Three Cheers for Class of Week!

That's right! These FABULOUS kids earned CLASS OF THE WEEK and Mrs Klinginsmith came to visit  in her AMAZING spirit decor! I can't tell you how PROUD and EXCITED I am for our class. I think you could have heard them screaming and cheering all the way down the street when they found out they were class of the week. And yes, I feel like I have to take a minute to brag about them! Here's why I am so lucky to have them as my students....

• They ENCOURAGE each other daily! With this class, I quickly noticed how they genuinely want each other to do well and succeed. They truly are each other's cheerleaders.
• They are incredibly KIND to one another and are quick to apologize if they know they've hurt a friend's feelings.
•  They persevere through challenging tasks and never complain when asked to do something.
• They're HILARIOUS--Their personalities combined make me laugh...A LOT!
•  They're working incredibly hard on being leaders in and outside of the classroom.
• They LOVE learning! I can't tell you how many cheers I get or how often I hear "Yesssss!" when I introduce something we're learning or an activity.

I could go on and on! I am truly blessed to be surrounded by such kind-hearted and sweet kids every day. I can't wait to see what the rest of the year has in store for us! Enjoy this beautiful weekend!

Mrs. Hreno

Things are looking GREAT in 3rd grade! Take a look at all of the fun things we learned this week....

• Habit 4 was introduced, read about, and practiced!--Think Win-Win: Everyone can win!

• In math, we worked on identifying the rule and completing IN and OUT tables. We also worked on using part and total diagrams to help us solve number stories. For problem solving today, students worked on on using the "Make a Table" strategy to solve TRICKY word problems. It was a VERY productive week in math!
• We've kicked off our Rocks and Minerals unit in Science and the class is LOVING it. We put on our geologist hats each day and get to work! Students observed 12 rocks and sorted them by different properties. Ask your child what PROPERTIES they sorted their rocks into. They also learned about the 3 different types of rocks and how they're formed. See if your child can tell you the 3 main types of rocks and/or how they're formed.
• We continued working on SHOWING instead of TELLING in our writing and started HOOKING our reader with a GREAT beginning. We don't want our readers to FALL ASLEEP when they pick up our stories so we're working on writing beginnings that will reel our readers in!
• This week in reading we worked on identifying the author's point of view and looked for words in the text that helped us decide if it was being told in the first-person or third-person.

Next week, we will be celebrating Homecoming and College Go week. Check out the FUN spirit days below!

Wednesday:  Workout Wednesday!

Thursday: Go College!  Support your favorite college week!

Friday: Blue and Gold!

Oh the fun things we do in 3rd grade! If you were a fly on the wall in Rm 13 this week you would have seen or heard..

• Students using a storyteller's voice in writing. We worked on writing SEED stories--a ZOOMED in moment in time. When we use a storyteller's voice, we write the story bit-by-bit, including every important detail of that moment. Ask your child what their SEED story was about.
• Lots of cheering in math class. EVERY student got an A on the first math test! I was one proud teacher! I can tell the students really studied hard! 
• The class reading for DETAILS in Social Studies. We had to find the important physical features, natural resources, and climate of different states. Ask your child to give you an example of a physical feature and natural resource that we learned about this week.
• Connecting Across Texts in reading today! Students share the book they read during small group time this week with other classmates who read different books. Each book centers around our BIG QUESTION for the unit: How do people help each other? Ask your child how the character in their book was helpful or showed kindness.
  

A note from Mrs. Douce!

Attention families:  If you are in need of a home computer for your student, please contact Mrs. Douce, CES student services coordinator, at 844-0168 or jdouce@ccs.k12.in.us.  A program called Net Literacy will be donating refurbished computers for families in financial need.  Please contact Mrs. Douce by September 28^th if you are interested. 

 Jennifer Douce, MSW, LCS

Student Services Coordinator

Carmel Elementary

We made it to Friday and  we are so excited for our 3 day weekend!

Take a look at what my sweeties did this week:

• Math-We practiced counting coins, making change, and completing number patterns. Along with completing patterns, we worked on identifying the rule used in the pattern. Today was PROBLEM SOLVING day--Our favorite!  Ask your child what NEW steps we learned that will help us work through a word problem!  Don't forget that our first math test is next Thursday, September 10.

• Social Studies- We used a map scale and compass rose to find the distance and direction from Carmel, Indiana to various places around the United States. Ask your child what their favorite place was!
• Writing- We started working on SHOWING vs. Telling when we write. The class learned that they should create a mental movie of their story that includes descriptive sentences, action, and dialogue. They quickly realized that it's easier to write LONGER if they're showing instead of telling.
• Reading- We began our small group reading this week and I was SO impressed with how quickly the class learned the routines. During this time, students meet with a teacher and  independently read a book of their choice. Ask your child what book they read this week in their small group. Have them summarize the book  for you by sharing the most important parts from the the beginning, middle, and end of the story.

It was a GREAT week in 3rd grade! I hope everyone enjoys their Labor Day weekend!