Harvest Fest and More!

This week, both our reading and science work focused on the concept of compare and contrast.  As part of the GRA, we read Sky Color by Peter Reynolds and students were asked to choose a second Peter Reynolds book to explore similarities and differences with.  We also were inspired to write color poems which have been posted to our kidblogs.  In science this week, students explored nonfiction text features including captions, diagrams, headings and photographs.  Finally, we explored inferences.  Students practiced making and identifying inferences as ideas, which rely on both evidence and background knowledge (schema).  

In math, third graders continued to explore multiplication this week.  They created “multiples strips” which allowed students the opportunity to compare factors and multiples of numbers up to ten.  Third grade mathematicians also participated in several problem strings this week, reinforcing strategies for solving subtraction problems and learning new strategies for solving multiplication problems.  Finally, as the October number corner came to a close, students made final observations about the calendar, including identifying specific quadrilaterals by name. Fourth graders had an abbreviated math week, with the addition of the beginner band introduction!  We have been  using arrays to multiply two-digit numbers.  Number Corner has been the place for identifying multiples of  four and eight and calculating large sums and products.  We have had a Number Corner checkpoint assessment and work in Work Places, which is solidifying our basic multiplicative reasoning.

Our writing lessons this work focused on writing our story ideas using the frame of "Wants...But....So...."  Students were asked to come up with at least three story ideas.  Next week we will work on developing our plot.

Our Harvest Festival and afternoon of enjoying Stone Soup and pumpkin painting was a great success. Thank you to our two room parents, Pamela Nash and Cindy Roy.

 

Other:  

• Fourth Grade Band Sign Up is due
• Jessica Lamorey and Katie Cuttitta will return on Monday
• Stephanie Bliss will finish on Monday as a Substitute but will be our class substitute as I will be out.
• Monday will be an After-School Volleyball Demonstration by CVU - open to 3rd and 4th graders!
  
  This week's SMART Student of the Week was Wyatt!  This week's Bucketfiller Award goes to Wylie!  Congratulations!!!!