Today your child will be receiving his or her math test today.  There is a note attached to the test asking you to look over the test with your child and then sign and return the test to school.  Some students will be receiving a unit review attached to the test.  Please remove the review packet and have your child complete the review packet.  Your child will benefit with the review of the skills from this unit, so please have your child review those skills.  You do NOT need to return the packet completed, but you can if you would like.  The only thing your child DOES need to return to me is the math test, with the sheet attached and your signature.  Please contact me with any questions.  Thank you!

The “Big Blast” party that we have earned from our fundraiser will take place on Tuesday, December 18^th.  We will be celebrating from 9:00-10:30.  Thank you to the parents that have volunteered time from their day to help us out that morning.  It will be organized chaos in the gym, but the students will have a fantastic time!  We are super excited for the party!

On Friday, you also received information about our "Care and Share" party for Thursday.  Thank you in advance to those of you that have volunteered to supply snacks for our classroom party.  It is VERY much appreciated!  Please see that your child has planned what he/she is going to create for the “Care and Share” party on Thursday.  Also, please have your child bring in any supplies he/she needs for the magnet he/she is creating.  If you have any EXTRA craft supplies that you would be willing to donate for other students, that would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks a bunch!

For the past few weeks, I have been sending home fluency passages that your child has practiced in school and then taken home on the weekend to practice with you.  We are practicing a new fluency passage in class, but I will NOT be sending home the passage to practice and bring back.  Your child will bring the passage home but will not need to have it signed and brought back.  They can have a little break from it and enjoy the holiday weekend.  Please look for a new fluency passage after break.  Thanks!

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.  Have a wonderful winter break and see you in 2013!

Sincerely,

Mrs. McCarvile

Parent Letter

Hello!  We have been working hard in the classroom and getting a lot of things accomplished.  Yah!  We continue to work on being responsible third graders such as being responsible with completing work and being a respectful listener in the classroom.  Ask your child if he or she is a respectful and responsible third grader by listening to the speaker or responsible about handing in his or her homework.

It looks that winter has finally arrived with the snow we received yesterday.  Now that there is snow on the ground, please see that your child is wearing his or her winter coat, winter boots, snow pants, hat, and gloves.  I would also suggest that your child brings an extra pair of clean socks to keep in his or her locker to change into if his or her socks get wet.  Thanks!


This week, your child will be taking the unit 3 math test on measurement.  Next week, your child will be taking the social studies test.  To help your child prepare for the social studies test, there is a link on my blog page.  Under the section titled "Information to Remember," click on the link "Social Studies."  Next, you will click on "Unit 1: Communities and Geography."  Then your child can explore the information we have read to review the concepts from the first unit.  There are also games that your child can play that will review the vocabulary words.  Your child will begin the test next Monday and will bring home his or her social studies book to study this coming weekend.  When both tests are completed and corrected, you will see the results of the tests.  If you have any questions, feel free to ask.

The "Big Blast" party that we have earned from our fundraiser will take place on Tuesday, December 18th.  Because of the "Big Blast" party, we are asking if there would be any parents available to volunteer to help out at the party.  Our class will be celebrating from 9:00-10:30 that morning, so if there would be any parents that could volunteer to help out during that time, please let me know as soon as possible.  You can send me a note, email, or call if you can help out.  Thanks for the help!

Later this week, there will be a note going home to explain a classroom "Care and Share" party that will take place at the end of the next week.  There are some things that your child will need to do to prepare for this party.  You will also get information about your child's inquiry project that your child will need to bring supplies for.  WATCH YOUR CHILD'S FOLDER LATER THIS WEEK FOR THIS NOTE AND INFORMATION!  Thank you!

If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact me.  Thanks and have a great week!

Sincerely,
Mrs. McCarville

Dear Parents,

Hello to all!  I hope that the weekend was great for all of you and you enjoyed the warmer weather.  Winter will be coming soon so we better enjoy the warmer weather when we have it.

Hopefully your child read his or her reading passage to you this weekend.  Continue to look for the fluency passage EVERY Friday.  At the end of this week, your child will be bringing home another fluency passage that he or she has practiced throughout this week.  Your child will bring home the passage on FRIDAY and your child will be ASSIGNED to practice the passage with you (or another adult) 3 times this weekend.  Once your child has read the passage 3 times, please SIGN THE ATTACHED SHEET and  RETURN ON MONDAY, DECEMBER 10TH.  This is considered HOMEWORK that will be sent home on Friday and needs to be completed and returned on Monday.  Your child will receive a passage every Friday unless it is indicated that we are not completing one for the week.  If you have any questions, feel free to contact me.  Thank you!

Your child's November reading calendar is due AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.  The December calendar was sent home on Friday, so please see that your child brings back the November calendar soon.  I would like to send home some Pizza Hut "Book It" coupons, so please have your child turn it in.  Thank you!

Please continue to check your child's folder for homework.  Your child will continue to have more homework sent home as we are approaching the middle of the school year.  Please ask your child nightly about homework, or check his or her backpack for homework.  It is very important for your child to be responsible to complete the homework and return it back to school.  If he or she does not complete the homework, he or she has to spend time inside from recess.  Please help your child be a responsible 3rd grader.  Thanks!

There will be a 3-hour early dismissal on Wednesday, December 6th.  School will be dismissing at 12:25 PM, so please plan accordingly.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me.  Thanks and have a wonderful week!

Sincerely,
Mrs. McCarville

Parent Letter

Dear Parents,

Hello!  I hope that you had a great Thanksgiving break and ate enough turkey!  We should have a full and busy week with little interruptions, so we should get a lot accomplished.

At the end of this week, your child will be bringing home a fluency passage that he or she has practiced throughout the week.  The purpose for reading the passage is to continue to build fluency so that your child can become a smoother, stronger reader.  Your child will bring home the passage on FRIDAY and your child will be ASSIGNED to practice the passage with you (or another adult) 3 times this weekend.  Once your child has read the passage 3 times, please SIGN THE ATTACHED SHEET and  RETURN ON MONDAY, DECEMBER 3RD.  This is considered HOMEWORK that will be sent home on Friday and needs to be completed and returned on Monday.  Your child will receive a passage every Friday unless it is indicated that we are not completing one for the week.  If you have any questions, feel free to contact me.  Thank you!

Please continue to ask your child, or check your child's folder, for homework assignments.  I have not sent a lot of homework in recent weeks, but please be checking NIGHTLY for math homework or literacy homework.  Although your child may not be assigned math or literacy homework, your child should still be reading nightly.  Your child's reading can continue to improve with nightly reading.  Ask your child what he or she is reading about or ask them to read aloud to you.  You can check his or her comprehension by asking questions about his or her book or build his or her fluency by having your child read aloud.  Thanks!

Lastly, the winter weather is definitely here!  Although we do not have snow on the ground, your child needs to be dressing for the colder weather.  A winter coat, hat, and gloves will be sufficient.  Your child needs to be wearing something thicker than a sweatshirt as a coat.  Thank you!

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me.  Thanks and have a fantastic week!

Sincerely,
Mrs. McCarville

Dear Parents,

It will be a shorter note, along with a shorter week!  There are just a few things that I wanted to inform you about, that will be useful information for you this week AND for the remainder of the school year.

Today, your child is bringing home two fluency readings: a poem and a reader's theatre script.  Your child is to practice the two readings with someone at home tonight.  I would like them to read the two readings THREE TIMES EACH.  Once your child has read the poem three times and his or her part for the reader's theatre script three times, please sign the sheet that will be attached to the two readings.  Fluency is an area that is important to your child's reading.  Fluency will help with phrasing, expression, and pacing.  Beginning next week, your child will practice a passage at school and bring the passage home for the weekend.  Your child will be expected to read the passage at home 3 TIMES on the weekend.  You will sign a sheet similar to the one being sent home tonight and your child will return it to school on Monday.  Please check your child's folder tonight for his or her readings and have your child read to you and return the sheet and the readings TOMORROW!  Thank you!

The other piece of information coming home tonight will be information for online programs or websites that your child may have already talked to you about.  Your child has used each of these programs, particularly during our literacy time.  Maybe your child has used the programs already at home.   If not, this will be useful information for you to read and your child to use.  If you have any questions about the programs or websites, please feel free to contact me.

There will be a 3-hour early dismissal on Wednesday, November 21st, for a teacher in-service.  Please plan accordingly.  Thanks!

Have a fantastic week and enjoy the holiday weekend!

Sincerely,
Mrs. McCarville

Parent Letter

Dear Parents,

I hope you enjoyed both seasons this weekend!  It seemed like late spring on Saturday and late fall on Sunday!  Brrr!  Because of the change of weather, please see that your child is dressing appropriately for the weather.  It is unlikely that we will have anymore warm weather that would allow students to wear shorts.  Please see that your child has a warm coat, gloves, and hats for outside recess.  Thank you!

Later this week, I will be sending your child's Unit 2 assessment in math.  Please look over the test with your child and discuss the test with him or her.  Look over the questions that were missed and ask your child to solve the missed questions.  Please sign the test to indicate that you have looked over the test and discussed the missed problems.  Finally, please have your child return the test to me.  I will send it back home once I receive the signed test.  Some of the students may also receive a note and a review packet.  If your child receives a review packet, he or she is expected to complete the packet at home and needs to review the unit.  Your child does NOT need to return the packet, but your child DOES need to complete it.  If you have any questions when the tests go home later this week, please contact me.  Thank you!

I had mentioned in the blog last week, there is an area on the blog that indicates reading strategies we have covered, or are covering, in literacy.  If your child has access to the Internet at home, please have your child try those sites.  These sites are GREAT reviews the reading comprehension strategies that we are working on.  These sites should also be used in addition to your child's reading at home.  It is very important for your child to be reading every night!  Your child's reading will continue to improve if he or she is reading nightly.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me.  Thanks and have a fantastic week!

Sincerely,
Mrs. McCarville

Presidential Election

We spent our group activity time and social studies time to discuss the Presidential election, the candidates, and the election process.  To help you explain the election to your child, or if your child would like to learn more about the election, please click on the following "kid-friendly" websites to learn more information.  Enjoy!

Presidential Election Video

Jobs of the President Video

Political Parties Video

President for a Day Game

President Matching Game

Time for Kids Election 2012 Information

Elections for Kids

Electing a President of the United States